There’s no reason to spend a lot of money on stocking stuffers, even if you want to go green this holiday season. There are plenty of delightful green stocking stuffers for teens and younger kids that are $10 or less.

STOCKING STUFFERS FOR BABIES

• Dandelion Soft Shaker Bear Toy - This cute rattle is stuffed with fluffy natural corn fibers and made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified bamboo velour.

• Miyim Simply Organic Petite Plush Toy Ben Frog or Annabelle Lamb - adorable little organic miYim dolls, made from all natural materials including organic cotton and plant and mineral dyes.

• Small Play Silk - Babies love play silks for peek-a-boo and other games, plus these silks are smaller (baby-sized) and beautiful. Available in 22″ or 35″ squares in a variety of colors, or sets of all six pastel or vibrant rainbows hues. Hand dyed in the USA made with China silk by a woman-owned company.

• Under the Nile Organic Veggie & Fruit Toys - Perfect baby teething toys that look like yummy veggies and fruits and are made with 100% organic cotton.

• Odd Ducks – Fun galore in the tub and BPA and toxin free. Plus if you buy them in a four pack they’re just around $6 each – great if you have more than one kid.

STOCKING STUFFERS FOR TODDLERS

• Wooden Top - A sweet top made with different wooden pieces of different colors, carved into a smooth shape. This product is Fair Trade, made by HSSS, a non-profit organization that works for the uplifting and development of underprivileged artisans.

• Cosmic Spinner - Dazzling birch wood spinning tops that are easy to spin and make cool patterns. Each spinner is laser cut in a different pattern. Made in the USA .

• Organic Velour Finger Puppet – Made with organic cotton these tiny puppets are cute and interactive.

• Plan Toys Mushroom Kaleidoscope in Green or festive Red – Made of natural, chemical free recycled rubberwood and finished with non-toxic water based dye.

• Triangular Crayons Extra Jumbo (12 colors) - Made with non-toxic, proprietary materials that color beautifully. These are also ergonomic shaped and won’t roll away from little hands. Bonus, no  messy paper wrapper waste.

STOCKING STUFFERS FOR KIDS

• Itty Bitty Red and Green Holly Baby - Super sweet itty bitty red and green Holly Babies are small enough to accompany your child everywhere he or she goes. All natural fiber doll. Made by Evi in Brazil – Fair Trade.

• Grandpa’s Yo-Yo - Beautifully colored natural yo-yo toys with zero plastic pieces, lights or sounds. Made in the USA by the enchanting and ethical Camden Rose.

• Green Toys Recycled Jump Rope - A great healthy stocking stuffer by Green Toys. Made with 100% cotton and 100% recycled plastic handles in the USA.

• Magic Wands- An essential small toy for any up-and-coming princess, fairy, magician, or wizard. Made from hardwood and non-toxic paint and finishes in the USA. Color choices: Pink, Purple, or Yellow.

• Keeki Pure and Simple - Keeki Pure and Simple uses as many organic raw materials as possible in their products and their nail colors are free from parabens, phthalates and other toxic ingredients. Nail polishes are also gluten-free, toluene-free, vegan, made in the USA and never tested on animals. Many festive holiday color choices available and one of the best priced polishes for tots too.

• JJ’s wooden knife kits - A unique introduction to the craft of woodworking, this kit features genuine spring action, unsharpened blades with rounded corners. Easy instructions. Made in the USA with Cherry, Maple or Walnut wood.

STOCKING STUFFERS FOR TEENS

• Eco Hackysack/Juggling Ball - A fun tie-dyed, eight-panel footbag/juggling ball. Great for a round of hackey-sack, to display your juggling prowess, or for a game of catch. Made in Romania from 100% eco-hemp canvas and is fully biodegradable.

• All The Better To Kiss You Lip Gloss - Yummy eco USDA certified organic lip balm that comes in a vintage tin. Available in Lavender Vanilla, Pepperminty, Pomegranate or Chai Mandarin – also comes in a set. 100% natural, paraben free, cruelty-free. Made in USA and the company plants a tree with every purchase.

• Priti Mini Flowers - Adorable little bottles of nail color that are safe for your teen. Completely non-toxic and free from the big bad three – toluene, formaldehyde and DBP’s. A wide color range is available.

• No Enemy tri-fold wallet – This No Enemy tri-fold wallet is made of 100% hemp and is a more eco-friendly way for your teen to carry his cash.

• Pop In The Bath Bubble Bar by LUSH - Solid bubble bath without packaging waste. There are also Lush soaps that will appeal to teen boys as well, such as  Demon In The Dark Soap.

• Guitar String Bracelet - Handmade in the U.S. with recycled guitar string, lead-free nickel and brass. Designed by Hannah Garrision & Steve Bernstein.

• String Dolls - Cute fun that everyone loves. Fair Trade and awesome.

STOCKING STUFFERS FOR CRAFTY KIDS

• Clementine Art Natural Modeling Dough – 3 Pack of Lemon, Lime and Strawberry - Soft, crumble-free non-toxic dough. All natural and washable. Colored with turmeric, carmine and spinach, and scented with strawberry, lemon and lime.

• Build and Decorate your own Dinosaur or Steamer - Tiny toys that kids will love to build and decorate. All pieces are already pre-punched on stable, white cardboard and can be put together without glue and scissors. Creative, fun and fully recyclable.

• Crazy Crayons Eco Stars (100% Recycled Crayons) - Non-toxic and recycled crayons in a fun holiday shape.

• Stockmar Modelling Beeswax Bars - This festive holiday set comes with 2 red bars and 2 green bars. Non-toxic, creative and kid-safe.

• 8 Holiday Crayon Rocks - Crayons rocks are one of the best small stocking stuffers. Very sturdy (i.e.. won’t break in a stocking) plus fun for little hands and non-toxic.

The best and greenest way to go when it comes to holiday greeting cards is to skip the store-bought paper cards and send e-cards or make homemade cards with recycled paper and other art supplies you already have on hand. However, since the holidays are quickly approaching, and since some people do green store-bought cards, here are some eco-friendly holiday greeting card ideas…

• Greener Peace Wreath

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Greener-Peace-Wreath.jpg
  la

• Snowy Reindeer

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Snowy-Reindeer2.jpg
  la

• Traditional Wonder

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Traditional-Wonder.jpg
  la

• Three Wishes

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Three-Wishes2.jpg
  la

• Stylish Birds

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Stylish-Birds.jpg
  la

• Sheer Collage

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Sheer-Collage.jpg
  la

• Night Owl Paper Goods Holiday Cards 2011

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Night-Owl-Paper-Goods-Holiday-Cards-2011.jpg
  la

• Night Owl Paper Goods Holiday Cards 2011

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Night-Owl-Paper-Goods-Holiday-Cards-2011-4.jpg
  la

• Night Owl Paper Goods Holiday Cards 2011

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Night-Owl-Paper-Goods-Holiday-Cards-2011-5.jpg
  la

• Night Owl Paper Goods Holiday Cards 2011

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Night-Owl-Paper-Goods-Holiday-Cards-2011-3.jpg
  la

• Night Owl Paper Goods Holiday Cards 2011

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Night-Owl-Paper-Goods-Holiday-Cards-2011-2.jpg
  la

• Colored Snowflakes

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Colored-Snowflakes.jpg
  la

• Little Frosty

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Little-Frosty.jpg
  la

• Golden Shimmer Handmade Paper Ornament

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Golden-Shimmer-Handmade-Paper-Ornament.jpg
  la

• Peace Love & Joy boxed letterpress folded cards

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Peace-Love-Joy-boxed-letterpress-folded-cards.jpg
  la

• Igloo boxed letterpress folded cards

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Igloo-boxed-letterpress-folded-cards.jpg
  la

• Snowflake single greeted offset folded card

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Snowflake-single-greeted-offset-folded-card.jpg
  la

• Grow-A-Note Snow Birds

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Grow-A-Note-Snow-Birds.jpg
  la

• Grow-A-Note Hibiscus Turtle

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Grow-A-Note-Hibiscus-Turtle.jpg
  la

• Exhilarate the spirit!

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Exhilarate-the-spirit.jpg
  la

• Gift-a-Tree Card Seasons

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Gift-a-Tree-Card-Seasons.jpg
  la

Greener Peace Wreath: This simple, yet sweet card is designed by Hello Little One for Tiny Prints. It’s meant for businesses, but could be customized for anyone. Tiny Prints uses 30% post consumer content paper for both their Signature Recycled Matte and their Textured White & Textured Ecru paper cards. Their Studio Basics Smooth Matte designs are printed on FSC-certified paper. See other fun Tiny Print holiday cards below.

• Snowy Reindeer
• Traditional Wonder
• Three Wishes  (designed by the delightful Night Owl Paper Goods!)
• Stylish Birds
• Sheer Collage

Night Owl Paper Goods is one of my favorite unique green shops. Not only are their holiday cards 100% adorable, but they make their cards with sustainable birch wood or 100% reclaimed & recycled cotton from the garment industry and use eco-friendly processes. You can also get personalized family holiday cards.

Paper Culture holiday cards are modern and eco friendly – featuring exclusive designs, premium quality and 100% recycled paper. They have a lot of cute cards to choose from, but this year two of my faves are Colored Snowflakes and Little Frosty.

Twisted Limb Paperworks has many wonderful holiday cards and this company is super green. They make 100% recycled paper using combinations of recycled office paper, junk mail and used grocery bags. Water used in the paper making process is recycled from the company’s dehumidifiers and air conditioner whenever possible and no extra fake colors are added to the paper. Envelopes, reply cards, and cardstock invitations are 100% recycled. Check out the Golden Shimmer Handmade Paper Ornament which doubles as a card and resembles an antique glass ball decoration (an awesome deal too – 8 cards + frost envelopes for under $23!)

Smock makes some of the most beautiful holiday cards on the planet and uses eco-friendly materials and practices, such as bamboo paper, bamboo envelopes, 50% post-consumer polyester boxes and sustainable offsetting. They also use only vegetable-oil based and low-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) inks and plant trees for the planet, among many other eco-practices. See their lovely designs below.

• Peace Love & Joy boxed letterpress folded cards
• Igloo boxed letterpress folded cards
• Snowflake single greeted offset folded card

Green Field Paper Company offers both handmade paper and machine made hemp paper along with seed embedded paper (embedded with wildflower seeds). This year, their holiday collection has expanded and is totally adorable. I like their Grow-A-Note Snow Birds and Grow-A-Note Hibiscus Turtle.

All Positively Green cards are “green manufactured” to leave the lightest possible environmental footprint. Plus, 10% of the profits are donated to organizations that protect our environment and fight global warming. They have many holiday cards to choose from, but I like Exhilarate the spirit! holiday package set

The National Wildlife Federation offers many wildlife inspired holiday cards that help support the environment. For example, their Gift-a-Tree Card Seasons cards plant trees for friends and family.

PlanToys is an entirely eco-friendly and ethical company who offers some amazing green dollhouses. All of PlanToys dollhouses, from very affordable, to more expensive sets are made without heavy metals or lead, with natural rubberwood from rubber trees which no longer produce latex. None of the wood is chemically treated. Zero fertilizer is added to the rubberwood soil and PlanToys uses a special chemical-free kiln drying process. For colored products, a water-based, non-toxic finish is used and toys are assembled with certified E-Zero,  non-formaldehyde glue in place of traditional toxic wood glue.

• Read my PlanToys company review.

If your child wants a dollhouse this holiday season (or anytime) PlanToys is one of the best places to start your search. Not only is this company hyper green, but they offer dollhouses in seriously every price range, so any family can afford one. Following are your PlanToys dollhouse options…

PlanToys Eco Home

$51.80 PlanToys Eco Home - This is the dollhouse of the future for young children. Comes with wind turbine, solar panels, a living roof and an electric scooter instead of a car! This set includes the house, two dolls, an electric scooter, and furniture for two rooms. Like all Plan Toys, crafted from recycled, natural rubber wood, dyed with vegetable and soy dyes, and assembled with an earth-friendly process.

My First Dollhouse

$90.94 – PlanToys My First Dollhouse – The dollhouse is perfect for young children, being easily accessible from all sides and consists of a balcony, sliding doors and 4 rooms which can be furnished as a bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen or dining room with the different accessories. The rooms feature a springtime floral wallpaper design.

Chalet Dollhouse

$133.16 PlanToys Chalet Dollhouse – This dollhouse is made up of 2 units which can be arranged and rearranged in various ways to create a larger play area and to encourage creative thinking. The dollhouse has huge skylight in the roof and 2 movable staircases.

$183.14 Plan Toy Chalet Dollhouse with Furniture – This set is just the same as the regular Chalet, but comes with 5 sets of furniture, including Living Room, Bathroom, Kitchen, Children’s Bedroom and Master Bedroom.

Green Dollhouse

$145.30 – PlanToys Green Dollhouse – I LOVE the Green Dollhouse, as it encourages sustainable thinking among kids. The dollhouse’s energy efficient design includes a wind turbine, a solar cell panel and electric inverter for generating electricity, a rain barrel for collecting rain, a biofacade, which uses the natural cycle of plant growth to provide shading, and a blind that can adjust the amount of sunlight and air circulation. Also, recycling bins are included in the set.

$179.99 – PlanToys Green Dollhouse with Furniture – The Green Dollhouse with furniture is a super deal, coming with enough goodies to outfit five rooms: Living room, kitchen, bathroom, children’s bedroom and master bedroom.

Terrace Dollhouse

$148.39 – PlanToys Terrace Dollhouse – This Dollhouse features a cool movable terrace, partitions, windows, door, and staircase. There is a large upper floor terrace and attic space under the roof.

Victorian Dollhouse

$238.71 – PlanToys Victorian Dollhouse – This dollhouse is the bling dollhouse available at PlanToys, featuring 3 spacious floors including an attic. Each floor is accessible with panels and realistic sashes that slide open and shut. Additional attic space can also be made into any room your child desires.

Also see – DIY dollhouse ideas.

Every year I update my Ultimate Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen Guide for the holidays. This year readers have noted that they aren’t interested in seeing any kitchens containing ply-wood, even if the outer wood is solid. That said, the offerings are more limited this year. This is for a few reasons:

• Companies lie (or exaggerate) and say their kitchen is made of “real wood” but when I dig a little deeper, I find out that their definition of real wood is plywood. It’s not a total lie I suppose, but since readers don’t want that, I deleted every conventional-plywood containing kitchen from the list.

• Secondly, many companies I’ve contacted haven’t gotten back to me. I’m guessing they don’t make real wood kitchens or they just have lousy customer service. Either way, if I’m not assured by the company that a kitchen is made of real wood or at least eco-ply, I deleted it from the list.

• Overall, what I’ve found is that VERY few companies make actual, full on wood play kitchens.

Then I thought, hey, maybe I should look on Etsy. I’m fairly Etsy obsessed anyhow, and I was hoping they might have some crafters selling real wood kitchens. Here’s what I found.

• Kulu Wooden Toys play kitchen

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Kulu-Wooden-Toys-play-kitchen.jpg
  la

• Heartwood Natural Toys play kitchen

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Heartwood-Natural-Toys-play-kitchen.jpg
  la

• Rewood Toys Mini Wooden Play Kitchen Set

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Rewood-Toys-Mini-Wooden-Play-Kitchen-Set.jpg
  la

• Hammer & Nails play kitchen

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Hammer-Nails-play-kitchen.jpg
  la

• Sweetie Pies and Monkeys folding fabric kitchen

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Sweetie-Pies-and-Monkeys-folding-fabric-kitchen.jpg
  la

• Mama Made Them table top play kitchen

   

  http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Mama-Made-Them-table-top-play-kitchen.jpg
  la

Kulu Wooden Toys – My favorite kitchen was the surreal Kulu toy kitchen made with solid Oak with Cherry and Maple highlights and a beeswax finish. Not only is this imaginative kitchen beautifully, and uniquely designed, but it’s affordable and packed with awesome features, such as folding leaf and pull out drawer. I LOVE this kitchen so much – great curvy lines. Also see their cute compact play kitchen.

Heartwood Natural Toys – This adorable little chef’s dream kitchen is heirloom-quality, made from solid pine with paduak burners. The faucet shown is made from beautiful black walnut; also available in poplar. All kitchens are available with the option of a blue enamel or stainless sink. According to the seller, “All of my items are entirely non-toxic, including the glue and finish. I counter sink every screw and plug all screw holes with pine buttons or oak plugs. All corners are rounded over and sanded. All knobs and faucet turn & move for realistic play and are attached with bolts and lock nuts so they will not come loose. NO paint, NO MDF, NO plastic, NO plywood.”

Rewood Toys – I think their Mini Wooden Play Kitchen Set is 100% adorable. Plus, for once it’s a kitchen made for younger tots. Perfect for little babies and or small spaces. All knobs and faucet are moveable and function like a real stove and sink. Made with Canadian woods (mostly pine, cherry and maple). The bowl is made of stainless steel. Bonus – it comes fully assembled and ready to use.

Hammer & Nails – sadly, this shop isn’t taking any more holiday orders, but you could get this kitchen set in the new year. Handmade from solid, local Oregon pine with rounded, child-safe corners. All items are sanded and finished with a non toxic, all natural beeswax wood finish.

Sweetie Pies and Monkeys – this unique fabric kitchen isn’t wood, but it comes in pattern form, so you can make it out of sustainable organic cotton if you like, or reuse fabric. It’s a cute folding fabric kitchen that won’t take up all your space. The completed kitchen measures approximately 50 inches tall and 25 inches wide when all set up, but can be collapsed down and stored because it folds to approximately 25 x 14 x 2 1/2 inches. Perfect for sliding under the bed or placed in a box with all the play kitchen pots and pans and food.

Mama Made Them – the Little Kitchen is simply adorable and handmade with solid real wood and beeswax finish. It also comes with features galore for such a little thing. Such as rare oven, not usually found in a table top kitchen, four burners, made from solid red oak, a stainless steel, removable sink bowl and a handle for easy portability.

I’ve been celebrating Buy Nothing Day for years. This year, I’m even more encouraged to celebrate, because Buy Nothing Day falls on November 25th, my birthday. Buy Nothing Day was originally launched by the folks at Adbusters, and it’s pretty simple to participate. Buy Nothing Day encourages people to skip the Black Friday madness and choose other, better alternative activities instead.

Below is the awesome Buy Nothing Day video – it was made back in 2005, but it’s still relevant. By the way, when it first appeared, many media networks like MTV and ABC banned this commercial, deeming it too hard-core for American consumers.  Lame.

Most people know about Black Friday. It happens every year, the Friday after Thanksgiving. Stores hold massive sales and people head out in droves to shop. There are some huge issues with a holiday that celebrates massive consumerism though, such as…

• Black Friday is a huge time waster. You could spend the day with your family instead of spending it in a stressful, crowded store check-out line. It’s a holiday weekend for pete’s sake, don’t you have better stuff to do?

• Black Friday encourages the gigantic “Buy more, buy bigger” mindset that’s already in place in this country.

• Black Friday is not eco-friendly, because it’s a day focused on buying as much stuff as possible – not healthy for people or the earth. Plus, most retailers who participate in the Black Friday shenanigans don’t carry safe, green, non-toxic products, and because it occurs all on one day, you don’t have time to research before you buy.

• Black Friday sets a terrible example for your kids. Kids are bombarded with consumer issues every single day. The last thing kids need is a holiday telling them how cool it is to buy, buy, buy.

• Black Friday doesn’t help you make smart consumer choices because it happens so quickly. There’s no time to think through purchases. You have to buy right now.

• Black Friday make people do incredibly greedy, money-minded and lame things. Seriously – read this.

• Black Friday is not peaceful. No argument on earth will convince me that consumerism, mixed with long lines, mixed with stress, mixed with fighting over products and other nonsense connected with Black Friday is a healthy way to live. A peaceful living mindset is tied intrinsically to eco-living. When you buy less, live healthier and make positive choices, a certain sense of calm begins to take over your life , which can lead to a greener lifestyle as well. Less clutter, less competition, more peace, and more green.

People who are healthy and happy, and not stressed over stuff can stay more balanced and have more time to figure out how to invest in a greener world. You don’t have to shop, shop, shop on November 25th. You could make a statement by not shopping at all.

• Stuff to do on Black Friday that in no way involves shopping.

Instead of shopping, use Black Friday as a day to go on a hike, play board games, hold a gathering for friends you missed over Thanksgiving, or whatever you like. If you REALLY must participate, consider a buy something responsible day instead.

Whether you’re looking for homemade eco-gifts, affordable green gifts, zooming green gifts for kids, the perfect green book or a stunning green play kitchen or eco-friendly dollhouse – you’re 100% covered with this eco-friendly holiday gift guide. Keep this page bookmarked, as I’ll be adding some new treats to it throughout this holiday season.

Green holiday gifts for everyone on your list!

Green Holiday Gifts – General Tips

• You Can Afford an Eco-Friendly Holiday Season
• How to choose a safe and eco-friendly play kitchen set or dollhouse
• Christmas consumerism facts
• My top green gift pick of 2010 (2011 coming soon)
• 2011 eco-friendly holiday greeting cards

Ultimate Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen Guide

Green Play Kitchen Gift Guides

• Ultimate Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen Guide
• DIY Toy – Nine Affordable Play Kitchen Sets
• 12 More DIY Play Kitchen Sets
• Camden Rose Eco-friendly Wooden Play Kitchen Sets
• Recycled Cocorico Cooker
• 24 awesome felt play food sets from Etsy
• Great real wood play kitchen sets at Etsy
• Affordable PlanToys kitchen sets
• Chef’s kitchen from Natural Pod

Eco-friendly Dollhouses

• Ultimate Green Dollhouse Guide
• Cherry Wood Dollhouse
• Non-toxic Waldorf dollhouse
• Best affordable green dollhouses

Wonderful Homemade & DIY Green Gift Ideas

• 39 Homemade Green Holiday Gifts That Rock
• Where to order green & last minute Christmas gifts
• DIY Less Expensive & Eco-Friendly Day Before Gift Baskets
• Homemade Holiday Gift – Thrift Store Dress-Up Costume Kit

Zooming Gifts for Kids

Mixed Green Gift Ideas for Kids

• Green Gifts for Crafty & Creative Kids
• Affordable Green Gifts for Toddlers
• Affordable Green Gifts for Babies
• Rocking and zooming gifts
• Eco-Friendly Panda Holiday Gifts for Kids
• Eco-Friendly Cooking & Baking Gifts for Kids

Eco-Gifts for Adults & Teens

• Affordable gifts for adults
• Affordable green gifts for teens

Stocking Stuffers & Other Little Treats

• Green Stocking Stuffers for 2011 – less than $10 each
• Organic & Natural Stocking Stuffers
• Eco-friendly Stocking Stuffers Under $10

Each year, around the winter holiday season, I try to update both my Ultimate Green Dollhouse Guide and my Ultimate Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen Guide.

Also each year I get a ton of questions regarding which dollhouses and play kitchens are actually 100% plywood-free, lead-free and overall non-toxic. That said, this year I’m going to attempt to update these gift guides so that they only include safe products, made without plywood or with greener formaldehyde-free MDF or other eco-materials.

One safe play kitchen option

Before I get started, I figured I’d offer some information on what the problems are with some of the most commonly used materials in play kitchens and dollhouses.

Materials to be aware of in play kitchens and dollhouses:

*NOTE – I’ll be adding links below asap – you may want to bookmark this post so you can come back to it later as I add more material info.

• Plywood and other fake wood products
• Lead
• Paint
• Plastic
• Ethically sourced wood

What I’ll be looking for this year – safe dollhouse and play kitchen criteria:

Real wood: I suggest you look for real wood play kitchens and dollhouses over plastic or composite woods.

The chain of best woods: In my opinion, eco-sourced wood is best, but I also think that a real wood play kitchen or dollhouse made locally (even if the wood is not from a sustainable source) is still seriously better than a plastic or composite wood dollhouse or kitchen set.

Finishes: This year I’ll be looking for play kitchens and dollhouses that are made with child-safe less-toxic, low-voc finishes.

Lead: I’ll be choosing only lead-free or low-lead products that meet the newer lower CPSIA lead levels.

My little disclaimer – Obviously I’m not perfect. I research a lot, but sometimes companies give me the run-around. Plus, if you buy a dollhouse or play kitchen for your child, it’s your responsibility to also research the product to make sure it’s safe and fits your own green criteria.

Camden Rose is a collective of designers, artists, teachers, musicians, craftspeople and parents who design and sell awesome products for children. From non-toxic rattles to wooden musical instruments to old-fashioned games and blocks, Camden Rose has almost everything you need to outfit a super playroom, including some 100% amazing play kitchen sets.

Camden Rose kitchen play sets cost more than other play kitchens, but it’s because these are high-quality, creatively designed, non-toxic toys that will last for generations. Plus, this company has many green and ethical practices in place.

Currently, Camden Rose sells three different play kitchen products:

Camden’s Play Kitchen – Flat Pack Kitchen: This wonderful eco-friendly play kitchen is crafted from solid ash wood, collected from the thousands of trees infected with the Emerald Ash Borer. Instead of burning or chipping this wood into mulch, Camden Rose saved it and created toys that will last generations.

This kitchen is made in the USA without any plywood, press board, or soft pine. It includes creative accessories such as functional knobs and doors, a swivel faucet and removable high-gage stainless steel sink. Parents will adore the flat-packed shipping to save on space and packaging, along with easy 5-minute snap together assembly.

• $249.99 Camden’s Play Kitchen – Flat Pack Kitchen

A Simple Hearth Play Kitchen with Hutch: This non-toxic play kitchen is recommended for children ages 3 and up and is made entirely of real cherry and walnut wood in the USA.  Designed for multi-generational play, A Simple Hearth is made with zero plywood, particleboard/press board or soft pine. The stove, burner and faucet knobs work flawlessly and smoothly without the use of any metal hardware. The brushed metal sink bowl is made from real heavy gage stainless steel and can be removed for easy cleaning.

Everything about this play kitchen is made for realistic imaginative play. There’s a sliding cutting board that really pulls out 12 inches to allow access for more children. Oven and sink doors operate on self-closing hinges and a partition divides the oven from the sink compartment. The back of the kitchen hutch is open, meaning, this play kitchen may be positioned against a wall or in the middle of a room.

The kitchen is shipped partially assembled so it’s easy for parents. Builders simply slide on the hutch and screw on the walnut handles and assemble the hutch (8 screws and 8 hole plugs) then it’s all ready for your child to cook.

This kitchen is also available as A Beautiful Hearth - same kitchen, minus the top hutch.

• $349.99 A Simple Hearth Play Kitchen with Hutch
• $289.99 A Beautiful Hearth play kitchen without hutch

A Simple Fridge – Play Refrigerator: This fridge is hand-made in the USA with real Cherry, Ash and Walnut wood. Ventilation openings are built in the back of the Simple Fridge and slow self-closing metal hinges are featured on the doors. The fridge arrive at your home fully assembled right out of the box. All parents need do is attach the door handles with the four provided screws (instructions included). This is a perfect add-on to either of the kitchens above.

• $299.00 A Simple Fridge – Play Refrigerator

Camden Rose eco-friendly and ethical standards:

• All Camden Rose products are meticulously hand-constructed by craftspeople, not mass-produced.
• High quality materials, all certified non-toxic, such as stainless steel, wood, pure wool, silk and more are used.
• Almost all Camden Rose products are made in the United States. They also employ Fair Trade workers from a women-owned cooporative near Lima, Peru.
• Products are finished in natural, non-toxic beeswax.
• Each item produced is self-tested for lead content and other harmful chemicals. All products contain levels of lead content far lower or non-existent than the minimum allowed. Also, each and every product is free from materials known to produce phthalates, namely PVC (found in soft plastic or vinyl).
• Camden Rose uses red recyclable plastic netting for many of their retail products.
• All products meet CPSIA requirements.

Green gift baskets make excellent holiday gifts. I think it’s better to shop early (if you do give gifts) because early shoppers tend to be more savvy about green criteria and price. Anytime people are crunched for time and hit the stores, it seems like they buy more than they mean to. However, sometimes you simply run out of time. That said, day before gift baskets are a really good plan for major procrastinators who still want to give green gifts for the holiday.

TIPS

• Make sure you take a list when you go to the store AND then only shop from said list.
• Before you go to the store see what you already have. You may have some stuff for a gift basket already that a few extra items will round out.
• Do not plan on a ready-made basket or gift box. Yeah, they’re easy, but I promise it’ll cost less to make up your own plus you can personalize it.

You’ll need a basket: By basket, I mean a recycled container of some sort. Most people have some around the house (old Easter gear and such) or you can pick some up at a thrift store for a song. You don’t have to use a basket either. A nice recycled bowl, well-cleaned paint canister, recycled colander, reusable picnic basket, large tin, recycled Christmas stocking, reusable grocery bag dressed up cardboard box or other container works too. You can paint or decorate your containers as you wish.

You’ll need a store: What’s key is to hit a store that will have everything you need. Driving from place to place sort of defies “day before.” I’d try a local natural food store first. For example, in my town I’d go to New Seasons Market or a co-op. You could also hit Whole Foods or another mainstream grocer with a decent amount of organic and natural products. Trader Joe’s is a possible choice, but still a last ditch store idea in my opinion because they carry few organics and you never know what you’ll find, which has its benefits, but not if you’re trying to save money.

Choose a gift basket theme:

Once you have your basket and store you’ll need a gift theme. Heading to the store without a theme is asking for trouble. You’ll go to the store, browse too long, ponder too much and very likely over-buy. Pick a theme, set a price limit and then make a list. Now it’s time to go to the store.

Here’s how to create a great inexpensive eco-friendly gift basket on the fly:

Following are some theme ideas, along with stuff that’s super easy to find at a decent natural grocery store. Everything on included on the lists below are things I’ve actually seen at my local natural food store. Note – while I included many ideas under each theme, they’re just ideas. You don’t need a basket filled with everything on the list. In my experience a perfectly great gift basket can be made for about $25-$40 depending on theme.

• Healthy theme basket: A nice collection of organic fruit alone can make a great basket. You could also look for healthy green magazines and organic essential oils.

• Relaxation theme basket: Organic washcloth or natural loofa, soy tea-light candles, natural handmade soaps or organic scrub, incense, organic essential oils, organic teas and a CD of nature sounds are items you might want to include in a peaceful relaxation gift basket.

• Baby theme basket: For new parents or a baby look for Earth Mama Angel Baby products or other real organic products made for baby. There’s also BPA-free sippy cups, small organic teethers, organic baby crackers, biodegradable baby wipes or gourmet organic baby food.

• Child-minded theme basket: organic fruit leather , organic animal crackers or other organic munchies, organic and natural candy, organic soaps, nature minded magazine, reusable water bottle, eco-friendly crayons, recycled coloring book or even a small stuff organic toy.

• Food lover theme basket: Grab some organic pasta sauce, whole grain noodles, jarred garlic spread, organic crackers, nuts, jams, cookies or other treats to create a basket of yummy items for a foodie. Throw in a natural food magazine or small cookbook and you’re good to go. This sort of gift basket is especially nice for someone who doesn’t usually buy organic, because it’s a good introduction.

• PB&J theme basket: Start with organic gourmet peanut butter and jam. Add a container of organic honey, some organic bananas and a loaf of very good organic bread or bagels. This is great for kids and adults.

• Green cleaning theme basket: I like making homemade cleaners, but for a newbie, nice green cleaning supplies can be a great introduction to eco-friendly living. Grab some cleaners of your choice, a bottle of natural hand soap, some biodegradable cleaning towels and some natural air freshener or a soy candle. Most stores have Mrs. Meyer’s products, which aren’t, in my opinion extreme green, but they don’t tend to scare off people who are newer to green cleaning – I like the basil scented products best.

• Brush green for kids theme basket: Preserve junior toothbrushes plus some Tom’s of Maine Natural Silly Strawberry toothpaste and natural dental floss. Honestly, I’d also throw in some little treats, since now of course they can brush in style, candy is fine. Try some organic apples and chocolate.

• Fair Trade theme basket: Anything and everything Fair Trade. I suggest a nice mix of items like coffee, chocolate, shea butter, nuts to munch on and so fourth.

• Beauty theme basket: Real organic soaps, essential oils, scrubs, lip gloss and so on, can all be found at a good natural grocers.

• Coffee lover’s theme basket: Fair Trade, organic coffee, a reusable coffee filter, chocolate covered espresso beans, a reusable coffee mug and some biscotte or nice cookies. For an alternative do a Fair Trade tea basket theme.

• Herb garden theme basket: Some little reusable pots, organic herb seeds (or flower seeds), a nice bunch of lavender, some garden gloves, eco-friendly less toxic sunscreen and hand salve.

• Go green theme basket: A reusable water bottle, a reusable grocery bag or two, a CFL bulb or two, reusable produce bags, preserve products plus a green minded book or magazine.

Really, as you can see the sky’s the limit when thinking up themes. You could do a basket for a dog owner, a cheese and wine lover, a hiker, a baker, a basket for crafty people and so on. Just remember, there’s no reason to spend a lot. Don’t go into the store with too grand a plan. Simple is fine.

Currently I’m running an experiment here at Growing a Green Family. Can the average family of four save $50,000 in five years simply by living green? With this in mind, I decided to see how much you can save by celebrating a less consumer Christmas.

Can you really spend just $250 on Christmas?

That’s a good question. Technically yeah, you can even have a $0 Christmas. It all depends on what you want. A better question to start with is how much do American families REALLY spend on the holiday season?

Most resources and studies I’ve found only factor in the cost of gifts. For example, one source I found says, “In the United States the average American will spend about $750 dollars on gifts and accessories.” Another source says the average American will spend an average of $658 for gifts.

But that’s just gifts. People also spend cash on holiday decor, the tree, food and likely, I’m guessing, nonsense goods they wouldn’t buy in the first place, but do buy, because they happen to be at the store more often. Overall, if I had to take a stab, based on figures I’ve seen, I’d assume that on average, individual American adults spend about $700-$1000 for Christmas (figuring in everything).

There’s no way on earth I’m spending $700 on Christmas.

Spending less does mean planning:

If you celebrate Christmas, or another consumer driven winter holiday, you’ll need to do some planning to spend less. As noted before, I’m not all that on board with most holiday stuff, mostly because a lot of it seems super consumer driven to me. At my house, we tried, really hard to come up with an alternative holiday plan this year. We sat down and had a family meeting about Christmas. It didn’t go great, because people were at semi-odds. In my household, here’s where we ended up:

What I want – a Christmas that’s fun, eco-friendly and not focused on consumerism.

What Dave (the live-in boyfriend) wants – a Christmas that’s fun, not focused on consumerism and that has some focus on the real meaning of Christmas, which for Dave means religious stuff.

What our kids want – Our two youngest kids (aged 9 and 12) said they want a fun Christmas, want to see some family, don’t want to drive around and claim to not want too many gifts. I think they do want some gifts, but are playing it down because Dave and I are playing that aspect down. Still, overall they seem to be on board with fewer gifts and more family activity instead.

The oldest kid in the house is the only household member who wants a consumer Christmas. It’s a much longer story, but to sum up, the stuff aspect of Christmas is all she’s discussed with us and I’m guessing it’s because it’s always been that way for her. It’s habit.

With the above in mind, here’s what we’re doing for Christmas:

During Christmas break we’re having a cookie making day and will do other general hang-out stuff like playing game, going on walks, etc. We’re also getting together with some family for lunch. Nothing spectacular, but fun stuff. On Christmas day, we’re staying at home, some friends are coming over and we’ll likely make a meal of some sort. Maybe Dave will read something from the bible – or discuss it? I’m not very clear on this aspect yet.

As for gifts:

Since no one but the oldest kid in the house wanted a super consumer Christmas, we’re doing very few gifts. We talked to adult family and friends and said NO GIFTS PLEASE for adults. We’ve asked this before and had family agree to it, but they still get us gifts. I’m hoping this year everyone will follow through. We’re giving gifts to the kids, but we’re sort of doing our own planning on this one. For example, Cedar’s dad and I have our own ideas, while Dave and the girls mom have theirs.

MY CHRISTMAS SPENDING PLAN:

Because I wanted a less consumer holiday, and because we were unable to come up with a set ideal about gifts in this house, I made up my own set of ideals, which is…

• I’ll get gifts for the kids in the family. I’m not getting a gift for any adult except Dave and we agreed on a very low price limit.

• Everything I’m getting for folks (minus one gift) follows a reduce, reuse, recycle slant. Meaning, I decided to get gifts for people this year ONLY if they have the following qualities – you can get a lot of use out of the gift, the gift is eco-friendly plus safe and the gift can be either eventually recycled or totally used up.

• I refuse to spend a lot of money on Christmas. The average (as noted above) is $700-$1,000, which in my opinion is 100% insane and doesn’t really equal the less consumer holiday I’m interested in.

Here’s my $250 plan:

The bulk of my money, no surprise, is going toward my son Cedar, who is the only person getting a non-eco gift. He really wanted a specific Lego set, which I did get him (don’t worry, he doesn’t read this blog, so it’ll still be a surprise).

So Cedar is getting one bigger gift, plus a couple smaller, eco-friendly items and some stocking stuffers. As for everyone else, I got eco-friendly gifts for Dave + gifts for six other kids. My total cost for all gifts was $178.

We’re also making a holiday meal, but splitting the costs, potluck style, with the folks who are coming over. So even though we’re getting organic food, my total costs should fall at $30 or less (a figure I’m basing on how much Thanksgiving food cost me). The last thing I’m buying this season are some organic baking goods. I’ve got some baking goods, but am running low, and wouldn’t be buying more right now if it wasn’t for cookie making day, so I’ll figure in about $20.

Gifts = $178

Food + baking goods = $50

Get together – we’re not getting together with all our family on Christmas day, so we’re meeting some for lunch before hand. I’m factoring this in at about $30 for gas and food, because we’re meeting for pizza (inexpensive) and splitting the costs.

Total = $258

OVERALL: Money saved over five years if you celebrate a less consumer holiday:

I’m getting gifts for one adult and 7 kids. I’m also feeding a houseful of people on Christmas day, holding a baking day and getting together with some other family before hand. My total costs will be about $258.

The average American spends $700-$1,000 on the holidays, which is an average of $850.

IF I can manage to spend around $258 each year for the holidays, I’ll save $592 per year or $2,960 over five years.

Of course this is VERY abstract thinking, and based on how many people are in your house. But the averages stay the same. If you plan to spend less, your average from the previous year will go down, no matter what you spent. If you work at it, you should be able to save thousands over five years.

What we’ve saved:

So far, in my quest to save $50,000 by living green we’ve saved a total of…

• $1,000+ by switching from paper towels to cloth.
• $1,354 by switching from paper napkins to cloth napkins.
• $6,180 by switching to tap water vs. bottled.
• $835 by switching to reusable baby wipes.
• $2,960 by having a less consumer Christmas (or other winter holiday).

We’ve saved a total of $12,329 and have $37,671 left to save. Not too bad. Coming up some ideas that can help you save money on your holiday celebration and I’ll tell you how I spent under $200 for gifts. Cutting down that $850 average isn’t as hard as you might think.