As Sheltered Co. gets it’s bearings we’re working to create a blog structure. One of my main “wants” for this space is to generate a monthly profile on the most important people in my life: you! (Otherwise known as happy costumers, Sheltered Co. enthusiasts and others that have had their lives positively influenced by our weighted blankets). Each month we’ll interview a new person or family, showing a slice of their life and space, how they use their blanket and what they love about it. The goal is to not only give you some background information and inspiration but also to help create a sense of community—I want to know how blankets impact people, and I want you to know each other, too.

So without further ado, here’s our first profile!

Cameron Jordan, a wedding and lifestyle photographer (who also generously lends her talents to Sheltered Co.) opted for a deep blue blanket. “We wanted a pop of color, and it was a tough decision,” Cameron said thoughtfully, “but I think it was a good choice. It can go anywhere and it’s such a soothing color.”

Soothing is the name of the game for Jordan. “I love the blanket. My entire family loves the blanket, but my favorite perk is how much better I sleep. It’s not just better sleep, it’s deeper, uninterrupted sleep.”

The mother of two was prone to multiple wake ups in a night. "We're a family that loves music--me being the music appreciator, while everyone else is musical...We wake up every morning and my husband (longtime member of Nico Vega as well as various projects) plays guitar for our kids while (Lennon, 4 and a half and Beckett, 13 months,) dance.

"It's a magical time with lots of love and coffee, but in order to have my magical mornings, I need plenty of sleep." 

The hormonal roller-coaster of postpartum and motherhood had left Jordan with a bout of mom-somnia. 

“The blanket has helped me sleep through the night, which is huge, she explains.” Using old-fashioned, holistic, "healthy" sleep queues, Cameron and her family try to use the blanket only for soothing activities, in order to clue her brain in: the blanket means relaxing wind-downs and zero stress situations. Jordan admits to being "moderately successful" in her efforts.

“We watch TV, cuddle and read books under it and it moves from the living room to our bedroom to the kids rooms—we all love it, not to mention, everyone who comes over wants to try it and immediately wants one.  And who doesn’t want a giant blanket hug?”

And then, with a sly smile Jordan admits, "It's not always easy though, using our blanket for calm, sleepy-time things... we definitely used it when Beckett was learning to sit up and still prone to falling backward. It was literally the best cushion ever...and occasionally we might do some dancing on it, during our morning sing-alongs."

Jordan, who shoots everything from weddings to of course, bands, also adds: “I use the amazing bag my blanket came in as a huge carry-all for my camera equipment when I work and go on jobs, so I'm a giant advertisement. Everyone notices it. I think I get nearly as many comments on the cool bag as I do on my blanket!”

And for our last question? "If I could give a blanket to anyone I'd give one to my sister," Jordan says softly. The first time a smile hasn't lit up her face. "She's ill and spends a lot of time in bed, which can be really intense. I know a blanket would work wonders. It does that, gives you that sense of safety and calm...a sense of security where ever you are. Really it's that amazing. A magic blanket."

Dead stock. Let’s talk about it. All Sheltered Co. blankets are constructed entirely from dead stock fabrics. But what does dead stock really mean? Let’s start with a definition:

Dead stock: A term used to describe merchandise that was never sold to or used by consumers before being removed from sale, usually because it was outdated. 

That’s helpful. But why is dead stock a big deal? Good question. Each year it’s estimated “Americans toss” around “14 million tons, or an astounding 80 pounds per person” worth of “fast fashion” clothing and garments into landfills. It’s enormously expensive for our country to pay for proper disposal, and worse, it’s terrible for the environment.

When I started Sheltered Co. I wanted this to be a “feel good” movement. Not only did I hope we could improve how people felt by using weighted blankets (although that’s a start), I wanted every aspect of this company to be done as ethically as possible, in order to ensure we help many people and keep them feeling good. 

By using dead stock materials—things manufactured and never used (that’s right, as good as new and just sitting there), we’re repurposing something deemed "outdated" and breathing new life into it. This cuts down on environmental impact, and it also gives the blankets a little extra depth and meaning. Dead stock materials also allow us to use something that might otherwise take up space in a landfill—and if you’ve seen our blankets, you get it. We’re not using just a little. We’re using a lot of material. And from a design standpoint it allows us to get some amazing, unique colors and textures we might not otherwise find: vivid gold, perfect coral—they’re all rich hues you just don’t see every day, because they’re aged to perfection. These blankets have history and when you buy one, you get to add yours to it. Think about it: can you imagine a better fate for material than a treasured blanket? I really can't. It's pretty much achieving nirvana as far as a blanket is concerned.

And the feel good movement doesn’t stop there, we’re also investing in people: providing on-the-job training, growth opportunities and support. (But that’s another post.) We’ve started small but our dreams are big, one blanket at a time. So wrap yourself up and feel good about where your blanket came from.