*Contest is closed! Winner will be announced Wed. or Thurs.!
This week we’re having a joint give away! To enter, read to the end of the post.
Today I wanted to share my thoughts on wool Dryer Balls, as well as some information about Rhineland Farm, the company who has so generously sent some dryer balls for us to give away to one of you!
We’ve been using the dryer balls for the past couple of weeks, and have found we LOVE them. I’ve been researching about fabric softeners and wasn’t liking what I had found, however, we do enjoy soft fabrics! Quite some time ago we had tried some other dryer balls, the plastic kind, and found that they really didn’t last very long at all, which was a very big dissapointment. I think it was only a few short weeks before they became brittle and cracked, then broke. As a family of 7, plus all the fabric we wash, we do a LOT of laundry!
I was especially interested in dryer balls for use with our fabrics. I know a lot of people can be sensitive to chemicals, so we try to use natural laundry soaps and dryer balls seemed the next logical step! I wasn’t disappointed!
My delight with the dryer balls from Rhineland Farm started right from the time I opened the box! They were beautifully, and thoughtfully packaged in a gorgeous paper bag. The dryer balls are not just practical, but even pretty!
During the time we’ve been using the wool dryer balls from Rhineland Farm, we’ve been very pleased with them. They have done a very good job of softening our clothing! They also soften our fabrics beautifully!
When we first began to use the dryer balls, we were concerned with how they would do with static in our laundry. We found that concern was not really an issue, except when it came to true synthetic fabrics such as our microfiber dishcloths, and one polyester fleece blanket we washed. Otherwise, for our clothing, towels and ALL our other laundry, they worked really well! We hope to get several more in the future. The more you use in your dryer load, the quicker your laundry dries! In our home, that could add up to a HUGE savings!
They also work great with our products, and with cloth diapers. A lot of people find regular fabric softeners can leave a build up on their cloth diapers and accessories, causing them to loose absorbency. This can be a big problem! Dryer balls are a great investment for anyone using cloth!
Here’s some information I’d like to share about Rhineland Farm. They offer SO much more then dryer balls!
Rhineland Farm was born from our desire to live simply, enjoy the sunshine and fresh air and be growers of good things.
We started our hobby farm in 2005, it has been several years of hard work but is starting to pay off. We raise Heritage breeds of Sheep and Turkey, along with Nubians goats, chickens and various other farm animals. We have a lovely Lavender field which blooms in May & October, and several hundred Blackberry plants which explode with thousands of juicy berries in the summer months for picking & eating! This year, our beehives have started producing delicious honey from the lavender and pomegranate blooms and Texas wildflowers on our property.
Our farm store is a collection of handmade products from several members of our family who work on the farm. We offer fine artisan chocolates, wool items (yarns, roving, crocheted accessories, dryer balls & other felted products), cold-process soaps, hand-poured Aromatherapy candles, hot chocolate mixes, bath soaks and bottled honey from our own bees!
We use high-quality essential and fragrance oils for our scented products, each scent is listed for use in cosmetics and very safe for your skin.
Our new website is finally up and running, check it out when you have a chance. We will soon be writing a blog which will include updates from the farm, including new births from our sheep and goats, market day updates and more!
And a note about Rhineland Farm Dryer Balls, which we are giving away!
We found the love for felted items after starting our farm, and soon established a small selling market with our local shoppers for felted soap bars, dryer balls, felt animals and more.
We use a variety of fibers for each project, some of the wool comes from our small flock of Jacob sheep, some is recycled from wool sweaters, and recently we have started using Peace Fleece to craft the majority of our dryer balls and felted soaps.
We love the colors they provide, their service and especially, the mission they have with their company: http://www.peacefleece.com/thestory.htm
Our dryer balls our hand wrapped in small batches, felted 4-5 times and scented with aromatherapy or cosmetic grade Essential and/or fragrance oils. Most of our fragrances are custom blended at our home, many of them are not purchasable elsewhere. We inject the scent into the core of the ball, which prevents direct contact onto your clothing. The scent is only distributed by the heat and steamy air in your dryer.
Adding 4+ balls to your load of clothes in the dryer can cut back on drying time by 25%! Adding more (we recommend no more than 10) can reduce drying time by 50%, saving you many minutes of energy and softening your clothing as a wonderful added bonus!
The dryer balls do not coat your clothes in any substance to produce the softness, it is purely by them bouncing and spinning in the drying, which fluffs your clothing and prevents “bunching” which causes wrinkles, stiffness and uneven drying.
Dryer balls are environmentally safe, child and pet friendly and are even fun to decorate with! We store ours (when not in use) in glass vessels around our home for a unique fiber-art display!
For this give away, we are going to send the winner a pair of their very own dryer balls generously donated by Rhineland Farm AND a $10.00 gift certificate from Homestead Emporium!
Shown below is the gorgeous set of unscented wool dryer balls you will receive.
To enter this contest, we’re going to have some fun with a question asked on facebook. Answer this:
Where in the world are you now, and where else have you traveled? If you’re so inclined, share what you’ve learned from what you’ve seen/done while traveling!
Share your answers in the comments section and some time over the weekend I will be choosing a winner using random.org! I’ll share my own answer to that question when I announce the winner!
If you’d like more chances to win, simply share this blog post, our facebook page, or about Homestead Emporium and then come back and post another comment to let us know where/how you shared!
Have fun & enjoy!
i am in georgia now, and haven’t had as many opportunities as i would like to travel. but what i have earned from the few times i have traveled is that i would like to do it more!
I live in Winnipeg Canada and have travelled across Canada and the USA, France, Germany, Netherlands and Australia 🙂
I am in Norther Pennsylvania. I have lived here all my life. I have traveled to Denver, Colorado but I was only 8 years old. As a kid I would go to the Finger lakes in NY where my grandparents had a cottage. Other than that My husband and I have gone to Niagara Falls for our anniversary, It’s very cold in December but sooo beautiful; and Pittsburgh to visit family. Some day I would love to take our growing family to a beach; I have never seen the ocean.
I’m in upstate NY now, have lived in Georgia and California as well and traveled in between the three. Not much outside of the US though. The thing I like most about traveling is the perspective I get from being in different places, with different cultures, different people, different weather, different accents, different sites, different…and the tolerance of differences that inevitably comes from all of the above!
I am in California. I have traveled to most of the western states and some of Europe. I enjoyed the national parks and museums most.
Love Rhineland Farm but haven’t tried their dryer balls yet.
I live in the beautiful state of Virginia but I was born in Alabama. Being raised an Army brat we moved frequently, about every 2-3 years. The states I lived in growing up are Florida, Georgia, Iowa (big culture shock for us Southerners!), Illinois and Kansas. We also traveled a lot for family road trips and camping and I have been in just about every state east of Nebraska except for the upper east coast like Maine. My three siblings and I were homeschooled so if my dad had to go on a short trip out of state we would just pack up and go with him. I really want to see the western states some day and would love to take my kids out there.
The biggest culture shock of all though came when I was 17 and my dad received orders for Sagamihara, Japan. It was an experience I will never forget: riding the train into Tokyo to go shopping, random kids walking up and wanting to share their 3 sentences of English. lol And the food! Every time I’m pregnant now I crave food that I have no way of getting over here like soup from the noodle house right outside our base. I lived there for a year and a half until I met my husband (online, and yes I was 18 😉 ) and moved back to live with him in Ohio. Right before the birth of our first child we decided Virginia was the place for us and we have been here for 10 years. As much as I love it here it’s been a little hard for me, I get that itch to move every couple of years, to go find new adventures in new places.
I think the biggest thing I learned from growing up all over is that when it comes down to it we’re all not that different and not to judge someone based on how different they may appear from you.
(wow, that kind of turned into a novel!)
I live in northern Minnesota so traveling is almost a necessity. I have traveled to different parts of the US and have also been to Puerto Rico and both coasts of Mexico. One of my sisters is moving in the next few weeks to Sacramento, CA so that will be on my target for a future traveling adventure.
One of the things I have learned while traveling is that the majority of people are consistently friendly when you are visiting an area…whether it is a touristy area or a few towns over. This helps me remember to smile and/or laugh over things that aren’t necessities in our life.
I currently live or should I say stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska! I have learned many things since moving here! 1. Your windshield WILL be broken because of gravel on the roads during the winter and 2. Moose own the roads here! lol
Since my husband is in the Air Force we have lived in Delaware (where I am from) not much there! lol, United Kingdom (England) stores close very early and the whole driving on the otherside of the road thing is just weird! lol, and North Carolina which was nice because we made trips out to my in laws farm in the mountains.
I am in Ottawa currently, but originally from Nova Scotia. I’ve been to all provinces in between, as well as a visit to the Vancouver area and several states. I dream of traveling anywhere and everywhere, starting with Europe. I love history and learning about different cultures, so I really want to experience some of that in person. Someday, when my kids are older and that money tree starts to grow… 😉
I am in Ohio, USA and have been for 30 years. I have also lived in North Carolina. I have only traveled within the USA, mostly east coast and the south. I have loved the places I have visited but have learned that being content where you are is important. If you can’t find a way to be at peace where you are you will never be content anywhere else.
I live in Northern NY, on the Canadian border. I’ve been to most of the states on the east coast as well as Tennessee, Alaska, and Canada. I’d love to visit Ireland someday. I’ve enjoyed hearing different accents and learning about different customs and traditions in different areas.
I am currently in Idaho and my traveling has been limited to PA, the airports between ID and PA and states around ID and PA. I’ve learned that even with in the same country we differ quite a bit.
shared on facebook 🙂
tweeted!
I am in Ohio. I have been all over the continental United States, parts of Canada, and to Mexico.
I currently live in New Mexico, but I have traveled all over the country.
I shared this blog post on Facebook.
I am in st. mary’s county MD 🙂 & my fav place that I have traveled so far has been st. maarten for my honeymoon!
Which part of northern MN? I’m from the Roseau “area” originally.
I shared on facebok.
Im in indiana right now. Ive lived here most of my life but I also lived in colorado, wisconsin, and iowa…I lived other places but I dont remember them.
Ive visted a few places besides where I lived. Disney World, Tennessee , black hills and minnesota.
I currently live in central MN. I haven’t really been too many places, but my highlights of travel have been vacation to San Francisco, road trip through 6 states on east coast, x-mas in Florida one year, and of course my honeymoon spent training in New Jersey and deployment to Iraq.
I have learned that there is something beautiful in each place regardless of the reason we’re there.
vt is where i am.and i shared on facebook today
I tweeted the giveaway!
I’m living in Singapore now, but I’ve also lived in the US and in the UK…and am thinking of relocating to Australia. One thing I’ve learned is that everybody, everywhere is a little bit racist – and the people are are the worst bigots are usually the ones who take the most trouble to be politically correct!
I shared this post on facebook
I emailed this blog link to some of my friends.
I spent most of my life in Texas and the mid-south. The majority of it, about 35 years, in one town. Then my life changed in 2000. I met a wonderful man and moved to NE PA. Since then his job has transferred us to GA, MA and now AR. I am so thankful for the opportunities we have had to travel. I have seen the ocean, shoveled snow, seen VT in the Fall, been to Maine, Washington DC, and being history buffs we have visited Gettysburg and so many places in MA..Concord, Lexington, Walden’s Pond, etc. My dream is that we get to travel on the West Coast some day.
I’m in Maryland now (near DC). I grew up in rural West Virginia (what a difference!) Luckily they are close enough that I can travel back and forth- I get the best of both worlds in that sense. I traveled to Hong Kong as a child, where I learned what it was like to be the only English speaking/white kid at the park. What a wonderful and invaluable experience! As a teenager, I went to San Juan, Puerto Rico on a mission trip and helped in a church nursery- where there were 4 woman in a room with 25 cribs of crying babies. =( Not enough hugs to go around. Talk about learning to appreciate how good we have it here. Lastly, I’ve traveled to Halifax, Canada. I traveled with my in-laws (the 2nd time I met them) and we shared a small room on the boat. My lesson learned- the sacredness of personal space! Haha!
I had a few friends round to tea and I showed them some of the cloth pads I’d ordered from homestead emporium and gave them the website address so that they could look it up when they got home.
I currently live in Ohio which is were I was born and raised. I have travel to many states in the USA. I have traveled to Canada and Mexico. As well as Europe. Most with my parents as a child/teenager.
Now that I have children – I want to show them the world. I want so show them different place, different people and difficult cultures. I want to show them the beauty in the world!
I live in Singapore and have travelled to different countries in the world. Singapore is a tiny island, so we are used to taking a plane, if we are to get anywhere at all.
One thing that I learn from travelling is to always speak to the person next to you. You never know what you will learn- I’ve experienced Japanese Noh theatre, received wise career advice, seen into the life of a weather-beaten South African geologist, just by taking the initiative to say hello, indulge my curiousity and make a friend.
I’m recently married and dealing with newly married excess in laundry. I’d love dryer balls!
I live is Saskatchewan, Canada where it is COLD! We are having a winter storm and there is about a foot of snow that fell today. Brr…
I have been down to Mexico, and to Utah, both vehicular travel, no flights for me yet!
I also shared this on Facebook. I’d love to win these dryer balls! I gave up fabric softener years ago, but would like to have my soft material back without the chemicals and harshness 🙂
North Dakota is the place for me! I have traveled as far as Spain and Morocco. What did I learn? Do not travel overseas the week after being hospitalized for dehydration! 🙂
I live in Langley, BC, but have been in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. I have also visited Washington, Idaho, Michigan, New York and Florida. I have been to Germany (3 months on a student exchange) and Paris, France. I would like to visit many more countries!
“Where in the world are you now, and where else have you traveled? If you’re so inclined, share what you’ve learned from what you’ve seen/done while traveling!”
I’m in Victoria, BC currently, but I moved here almost 3 years ago (3 years as of the 21st) from Orlando, FL. My husband and I drove in our van across the US going up the east coast and then westward…the trip took us 7 weeks through 19 states, and we visited with friends and family and saw a number of sights. I’ve also been to Montreal which is where I was born, and to England on our honeymoon. I’ve been to half a dozen other states over the years as well.
I live in central FL. I’ve been to numerous States, Canada, Mexico, Haiti, New Zealand and Ausralia. I dream of a life traveling.
I live in Maryland just out side DC. I’ve lived in the DC area my whole life. I was born in Va. as well as my kids. We have traveled up and down the east coast. I’ve also been to Az and Nevada.
I’m in the southern U.S. I’ve traveled different parts of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the British Isles, and Alaska. One thing that happens when you travel is sometimes things don’t turn out like you think they will. And some things pleasantly surprise you where you weren’t expecting much.
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I’m in Toronto, ON! I lived in Germany for three years and got to travel around Europe a bit. I learned that the world is much bigger than North America. 😉
Where in the world are you now, and where else have you traveled?
I am in Nebraska, I grew up in California, I have been to many states, South Dakota, Indiana, Kansas (lived here too), Missouri, Oklahama, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, Florida, And some more but can’t think of them. 🙂 LOL
I’m from Alaska and currently living in Pennsylvania! I’ve traveled all over the US. When I was 18 I drove from Alaska to Pennsylvania with a friend and it was great. I just wish I had more time for that trip (we did it in a week). I’ve been to PG in BC to visit some dear friends and hope to come back to Canada soon. I loved it there. 🙂
I’d also love to travel go Greece, Germany and Ireland. Perhaps when our children are grown… 🙂
I think the greatest lesson from my travels is that you need to learn to go with the flow, it doesn’t’ always go as planned but thats okay… just let go and enjoy the ride…
I tweeted your blog post 🙂
i call connecticut home, and have for the majority of my life. i have traveled to all corners of the united states and parts of canada, by road and by plane.
I’m in Atlanta (well, technically Acworth). I’ve traveled around the the UK (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Ireland, Italy, Austria, and Hungary, all while in my teens. Mostly I learned that it’s easy to get served in a bar and that every teenager in the world, regardless of his/her first language, knows the F word.
Northern BC. I have traveled to Mexico, Austria, Vegas and New York so far!
We move every 3 yrs. My husband has been in the Military for 9 years now. So far the biggest move for us has been from Cali to Utah. What a culture shock!
I am in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in northern California and also lived in the valley and central coast of CA before moving here six years ago.