thoughts

I wear funflector® reflectors because…

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We’ve asked some of our customers and friends what they say to strangers when asked why they are wearing their fun safety reflectors on their jackets or bags. Here is our ABC of good reasons (some real, others made up):
“I wear funflectors because …
… they are cool” – Alice, 12
… it is a cute way to be safe” – Beth, mom of 2
… I love pink and purple peace signs” – Claire, 14
… I don’t want to get run over” – Daniel, dad of 3
… they are fun and the rest is a no-brainer” – Erin, mom of 4
… this is my ghost buddy” – Fernando, 4
… campus is so dark” – Gabrielle, 21
… I know which backpack is mine” – Hannah, 7
… they look cool when I skateboard” – Ian, 15
… I saw someone wearing them in the dark and realized what a difference they make ” – John, dad of 2
… if I’ve had too many beers to drive, it’s too dark to walk home without reflectors” – Keiran, dad of 5
… I always love the idea of guardian angels, these are better than most” – Lauren, 26

funflector guardian angel safety reflector
Angel reflectors are are available in our web shop here

… my wife put one on my jacket” – Michael, dad of 5
… the moose reflector match my bear skin” – Ned Neanderthal
… I want the garbage truck driver to see me” – Oscar
… I like to run after work and sometimes it gets dark before I’m done” – Peter, 32
… I cross a busy road in the dark to get to high school band practice early. Go Tigers!” – Quincey, 18
… I like walking, but sometimes I’m a bit slow crossing the street” – Richard, 78 and grandfather of 8
… woof” – Spot

Dog with paw print safety reflector from www.funflector.com
Dog with cute paw print safety reflector.

… I’m a paramedic and I’ve seen too much of what happens when you don’t wear reflectors” – Tom, 28
… I wear lots of black so drivers don’t notice me even in parking lots and that can get scary. I love black reflectors on my purse!” – Ursula, 53
… I got mine from Santa” – Vera, 5
… I have a deal with my dad: I wear reflectors all year and he won’t put reflective tape on my Halloween costume!” – Will, 9
… fafa” – Xavier, 15 months, while pointing at the reflector hanging on his stroller
… my mom says she loves me so much I have to wear them. I love my purple ghost reflector!” – Yolanda, 13
… I don’t want to be hit by another car” – Zoe Zombie
We are curious to know what you would have said. Feel free to comment!
The funflector team

I wear funflector® reflectors because… Read More »

Small Foot Print #2

/ go green, thoughts / , ,

We are big fans of making our footprints on earth as small as possible. There is no planet B. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about harnessing the wind. So what more can you do?

Here is our second suggestion: Redefine “bargain”—add the life time of the product to the bargain hunting game. You’ll be surprised how many nice quality items you can buy and still save money over time!
Let’s start with an example. While living in Europe, I used to buy a quality brand of indoor slippers. They would typically last for two years indoors and then be abused as back-yard slippers for another two years. After moving to the US, I bought the same brand of slippers, but a completely different model. At first, I was happy to find them at about half the price compared to Europe. However, after only one year of indoor use, they were ready for the land fill. Instead of leather, the materials were all man-made and were fraying everywhere. The straps had stretched, so the slippers did not stay on my feet any longer. So much for a bargain!

This is how much more it cost for four year’s use of “cheap” slippers:

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Small Foot Print #2Read More »

Small Foot Print #2 Read More »

Small Foot Print #1

/ go green, neat stuff, thoughts / ,

We are big fans of making our footprints on earth as small as possible. Taking good care of the only planet we have, seems to be the obvious thing to do. So what can you do?

Here is one idea: Harness the wind — hang your laundry to dry in your back yard and save electricity and/or gas (and save on your utility bills)!
We had our clothesline put away during the winter months, but now it is out again! A big load of shirts and pants dried in just a a few hours. If you have some trees to attach the clotheslines to, it’s an investment of a couple of dollars for a clothesline and some clothespins. If, not this Dutch drying rack might be the best solution. We bought ours a couple of years ago and it is still standing strong. A friend recommended it after trying several cheaper ones which didn’t even last through their first Midwestern storm. I was happy to see that this model is still available at Gaiam. For a couple of more days you can even get a $20 discount (and free shipping)! It is easy to mount, folds up quickly and can easily be lifted out of its base to be put away. As an extra bonus, the scent of wind dried clothes and sheets is the best!
The Clothes Line Shop has clothespins and some practical accessories like baskets for clothespins to hang on the line. Good to know for when the green pouch, that I got in France 15-plus years ago wears out.

By the way, did you know our website is 100% powered by windpower?  Isn’t that neat?!

Elisabeth

Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm in England. By Steve Fareham at Wikimedia commons.
Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm in England. By Steve Fareham at Wikimedia commons.

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How much is a pedestrian’s life worth?

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As a parent of three, I feel woozy just thinking about backing over children. My own or someone else’s would be equally horrifying. Our garage is a detached one and in the back of our yard. The turnaround is used by the kids for rollerblading, basketball, hopscotch etc. To avoid any accidents when getting the car out, I require the kids to stand on the lawn, all together in a spot where I can see them at all times. Either I know exactly where all of them are or the car does not move.

Today, 45% of all new vehicles have back-up cameras installed to alert the driver about any obstacle behind the car that is impossible to see otherwise from the driver’s seat. Mandatory back-up cameras in all vehicles have been in the spotlight the last couple of days. The 2008 law on creating rear visibility standards for vehicles by Feb. 28, 2011, has once again been delayed. The plan was to require all vehicles to conform to the new standard by September 2014. Each year, about 228 deaths occur in back-up accidents. It is estimated that half of those could be avoided if all cars had a safety system in place.

We have been wondering for a while how much pedestrian’s lives are worth, so we got out our calculator.

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How much is a pedestrian’s life worth?Read More »

How much is a pedestrian’s life worth? Read More »

Barefoot

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It’s not winter any more, but not spring either. The in-between-seasons nondescript weather only inspires one to dream about being elsewhere. I find myself longing for walking barefoot. Green summer grass or a warm floor on a crystal clear winter day…

Kids walking barefoot
Kids walking barefoot

In France, old stone barns are sometimes converted into charming living quarters. For a couple of years, I had the fortune to live in one. During winter, the floors were terribly cold no matter how many rugs and slippers we used. However, on hot summer days, the cool floors were a blessing. Ever since, for me it’s real summer if I enjoy walking barefoot on cool tile floors!

From France, I moved to Sweden and built a house on a cement slab with radiant (water) floor heating on the entire ground floor. The colder it was outside, the warmer the floors were inside! mmm…! What a shock moving into an American house with forced air heating and poor insulation after that. I’m still dreaming of converting to radiant heat…

Walking barefoot is informal, casual, relaxed and signals that the stress from the office and running errands has been left behind.  That’s most likely why the book title “The Barefoot Home” sounds so intriguing. The book provided abundant inspiration for my last remodeling job. And yes, the new addition has a Mediterranean style tile floor!

Going barefoot, at least some of the time is good for your feet and your posture. When my kids were little, doctors told me toddlers should walk barefoot (where safe of course) to develop their balance and muscles properly. It might be cute to put shoes on babies even before they need them, but those tiny soft bones are better off not being confined.

Elisabeth

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes in Michigan are best barefoot!
Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes in Michigan are best barefoot!

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New Year’s Resolutions

/ thoughts

We are not even four weeks into 2012 and the headlines on New Year’s resolutions are few and far between. So what happens to those resolutions?
During January, about 20% drop theirs, in July 50% are still working on theirs. At the end of the year, when it is time to make new New Year’s resolutions, 1 out of 10 have accomplished or are still working of theirs. So why is it so hard?
In Psychology Today, Jim Taylor points out that many of the popular resolutions mean a significant change in lifestyle. Some of the most popular resolutions are loosing weight, exercising and getting organized, which means changing habits and mindset and that is hard work!

Pink Radio for listening to moms talking about new year's resolutions

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to  The Mom’s Roundtable (it’s in the second half of the show) at Mom Talk Radio to discuss New Year’s resolutions. It turned out that Sarah, the other mom at the table, also made goals throughout the year. Specific goals for the next few months are easier to reach than big fluffy ones and might be part of several larger goals. Take the pledge to replace short car trips with bike rides for example. It makes the air cleaner, saves gas money and gives you exercise as well. Biking and walking is a bit slower than the car, but the 10 or 20 extra minutes are well worth all of the benefits.
Writing goals down and/or making them public helps with sticking to them. Eva Liljendahl, business coach at Inspiration for Excellence advised me last summer to write down the goals for my business and not just keep them in my head. I had a clear view of what I wanted to accomplish so it didn’t take long, but it made a huge difference when I started to use them as a high level to-do-list. I was amazed to see things happen!
So, how am I doing on my New Year’s resolution to get to bed earlier? I did get more sleep for a couple of weeks and then I had a busy week at the Chicago Merchandise Mart plus a screwed up blog to fix last night, so I need to get back on track. Two steps forward and one step back…
How are you doing on yours?
Elisabeth

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The Blue Hour

/ thoughts, traffic safety

Long ago, I used to come home from work, kick off my shoes, turn on the stereo and cuddle up under a blanket in my couch. A huge window, facing southwest, framed a stunning garden and the sunset this time of year. Late January and early February, I would come home right after sunset and hit the “blue hour”.

Blue hour on the lake Drevviken, Stockholm. January 12 at 3:40pm.
Blue hour on the lake Drevviken, Stockholm. January 12 at 3:40pm.


The best ones where those with a clear sky and snow on the ground. The far north location of Stockholm made sunset slow and the blue hour lasted long enough to wind down from a busy day in the office. Now with kids and in Chicago, (same latitude as Naples, Italy), I need to be observant to catch the blue light. It only lasts for a couple of minutes before it gets pitch black. Often, I only notice it on days when I happen to drive my kids to their activities during those precious blue minutes.

The blue hour (minutes) in Libertyville IL, January 2, 4:46pm
The blue hour (minutes) in Libertyville IL, January 2, 4:46 pm. Did you notice how the sky is still bright, but the road and side walk are not?


The blue light gives you opportunities to take spectacular photos that cannot be made any other time of the day. Miklos Andrassy has few basic tips at his bluehoursite.com. Just don’t think you can take any more daylight photos that day! Even very good cameras are not as good as the human eye at compensating for the blue light.

Winter blues medicin - fun pedestrian safety reflctors and a long walk!
Winter blues medicin – fun pedestrian safety reflctors and long walks!


The blue hour is also treacherous from a traffic safety perspective. It often falls during rush hour, both in the morning and evening. Since the human eye is trained to compensate for the dimming blue light, we easily think it is not yet dark and forget that others might not see us. It is not uncommon to see drivers without headlights on and it is very common to see pedestrians who think they are as visible as in full day light. So here we go again: Wear some reflectors! They might save your life!!! Our loyal readers know to get our fun-to-wear pedestrian reflectors at our webshop. If you are a new to this site and pedestrian safety reflectors, you can learn more from our blog posts on traffic safety or on our info page.
Take care,
Elisabeth

Blue hour at the lake Drevviken, Stockholm, February 6, 4:45pm
Blue hour at the lake Drevviken, Stockholm, February 6, 4:45pm
Polar bear during the blue hour at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, December 28, 5 pm.
Polar bear during the blue hour at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, December 28, 5 pm.

The Blue Hour Read More »

Walk to School

/ go green, thoughts, traffic safety / , , , ,

Kids benefit so much from walking to school, but fewer and fewer do it on a daily basis. A local walk to school program is a great way to get kids into the habit. Parents at Vienna Elementary (VA) organize “Walking Wednesdays” and here they share their story:

Vienna Elementary, a school with just under 400 students, has been participating in the October International Walk to School Day and a local spring Walk/Bike to School Challenge for several years. Almost all of our students live within 1/2 mile of the school, but about 3/4 are bussed because of  two heavily traveled roads near the school. Bussed students are allowed to walk if accompanied by their parents. Our turnouts for these walk and bike to school days was as high as 120 walkers during nice weather.

Safety reflectors for kids walking to school
The bright orange hand was one of the pedestrian reflectors that Vienna Elementary students could get in their walk-to-school program.

This year we received a grant from Prevention Connections to implement a “Walking Wednesdays” program that was launched on this year’s International Walk to School Day (October 9th). Every Wednesday that a student walks, they are given a small foot charm to put on a chain. A local coffee shop, Cafe Amouri, has donated free coffee for the parents. The program has been an overwhelming success. We are regularly seeing over 150 students from all over town walking on Wednesdays and the charm and coffee table has become a small social scene.
As part of the grant, we purchased several hundred funflector reflective charms to give away on a few special days each year. We gave them out this year on December 7th and 14th and let the kids know there would be a special surprise for walking. Now that it is getting dark early, we wanted to help keep the children be safe when they walk in the dawn and dusk hours or on rainy or overcast days. Turnout was high and the children were very excited to see the reflectors which were in the Paw and Peace Hand designs. Now, almost all of our walkers have one on their backpacks to help make them more visible. Kids like the designs and proudly display them on their backpacks. Because it is not obvious that the funflector tags are highly reflective, we are sending out followup information to the parents about the pedestrian reflectors. Close to St Patrick’s day, we’ll have another funflector day with the shamrock design so that students will have one for their front (typically jacket zipper pull) and one for their backpack if they choose.

Sean McCall, a father of two Vienna Elementary students, is engaged in the PTO walk to school committee and contributed this post. Thanks for sharing your project and experience with our readers!

Elisabeth

Walk to School Read More »

What’s in a Tally Mark?

/ thoughts, traffic safety / ,

We are looking at statistics and wondering about the 3000 pedestrians killed in traffic since last Christmas. What do their families and friends think about the past year without them? Many of them will celebrate the upcoming holidays without them for the first time. What will that be like?

1500lives could have been spared in traffic had Americans worn reflectors like Scandinavians...
Look at all of these pedestrians killed in traffic 🙁 They are people like your neighbor, college or friend or could have been in your family

For each pedestrian killed, there are also 10 injured. Some might have gotten away with a broken leg or foot, others have had to revise their dreams beyond what’s imaginable for most of us. Did you know that 30% of Finns wear pedestrian reflectors regularly? We estimate that if Americans did that, each year about 1500 lives could be spared and 15.000 injuries avoided. That would be 16.000  kids, teens, men and women without shattered dreams of what their life would be like. Each year!
You, your family and your friends only have one life and you need to take care of it! Walking is an easy way to get some exercise, but you need to help drivers to see you if you out after dark (planned or unplanned.) Put some safety reflectors in the stockings this year—not just for the kids. Grandpa needs them, the reflectors will dangle nicely on his walker! College students need them! Your friend the dog walker needs them! Your friend the runner needs them! And YOU are too valuable not to wear any!
Our lightweight soft pedestrian reflectors are easy to send in a holiday card and they make perfect stocking stuffers!
Have fun and be safe!
 Elisabeth

What’s in a Tally Mark? Read More »

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