Sponsor Spotlight :: The Waldorf Exchange

Today we welcome Rhythm of the Home Sponsor Nicole Hume from the Waldorf Exchange to the blog.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Tacoma, Washington and am married with three children. I have been a part of the Waldorf way of life since 2004 when I enrolled my son at Tacoma Waldorf School. When he was ready to enter 5th grade, the school didn’t have enough children to be able to offer this class. I was heartbroken. However, I soon saw the silver lining in this and began homeschooling. My two daughters quickly followed in my son’s steps and now I homeschool all of them – grades 3, 6 and 8.

What inspired you to create The Waldorf Exchange?

I was inspired to create The Waldorf Exchange for many reasons. I like the idea of one place that Waldorf families can go if they want to buy or sell new or gently used Waldorf related items. I want to be able to support small businesses that cater to Waldorf families and help them get their name out to more people. I want to support Waldorf schools by way of donations from proceeds. I also want the Waldorf Exchange blog to be a conduit through which Waldorf schools, families and businesses can share what they are doing to help the environment, children and communities in which they live and work.

Waldorf items as a rule incorporate quality products and craftsmanship and tend to be more expensive than mass produced plastic products. Not everyone can afford to purchase these beautiful items at full price. It is my hope that this website serves as a forum for Waldorf families to purchase gently used items from other Waldorf families. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that your toy or book isn’t going unused in some closet or bookshelf and that it is instead being enjoyed by another child? These exchanges are helpful not only to people’s finances but also to the environment.

New items can also be found on the site. It is my intent to promote those businesses that cater to Waldorf families and attempt to be green. I want to help small businesses that use earth friendly products for the production of their toys, clothes, etc. It is not an easy thing to compete against the big companies. Handmade toys and clothes are very special and take a lot of time and money to produce but they are well worth the extra cost. Children learn to appreciate the differences if given the chance.

How do you feel The Waldorf Exchange is supporting the greater Waldorf community?

A portion of the net proceeds from the website will be donated to Waldorf schools within the U.S. on a rotating basis in an effort to help schools. It is expensive to operate a Waldorf school as they use only the finest quality crayons, flutes, paper, watercolor, etc. The teachers they hire should be well compensated for the amazing commitment they make to our children.

If we can support each other then we can help in a small way to promote Waldorf education and the Waldorf way of life for children all over the world.

For those of you in the Rhythm of the Home community who are interested in taking part in the fantastic exchange on The Waldorf Exchange, Nicole informed us that the site is currently waving listing fees for new items!  Definitely worth checking out if you have things that you would like to see passed on to a new family. Thanks to Nicole and The Waldorf Exchange for sharing with us here today and for supporting Rhythm of the Home! 

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Rhythm of the Home is an online magazine for families that focuses on creating with children, nature explorations, seasonal celebrations, conscious parenting, and mindfulness in all that we do.   To learn more about us, please visit us on Facebook,Pinterest, and Twitter.

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