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2012

Safe & Healthy Holiday Gift Guidenon-toxic gift giving ideas

for kids of all ages!

Lara AdlerCertified Holistic Health Coach

Environmental Toxins Expertwww.laraadler.com

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Re-thinking The

gift

The holidays are supposed to be about family, friends, community, and connection to each other. Shocking, I know! For the past few decades, the holiday season has instead turned into insane shopping sprees, excessive gift giving, and over-indulgence fueled by gift giving out of obligation, guilt,or pressure to have (or give) the newest, shiniest gizmo or gadget.

During the holidays product marketing machines kick into overdrive with TV commercials repeated ad nauseam, and all kinds of mega deals for stuff you probably never wanted anyway! It’s hard to avoid getting sucked into that vortex of shopping.

For parents, the holidays often amount to big spending sprees on kids toys, games, gadgets...stuff. Now, this is a shopping guide, so I too am talking about the buying of stuff - but before I go into why I created this guide, I want to offer first is a little perspective... something I call “rethinking the present.”

I believe we can all benefit from reconnecting to what it means to give a gift and open up to the possibility that a new iPad might not actually be what your child (or spouse) wants. I believe that if we move away from the giving of stuff, and move towards the giving of gifts that inspire people to be creative, think differently, live healthier, and help others, we can more easily reconnect with each other as people.

Here are my top 3 “outside of the box” ways to RETHINK THE GIFT.

1. Give To Others - Make giving to others, charitably, part of your holiday tradition. Have your children donate older, gently used toys and clothes as they welcome new gifts into their home. Engage them in the act of giving to those who have less!

2. Get Creative - Some of my favorite gifts to give and to get are ones that are homemade! Inspire your children to think outside the box. Often lack of funds means kids turn to handmade gifts anyway, so the more you foster a sense of creative gift giving, the better they’ll feel about baking you a cake, making you a noodle necklace, or painting your portrait!

3. Give Virtually - Gifts don’t always have to be things. Consider things like a trip to the circus, a concert, or guitar lessons. Experiences are often more memorable and more lasting than all that “stuff” anyway!

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When we do venture into the world of actual things, it’s extra important to be mindful of their safety.

Many seemingly benign gifts like toys, new clothes, non-stick cookware for the chefs in the family, or even some make up for those teenage girls, can be harmful to the health and safety of your family. That’s not exactly the kind of gifts we want to be giving!

I’ve put together this Safe & Healthy Holiday Gift Guide as a glimpse into the world of gift giving that’s free from harmful toxins. These are both NEED & WANT gifts - the ones little kids need, like new bedding, new clothes for growing bodies, and the ones they WANT like games and toys.

However you celebrate the holidays, I hope you stay warm, safe, and healthy!!

Supporting your health and the health of your family,

Lara AdlerCertified Holistic Health Coach

Environmental Toxins Expertwww.laraadler.com

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gifts For Babies

Rather than get traditional plastic teethers, which can be made with harmful chemicals*, opt for 100% food grade silicone! Chewbeads has designed a series of bracelets for kids,

and teething necklaces for mom! Stylish AND functional!

TEETHERS

Plastic bottles are a big no-no when it comes to babies - they’re made with chemicals that can interfere with your child’s growth and development* Opt for glass, stainless steel

& silicone instead. Thankfully there are lots of options!

BOttles

check out:

LIFE FACTORY

check out:

PURAcheck out:

innobaby

check out:

CHEWBEADS

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Since babies grow so darn fast, it’s hard to keep enough pajamas on hand. But many conventional pajamas are treated with chemicals that can make your child sick* - not at

all good since they spend most of their time sleeping! Try these organic, non-treated pajamas instead!

Jammies!

check out:

Snug organicscheck out:

Kate Quinn Organics

check out:

Under the nile

Watch out for these! * Many teething toys are made of various types of plastics, including hard polycarbonate plastics, and softer, squishier types. Both types of plastics can contain chemicals that can disrupt the highly sensitive hormonal system of your growing child. Always avoid plastic teethers!

*Plastic baby bottles were for many years made with a chemical called BPA, which turns out, is also a synthetic estrogen, linked to everything from early onset puberty, to behavioral problems in children. BPA-FREE bottles are often made with BPS or BPF, similar chemicals that have similar estrogen-like properties. Always skip plastic baby bottles!

*Synthetic (polyester) kids pajamas are required to be treated with chemical flame retardants, and many cotton types are as well. These flame retardants are linked to cancer and hormone disruption to name a few. Snug-fitting pajamas are exempt from this requirement, but many manufacturers still use them. The risk of fire is low - the risk of exposure to flame retardant chemicals is constant if your child wears them. 100% untreated cotton only!

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gifts For toddlers

As little kids graduate to bigger kid beds, you want to make sure you’re buying untreated* bedding. While organic is best, the most important thing is to make sure that your child’s

bedding isn’t chemically treated in any way. Bedding

check out:

birch fabricscheck out:

naturepediccheck out:

pottery barn teen

Creativity is a cornerstone of childhood! Arts & crafts for kids are not only fun, but they’re great ways to develop fine motor skills, get kids familiar with colors, textures, and shapes.

Many art supplies can contain harmful chemicals* like lead as well as phthalates. Let’s make sure creativity doesn’t come with a side order of health risks.

Arts & crafts

check out:

Clementine artcheck out:

buddha boardcheck out:

Haba toys

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These are just fun (and safe) gifts for little kids! Remember that no matter what the item is, there are very likely health & safety issues* with “conventional” items (ie, those found at

mega-retailers like ToysRUs, Walmart, etc). Opting for companies who take a more natural approach is a good place to start!

MISC!

check out:

Beatrix NYcheck out:

plan toyscheck out:

breezy wooden swing

Watch out for these! * Child mattresses and bedding are often treated with chemical flame retardants that can pose a significant risk to children - the younger they are, the higher the risk of exposures. Make sure that any bedding you buy is free from any chemical flame retardants or other treatments.

*Many art supplies claim to be non-toxic, but may contain lead, cadmium, or other heavy metals, or added fragrances which are often made with phthalates, a hormone disrupting chemical. I caution people to avoid art supplies that create dust, require baking, or are made with polymers (like polymer clay).

* Plastic, and plastic lunch boxes are also commonly made with lead, PVC (which contains phthalates). Since little kids have their hands all over their lunch boxes, make sure your child’s is not made with any of these ingredients!

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gifts For pre-teens

Young girls like all kinds of things - so I’m picking three things that I love: making things, reading, and jewelry! Rather than buying soaps from places like Lush or even The Body Shop, which are made with harmful synthetic fragrances like phthalates, have her make her own! And make sure any perfume-type products are 100% natural too, like Pacifica!Cheap jewelry from places like Claires can contain lead & cadmium - splurge on the real

stuff and it will be so much more special to her!

GIRLS

Yeah, I know, preteen boys are all about video games, iPhones and iTunes... but encourage them to take a technology break and engage! Rather than cheap plastic toys

or gag gifts, get them things that are made from safe materials (like the wooden robot below!), that will get them outside and physical (like super awesome sustainable

skateboards) or will get them reading!

BOYS

check out:

ARBOR BOARDS

check out:

DIY Soap! check out:

Karina Grace

check out:

Guthrie Cubebotcheck out:

13 Stories

check out:

Pacifica

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gifts For teens

I did an informal survey of parents with teenage children, and turns out that what they want most is money, gift certificates to the Apple Store, iTunes, and GameStop. Go figure! While these are fine

gifts to give, I wanted to offer some suggestions for some more heartfelt and personal gifts than just cash and video game credits! In the end, cash may win out, but here’s to trying!

Teenage girls consistently use more personal care products than any segment of the population, and as a result, have some of the highest levels of potentially dangerous

chemicals* in their bodies. While no kid likes getting deodorant for the holidays, a new set of make up, or other luxury personal care products will be well received. Here are some of

my favorites!

GIRLS

check out:

Coastal classic creations

make up!

check out:

TATA HARPERcheck out:

No More Dirty Looks

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Teenage boys are all about looking cool, being cool, but many of the things they may want (like AXE Body Spray) can be sources of really harmful chemicals. Opt for natural

scents instead - like the ones from Neals Yard Remedies - totally Organic, and made with essential oils. Who could resist! And if sunglass will up the cool factor, buy them from

TOMS, who will give the gift of sight to people in need for every pair purchased!

BOYS

check out:

Neals Yard remidies

cologne

check out:

TOMS EYEWAREcheck out:

WeWood Watches

We live in an increasingly toxic world.. chemicals coming from the things we buy and use every day. Little children are the most at risk, but sadly the risk never goes away. Moving away from harmful

toxic exposures in your life and your families life is a step by step process.

Just change one thing at a time.

The gift suggestions in this guide are all small things, but added up, can make for a healthier and safer holiday season. Show your commitment to raising healthy children by not buying items made of plastics, synthetic fabrics, anything fragranced, and avoiding silly throw-away gifts. Teach your

children to be smart, savvy consumers by being an example to them!

Need help? Email me and let me know how I can help you and your family transition to a safer, healthier, and non-toxic home environment!

Mention this guide in your email, and I’ll offer you a totally free 20 minute phone chat!

Can’t wait to hear from you!!

lara@laraadler.com