Now again we are moving this time  into St. Elmo to an office and warehouse space that will be a more permanent home for our office and shipping facility.  Of course we will still have seamstresses working from home…that is a huge part of our business to support work at home parents and grandparents.    It also helps us keep lower prices by keeping overhead low.

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for our website designer, Ben, who wants to go to seminary and is asking God to provide his needs to do so. 

Also remember my daughter and grandson.  David has been throwing up for the last few months and we are not sure if it is an autism related issue or a gerd or stomach issue.  Sarah is tired and stressed from cleaning up and doesn’t know how to deal with this.

Pray for me that I deal with certain remarks by a competitor in a way that would be pleasing to God.  This has been a painful truth of Internet business that some will do anything to gain sales.  Some have directly refuted some of the information on our website without any proof to show it is wrong, or that their own point is right.  Remember that just because someone sounds “authoritative” does not mean they are.  Anything on our website is there because we believe it to be true.  If we find it to not be true,  or confusing, it will be changed.  There are numerous weighted blanket makers online, and most of them peacefully sell alongside each other without incident and without having to strike blows at each other to do so.

I would like to state that:

Making the sale is not my #1 goal.  If I don’t think a weighted blanket is the best thing for you, I will tell you.  We started this business as a ministry to help people with special needs.  There is not a lot of science behind weighted blankets and why they work.  The most dramatic evidence I can show you is the testimonials from customers I have personally provided weighted blankets for. 

Our recommended weights started from a consensus of what OT’s recommended and other weighted blanket makers were using at the time we went into business.  As our customers gave us feedback, this was tweaked to become what it is today.  The charts are merely a guide, and we recommend you use your OT”s recommendation if it is available.

Blankets over 20lbs and bigger than our medium adult length are very cumbersome and we recommend you call to talk with us about ordering this size.  Quite often people complain about these being too heavy or large once they recieve them.  Of course, some sensory seekers do require this weight and even much heavier, just make sure that this describes you before you buy. 

We have been including polyfil in our blankets since we started business and it does not bunch.  We buy the highest quality polyfil and put it in with the polypellets and have hundreds of happy customers that can testify to the fact that it does not bunch up inside the blanket after many washings as one competitor states.

We make an excellent quality product.  We use the highest quality materials and our seamstresses are dedicated to quality and safety.  Every blanket is guaranteed.

It also begs to be mentioned that because our business name is descriptive it is difficult, if not impossible to trademark.  This makes it easy for unscrupulous competitors to steal and use for their own purposes.  Do a google search on “Affordable Weighted Blankets” and you will see who else is using that term in their page title or description to confuse our customers. 

Also see who is using our business name ending in .net as an alternative domain name (we did not know early on that if we didn’t buy the .net version that our competitor would be allowed to)  So, if you are looking for us, and you accidentally put in .net instead of .com, you will be directed to that competitors site instead.

Anyway,  this is just for your info.  I don’t want our customers and friends thinking that we are working off of bad or outdated information as some suggest. 

I hope you are having a lovely week….think about us while we are moving!

Warmest Regards,

Donna

P.S.  Update:  A few days after I made this post, my troublesome competitor spammed this blog pretending to be one of her own customers.  Since I know her IP address, I knew that it was her and did not approve the post….especially since it was an ad for her own site.

There was an article, “T-ball league considered for kids with disabilities”, in the Herald News covering the story.

Since this article was written they went on to play the season.  You will see David at right in uniform for this season.

Now that the season is over, the mothers of these children are thinking of what they may do next.

Photo provided courtesy of Sam’s Photography

Free Weighted Blanket Pattern

Donna

Affordable Weighted Blankets

Autism from a parents point of view

Austism Solution Center

Autism Society of Middle Tennessee

AutismList.com

Prainito Pediatric Therapy

Parents have told me so many stories about their children’s unusual sleep habits. Some children literally wander the house or their room all night long.

Recently I talked to a lady who would find her son sleeping in the closet.  She was concerned and tied the bifold closet doors closed to keep him out, but he lifted them off the tracks at the bottom and crawled under the doors to get in!

My own grandson woke in the night one night and wedged himself underneath our bed.  We were hysterical with panic the next morning until we found him sleeping peacefully under our bed!  Obviously these boys both liked the small, confined spaces, and you are better off going with that than fighting against it!  If they are not feeling safe and comfortable in their bed, they are probably not going to sleep there or stay there.  My grandson stopped getting up at night after we started implementing some of the following tips:

1. White Noise- Use an air purifier or a fan for white noise.
2. Prevent Distractions- Heavy curtains, thick carpets, and making sure the door doesn’t squeak.
3. Try a Tent- Let your child try sleeping in a pup tent in a sleeping bag, many will love the small space.  You   can also find “bed tents” made just for this purpose by searching online.
4. Sunlight- Expose your child to sunlight in the morning to regulate the body’s production of melatonin.
5. Supplements- Ask your MD about supplementing with melatonin, it can help normalize the sleep-wake cycle  in children with autism.
6. Heavy Play- Playing with weighted toys, carrying a heavy backpack, pushing, pulling, etc. before bedtime.
7. Epsom Salts Baths- Try giving your child Epsom Salts Baths before bed.  Don’t let them drink the bath water!
8. Bedtime Schedule- Create a PEC’s Bedtime Schedule to hang on the wall and use it daily.
9. Ban Stimulants Before Bedtime- Don’t give your child caffeine, sugar, or anything with additives 2 hours before bedtime.  Autistic children can be especially sensitive to stimulants and food additives.
10. Weighted Blankets- A weighted blanket can be a lifesaver for your child and the entire family.  You can find quality, washable weighted blankets at Affordable Weighted Blankets.

My grandson, David, with his weighted blanket

This is my grandson David with his weighted blanket. After he was diagnosed with autism, the family was looking for a quality weighted blanket so he could sleep through the night. I couldn’t find any quality ones which were affordable, so I made one for him myself with the help of my good friend, Carol in the quilting room of our church.

After I saw how well it worked for him, I started making them for others.  Eventually they became so popular that I started the online store, Affordable Weighted Blankets.   There are now  5 ladies and 3 men that make up the Affordable Weighted Blankets Team.  We all either attend or are closely connected to the St. Elmo Avenue Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN.  A lot of love and care go into every blanket we make, and we pray for every recipient of our special blankets before they are sent on their way.  We consider it our ministry to provide quality, affordable weighted items for the people that are comforted by their use.

Donna