Since our trade deficit with China is going to really screw us into the ground any day now, and the fact that they hold so much of our debt, I've decided to make it a "china free christmas." I am going to see if I can get all my gift giving done this year without buying anything made in China. I'll make something by hand if I have to avoid buying something from china. I've been trying to live a "china free life" for the past few months, and I'm going to see if I can extend it to what I give to others this holliday season.

good for you.

Been done before. And we all have the T-shirt to prove that the family did it.

Turns out it's extremely difficult, a whole bunch of food was from China - in the USA anyway - and the only american brands were in the sidestreets and never in any highstreet shops (shoes, clothing, games ectect).

I totally agree. I was out looking at toys with my daughter, getting ideas for what she wants for Christmas, and could not believe the amount of toys being made in China. I told her there was not way that I was getting her anything from there due to the poisons in the stuff. And I am hoping my ex will agree with this and inform his family not to get her anything that is made there. I usually make all the gifts for my family anyways. Last year I made my brother-in-law a fleece jacket, the kids got giant fish pillows as well as pajamas and clothes. It may cost a little more to buy the material, but I know that the quality in the seams and the material is a heck of a lot better than boughten things. I have given my daughter clothes that were made in China that the seam gave out the first time she wore it. Besides, when you make your own gift, more thought and love is put into it.

Honestly, I think much of that stuff is overblown and media-exaggerated...but if it keeps people from buying crap made in china and worsening our trade debt, finally the media's misrepresentations might do some good.

You know I've been wanting to do this for years now and I think this year it will finally work out.

I want to go to one of the many local kitchen this year (maybe Martha's Table - who I've donated to in the past); with husband, daughter and son in tow to serve holiday meals to the homeless and/or less fortunate.

I aslo want to limit one family gift per person under a certain spending limit as well.

I must say growing up my kids had want for nothing. It is time to "bring on" the real world and do something meaningful IMHO.

I'm giving care packages this year...baked goodies, etc...all homemade stuff. Easier to give, especially to those who seem to have everything and who are so hard to shop for.

Unfortunatly it's really hard to tell what is actually made in China and what isn't despite what the label says.

Often, goods are shipped through Hong Kong for distribution from other places and the "Made in China" label is sown or stamped on at that point... whether it was made in China or not.

I have NO idea how this happens, but it does.

Personally, I don't do Christmas, so it's not much of a concern for me.

I know, that is why my daughter gets homemade gifts a lot. What's funny is that her half sister was here when I gave my daughter a dress I made out of crushed velvet. My daughter loved it! And her sister looked quite sad when she saw it. Her mother has never made her anything. I felt so sorry for her. I do this to make my daughter happy. I know what she likes and she knows how much work I put into making her things. The look on her face made it all worthwhile.

This year I want to donate time to the Salvation Army Kettles. I want to bring my daughter along so that she can see the generosity and caring that people are capable of.

That is so true about the thought and love in a gift you made yourself...My daughter took up knitting, and decided this year to make all the nieces and nephews hats and scarfs...I like to make homemade candles for the adults....(I'm a duh at sewing.)...or the food fruit and spa baskets.. I do have quite a few toy sites which were sent to me, with only American made toys on it, have to check it out...The kids also collect food and donate it to our food banks...Every year we hear how low they are, so we try to do our share..

I'm considering making chutney for all the adults, and possibly another little something, not sure what yet. I will have to visit the fabric store and see what grabs my attention. I might draw a picture of my niece and nephew for my sis and brother-in-law. I took pictures of them sleeping, and they look so cute! I thought that would be a perfect gift for them. And I have to get going on what they kids are going to make for their parents. Last year I got out some stamp pads of different colours and they made hand prints on paper and I framed them. They were so beautiful and will be something that is more than just a photo to commemorate their childhood. There are tonnes of simple yet wonderful gifts just waiting to be made.

I think it is great to make gifts for people for the holidays, but where do the materials come from? There is a good chance the fleece, yarn, whatever comes from China too. How can you tell?

You ask the suppliers. Also, if you get a wiff of kerosene, that is a great clue that the material was imported, usually from Asia. Kerosene is used to keep mohts from the material. I also wash all the cloth before making anything, just as a precaution.

what is all this stuff about "poisons" ? Another urban myth about the dastardly foreigners? Couldn't people talk rationally about the reasons why goods from Asia are so much cheaper and consequently why people buy them, rather than resorting to conspiracy theories and cold war sabre rattling?

Though exaggerated by the media, there was a toy recently called Aquadots that had small pieces coated with a substance (paint, I think?) that metabolized into GHB (some sort of hallucinogenic drug?) when metabolized. Kids were swallowing these things and going comotose.

Then there's the chinese grain that was coated with a toxin to falsly magnify the protein content.

So it's not baseless, but you are right, it does distract from the real issue of Americans buying cheap disposable crap and ruining our own economy to save a few dollars.

I have hopes that with the impending economic collapse in the US, maybe our attitude towards mass consumerism will change.

GHB? Crikey.

That's what it's all about, isn't it? Cheapness. never mind the child labour that made it, never mind that we (more and more, anywhere in the west) don't actually make anything useful any more, (apart from reality TV shows), we can get it Cheap! and that's all that people care about.

I blame Paris Hilton.

When we went to war in 1941, we were woefully unprepared and ill equiped. But the country mobilized, and factories were retooled very nearly literally overnight and we started cranking out everything from tanks to planes to belt webbing to uniforms to boots to canned food.

what will we do now? If we go to war (for REAL, not a war where the people at home don't notice it going on...) who's going to make our stuff? We don't make stuff here anymore. What if we go to war with China? We don't have the manufacturing we once did. And if China goes to war with us, or sides with an enemy and cuts off imports to us, what the heck are we going to do? With the dollar falling, and other markets opening, China doesnt' need us as much as we need their cheap crap.

It's about cheapness and disposable consumerism. Don't buy a watch for 200 bucks and take care of it and it lasts two decades. Buy a cheap one for 10 bucks and throw it out when the batter dies and buy 20 more in the next 20 years.

What's wrong with this picture?

a few days ago i was in wal mart in the toy section christmas shopping and there was an old man and his wife there. the old man was looking at all the toys and saying "nope made in china". he was going through all the toys trying to find something that wasn't from china. his wife kept yelling at him "oh shut up ed" (i don't know if his name was ed i just put that for dramatic effect). but yeah i agree our deficit is going to destroy us.......yes america, less and less freedom of speach every day, guilty until proven innicent, corrupt police and government officails, and trillions of dollers in dept......we're doing fine.

Our history seems to be paralleling that of Rome if you make adjustments, like substutiting foreign labor in our time for slaves in Roman time, etc.

Good luck with that, sounds like mission impossible to me.

What are you gonna do, nit a sweater? All the cool things are made in china.

I've been going through my kids toys and shelved alot of them. Anything made in China or anything made of plastic with no name or country will soon be tossed in the trash.

I'd like to find whats made here in good ole America, is there a list somewhere?

I'm going to try to have a Wal-Mart free Christmas - or, more accurately, a big box store free Christmas. The locally owned businesses everywhere are struggling to fight against these stores. Businesses that have been owned for generations are closing their doors because they can't compete. I may have to pay a bit more, but the way I see it, it will be worth if I can help keep some doors open in our downtown business district.

Seeing this thread, I will definately look for items that weren't made in China, but I'm not sure I'll be able to completely pull off combining the two. I think I'll have pretty good luck at the antique stores, but I might struggle with the kiddos. We do have several kid's stores though, so I'm starting early!

I have a few links of toys only made in America...I will try to find them later or tomorrow and send them to you...

Thanks Goalienan,

Btw, Does anyone remember the commercials about 'Buy America'?

You don't see it anymore...

mission impossible is trying to find a toy not made in China at a big box store

i just give mag lights and zippos as gifts, kids like flash lights
but lighters are not a good idea for kids

what Buy American commercial...Goalie?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2BrxxsNes1Y

Here are a few you can check out...Sorry I have trouble with direct linking.

A Toy Garden ..http://www.atoygarden.com Sells natural toys, made in the USA

Fat Brain Toys . http://www.fatbraintoys.com..FatBrain is a specialty and educatiional toy co.

Magic Cabin..http://www.magiccabin.com...Sells a variety of creative toys..Many made in USA

Maukilo Toys..http://www.maukilo.com..A European toy reseller..They are in the process of labeling where the different toys are made.

Oompa Toys..http://www.oompatoys.com Huge selection of european toys and are labeled as to where they are made..

Zebulon USA..http://www.zebulonusa.com Full of products, all made in the USA..Toys, furniture, books, etc...

Hope this helps a little....goalie

Wow there sure are some paranoid parents here.

Yes we are...When it comes to our kids we leave no stone unturned...

It's not all about safety:



Add to that the horrible working conditions in factories and low wages of most factory workers, a communist government that represses civil liberties. China isn't the only place like this, but it's a good start IMO.

I agree very much so, Its in an infants nature to put anything in thier mouths and since they are closer to the floor, they can find a speck that we cannot see and also the toys we think are safe are the worse cause we feel its gone through a safety check.

Today I was watching Fox News and MSNBC and they were talking about this very subject and more parents are not planning on not puchasing anything made from China. They even gave some web sites for safer toys for kids.

Fox News - "tagtoys.com"

MSNBC - Not In My Cart - "notinmycart.org"

btw thanks Golienan for the links though some didn't work for me.

My mom & I don't know what to get. Our two new family members. I'm going to get them both teddy bears. Not sure about my mom on what she's going to get them. >>

It's going to be a tough Christmas.

So far I'm doing well.

Smartwool socks made in the USA
A magazine subscription published in the USA
A shirt made in thailand
CD published and pressed in the USA. Actually, shoot! I'm not sure about hat one....I can't find anything on it that says where it's made...

But the point is to at the very least cut down on sending all our cash to China.

I haven't even started yet and I always try to buy US made.

Speaking of magazines, this is funny but off topic, I found out from a neighbor, trading magazines to reduce waste, that there is a magazine called Gardens and Guns. I laughed so hard I cried.