Greening the Giving

Last Christmas my husband and I literally took away presents given by Santa, wrapped and under the tree, from a blissfully-occupied-with-too-many-other-presents son. We stored them in the attic to be given instead for my son's birthday. Months before the big event, I would put away a little of this and a little of that and well,that added up to a whole lotta-lotta. Now bring in the grandparents and uncles and we have got ourselves present overload.

This year I am a different person. Let's just say I have evolved in my thinking about giving. I was embarrassed that I went so overboard and confessed to a friend of my guilt. She told me she limits her children's gifts to 6. Wow, I never thought of an actual limit as a marker, (right...it seems such an obvious no-brainer) but as it turns out limiting choices can lead to more happiness for both the giver and the receiver. So now I have my own limiting devices....due to current conditions of the toy industry (lead, safety flaw, etc., etc) and my newly developed personal convictions. So my limiters are :

• Locally made is best


• Made in USA


• Not made in China


• China made if it is a necessity and if no alternate is found.
  

So I have been searching and searching for ideas that will appeal to a young child and have come up with some terrific options (not too many!) for the holiday season.

My husband and I decided that my son should have a "big boy" bed instead of his toddler bed, and we have successfully convinced him that he really should ask Santa for one. We found terrific options at Winchendon Furniture which carries many different brands of furniture that are actually made in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. If you have not been to the furniture stores in Gardner and surrounds, I highly recommend them. They really make it easy to go local if you decide to go that route and I was told by more than one associate that many,many people are coming in and asking about buying American made furniture. As it turns out we went with a set that we found on craigslist.org. It is a Maine manufactured bed, that uses eco-friendly paints, and is being reused by us! How green!

We are leaning towards getting an "organic" mattress due to our concerns over the flame retardant chemicals mandated by federal regulation. I am still early in my research, but I know that there are a few American manufacturers of wool, cotton and latex bedding which includes some Amish makers. This weekend I hope to check out the first such "organic" bedding store in the area. I do know that our ideas for being healthy are going to cost us a lot of "green" as these mattresses are not cheap!

We have also found some bedding that will be perfect for our train fan that is made in Ohio. Oh...I can't resist showing you the train that is made in the USA (see photo) and is available at the same site as the bedding. Great find, me thinks!

Yes, we still believe in toys :) and I think that this really is the largest challenge. A vast majority of the toys are made in China and there are few alternatives that are actually made in USA and even fewer made locally. So, I have had to really solidify my convictions. Is a German toy made in Thailand any better that an American toy made in China? Why? What's the point if they are both travelling so far to reach us here in Reading?

Here's my thinking and of course my very own opinion. Most of the recalls of toys have been manufactured in China and they seem so have a system wide problem that really is quite larger that we can get our minds around. The economic changes have taxed environmental, safety and human right issues to such a point that it poses a danger for everyone involved, but most especially the Chinese people. So in my world it is best to stay away from products produced in China. I have been really please to see that others are of the same thinking and are actively blogging about our options such as http://www.notchinamade.net/ , http://www.nomoremadeinchina.com/ and http://www.chinafreechristmas.info/ . Talk about feeling like the bee girl! I could go on and on about which companies are China-free, but why reinvent the wheel. They really do a great job in helping parents make decisions about their buying and have many ideas for seasonal giving and more.

While you could shop for these toys on the internet, such as Amazon, a great place you may want to shop first is locally owned Mud Puddle Toys in Marblehead. After speaking with the owner I get the feeling that I am not the only one with this new "list" of requirements for buying. In fact, I overheard another shopper asking about "not made in China"...I kid you not. They carry many alternatives to the big toy stores and some are even made in the USA. Take an afternoon and spend some time in this wonderful shopping district with cafes and cute small boutiques and a wonderful old fashioned toy store that wants to tap into the new awareness that parents are experiencing.

Tonight starting at 7:00 p.m. the Masonic Temple Hall on Haven St., is hosting the Newcomers and Neighbors annual shopping night . For the past few years it has been filled with hand-made items from local folks. Last year I bought some local handmade soaps and chocolate sauce. Yummy on both counts. I am sure this year will be no exception to the wonderful array of businesses. So you can get an early start on some of your shopping!

I hope I did not stress you out talking about the holidays and it is not my intention to make you feel guilty about choices you make. I am far from being little Miss Perfect Eco Reading. I still use paper towels like a mad person and I still buy bottled water. (See, I too have my developments in waiting). I just wanted to help do the research about topic that I know many of you have been talking about:)

Peace.