Has decluttering changed your gift buying habits? - Page 2

[clutterwarrior]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurabfig 

Just regular "adult" toothpaste. :)  I'm just cheap and hate how expensive the kid's stuff is....

Not sure how old your kids are, but they do need to use kids toothpaste up to 6 years of age at least, as adult toothpaste is apparently not suitable for their teeth. Here's some info about it from the Choice consumer site..

"

Toothpaste

While it might be easy to dismiss cute, mini-sized tubes featuring cartoon characters, make no mistake: children’s toothpaste is necessary. For children 18 months to six years, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) recommends no more than a pea-sized smear of low-fluoride toothpaste on their brush. Adult-strength toothpaste is not suitable for children under the age of six (unless you live in a non-fluoridated area where it’s recommended to use adult-strength toothpaste).

Children’s’ toothpaste contains considerably less fluoride than the adult version, and too much fluoride can cause dental fluorosis, a condition where the teeth’s enamel surface appears mottled. Most dental fluorosis is very mild and doesn’t damage teeth, and occurs only during tooth development in early childhood, so older children and adults aren’t at risk.

Fluorosis levels have halved since the early 1990s, with the wider use of low-fluoride children’s toothpastes and recommendations that children use only very small amounts of it."

[treegardner]

Growing up, stocking gifts were always necessities, like toiletries, underwear, and socks, and DH and I are carrying on that tradition. In DH's family, stocking stuffers were always"junk," his term not mine. Even as a child he felt like it was a waste. He said one year when he was about 12, he actually told his mom that, and the next year she literally filled his stocking with junk from around the house, paperclips, rubber bands, random bits of paper, etc. 

[goinggreengirl]

We didn't do presents this year for each other or for DS. But, it did change what I bought for others. I know my sisters and mom don't mind clutter but I couldn't stand the thought of getting them something that wasn't useful and would end up cluttering their space.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Even better just don't use toothpastes with fluoride (and other surprise chemicals and additives) for anyone in the family.

Originally Posted by clutterwarrior 

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurabfig 

Just regular "adult" toothpaste. :)  I'm just cheap and hate how expensive the kid's stuff is....

Not sure how old your kids are, but they do need to use kids toothpaste up to 6 years of age at least, as adult toothpaste is apparently not suitable for their teeth. Here's some info about it from the Choice consumer site..

"

Toothpaste

While it might be easy to dismiss cute, mini-sized tubes featuring cartoon characters, make no mistake: children’s toothpaste is necessary. For children 18 months to six years, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) recommends no more than a pea-sized smear of low-fluoride toothpaste on their brush. Adult-strength toothpaste is not suitable for children under the age of six (unless you live in a non-fluoridated area where it’s recommended to use adult-strength toothpaste).

Children’s’ toothpaste contains considerably less fluoride than the adult version, and too much fluoride can cause dental fluorosis, a condition where the teeth’s enamel surface appears mottled. Most dental fluorosis is very mild and doesn’t damage teeth, and occurs only during tooth development in early childhood, so older children and adults aren’t at risk.

Fluorosis levels have halved since the early 1990s, with the wider use of low-fluoride children’s toothpastes and recommendations that children use only very small amounts of it."

[MsFortune]

I see "decluttering" as part of our entire push to consume less.  Less crap around the house, less crap to end up in landfills.  And I've started trying to be more conscious of my spending on crap - which is also being brought about by our recent efforts to save money.  These pressures have definetely effected my gift buying.

DS's 2nd birthday was last week.  He got a tamborine, some glow sticks and electronic toothbrush.  All told spent less than $10. 

I realize that disposable glowsticks are very un-green, but he really loves them.  He's a little raver.