I haven’t blogged in far too long, not sure why but I’m about to break the silence with a holiday story. A few weeks ago a good friend of mine and I decided to finally visit a nearby warehouse whose specialty is selling everything one can possibly imagine to create the perfectly decorated holiday home, something I secretly aspire to do.  For example, there are aisles and aisles full of ribbons, faux flowers, branches dripping with faux ice, birds, ornaments, lights, baskets and on and on. We are both design savvy people, but we couldn’t seem to get our act together and left, overwhelmed, without purchasing anything. We decided, in Mary’s words, that we like to design in a more natural (meaning with accessories mimicking nature) way. So before having lunch we visited a shop we both admire and perused the tasteful items on display. What caught my eye was tucked under a display table. There on the floor lay the antlered head of a deer–not a real deer, but a resin reindeer head–which looked as if it had been carved out of wood. We didn’t buy anything but decided that we had enough inspiration to go home, pull out what we already owned and have a lovely Christmas. Well days went by and I kept thinking about the unusual deer under the table. I told my sixteen year old daughter about it and she thought it sounded very Abercrombie, like something I should buy. So that evening I called the store–they were still open and the deer hadn’t been sold. I asked my husband to drive with me and see what he thought. So we sped over, flew in the back door of the shop–I couldn’t bear it if they closed–and I showed him the amazing antlered head. He was slightly puzzled but agreed to hold it up against the wall so I could envision it better. What a guy, holding the ungainly object up, when wham, off came an antler and in the blink of an eye, the head crashed down on Eric’s feet.  The antler that fell sustained a crack and Eric’s ankles felt like he had taken two slapshot pucks against them.  Can you believe that I still wanted the damaged deer?  But I did and we now own it (at a discount) and my daughters think that it’s a scary looking thing that they don’t want in the house.  Thank goodness the shop owner said it was an indoor/outdoor deer, because now that it’s fixed, it has been hung up on the front porch and festooned with lights–like everything else around here this holiday season.  Guess who needed the icepacks in this story??!  Happy Holidays!

My husband and I and two of our daughters had the chance to get away from this crazy winter for a week in the Caribbean. Eighty six degrees and sunny felt great after the endless snow storms and freezing temperatures we’ve had this winter! Somehow I managed to do some stupid things to my back on this trip that required a lot of Paradice icing time! First, when we landed, I helped one of my daughters by carrying her duffel bag. She packed the heaviest bag I’ve ever lifted (who knew bikinis and sundresses weighed anything?) and I yanked something in my back immediately! At the car rental we picked a Jeep Cherokee to travel around in which was very fun, but rattled my entire body on those rutted roads that we navigated to get to the most breathtaking beaches. Every time I pulled up the roof on the Jeep I felt that place in my back a little bit more (am I getting old??). I tried not to complain because it could have been worse–like yanking a back muscle shoveling snow at home instead of on vacation!

Everyone has their own morning routine which jump starts their day.  My husband and I have a morning routine that we’ve evolved over time and I love it.  We stop for coffee at Bluestone in town and over our steaming cups of coffee in the gentle semi darkness of the cafe, check in with our fellow regulars who are also nestled into this same comfy routine!   Besides talk of how to fix the problems of the world, beginning in our own neighborhood, we discuss smaller issues that loom large at this time of year like what are the top five stocking stuffer ideas for the holidays.  Besides wine, gift certificates to  Whole Foods, and cashmere socks, we think that Paradice ice packs should be on that list for loved ones who need ice therapy for relief.  Even though it was below 20 degrees this morning, my husband still had his P300 cuff on his swollen knee under his khaki pants as we walked in an ordered the usual–small coffee, small cappuccino to go!

An unsolicited testimonial from a repeat customer:

“sorry for the delay responding…absolutely use my comments without my name, etc.   I will actually be buying more of these…then I will be able to keep my ice packs for myself!   They really are wonderful and I wish you would sell them on QVC again, or HSN.    Until you actually USE the ice pack you don’t get the real understanding of how good they are.   A friend borrowed mine recently because she could not let anything heavy touch her skin, it was so painful.  These ice packs were so light to her body they never bothered her.   Personally I think the ones you can slip on your arm/leg (or arm for a large person) are amazing.   I knit a lot and at times my forearm aches, so I slip the arm one on and it just cools my muscle enough to stop the ache.   WONDERFUL product.   everyone should stock them!!!!!!”

THANKS to our customer and the many others who send us these emails! Happy Holidays to All!

I was in Maryland a few weekends ago at a lacrosse tournament for my daughter and one morning at breakfast I was greeted by another mom at an adjacent table who called out, “I know you, you’re the icepack lady.”  We had met at a soccer tournament/breast cancer fundraiser where she had purchased our icepacks.  She then gave me a rundown on how each member of her family was doing with injuries, aches and pains and how ParadiceTM is helping!  It’s funny in a way that this feedback is coming in now (I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv!) and quite gratifying that our product is helping people who can benefit from cold therapy.  As holiday shopping season begins, here are some recent comments that have been sent to us from repeat customers.  Mary Beth Bevan wrote “I love your packs!!!  I ice my Achilles tendons after I run, my husband does his knees, and my kids use them for their ankles after soccer.  I’m back to order more for Christmas presents for friends and family. Great product!” Another customer is sending icepacks to her brother across the country because they worked for her.  This is great news folks, the icepack lady is loving to hear this cheering news.

We’re already halfway through the summer and by any measure this has been a hot one! A few years ago I had two proposals to decide between; one, install central air conditioning or two, install solar panels on the roof. We decided that we could live without the A.C. and could tough out the handful of dog days of summer. So we went with the green alternative and now generate a lot of energy with our solar panels. But this summer has been a challenge. Working outside designing and building residential gardens, it gets hot!  At night, I can feel my body releasing the trapped heat of the day.  I’ve discovered a great new use for my Paradice icepacks, though!  A perfect, cold buddy for falling asleep at night in the heat, they have become my portable A.C. pack! The cold dry fabric pack gives off enough cooling power to make the unbearable bearable until I drift off to sleep!  A pair of P150 cuffs slipped onto my feet, or the 6×9 flatpack on my head, I’ve found the way to chill this summer!!  P.S. Check out our mention in the August issue of Self Magazine on page 76–We certainly are a COOL AID and FROZEN TREAT!!

Every day as I go online to read my e-mails, I allow myself to get sidetracked and read celebrity news headlines or breaking news headlines, then I finally get down to business. Lately I’m reading a lot of USA Today info about exercise and leading sports injuries.  I’m shocked to learn that only 40% of all Americans are getting enough exercise. Come on people–how can we sit here and complain about health care and drug companies, as we become more and more dependent upon them,  when we each have the power to make ourselves healthier by MOVING our bodies a little more often?? Of course I’m being simplistic and yet not really since most great change begins in a small way. Maybe we should all make a renewed commitment to exercise this Spring as it remains a powerful way to express our independent American spirit.  As our mentors have said, actions speak louder than words!

Today I have been sorting through boxes of photographs, and what has stood out for me is how young my youngest daughter was when we began developing Paradice icepacks.  I came across a picture of her stretching up on her toes and craning her neck to get a look at an assortment of icepack prototypes that I had sewn in hot green fabric that were set out on the kitchen countertop.  The icepacks and the kitchen show up in many of the photos I’m looking through today.  There is the kitchen table on Mother’s day–set for me with a delicious lunch and homemade cards and presents (created by that same grinning little one, her sisters and her Dad).  Then there is a great photo of her big sister with two icepacks tied with a scarf against her jaws on the day her wisdom teeth were pulled. (She would be so mad if I showed anyone that picture!!). I even found a photo of our dog with an icepack on his leg after he had his knee rebuilt. This family and our icepack have come a long way since these photos in front of me. Today, many other families are opening their freezers and grabbing the family friendly solution to cold therapy that we started here in our kitchen.  I love my kitchen and all the great stuff that happens in it!

My friend Jessica is a prolific writer and blogger.  Yesterday I caught up with her blog and learned that her husband recently took a spill on an icy sidewalk and ended up in the hospital for emergency surgery.  Here is our email exchange:

Jessica, thanks for keeping me posted about your blog, I enjoy reading it!  I’m sorry to hear that your husband broke his ankle!  I hope he’s doing well.  He should try one of our ice packs for his ankle–Grove Pharmacy has them in stock or I could get one to you.  (then you could blog about it and we would become rich and famous and instead of hanging out at Egan’s we could be relaxing in St. Bart’s on the beach!)  The great thing about them is you can treat your injury in bed with no mess.  I know because I tore a ligament in my foot last winter and would fall asleep every night with one of our ice cuffs around my throbbing foot until it finally healed.  ANYWAY… hope all is well and we should all do another Moms night out soon.

Jessica replied:  As fate would have it, we received a Paradice pack as a get well gift from one of your Montclair fans.  If I ever have time to write again, I just may blog about it—although I’m sorry to say that my small blog audience will not land us in St. Barts.  Maybe the Short Hills Hilton if we’re lucky.  Also, I know that my son has landed at your home at least once since we dined that night.  So thanks for having him.