The pillars of our company are to create and share products that are “Good for You, Good for the Earth, Good for Humanity”. I’ll be highlighting the “Good for Humanity” pillar focusing on why I choose to name my products after manners.
When I first began creating what this business would stand on and look like I was teaching Oakley, our son, about manners. First through sign language and then constant, gentle reminders to approach requests and preferences in a kind way. The more that he started to do it the more I realized how hearing the word “NO” sounded much more manageable when it came out “NO THANKS”. Many parents may relate to the constant requests for snacks or milk or toys or anything else, just name it, and I found that when Oakley says (or rephases when prompted) “May I have more milk please?” for the 20th time that day, I’m much more amenable to that.
This got me thinking, if the simple act of using manners makes me a more gracious mom, what else can manners help with. So I thought, if Please & Thank You stood on a pillar of manners that it could serve as a gentle reminder that the simple act of manners could really be impactful to our mood, our approach, our outlook on things.
To me, manners don’t mean that I necessarily agree with you, but it means that I can respect you as a person. And that mutual respect and care for another human is important as we try to tackle the big topics. Not just that my toddle wants another snack, it means we can approach social injustice in a different way, it means we can have a different outlook when the world faces a pandemic, it means we can show each other kindness when a neighbor gets shot and there’s lots of questions around why.
Please & Thank You is meant to provide a gentle reminder to respect each other. A little bit of kindness and thinking outside of yourself can go a long way
Sharing is Caring Granola Bar
This bar is my personal favorite, I love how the flavors of peanut butter, hazelnut spread, almonds, coconut, and dried cranberries meld together with just a touch of sea salt to finish. We crafted this bar to be jammed-packed of nutrients because I thought “if I’m going to eat something its going to not only taste good be give me all the good things too.”
We named this bar Sharing is Caring because it feels so essential to the fabric of our culture. It means that when we give something to someone else, it is equal to caring for them. Sharing is caring simply means to look after others.
The world would be a happier place, if you share and care of others and in turn they too follow that principle. If you do something good to someone, they will feel loved and most likely do something good for someone else, so its affects others in a good way.
Pardon Me Granola Bar
This is the first bar that I made, and it was specifically created so that my husband would eat it. I wanted this bar to balance nutrition and yumminess. It too is full of amazing nutrients while having that hint of chocolate that people crave. This is still, years later, the most eaten bar in our household. Both my husband and son eat at least one a day. And on those picky toddler days, if Oakley chooses to only eat a granola bar for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I know that what he’s eating is good for him and he’s getting nutrients that day.
Pardon Me, to me, is such a Minnesotan thing at its core – the phrase is used as an apology for interrupting a conversation, bumping into someone, asking someone to repeat something, politely disagreeing with something said – this is an nod to state that the business was created in!
Golden Rule Granola Bar
This bar was specifically requested by a friend of ours that LOVES chocolate and coconut together and turns out its our best seller! It has the same foundational ingredients as the Sharing is Caring and Pardon Me, but comes with chocolate, white chocolate, and coconut for that perfect bite of “good-for-you-indulgence”. People love this bar with their coffee in the morning or with their wine at night and anywhere in between. It’s also a great bar for little kiddos because it doesn’t have big chucks that could be hard to chew.
The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one wants to be treated. It is called the Golden Rule because there is value in having this kind of respect and caring attitude for one another.
For example: If you want people to be polite to you, then you should be polite to them. If you don't want people to be rude to you, then you shouldn't be rude to them.
You’re Welcome Granola Bar
This bar was made specifically for those that can’t eat nuts, You’re Welcome 😉. We use chopped dates and honey to bind this one together with hints of apple, pumpkin, and butterscotch. It’s the perfect blend of seasonal flavors that you can eat all year round. This one pairs perfectly with a latte in the morning or cool whip and fresh fruit for a dessert.
Say 'You're welcome' to someone who has thanked you for something in order to acknowledge their thanks in a polite way.
Some people don’t like to say, “You’re Welcome” so you may hear “you betcha!”, “sure thing”, “anytime”, it just feels good to be acknowledged for a good deed.
Mama May I Granola Bar
This bar was made with nursing mamas in mind! Consider it an extra tool in your belt when it comes to milk production, all while being yummy, convenient, and satisfying.
While researching foods that may support milk production, I realized that foundationally the Sharing is Caring hit a lot of those marks – oats, healthy fats, nut protein and flaxseeds – so I added Brewer’s Yeast to it and discovered a bar that was able to help many mamas! We’ve found that eating Mama May I granola bars in addition to water intake and regular feedings supported milk production.
Named after the cute children’s game “Mother May I” the Mama May I bars mimic the rules of the game – a player asks “mother may I” and the Mother replies yes or no, similar to an infant “asking” Mama May I have some milk and the Mama complies (in most cases) 😊
Yes, Please Granola
This is our loose granola, great for yogurt, cereal, handfuls or to top your ice cream! It is a well-balanced flavor with a crunch, but not too much of a crunch. You’ll find pepita seeds, almonds, clusters of oats and a slight sea salt finish. For extra flavor we have included dried cranberries, chocolate, and coconut. Great staple for your pantry.
I just love when someone says “Yes, Please” instead of “Yeah, sure, yes” – it’s a nice way of acknowledging the question and taking interest.
“Yes, Please I’ll have more granola!” 😊
Kindness Peanut Butter
This peanut butter is a smooth spread made with almost all peanuts with a touch of sea salt and honey. We use this peanut butter in 4 of our bars as well. Making our own nut butters for our bars was really important in controlling the additives that could sneak in, we want to give you something that is nutritious and as “whole” as possible. This peanut butter is great for your toast, oatmeal, baking, or whatever you use peanut butter! Grab a spoonful now!
Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. That’s why we choose this name for our peanut butter – a small reminder to “spread the kindness!”
Affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care are words that are associated with kindness. While kindness has a connotation of meaning someone is naive or weak, that is not the case. Being kind often requires courage and strength.
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