Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Part Two: The Bad

Got any extra naughty kids on your shopping list this year? No need to waste precious coal, just check out W.A.T.C.H.'s Ten Worst Toys of 2008.

If you want to endanger a child, however, your options aren't limited to the Inflatable Giga Ball and Meadow Mystery Play-A-Sound Book With A Cuddly Pooh. Just buy any toy at your local Wal-Mart and the odds are pretty good that you'll be exposing the kid to some sort of toxin.

According to a report issued Wednesday by the environmental group Ecology Center, one in three toys tested was found to contain toxic chemicals such as lead, flame retardants and arsenic. Click here to read the full story on CNN.com.

Sigh.

But, what I really wanted to talk about in Part Two was: Bad gifts. You know, those really, really BAD gifts, the ones that make you wonder, "What on earth could they possibly have been thinking when they selected this?"

All this morose news about my kids playing with lead and arsenic has sort of got me down. So, come on, how about spreading a little holiday cheer?

I want to hear your stories! What is the worst present you have ever received? Or given?

6 comments:

Firefly Mom said...

Oh, where to begin?

Let me first say that probably ALL of the very bad gifts I've ever recieved have been from my mother. I know, sad, isn't it? The one person who should know me best (and I'm her only child, so it's not like she can use the excuse of having to remember the likes/dislikes of a herd of kids).

In the interest of brevity (I know, too late ;) I'll just cover last years gifts.

She gave me a TON of gifts. Well, at least 30. Which looked very impressive. Until I opened them. And found that at least 2/3 were free samples that she'd received.

Then there were the dollar store Troll doll earrings. Because I liked Troll dolls. In the third grade.

Hmm, I may end up using this in a post of my own ;)

Meaghan said...

My mom's mother-in-law regularly gives her "crafty" wooden chickens. She's got a little hen house now, in a cupboard in the laundry.

Ruth said...

Firefly mom: Somehow I knew you would have something to contribute on this one! Troll doll earrings--very useful!

Meaghan: Maybe you should start giving your mom some crafty wooden pigs and cows to round out her farmyard. I am sure she would appreciate that.

Firefly Mom said...

Glad I could be of service! Or maybe we should thank my mother, who's such a crappy gift-giver??

Unknown said...

Ha!!!
I don't know on the bad gifts... I didn't like Hokey Pokey Elmo...but the receipient sure did.

On the GOOD gift idea front:
Have you seen THESE?!
www.bilibo.com
Each of my kids are getting a shiny new one for Christmas from an adoring Grandma (who happens to have one heck of a personal shopper, if i do say so myself!) :)

Unknown said...

p.s. they are probably toxic...but you can't eat them...they're too big, unless you are a whale or something... so... its all good, right?