If Only Every Factory Was As Mindful As The Method Factory
Last month, I took a trip to Chicago. I was invited by Grove Collaborative to go see the Method Factory, located in Pullman — a neighborhood within the Chicago city limits. I didn’t quite know what to expect from the trip, but I learned a ton, and can’t wait to discuss it with you.
Grove is a company that is committed to social good and carries products like Method’s that do the same. If you haven’t tried Method products, but want to, I’ve arranged a special deal for you through Grove. If you’re a first time customer, you can get a bottle of Method Handsoap, a bottle of Method Dishsoap, a bottle of Method Glass Cleaner, and a pack of Grove Walnut Scrubbers — all free when you spend $20 on your first order. More on that below.
I originally started buying Method products for the design — the colors, the fun bottle shapes, the scents. When they burst on the scene in 2000, they were unlike any other cleaning product companies out there. I didn’t really know about their eco-story — their commitment to responsible manufacturing and social good — and at the time, they didn’t really publicize that story. But these days, consumers are trying hard to make responsible buying decisions, and all of sudden, Method’s history of green manufacturing is totally relevant.
Method factory offers weekly tours — they lovingly call it the Southside Soapbox — and if you can make it, I highly recommend a visit. It was super eye-opening to me, and has me thinking about corporate responsibility and the impact a company can make on their community. Their factory is a game-changer in so many ways, and I wish I could send every brand I love to go study what they’re doing.
Here are some of my notes from my visit to the Method Factory.
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Living With Kids: Laura Kaster
Today’s Living With Kids mom, Laura, lives in a charming bungalow outside of Chicago. When she and her husband were looking for a home, she wanted to find a more affordable space, so she could cut back on time at her demanding job, and spend more time raising her son, Stewie. The house they found is small — under 1000 square feet. But it doesn’t feel small at all — and it’s filled with gorgeous wood trim, and beautiful architectural details. It really is a dream; warm and comfy and inviting. Welcome, Laura!!
… Random Thoughts
I woke up this morning with all sorts of things I wanted to talk with you about, and realized that maybe it’s because I haven’t done a Random Thoughts post in awhile. Here’s what’s on my mind right at the moment.
… Have You Ever Considered Creating A Family Charter?
A few months ago, I saw a Facebook update from my friend, A’Driane Nieves, where she referenced her Family Charter. A’Driane is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist, and a dedicated mother of three. I always appreciate the thoughts and insights she shares, and I found myself wanting to learn more about her Family Charter — how it works, how it has changed over the years, where the idea came from — that sort of thing. In my curiosity, I emailed her with a list of questions and begged her to write up her thoughts as a blog post. Her response is so good! Here’s what A’Driane says:
“Does it fit the charter?”
That’s the question my husband and I have asked ourselves and each other over the last three years. It’s what has guided every decision large and small as we’ve navigated parenting, job changes, two moves across state lines ( our most recent was cross-country), couples therapy, taking care of our physical and mental health, and even finally getting the dog our boys have been asking for over the last 5 years. It’s our guide for nearly everything we do and it’s what has kept us moving forward even during the most difficult and stressful of situations.
…Have You Ever Considered Creating A Family Charter?Read More »
Living With Kids: Jeannie Stith-Mawhinney
Have you ever said to your college friends: We should all just go live in a big commune together! And our kids will grow up playing together in the common areas, and we’ll hang out and play music in the evenings…
For me, it seems like a lovely daydream, but Jeannie, the mother in today’s living with kids home tour, may have found the next best thing. She and her husband, and their two daughters, live in an Artist’s Community in Ardencroft, Delaware where community events, close relationships, and walks in the woods are all part of every day life. Jeannie’s husband describes it as “Summer Camp for Grownups,” and I’m almost ready to pack my bags and move right in. Welcome, Jeannie!
… Living With Kids: Liane Walker
I’m happy to introduce you to Liane Walker and her family. They live in Vancouver, British Columbia in a gorgeous row home. Because home prices are so high there, they rent out the bottom floor of the house and they live on the top floors. You’re going to love Liane’s home — it’s light and bright and incredibly inviting. Welcome, Liane!
Living With Kids:
…Thinking About Ralph
As I may have mentioned (once or twice or a dozen times), Ralph comes home from Colombia on Thursday. He’s been there since September 2016, and we haven’t see him in two years. As you can imagine, we are very excited, and there’s a whole lot of anticipation going on at our house.
I’ve been trying to reflect on these last two years, and the experience of observing my son — via emails and messages — when he’s so far away. It was Ralph’s birthday yesterday. He turned 21, which seems like a significant age. So that’s on my mind as well. I wrote up some notes about Ralph the day he left to Colombia, and I wrote some more notes over the weekend, and I’m going to share them here.
I hope you’ll indulge me — I know we all like to talk about our kids, and I am well aware I’m reporting from behind the rose-colored lenses of parenthood.
… Living With Kids: Bev Weidner
You probably know Bev Weidner already. Bev runs a hugely popular Instagram account called Bev Cooks, where she shares her love of cooking and parenting, and shares her gorgeous photography too. As you read her interview, you’ll find she’s distinctly down-to-earth, and hilariously funny. I’m confident you are going to love getting to know her a bit better today on living with kids.
Bev makes raising two adorable twins, styling a perfect dining table, and keeping dozens of plants alive, not only seem possible, but also downright fun! Welcome, Bev.
… Color Factory NYC — Photo Tour and Tips
Color Factory NYC:
On Wednesday, I took my first visit to Color Factory NYC. I had been to the one in San Francisco, and been blown away by what my sister Jordan (and her amazing team) had created. So you can imagine, I had high expectations for the New York City version. But holy moly. It was like they had leveled up x 10. It’s SO GOOD.It’s a much bigger space. It’s far more ambitious. It feels more polished; more professional. Maybe more museum-like? At a glance it’s clear that it’s beautifully done, but it’s even more beautiful when you get into the details.
And the details. I mean. The way the ceilings are painted, the writing on the walls, the voices in the exhibits, the introductory video, the pretty napkins that come with the pretty treats, the small gifts you receive as you travel through. It’s remarkable in every way.
Color Factory NYC is essentially a giant art installation that roams over 20,000 square feet in Soho. (For reference, the San Francisco version was 12,000 square feet.) In each room, there’s a different color experience you can interact with, and the color experiences were created by artists — some local to New York City, and some from around the world.
“Color experiences” might sound vague, but it’s not meant to be. An example of one right in the entry: The building is painted with colorful stripes, and inside the front door, Queens-based writer Won McIntosh, wrote a poem based on each one of the colors. The poems are lovely — several made me tear up!
I asked my friend Wendy of Blue Lily Photography to come along with me and she captured so many fun photos. Hopefully, the photo tour below will give you a better idea of what it’s all about.
… Your Parent’s Favorite Band
Favorite Band:
The other day, I heard Billy Joel’s For The Longest Time playing in a store, and had a total flashback to childhood. I was in 3rd or 4th grade and we were on a road trip where my dad played Billy Joe’s Innocent Man album many, many times. I don’t have any memory of my dad listening to earlier Billy Joel songs, but I can tell you he sure loved that particular album. The flashback got me thinking of other albums and bands I associate with my dad. Definitely Simon & Garfunkel. The Kingston Trio. The Beach Boys. Those are the first ones that come to mind. …Living With Kids: Shelly Nupp
Do Vampires Have Moral Obligations?
This is a lightweight topic vampires’ moral obligations, but I’d love your thoughts. Do you enjoy something that is widely considered embarrassing, but you love it anyway without shame? I was thinking about that as Ben Blair and I binge-watched the Twilight Movies a couple of weeks ago. They’re on Amazon Prime at the moment, and we watched the first one, and then decided to keep going and watch all five.
It’s not the first time we’ve watched them. I bought and read the books when they first came out, and we watched all five of the movies in the theater. We’ve rented the movies a few times since, and always love when they show up on Netflix or Amazon.
… Living With Kids: Nicole Roe
When Nicole reached out to me about a home tour, I read her email and thought: that is a dreamy life. She described her home on the lake, and the citrus farm where her husband’s family works, and I just couldn’t wait to see it. I am so glad she decided to share! Her charming home is small, and super livable — and all the design choices are thoughtfully made. Plus the lake view really is gorgeous. Welcome, Nicole!
… Are You Entitled To Your Opinion?
Cassandra, a Design Mom Reader, shared the link to this article in our discussion about How to Be a Responsible Publisher. I found it really helpful as I navigate discussions on free-speech and opinions and “covering both sides” and online conversations. I’ve found myself coming back to it over and over again.
The article talks about how saying, “Well, I’m entitled to my opinion,” can really shut down a conversation:
The problem with “I’m entitled to my opinion” is that, all too often, it’s used to shelter beliefs that should have been abandoned. It becomes shorthand for “I can say or think whatever I like” – and by extension, continuing to argue is somehow disrespectful.
… Pioneer Trek Travelogue
Pioneer Trek:
I’ve been back from the Pioneer Trek for a week and a half now. The Trek photographer was Craig Williamson, and he shared a Dropbox folder of images with everyone who attended. There are so many great shots! I thought it would be fun to give you a photo tour and write down some of my favorite highlights. …Living With Kids: Ashley Petrone
What a treat it is to introduce you to Ashley Petrone, and her husband Dino, and their three kids. It’s always fun when we get to explore someone’s living situation that is slightly off the beaten path. And the Petrone family fits that bill perfectly. When Ashley and her husband bought a beautiful piece of property in Southern California, rather than building a traditional home, they invested a small amount of money, bought an RV, and did a complete renovation of the interior.
Every little corner is so appealing — it might just convince you to sell your house, move into a tiny space, and sit out on summer nights under the stars. Welcome, Ashley Petrone!
… First Attempt: Designing Custom Mural Wallpaper
In May of 2014, our family (and our exchange student from France, and dear family friend, Charles) visited Sequoia National Park. It was our first time at the park and I just ate it up. Sequoias are the biggest trees in the world (though not the tallest — those are redwoods), and they were more magnificent than I imagined. The Sequoias have such a presence. The idea of trees talking, or having a personality, or coming to life a la Lord of the Rings, seems like a perfectly reasonable thing when you are there.
But that’s not actually what this post is about. While we were at the park, we stopped into one of the visitor centers and I saw a massive mural that took up the full wall space in one room. It was filled with illustrations of dozens of flora and fauna native to California. By massive, I mean one stretch of the mural was maybe 6 feet high by 16 feet wide, and the other stretch was 6 ft wide by 12 feet wide. The sections covered the walls in a big room.
… Brooklinen – The Best Sheets, Blankets & Towels You’ve Never Heard Of
This post is sponsored by Brooklinen.
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Have you already fallen in love with Brooklinen? They’re pretty new on the scene, but they totally have a cult-like following — we’re talking over 12,000 five-star reviews on Google, winner of “Best Online Bedding” category by Good Housekeeping, and consistently claimed to be “hands down the best sheets I’ve ever put on my bed” by Business Insider (and maybe you!).
Essentially they’ve reinvented the way people shop for their bedroom. There are no physical stores, no middlemen taking a cut, and no brand markups. Instead, Brooklinen designs its own luxury-grade basics and sells them directly to you and me, exclusively on their website.
I’ve tried out their bedding, their towels, and most recently their throw blankets, and I want to tell you why I think they’re so special. Let’s start with the clever name — Brooklinen is based in Brooklyn. : )
…Brooklinen – The Best Sheets, Blankets & Towels You’ve Never Heard OfRead More »
Living With Kids: Monica Packer
I first heard of Monica on her amazing podcast, About Progress, when she interviewed a good friend of mine. I was impressed then with her thoughtful, caring, vulnerable style of questioning, and I am even more impressed with her now after getting to know her a bit in this week’s home tour interview.
Monica, her husband, and their four children, live in a 1200 sq. ft. home in a Bay Area suburb. Despite it being a tight space for a family of six, Monica has a great eye and has filled it with charm. I think you’ll love the attention to detail. On top of that, Monica’s wisdom about letting go of perfectionism is quite powerful.
It’s just the kind of empowering pick-me-up you might need on a hot summer day when your kitchen floor is covered with sticky, melted-popsicle foot prints (just me?), and you are counting the days until the kids go back to school. Welcome Monica to Living With Kids!
Living With Kids: Monica Packer
…How To Be A Publisher in 2018
