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If you’ve recently purchased a hammock or have been eyeing one and have a few questions about them, we've included a detailed guide below that includes tips on hanging your hammock and other important safety information. If you have any questions after reading it over, just let us know and we’d be happy to help! 

Where to hang your hammock 

Swings can be hung outside or indoors. It is really important your swing is hung securely. If you are hanging it indoors, it needs to be hung on a secure beam or ceiling joist. You can locate a ceiling joist using a stud finder. 

Purchasing hardware to hang your hammock

You can go to your local hardware store with a picture of the hammock and they can recommend the supplies, but there are also some great kits available online to make things easy and that can give you an idea of what you need. If you search for example: “hammock chair hanging kit” on Amazon, there are a large variety of kits that come with all the hardware you need. 

Hanging your hammock at a safe height

It is also important to hang your hammock swing at a safe height, close to the ground. If you have high ceilings, you’ll need to extend the length of your hammock. You can do this using a securely tied rope or chain which you can purchase at your hardware store. Adjustable, secure ropes that don’t need tying are also available online as an option. 

Here is an example of one: https://www.amazon.com/Startostar-Adjustable-Extension-Conversion-Suspension/dp/B0739SR8P1/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1506961454&sr=8-5&keywords=tree+swing+extension+rope

Weight limits for swings:

 Single baby swing (50lbs) 

 Double baby swing (100lbs) 

Chair swing with wooden seat (180lbs) 

Other Important safety information:

These swings are not a safe place for your child to sleep 

Never leave your child unsupervised in the swing 

Babies must be able to sit up well and support their own weight in order to use  

If you notice any damage to your swing, discontinue use. 

Test that the swing is hung securely before each use.

Never hang your hammock near a open flame or heat source.

Use responsibly

Hammock care:

Clean stains and spots with a damp cloth and mild detergent

Store in a cool, dry place when not in use

If it is hung outside, be sure to bring it in when it rains to protect it's appearance

Thanks for taking the time to read this over! We hope this guide helps answer some of our most frequently asked questions about our swings, but as always, if you have any other questions that are not answered here, you can contact us at adelisaandco@outlook.com and we'd be happy to help!

Allison & Rachel, Xx

Photo courtesy of: Samantha at hellotinylove.com

One of the things I’ve been passionate about since first moving to Nicaragua 7 years ago is supporting education. While working closely with the people here, I’ve seen so many families pull their children out of school because of lack of funds for supplies, or the need for extra working hands in the house. Without an education, the average labourer makes less than $7 a day making it so hard for families to break out of this cycle of poverty.

Supporting education through scholarships is one way we can help make a difference and I'm so excited that this year Adelisa & Co. will officially be supporting a young university student named Aaron. You can read more below about where Aaron comes from and how he plans to use to education to help others!

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We met Aaron earlier this year at an outreach for university students we run at our local church. Aaron is from the remote indigenous community of Amak in the north of Nicaragua and just finished up his first year of studies. In July, he invited my husband and 10 others to come and stay in the village where he’s from. They travelled for 8 hours in car and then rode upriver in a small canoe for 7 hours to reach the humble village of Amak.

The village of Amak is only accessible by boat and has a population of around 600 people.

While visiting with Aaron’s family there, we learned that most young people in Amak don’t finish school. The few that do and are lucky enough to receive scholarships are usually forced to return home after their first year because their families can’t afford their living costs. Aaron’s mom was working hard to support him but said that some months she had nothing to send and was doubtful he could continue on.

Children from the village enjoying a game of soccer in the rain

Aaron pictured on the left

Aaron’s dream is to use his business management degree to support the development of his village and to help other young people in their studies as well. With your continued support, we will be helping Aaron get all the resources he needs to be able to finish his degree and achieve this goal. 

So thank you all once again, we are continually humbled by your support and are honoured to witness firsthand how your purchases are helping change the lives of others. 

Allison & Rachel, Xx

        We just wanted to pop on here and share a little more about our most recent donation. You may have noticed that lately we've been doing a  lot of projects on houses. One reason for this is that we want to make sure our donations have a long term impact, benefitting families for years to come.

        We have known the Ruiz family for over 10 years. Jessica and I had our first baby girls within a year of each other and have been close friends ever since. She is an amazing mom who has fought for her baby girl since she the day she was born. With an undiagnosed disability and many health problems, they have spent so much time and precious resources on doctors and therapy appointments. 

        Because their little girl was getting sick so much, the doctors recommended they do everything they could to make sure her living conditions were the best they could be. They worked hard, saved up and built their own little two bedroom home last year, however, they weren't able to fully complete it.

        Jessica bakes cakes to support her family and up until this point she has had to do it in a family member's house because they still didn't have a proper cooking space. With donations from your purchases, we were able to help them add a kitchen to their home. This addition will allow her to work right from home while still being able to care for her toddler and newborn.

     The beginning stages               

A peek inside during construction

Almost finished!

        There are so many aspects of this business that we love, but this is our favourite. Having all you amazing moms supporting our shop makes us feel like we have the best team behind us and we love that we are moms teaming up together to help other moms, so thank you so much for your continued support!

Rachel & Allison, Xx

                        

        Because of the overwhelming response to our boots, not only was there enough work for our one artisan this winter, he was able to hire on several more cobblers to help him, providing more work for more families. It has been so amazing for us to see all your little ones enjoying these boots this fall and winter season. We say this a lot, but we are so thankful for you all and we wanted to share how you are all directly impacting so many lives by choosing to shop small with us. We can't wait to show you what Spring has in store! 

Orange/green floral bow: @maisielovesnory
Blush and floral dress: @pineandhoneyhandmade
bow: @redroverkids
moccasins: @starryknightdesign
boys clothes: @ryleeandcru

Our August donation was a special one for us as Rachel’s family and a friend were able to fly down to Nicaragua to help lay a floor for a young family who live in the small, rural community of El Valle.  The Palacios family have lived in homes with dirt floors their entire lives, and while donating a cement floor may not seem like much when there are so many other practical needs around, it can greatly improve the quality of living for a family- especially a family like the Palacios who have two young children in their home.  We have witnessed first hand the health risks that living with dirt floors can pose for young children and knew that this could be a significant change in the quality of life for this family as their two year old boy was constantly battling sicknesses related to living in a home without proper flooring.

Apart from the fact that a cement floor allows for more comfortable living, it also significantly reduces the health risks caused by living with a dirt floor.  Children who live in homes with dirt floors are more susceptible to sicknesses like parasites, anemia, and diarrhea and are more likely to have cognitive delays because they are constantly sick.  In Mexico, a UC Berkeley and World Bank study showed that replacing a dirt floor with a cement floor reduced incidence of diarrhea by 49% and parasitic infections by 78%- that’s huge!  Yet 45% families in Nicaragua still live in homes with dirt floors, and installing a cement floor is financially out of reach for them.  That means 45% of families in Nicaragua live daily in a home that poses a risk to their own health and the health of their children.

As mamas, we can not imagine what this must be like and we are so thankful that we were able to make a difference in the life of at least one of these families with your help, and we hope to do so for many more!

Mr. Palacios taking the first steps across his new cement floor.

We forced some of the hard workers to pause for a picture.

Thank you all again for your support- it really means the world to us and to these families!

xX, Allison & Rachel