I caved

I didn't mean to, but I didn't have a choice!

I have been meaning to replace a toy that Brendan broke at a friends' house MONTHS ago. Had I gotten on the ball and done this when I was supposed to have done it, I wouldn't have even checked the label! As it turns out, this particular widget in all it's forms, sizes, and colors, is apparently only available from China anyway. My guilt (or is it embarrassment?) over my son breaking a toy (by using it in a manner in which it was NOT intended to be used) that didn't belong to him won out over my guilt about buying things from China...

Aside from that, I DO have a rule that if something is simply not available from a different country of origin, I will accept that there are some things that we must have. Normally this is not a must-have item, but the afore-mentioned guilt (and embarrassment) are an exception to the rule...

Food is also an exception. We cannot find edamame made anywhere but China. My dear husband even looked at the Asian market (MT Supermarket on Lamar) where there are multiple varieties of edamame. I have looked at multiple grocery stores (OK... CostCo and several HEBs) and can't find these delicious AND healthy/nutritious soy beans anywhere BUT China. If it weren't for the fact that it's an outrageously healthy vegetable that my kids love, I'd walk away, but a green vegetable that both the 3-yr-old AND the 6-yr-old love??? Exceptions to the rule must be made.

In the meantime, in an effort to get Sarah to potty-train (we're a desperate hour here), I searched and found Minnie Mouse, Hello Kitty AND Cars underwear (yes, she likes boy underwear if it has Lightning McQueen on it) all made in the Phillippines. Surely that's not as bad as China?

I'm starting to wonder where all the fair trade stores are here in Austin so I can just shop there guilt free? Is Whole Foods it? Sure AUSTIN has more than that! I will have to research! For now, that's all I have... :o)