Note from Mom and Dad on Christmas

This is for those of you who have asked what (we want for) the kids for Christmas so here goes:

Please help us in raising children who know what this holiday is really about. Help us to balance the wants with the needs and present them with what will help them to grow in a way we would want them to go. Let’s bring in toys that are responsible – even in this small way our monies will shape their future, both in where the money goes and what it brings home to them.

Some Ideas:

-Cotton clothes, practical for playing in, Luke in sizes 9M and up and Kelsea in size 4T.
-Books! Or Magazines like “Ladybug”, “Wild Animal Baby” or “Little Kids National Geographic”
-Things we can do as a family like: Annual State Park Pass, Gift certificate for Splatters
-Classes we can take them to: Infant Massage (http://www.integrativetouch.com/), YMCA Parent/Child Swimming or Tumble Tikes (www.sarasota-ymca.org) or classes at Forty Carrots
-Waldorf or Montessori style toys – toys that are real things (musical instruments, gardening tools, art supplies) or that encourage creative play (play food/dishes, cloth baby doll, wooden blocks and cars).

These websites are great for ideas: http://www.willowtreetoys.com/, http://www.threesisterstoys.com/, http://www.earthchildonline.com/. Most of them will allow you to type in to search “Made in USA”, “Waldorf”, “Sustainable made” or whatever other qualifier you are looking for.
Locally Toy Lab, Funtoysia, and Learning Express all carry these types of toys.

And to avoid as much as possible: Batteries, Magnets, “Made in China”!

Much Love and Wishes for a Merry Christmas!

The Adams Family