When the sun is shining and the signs of spring are all around enjoy the day outside with Mother Nature. Pick your favorite local area such as a park, river or lake and enjoy the day with your friends and family. Here are some ideas of Earth-friendly activities that you can enjoy on Earth Day:
Pack a picnic
Pack a delicious lunch of locally grown food and keep it natural by using biodegradable or reusable tableware.
Clean Up Litter
After your lunch spend an hour picking up trash around your favorite area to keep it clean and enjoyable for all.
Take A Walk
Enjoy a leisurely walk or hike to explore the wildlife. Bring along a field guide so you can learn about the different plants, tree and animals in the area.
Make a list of Resolutions
Discuss ways you can lessen your impact on Earth and make a list of resolutions that you would like to incorporate into your everyday routine, such as recycling, energy use, volunteering, cleaning up litter, shopping locally, buying organic, and more. For a list of possible green resolutions see our previous blog, “Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Green Year’s Resolutions.”
However you spend your Earth Day, be sure to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Earth.
I was looking for some new ideas for Valentine’s Day when I found this great article on how to be an “Organic Romantic”. From organic chocolates to locally, sustainably grown flowers- the options are endless for a more eco-friendly V-Day! Check out the article HERE.
Furniture World, a well known magazine in the bedding industry. Has published an article about OMI and our new showroom in Vegas for this Winter’s Market.
It’s officially winter, and with the winter months come those warm blankets. But wouldn’t it be nice to not have to pull out those extras just because it’s a bit chillier? I recently spoke with a customer who was looking for a good solution for her and her husband. The problem is that her husband gets really hot during the night, and she always gets cold. They can never agree on a thermostat setting, much less the number of blankets that should go on the bed.
The OMI Eco-Wool™ Comforter is the perfect solution for this couple. One of the most appealing qualities of wool is that it naturally regulates body temperature. With its ability to retain air, it’s a great insulator, and its wicking properties keep your body from getting hot and sweaty while you sleep. Basically, it will keep you cool during the summer months, and nice and warm during the winter. Wool is warm yet breathable, which prevents overheating and the accumulation of moisture, mildew, and mold. We designed it with a special quilting pattern to eliminate clumping and hollow spots.
As with most organic products, there are some special considerations to take note of, since you can’t just toss our comforter in the washing machine. It should not be wet washed or dry cleaned. We recommend spot cleaning with a live enzyme cleaner, (a great option is available from our sister company, Lifekind (available HERE) and periodically airing it out in the sunlight to maintain freshness. Sunlight is a natural rejuvinator for wool. It will actually spring the wool fibers back to life and help maintain its loft.
To find a retailer near you to order a cozy OMI comforter click HERE.
In the children’s story the Princess and the Pea, a Prince tests his potential wife, the Princess, by having her sleep on a bed of 20 mattresses stacked on top of each other with a pea under them. Throughout the night the Princess cannot get comfortable on the tall stack of mattresses and wakes with pain. In the story this indicated that the Princess was truly royal with her sensitivity. But in real life waking up with pain doesn’t mean you’re royal, it means that you’re not getting a restful night sleep.
In an article from The New York Times Style Magazine, Joan Juliet Buck goes on a quest to find the perfect mattress to give you that restful night’s sleep.
For the story of her search and her rave review of OMI, check out the article Deep Sleep.
Although we know how important it is to reduce your chemical exposure during sleep (since you spend 1/3 of your life in bed), most of the country doesn’t understand the risks associated with sleeping on a traditional mattress.
As is the case with most specialty products, there is a fairly limited customer base of people who are aware of, and ready to purchase, an organic mattress. This means that there are companies out there that will say anything in order to take a mattress sale from their competitors.
Since we opened our doors, we have been fighting an uphill battle against greenwashing. Other mattress companies have thrown in a handful of eco-friendly ingredients and called their products “natural,” trying to charge a premium for something that isn’t much better than mainstream.
Now that the country is becoming more aware of the greenwashing epidemic, we have seen mattress companies telling flat-out lies and mistruths, with the hope of seducing a customer with promises they can’t back up.
One fallacy that you will see promoted is that wool alone can’t be used to pass flammability tests. This argument is often used in a company’s justification for using chemical fire retardants because it is “the only option.”
I am here today to tell you “yes.” Yes, wool can be used as the sole fire retardant for a mattress to meet federal flammability requirements. And that, in fact, we have been using wool (without any chemical treatments) as our only fire retardant for years.
The purpose of a flammability test on a mattress is to make sure that the mattress doesn’t flame up in the event of a domestic fire. We don’t claim to make fireproof mattresses (I can’t even imagine the kinds of chemicals that would go in to that!) We make mattresses that won’t turn into a six-foot fireball if your house catches fire.
Our competitors have shown photos of a piece of wool yarn that is set to fire, and predictably, the fire travels up and burns the piece of wool yarn.
As seen on strobel.com, spreading misinformation about wool used in mattresses.
Well, of course it is going to burn. It is a natural material that has been shaped into a “wick” and a flame has been set to it.
Of course, you don’t have to just take my word for it. The video below is an actual open-flame flammability test of one of our mattresses, which shows just how well our chemical-free design works.
The only raw materials used to make this mattress (or any of our mattresses) are organic cotton, wool, and 100%-natural rubber. The mattress is sitting on a wood-slat foundation. Both pieces are built in our GOTS-certified factory and are GREENGUARD® certified. There are no added chemicals, no silica barrier, or any other methods employed to assist in the flame test.
So there you have it: It is possible to pass the open-flame mattress flammability test without chemicals. And we do it every day.
It has come to our attention that one of our competitors, Essentia, is using our trademarked name, OrganicPedic®, in their advertising and claim that they are the new “Organic Pedic memory foam”.
OMI does not, and will NEVER make memory foam mattresses. This Canadian company is attempting to profit off of our good name and does not respect our American trademark. The company’s infringement brings into question the lengths it will go to sell a mattress.
The true spirit of the holidays has become apparent in the last few weeks as the Secret Santa movement has gained steam. The Secret Santa movement involves people visiting national retailers and paying off the balances of strangers’ layaway accounts for items such as toys and clothes.
It seems to have started a few weeks ago in Michigan, when an anonymous donor showed up at a Kmart in Grand Rapids and spent $500 to pay off three accounts. After media coverage of that donation, a man showed up the next day to pay $2,000. The story soon went viral, spreading through Twitter, YouTube, blogs and local media coverage. From there it has spread across the nation…
So-called Secret Santas have shown up mostly at Kmarts in Michigan, Ohio, Florida and Colorado. Some have done their good deeds at Walmart, including one man who paid $8,880 to assure 23 families in Avon, Ohio could get their gifts. Another Secret Santa was a woman from Indianapolis in her mid-40’s who paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. Before she left the store she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts full of toys for a woman in line at the cash register. Not all acts have been so large, but people have been paying what they can towards others’ layaway accounts in an effort to make a difference.
To some $40 may not seem like a lot, but to others it can be the difference in making the holidays bright! It is these acts that bring a sense of community in the world.
Here’s a video to show how the the trend of giving is taking off…
This year’s Environmental Media Association Awards ceremony was a huge success! Not only did it feature more A-list celebrities than past year’s, but it also brought more media attention. The goal of the organization is to use the power of celebrity to get the word out about eco, green, and environmental practices, and this year they did just that! With a green carpet packed with celebrities and environmental gurus, the attendance brought more news and media outlet coverage.
The award ceremony was followed by an organic dinner prepared by award-winning chefs and a silent auction. OMI donated a Terra mattress for the auction which also included other enviromental and eco-concious items, with all proceeds going to various charities.
The Honorees:
Justin Timberlake - EMA Futures Award
Marc Nathanson – EMA Board of Directors Ongoing Commitment Award
Southern California Edison – EMA Corporate Responsibility Award
PGA Green – EMA Green Production Award
The Winners:
Yogi Bear – Feature Film
Revenge of the Electric Car – Documentary
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – “Fracked” – Television Episodic Drama
Futurama – “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular” – Television Episodic Comedy
Real Time With Bill Maher – Episode 188 & HGTV Green Home 2011 - Reality Television
Bubble Guppies – Children’s Television
Take a look at the Highlight Video as well as pictures from the Awards below.
Amy Smart, Nicole Richie, Christa B. Allen, Kim Raver, Charlotte Ross
Healthy Child Healthy World is a movement to empower parents to protect their children from harmful chemicals. More and more evidence is found connecting everyday environmental contaminants to asthma, learning disabilities, obesity, cancer and more. The organization was founded in 1991, by James and Nancy Chuda after their daughter Colette died from Wilm’s tumor, a rare non-hereditary cancer. Read about their touching story HERE.
OMI has joined forces with this wonderful organization to help children sleep safe and honor moms who, through love and perseverance, help to create a healthy future for our children.
Mom on a Mission is a program that honors parents working within their communities to create healthier and happier environments for children and families. On October 28th Healthy Child Healthy World announced their 2011 Mom on a Mission winner, Tamara Rubin, at Stella McCarthy Kids boutique in New York City. Tamara Rubin is the founder of the Lead Safe America Foundation that raises awareness to the hazards of lead based paints in and around the homes. Watch the video below to learn more about Tamara’s selfless mission.
Over 125 people attended the private event earning more than $500 from the raffle alone! OMI donated a 100%-natural rubber Youth Bed for the raffle. Alexandra Zissu was the winner of the Twin size mattress made with a single core USDA certified organic natural rubber latex sap, covered with our signature OrganicPedic knit quilting. We were excited to be able to give Alexandra’s children a healthy and chemical free bed to enjoy many peaceful nights of dreams in!
Read more about the OMI Youth Bed as well as other wonderful products on our website and make sure to vote for next years 2012 Mom on a Mission nominees by clicking HERE.
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