Clear Conscience Blog | J.R. Watkins Naturals

Watkins in Winona held its Arbor Day tree planting celebration a few weeks ago. Usually, the weather in Minnesota makes actual Arbor Day (the last Friday in April) a tricky time to be planting. Arbor Days over the years have “gifted” us with snowstorms and the ground is still a little frozen from winter.

Left: Heather Treague from our Sustainability Team; Right: Melissa Mansfield from Accounting

Our Sustainability Team donated to The Arbor Day Foundation, and in return, they supplied us with 100 trees to donate to our employees! We’re planting them to beautify our campus, our yards and even providing 10 to the Winona Community Parks and the Boy Scouts.

Melissa, shown above, was excited to plant the trees with her family, and even thought of a cool new way to reuse the tubes as bird feeders!

The Lab Team with their trees!

The best part of Arbor Day celebrations is the benefits you reap YEARS down the road with the tree. Did you participate in any festivities this year?

Photo Credit: Sharon, Cupcakes & Cutlery

What do you think about this combination: Brown Sugar Bacon Butter Waffles? Sharon over at Cupcakes & Cutlery shared this phenomenal and truly mouth-watering recipe over on her blog. There’s a ton of pictures, too, so warning: you may salivate on the spot!

The obvious ingredients are in the name, but according to Sharon, “J.R. Watkins Vanilla Extract is the secret weapon. Sure brown sugar, bacon and butter are pretty good together.  But you add in the vanilla and you get a symphony for your mouth. The vanilla takes it just to the edge of tasting like cake batter stopping just short of being too sweet and allows it to pair perfectly with the bacon.”

We love it! Go check out the recipe, pictures and all, at Cupcakes & Cutlery!

White pants, picnics and sandals will be in full-swing this weekend as we welcome the official unofficial start of summer: Memorial Day. Naturally, sunscreen should be part of the equation as well. The month of May is also Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and while the benefits of sunscreen are widely communicated and understood, the occurrence of skin cancer remains prevalent.

To help start your summer off more “sun safe,” here are some tips to consider as you enjoy your Memorial Day celebrations and commemorations: 

• Accessorize. A floppy, wide-brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses are a girl’s best friend in the sun. A cute way to jazz up your look and very effective at helping block the sun’s rays. For men, opt for a fedora and a classic pair of aviators.

• Make it Routine. A lot of sunburns can probably be attributed to forgetfulness. We have the best of intentions, but we just forget. If you get in the habit of wearing sunscreen every day, it becomes second nature. J.R. Watkins SPF 30 Sunscreen, made with physical blockers Zinc and Titanium Dioxide, is a great option since it has a light Aloe & Green Tea scent and spreads easily, much like a lotion.

• Reapply. It’s not enough to do it in the morning if you plan on spending time outdoors or in the sun —- and especially if you plan on being in the water. Make sure to reapply, especially to exposed skin and your face. And, don’t forget your hands!

The team at Watkins wishes you a happy and safe Memorial Day. Let us know what you’re up to!

Sunglass photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net. 

One of our favorite eco-friendly bloggers is Jennie Lyon of Sweet Greens. She dishes on all things earth-friendly, from food to family fun. In addition to writing Sweet Greens, she’s mother to one little boy and two of the cutest dogs you’ve ever seen. Jennie was kind enough to answer some questions for The Clear Conscience Blog and share some of her great advice here. Read on to find out more!

Clear Conscience Blog: What are you most looking forward to this spring?
Sweet Greens: My favorite time of year in Florida is spring-time! My family has been spending all of our free time in our sailboat, snorkeling, paddle boarding and soaking up the sunshine at the beach. I am looking forward to my son’s 11th birthday party at the beach and two long sailing trips to the Florida Keys this summer!

CCB: How are you teaching your son to be eco-friendly? 
SG:  My son is almost 11 years old, so being eco-friendly comes naturally to him now. He is very familiar with putting the correct items in the recycling bins and composter and is always coming up with new ways to reuse something that would usually end up in the trash. He is very creative and helps me think of many of the green children’s projects that I write for Inhabitots - he likes to say that he is my intern. 

CCB:  What’s the most unusual item you’ve reused into something else? What did you turn it into?
SG:  When Eben, my son turned 10, he didn’t want to sleep in his loft-style IKEA bed anymore. He wanted a regular bed that Noodles (his Pug) could get in and out of easily. His loft-style bed was in great condition and we couldn’t justify buying a new bed simply because he wanted one. So, Jayson, my husband spent an afternoon transforming it into a regular sized bed, he even took the desk that was underneath and used it to create an office space for Eben. We didn’t have to purchase a single item for this project and it turned out great!

CCB: We love your recipes! Tell us what you’ve been eating lately. Any healthy cooking tips to share?
SG: I am lucky because Jayson, my husband does all of the cooking. He will even prepare meals ahead of time for Eben and me for those nights that he has to work late! When it comes to healthy cooking, we try to purchase food items that are local, organic and in season, choosing items with the least or no packaging. My favorite tip is to incorporate food items that you already have on hand in every meal, this way nothing ever goes to waste!

CCB: Tell us. Do you have a favorite J.R. Watkins product?
SG:  Yes, I absolutely have a favorite J.R. Wakins product, in fact I think I have two! First, the Lemon Cream Hand and Body Lotion. I have one in every bathroom in my home and when guests come over, they always comment on its yummy lemon scent. I am also a huge fan of the Grapefruit All Purpose Cleaner, we use it in our home, our RV and the sailboat. It’s a great multipurpose cleaner that is great for counter tops or glass and leaves a yummy citrus scent behind!

A less than full parking lot at our Winona facility

In honor of National Bike Month, team Watkins celebrated Bike to Work Day last week.  Dozens of employees left the car at home, and opted for their own two feet, or wheels.  In fact, 41 employees (20% of our team in Winona!) participated in more eco-friendly methods of transportation. Our sustainability committee organized a fun day —- gifting potted plants, local market gift certificates and coffee treats to all those joining in the fun.

Associate Product Development Manager Heidi and her new Agastache “Golden Jubilee” plant

Here’s what Team Watkins had to say about their eco-friendly commute. Note: we have some committed employees (even in a Minnesota winter!)

• “Great idea, I hope a lot of employees participate as I ride almost every day” – Larry Hock, Accounting Assistant

• “I walk to work every day. In nearly five years of employment I’ve only had to drive a few times.” – Nathan Wendland, Incoming QA inspection

• “I walk to work every to get a good view of the facilities” – Jim Yenish, Vice President of Operations

• “Walking to work is a great way to prepare for the day all while smelling freshly ground Watkins cinnamon as it swirls through the neighborhood air” – Heidi Miller, Assistant Product Manager

We take pain relief pretty seriously at J.R. Watkins, dating back to our roots in the 1800s as a true apothecary. In fact, our first product ever sold was the Pain Relieving Liniment. It goes to stand that we would have a bevy of options, including our originals, to help ease your aches and pains. Have you been properly introduced to our Deep Muscle Cooling Gel? Allow us to officially make the connection.

It targets deep into the muscles to soothe aches, minor arthritis and back pains. The formula is more than 97 percent natural, with menthol working to override the sensation of pain by stimulating nerve endings that transmit cold. Think of it as an icepack in a tube.

It’s a favorite among athlete and aging bones. In fact, we just supplied an order for a tennis tournament that took place in Houston earlier this month!

For more natural pain relief and remedies, check here.

Moms rule the world. In fact, we’re celebrating moms (and babies!) all month long at J.R. Watkins. We can’t think of a better time to give a special shout-out to the most important woman in our lives than the month of May.  We kicked off a special Baby Care promotion on our Facebook page with a call for cute baby photos. We want to celebrate mom’s pride and joy and reward you with our new arrival: a chance to win great prizes, including J.R. Watkins line of baby care products!

You have until the end of May to enter your cutie in our Facebook contest, but you only have a few more days to prepare for Mother’s Day. We tapped our team for some great gift ideas —- even asking new moms what they want most on Sunday, May 13.

1. Sleep. This should come as no surprise (especially for new, first-time moms!) Dad, this is the day (or weekend, if you’re being really generous) to let mom sleep in while you take care of the kiddos. Better yet, take the kids out for breakfast so the house is quiet and peaceful.
2. “Me time.” Yet another thing that moms graciously sacrifice every day. Gift your mom (or wife/sister/friend) with some bath soak, body cream and products she can use to unwind and relax. We recommend the J.R. Watkins Hand & Feet Retreat!
3. Homemade art. Make a card rather than buying one, and get the kids involved. Not only is it a fun activity, it will mean more to mom due to the personal touch!

Any ideas to share?

Melanie Beckmann is your average super mom. She’s got her hands full with two children and her work outside of the home as a dental hygienist. On top of that, she turned a passion for cloth diapering into a business when she started Chickaboo Baby. We tapped her to share her infinite knowledge on the art of cloth diapers and what life is like as a mom.

Clear Conscience Blog: How did you get started cloth diapering?
Melanie Beckmann: I had always been interested in cloth diapering, but was too intimidated by it to try with my first child. When my son was almost 2, I was pregnant with my second and my sister was cloth diapering a newborn. I was sick of buying diapers for my son because I was sure he was going to be potty-trained any day now (go ahead, you can laugh). I thought, if she can do it with a newborn, I can surely do it with my toddler. So I started with a $10 cover and a few “prefolds” (these are the old-fashioned white diapers people used to use with pins and plastic pants, though I never did any pinning). Once I got comfortable with that, I bought a few Bum Genius pocket diapers and I was a convert!

CCB: What is your advice for moms interested in cloth diapering but aren’t sure where to start?  
MB: There are many websites out there devoted to cloth diapering.  For example, Diaper Swappers is a forum for advice and ideas, but they also have a “marketplace” where people can buy and sell things they don’t want anymore.  Another great site is Jillian’s Drawers.  They sell cloth diapers and accessories, have info on washing, and also trial packages.   Also, Itsy Bitsy Bums has a great rental package for newborns as well as many trial packages and rentals for the non-newborn sizes.  

CCB: Tell us about your inspiration for Chickaboo Baby?  
MB: I started sewing my own cloth diapers for several reasons.  1) I was unhappy with the bulkiness of all my “one sized” diapers on my new baby and wanted something trimmer.  2) I wanted to save even more money by making my own. 3) I am always looking for excuses to sew!  I started out with a purchased pattern and eventually created my own.  I was sewing a lot for gifts for people and had several people tell me I should start selling them, so I did!

CCB: Where did the name Chicakboo come from?  
MB: It was sort of a cross between the oh-so-cute- “chickadee” and the word “peek-a-boo.”

CCB: What products do your little ones like at bath time?  
MB: At bath time, we like to use a mild and safe shampoo/body wash.  If their skin is dry from the winter or swimming lessons, we also put a little oil in the water or on their skin afterwards. One of the things I like about J.R. Watkins is that their products are safe for my kids and they smell yummy, but very subtle. 

CCB: What’s your favorite thing about being a mom?
MB: My favorite thing about being a mom is just watching my kids grow and learn.  Each day they show me something new:  a word, a “trick” or just seeing them playing peacefully together and maturing. There are days it seems as though they’ll never grow out of tantrums, and others where my four year old helps his sister get her dolly and uses phrases like “I don’t care for that,” instead of “I HATE this!” It’s pretty fun to see that all of the hard work you put in eventually does pay off.  So far.

Have you checked out our Baby Care Promotion on Facebook? Prizes include two gift baskets brimming with J.R. Watkins Baby Care products and modern cloth diapers from Chickaboo Baby. 

It’s been nearly five months since we made a new home at the Irvine Spectrum Center with the first J.R. Watkins Body + Home store. Orange County is treating us well, and we welcomed some of our favorite SoCal bloggers to our Irvine location to join us for an evening. What do you get when you combine 10 fabulous women, tea, champagne and a tray of macaroons? Ladies night, of course!

 We officially celebrated the launch of our new Grapefruit Sugar & Shea Scrub, which is getting rave reviews!  

Our CEO Mark Jacobs joined the party as well.

Megan from Mama Bub and Wendy from Wendy Will Blog are all smiles!

Our neighbors to the north: Romy from Romy Raves, Amber from Beauty Junkies Unite and Jen from My Beauty Bunny.

If you’re an OC gal (or lad!), come see us at the Irvine Spectrum Center. We’d love to show you around!

We’re celebrating a new member to the J.R. Watkins family: our Baby Care Line! And, guess what? We want to let you in on all the goodness! Tomorrow, May 2, we are launching a photo contest on the J.R. Watkins Natural Products Facebook page with a mission to find the cutest baby. Whether you have a tot with food all over his face, a miniature princess-in-the-making or a smiley newborn, we want to “meet” your kiddo.

The best part? It’s simple. Snap a photo of your kiddo (the cuter the better!) and upload it to the Baby Photo Contest tab on our page. Then, have all of your friends vote for your photo: that’s it! The top two photos with the most votes on May 30 win a baby care gift basket brimming with all the best natural baby products. Included in the baskets are the entire J.R. Watkins Baby Care Line (includes Baby Wash, Baby Lotion, Soothing Baby Balm and Baby Oil), J.R. Watkins Fragrance Free Liquid Laundry Detergent and six natural cloth diapers from Chickaboo Baby (and let us tell you, these diapers are the greatest thing around).

In addition to the grand prizes, one baby photo will be randomly selected every week to win a Soothing Baby Balm (the most versatile product from the line – it’s also great for Mom’s elbows, Dad’s hands and moisturizing hands, lip and face on the go!)

So, grab your camera and snap a few shots. We can’t wait to see your photos!