photo by @emilyr.marshall, design by @studiokrokalia

 

Literally: This week, the developers that bought a neighbor’s old house to gut/flip had a giant (HUGE) tree removed from the property. Not only did this tree provide a magical green canopy over all the surrounding yards, it was the namesake of Sway! Its swaying branches made sun shadows all over our living room—a visual representation of bringing a more natural, healthier world indoors. 

 

And—poof—it’s gone. 

 

It took about a day for the crew to take down a living thing that required decades to grow. And the emptiness left in its wake is…jarring. There’s nothing left to do but noodle on the metaphor of it all: how interconnected we are, and how our decisions about what we’re going to build (or burn down) affect so many others. How long it takes to create solid, good things, and how worthwhile it can be, but also how quickly we can pivot and start over again, if that’s what we desire. 

 

Spring is the age-old time of rebirth, so I’m choosing to focus not on what we lost this week, but on what we’ll plant in our own yard this season (literally and figuratively!)—maybe, the start of a new tree canopy that will be pretty epic years from now. 

 

Here are my thought prompts for April, please feel free to borrow for your own needs: 

 

🌱 What seeds am I planting/what am I building right now? Who else might benefit, or be a part of the journey? 

 

🌳 What am I choosing to remove from my life, or no longer serves me? How could my decision impact others? 

 

Happy Friday: Hug a tree, any tree, please! And enjoy this gif of the magnificent one we lost. 

 

 

🪷 Hit play on this meditation soundtrack & drift awayyy (whether you’re emptying the dishwasher, out for a walk or working away at your desk). 

 

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🧊 Critical beverage vessel updates: sometimes you need smaller, sometimes you need taller.

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🌱 Spring cleaning reminder: The Plant Doctor says dust your plants for better growth—Sway says vacuum with a HEPA filter or make sure your air purifier is running after you do. ;)

 

 

A friend of Sway had artificial turf installed in their yard recently, and started to worry about its makeup since they have a little one who will be spending time out back. We mentioned that PFAS are often a concern with turf, and they were interested in sending a sample of the turf out to be tested. 

 

While this question made its way to us regarding turf, it has much broader applications. How do you assess a product or finish in your home that’s already been purchased or installed?

 

Check with the manufacturer. Transparent manufacturers should be able to provide you with a complete list of materials and finishes used in their products, even if they’re not posted on their website, and sometimes, they’ll even share third-party testing data. 

 

 

Look for existing testing or assessments performed by reputable third parties. There are plenty of organizations and product standard bodies that test or assess popular products, and may have done the work for you. In our turf example, Sway’s technical advisor, Rebecca Fuoco, MPH, found testing results on multiple turf brands released by the Center for Environmental Health. Rebecca also suggested connecting with individual researchers or academics that specialize in the product category you’re interested in: they’re likely familiar with an array of brands in the space, and may have already performed testing that can help your cause. 

 

Send it to the lab: If you’re keen on getting testing done, Rebecca said Galbraith Laboratory is commonly used by reporters and NGOs testing for chemicals of concern.

 

 

SALES! Addie scoured all the Sway-fave brands of healthy home goods to find the good-good deals. Here's the full list, and her picks:

Heading out on vacation the week of April 8th, so the newsletter will be back either before or after that!

 

🌊 Jennifer @ Sway 🌊