Holy Lamb Organics - Giveaway!

Around a year ago my husband did some work for the owner of Holy Lamb Organics (who also happens to now be my sister-in law!!!) and she traded him an orthopedic neck pillow in exchange for his work. I have to admit that I was a little jealousy that he received this pillow. I wanted an amazing handmade wool pillow too! But, who was I to complain? He did the work, and, also, he had some issues with waking up with his ear hurting. (Apparently his mom and brother experience the same issue.)

Orthopedic Neck Pillow

Then last winter the girls and I experienced sickness like we had never experienced it before. I began to research all the different kinds of allergies that could potentially cause our constant coughing and congestion. In my research, I learned that dust and dust mites can be a serious contributor, as can down (the pillows we were all using) and synthetic materials (our mattresses and mattress covers). I discovered that wool ranks far above all other products (including cotton and down bedding) in its ability to resist dust mites and in its ability to provide a natural sleeping surface..

Woolley Down Pillow

I was sold. (And did I mention that I have some sweet connections?) We went ahead and purchased Woolly Down Pillows and Deep Sleep Mattress Toppers for the girls and I. As much as I wish I could say that this solved all of our cough and congestion problems, it didn't. (I will have to save that discussion for another post.) But we would never go back and are so glad we invested in this quality bedding. Before the purchase, it took quite a bit to convince my husband that this was worth the cost, but now he will tell anyone who asks about how wonderful the mattress topper is. It is so amazingly soft and comfortable!

Here are some quick facts about the benefits of wool:

• Wool resists bacteria.
• Wool is fire resistant.
• Wool is cool in the summer yet warm in the winter.
• Unlike bedding that uses plucked down feathers, a sheep grows a coat of wool annually and is not harmed during shearing.
• Wool surpasses synthetic fill in terms of quality and durability.
• Unlike down bedding which shifts over time (ie. bare spots in a comforter), wool stays in place.
• Wool is a sustainable product helping small farmers make a living.
• With proper care, woolen bedding can last for decades.

So, are you curious now? Would you like to just try it out? Here is your chance!

The giveaway:

The lucky winner of this giveaway will receive a Travel Pillow! This pillow would be perfect for the upcoming travel and camping season for you or your children.

To enter the giveaway: 

1. Follow/subscribe to this blog. (Why follow? Here is a great article about why.)
 

AND
 

2. Leave a comment below sharing your favorite natural product or a comment about Holy Lamb Organics.

One extra entry in the giveaway for each of the following:

1. Share about this giveaway on your Facebook. (Um, if we aren't friends on Facebook, you will probably need to leave me a comment letting me know that you did this.)

2. Share about this giveaway on your blog. (Again, letting me know certainly would not hurt.)

Coupon Code:

Holy Lamb Organics has also provided a coupon code to the readers of this blog! You can receive 15% off all pillows through the month of July by entering the Coupon Code 15EF.

Please note that the discount will come in the form of a rebate if you order directly from the website. Or you can call in your order or visit the store to receive the discount directly.

Here is all of their contact information:

HOLY LAMB ORGANICS

PO Box 309

104 West Pine St

Oakville, WA 98568

(360) 273-9400

sales@holylamborganics.com

www.holylamborganics.com

Enter this giveaway until Friday, June 24, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be randomly selected and then announced on Monday, June 27, 2011!

Conquering Static Naturally

One of the most annoying things about doing laundry is the static. It is frustrating (and sometimes painful) to fold a load of laundry that is snapping and popping like some Rice Krispies cereal in milk! For years, my solution to this problem was fabric softener or dryer sheets. Even then, I still had some static.

The only time my clothes seemed to be static free was during the summer when I hung the clothes out on the line to dry. Wonderful! Not only did my family's clothes smell amazing, but there was no static at all. Sadly, the number of days I can hang my clothes to dry on the line are few here in the Pacific Northwest.

One day I read an article about the how many chemicals are in dryer sheets. Not only was I drying these chemicals into my family's clothes, but the chemicals are designed to stay on the clothes for a long period of time. Yuck! At that point, I switched over to a more natural dryer sheet to avoid the overload of chemicals. This seemed like at least a step in the right direction.

As I was going through my e-mail, I stumbled across one of those forwards warning about the dangers of dryer sheets. Only this email wasn't talking about the chemicals in dryer sheets, but the effect dryer sheets have on the dryer's lint filter. This email claimed that dryer sheets coat the lint filter, reducing air flow and can eventually clog the filter. We all know how important it is to remove the lint, but what if that isn't good enough? I don't want my dyer to catch fire! (This email was verified here.) It seems like dryer sheets and dryers are a bad combination.

So what could I do? How could I dry clothes and avoid the static?

After some more reading, I learned that vinegar is a natural fabric softener. I started dumping some vinegar into my washing machine's fabric softener dispenser. That didn't seem to help much all by itself.

Then I started to notice that the clothes producing the most static were my kids' footie pajamas. What were they made out of? 100% polyester! I thought, well, that would be easy to just hang those up to dry.

So I turned my shower curtain rod into an indoor clothes line. I started reading labels and noticing when clothes were made out of synthetic materials. If the clothes had 50% or more synthetic materials (polyester, acrylic, spandex or nylon) I hung them on my indoor line to dry.

Now, I use vinegar in every load. It is a natural fabric softener and a natural deodorizer. (The vinegar smell is always gone by the time the clothes are dry.) For our synthetics, I either hang them to dry or lay them flat to dry. The result? No more static in our clothes!