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threadandflourish · 4 years ago

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The 101 for Creating an Ethical Wardrobe

Do you know that 10 million pounds of clothing in the United States are dumped into landfills every year? Wouldn't it be great if we could open our closet doors, and stare into a sea of socially-conscious clothing made up of natural, sustainable fabrics, and know exactly where our clothing came from? We care about the food we eat, how much we exercise, and what beauty products we put on our face. Let's talk about what we are wearing. #whomadethis

Shop Small Big box retailers that carry the latest styles may have worked with several factories just to produce one article of clothing, let alone their whole spring collection - several very complicated supply chains are involved. With such complicated supply chains, it's hard for retailers to know whether their clothing is created by individuals in fair working conditions. Although we have come a long way with how large corporations are sourcing their merchandise, as consumers, it's important to take into consideration what we are supporting when we purchase an article of clothing. By shopping at smaller stores, you're supporting artisans and small business owners - not child labor or unsafe working conditions which is common when the supply chain is more complicated and difficult to follow. Plus, your purchase makes a bigger impact on the business overall. We get it. When your favorite white tee gets an ugly stain that isn’t going anywhere and you need to replace it, it’s easy to order from the retailer you’ve been shopping at since you graduated college - but consider it an opportunity to branch out! With online retailers becoming the prime way everyone is shopping right now, the playing field has been leveled. Take a chance on some lesser known stores. If you’re concerned about returns, check the shop’s return policy before you place your order. It’s fun to find new brands and also have something slightly different than what most people are wearing.

Shop Timeless Pieces That You Love Take a nod from Parisian women. They are notorious for having small, fashionable wardrobes with pieces standing the test of time. It’s very common for them to wear neutral colors. When they want to spice up their look they will, you guessed it, wear a scarf! (Okay and yes, totally shameless plug for FlourishBox right now). :-) By selecting high quality, timeless clothing over trendier pieces, you are not contributing to the landfill waste brought forth by fashion.

Shop Second Hand This one can be tough depending on what you are looking for but websites like Poshmark have made it easier to find second hand pieces that still have a lot of life left. If you want to decrease your carbon footprint, try purchasing something that’s already been used. Not to mention, you can get some great items for a steal!

Shop Fair Trade How could we leave this one out? As a company that strives to only provide items that are traded fairly, this one really stands out to us. Do you know what it means to be fair trade? If not, check out our FAQ section. Essentially, it means that items are bought from workers and artisans at fair amounts that equal a liveable wage. This is a term that you'll probably see on various foods when you go grocery shopping or to your nearest local coffee shop - there are lots of opportunities to purchase fair trade coffee (but that's a whole other post). In buying fair trade clothing, you are supporting individuals in their craft and trade by paying them fair wages instead of going to big box companies where workers may only receive a small percent for their labor.

Shop sustainability Synthetic fibers, like those found in polyester, can take up to 200 years to decompose. Not to mention that every time a synthetic article of clothing is washed, over 700 microfibers are released into the water. These end up inside of smaller fish, which end up in bigger fish, which end up in fishing nets, and well, ultimately in our food supply. This is really a big issue with a small name - Micro Waste. Additionally, synthetic fabrics require various methods of manufacturing and contribute to the greenhouse gases emitted from manufacturing. If you want to be more green, we recommend natural fabrics such as silk, organic cotton, alpaca, hemp, and even fabrics like Tencel, pineapple fiber and sustainable bamboo.

While we realize this is a lot to take in in just one post, we recommend just focusing on one of these areas to get started. Slowly, over time, you can begin to change your wardrobe and contribute to supporting companies that believe in sustainability, fair trade, and changing the world.

#fairtrade howto ethicalfashion fashionrevolution

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arpitalall · 4 years ago

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Fair Fashion: What, Why and How?

In today’s world where anything new is just a click away, it has become way easier to replace absolutely anything in a matter of just few clicks. Fashion Industry is no exception here. With the continuous reduction in the delivery time and the humans’ ever-increasing graspingness for more and more fashionable clothes, no doubt that the industry is expected to be valued at US $19,324 Mn by 2024 just in India. This market’s largest segment being Apparel has a projected market volume of US$7,644 Mn in 2020. Looks very scintillating on the outside, Doesn’t it? But, sadly the reality deep down is far from these huge profit margins. The skilled labours involved with fashion Industry often get very minimum of these big numbers and hence making their future look very bleak in reality. That is when the term “Fair Fashion “comes into the picture.

Fair Fashion is all about giving the labours involved with the fashion industry their dues. It is about providing them with safe and healthy working conditions, paying them right for the work they do, treating them like humans and most importantly making sure that there is no child labor and human trafficking involved.

Can you imagine working in an industry where you are forced to work for 14-15 hours a day for a whole week? NO!! Well, workers in the fashion Industry do more than that and during peak seasons they tend to stretch their working hours by 2-3 am in the night without taking a single break. They work tirelessly almost all day and night in dangerous working conditions. They work with no ventilation, breathing in toxic substances, inhaling fibre dust or blasted sand in unsafe buildings. Accidents, fires, injuries and diseases occur very frequently on various textile production sites. They often face physical and verbal abuse. A research firm in 2012 found that a lot of labour stuck in fashion Industry ended up there because of human trafficking. Since then, there has been no going back for them.

Here is what YOU can do to not contribute more to their hopeless lives. Here is what you can do to be equally fashionable in a fair manner.

Reckless Buying:

Do you know that a lot of fashion brands intentionally produce lesser stocks than required giving you an impression that the stock would end up pretty soon. Hence, the chances of you buying it whether or not you need it increases substantially. It subconsciously forces your mind to buy it anyway. This creates a huge demand and hence pressurizes the workers to work for longer hours. So, the next time you buy stuff, make sure you do not buy it just for your urge rather for your need.

Check Brands:

There are a lot of brands that follow ethical trading practices in fashion. They not only care for their employees but also for the environment. With pollution becoming one of the biggest issues of the 21st century, turning to sustainable brands is the smartest thing to do. Popular brands like Fab India, Belacci, Anokhi etc not only are the sustainable brands but they also offer you clothes that are affordable and trendy. Belacci have strong ethical trade code of conduct for all its business partners, service providers, suppliers.

Going Local :

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking all of us to go “Vocal for Local”, we can support the local artisans by buying more of the handmade clothes. These handmade clothes often times offer unique designs which make them even more beautiful. Chikankari , embroidered clothes , handmade crafted bags and accessories etc are the various options available to us. Buying from these individual artisans decreases the potential risk of the workers' exploitation while also contributing to the Indian economy.

Choosing Right Fabric:

Fabric is the essence of any clothes not only when it comes to comfortable fashion but also for fair and sustainable fashion. Choosing fabrics like organic cotton, Recycled Polyester and recycled nylon, Linen is one of the best practices to have. These tend to harm the environment and the workers less. Hence, it becomes imperative to look for the fabric of your clothes before buying.

These are just few small ways and initiatives you can adapt to make the ethical trading fashion boom. Today we start this small change by hoping to make it big someday.

Check out festive collection at Belacci.in

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ciathyzareposts · 4 years ago

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Game 121: Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist (1993): Introduction

by Alex

Hello there, dear The Adventure Gamer family. I am back after a long absence to review another game, and another Al Lowe game, but this time it’s not an entry in the Leisure Suit Larry series. No, I’m leaving my polyester pal behind and traveling to the old west to play Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, Mr. Lowe and co.’s 1993 outing in the Sierra adventure game library. There was a CD-ROM version (more on this later), with voices and everything, released in 1994, but I’m playing the DOS version, mainly because I’m not a huge fan of CD-ROM games.

1993 is smack in the middle of the golden age of Sierra adventure games, which I contend lasted until 1996. You might disagree with me, and I’m sure will let me know in the comments below, but that’s what makes life interesting, right? And we all need a little adventure, uncertainty, and chaos in our lives right about now.

Well actually, no. I certainly don’t! Thankfully, I live out in the middle of nowhere, USA, where nothing happens and we like it like that, but life has certainly been adventurous, uncertain, and chaotic enough for me and my family, thank you very much! We’re all fine, and I hope you are too. But with civil society is crumbling all around me, there’s nothing better to do than fire up an old adventure game and blog about it. So here we go.

The last game I blogged about for The Adventure Gamer was Quest for Glory III: Wages of War back in 2018. In the interim, my wife and I had another child, started a business, and I’ve published two novels, with another novel and a non-fiction book set to publish before the year is up. Plus, I got to meet Joe Pranevich in person, which was really cool. But how many adventure games did I play during this time? With the exception of the first two Quest for Glory games with my son, zero. So I’ve been busy. If both my adventure gaming prowess and my writing are rusty, please bear with me as I play myself back into shape.

Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist—and I’m sorry, every time I hear the name Pharkas all I can think of is Scott Farkus, the bully who tormented Ralphie, his brother, and their friends in A Christmas Story.

This guy.

Anyway, Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist is Al Lowe’s homage to comedy westerns a la Mel Brooks’s popular 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles. Would you believe I have never seen Blazing Saddles? I know Gene Wilder’s in it, there’s a gigantic Indian named Mongo that punches his horse, that Cleavon Little’s character gets called the N-word a lot (which means this movie is probably not long for this world), and that the central bit of humor is a gigantic fart joke.

Al Lowe

So, yes, no wonder Al Lowe wanted to make his own version of it. That sort of humor is right up Lowe’s alley. I didn’t intend that to sound dirty, but since we’re talking about an Al Lowe game, all of our minds immediately went to the gutter (don’t lie).

But Lowe wasn’t alone! Oh no, Lowe designed Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist (I’m calling it FPFP from now on because the full title is a real mouthful (fingerful?) to keep on typing) with Josh Mandel. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he worked on many Sierra games either as a producer, designer, writer, voice actor, artist, or some combination of those roles. Which games? How about Space Quest 6, The Dagger of Amon Ra, King’s Quest V and VI, and EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus. Mandel worked for other companies afterwards, such as Take-Two Interactive and Mattell, but he also lent his voice talents to the fan remakes of the first three King’s Quest games, reunited with Al Lowe on 2013’s Leisure Suit Larry: reloaded, and was a writer on Quest for Glory designer (and sometimes TAG commenter) Lori and Corey Cole’s Quest for Glory quasi-reboot Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption. He was also the model for the coroner in Police Quest III: The Kindred, but the less said about that game, the better.

Josh Mandel

I also think he might like fart jokes.

Before firing up the game, let’s take a look at the manual.

Titled The Modern Day Book of Health and Hygiene, 1881 edition, the manual is presented like an old-time medical—some might say “pseudo-medicine” almanac written by one Hyman J. Lipschitz, M.D., the President of Phrenologists for Health, Enervating Elixers, Longevity, and Mental Energy, aka (sigh) PHEELME.

This guidebook also has a pretty humorous disclaimer on page two:

Note to those people who might think a parody of a quack remedy guide that pretends to be from the 19th Century could really contain factual information but are too stupid to read disclaimers such as this anyway: The information contained herein is absolute and utter balderdash, provided by Sierra On-Line, Inc. for your Entertainment ONLY and to provide information and clues for FREDDY PHARKAS, FRONTIER PHARMACIST. Do not take the medications we prescribe. Do not apply the balms and liniments we describe. Do not attempt the procedures we outline. Do not believe that Manual Labor is still the President of Mexico. Nothing within this pamphlet is accurate and truthful, to the best of our ability. We are being entirely facetious. Do not, repeat DO NOT, use this documentation as a real medical guide! It’s a joke! Okay? Get it?

We get it, Al and Josh, we do. Also: the president of Mexico being named Manual Labor is a precursor to the horrible/awesome name puns that pervade this game.

Anyway, this isn’t so much an instruction booklet on how-to-play, but what I’m assuming is a very elaborate form of copy protection. You see, Part 1, the Pharmacopoeia, describes various chemicals that can be used as medicines, and in some cases, how to make them. They are sometimes funny, and clearly some entries are there just for laughs, but I’m getting serious King’s Quest III vibes from this whole thing.

Excerpt from the Pharmacopoeia

Part 2 features “home procedures” for things like acne, broken bones, and constipation (no coronavirus though). There’s also a (sigh) flatulence spectrometer, where the doctor is advised to catch fart gas in a paper bag or something and burn it in a spectroscope to figure out the exact chemical compound of what is causing the patient to have the vapors. Things like lentils, apples ‘n brown sugar-cinnamon, and meaty by-products, along with the cure. This is the level of humor we’re dealing with, people. It’s an Al Lowe game, what should I expect?

Actually, the manual is pretty funny, full of the dry, straight-faced humor we’ve come to expect from Mr. Lowe, and the kind of humor I actually get a kick out of. It reminds me of Mad Magazine, where the humor is stupid and low-brow, but an intelligent kind of stupid and low-brow. You know what I mean, right?

In any event, it’s time to start this game up.

Hello, old friend.

The familiar Sierra fanfare and accompanying logo always give me all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings, as does the sound and graphical style of the title screen, and I’m particularly excited to delve into Freddy Pharkas (wait, that didn’t come out right . . .) since I’ve never played this game. That’s right! Other than reading about this in Sierra’s InterACTION magazine (Sierra’s version of Nintendo Power) when I was a kid, I have no experience whatsoever with FPFP. I’m playing this blind, and have been looking forward to this for quite some time.

This issue right here—I wish I still had it, but scans of it are available at Al’s site

I decide to check out the game’s prologue, and am treated to a well-written and well-composed Western ballad detailing the life of one former famous gunslinger Freddy Pharkas and how he came to be a one-eared pharmacist in the frontier town of Coarsegold, California, a real town near Sierra’s actual location in Oakhurst, California. Coarsegold was apparently also the setting for Sierra’s 1981 On-Line Adventure #3: Cranston Manor, which TAG reviewer Joe Pranevich is yet to review.

The ballad is quite good and humorous while packing in a lot of backstory (kind of like this post). Al Lowe wrote the music—although future Quest for Glory IV composer Aubrey Hodges is the main composer for this game—and Lowe and Mandel both wrote the lyrics. I’ve reprinted the lyrics below so you understand the game’s premise, interspersed with screenshots from the intro (follow the bouncing ball!)

He was born in old St Louie, By the age of four Dad knew he was the Best little crackshot the West had ever seen. By the time he reached pubescence, He could outshoot all the adolescents West of Durango and north of Abilene.

Pharkas, Freddy Pharkas. Famous gunslingin’ deputy. Freddy Pharkas, Freddy Pharkas, Frontier hero-to-be.

Then one day young Freddy Pharkas Stared at eyes as black and dark as night, the Eyes of an outlaw, well-known throughout the West. Oh, the tough kid’s name was Kenny, And he outdrew Freddy Pharkas, when he Shot Freddy’s ear off to prove who was the best.

Now our hero, Freddy Pharkas, With wounded pride and earless carcass, Vowed to the heavens to give up gunnery. He’d be better off, he reckoned, With the lifelong dream that always beckoned: Pestles, not pistols, and pharmacology.

Pharkas, Freddy Pharkas, Highest score on his S.A.T., Freddy Pharkas, Freddy Pharkas. Five-year college degree.

After Fred matriculated, Got his Ph.D. and graduated, Moved out to Coarsegold and bought a pharmacy. He’s a real prescription writer, And they don’t know he’s an ex-gunfighter, Locked up his mem’ries, repressed them totally.

But his peaceful new survival Soon was shot to hell upon arrival Of Coarsegold’s schoolmarm, the sweet Penelope. She has captured Fred’s affection, But he’s scared he’ll get a huge …rejection, Can’t bear to tell her just what he used to be.

Pharkas, Freddy Pharkas. Frontier Pharmacist bourgeoisie, Freddy Pharkas, Freddy Pharkas. Peerless, earless, and free!

The CD-ROM version is apparently sung by Al Lowe himself, because as he describes on his website, everyone thought he had a “funny voice.” You can read all about it, and listen to the ballad, here.

Act I then begins, making me think this game is going to be chapter-based, and you are taken to Coarsegold’s main street as someone is boarding up a building, where a toothless old coot named Whittlin’ Willy starts to tell you all about ol’ Freddy.

Nope, not sitting on your lap. Not getting anywhere NEAR that lap, thanks.

I gain control of Freddy and check the interface. The standard Sierra point-and-click icons are there (Walk, Look, Action, Speak, Inventory), and I take a moment to click the Action icon on various things, which may-or-may-not have included Freddy’s man-region.

I mean, it’s an Al Lowe game. I kind of had to.

There are no surprises, which works for me as this interface generally works really well. In my inventory I only have the key to Freddy’s pharmacy. I’m looking forward to inventory gags, as Al Lowe’s Leisure Suit Larry V was full of humorous messages—each unique!—when you clicked any item on any other item in your inventory. I hope this attention to detail, and bad jokes, carries over to FPFP.

And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is a (sigh) Golden Balls Saloon.

This humor style, of course, is par for the course and I don’t view it as a negative per se. I groan and cringe at these kinds of jokes, but I actually like them. They’re generally harmless and Al always seemed like a good guy who just like getting a few yuks out of gamers.

Here he is, describing the inspiration for FPFP:

“In 1992, I noticed that there wasn’t a single Western computer game, even though Western movies had been popular off and on for years. But I wanted to make a humorous Western. What sort of Western could be funny? While discussing this with Roberta Williams, I started to say ‘farmer’ but my mouth tried to say ‘rancher’ and out came a tangled mess that kind of sounded like, ‘farmer-cist.’ Hey! A pharmacist? Why not? Thus was born Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist!

I think it may well be my funniest game, due in great part to the wit of Josh Mandel. Computer Gaming World called it ‘The Blazing Saddles of computer games’ (see box cover below) which I considered perfect praise since that movie was my inspiration.”

Funniest gmae, huh? I sure hope so! Leisure Suit Larry has its moments, but nothing is really laugh out loud funny. Maybe FPFP will be. We’ll see!

I have high hopes reading this bit of trivia from Josh Mandel:

“Mandel had explained in a commentary the reason why there were so many more jokes in the Floppy Disk version as compared to the CD-ROM version of the game, ‘I had co-designed, directed, produced, and written the floppy version; there were no plans at all, at the time, to produce a CD version. When sales of the floppy version justified a CD version, I was no longer available to produce and direct it, having by then started on SQ6. Al Lowe was then tapped to do the casting and recording of the CD version, but the game already had so much text in it that, when it came time to record the inventory text, Al just stopped—he was, he said, tired of sitting in the sound studio. As I had written the vast majority of the game’s text and dialogue, I pointed out to him that, in the process of cutting roughly 15% of the game’s text from the recording, he’d not only left out many jokes, but many clues and hints as well.’”

And like I said, I’m playing the DOS version, so not only will I not be missing out on “clues and hints,” I’ll be getting all the jokes as well. Oh boy!

Mind you, I have no clue what the plot is, but I’m eager to hop in and see what Coarsegold has to offer. If there are references I don’t get in my posts, please let me know. I’m a medium-sized Western fan. I love the idea and image and aesthetic of cowboys and the American west, I’ve seen several John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies, and I have some Louis L’Amour paperbacks I need to get around to reading, but I’m no expert or connoisseur of the Western genre. Then again, I’m no expert or connoisseur of the adventure game genre and that doesn’t stop me from writing about, so maybe I have nothing to worry about.

Anyway, time to saddle up and play. See you next time, pardner! Yee haw, yippie-ki-yi-yay, and all that jazz.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/game-121-freddy-pharkas-frontier-pharmacist-1993-introduction/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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arplis · 5 years ago

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Arplis - News: There is no room that I apologize for more than this one

And while I know we are all done apologizing, I physically can’t help it because I’m TRULY regretful that I can’t seem to figure this one out. When new people walk in I immediately distract them to the left, into the living room with a ‘nothing to see over there!’ vibe. It’s gotten better, thank god so today you are going to see where we are at now, and how I’m stuck and another epic DIY fail. When I started this playroom, the kids were 2 and 4. They are now 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 and if I don’t start speeding this up I will have two tweens no longer interested in playing ‘horsies’ or ‘inventor’. But I was distracted by the mountain house and at such a loss of what to do here that I just couldn’t. Here’s where we started: BEFORE: When we bought the house, it looked like the above photo. Sure, easy enough. It would be the playroom, er, TV room, er both… But I’d make it cozy…paint it really dark, not realizing that it would chop up the house so much and make it feel so much smaller. That was makeshift, obviously, with leftover furniture, not actually designed, but you get the idea. So we painted it light and got a sofa that was better scale for the space, but it was still a TV room with some toy storage in the back. (The sofa now lives in the apartment of our last Feel Good Flash Makeover. But then we realized that the kids really needed a playroom, a space just for them. We nixed the sofa and TV and brought in a bunch of toy storage. We made the same mistake that a lot of new parents make—too many toys, not enough that they actually play with or engage with for a long time. Bins of balls, action heroes and garbage that they pull out all day every day but they don’t really engage with. They liked the play kitchen, but the rest was mostly for other kids to be enamored with, not them. As much as I begged them to play dollhouse with me, they weren’t old enough. Even that adorable workbench that we got for them for Christmas sat totally untouched unless we did it with them. What they love are two things: arts and crafts and building things (think Legos). THE CHALLENGES: It’s a long skinny room that needs to function as the playroom (for now) but you see it IMMEDIATELY when you walk in. I actually wanted to put in some glass doors and somehow figure out how to decrease its importance and give it its own space (because someday it would be a great home office) but Brian wasn’t on board as he thought it would break up the space too much and make it feel smaller (it would). It has an architectural break in the wall, almost creating two different spaces, but it’s awkward. You can see it from many rooms on the first floor so it can’t scream TOYS and instead, should look pulled together. You know, as if an actual designer lives here, but I still want it to be playful and fun, you know, as if it’s an actual playroom. Additionally, the lighting felt too big. It doesn’t look like it in the photos, but I just wanted to simplify it a bit. After trying a million different layouts, I drew inspiration from, well, our preschool and had the idea that maybe where the wall juts out should be its own “room,” with cubby dividers creating walls and a sense of privacy for them. Not because they need privacy, but because creating zones seems like what little kids like, and areas where they can imagine and play felt right for their age. I was right and this was a huge hit with them. The good news: MURAL: I love that mural so much. I ordered it from Rebel Walls and you can size it exactly to your wall so it fits perfectly. And yes, we put it over the plaster wall because we didn’t want to skim coat over the original pretty plaster as we knew that someday we would likely remove it and then we’d have one flat wall. We customized the color to be a nice muted navy blue and white. It’s graphic yet exciting, as it’s not too busy and it’s playful in an old-world way (matching our 100-year-old English Tudor). LIGHTING: I switched out the lighting so that the sconces matched the living room (we stole two from the living room over the bookshelves and instead put in horizontal art lights—I’ll show you soon). They project less into the room but still provide nice lighting (the house has no can lighting and we didn’t put any in except for in the kitchen and bathrooms during the remodel). We switched out the ceiling fixture to be glass (from Rejuvenation) so it took up less visual space. It is raw brass so it will age really nicely. I love them both. RUG: The round rug really helps that space feel brighter and more playful. Obviously a round white rug in a playroom seems a bit nuts, so I bought an inexpensive one in hopes that if it only lasts for a couple of years, I’m at least not wasting too much money. The other options we considered are a darker round rug (which might have been a better choice long-term) or using Flor tiles. But out of desperation on a Saturday morning, I pressed “purchase” and you know what? It’s been TWO months and it still looks this white. It’s cheap, 100% polyester or rayon and for some reason, maybe that it’s such a high pile, it hasn’t stained at all. I came up with a genius rule that there are not paints in the craft room, which they don’t miss (remember we can play/paint year-round outside in LA) so it’s actually GREAT. ART TABLE: I bought the table a year ago and put on the taller legs that came with it so it’s a great height for them (and us) to sit at. I used Target stools that come with a different table that was too small, but we had leftover from another project. I wish they sold them on their own. Elliot sits here for HOURS a day. She spends more time drawing than I ever knew a child could. It’s amazing. BOOKCASES: I used that architectural break to divide the room with bookcases. They each take a side. On Charlie’s, he has his Legos (the kid is SUPER into Legos, guys) and he displays them on the top shelf. Birdie has a ton of beads, treasure boxes, princess crowns and horses. I already had these Pillowfort bookcases/cubbies from Target that were functional and great but the back of them had a wood/white detail that was too busy to be seen from the back. So here were our options: Make it look more “built-in” and cover it with with the same white as the molding and even add trim pieces like a baseboard and a trim piece against the wall to make it look “built-in.” That is a lot of work though for two pieces of furniture that are definitely NOT built-in. Make the back of the shelves functional (as in create some sort of feature for them). The Pottery Barn shelving (from the “befores”) is now upstairs in their room (not all of it—some is in storage). After thinking about it for a while, we realized that we would be spending way too much time/money trying to make a piece of furniture look built-in. If it were something we could do ourselves (Brian and I), that would be different but paying someone (our handy PA, Shade) to do it could take hours and add up to hundreds. So instead, we had this idea that we would put a pegboard on the back that could be a few different interactive things, such as: Rubberband art: images: left via instructables | right via kara paslay designs Marble run or tubes that you snake around the pegs: images: left via frugal fun 4 boys | right via frugal fun 4 boys You can use cardboard tubes like they did on the left, or really bendable tubes, or PVC pipes like they did on the right. We do need more art storage for more maker supplies so we also thought that one of them could be styled out more like this: image via cup of jo This is where it all started going/rolling downhill. Because we are perfectionists, we felt that we couldn’t use something readymade. WE don’t just buy pegboard, no, and certainly not a system from IKEA that would, well, create the most perfect and functional art wall. NO, we have far too much time and money to waste to do a simple solution! Instead, Shade would buy some plywood, cut it perfectly to size and drill each hole INDIVIDUALLY, then attach it to the back of the shelves (after bolting them together). Sounds easy, but this did, of course, take time and time is money. I think he spent a day and a half on it, which is about $350 in labor (not including materials). We ordered some marble run stuff and attached the pegs to them so they could move it around and create their own creation. The problem is by customizing our own holes, it fits no art system because they aren’t spaced apart in a standard way. I’ll remind you what it looks like: We found these raw wood marble run pieces and glued pegs into them, with the hope that they can be rearranged on the peg wall and be an interactive game that our kids will spend hours quietly playing with. The kids came home that first day, got excited then realized that they are VERY hard to take in and out and went back to Legos and art. Even when I sat down to do it, I got frustrated. It could be that they are too young, but it’s frankly just more annoying and the payoff (a marble rolling) isn’t worth their frustration. Admittedly, it does look fun, but for whatever reason, they don’t like it. It’s kinda hard and again the payoff isn’t worth it. Around the same time, we bought an art system for the play attic at the mountain house that was awesome (update on that space with photos coming soon). I then realized that we had gone through all this trouble to create a custom system that already exists readymade and affordable, only better and more functional! It would be like spending months designing a chair that already exists. Cool. Sure, it’s white and plastic and ours is raw wood and pretty, but I actually think that white would work better in here anyway. Why didn’t we just do this in the first place? Honestly, because I haven’t been to IKEA in years and didn’t know it existed. I was hasty. Too busy to research. Preferring instead to spend time and money customizing something that doesn’t work. Additionally, after ours was done, I thought we couldn’t find pegs that really fit easily because the ones that we bought for the marble runs were too big and tight. Then last week, I decided to, you know, measure the holes. From there, I Googled pegs that size, ordered them and boom. The morning of the shoot, I set up the rubber band activity and it looked cute. I couldn’t find rubberbands so I used Birdie’s hairtyes to show you the function. PLOT TWIST: When the kids came home from school on Thursday (when we shot this), they started playing with the rubberband wall and proceeded to play for a while (I’d say around 25 minutes which is a long engagement time for a 3 and 5-year-old). Birdie wanted rubber bands on her side so we took out the marble run and they put the pegs in where they wanted them, moved them around and made patterns, letters and shapes with the hair ties. We then found our actual rubber bands, started playing with those and guess what? It’s a really fun guitar wall and they played with that for a while. So now I’m thinking that maybe it wasn’t an epic DIY fail but only time will tell. Part of me wants to fill the holes and paint it white and then attach the art organization system I mentioned we already have at the mountain house. I did, however, buy them a cart full of garbage to play with in the meantime. We call it the “makers cart” or the “inventor cart.” It’s full of recyclables (plastic containers, cans, paper towel rolls, newspaper), different tapes (I need to buy stock in 3M or Scotch because the amount of tape we buy for them to make things is INSANE), magnets, screws/bolts/brackets, strings, pipe cleaners, etc. Hell, we put all takeout materials in there—chopsticks, plastic forks, etc… Like I said, LITERAL GARBAGE, but it makes us feel way less bad if they at least get some creativity out of that waste. Charlie LOVES it. Birdie is much more into art and coloring, but Charlie loves inventing things and our neighbor (my best friend’s son) tortures her with bringing home his “inventions” daily (riddling her house with our garbage). So there’s one success. I also LOVE this art wall. Like nothing makes me happier than when they finish something and ask me if they can put it on the wall (not sure why they ask). So the next challenge is making a big bulletin board that is actually pretty. Here are my ideas: Put it in an interesting shape, like a house. Have it lean or start on the floor so that they can reach and add their own finished pieces. Use masonite (a soft composite) and cover in a fabric (likely a pretty linen or maybe a subtle pattern). Mount a thick roll of cork to plywood then paint it a color or white. Frame or trim it out with thin wood. Like so: image via live loud girl I’ve tried to think about different shapes that make sense, to try to reinvent this but I haven’t come up with something that would be easy to execute that makes sense for art. I love the graphicness of the house, and remember that we have a big moment, the mural on the opposite side of the room. Okay. This room also needs to kinda function as the kids mud-room. So we brought in that bench that has great storage, but also provides a great drop place for the kids’ bags and shoes, as if they put them there, EVER. HA. They are getting better, but the first week of school they dropped them within inches of the door, on the floor. The drawers right now hold more art supplies and paper, but will be great for either shoes or homework stuff later. We had it at the foot of our bed for a while (which we loved) but we needed it down here more. I was going to get a bigger mirror, possibly pill-shaped because its 2019 and evidently we DON’T do rectangles in 2019, but then I found this vintage Thonet mirror at a thrift store near the mountain house and couldn’t not buy it (I think it was like $45) and so one day I put it up on an already existing nail and realized that I actually might love it here. Side note: I never bought or installed nice grate covers. I meant to. I have had it on my list for 2 years now. It’s a long list but above it are things like “raise children” and “stay alive” which are taking more time than I had predicted, so the bottom of the list sits there unchecked. Instead, we have the $3 ones that I feel like you could buy at 7-11. I really need to replace them and will, I promise. (I have a personal assistant now so maybe it will happen before 2025!). Now I need to decide if I want to add hooks for bags and make it look like a proper Pinterest-worthy mudroom or just call it and let them put their bags on the bench because that is more likely to actually happen. So I’d love any and all opinions on what to do in here. I know I want to create a more awesome art wall. I know that Birdie would like easier access to art supplies, but we could just do another cart full of supplies and tools and keep the rubberband art. Also right now she is super into colored pencils because that is what is in front of her, why do I need to add more? Less is more with kids, right? Resources: Toy Cubbies | Table | Stools (similar) | Rug | Bench | Wall Mural | Ceiling Flushmount | Sconces | Supply Cart | Marble Run Set | Play Kitchen ***Update photos by Veronica Crawford The post Our LA Playroom Update With Solutions That Work For Us + Another DIY Fail appeared first on Emily Henderson. #Playroom #Kids #MyHouse

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/there-is-no-room-that-i-apologize-for-more-than-this-one

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mattressclarity · 7 years ago

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Pregnancy Pillow Guide: What To Know Before You Buy

When it comes to pregnancy, sleep is an essential but often elusive creature. A pregnant woman’s body is growing and changing pretty much constantly. Sleep disruptions like extra trips to the bathroom or increased restlessness from discomfort at night can hinder your ability to rest.

Enter a little help from the pregnancy pillow – also referred to as the maternity pillow. This pillow is designed with a mother-to-be’s needs in mind. It’s primarily used to help support you and your growing bump, so you can stay comfortable and rest as long as possible each night (or each nap!).

Just like a regular pillow, what works for one mom might not work for the other. The good news here is that there are plenty of different pregnancy pillows to choose from and many factors to help you decide which one might be the best fit for you.

We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to all things pregnancy pillow-related. It should help you find your perfect pillow partner and achieve that sweet non-interrupted sleep all pregnant women dream about.

Syda Productions/Shutterstock

What Exactly Is A Pregnancy Pillow?

The idea behind the pregnancy pillow is simple – it’s a cushion or a pillow that is made to accommodate the female body as it grows and changes during pregnancy.

Pregnancy pillows are all different shapes, sizes, fabrics, fillings, and prices. Some will follow the length of your body, while others are wedge-like or bean-shaped and can fit just under your baby bump or between your knees for isolated support.

The key thing to remember is that there is no one universally perfect pillow for all pregnant women (I wish!). For some, this is their first pregnancy and they won’t know what feels good from one trimester to the next. For others, this might be round two or three, and even though they know what’s helped in the past, there may be new challenges and discomforts.

Olesia Bilkei/Shutterstock

The Benefits Of Using A Pregnancy Pillow

One of the main reasons – if not the main reason – many women choose to use a pillow specifically designed for pregnancy is to keep you as comfortable as possible.

Mothers who have already experienced pregnancy and childbirth know that you need all the sleep you can get before birth. You start motherhood (or really, parenthood) with a sleep deficit from the time spent laboring and delivering your child. And once they actually arrive? Anywhere near eight hours will probably be hard to achieve for the first few months.

“When you’re pregnant, it can be tough to get solid sleep for a number of reasons,” say the experts at National Sleep Foundation. “One major cause of restlessness: As the baby grows—and as you grow—it may get harder to find a comfortable position at night.”

The foundation says that a specialized pregnancy pillow may be able to swoop in and save the day or night.

“A good pregnancy pillow can relieve pressure on the spine, back, and hips while improving the alignment of the hip, shoulder, and spine,” according to the Parenting Healthy Babies website. “A pregnancy pillow is instrumental in preventing an expecting woman from sleeping on her stomach in an uncomfortable and dangerous position.”

Another benefit? Many pillows end up still being comfortable and useful after pregnancy. They can be used to help moms stay supported during post-delivery recovery and to help with breastfeeding or other postpartum activities.

Different Types Of Pregnancy Pillows

There are about five main categories of pregnancy pillows. Here’s a description of each:

Wedge

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Wedge pillows are popular because they’re multi-functional and can be used during and after pregnancy and delivery. The shape is often comparable to a wedge of cheese and can come in both round and triangular options. Typically, you put the wedge under your bump to help support it as you sleep/rest. You can also elevate your back or your legs with it.

“Pregnancy wedges are one of the cheapest pregnancy pillow solutions available,” according to the Parent Guide website. “Many mothers like pregnancy wedges because they are still practical after giving birth. Getting comfortable watching television? Yep. Propping your regular pillow up? Yep. You do not have to be pregnant to enjoy a pregnancy wedge pillow.”

Total Body

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Total body pregnancy pillows curve around your entire body and are able to support you on more than one side. They tend to be C-shaped or U-shaped and cradle your body – providing great support both on your neck and back, as well as between your knees and under your stomach.

The total body pillow is one of the most popular types of pregnancy pillows because it offers the most support, something that many pregnant women look for as they enter the third trimester.

Full Length

Ivica Drusany/Shutterstock

A full-length pregnancy pillow is basically the same thing as what you see marketed as a standard body pillow. It’s often a longer version of a traditional pillow but can provide much-needed comfort during pregnancy by supporting your stomach and helping your back stay in alignment by resting between your knees.

Unlike the total body pillow, this one will focus on supporting one side of your body. It is usually straight but some pregnancy full-length pillows are made with more flexible fabrics and fillings to mold more easily to your body.

Bean

Babymoov Canada/Facebook

The Bean pillow is bean-shaped (surprise!) and pretty compact. It can be used to add support to specific spots on a pregnant woman’s body that might need extra attention. Whether it’s resting on your lower back in an office chair or between your knees at night or during a nap, it’s usually pretty affordable and it’s easy to travel with.

Inflatable

Cozy Bump/Facebook

Inflatable pregnancy pillows may not be as plentiful as their full-length or total body counterparts but they have the ability to help meet some specific pregnancy comfort needs. Many are designed so women can rest on their stomachs without putting pressure on their unborn children.

The nice thing about inflatable pillows is that deflating them makes them fairly compact. They are also adjustable in the sense that you can decide how full the pillow becomes based on your comfort level.

Things To Consider Before Buying

Size: The great news here is that pregnancy pillows come in a huge range of sizes. Here are some questions to think about to determine what size is best for you.

Where will you be sleeping?

How big is your bed?

Do other people sleep in the bed with you?

Do you have room to store the pillow when you’re not using it?

Will you be traveling with your pregnancy pillow?

Shape: Some pillows are designed for overall use, while some are shaped to support a specific area. For example, wedge pillows are often the best for letting a mom rest comfortably on her back at an elevated level or placed under the bump for support at night.

Filling: If you’ve ever been pillow shopping you know there are a lot of fillings out there and it’s no different for maternity pillows. Here is a general range of what to expect when you are shopping.

Memory foam

Polyester fibers

Air (inflated)

Micro-beads

Wool

Kapok fibers (seed pod fluff from a rainforest tree)

Fabric: Some pillows come with removable covers and others will stay on. They tend to come in typical pillow cover material, like cotton, organic cotton, jersey knit, polyester knit and velour. Always check the cleaning instructions if you want something that is machine washable and dryer friendly.

Price: Just like everything else about pregnancy pillows, the prices can really vary depending on what you’re looking for. Be prepared to spend at least $20-$30 for a pillow but the higher-end full body pillows could run over $100.

Trimester & Sleep Position: What trimester you’re in and what position you tend to sleep in go hand in hand when choosing a pregnancy pillow.

“For stomach-sleepers, the bedtime battles can start as early as the first trimester, when sore breasts can make your usual sleeping position uncomfortable,” says the National Sleep Foundation.

“By the second trimester, if you’re still sleeping on your back, it’s time to shift, since the weight of your expanding midsection can compromise your circulation,” says the foundation. “And by the third trimester, even if you naturally prefer to sleep on your left side, which is the ideal position during pregnancy, the sheer weight of your bump—combined with the increased laxity in your joints as your body prepares for childbirth—can add up to serious aches and pains.”

With those potential changes in mind, it’s worth considering how you’re feeling at the moment and what changes you may want to anticipate. The right pregnancy pillow can help make these transitions easier and more comfortable.

Sleeping Tips For All Moms-To-Be

If a pregnancy pillow isn’t in the budget at the moment, it’s worth experimenting with extra pillows you have at home to see if they make a difference. “In addition to placing a pillow under your head and neck, try putting one between your knees as you rest on your left side,” says the National Sleep Foundation.

You can also ask friends if they have one that’s not being used to give it a test drive before shopping for your own. ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

During the third trimester, try to sleep on your side and avoid lying flat on your back for long periods of time. A recent study found that the risk of stillbirth doubles for women who fall asleep on their backs in their third trimester.

You can prevent heartburn by avoiding spicier foods. Use an elevated pillow if you do end up with heartburn discomfort. Exercise can help increase circulation and reduce chances of leg cramps that can wake you up at night.

Of course, if you have a persistent medical problem or are suffering from insomnia, it’s best to reach out to your medical professional.

Featured image: Natalia Deriabina/Shutterstock

The post Pregnancy Pillow Guide: What To Know Before You Buy appeared first on Mattress Clarity.

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bestswaddleblanketsblog-blog · 8 years ago

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Best Swaddle Blankets For Your Baby

My first baby didn't take care of swaddling. We swaddled him dutifully for the first few weeks as a result of that is merely what we thought we have been alleged to do. (I bet if a nurse at the hospital had caught a self-adhesive Christmas bow on his smooth spot I might saved on doing that too.) We gave up on swaddling pretty shortly, although, as a result of we simply didn't have any blankets to swaddle him with. For best swaddle blankets, well muslin swaddle blanket follow the link here.

If the advantages are so numerous, why do not more mother and father swaddle their infants? It can be a challenge to learn to swaddle a child correctly utilizing a typical blanket. The blanket have to be tight enough to stay fixed and make the child really feel secure, and yet loose sufficient in order that the toddler would not develop into overheated. As soon as a child begins shifting around, he typically kicks off his blanket, and a loose blanket within the crib can enhance the chance of SIDS. And most receiving blankets aren't massive sufficient to correctly swaddle a rising infant after a couple of months or even weeks.

Best Swaddle Blankets;

Receiving best swaddle blankets are a staple in a baby's world. They are an all-purpose blanket made from light-weight materials reminiscent of thermal waffle, polyester, fleece, muslins, flannel, and extra eco-pleasant choices akin to natural cotton or bamboo. They are both sq. or rectangular in form and will not be overly thick so that they can be easily wrapped across the child to assist preserve their body warmth. Newborns need to preserve their caloric consumption for weight achieve and may waste calories sustaining their own fragile temperatures.

Tangential, but I am fascinated by Caitlyn's child! I've all the time loved sleeping beneath heavy, heavy quilts (down comforters are wasted on me) however I hate the constriction of sleeping luggage. I am completely going to ask my husband to bury me in dried beans.

My son peed through all the pieces pretty usually the primary few weeks, so having enough items to wash and wear simultaneously was necessary. Newborns sleep on a regular basis in order that they're principally swaddled always. Then only during naps and sleep. This was our experience, I'm certain everybody choses in a different way based mostly on what their child likes.

Whereas swaddling prevents Sudden Infant Dying Syndrome (SIDS), it may also put it on the market. Confused? If you do not swaddle the child properly, and the folds are too close to the newborn's neck (thereby obstructing the windpipe), there are possibilities of SIDS. So just be sure you're swaddling the newborn accurately and leaving enough room close to the neck region.

Swaddling is practiced widely in hospital nurseries, and oldsters in nations comparable to Albania, Turkey and Afghanistan have used traditional swaddling strategies for generations. These strategies usually embrace particular swaddling clothes and bands, or several cloths positioned in a specific technique to keep the baby secure.

Being such good, huge and comfortable blankets, they're good for functions other than simply swaddling. I additionally like them for being out and about in the stroller or car seat, and they're nice for nursing or tummy time. Among the finest swaddle blankets you'll discover!

I used the hospital receiving blankets to swaddle my first son (6.5 pounds) and only from the chest down after the first couple of weeks. And we've got a couple stretchy waffle-weave blankets which are superior for swaddling, imo. A budget receiving blankets were good for tossing over the kids within the carseat in the summer. Generally the a/c is just a little much for the little ones but a bunting is way an excessive amount of. I was actually tempted to get a Miracle blanket for my 2nd son (10 kilos). I used to be given one as a present and a Swaddle Me as well. My 2nd son HATED both of them with a a fiery ardour. OMG! He hated them a lot. Both my boys principally simply wanted their legs swaddled as they liked to sleep with their arms raised. Swaddling the arms after a couple weeks was met with angry screaming child.

As soon as your toddler is past the swaddling stage, a wearable blanket (also referred to as a sleep sack or child sleeping bag) is extremely beneficial as a substitute of loose blankets, again due to the suffocation hazard the blanket can pose.

One other wonderful thing about these muslin swaddle blankets is that it comes with a foot pouch on the backside that's snug and yet stays comfy. It may be very tough to kick themselves out of the blanket and the arm flaps help safe their arms. This helps cease your baby from making facial scratches or make sudden actions (such because the startle reflex) that will solely wake them up and interrupt with their sleep. Most significantly, you would not have to deal with Velcro straps which may be very disturbing while you try to make diaper modifications in the midst of the night.

Now, what does this blanket have that makes it a true miracle? We aren't fairly certain both but it surely's in all probability the mixture of comfortable swaddling and a few belly stress that helps soothe them. Possibly this makes them really feel like they are nonetheless inside their mother's womb? Most certainly. However, whatever the reason is, we love that it works!

At first glance, the Woombie swaddle seems very tight and small but you'll have to remind yourself that infants come from the womb which might be snugger and tighter. Don't worry, your baby is within the excellent place and the comfy feeling is actually what helps soothe them and get them to sleep longer.

He did really begin busting out of that eventually, though, and we ended up getting the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddles. I beloved them. They can be utilized as a sleep sack, or they've this piece of cloth you wrap around their arms and fasten with a huge piece of velcro - there is not any getting out of it. Our son loved them, and so did we. We used them till he was about 6 months outdated, till he started rolling over in his sleep. The day we stopped swaddling was a sad day in our house.

All a budget flannel receiving blankets I've are rectangular - WTF? Fortuitously an older good friend of ours has a friend with a serger stitching machine, and she simply buys a yard of flannel (usually on sale at Joann for $2 or so) and serges the perimeters to make one GINORMOUS square swaddle blanket (forty eight x 48 inches, baby!). Our pal sent us 5, and we used them in constant rotation, and now I order a set as my customary baby shower reward for pregnant associates.

Numerous babies lose their capacity of arousal if they are swaddled for too lengthy. This implies they wouldn't know when to get up. While many parents need their babies to get a great sleep, babies must be swaddled for a restricted time only.

My second was a cranky newborn and I did not know what to do about it. My mother purchased me a bundle of swaddling blankets they usually utterly changed my life! I only had two and we used them until she outgrew them so a number of months. I plan on having 2 on hand with this one just in case she prefer to be swaddled.

Regardless, we still imagine that the Summer season Infant swaddles are great. They are not product of thick material so they aren't essentially the most best for use through the winter months but they're awesome in the course of the summer season. Some mothers actually nonetheless use it during winter and so they like it as a result of it keeps their infants warm sufficient however the materials is breathable and prevents warmth rash. They are undoubtedly nice for use on infants who are nonetheless a few weeks previous to a few months old.

I swore we have been going to send my older son to school with a twin sheet and instructions for his roommate. He is three and nonetheless likes piles of covers, which I think give him that very same feeling. My younger son is 8 months and only sleeps swaddled. We have flannel large blankets (from Goal) however I'm considering of getting the muslin ones for the summer season.

The snuggle sleeved knitted blankets are very comfy. It doesn't limit the actions of the infant's fingers and the infant can sleep comfortably. Additionally they are available varied animal shapes like rabbits, mouse or cats, and your child seems completely lovable.

Now, what's there to love concerning the Woombie swaddle? Properly, for starters, it's great for newborns as it offers among the many most comfortable fit. The material stretches and moves with the infant and but remains cosy and tight to create a womb-like environment, as if they're being snuggled and held.

I used to be in a position to use the cheapie receiving blankets for a few month after my first was born (four lb eight oz, so DUH!) however when my second (eight lb 10 oz, OUCHHHHHH) was born, I've no disgrace in admitting that I totally STOLE receiving blankets from the hospital. Oh yes I did. They're so much greater than those you purchase within the bundle, and so they had been already nice and worn in. I by no means purchased an actual swaddling blanket, and the three pilfered hospital blankets labored until she was about three months, when she instantly determined she HATED being swaddled.

Touted because the world's most pediatrician recommended swaddle blanket, the miracle blanket is extremely common. Constructed from 100% cotton, it is suitable for year spherical and one measurement suits all as much as the age of 14 weeks. The miracle blanket is designed that will help you create the right swaddle each time that your toddler won't escape of.

Trim the best swaddle blankets sides so they're square and straight. Then fold over an edge, by say 1/four or half of inch. You'll be able to either iron the fold in place, or fold it as you sew. Use the zigzag sew in your machine (99% of sewing machines have a zigzag stitch, even the cheap ones) to c over the uncooked edge of the material. That is quicker and simpler than an actual hem and I think higher for blankets anyway. Repeat for the other three sides. Ta-da! Finished blanket.

#Best Swaddle Blankets

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