Support Companies That Hire the Disabled

Photo courtesy of Paige Wolf Media and Public Relations

As parents of children with disabilities I liked to support companies that are known to be proactive about providing job opportunities for the disabled.  One company that we'd like to highlight is Noblo.  This company based in Eatontown NJ was founded after the owners saw a terrible accident involving a beach umbrella.  These moms developed a simple but effective way to anchor your beach umbrella giving them sun protection for their children without the worry of the umbrella blowing away. 

Noblo retails for a very reasonable $14.99 and is packaged by CVR, a local non-profit that hires the mentally and physically handicapped.  It's easy to use and was invented by moms who know the difficulty of navigating a day at the beach with small children! For each bag sold $.05 is donated to the United States Lifesaving Association.  This product is a win-win all the way around! 

The Noblo is available in pretty beach colors of yellow, pink, turquoise, blue (shown above), black and bright green--one of which is sure to match or coordinate with your beach umbrella. 

Changing the World--One Parent and Child At A Time

I admit, sometimes I just need a reminder that YES I CAN!  And not only that, YES MY DAUGHTERS CAN!  There are those days when you wonder if you or they will ever prevail and if things will EVER work out! This is especially true of parents of special needs children or young adults and of your children as well.  So I'm posting something that keeps me keeping on as they say. 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

 

So when you're feeling like a small cog trying to make huge changes in a world of giant machines--this is a good quote to keep posted near your computer or on your frig.  I know changes can be made, one small change at time. 

Shopping For Furniture--Kudos to Raymour and Flannigan! And Some Other Furniture Shopping Options

Our daughter needed a new couch for her apartment and last weekend made a trip to Raymour and Flannigan in Springfield PA. The salesman, Joe, was great! He helped her make an informed decision while not going over her budget. It would have been easy for him to talk her into overspending--unfortunately this is a real problem when shopping for higher ticket items. But Joe showed her items that fit her budget and really HELPED her. So kudos to the folks at Raymour and Flannigan and a salesman named Joe, who really took the time to CARE. Kate has had her own apartment for several years now and has made do with family hand-me-downs and has just now had enough money to buy a nice sofa. It was an exciting day for her and the joy on her face when she purchased not only a couch but a coffee table too was great! I'll post photos of her new furniture as soon as it's delivered.  This photo is from the Raymour and Flannigan web site.  Wow is it comfortable!

When your son or daughter first moves out they can shop for furniture on Craig's List (with supervision) or at your local Goodwill or Thrift Store.  My mom's retirement community has a store where residents consign items they no longer use or need, another possible option.  Also try garage sales or tag sales, just beware, some tag sales are very high priced!  Another option for anyone in the Delaware Valley is Janice Buck's web site.  Janice does home stagings and resells furniture when she no longer has a use for it, most of it is in perfect condition.  She'll send you email updates if you sign up on her web site, head to her web site Janice Buck Design,  and sign up for updates.  She also has information about companies that can deliver items from her business.

So no matter how much (or little) money you have to spend, there's always somewhere to find furniture to make your son or daughter's home a nest away from your nest.  Just remember, it's THEIR apartment--it's hard to keep from wanting to do it for them--but it is theirs not ours.  (Yes I'm guilty of wanting to over do it! Keeping my mouth shut is REALLY hard) But letting her make her own choices gives her pride in her apartment, which in the long run is what we all want for our sons or daughters.