health

Fair Trade and Home Decor

Robert Borneff Marketing March 16, 2017March 16, 2017consumer, environment, health, responsibility 0 Comment

In times when one food scandal chases the next one and when the news is covered with reports about miserable working conditions and accident disasters in various countries of textile and furniture manufacturing, consumers are increasingly unsettled.

The Movement

“Good” products are no longer measured by their attributes, but by the stories they tell and their socio economic footprint. Trust is not a given fact, but has to be developed continuously and through transparency companies can establish confidence among their customers. What emerges is a new type of critical customer that knows his power in a world of sharing and social media. The closer a product is to the body, the more sensitive the customer reacts.

The movement of “Fair Trade” is growing globally. It is the need for certified products in which people can believe in. On the one hand, because it is important where products and their components come from. On the other hand, it also matters that there was value added in the region of production. Environmental protection, resource efficiency and corporate social responsibility change the economic system in the long term. Growth in the future will be generated by a new mix of economy, ecology and social commitment. Certainly this also opens a multitude of possibilities for cheating and the fake environmental promotion (Green washing). That subject will be left for another post here on Jazzy Jobber.

The Opportunity

For a long time Fair Trade products were limited to crafts and coffee, but as the Wall Street Journal recognizes in an article in 2015, “Fair Trade becomes a Fashion Trend”. And by the way, it’s not just fashion, but also home decor.

For companies in the Home Decor industry working with fair trade products may be a way to be different from the competition. It also shows that the company cares about social standards and sustainability. This can lead to gaining new customers who appreciate the added value of Fair Trade products. Last but not least, Fair Trade is an interesting growth market and the demand for fair trade products is rising.

Sources:

Fair Trade – Von der Nische zum Trend; Zukunftsinstitut 2016

https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/artikel/fair-trade-von-der-nische-zum-trend/

“Fair Trade“ becomes a Fashion Trend; The Wall Street Journal 2015

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fair-trade-becomes-a-fashion-trend-1436307440

“Mahlzeit “ – About Sharing Meals

Robert Borneff Lifestyle March 14, 2017cooking, happiness, health, kids furniture 0 Comment

It is better to build a longer table than a taller fence. Unknown

There is a piece of furniture in most homes that experienced a change of importance over the the last decades. It’s very often found in the kitchen but in a lot of cases there is a whole room dedicated to it. At some point it was the control room of a family, a place where most important decisions were made. Over the years it has lost its importance and has been degraded to a playing area or a storage place for paper and other stuff.

I am talking about the dinner table. Not so long ago that was the place where the family met, up to three times a day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am the offspring of one of those families growing up the in seventies and eighties in Germany. We did not only have breakfast together every day before school. No, my mom cooked every day a meal for lunch, because my dad came home from work, and in the evening we gathered again around the same table for Brotzeit. I continue to strive to spend many mealtimes during the week and especially on the weekends with my wife and three children.

Nowadays it looks like this is the exception to the rule. According to a survey of Department of Health and Human Services in 2011 -2012 fewer than half of Americans eat meals daily with their families. That makes sense. Everybody including children are more independent now. Schedules are tight. Grabbing a bite (mostly fast food) is quite simple. But what’s the price families pay for that convenience?

Here are some benefits to consider:

Eating at home is normally healthier than eating out
Eating together means eating slower, recognizing earlier when to stop
Family dinners promote better communication skills in children and adults
Eating together teaches social skills, helping children to interact with peers
Sharing meals supports creativity and critical thinking

But eating together is not only beneficial for children:

Eating lunch in the office together supports the team culture and morale
Sharing meals brings people together and invites the exchange of ideas
Doing business over a meal is more convenient than in an office
Inviting strangers to share a meal creates friendship and tolerance
Sharing meals nurtures the mind and the soul and supports happiness

So the next time you are up for a meal think about if you want to munch something all by yourself, or if you should ask that person near you if they would like to eat with you. “Mahlzeit”

Source:

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/ChildrensFoodEnvironment.pdf

Snooze to be well

Robert Borneff Lifestyle February 14, 2017happiness, health, lifestyle, simple living 0 Comment

How are you? Are you feeling good today? Did you have a good night sleep? We all know that sleeping enough is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It can benefit your heart, your body, your mind and much, much, more. You can even learn better when you sleep enough, because your brain strengthens and retains memories that you gained while you were awake. That means the presentation or the music piece you practiced in the evening will turn out better in the morning. People that don’t sleep enough can even become depressive. In summary, we can say that a good day starts the night before.

But many of us don’t get enough sleep. The days are just not long enough. Long working hours, late night travelling, personal stress, and small children are all factors that keep our beds empty at night. Personally I am not a friend of sleeping pills and that’s why I looked for alternative ways to help me fall to sleep:

Don’t push too hard

Very often sensitive and well disciplined people tend to ponder about falling to sleep. If you think about falling to sleep, you are already standing in your own way. Just let the sandman come whenever he is ready. This works when you are tired, but not if you need to sleep, because you need to get up early the next day.

Night time routines

It may help to adapt some habits which have to be repeated every night. This way the body gets used to the ceremony of going to bed. Writing a diary could be helpful. The imagination of being at the beach or elsewhere on vacation while laying in bed may also work. Even a routine of reading before falling to sleep is helpful, as long as it is short. Works for me!

Be a Night Warrior

If you have a hard time sleeping, don’t go to bed until you are really tired. With a couple of short nights you may find better sleep in a couple of days. Always a good one!

Important: No TV in the bedroom! The blue screen light prevents deep sleep.

Take it as it is

Some people always sleep well, others don’t. People that accept that they are not like a groundhog often have less stress about sleeping. I have adapted to the fact that sleeping is not my favorite thing.

Relax during the day

Don’t rack your brain with fears and sorrows during the day. Most likely they will follow you to bed. End your day being assured that you have done all, what you could do. For me this works only, when I am not too nervous about the challenges ahead. What then helps me is Reiki and things are much better.

Change the game – Think Positive

Switch from worrying to problem solving. When your head is busy finding solutions, there is less room for worry. The negative effect that prevents sleep gets buffered by the problem solving thoughts.

To master this switch it helps to appreciate your daily accomplishments. Regarding the undone things you should have a plan to get you in a positive prevailing mood. Don’t bring unwished business home with you mentally.

Don’t drink too much

Low quantities of alcohol support sleep, but too much will prevent deep sleep and wake you up in the middle of the night. People over 40 like me should generally stop drinking before going to bed to avoid numerous trips to the bathroom.

And now it is time for

Good Night…

Source: Welt N24; So schlafen Sie abends besser ein; 07.26.2016

Sustainable Living

Robert Borneff Lifestyle April 30, 2015January 25, 2017environment, health, Living, sustainable 0 Comment

There is a lot of talk about sustainability in the past years. What is sustainable? And how do we measure it? Is it really only about nature and endangered species?

As a forester I am following the discussion about sustainable forestry for more than 15 years.

A core question is: How can you responsibly use wood for construction, woodworking, furniture and even paper products, without damaging or destroying valuable ecosystems?

Wood is one of the few building materials that can grow back providing beautiful forests (unlike concrete, steel, Aluminum, plastic). If used locally, it has one of the lowest carbon footprints. And finally, if wood is not treated with dangerous chemicals, it can be easily reused and recycled.

Independent from the question of how to provide a reliable system that guarantees sustainable forestry it’s interesting to note that most people in our society are not directly connected with this subject. It’s about wild animals, swamps, nice mountains but not about daily life. I want to discuss here, how sustainable living has an influence on most people every day, no matter if they live in the city or in the country.

The Movement

The Opportunity

It is better to build a longer table than a taller fence. Unknown

Don’t push too hard

Night time routines

Be a Night Warrior

Take it as it is

Relax during the day

Change the game – Think Positive

Don’t drink too much