Visit the links above to learn more about all the amazing things the San Francisco Sustainable Fashion Week is doing and buy your tickets for the Brunch and Swap above!

Watching the young women at work in the cooperative brings me to reminiscing about the days when I was in high school, wide eyed and eager to learn a new trait. I was around the same age when I began my journey with Sweet Dreams. In all honesty, Sweet Dreams allowed me to find my career focus in the fashion field of study.

One of the major beauties through looking around the room is the apparent diversity, in language, culture and background. In this city, San Francisco, people from all around the world and neighboring states flock to this place because there is nothing like it. San Francisco is a sanctuary for many families from all over. The amount of learning from different cultures is within every corner you turn. Let alone in the room I sit in writing this, there is a plethora of exposure to culture. This is where my sanctuary is, can you describe or visualize yours?

Comment below!

1) Stay hydrated WATER, WATER, WATER!

Drinking water and keeping your body hydrated helps reduce the frequency of sudden anxiety attacks. When in a state of dehydration, anxiety kicks in due to cells relaying to the brain about the deficiency thus, leading to intense feelings of anxiety  and panic.

2) The Power of Herbs

We all know plants work wonders to keep the body at its best, in particular mint, menthol and lavender which relaxes the muscles and calms nerves. Putting these scents under the nose and taking a deep breath can relieve stressors. Drinking mint, menthol or passion flower in a form of tea can induce tranquility and help you sleep.

3) Vitamins

Adding Magnesium aids blood flow and positively affects nerve health, while vitamin B-12 and 5-HTP fuses melatonin and serotonin to quiet an over active mind and help with sleep.

4) Stay Away

Leave behind the caffeine and alcohol which dehydrates your body, increases anxiety and reduces serotonin in the brain causing depression and irritability.

5) Meditation

Being in a state of meditation allows ones breathing to slow and deepen, a technique often to relieve anxiety due to people breathing too shallow and too quickly. Excising meditation also allows for the thought process to not be consumed by anxiousness, clears the mind of clutter to allow inner peace and tranquility.

Its summer here in San Francisco and the warm air is filled with the scent of wet cement, trees and ocean air. Since childhood this is what reminds me of summer. Climbing on the playground and going to the beach on class field trips is how I spent my days.

“A number of behavioral studies have demonstrated that smells trigger more vivid emotional memories and are better at inducing that feeling of “being brought back in time” than images”-Jordan Lewis, Psychology Today.

Scientists also found that scents evoke more brain activity in areas devoted to visual vividness.

This is why taking yourself back to wonderful memories is so important for your being. For instance, as of right now the girls in the co-op are filling the lavender eye pillows, which reminds me of the time I went to a farm in Half Moon Bay to cut lavender. I can vividly take myself back to sitting on the cold dirt ground and using a machete to cut the lavender from its bush. There were several bees buzzing past me as i cut the plant, but the cacophony of sound was so calming and the lavender scent was so relaxing i forgot i was working. It was pure pleasure working on the farm at 10 am.

What scent brings you back in time? comment below we’d love to hear your stories!

-Stay dreaming Sweet Dreamers

Sweet Dreams prepares young women to enter the workforce, as thoughtful leaders by providing hands-on experience in running a product-based sewing business. Participants manage all aspects of Sweet Dreams, including financial management, and production management. Sweet Dreams was developed as a complementary program to Turning Heads Sewing & Fashion, a nonprofit that teaches young women vocational sewing skills. Our vision is to develop “makers” and entrepreneurs and as a result, empower young women to define their future.

Sweet Dreams Cooperative has had much support from local businesses as well as local community members who believe in sustaining creative self growth. Due to persistence and the will to continue to thrive Sweet Dreams Cooperative has reached as far as Sacramento and Serbastopol. Check out our website!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sweet-dreams-empowering-young-women#/

“The Chinese may have been one of the first cultures to use aromatic plants for well-being. Their practices involved burning incense to help create harmony and balance.

Later, the Egyptians invented a rudimentary distillation machine that allowed for the crude extraction of cedarwood oil. It is also thought by some that Persia and India may have also invented crude distillation machines, but very little is known” (Julia Lawless 1995)

Aromatherapy uses plants and essential oils to alter the psychological and physical well being. When used correctly, the healing provided by the plants can benefit one tremendously. For instance, lavender has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and even improve insomnia. Our Dream pillows and Eye pillows help with just that! After a hard days work or week, one just needs to unwind and placing one of these pillows over the eyes can help alleviate the stress of your day. Tell us what your favorite unwinding scent is!

  We haven’t posted in quite a while but we are back to let you know we are still here in case you forgot about us. We are working this summer on exciting new projects and are really looking forward to Father’s Day, which is around the corner! If you haven’t thought about what present to give the father figure in your life, think about the limited edition silky lavender eye pillows or warm neck pillows for his long day after work!

Hello, it’s good to be back keeping our lovely friends updated with business.

Make sure to keep an Eye out! Sweet Dream’s Yoga  Mat Bags were part of a shoot for Yoga Journal and  may be featured on the cover of their magazine. All of the members were excited to be presented with an amazing opportunity to introduce our other amazing products to the world. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Love is just around the corner. Need a present? We have the perfect thing! (heeheehee love my pick up line?)

Lavender Eye Pillows(Cotton or Satin) are still a great present. We are currently limited on our Reds. Why not gift their favorite color?

Zip Cases are always nice to have around. They are extremely convenient.

The possibilities are endless!

We would like to wish you a good New Year and a sweet Valentine’s Day.

We are here for you all.

Anything you want to hear about? Feel free to comment.