After purchasing a small buckwheat pillow and falling in love with it, I set out to make my own standard sized (20×26″) buckwheat pillow. This pillow ultimately became the first Hullo buckwheat pillow prototype. I quickly found high-quality fabrics and tons of different tough-looking zippers, but locating bulk buckwheat hulls proved to be very time consuming.Buckwheat hulls are available in many different varieties and qualities. My goal was simple: find the best ones for use in a pillow.Firstly, I narrowed the search considerably by considering only USA produced buckwheat hulls. Our company, Hulltex, is American. It’s very important to us that we support locally owned farms and companies, particularly during these challenging economic times.China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and and several other eastern european countries are big exporters of buckwheat. There are certainly good prices to be found, but they are typically not produced using the same high standards exercised in the USA.
Manufacturers of buckwheat pillows that utilize imported buckwheat hulls will frequently advertise their hulls as having been “roasted.” This term refers to a process required by the US government to remove any potential contaminants the product might contain prior to being distributed to American markets; it prevents the spread of plant pests and diseases. The hulls are subjected to high heat, which eliminates some of their moisture content, making them a bit more brittle, dusty and prone to flattening out.I ordered our first sample buckwheat hulls thinking that they’d be perfect. They were certified organic and very cheap! When they arrived in the mail my high hopes were dashed. The hulls were all crushed flat and broken into many small pieces. So what’s wrong with that? A few things:Some marketers of buckwheat pillows try to use this characteristic to their advantage claiming that they’ve been “pre-flattened” or “polished.” It’s our belief that intact hulls are far superior, but there are two distinct, albeit small, advantages to crushed buckwheat hulls:My second sample of buckwheat hulls wasn’t much more successful than the first.
Another certified organic variety with a very high price tag arrived at my door step. I tore into the package and was immediately disappointed to see the tiny little hulls contained. While completely intact, they were shriveled-appearing compared to some of the larger varieties typically used in buckwheat pillows. Being so small, these were much more dense; they were heavier and restricted air flow much like the crushed buckwheat hulls in my first sample.I got a several other samples with similar issues-they were less than ideal for one reason or another. Finally a sample came that was perfect… well almost. The buckwheat hulls were:The one catch was that they weren’t certified organic. After pouring through available data, I determined that it was of little importance that the buckwheat hulls be certified. Buckwheat grows well without requiring noxious fertilizers or pesticides so it is most often very close to the definition of organic without actually being certified organic.In the end, it wasn’t a difficult decision.
I decided that it was better to use buckwheat hulls with superior physical characteristics rather than rely on the insignificant label applied to potentially inferior pillow fill.In summary, without seeing the buckwheat hulls up close in person, it’s very difficult to know what you’re getting. We’ve done that for you. If you’re in the market for buckwheat hulls for use in a pillow, look no farther. We’ve selected the best we could find and use them in every Hullo™ we ship. We guarantee you’ll agree. If you’re unhappy for whatever reason, just ship them back to us and we’ll refund you the purchase price.Utah – The parents of a toddler killed at a Utah daycare center Thursday said their son suffocated to death after an employee sat on the beanbag chair he was underneath. Leo Sanchez, who would have turned 2 next week, crawled under a beanbag at West Jordan Child Center and was there when one of the workers sat on it to read stories to the other kids, said his mother Danielle Sanchez.
Police are reviewing surveillance video, which Danielle said shows Leo climbing under the bag, where he was for five to 15 minutes before employees realized he was underneath. “How could this happen?” “He’s a big boy. How did they lose track of him? Too many kids, too much noise, overwhelmed, a bad day. Somebody dropped the ball, and now we’re going to have to bury a boy because of that.” Sgt. Joe Monson of the West Jordan Police Department called Leo’s death a “very tragic, sad accident.” “No words adequately describe the depth of the sorrow we feel,” the daycare center said in a statement released through an attorney. “And, of course, we do not pretend to understand how devastating this is for the family. We know the family well, we grieve with them and we pray that God will provide them the comfort and peace they inevitably will need.” The Department of Health is also investigating circumstances around the toddler’s death and whether the care facility is operating under the proper license, a process which takes 30 days, said department spokesperson Tom Hudachko.
Hudachko said the daycare center has not had any reported, significant infractions over the past five years. Leo would have turned 2 on Sept. 17, the day his parents now plan to hold his funeral. “I dropped him off at daycare not realizing I would never be able to hold him again or kiss him or have my Leo back,” Danielle said. Leo’s father, Dan Sanchez, said something needs to change at the daycare and other parents and caregivers should be aware that something like this could happen. “Be aware,” he said. “Have knowledge and some accountability.” Neighbors of the facility said they have noticed problems, including incidents of children not being properly supervised, in the past. At least two parents of other children at the daycare said they have had concerns and are now trying to find alternative options for childcare.Unique New Finds For Spring When you open and use a my pier 1 rewards cobalt credit card Pier 1 ♥sYou Month