(*Bring Your Own Bag)

Something exciting is afoot here in California: A new push to ban single-use retail plastic bags in favor of more Earth-friendly choices. Past efforts have met resistance from bag manufacturers and retailers, but a new State Senate bill (SB 405) is being officially supported by the California Grocers Association. And that’s a big deal!

The retailers’ group supports the ban because they say it would provide “consistency and predictability” for consumers, compared to the more than 70 local bans in place now that the group says can be confusing to shoppers and expensive for retailers to comply with. If the bill becomes law, stores would phase out the bags by January 1, 2015. Shoppers would bring their own reusable bags or pay about 10 cents each for paper. (Hawaii became the first – and still the only – state to ban the bags outright, in 2012.)

While some bags are recycled, most end up landfills, where they can blow away and end up in creeks and rivers. Many ultimately end up flowing to the sea and harming wildlife and marine animals. Reducing the amount of ALL kinds of disposable plastic we use is one of the easiest ways to help the Earth and its creatures.

For more information about how to reduce plastic waste, check out plasticpollutioncoalition.org.

Are you the kind of person who’s reluctant to order something online without checking out customer reviews first? Then you’re in luck: our website is being updated as we speak to accommodate customer reviews and ratings. Until then, you can go to amazon.com and search for “Lifekind” to find almost every one of the products we stock in our warehouse available for purchase, along with customer reviews. You can even write one a review of your own and share your opinion with other shoppers.
Ordering on Amazon is a great way to get started if you know someone who’s considering buying our products for the first time. It’s an easy-to-use format many online shoppers are familiar with, and pricing on Amazon is the same as on our website. If you order $50 or more of qualifying products, you’ll even get your shipping for free!

Give one of our other friendly Product Specialists a call if you’d like more information about ordering on Amazon, or send us a message by clicking the AliveChat window on our home page.

Until then, happy holiday shopping.

Here at Lifekind, we’re blessed to be able to work in a beautiful part of the world. Our little town of Grass Valley is located in Northern California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s part of the “gold country,” or Mother Lode, region to which thousands of people came from all over the world during the 1849 Gold Rush. Grass Valley was the richest town in all the Mother Lode. The Empire, its most profitable mine, operated until 1957, and is now a popular state park.

Most of the mining is over now, but vestiges remain. The Lifekind office is located on the site of the old Crown Point Mine, and rusted mining equipment and the remnants of an old stone wall overlook our parking area. Our corporate offices are here, along with our warehouse from which we send out smaller items such as sheets, pillows, and personal-care products. (Mattresses, pillow tops, and other made-to-order items are sent directly from our factory in Yuba City, 40 miles west.)

The stone wall behind Lifekind’s office

Grass Valley’s Victorian downtown, oak-covered hills, river canyons, and vibrant arts and cultural scene are major tourist draws, but there’s a fair amount of manufacturing here, too – especially high-tech and video-systems equipment. We’re surrounded by Tahoe National Forest, and our more cosmopolitan neighbor, Nevada City, is right next door. We can leave after breakfast and be in San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, the Napa Valley, or Yosemite by lunch. It’s a good place to live.

All that AND being able to work at an organic company that’s truly making a difference in the world. What’s not to love?   

The product specialist in the picture is me, and I’d like to take this opportunity to offer a personal invitation.  :)

The addition of an online chat system to our website is brand new. Some of our customers prefer the ability to talk with a representative without having to make a phone call, so we’re excited about adding it to our repertoire. We’ve chosen a system called AliveChat® – ”the world’s favorite live chat solution” — based on ease of use for both customer and operator, and so far it’s been even better than expected.

Just click on the photo, provide a few pieces of information (including the question you’d like answered), click the “Submit” button, and you’ll be connected automatically to a product specialist.

Our chat lines are open during the same hours you can reach us by phone — Monday through Friday, 8-5 Pacific Time. You can click on the chat window anytime, however, and if we’re not here, you can leave us a message and we’ll contact you as soon as a product specialist is available.

Whether you’re looking for a full mattress consultation or just want to ask a quick question, we hope to hear from you soon!

When I’m talking on the phone with customers helping them choose the right mattress, I often hear, “What kind of mattress do YOU sleep on?” I usually hesitate, since I don’t want to influence anyone unduly based on what I like personally. After making sure they understand that what’s right for me may not be right for them, however, I share that since February 2004 I’ve been extremely happy with my fabulous Euro, a mattress so adaptable and wide-ranging in its comfort that it’s been our best-seller since Day One.

One of the reasons why so many customers love the Euro is that it can feel very different depending on how you use it. Made of a 6” core of natural rubber covered in our organic-cotton-and-wool quilting material, the Euro is available in three standard firmnesses (medium, medium-firm, and firm), along with the almost-frightening “extra-firm” we make by request), but has a medium-firm feel overall. When used alone on a platform-slat bed or in a standard frame with a wood-slat foundation it’s extremely stable and almost motion-free, and provides excellent back support.

There’s a second way you use the Euro, however, and it’s the way I sleep on mine: with a box-spring foundation for a  softer, “springier” feel. (When I ordered my mattress it took me about six weeks to decide between the Euro and the Combo, so clearly I can appreciate the feel of an innerspring.) The Euro almost takes on the feel of an innerspring mattress this way, but with greater stability. The percentage of customers who use it that way is small – about 5%, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

There’s one last way in which the medium-firm feel of the Euro can be changed: by adding a pillow top. I’ve been using the Sculpted Pillow Top on my Euro since 2005,  and often recommend it for customers looking for a mattress that offers solid, firm-ish support with pressure-point relief and a softer feel on the surface. Though it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all proposition, this combination of products is probably my favorite we make at Lifekind – and I’ve literally tried it all. It makes me happy when I can recommend it with confidence to a customer, since it’s my own little slice of heaven. 

Here are a few of the most common questions we’re asked in the Lifekind sales department:

“When are you having your next sale?”

The truth is, we find out about our discounts at the same time our customers do. Except for our biggest sale of the year — our annual White Sale, which begins at the end of each December and goes through the end of January — we don’t have advance notice of what’s coming up. Walt, the president of our company, makes those decisions based on the materials we have in stock, how long it’s been since a particular item went on sale, and other factors, and we try to have fun with it and keep it creative throughout the year.

If you’d like to know about our next sale, go to lifekind.com or give us a call to sign up for email notification. Or just keep an eye on our website. Either way, something interesting will be coming along before you know it.

“I’m buying this mattress for my two-year-old child. Do I need to put a plastic cover on it?”

To protect your new organic mattress from life’s little disruptions such as nighttime accidents, the best choice is to use our organic cotton Flannel Mattress Pad and Wool Moisture Protector pad together. Position the flannel pad directly below the fitted sheet and on top of the moisture pad, so in case of most accidents you’ll be washing the flannel pad rather than the wool. (The wool pad requires rinsing in warm water with no soap and line drying, so you’ll want to be doing that only in case of really major event.)

Using all-organic mattress pads involves a little more work than a plastic cover. The rewards are worth it, however: protecting your family’s health and making the planet a better place for all of us.

“What’s your best pillow?”

While we don’t think of our products as having a “best” or “less than best” distinction, our most popular is undoubtedly the Wool-Wrapped Shredded Rubber. It’s got the cozy, soft-yet-supportive feel of a high-end down pillow yet is cruelty-free, and can be customized to any height preference by unzipping the center chamber and taking out a lot or a little of the shredded rubber inside. It makes almost every sleeper happy, and if it doesn’t, just give us a call and we’ll take it back unopened within 30 days for an exchange or refund. Your choice!

“What if I have a latex allergy?”

Customers sometimes ask about the possibility of having an allergic latex reaction to our 100%-natural-rubber latex. We’re happy to answer that unlike rubber gloves, latex balloons or other “dipped latex” products, the 100%-natural rubber we use does not pose the possibility of a reaction. The proteins that cause a latex allergy are completely removed during processing, and according to the manufacturer of our natural rubber, there’s NEVER been a reported allergic reaction. That’s good news!

We’re always glad to send a sample of our natural rubber along with our Allergy Test Sheet though, to provide extra peace of mind, so don’t hesitate to ask.

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Do you have a question for one of our friendly Product Specialists? Send us an email at sales@lifekind.com.

A recent study done by Duke University showed that 80% of common baby products tested contain high levels of toxic flame retardants linked to cancer, decreased IQ, thyroid disruption, and learning problems. All of the products contained polyurethane foam, a prime offender when it comes to chemical exposure in our everyday lives, and included crib mattresses, car seats, changing pads, and baby carriers. This is especially alarming because babies’ delicate systems are still developing and are extra vulnerable to chemical-laden dust and toxic fumes.

With every study that shows the risks of exposure to toxic chemicals, it becomes more important to make sure that babies and young children are exposed as little as possible. Look for products that are third-party certified for chemical offgassing, such as Lifekind GREENGUARD-certified organic crib mattresses. Avoid polyurethane foam whenever possible, and always ask how what kind of flammability protection is used (organic wool is all we ever use at Lifekind).

Making informed decisions will go a long way toward protecting you and your family from the health effects of chemical exposure. For more information, go to watoxics.org/healthy-living/healthy-families/safe-start-for-kids-1/safe-start-for-kids or give us a call at Lifekind — we’re always glad to talk.

Back in the 1970s, consumers were shocked to learn that a flame retardant called Tris had been contaminating children’s pajamas with toxic chemicals. Clothing manufacturers stopped using it when the risk became publicized, but it was never officially banned in the U.S.

Now a report from Duke University shows that in recent tests, eight out of 10 commonly-sold baby products contain high levels of the retardant, long suspected as a carcinogen and linked to brain damage in infants and young children. More than a third of the products – all of which contained polyurethane foam – also tested positive for penta-PBDEs, neurotoxins that were banned in 2004 when it was found that toddlers with high levels of them had lower IQs and reduced motor skills. (Chemical flame retardants are typically added directly into polyurethane-foam mixtures, rather than applied to finished products, to meet flammability requirements.)

Products tested in this case included car seats, changing pads, and baby carriers, but polyurethane foam is also used widely in the manufacture of both crib and adult-sized mattresses and bedding.

Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, called the Duke findings a “wake-up call” for parents and manufacturers – and we agree.
“I am concerned about not only cancer,” Birnbaum says, “but reproductive or neurological effects as well – the developing brain.” Could there be any more urgent issue for parents or anyone concerned with the well-being of children?

Chemical companies, of course, continue to claim that their products are safe, and manufacturers defend their use (“protecting children is Evenflo’s number one priority…[we use chemicals to] meet mandatory federal and state flammability requirements”). It’s the same old story – bringing to mind cigarette manufacturers’ claims that smoking wasn’t a health threat until forced by government agencies to admit the danger.

There’s a safer alternative, of course: Mattresses and other products made from CERTIFIED ORGANIC MATERIALS. Lifekind uses Texas-grown certified-organic cotton, 100%-natural rubber latex made from USDA-certified organic sap, and organic wool grown in California for flammability protection – PERIOD. Anything less is putting your own safety and the safety of your family at risk.

As a result of the study, Duke lead researcher Heather Stapleton told reporters she’s ridding her home of products that contain polyurethane foam and replacing them with safer products. Shouldn’t we all be doing the same?

The reviews are in, and it’s official: Customers love our new Shasta mattress!

We created the Shasta so we could offer our customers a more affordable twin-size all-natural-rubber mattress made from the same certified materials we use in all our mattresses. It’s designed specifically for young children transitioning to their first adult-size mattress, and you’ll see it in our catalog offered in the twin size only.

The Shasta is filled with shredded 100%-natural rubber, utilizing remnants shaved from larger mattress cores and shredded into small pieces, helping us achieve our goal of making our Eco-Factory a waste-free facility. The shredded-rubber core is surrounded by our Naturally Safer wool, then hand-tufted with U.S.-grown certified organic cotton.

The Shasta has a feel that’s unlike anything we’ve ever made – soft yet supportive, springy and buoyant, comforting, classic, timeless.

You’ll love it too!