The Sway newsletter inexplicably turns FOUR next week, and what a ride it’s been from that first email in May 2022 to 110 of my friends, family and colleagues (ILYSM) about organic cotton sheets!

I started Sway because I felt two things: 

One: An appropriate amount of outrage that the furnishings and finishes in our homes can impact our health in a negative way. Homes are sacred spaces. The things that are supposed to swaddle and serve us and our family members in our most personal and intimate environment should be made with our long-term well-being in mind. 

And two: A sense that we were talking about this issue all wrong. At industry conferences, in trade media, and from research organizations and non-profits, the dialogue around this topic was alarmist and bleak. Rightfully so: Our exposure to chemicals of concern at home is a serious societal issue. I wouldn’t be here proof-reading at midnight if I didn’t believe, with my entire being, that it is. 🙂‍↔️ But nobody wants to be afraid of what’s in their home, or feel fear or inadequacy that they have the “wrong” cleaning supplies or couch. 

With Sway, I wanted to celebrate better products and empowered choices; bring back the joy of curating pieces you love for a new home, picking paint colors for a baby’s nursery, or mattress shopping with your partner…with confidence. And excitement. There’s a reason the newsletter is called House Party!

I also wanted to make it easy for anyone to find home goods made with health in mind, without having to earn a credential in materials health, or spend 20 hours researching mattresses, 42 tabs open. Leave that to us. 

So, yes, over the past four years, we’ve covered flame retardants and formaldehyde in this newsletter, but also flop gardens. PFAS (‘til we’re blue in the face), but also playlists to set a mellow morning mooood.

Four years into this passion project and the home goods landscape looks MEANINGFULLY different than it did in 2022; just like green beauty went from niche to norm. Awareness has expanded seemingly exponentially; more and more consumer home brands have invested in organic fabrics, pursued reputable third-party certifications, and incorporated sustainable sourcing. It was slim pickens, to say the least, when it came to rounding up Sway-approved products in 2022. Not anymore. It’s exhilarating to observe this cultural shift, week by week, right here in this newsletter. 

Whether you’ve been here since issue #1 or you found Sway last month, thank you for caring about healthy homes and better made stuff. Here’s to another year: Just like Sway’s subject matter, may it continue to be a little scary, and a lot of fun. 😉

Walk with me down memory lane…I browsed four years of back issues (really) this week to pull out some favorite product picks. Some of these were popular purchases by Sway reader, others were things I couldn’t shut up about for whatever reason, and others are forever wishlist worthy. 💸

Kitchen Tiles Washable Rug, Lorena Canals: I snuck this (washable!!) rug into at least three now four issues. Lorena Canals has been a day one Sway brand. I don’t own this rug. I just love it. Think about it often. Mwah. 

Wonder Oven, Our Place: An air fryer that looks like an Easy Bake Oven, made with PFAS-free finishes? The Wonder Oven launch was a borderline watershed moment for us in 2023. 💀 There are plenty of PFAS-free cookware brands kicking around these days, but kitchen appliances still have a long road ahead.

Non-stick ceramic pans, Caraway: Caraway’s PFAS-free pans have been regular fixtures in the Sway newsletter (and my kitchen), but I’m including them for a different reason…as a reminder to myself and you to just buy the limited edition color way, if you’re loving it. I missed out on the Tan France monochrome collection at Caraway a few years ago and I’ll forever regret it. If you catch me with my eyes glazed over, staring into the ether…this is what I’m thinking about. 

LuxeWeave Linen Sheet Set, Sijo: Linen sheets have been an interesting conundrum at Sway. People really love linen, but there are relatively few options that are organic and have third-party certifications. Enter Sijo, which has both, and tops our linen sheets roundup. 

Avocado Green Mattress: Our Avocado mattress was one of my first (and best!) major “green home” purchases. Here’s a little ode to an early mover brand that made environmental sustainability and human health top priority.

Arent & Pyke, Interiors Beyond the Primary Palette: I used to include photos of interiors in every issue of the Sway newsletter, and my favorites were from Arent & Pyke, an Australia-based interior design practice. Now they’re all in a book.

Rope Taper Candles, GreenTree Home: Sway’s guide to candles in 2023 was one of the most replied to & clicked on issues we’d ever sent at that time. From all the choices we vetted and put together, GreenTree Home remains my favorite. They’re sculptural and beeswax and… currently 20% off.

Night + Day Glasses, Our Place: Another refrain that’s been on repeat in the newsletter over the years: I think Our Place designed the perfect beverage vessel. That’s all.

Organic Percale Sheet Set, Threshold: These Target sheets were seriously popular, especially in Sway’s early days. They meet Sway’s high bar for textiles (100% organic cotton; certified to both the Global Organic Textile Standard and OEKO-TEX). And they have no business being so affordable, especially compared to organic cotton sheet sets with similar specs! That said…IDK what’s happening over at Under the Canopy, but their organic cotton sheet set which is also a Sway-fave, but typically double the price of Target sheets, is now almost half off. I might snag these. 👀

✨

Bye for now,
Jennifer @ Sway