Sunday, October 30, 2011

Made With Love Sponsor Spotlight: WOOLY ROUNDS

 
I am excited to introduce you to WOOLY ROUNDS and your dryers new best friend! WOOLY ROUNDS are felted balls of wool made by creator and owner Cyndi. They are handmade, using 100% wool from a historic mill in Maine and come in natural colors or in beautifully dyed shades. WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls are a wonderful, eco-friendly laundry accessory that work to circulate and separate laundry while in the dryer. They help to naturally soften laundry, reduce static and shorten drying time by about 10-25%. The more WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls you add to your dryer, the quicker your laundry dries! Simply toss 3-8 WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls into your dryer with your clean, wet laundry and they go to work to reduce drying time - which not only conserves energy, but it saves you money as well!

I was so excited when I found out that I would be able to work with Cyndi and get to know a little bit more about her and WOOLY ROUNDS! I had the opportunity to chat with Cyndi and ask her some questions about how she got started and where her inspiration comes from. I hope that you feel like you can get to know Cyndi and WOOLY ROUNDS a little bit better, just like I did!

What inspired the name, Wooly Rounds, for your shop?
The name started out as something a little different, I didn't want to use the word ball, so I ended up with WOOLY ROUNDS, since I thought it was fun and easy to say.

How long has your shop been open?
I've been in business just over 1 year.

Has your shop or items changed at all since you first opened?
When I first started, I offered only natural colors.  I really thought the people would just want natural ones, but it turns out even more people like the colorful ones.  There is something special about the colorful ones.  They really bring a smile to your face when you see those colorful balls in and amongst your dry laundry.

How long have you been making wool dryer balls? Did someone teach you or did you pick it up on your own?
I started to try and make wool dryer balls about 1 1/2 to 2 years ago.  It really is tricky to get it right.  I watched tutorials, read blogs and anything I could find online to give hints on how to make a well crafted wool dryer ball.  It was a lot of trial and error and I feel like I'm still figuring out better ways to streamline production and to craft a good quality wool dryer ball.

What inspired you to start making and selling wool dryer balls?
I knew I really wanted to start my own business and I had a different business in the works before my son came.  Since my time was limited after our son was born, I knew I had to change directions and find something else.  Making and selling wool dryer was such a perfect fit for me in my life at this point.  It was something that I could make and sell while still spending time at home.  And the best part is that I have provided something to hundreds of customers that have helped them converse energy.  Somedays I try and picture the collective amount of energy that all my customers have saved and that is a wonderful feeling.

What would be the perfect way to spend a day?
The perfect way to spend a day is to spend time with my family, being outside and sharing meals together.
 

I have really loved using my WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls! I was impressed with them from the moment I opened the package! Cyndi sent me four of her WOOLY ROUNDS to review - 2 in the dark gray and 2 in the natural. They came wrapped in a nice little linen bag and when I first opened it, I was greeted with the scent of sheep and some slightly damp dryer balls! (This actually made me smile, because it reminded me of home - I grew up with neighbors who had sheep, goats, cows, pigs, horses, peacocks and more! So, I'm used to the natural sheep scent) Once the wool dryer balls dry out, the scent of sheep is completely gone, so there is no need to worry that your laundry will smell like sheep. ;) 


I was really impressed with how tightly felted WOOLY ROUNDS were! I don't think that there is anything that could make these unravel or come apart in your dryer. They are definitely made with great care and will last a very long time. I also like knowing that since they are so tightly felted and secure, that little man can play with them without me having to worry about him figuring out how to unravel them. Little man loves helping me with laundry and is a big helper when it comes to putting thing in the dryer or taking them out. He also has a blast reaching in the dryer and grabbing the WOOLY ROUNDS to play with them!  

WOOLY ROUNDS are the perfect choice for your laundry. They are especially well suited for cloth diaper laundry (since you can't use dryer sheets on cloth diapers) and for anyone with sensitive skin or allergies to perfume in dryer sheets. WOOLY ROUNDS are chemical and fragrance free, so they are safe for your laundry and the environment! I just love that WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls are cloth diaper friendly. I normally hang my diapers outside to dry, but the hot sun here makes them pretty crispy and stiff. I love taking them inside and tossing them in the dryer on Low with the WOOLY ROUNDS for about 10 minutes - it softens them right up! Bye-bye stiff diapers, hello softness!

wet laundry and WOOLY ROUNDS going in the dryer...

nice and dry!
 
Overall, I absolutely love my WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls! With the four WOOLY ROUNDS that I have, I have noticed that my drying time has been shortened by 4-10 minutes on a normal cycle (which lasts 41 minutes). My dryer has a sensor in it, so it stops when the laundry is dry and I've made sure to take note when the dryer stops to see how long it took. I have definitely saved time on all of my dryer loads- from towels to clothes! I love it! WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls have a permanent home in my dryer! I love that I can tell that they are made with care and I love using something that is eco-friendly and helps me be more energy efficient!
WOOLY ROUNDS is one of the sponsors for the Made With Love Event (happening November 8-13) and Cyndi has generously offered one of the winners  set of 4 WOOLY ROUNDS (ARV $28.00) to tumble dry their laundry with!

This prize is up for grabs on my blog during the Made With Love Event! Be sure to come back to my blog between November 8-13 to enter for a chance to WIN this awesome prize!
 
You can connect with WOOLY ROUNDS on Facebook or Twitter and you can shop for WOOLY ROUNDS wool dryer balls on the website!


Interested in earning an extra entry into the the Made With Love Event when it starts? Visit WOOLY ROUNDS Facebook page and leave me a comment below telling me what color wool dryer ball is your favorite and if you have ever used wool dryer balls before!  When the Made With Love Event giveaway starts, you can claim your extra entry in the Rafflecopter form.


17 comments:

  1. Awesome! I have a set of wool dryer balls in my package as well. I LOVE how well they work! I wish I had learned about them sooner! Haha

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  2. I like the lake blue ones. Pretty!
    I've never used wool dryer balls, but I'd love to try!

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  3. I'm anxious to try these out! I love the light gray color.

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  4. Love the light gray! I have some wool dryer balls that I've made but I constantly need to reflect mine so they don't unravel... Pretty sure I didn't wrap my tight enough or something; they definitely don't look as good as wolly rounds!

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  5. I use dryer balls and love them! I like the natural color. :)

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  6. I have never used dryer balls (yet). I no longer use dryer sheets because of yucky chemicals, but I would DEFINITELY use wool dryer balls if I bought them (or made them since I like DIY projects).

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  7. have never heard of them but would love to try them!
    pkeintz@gmail.com

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  8. Huge fan of dryer balls and love the colors they offer.

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  9. I have never tried these! The natural ones appeal to me and I would love a mixed natural set. Then again, that blue is absolutely gorgeous too, and I suspect bright colours might be easier to find in the laundry!

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  10. Love Wooly Rounds! Awesome quality!

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  11. These would be so much better than the lop-sided dryer balls I made from stray socks!

    kaseejohnson@verizon.net

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  12. These look like they'd work great with sheets. shreve_mary(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  13. Thank you so much for the wonderful Wooly Rounds giveaway opportunity! I use cloth diapers, and would LOVE some new wool fryer balls! I am a new follower of your blog, and would love for you to come visit me at http://www.EcoCrazyMom.com. It would also be an honor if you would add your blog to my Blog Directory! You can find the Blog Directory on the dropdown under the "Bloggers" tab in the menu.

    ~Terri Babin
    @EcoCrazyMom
    EcoCrazyMom@Gmail.

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  14. I would love to try some of these! I have never used anything like that before!

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