Tomorrow is my birthday and I am depressed as F! Do you want to cheer me up? Here are some ideas …

Hello! Tomorrow is my 51st birthday. Frankly, I’m not doing so great (emotionally!). As most mothers home with disabled kids at home 24/7 will tell you, the pandemic is wearing on me.

Mostly, it is super frustrating being 100% (24/7) responsible for my disabled kids with no help. We haven’t had childcare or respite care since March — and I’m just exhausted.

Without care for my kids, I am frustrated that I am so far behind in my writing and work — especially when I have SO MANY things I want to write about (including things like living through a pandemic with disabled kids without childcare)!

Of course — I have said it countless times during this pandemic — I feel so fortunate at the same time. I feel so very lucky to be able to feed my children and keep a roof over their heads (as well as keep them engaged and learning in spite of the deficits of the public school system and their total lack of ability to provide appropriate education for disabled kids using a remote learning format). #Sigh — even MORE to write about!

More things to be thankful for: My husband’s surgery on the 4th was a success and he is recovering nicely (after a month of being bedridden). My 18-year-old is getting straight A’s in his freshman year at college (distance learning while living in Boston). My oldest (24 years old now) is using this time to write new music and hone his skills. He’s written some brilliant new comedy songs (original lyrics and music) and I cannot wait to share those with you. My insurance company is covering some of the cost to repair our kitchen after our roof collapsed from the rains last month (we have had to cover the Lead, mold, and Asbestos remediation costs, as well as the roof repairs, out of pocket though).

Even more to be thankful for: My advocacy work is exploding on social media (in terms of the number of people being reached with our work). I changed the name of “The Lead (Pb) Group” on Facebook to “Lead Poisoning Prevention with Lead Safe Mama” and we will be passing the milestone of 10,000 group members later today (definitely a great birthday present!). Six of the months so far in 2020 are in the top 10 months of all time for unique page views on the Lead Safe Mama website (even with the pandemic raging around us). November and December 2020 are on track to be in the top 10 months, too. There have been over 3.5 million page views on the site from more than 1.5 million unique individuals in over 200 countries in the past 12 months as well!

Really, there is so much to celebrate — there’s just not enough time in the day to keep up with it all.  

Thanks for being here. Thanks for your patience with me (especially if you are waiting for your test results to be reported on LeadSafeMama.com). Thank you, as always, for reading and sharing this work.  

Read below if you want to see a list of SEVEN free things you could do to help me celebrate my birthday this year (to cheer me up a bit, too — and help me make it through the day tomorrow)!

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama

What would I like for my birthday?

1. Find an article on the website (one of the top 10 on the home page) and share it on your social media pages — especially in any parenting groups that might be appropriate. Sharing the Tupperware or Corelle pieces (if you haven’t yet) would be AMAZING! http://www.LeadSafeMama.com
2. Sign my Change.org petition asking Tupperware to respond to my findings of LEAD, CADMIUM, MERCURY, and ARSENIC in their vintage food-use products! https://www.change.org/p/tupperware-corporate-tupperware-respond-re-leadsafemama-s-findings-of-lead-arsenic-in-your-vintage-products
3. Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tammybudgett
4. Start your Amazon shopping by clicking through to Amazon with one of our affiliate links (you don’t need to buy what we link to for Lead Safe Mama, LLC to earn a percentage of what you spend)! I really like these (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/35JNnCf
5. Like my Facebook Page! https://www.facebook.com/LeadSafeMama
6. Join my Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeadSafe
7. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter @LeadSafeMama
8. Bonus — sign up for my email list via LeadSafeMama.com!

Want to do something *more* to help me celebrate the big Five-One?

• Venmo: @TamaraERubin
• Zelle: 503-702-2708
• PayPal: TamaraRubin@mac.com
• GoFundMe: http://www.GoFundMe.com/LeadSafeMama
• Or, the best option, hire me!: https://tamararubin.com/2018/02/lead-safe-mamas-healthy-home-consultations-outreach-events-speaking-engagements-rates/

Other things I want for my birthday
(Big wishes — in case there are some miracles out there):

• A brand new XL5 XRF https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/spectroscopy-elemental-isotope-analysis/portable-analysis-material-id/portable-metal-manufacturing-inspection-recycling-solutions/niton-xl5-handheld-analyzer.html
• A brand new Lead Safe Mama mobile (so I can continue traveling the country helping families): https://www.mbvans.com/
• The rest of the money I need to fix my damn roof and kitchen: $9,000. (You can pay me in advance for a speaking gig or home visit next year perhaps?!) Here’s how to hire me: https://tamararubin.com/2018/02/lead-safe-mamas-healthy-home-consultations-outreach-events-speaking-engagements-rates/

& for “fun,” here are some pictures of my kitchen right now: