GRAND Magazine - August 2009 - 45

GRAND Seal of Approval GRAND Seal of Approval THE ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR GRANDPARENTS GRAND Magazine’s Seal of Approval is given to products that are conceived, formulated, manufactured and distributed with integrity: They are safe, healthy, imaginative, environmentally respectful; they are made by craftspersons or in fair workplaces, preferably in North America, and the principals in the companies are sensitive and responsive to the needs of the individual customer. Goat Milk Stuff prides itself in providing natural goat milk soaps. Goat Milk Stuff is owned and operated by the Jonas family—which includes eight children ranging in age from 1 to 12—who live in Indiana on the three-acre farm where they raise the goats. The company started when the Jonas mom, PJ, chose not to expose her children to the harsh chemicals that may be found in commercial soaps. She began making soap. “We enjoyed making soap, and we were so impressed with its quality, we turned it into a family business. From the initial milking of the goats to the final bagging of the soap, all our goat milk soaps are handmade by the members of our family.” Prices: $4-$5. Scents include lemon, honeysuckle, pink grapefruit, black raspberry, oatmeal milk & honey, clean cotton, nautical and peppermint, among many others. All of the soaps are made with natural ingredients, and each bar is in an individual, reusable muslin bag. College Bed Lofts was started in 2002, when John Vence’s son, Michael, didn’t have enough space in his dorm room. Well, Michael’s friends saw his bed loft and wanted their own. More and more requests came in—and College Bed Lofts was born. Now the company also designs for at-home children. (Youth bed lofts have optional bed rails for added safety.) Prices: $189-$309. College Bed Lofts has preset designs for its kits but can customize each kit to meet customers’ needs. All bed kits come as unfinished wood. Accessories include bookshelves, desktops, long legs, clothes rack, fire retardant coating, front ladder, extra-tall legs and round top legs. Clementine Art was created in 2007 when Diana Mercer partnered with entrepreneurs Todd Woloson and John Maggio. Clementine manufactures natural, nontoxic art supplies—play dough, markers, paint, crayons and glue—that “inspire imagination.” Prices: $5.49-$11.99. Here’s why the company’s a winner: Clementine Art uses no harmful chemicals in its products, and none contains petroleum products. All colors are created with natural dyes, such as mineral pigments and plant pigments. Instead of using paraffin wax for its crayons, Clementine uses kosher soy wax. All of their products are made within the U.S. Clementine Art products are a brand-new and exclusive product of national-chain Whole Foods Market.

http://www.goatmilkstuff.com/ http://www.collegebedlofts.com/ http://www.clementineart.com/

GRAND Magazine - August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - August 2009