Yoga Bags, Family, and Christmas

I?ve been on break for travels this last week, plus grading, paperwork, and time catching up with family, hence the long break from blogging.

Now, home in Montana, my brain is soaked in good food, card games, and Montana?s beautiful big skies. Blogging, or writing anything for that matter, doesn?t come easy.

Breaks are good. Academics rarely get ?true? breaks. There is always?something hanging over our heads. A friend of mine posted one of those vintage card memes recently that stated: ?I?m all caught up on everything,? said no academic, ever.

Another friend posted this:??

We?ll be going to the local (indoor) farmers? market this Saturday for those last minute gifts and I managed to buy out half of a friend?s Etsy shop. I also bought some books, some toys, and a few things definitely ?made in China.? It?s not perfect, but its a start.

My family (mostly my mother and sister) have started a local business of their own: rowve.com. My mother?s long-time hobby of sewing combined with my sister?s life as a yogini and now yoga instructor to create what we hope will be a worthwhile range of yoga bags ? from big totes (with adjustable clips for your bag to go on the exterior) to smaller, laminated (waterproof) carry-all bags with wrist straps. They?re useful for pretty much anything and everything. And best of all, they?re tough.

That?s the hard sell. As much as you?ll get from me at least.

The other factor is that they?re American-made. Finding manufacturing companies to create them here in the US was a difficult step for my mom and sister. In the end they found two companies with slightly different specs and prices and used both. One of those,??US Contract Sewing,?uscontractsewing.com, has since gone out of business. We don?t want to go overseas. Not only is it probably too big of a hassle for a small business (they personally met with the owners of the two manufacturers they did go with), but it goes against our family?s values of supporting those around us. That?s not to say we?d never go overseas ? there are many very good, ethical manufacturers out there ? but for now we really want to work with American manufacturers.

Anyhow ? that?s my bit on Rowve. Have a look at the website (sale is on until end of the day tomorrow). And support us if you need a new yoga bag; or find your perfect gift from a friend or local craftsperson near you. Here?s the real hard-sell, our yoga-model and mascot chihuahua, Milo (my sister?s 11 year-old best friend):

Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/americanbuddhist/2012/12/yoga-bags-family-and-christmas.html

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