Lead in Holiday Decorations

As many people decorate for the holidays there is something to be cautious about. LEAD! If you have toddlers who put everything in their mouths this is especially troublesome. Most Christmas decorations are made in China and are more than likely to contain lead. This is especially true of holiday lights. I have lights that even have a tag saying they contain lead, apparently IKEA sells lead-free lights! Or I found some at Environmental Lights.com I know children want to help decorate and join in the fun but be sure they wash their hands extremely well after they have touched ornaments, lights, your artificial tree(which is why a real tree is better), a nativity, or whatever else you have to decorate that may contain lead and God knows what other harmful chemicals. Homemade ornaments made of natural materials like cotton, wool or felt are safer for children to handle. Pine cones in a bowl work well for us and it keeps children busy placing them one by one! Even better if you have a tree outside to get them from. I gathered several bags of them a few years back and have been using them every year! A very eco-friendly option. Now go decorate and see how creative you can get!