I frequently post about cardboard toys and furniture – as the compact/travelbility (is that a word?) of them is beyond convenient. As I travel light – and now with two boys that will become more of a challenge, I need to think about how to have enough “amusement” at our destination – sans the bulk, weight and general annoyance of a Great Toy Shlep.

I adore Calafant toys for this very reason, but for your children that are still too young to really decorate their own toys – Kroom toys, available from Abe’s Market (my new fave green store), give you that light cardboard portability, pre decorated, and ready for playing.

Both of the above are less than $30 (each)! Ship them to you destination – and spare yourself the agony of dragging toys about a dirty airport and being told by some snug, underaged ticket counter bird that your luggage is over the limit of 2 pounds and will cost an extra $500 dollars, will that be cash or charge?

In addition to the farm and Noah set, you can send this lovely Kroom table set ahead, which the grandparents can easily store under  a bed when not in use.

This dollhouse is compact enough to store under a chair.

As is this castle.

Kroom toys are lovely, durable, inexpensive and easy to store. The perfect thing to send and keep at grandma’s – which is where the boys and I are headed next week!!!

Florida, here we come….

Of the piles of toys and other presents my son received for Christmas, his favourite was this battery free, wind up microphone.  All I knew when I bought the thing was that it was in eco packaging and required a child’s energy, rather than batteries, to work. Excellent, I thought smugly – a musical toy that doesn’t require dirty toxic batteries. What a truly clever mummy I am!

What this idiotic mummy didn’t realize is that though it works just as well as advertised – the damn thing plays “Pop Goes the Weasel” in a dolphin singing in electronica pitch just as many times as junior will push the button. And push the button he will. Again. Again. And again.

Yes, it works just as well as any microphone. It also has a few “beat” sounds that my darling, totally lacking in any rhythm or musical ability, son adores pressing incessantly whilst singing “Pop Goes the Weasel” with the unmitigated joy and exuberance known only to two year old boys.

So. Is it a good gift that a little one will enjoy? Yes. It is that. Will they play with it for more than one day? Yes, they will. Will it amplify their little sweet voices like a true microphone? Yuppers.

And THAT, my verdant friend, is the point.

How many parents have been puzzled (if not somewhat annoyed) at seeing their progeny tear into a gift with absolute delight at the ripping of paper, only to remove the gift and after a cursory look and try, spend the next few hours playing with the box.

And how many of us (if not all) aren’t wondering how in the bloody ‘el our children have amassed this mountain of toys, when we have struggled to keep it all under control with a no-gift and/or green toy policy? My eldest is only 2 and I am already packing toys away that I will be placing on a Green Mama “Craigs List” type site (more on that early next year).

Well. Tired of tripping over, stepping on and otherwise running into the seemingly fertile toys in my house , I recently wondered if I mayn’t just wrap up a few toys that my son already owns and regift them to him for Christmas. Not because I’m cheap – but because my toe hurts from running into the seemingly endless recycled, European, eco, non-toxic painted shapes of wood that are strewn about my house. (Well, it used to be my house.)

Box Play to the rescue!

Box Play provides mama with a selection of wonderful stickers that will turn any box, from an egg or milk carton to cereal or shoe box (among others) into a fun toy! Even into a bowling set (above)!

These recycled eco stickers are affordable and brilliant in that they allow you to turn boxes into toys for a second life, before hitting the recycling bin.

Why shouldn’t the ever present toilet roll be turned into a rocket ship?

Box Play stickers are the perfect thing to pack when traveling for the holidays to turn cartons into toys when you arrive – sparing you from having to pack too many toys – using space that you need for those parkas and jumpers.

I love this company, and hope that they develop even more stickers. No one ever bruised a toe on an egg carton.

9 days ’til Santa!

Paige Lauren makes comfy basics for mums who don’t want their daughters to look too “princess” or sons too “rock and roll”.  The muted colors and soft shapes are perfect for Spring – which is what you should buy them for at the wonderful 50% sale prices on her site right now. These are the stocking stuffers that will make the stocking proud.

Cute organic loungewear can be difficult to find, which is why I love these.

You know that t-shirt that you’ll never get rid of though it has a few coffee stains and tiny holes? Yea. Thats what this stuff feels like.

And at these half off prices, Paige Lauren was worth getting on the “nice” list.

It won’t be long now….!

When I was complaining that my son didn’t like having his heart listened to at the doctors office, (which is funny as the doctor doesn’t like listening to me, poor thing), a friend suggested that I buy him a play stethoscope so that we could “practice” and it wouldn’t be so unusual when assaulted by the cold real thing.

I got my eldest this beautiful little doctor playset, which he adores. He now asks to listen to everyone’s heartbeat – even the “patient’ pups – and wants to give us all “shots” and take our temperature.  (As long as he doesn’t take CME credits sponsored by Merck, I’m happy.)

This is a great unisex gift idea (at less than $40), a wonderfully portable toy (very light and compact) and an effective de-sensitiser to all the “scary” bits at the doctors office. (I only recommend that you get rid of the play “pills” as a) pills should only be fun when your name is Judy Garland and b) they are a choking hazard to any younger sibs.)

Note: This set is not covered by insurance.

20 days and counting….

Being from Chicago, I have seen more American Girl dolls than Chinese people. And thats when I was actually in China.  Not only do they contain PVC, but they are Chinese. Like everything “American” it seems.

So.

Let’s say you would like to buy a beautiful doll for a little girl – maybe even a future little cousin who is going to be born in February (ahem) – what do you do? You run to Bonpoint, get on the list, and buy one of these (above) stunning little French dolls with a proper little French layette, that are to be released in November.

Or, this adorable doll, also from Bonpoint…

Beautiful, gorgeously dressed and FRENCH, these dolls are the perfect gift for any little girl who won’t spend her childhood in Disney Princess Dresses or Dora T-shirts.

If the above dolls are too “young” for the lass that you know, these dolls from Lanvin, may be just the thing. (“… hand embroidered and stitched in Swaziland by women who have been diagnosed as HIV positive who are supported by the charity Dessine L’espoir who colloborated with Lanvin for this project.” Source: SMUDGETIKKA.)

et…

et…

Bonpoint and Lanvin in the same post.

I think I’ll go have a Madeleine cookie now….

There are only a few days before Christmas, but do I have a last minute gift idea for you.

For as little as $5, you can get your favourite childs name in the film credits for the magical movie “Spirit Ship”, for $1000 you can get that same child credit as an “Executive Producer”! (Sorry. SAG card not included.)

Spirit Ship, directed by Kristin Eno, is a beautiful little piece of magical celluloid that allows children to tell their own little stories – rather than having a marketing and branding department build a profitable one.:

“Through a series of events, particularly the discovery of many strange and haunting personal artifacts strewn along the sea shore, three children eventually come to see beyond the living world, into the spirit realm, where three young victims of a shipwreck are also wandering. The story takes place against the backdrop of several untouched historic and natural environments along the Red Hook waterfront.”

You can see a trailer here.

By making a donation to finish the film, you’ll not only immortalize a little child in the credits, you’ll also be supporting the arts and the people who want to spare the wee ones mass media brain rot.

The End

I confess. I eat mercury laden sushi and love, I mean REALLY love, antibiotic, GMO, pesticide filled, toxin producing ribs. Slathered in high fructose corn syrup BBQ sauce. Yup. Nothing better.

Those are hardly the least of culinary (or other) sins.

However, though an adult may choose to smoke, drink and suck down succulent finger lickin’ good ribs – these are not, obviously, the delicious venom with which we want to fortify our growing childrens immune systems and life long risk of many diseases and conditions. Nope. Foie Gras for mum, kale and pears for you, little one.

I have bought several cookbooks and books on nutrition and have found the following to be the easiest, most instructive and helpful.

In no particular order:

1) The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth (Um. Ribs are NOT on the list.)

2) The 100 Top Healing Foods

3) Disease Proof Your Child (Great advice to “treat” sniffles or any other common ailment sans making the drug companies shareholders any happier.)

4) Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids (Great way to make healthy party food without fear of making other children sick.)

5) The Vegetarian 5 Ingredient Gourmet (If you are as lazy as I am – this is the book for you.)

6) Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly (Easy vegetarian recipes for lunch and snacks.)

Armed with this small library, I hope that you’ll find the task of raising the healthiest baby possible (with its life long benefits that will survive your own life), easier and less daunting. Honestly, if it doesn’t strengthen your child – it weakens him – is as good a golden rule as any. If not on the list of the first book – chances are that junior doesn’t need it. With 150 amazing foods full of healthiness and goodness, why bother with anything else? Your child will do all the damage he needs in college – so don’t worry that you are depriving him of the rubbish that you (guiltily) love. You only have 18 years to feed him, really. Let him discover those dirty burnt ribs himself. They’ll do far less damage after the healthy start that you have lovingly provided.

You may actually raise a child that avoids the Raman Noodles/Hot Pockets/Pizza Bites college diet. Well. Maybe.

Bon Appetit!

I should like to apologize in advance for this post. Especially to my best friend who did such a gorgeous job of stringing our Christmas tree lights. Which I now have now had to remove.

So. From the Daily Humbug…or, via Environmental Health News (which is my homepage) – it seems that over half of the Christmas lights tested contain lead at up to 30x what is considered a “safe” level for children. When it comes to my son, there isn’t a safe level for lead – so today, with a heavy heart, I am denuding the tree of her sparkle.

I mean, honestly.

What eggnog drinking idiot thought lead on CHRISTMAS LIGHTS was a good idea???? Who ARE these people?! Are they bitter, childless, infant hating psychopaths????!!!!!

I can’t EXPLATIVE stand it.

Candles would be safer.

Bah!

(PS: I have scoured, and not found any non-PVC/lead covered tree lights. Please let me know if you find any. Gracias.)

‘Tis the season to buy organic holly, fa la la la la, la la la la….

Okay. Maybe not.

But you DO have to give people gifts. Your besties and loved ones, at least.

This year, why not spare the toxic ink paper wrapping and ribbon, eliminate rubbish encased in impossible to open plastic and forget clothes doused in chemicals made by the nimble wee fingers of third world children in the name of kultcha’…

Why not give your loved ones e-tickets to The Nutcracker, a symphony, an opera or – best gift of all – a years membership to a local fave museum or other cultural institution (which is languishing in this crap economy). Not only will you be giving an experience – but you will be supporting the arts or sciences whilst helping keep civilization from descending into a Middle Ages like gloom.

No wrapping, ribbon or boxes needed. Just an email.

Its low carbon toeshoe – and fabulous.

Even the hubbys will like the ballet – as there are beautiful chicks in the shortest “skirts” imaginable.

Support the arts and sciences. It’s actually a gift for your community entire.

Ho! Ho! Ho!