thoughts

From Summer to Fall

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September has swished by with vendor shows, equinox, some days of cool weather and now, what a Swede would call, summer weather. However, the warm Chicago days are numbered and October is already knocking on our door. After a very busy week with our first in-house pedestrian reflector manufacturing, YAY!!!!! (proudly Made in USA), and Evanston Green festival, Sunday was a day for enjoying the outdoors. We had fun picking out fall pumpkins and taking a leisurely  stroll through the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve.

Summer and fall at the same time in Lake County, IL. Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve and a black swan gourd.
Summer and fall at the same time in Lake County, IL. Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve and a black swan gourd.

Our combined booth for funflector and Norwex at the Evanston Green Festival, September 2014
Our combined booth for funflector and Norwex at the Evanston Green Festival, September 2014

Let’s go back for a moment to equinox, which occurred a week ago, when day and night were equally long. From then and until March 20th, there will be more dark than light hours each day. In Chicago and New York, we are right now losing 17 minutes of daylight a week, in Miami 9 and in Seattle 23. You can look up your city at timeanddate.com/astronomy/  (Put in your city in the upper left, under the headline “Sun”).
Soon, if not already, you might go to or from work, run your errands, walk your dog or get kids to and from activities during the twilight or dark time of the day. If you drive, you know how hard it is to see pedestrians in the dark and it is not surprising that 70% of pedestrian accidents happens while the sun is gone. Luckily, it is cheap, fun and easy to make yourself visible with our funflector® safety reflectors. Goto our webshop and pick out some for yourself and your loved ones. We offer free shipping for orders over $9 to the US and Canada!
We are looking forward to October and are dreaming of apple pies, cosy sweaters, big mugs of hot tea, rosy cheeks, frosty red leaves and of course the crown jewel of the month: a spooky and scary but safe Halloween!
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Elisabeth

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Slap Bracelet Fun Facts

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Interest is growing for the funflector® reflective slap bracelets and we thought it would be fun to find some slap bracelet fun facts and other things they have inspired. Most people remember slap wraps or slap bracelets from the early 90’s when they were a fad in schools until the kids misused them so much that the bracelets had to be banned. However, they are like all other products: if you buy good quality and use them with some “common sense”, they will serve you well.

Reflective slap bracelets

Wisconsin teacher Stuart Anders invented the slap bracelet in the late 80’s and it was launched by the Main Street Toy Company under the brand name Slap Wrap. A slap bracelet consists of a piece of metal that needs a tap or a slap to go from straight to curled up. For comfort and style, the metal is covered with cloth or integrated in a silicon/rubber band.

We’ve seen several stories on the internet about reused metal measuring tapes being used inside the slap bracelet cover, the one with school kids getting naked ladies being the worst. We cut one of our slap bracelets apart to check, and there was no surprise whatsoever, just bare metal. However, we could not get our tape measure to curl like our slap bracelets; instead we learned how a spring loaded retractable tape measure works…

After filing a patent, rumors have been circulating for a while that Apple will release a flexible screen attached to something similar to a slap bracelet. We are still waiting…

In the Ragnar Relays, teams of 12 run a 200-mile relay over two days and one night and use a slap bracelet instead of a relay baton. The Ragnar Trail Relays are similar, but uses scenic trails instead of roads to run on and there is more focus on treating nature gently.  Just like the street in Sweden I grew up on (Ragnar Lodbroks gränd), the race got its name after the legendary Norse viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok. Neat! 🙂

Viking safety reflector
Viking safety reflector

There is no stable state between totally straight or completely curled up unless you hold onto it with force. An AA Design Research Lab team in London came up with conceptual design for a flexible office where they imagined giant slap bands attached together to make straight and curled sections. A creative idea, but we are not too surprised that it has not been implemented during the five years since it was suggested. Look at their ideas and models in de zeen magazine and imagine that instead of a box with cubicles as your office!

When soft reflector material became available, extra long and sturdy slap bracelets with a reflective cover became popular in the Scandinavian countries as pants clips for bicyclists. They are easy to use, keep pant legs out of oily bicycle chains and increase visibility at the same time.

Did you know that we are also taking orders for customized slap bracelet reflectors? Right now, you can make as few as 75 with your logo or slogan, but availability is limited! Contact us today for current rates and specials!

Elisabeth

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Happy 4th!

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Happy 4th of July and Happy Independence Day!
Enjoy the day together with family and friends or all on your own if you need a day “off” from everything. (Yes, we follow the Quiet revolution with Susan Cain and know that sometimes the best day is a day spent with your own thoughts and dreams or a good book.)

Picnic basket with fun pedestrian safety reflectors for 4th of July
Picnic basket with fun pedestrian safety reflectors.

Just remember to be courteous to combat veterans, pets and children who might not enjoy firecrackers the same way you do!
Some years, we head for a 4th of July picnic that does not end until the fireworks are over. Heading back to the car can be an adventure as temporary parking on the meadow makes it difficult to navigate safely with strollers, kids, grandparents, picnic baskets, chairs and blankets. Use plenty of reflectors and blinking bike lights to increase your visibility. Toy glow sticks are fun but their light is not strong enough to warn drivers about your presence.
Don’t miss our 4th of July sale! Buy fun and stylish summer pedestrian reflectors for yourself, friends and family! Your loved ones don’t always realize how hard it is for drivers to see them when they are out for summer fun after dark. funflector® are designed to reflect your personal style too!

Red, white and blue star safety reflectors for 4th of July
Red, white and blue star safety reflectors for 4th of July

Have fun & be BRIGHT when it’s DARK!

The funflector team

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Egg Coffee & Midsummer Queens

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“More Swedish than Sweden” was the title of an exhibition at the museum Kulturen in Lund (Sweden) many years ago. At the time, I was hanging out with mostly Americans, and curious about everything that tied Sweden and the US together. One of the display cases was jam-packed with coffee pots from the 19th century. The sign mentioned “egg coffee”.

Egg coffee by the funflector Blog
Egg coffee by the funflector Blog

Every Swede, or descendent thereof, knows Swedes drink a lot of (strong) coffee. But what was “egg coffee”??? I asked the staff but they had no answer. My American husband and I were on a quest to find out what “egg coffee” was (this was before google). We asked Swedes from Norrland, Gotland, Halland, Skåne and anywhere in-between but only got confused looks in return – for 12 years. Finally, after we moved to the US and visited Apple River Fort we found out. While the kids were making noodles, we chatted with volunteers in period costumes and we jumped high for joy when the conversation stumbled upon egg coffee. Egg coffee is simply what you get when you pour an egg over the coffee grounds in the pot to bind them and keep them from getting into the coffee cup. This was before coffee filters and French press. Today, “Egg coffee” gives 84,000 google hits and it is obvious from the comments, e.g. here, that it is truly a Swedish-American phenomenon, not a Swedish tradition.
Last Sunday morning, there was a stream of Facebook posts with adorable Swedish Princess Leonore being Christened at the Palace of Drottningholm. When I later that day arrived at the Swedish American Museum and the Andersonville Midsummer Festival in Chicago (two weeks before midsummer, but ok…), I was asked about the tradition of a Midsummer Queen. Midsummer Queen? My first thought that Sweden has a queen every day, so why a midsummer one? Swedish midsummer is about inviting family and friends to your summer cottage, about going to the neighborhood midsummer pole event and dance, about dancing all night during the night that goes directly from dusk to dawn and about girls picking 7 flowers to hide under her pillow to dream about her future husband ;). On midsummer eve, Swedish cities and towns are empty, very empty, and festivals or midsummer queens are only found abroad. (Watch “Swedish Midsummer for Dummies” if you don’t believe me.)
Princess Madeleine, Mr. Christopher O'Neill and Princess Leonore. Foto by H. Garlöv / Kungahuset.se
Princess Madeleine, Mr. Christopher O’Neill and Princess Leonore. Foto by H. Garlöv / Kungahuset.se

It seems hard for some of my American friends to imagine kings, queens, princes and princesses being an everyday reality as it is in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and several other European countries. Maybe there is less need for “festival queens” when there is a charming royal family to pay attention to instead? Princess Madeleine, the youngest of the King’s children and mother of Princess Leonore, lives in New York with her British-American husband. I wonder what it is like to be a real princess in a country without princesses other than in fairy tales? Today happens to be her birthday; Happy birthday Princess Madeleine, enjoy it with your family in Sweden!
Elisabeth 

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Paris

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The disappearance of my favorite “French baguettes” from one of the local grocery stores kickstarted cravings for all things French and Parisian. Longing for “Pain au Chocolate” (chocolate croissant) that’s not refrigerated nor mushy from overheating. Longing for stone paved sidewalks lined with café tables. Longing for gracefully aged buildings with staircases slowly worn down where people have put their feet for hundreds of years. Longing for the fearless mix of new technology and old traditions. Longing for Musée d’Orsay, the Beaux-Arts train station that now houses more impressionist masterpieces than any museum in the world. Dream with us on Pinterest! I’m ready to pack my bags and go…
Follow funflector.com’s board Paris on Pinterest.
In Paris, as in so many other European capitals, public transportation and your feet are the most convenient ways to get around. Walking, walking, walking…  So, what funflector reflectors would I pack for Paris?

Metro and walking is the best way to get around in Paris. Metro map from www.ratp.fr
Metro and walking is the best way to get around in Paris. Metro map from www.ratp.fr

The Eiffel tower of course! The ultimate symbol of Paris and France. The icon status combined with a stunning view of Paris’ boulevards, has turned it into the most visited tourist attraction in the world. With that in mind, it is hard to believe that the resistance to building it was massive among writers, painters, sculptors and architects. However, during the 1889 Exposition, nearly 2 million visitors made it to the top level of the 324 m (1,063 ft) tall structure.
The red lipstick symbolizing “Parisian chic.” Makeup should be moderate, but lipstick can be bright red, depending on mood and occasion. If you love Parisian shopping and fashion, head for the area around Avenue Montaigne, Ave George V and Rue Francois 1er, where you find the finest Haute Couture shops in the world. If you’re looking for one-stop shopping spot, or a Parisian shopping extravaganza perfect for a rainy day, visit one of Paris’ famous department stores. Each one has a different personality, but one thing you can be sure of is stunning architecture and anything you’d want for “la vie Parisienne”! Printemps and Galeries Lafayette are two you don’t want to miss. More shopping tips and how to live like a Parisian can be found at parisperfect.com.
The treble clef for the chansons, cabarets and Palais Garnier, the national opera and ballet stage. Gaston Leroux‘s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera, widely known from Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s popular musical, is set at Palais Garnier. It’s well worth taking a guided tour through this stunning building!
Can’t go to Paris without a mustache! Imagine what Paris would be today without the painters of the late 19th century, at the height of Paris as the world’s art capital. At that time, mustaches were as common as T-shirts and jeans are today and we can only guess how Monet, Manet or Renoir would have looked without one. There is even a restaurant called “Moustache” on 3 Rue Sainte Beuve. Their menu is intriguing…
When you go to Paris, make sure to have several days so you have time to enjoy the iconic tourist attractions AND the Paris that’s beyond the grand boulevards and polished department stores. Here are some tips on how to do it.
Tonight, I’m going to settle down with a baguette, good (French) cheese and wine and enjoy Paris through the eyes of Gil Pender in “Midnight in Paris“, Woody Allen’s romantic comedy fantasy.
A bientôt,
Elisabeth

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A Poem for Your Pocket

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April 24th is Poem In Your Pocket Day, one of our favorite days! Put a poem in your pocket – or a poem in each pocket – and share with people you meet!portable superhero safety reflector poem by funflector

Portable Superhero

It glimmers and it shines
As traffic passes by
A portable superhero
So many places to hang it from
Backpacks and strollers and bags
Oh my
When you’re out at night
There’s no need to fret
With your portable superhero
So many shapes
So many colors
Which ones to choose?!?
Even ninjas want to be seen
When they’re out late at night
Their portable superheroes can help
A funflector can’t fly
But it can still stop
The unsuspecting villain
Behind the wheel
Alice

Poem in your pocket day 2014
April 24, 2014 #pocketpoem

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Sharing Bikes

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Divvy Bikeshare in Chicago photo by the funflector BlogThe first web browser I ever used, had no clickable links. Instead the user had to type in the link that was displayed in the text. It was at CERN (where the world wide web was invented) in the early 1990’s and although it wasn’t super practical, we saw the potential and jumped right into it with excitement. Five years later, I found myself working on the 3G Mobile Network standards and had to explain to friends why it would be handy to have internet access on a cell phone. “Can’t people wait until they get home?!?” was a common comment by most, who only saw Internet as entertainment. Fast forward almost 20 years …

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Walking

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Every day, more people discover walking as an easy way to get moving. Did you know that
– 30 minutes of daily walking lowers the risk for diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, cancer and much more.
– Kids walking to school perform better than when getting rides.
– Home prices in walkable neighborhoods increase faster than others.
– Commerce flourish where people walk.
There are an overwhelming amount of information on the benefits of walking for you as an individual and for society.  The two videos below condense the information very well and explain why you need to walk and how it all is interlaced:
“The benefits of walking are so good, they are hard to believe”. Listen to Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO George C. Halvorson explain the benefits of walking in a 6 minute video.

Urbanist Jeff Speck explains in his TED talk “how America can be more economically resilient, how America can be healthier and how America can be more environmentally sustainable”. You’ll be surprised about how a walkable infrastructure improves health, quality of life and the local economy and how it is all correlated!

Jeff mentions that Portland, Oregon is far ahead of other cities in the US on planning around people, but there is activities in many places. Learn about what’s going on in  Oklahoma City, New York, Dallas and Chicago and more generally with redevelopment of urban centers.
As mentioned in the intro, kids who walk to school perform better than when getting rides. Here are the results of some studies:
– Let kids walk to school by University of Buffalo medical school and
– Exercise before school improves concentration in the class room, a joint study by researchers at the universities in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, also reported by the Atlantic Cities.
– Check out these fascinating MRI scans by the University of Illinois of kids’ brains after sitting still and walking for 20 minutes respectively!
If your kid’s school doesn’t have a walk-to-school program, consider organizing one!
Walking is good, however, when dusk comes around, the risk of fatal pedestrian-vehicle accidents increases significantly. In the Scandinavian countries, pedestrian reflectors have saved lives for over 40 year. If you are looking for thoughtful and useful giveaways, check out our American-made logo reflectors! Together we can make a difference and we hope you want to join us.
The funflector team

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The Quiet Tomte

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The Swedish hustomte (house elf/gnome) is a quiet little guy, dressed mostly in gray and red, living at your house or farmsted helping out by taking care of things around the house and keep everyone safe. You better be nice and serve him rice pudding on Christmas eve!” That’s the intro text to our pinterest board “Tomtar“. In the mid 17th century, the quiet Swedish tomte also took on the role as Father Christmas and became the Tomte with capital T. At dusk on Christmas Eve, the Tomte walks around to deliver gifts – in person! – to all nice kids.

Tomte with cat by Swedish artist Rolf Lidberg
A tomte and his son enjoying quiet company of the cat. Illustration by Rolf Lidberg.

The other day, I looked at our Pinterest tomte board just after putting down the book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain.  (If you haven’t read the book, you should, or at least listen to Susan’s TED talk. Whether extrovert or introvert, it will give you an additional set of glasses through which to see the world and your near and dear through.) All of a sudden a lightbulb went off as I realized that the Swedish tomte is introvert while Santa is a fine example of the American extrovert ideal.
Search for images of “Santa” and you will find an abundance of photos and drawings of Santa where he looks straight into the camera, happily smiling and waving. He loves to be the center of the universe and knows all his power poses.

…

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Autumn Bliss 🍁🍂

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Fall erupted last week, when a cold frost night made all leaves fall at once. The morning was crystal clear and the world was suddenly buried under golden leaves and offered some spectacular eye candy. Enjoy!

Yellow fall leaves by the funflector blog
Yellow fall leaves by the funflector blog
Yellow fall leaves and fall decorations by the funflector blog
Mums with frost by the funflector blog
Fallen yellow ginkgo leaves by the funflector blog
Yellow fall leaves by the funflector blog
Yellow fall leaves by the funflector blog
Kids playing in fall leaves by the funflector blog

It was the perfect day to set aside all the must-do’s in the office and head out with the camera. What an enjoyable neighborhood walk!

Elisabeth
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