Well, hello there and welcome back. My name is Stephanie Safarian and you are listening to

episode 186 of the Sustainable Minimalist Podcast. On today's show we are getting down and dirty with regard to toy sustainability.

Are toys made from wood like Melissa and Doug Toys for instance?

Are they automatically eco-friendly simply because they're made of wood and not plastic?

What third party certifications should we look for before buying for the children in our lives?

And why exactly are toys made from renewable and natural materials

important for both our kids' health as well as for the planet's health. These are just some of the big

questions we are tackling on today's show. My guest is Christina Floyd.

Christina is a mother, a blogger, and a sustainable toy expert.

And although I did an episode on minimalist playrooms recently, I wanted to do another deeper dive into the

environmental considerations associated with our children's play

things and that's exactly what we're doing today. Christina I'm so excited to have you on the show. How are you?

Thank you. I'm so excited to be here, Stephanie. I'm great. Thank you for having me.

Well, I found your blog and it is so comprehensive right off the bat. I just want to say

thank you for providing such an amazing resource for parents interested in

providing their children with sustainable toys and that's really what I want to talk to you about today.

You know, I've done episodes on minimizing the playroom, getting smarter with the toys you bring into your home but really today I want to get into the nitty gritty the real down deep of toy sustainability

But before we do any of that, introduce yourself to my listeners.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Christina Floyd, and I'm the wife and mother of five kiddos,

ages four, seven, 12, 14, and 17.

We've lived abroad now in Brussels, Belgium

...