Stress free birthday

I once heard that stress is created when your values are in conflict with your actions.  I feel that very keenly around birthday time.  I want very much to give the girls wonderful birthdays.  I also value protecting the environment and creating as little waste as possible.  I also worry about all the plastic we use and dispose of every day.  I usually find birthdays very stressful because there is inevitably the huge amount of plastic packaging and waste at this time.   I worry that by making my children happy now, I am only creating a debt they or their children will have to pay later on.

However, I think I might be able to have a stress-free birthday for you-know-who today.  (As she is concerned about internet safety, she does not wish to be mentioned.)  She got to open one present this morning and it was the Plan Toys Dollhouse Garden Accessories set.  It was not shipped with any plastic, AND, to my great delight, there was NO plastic inside the box.  The beautiful wooden pieces were wrapped in brown paper.  Every bit is recyclable and the toys will last for generations.

That is a gift I can be proud to give my daughter.

I think I am really going to enjoy this birthday.

PS  Her other gift from Mom and Dad is a new bike.  This actually falls into the category of necessity.  She totally out-grew her old one.  Her legs are so long now, she looks like a baby giraffe.  The bike is a Electra Townie, just like mine and should last her, well frankly, the rest of her life.  We are going to have such fun this summer!