Smart Mama Jennifer Taggart aims to get the lead out of toys

Smart Mama Jennifer Taggart aims to get the lead out of toys
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2010-12-06-smartmama06_cv_N.htm

"Stop by Jennifer Taggart's Southern California home, and you're likely to find her kids conducting a hands-on science experiment. In other words, making a mess.

Taggart has been known to fill a plastic kiddie pool with balls, bird seed or even whipped cream, all for the benefit of her two curious children, ages 5 and 7. She doesn't fuss if the kids want to slather each other with homemade paint on the floor of her breakfast nook.

With her soft voice and relaxed attitude toward creative chaos, she might not sound like a woman warrior.

But Taggart, who blogs as The Smart Mama, packs heat.

Her weapon of choice? A handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer — or XRF gun, for short. It's about the size of a supermarket scanner but powerful enough to detect heavy metals such as lead.

The environmental lawyer, former engineer and self-described geek aims the gun at her children's toys, at Christmas and throughout the year."