Congratulations to Amber King, Alison Ford and Hilary Scurlock!:

They are the lucky winners of the Crypton products available in the Dwell 2010 Holiday Sweepstakes. Enjoy your Throver, Power Lines Shopper and Multi-Plex Pillow!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the contest. Please check back soon for more opportunities to enter to win Crypton products.

Hanging out with a famous dog expert and her muse

What, exactly, is an expert? An expert can hold impressive advanced degrees from prestigious institutions of higher learning – or s/he can be someone just like you and me, with a wealth of knowledge gained from everyday experience. At the end of the day, experts are ordinary people with a passion. What motivates them to educate themselves on a particular topic? Something dear to them.

Moms, for instance, are experts on child care, because they love their kids and want only the best for them. By caring for children every day, Moms become very, very knowledgeable – and if they’re generous, they’ll gladly pass along what they’ve learned to their public, i.e. the people they cross paths with every day. Of course, some everyday experts have a wider public than most.

Case in point: Beth Ostrosky Stern, wife of radio top dog Howard Stern. “Animals are my life,” says Beth, who has been rescuing, adopting, and sharing her life with critters since childhood. Those years of experience have made her an expert on the subject of dogs. Now, she’s sharing what she knows in her first book, “Oh My Dog: How to Choose, Train, Groom, Nurture, Feed, and Care for Your New Best Friend,” which the couple’s millions of fans have helped make an instant best-seller.

Beth spends a lot of energy and time making the life of Bianca, her beloved Bulldog, the happiest and longest it can possibly be. Mindful that not all dogs are as fortunate as Bianca, Beth also tirelessly advocates on behalf of the adoptable mutts at North Shore Animal League America, where she serves as celebrity spokesperson. Beth ran the 2009 NYC Marathon to raise funds for North Shore, and is generously donating a portion of her book’s proceeds to the shelter. 

Every author needs a muse, and beauteous Bianca is happy to fulfill that role. The job description is simple: Lie down on the job, often! To keep her muse comfortable, indoors as well as out, Beth provides the blessed Bulldog with many plush dog beds for her napping enjoyment. Oh My Dog!

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Healthystuff.org a non-profit environmental research organization, recently revealed the results of its first-ever study of pet products. Researchers at Michigan’s Ecology Center used an X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer to examine over 400 pet products for hazardous chemicals. The findings showed that many mass-produced pet products – especially dog beds – are treated with brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which a 2007 EPA study linked to hyperthyroidism in cats.

All this is eye-opening and frightening, and it means that animal lovers need to take precautions when purchasing items for the most vulnerable consumers: pets. This news is particularly upsetting to animal lovers with kids, who often snuggle up on the family dog’s bed right alongside Spot.

We believe that kids should cuddle up with dogs at every opportunity – and that pets should not have to nest on bedding that emits toxic substances as they sleep! Here’s just one more reason to love Crypton dog beds Crypton’s green technology ensures that your dog will rest his or her head on the safest, most stylish dog bed available – no BFRs here.

healthystuff.org urges concerned parents (of kids as well as pets) to support federal regulatory reform that would require manufacturers to take responsibility for their products’ safety. Until our government requires companies to take responsibility, it’s nice to know some have their priorities straight. For proving that high-tech does not have to mean harmful … kudos, Crypton.

Posted by Julia Szabo.