WELLNESS IN THE HOME
How much thought do you give everyday to the quality of your sleep, and the quality of the products in which you sleep in? Probably not much, and that is a shame. As humans I find that we often ignore some of the most important aspects of our lives in order to focus on more of the day to day survival of the money mayhem management that runs the world. We set brutal agendas for ourselves out of what we feel is necessity and we deem the restful parts of life as ‘nonproductive’ ‘waste of time’ and ‘inefficient’ – Our awareness of this is changing, and with that awareness comes a whole bunch of scary realities that denial has blissfully kept at bay for many, many years.
When we start to learn to slow down, we are able to see the world around us better. Rather than everything being a blur, things come into focus and we are able to see the micro fissures in the structures around us that are supposed to support us. It is the reason many people resist the journey into self awareness – it brings to light many imbalances that previously we had just ignored and somehow did our best to navigate through life in a lopsided fashion.
When you start to become aware, you begin to see aspects of your life that may be causing you more damage than you even considered before. This damage comes in many forms, and it is disguised in many ways. Pesticides in produce, GMO’d foods, heavy metals in water, toxic substances in household products and a whole other variety of daily demons that have been hidden behind masks of complacency, and let’s face it, misguided trust. We’d like to think that the products that are available to us in the word are safe for us, we’d like to believe that health and wellness are priorities for our governments and licensing bodies. We would like to feel that we are supported in living as strong and powerful as we can possible be.
This just isn’t the case. It’s a sobering reality for the awake and aware. You must discern daily, and make choices to protect yourself against the many, many, MANY toxic things out there. For those of you who are more sensitive than others, this has been your life now for years now out of necessity, and you’ve had to navigate through the shark infested waters to find an island of wellness in which to survive on.
For those of you just beginning to awaken and realizing that you need to seriously start taking stock of the environment you submit yourself to everyday, welcome to the fringe! In this case, the fringe means the non corporate, non mega store, smaller, local and care invested companies around us who have made it their mission to bring BACK that trust that we should be able to feel in the products we consume.
My mission as a blogger who ‘rocks the boat’ is to search out and find the hidden gems, the smaller miracles and blessed places that are not overproduced, oversold , over marketed and saturated into our lives so much that we feel there is no other choice.
THERE IS ALWAYS A CHOICE!
And this brings me to the subject of my article today – your choices in fabrics for the most intimate of places in your home – Bath and Bed. Considering we spend a considerable amount of time in both of these locations, it’s curious to observe how much time we spend being aware of the products that we place in these rooms.
Did you know that cotton is one of the most standard materials used for clothing and for bed and bath linens? Probably – in fact, you likely search out 100% cotton to ensure the best for your home and family, right? Well, did you know:
1: Approximately half a pound of pesticides/insecticides/fertilizers are expelled into the environment for every single cotton t-shirt made
2: Cotton plantations account for more than 10% of pesticide use, and 25% of insecticide use worldwide.
3: The chemicals used are among the most harmful on the planet, many of them are carcinogenic.
4: The clothing industry is one of the most polluting on the planet, heavily contributing to soil contamination, water pollution, deforestation, greenhouse gases etc.
5: The chemicals used in clothing production heavily contaminate the soil and the water where they are grown and find their way into our food and drinking water.
Facts above pulled from the Shoo Foo Website
Mainstream manufactured cotton is not an eco friendly, human friendly or anything friendly product anymore. As anything that becomes ‘mass produced’ corners are cut, and profit comes above all else – it is the way the world works. So, cotton MAY have been one of the most versatile and natural products at one point in time for civilization, but now, current estimates for world production are about 25 million tonnes or 110 million bales annually, accounting for 2.5% of the world’s arable land. (Wikipedia)
There IS organic cotton available which is a more sustainable process and this industry has been growing over the years. However, at times like these, I like to consider what alternatives we haven’t been paying any attention to because one way has dominated our thoughts for so long. Balance in everything, right?
One of these alternatives that I have been very curious about is Bamboo. I kept coming across it, and I wanted to know more. My awareness of bamboo started with a quest to find sheets that would be soft, comfortable, breathable, toxin free, moisture wicking as well as elegant and durable. I told myself I was probably looking for the Unicorn of Sheets – I didn’t think I’d be able to find sheets that would do all this, as well as combat a problem of an overheating partner at night who would sweat under the thinnest of cotton sheets. I am stubborn though, so I didn’t give up. I kept thinking “There has GOT to be an alternative out there that will work for me “ – I set my intention to keep looking and not give up until I found it – this meant many sheet purchases that resulted in being donated to someone else along the way, but eventually, as alway happens when you set an intent, I was referred to a local business owner who specialized in Bamboo Products.
Hmm….I had looked into Bamboo sheets before, but I had never found a business that I wanted to support, and didn’t really trust the ones I found in the mega stores. I found my way to Shoo Foo Bamboo and connected to it’s owner, Dany Filion. Dany is a changemaker, and her passion for eco-sustainability led her to pursue a degree in ecology. During her studies, she also focused on another passion of hers – the Chinese language. This led her to eventually traveling to China as a fluent Mandarin speaker, and resulted in her working there for over 10 years. This unique journey allowed Dany to follow her passions, but also to utilize her skills from her training to really uncover the harmful practices that are used DAILY in fabric production factories. At this time, she also was introduced to Bamboo as a fabric. Her training and experience immediately saw this as an opportunity to combine her passions and also to embark on the path of an entrepreneur to create a line of bamboo bath towels, bed linens and baby basics made from organically grown bamboo. Dany’s fluency in the Chinese language and her experience in relating to the culture allowed her to establish key relationships within the bamboo industry in order to develop and maintain sustainable manufacturing practices for all of her products.
WHY BAMBOO?
- The environmental impact of producing bamboo textiles is low.
- The culture of bamboo manufacturing creates less of an ecological footprint compared to that of organic cotton.
- Bamboo is soft, silky, absorbent, and breathable. It is a real pleasure for the skin.
- Bamboo is a great choice for people who value quality and eco friendly products.
Of course, I was intrigued now! Not only could I potentially find my ‘Unicorn of Sheets’ I was also looking at a game changing entrepreneur who was dedicated to her passion for ecology and sustainable practices. I knew I needed to establish a relationship with Dany and explore her products to get a better idea of their quality.
I was sent a Queen Sized package of the Charcoal Bamboo sheets that included a bottom, fitted sheet, a top flat sheet, and two pillow cases. As soon as I opened the shipping box I could see they were going to be beautiful to sleep in. Soft, silky and elegant. The charcoal colour works with any darker colored quilt covers I have, as well as the lighter ones if needed. I quickly put them on my bed and got ready to test them out for the next week.
Can I tell you? Unicorns do truly exist! These sheets were simply amazing. They were luxurious to sleep in, comfortable and kept me warm on colder nights and cool on warmer nights. They didn’t wrap around my body and strangle me at night which I found cotton sheets liked to do. They were discreet in their sleeping support. Light, soft, clean smelling and cozy. Interesting ‘tid bit’ The phonetic word “Shoo-Foo” was chosen for the softness of its sound and after sleeping in those sheets, I can tell they FEEL Shoo-Foo, too! What I found most captivating was that my partner, the one who had the sweating problem, stopped sweating at night. Just like that. I used to find him drenched in sheets when I would crawl into bed, and that is not good for many reasons. Intuitively I knew the product had something to do with it, and when the sweating stopped with these sheets, I was vindicated.
My aesthetic sense was satiated too. The colour, shape and feel of these sheets looked wonderful on my bed. The fitted sheet is made with strong elastic and grips the side of the bed well and doesn’t fall up or bunch as easily as some do. The flat sheet was nice and big – bigger than most Queen sized flat sheets, it amply covered both of us with room to move. Any sheet hogging wouldn’t cause a problem since there was lots of sheet to share.
I was ecstatic! I started to have thoughts of replacing all the towels in my bathroom with bamboo towels – did you know bamboo is 400 times MORE absorbent than cotton? If you are a new mom, I understand that desire to protect your baby from EVERYTHING, and when you are aware, you realize how toxic most things are out there for your baby’s skin. Dany has a line of baby products that will have you breathing a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge you are not poisoning your baby inadvertently. The feeling of being able to purchase products that are eco friendly, sustainable, durable and do their job, as well as supporting a local entrepreneur in the process, is a wonderful feeling indeed!
I think we miss that part of consumerism these days. Especially in our larger cities. It is good to ‘know’ where your food is coming from, where your products are made and who makes them and to be able to shake the hand of the person you buy them from. It fosters a stronger sense of community, makes you feel more connected to those around you and supports the local economy. More than just finding a product you love, you can find, support and love a business owner who makes that product for you!
If you’ve been looking for your own Unicorn, I highly suggest you check out the products on the Shoo Foo website. And even if you haven’t’ been looking, but now are suddenly aware that you would like some more choices in your bath and bed products, please support your local business owners by opting for the more personal touch.
BAMBOO PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT SHOO FOO
Bed Linens | Bath Towels | Baby Products | Various Gifts and smaller bamboo items
Not only will you get an amazing product, you will contribute to the health and wellness of the world and strengthen the community you live in that much more. Also, you’ll be serving yourself by giving yourself the best gift possible – one of true relaxation and rest. The sleep I have in these sheets is wonderful.
It’s a solid choice, it’s an ethical choice, it’s a connected choice. It may seem like magic, but all magic is is the ability to see beyond what we see everyday. Beyond into a world of other realities. Try something new today, enjoy the magic!
Learn more about Bamboo – http://shoo-foo.com/about-bamboo-plants/why-organic-bamboo-fabric/
Get to know Shoo Foo – Visit their blog here: http://shoo-foo.com/bamboo/eco-blog/
Explore products of Shoo Foo – http://shoo-foo.com/
To discover Shoo-Foo’s Philosopy – read below
Shoo-Foo is built upon the principles of eco-sustainability, fair trade and healthy living. Below are ways that Shoo-Foo meets these goals.
FAIR TRADE
Owner Filion’s ability to speak fluent Chinese has allowed her to build close relationships with overseas business partners. Shoo-Foo manufacturing partners are hand selected based on safety of workers, environmental and ethical factors and commitment to quality control.
ECO-SUSTAINABILITY
Manufacturing of Shoo-Foo towels takes place in China, close to naturally occurring bamboo forests. This makes a shorter and more efficient supply chain, reducing heavy transportation needs. China is currently the only country in the world transforming bamboo plants into bamboo fibers. Once ready, materials are shipped directly to their destination via ship – causing as little pollution as possible. When orders are placed, ground delivery is the choice method, avoiding air fuel consumption. Shoo-Foo towels are produced in large quantities, which saves energy. Shoo-Foo towels weigh 600 grams per square meter, ensuring longevity and reducing waste. Boxes for shipping are reused and recycled. Packaging of products is minimal, usually using no more than a cloth ribbon displaying the Shoo-Foo logo. Office and warehouse space is shared.
FAIR TRADE AND HEALTHY LIVING
Healthy living The bamboo forest used by Shoo-Foo’s manufacturers is certified by the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) The bamboo crops used by Shoo-Foo’s manufacturers are certified organic by the USDA seal. The raw material (bamboo fibers) used by Shoo-foo to manufacture its products have received the Oeko-tex 100 class 1 certification for baby articles. This means the products are ecologically harmless to human health. The bamboo fibers used by Shoo-foo have obtained the FSC Chain of Custody certification, meaning that from the forest to the fibers, all successive stages of production meet the criteria and rules requested to assure a responsible stewardship of the world’s forests. Very little, if not zero, dye as possible is used in Shoo-Foo products. Materials are free of chemicals, making them non-irritable and hypoallergenic. As well, bamboo naturally prevents unpleasant odours without having to overuse other agents.
To find out more FACTS about Bamboo – click HERE
