Life's Subtle Clues

It’s not very often that you experience the combination of feelings reminiscent of your junior high school dance.  Suffering through the social vulnerability of the environment, thousands of swirling emotions cramped into an hour long adrenaline rush, stifled by the necessity to appear cool, and the onslaught of intense self-consciousness from a brief glance of a certain someone, was a rite of passage.  Of course you didn’t know that at the time.  You thought “A Night Under the Stars” was some type of medieval tradition marketed to the students as the not to be missed social event of the year by a faculty that was obviously unfazed, or distortedly entertained, by the idiosyncrasies of preteens.  In hindsight that combustible, unpredictable energy you gulped down with your Hawaiian Punch represented something big happening in your life.  

 

After years of memories, accomplishments, failures, good times and bad you’ve learned to foresee the future.  You don’t get so worked up when something or someone potentially good for you crosses your path.  You handle things with maturity and wisdom.  You understand that there is a balance to life that can land you on your face if it is not treated with respect.  Or do you?

 

Who am I kidding?  We’re all like pimple faced preteens just doing the best we can!  We try to prepare dinners that go over well with diverse and picky palates.  We secretly take a skipped opportunity for a coworker to compliment a new hairstyle as, “Wow, your hair really looks like crap.”   We cry over Folgers coffee commercials when the college cutie surprises the parents on Christmas morning because we hope our own parenting efforts will be rewarded with that type of loyalty.  We are constantly ebbing and flowing on this roller coaster called life.  But there are no crests at the top of giant, looming hills slapping us in the face with an imminent need to be fully aware of what comes next.  Man, I wish there was!

 

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you got that rush in the produce aisle because the avocados were, for the first time in the history of all grocery stores, perfectly ripe for guacamole?  Or if there actually was only a single time in your life that fireworks would explode from every nerve in your body when you met your soul mate?  What if you were leaving for work but your feet froze and your gut sent you into a tizzy because you almost forgot your wallet, which was sitting right next you?  How about a good old spell of vertigo when you considered buying an adorable companion puppy for your aging parents that would grow up to be a 100 pound, hip fracturing, blood pressure raising, critter from the deep beyond?  What if your feet started dancing uncontrollably, your fist pumped the air with complete confidence, and you started yelling, “That is so AWSOME!” when you came across Leaping Sheep Wool Dryer Balls and their amazing ability to fluff your laundry without the added chemicals of dryer sheets?  Life would be a cake walk.

 

Unfortunately (or fortunately if you’re the glass is half full type of person) life, the necessity of the emotional torment of a junior high school dance, and the health benefits of Hawaiian Punch, will always remain a mystery.  We know that not every single thing that’s good for us is going to smack us in the face like The Three Stooges.  And we’re perfectly aware that with the good comes the bad.  We just do our best and hope we don’t miss out on any subtle clues along the journey.         

 

 

 

       

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We have exciting things coming up for the new year, so stay tuned for more fun, felted things.

 

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The Wonder Years

When I was a little girl I spent my time at home.  I was actively involved in a house hold.  My siblings and I had chores, academic expectations and responsibilities.  We didn't have a gaming system and the Internet wasn't invented yet.  Without all that technology, and still light-years ahead of the world our grandparents were brought up in, we still had plenty to ignite our imaginations and cause us to wonder. 

A lot of our thoughts were social and emotional as they are today, but we chewed on it.  There was more time alloted between the present and future.  Our thoughts were like the four seasons.  We could think on one issue, experience within it a cold spell, a rebirth, a growing season, fall away from it and enter a cold spell again only to find ourselves in the presence of an elder begging for a glimpse at a path towards a resolution.  

That type of face to face interaction almost always played out during a daily routine.  Our beliefs, passions, hobbies and self worth were nurtured right there in the kitchen with a pile of potatoes and peeler in hand or a basket of laundry to fold.  We felt like little puppies following mothers and grandmas from room to room inquiring as to the ways they handled situations like first crushes, bad grades and broken friendships.  We watched their body language, took note of how many memories flashed through their minds before they chose an appropriate answer for their wide eyed audience and always knew they were being cautious.  They wanted to pass on to the next generation what was right and true.  They admitted mistakes and claimed fault.  They molded us as much as our wild untamed hearts were capable.
 

We walked away from our youth with multi-generational experiences guiding us.  But when we arrived at adulthood it was nothing like what we were trained for.  Today we overwhelm ourselves juggling things like text messages, Skype, cyber bullying, e-how, Facebook, Google, camera phones and more that were so inconceivable to 99.9% of the growing population, let alone our elders, that there were classes given to teach operation of these phenomenons to the general public.

So here we are living in the age of technology.  Sprinting to keep up with it's lightening speed advances and almost unknowingly letting our ground roots suffer at the hands of "instant results".  Where do we fit cross stitching a family wall plaque or sitting on the porch with good company and a sweet tea in between surfing the web, lounging in chat rooms with potentially dangerous strangers or catching up on 3 hours of must-see-t.v. that we digitally recorded and can watch from any room in the house?  How do we connect to ourselves, the ones our elders worked so hard to raise us up to be, if we're lost in a web of digital signals and bright, colorful images?  We follow that routine of daily chores that we witnessed, participated in and left the nest with.  

You could walk into any home today that is inundated with technology, everyones head down and illuminated with the glowing screens of an ipad, d.s. or laptop and you will still see evidence of daily household routines in play.  It could be a hot pot of coffee brewed each morning, sheets always changed on Sunday, shoes taken off at the door, or laundry dried with extra dryer sheets.  With life so different from what we knew years ago it almost feels like defiance to even consider the thought that the sacred daily routine could be done without it's key ingredients.  

What would the average mother of the 80's say if you tried to replace her toxic arsenal of cleaning products with vinegar and baking soda?  How would she react to a dryer full of clothes stuck together with static because you confiscated her chemical ridden dryer sheets?  How would you feel if somebody did that to you, today?  

I like to think that the amount of information we absorb on a daily basis has made us more approachable towards healthier living ideas.  If we can be convinced that it's a good idea to share our daily lives play by play on a social network we should be open to the idea of green cleaning products like Leaping Sheep Wool Dryer Balls.  You can still enjoy the hum of the dryer swimming through your home while dinner simmers and kids do homework.  Your clothing will still emerge fluffed and virtually static free reminiscent of days gone by.  And you can still be swept away by a fresh bouquet of scents tickling your nose every time you fold your laundry if you put a few drops of your favorite essential oils on the Leaping Sheep Wool Dryer Balls at the start of the drying cycle.  No, this isn't the exact routine you were raised up on.  But the human race is as adaptable as it is susceptible so it's worth breaking the mold for...and worth creating a new one.     

Written by:

Jessica Connor



Ingredient Anxiety

I went to my favorite salvage grocery store yesterday. I only needed a few things but knew better than to walk in there with less than $40 in my wallet. It is so hard to beat those scratch and dent prices that I impulse shop till I drop.

As I scanned the aisles and cautiously plucked items off the shelves for my routine "safe ingredients" check I was flabbergasted to see an abundance of organic and natural products stocking the shelves! I caught my breath and changed gears. Ingredients no longer mattered because that sunny day label "organic" and that whatever's clever label "natural" filled me with the confidence of a care bear.

All I needed to do was load my cart to the brim and slide into home for a $40 grand slam. It was getting very hot. I'm pretty sure every customer there had the exact intentions I did. I worked fast. With $20 left to spare I already had a month’s supply of organic chocolate chip cookies, organic alphabet cookies, organic pancake mix, all natural fruit snacks, organic chocolate and peanut butter cereal, organic candy, organic pop, organic sweet iced tea, naturally seasoned snack mix, all natural pudding, Hamburger Helper, instant potatoes, and so on and so forth.

And then it hit me. Not all that glitters is gold. Here I was, sweaty, breathing heavily, crazed look in my eyes, adding and subtracting obsessively, and gripping the handles of a cart filled with processed foods like I was the Grinch. What in the world just happened to me? Organic sugar spikes blood sugar just like non-organic sugar. All natural fruit snacks get stuck in teeth just like the ones doused with chemical food colorings do. Fresh foods are still better than candy.

So what possessed me to think that it was good for my family and me? One word….Marketing. They play on our instinct to want to protect ourselves and loved ones. They know that those magic little words “organic” and  “natural” will encourage us to buy their products because they're presented as being "safer".  And typically, we don't second guess them.

Marketing companies have successfully figured out a way to trick the consumer out of using their common sense when shopping. And it doesn't stop at food. Yes, organic and natural products are better for you...if they're good for you in the first place! You can't dress a wolf in sheep’s clothing and expect it to be gentle. You can't invite every product pushed as safe into your home and expect to have great results.

Dryer sheet companies are like wolves. They've figured out that people are having allergic reactions to their products like hives, asthma attacks, depression, eczema outbreaks, rashes, confusion and dizziness. So like the corporate giants they are, they made a few alterations like no perfumes or dye free and labeled them as hypoallergenic. Perfect, right? Nobody wants anything they could be allergic to in their home.

But dig deeper. Dryer sheets are still chemicals and crude oils that melt in the heat of the dryer and coat your clothing. When the clothing cools so does the oil creating a slick barrier that wrinkles just cannot compete with. Of course our skin is a lot smarter than a wrinkle and absorbs those toxins like a glaze on a sponge cake. The damage it does isn't even on our minds because that word hypoallergenic and the serene graphics on the packaging convinced us everything is A OK. Until the next rash pops up. Or until your dish towel won't soak up a drop of water because it's absorbency is blocked by oil. Or you develop some sort of respiratory condition.

If you want to protect yourself and your family as a consumer know your product. Leaping Sheep Wool Dryer Balls are 100% natural. Not 10%, not a mere 5%. They are 100% wool, from an actual sheep. They will fluff up your clothes, reduce the drying time and retain the absorbency in your fabrics naturally. No marketing ploy needed. Just the facts.

Written by:
Jessica Connor

 

      

Halloween!  Halloween!  Trick or Treat?! 

           Children young and old, far and wide are counting down the days to their annual costume parties and trick or treating adventures!  It's the only day of the year that you can pretend to be whatever you want!  IN PUBLIC!  This is huge.  A very big deal.  If you miss out on this opportunity your inner Broadway, Tony award winning performance is going to have to wait 365 days for it's next curtain rise.  Do be so kind as to allow yourself some creative freedom for a day.  Just one.  That's all your imagination is asking for.

           Given the fact that the majority of us do not have screenplays flooding our inbox we must be selective with our choice of character.  To thoroughly enjoy your Halloween experience there are many things to consider. 

1.   Who are you when you sing in the shower and dance like nobody is looking?
2.   Is your personality strong and brave or weak and timid?
3.   Do you want to reflect the type of personality you wish you were or who you are?
4.   Are you a dead ringer for a political figure or celebrity? 
5.   Are you secretly scared if every costume is of a dark nature but yours?
6.   Is your party indoors or out?  Weather hot or cold? 
7.   Are you 18 or older?  (Some costumes really should be for adults only)
8.   How much money are you prepared to spend?
9.   Are you trying to win a costume contest?
10. Are you making your costume or buying it?   

          What this questionnaire boils down to is:  Be something that makes you excited to have fun even if you are timid.  If you hate the creepy costumes you might not be as afraid if you wear one too.  Don't dress as a hula dancer if you're trick or treating outside in Ohio.  If you're under 18 maybe swap the fishnets for opaque stockings.  If you're entering a costume contest an over the top get up usually makes the final round. 

         Now, down to the nitty gritty.  You're either going to pay an arm and a leg for a prefab costume or you're going to dig down deeeeep into your memory for how your old granny used to thread a needle.  Okay, okay.  That was a little dramatic.  Of coarse you're not going to sew the entire thing from scratch.  But you may need to make a few alterations.  If you're not hip to sewing, the iron and a Heatnbond tape roll (or a similar product brand) is your new Gotta-Have-The-Best-Costume-I've-Ever-Had-In-My-Entire-Life best friend.  It's a sew free way to bond fabrics quickly and easily.  It's cheap as dirt and can be found in most craft sections at your favorite store.  
         
      If you've already made the decision to purchase your costume at one of those nightmare inducing pop up Halloween shops, congratulations ahead of time.  You're going to tie for first at your costume party for the most common and predictable get up.  You'll still go home with some candy though.

      Now for all you imaginative entrepreneurs.  Your possessions are your canvas.  Go, create!  Reduce, reuse, recycle!  If you need to bond some fabrics, minus the needle and thread, check out   http://www.thermowebonline.com/content.php?t=Directions&k=86490id=126 on how to use Heatnbond.  They do have a product option that you can sew over for a stronger hold if you plan on moving around a lot.  The trick is though....wash your intended fabrics FIRST (even if you just pulled them out of your closet) with NO FABRIC SOFTENER IN THE WASHER OR THE DRYER.  The fabric softener leaves that yucky, invisible slime on your clothes making the Heatnbond completely useless.  It only glues fabrics together that are clean, dry and yuck free.  This doesn't mean you can't have that soft, fluffy fabric we've all come to love.  During the drying cycle toss in a half dozen or so Leaping Sheep Wool Dryer Balls to fluff your future costume while retaining a bond friendly surface.

        Once you've created your masterpiece, please do a few dry runs on hair, make-up and character traits.  Remember, this is your once a year opportunity to party like a (fill in the blank)!!!  Have fun and be safe!!
   

Written by:
Jessica Connor

  Your little bambino has a diaper rash and it's a doozy. He kicks and screams and shoots you a look of terror as you wipe him clean. Once he's dry and calm you wipe the tears from your own eyes and give the doctor a call. You do not want this rash to cause your baby that much pain again. For either of you for that matter. The doctor's advice, or whatever medical professional you happen to be given the privilege of talking to, for treating a diaper rash usually goes something like this:

1. Change the diaper more frequently

2. Apply a barrier cream

3. Use wet paper towels instead of baby wipes or rinse with running water

4. Allow to air dry before dressing with a new diaper

5. Call back if there are no signs of improvement or symptoms increase That's great advice!

   And I can solemnly swear that it works. But why aren't the causes of the diaper rash addressed? Are our little ones yet another case of treat the symptoms and ignore the causes phenomenon? I say when you're old enough to make your own decisions or if your busy schedule has you in a time constraint go ahead and use the luxuries of the here today gone tomorrow treatments. But be prepared because tomorrow eventually becomes today and you will be facing the same trials all over again.

   Now that can be applied to most areas of our lives, can't it? But this is a dryer ball blog so we'll stick to what we do best. If you'd like to meditate on any of our advice further you're more than welcome to. If you'd like to prevent diaper rash consider the following causes:

1. Allergy to dryer sheets used on babies clothes and cloth diapers - Even the hypoallergenic dryer sheets are basically crude oil and chemicals that leaves a slick film on fabrics to prevent wrinkles.

2. Prolonged wetness due to lack of absorbency in cloth diapers - Leaping Sheep Wool Dryer Balls help retain absorption of diapers

3. Loose bowel movements due to introduction of new solid foods - Introduce new foods based on the three 1's - 1 new food at a time - 1 week at a time - 1 tablespoon at a time

4. Allergies to foods mother has eaten if you are breastfeeding your baby - Common allergens include gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and citrus - Check with your doctor before altering your diet

5. Allergies to formula ingredients - Ask your doctor for suggestions on a gentler formula before switching

6. Sensitivities to ingredients in baby wipes - Make your own wipes - http://www.mommyisgreen.net/2010/05/make-your-own-baby-wipes-or-spray.html

7. Sensitivities to traditional, throw away diapers - Consider using cloth or organic. As mentioned before your doctor's advice is valuable and proven to work.

But for the sake of your little one try to prevent a rash before it starts. We can't be there to help change diapers but we can help you ditch some of those irritating chemicals your baby may be sensitive to.

Make the switch to Leaping Sheep Wool Dryer Balls from traditional dryer sheets and you're one step closer to a smooth bottom. If your baby or any family member suffers from eczema they may find some skin relief as well. Soon your baby will be sleeping like a baby.

Written by:  Jessica L. Connor

We have been very busy making balls, balls, balls.  We are so grateful to our fans and customers for using 100% wool dryer balls and spreading the word about how wonderful wool can be to our health and the health of the planet. 

We have just completed a sale with a "deal of the day" website and sold over 800 balls in 25 minutes!!  We are blessed beyond belief.  Not only is our little family company growing everyday, but we have three new grandchildren in the family...a set of gorgeous twins from my middle daughter, Marla and another beautiful baby boy from my oldest daughter, Carissa  They were born one week apart.  They both use Leaping Sheep wool dryer balls to protect their babies from harmful chemicals in fabric softeners.

Since we have been growing at a steady pace via facebook, deal of the day websites, etc, we thought it was time to tell the masses.    We have decided to move into the rhelm of print advertising.  We will be featured in Baby and Toddler magazine in their fall/winter issue.  It is sure to be a very busy and exciting 2012 holiday season. 

We look forward to the challenge and absolutely love what we do.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for Leaping Sheep.

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