Author: cheryl

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Environment Green Living Made in the USA Woman-Owned

100% Woman-Owned, Made-In-The-USA Small Business

I am woman, hear me roar. Helen Reddy’s song reached #1 on the charts in 1972. I was nine. Young enough to be influenced, according to the lyrics, that my gender had no barriers. Having a mom who owned and operated a small hair salon certainly didn’t hurt either. Of course, that’s not to say it’s been an easy road to navigate this business I’ve nurtured and nourished over the past 25 years.

Raising two beautiful kids while running my company definitely had challenges. I spent many years doing most of my work only after they went to bed, and staying up until 2 AM to make deadlines. As they got older, my schedule changed with them. Sometimes a midday school play, doctor appointment or teacher meeting. Other times, spending a whole week across the country for a swim meet. I loved the flexibility, although it was very challenging to juggle the priorities — you know, like cleaning the house. But hey, I am woman, I can roll.

Back in the early 90’s we worked with outside manufacturers to make our products for us, but then it happened … They started outsourcing. I’m passionate about made in America. So this was near and dear to my heart. If our manufacturers wanted to move operations out of the USA, then heck we’ll just do it ourselves. And so it began, our journey into manufacturing. In the beginning, I admit I wasn’t sure where to start. But thankfully I had Cris, my right-hand-lady and expert seamstress. I am woman, and I had another one by my side, so let’s rock.

I’m over the assumptions, because almost everyone assumes my company is run by a man. Going to mattress manufacturing trade shows, an industry largely dominated by men, I’m no longer surprised when suppliers direct their conversation towards Hans, my right-hand-man and customer care extraordinaire. It’s actually a great opportunity for me to gain insight of the boys’ club who assume all the women attending are assistants and receptionists. I am woman. I am invincible, not invisible.

Most of the time I’m not Wonder Woman. Every strong woman knows to surround herself with superheroes. When my family, friends and colleagues are standing by my side, I make that transformation easily. Without them, and without our loyal customers, this road I travel would be lonely and strenuous. I am woman. I am strong. But I am stronger with others.

Just like everyone, through the years I’ve had my share of tragedies and disappointments which resulted in set-backs. But I’ve learned that when you get stuck in the mud, kick it off. If that doesn’t work, take off the boots. Just keep going. Because if I have to, I can do anything. I am woman.

chahn-2015

Cheryl Hahn is Founder and CEO of CozyPure® and Organic Comfort Zone / Tomorrow’s World. Established in 1991 as a direct-to-consumer green-living home-goods vertical retailer, specializing in organic comfort bedding products. The CozyPure® workshop is located in Norfolk, Virginia where products are handcrafted and shipped all across the country.

Categories
Green Living Natural Home Organic Mattress & Bedding Sleep Tips

You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your pillow

A pillow is like a friend… it can bring great comfort or be a pain in the neck.

Sometimes folks don’t realize the importance of choosing the correct pillow for proper support – the wrong one can provide discomfort throughout the night. For instance, if you sleep on your side with a very flat pillow, you’ll most likely wake up with cramps in your neck and shoulder. The same is true for back sleepers that use a very thick high-loft pillow which can crane the head too high. And just like friends… it’s important to know your pillow inside and out.

What’s inside your pillow anyway? Did you know the weight of an average one-year old pillow contains about 20% dust-mite matter? Feather and down provide very happy breeding grounds for these little critters. Dust mites thrive in moist, warm environments – it’s crucial to their survival – so you want to keep room humidity down and select fibers that naturally wick away moisture. The objective is to keep your bedding as dry as possible, and wash bed linens weekly, which helps deter these nasty guys from sleeping with you every night.

Many synthetic pillows can be washed regularly, however since most are derived from petroleum, some folks get a hot head sleeping on them because they retain moisture and heat. Petroleum is a non-renewable resource, therefore petro-synthetic materials are not an eco-friendly choice either – and of course, they’re blended with a host of other undisclosed chemicals.

LaNoodle-Contour
Shown here: CozyPure Latex Contour Pillow

Pillows, such as those made by CozyPure®, are made from organic and ecosmart materials that are NOT treated with harmful toxic chemicals so they’re a healthier sleep option – especially for folks that suffer from headaches and sinus congestion. You’ve got your nose buried in that pillow every night and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that a chemically-treated pillow is befriending you like the Toxic Avenger.

Pure wool and natural latex (from the rubber tree) are porous and breathable. They help keep your bedding dry to provide better sleep comfort while also deterring dust mites. Be sure the outside fabric, also known as the shell, is made from 100% cotton (preferably organic cotton). I once tested a pillow made from latex with a synthetic cover and woke up in the middle of the night with a drenched head. I remember finally throwing the pillow across the room, where it hit the wall with a loud thud.

Like a good friend, choosing a pillow that offers comfort, support and longevity is just as important as the physical well-being they provide. You would be smart to get rid of that so-called “friend” who is a real pain in the neck and gives you countless headaches…. isn’t the same true for your pillow?

– Republished from original post dated 2009

Cheryl Hahn is the President and Founder of Organic Comfort Zone, manufacturers of CozyPure® organic mattresses and bedding.

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Categories
Natural Bedroom Natural Home

Natural Latex Mattresses – New pricing April 1st

We’ve had quite a few raw material price increases from our suppliers for over the past year and we’ve absorbed the cost without passing it on to our customers. Many of our competitors have raised their prices a few times over the last year or so and as much as we’d like to continue to keep our mattress prices the same, we are forced to raise them a little bit – starting April 1st.

If you’ve been thinking of purchasing a CozyPure® natural latex mattress made with organic materials, now is definitely the time to do so.

Visit CozyPure®

ps – Update: I’m still working on the EcoTerra day bed or should I say I’m trying to find time to work on it. We did a few things to make it look more “tailored” but I’m still not 100% happy so it needs to be tweaked some more and therein lies the problem since I have a million other things to attend to first….

Categories
Green Living Natural Home

The making of a new and improved organic sofa day bed.

In between doing this and doing that – today I’ve been working on the redesign of our EcoTerra Sofa Day Bed. I love our EcoTerra and we use two of them in my family room. Comfortable, spacious, sturdy and attractive, but I also know some folks want a more “traditional” look of an upholstered sofa. It’s something I’ve been wanting to rework since we introduced the EcoTerra a few months ago. So today I made the commitment to spend a few hours working with padding, pillows, fabrics, tucking, tying, tossing and just nodding my head yes or no. After many different prototypes I’m pretty sure the way I want to go will not be an option but rather a choice between covered side and back panels with cushion inserts OR the wrap around arm cushions.

I hope to wrap this project up by end of this week or early next week.

The NEW configuration will include the wood frame and mattress-seat-cushion ONLY – then the customers will begin to “build and design” their own sofa using various pillows, cushions and fabric combinations. I’m excited about the EcoTerra since it’s one of the very few “authentic” organic sofas offered. No soy-based foams or springs or synthetic blended fabrics. This is the real deal from the sustainable wood to the natural rubber to the certified organic cotton. Just about all the pieces are modular and separately replaceable if necessary which is really great for long-term practicality.

As soon as we complete the final finishing touches of the new fabric panels, we’ll post photos and a video to show the different configurations. I’ll keep you posted on our progress!

-cheryl

Categories
Miscellaneous Natural Bedroom

Something so intimate has become under-valued

When Food, Inc premiered at our local theatre, I told the family we were going to see it together. The film focuses on mass production, that is, our food being produced using very industrialized methods. Fatter chickens in half the time and herbivore cows forced to eat corn (which in turn gives them e-coli bacteria), all for the purpose to make plenty… and make it faster.

The way our food is produced has drastically changed over the past few decades. In sharp contrast, the marketing of our food hasn’t changed much over the years. Consumers are still shown images of red barns and American farmers tilling fields. We believe the chicken we’re buying roamed freely on a happy family farm because the packages say “Fresh” and “Natural”. Boy oh boy, have we been deceived. As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but find comparisons with the bedding industry. In particular, one sentence a Virginia farmer said:

We have allowed ourselves to be so disconnected and disinterested about something so intimate as the food we eat.

Of course, it was very easy for me to translate that line into:

We have allowed ourselves to be so disconnected and disinterested about something so intimate as the bedding we use for sleep.

Most consumers would be very surprised to find out what was inside their mattresses, after all, we are shown images of beautiful women, lying on pretty fabrics, looking peaceful and serene. But those shiny fabrics and the components inside are made primarily from petroleum-based chemicals that out-gas fumes, then later breakdown into air-borne dust particles.

Somehow, our priorities have shifted. People devalue the purchase of quality bedding. Why should they buy a healthy mattress made from all-natural and organic materials when they can get that pretty one over there for half the price? Because, just like the movie “Food, Inc” proves, consumers have fallen prey to deceitful marketing and cheap prices.

Sleep is a necessity for every breathing mammal. It promotes health and wellness. During sleep, our bodies shutdown and become vulnerable to the elements – so eliminate as much chemical contamination as possible for your body to enjoy the full benefits of a good night’s sleep. Because just like the food we eat… sleep plays a critical role in our health and wellness.

So next time you’re at the mattress market, be sure to ask: “What’s inside that bed?”

Sleep well and be happy 🙂 ~cheryl