Willow Acres is just one of the amazing vendors taking part in the 12th Annual Ottawa Health and Wellness Expo. Be sure to say hi to them on Saturday, January 27th, 2018 at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Buy your tickets now!
Who is Willow Acres?
Willow Acres is a small business located in Bath, Ontario specializing in weighted therapy products and fidget toys. Their handmade products include weighted blankets, weighted lap pads, weighted vests and silent fidget mazes made of soft fabric.
This business was born out of necessity. As moms of special needs children, the co-owners discovered that getting weighted therapies for their children was a challenge – often having to order these items from far distances and ultimately paying a small fortune in shipping costs. Additionally, when these items arrived, they were often manufactured from an industrial type of fabric, likened to that of a gym mat, which did not meet the soft, comforting tactile needs of their kids.
The mission of Willow Acres is simple – helping link families, health care professionals, schools and organizations of eastern Ontario to these beneficial tools at a reasonable cost.
How does Willow Acres help people achieve a greater level of health or wellness?
As studies have proven, weighted therapies have shown to be excellent treatment tools for many conditions including: Add/ADHD, Alzheimer’s, Anxiety Disorders, Arthritis, Asperger’s, Autism, Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Insomnia/Sleep Disorders, Parkinson’s, PDD/NOS, Restless Leg, Sensory Processing Disorders, Stress/Tension. As the weighted therapy provides deep pressure to the body, serotonin is produced. These naturally occurring chemicals are used by our bodies to feel relaxed and calm.
What inspires Willow Acres to do the work they do?
According to Willow Acres, “the most rewarding part of what we do is when parents contact us after using our products and tell us that not only has their child had the deepest most relaxed nights sleep in memory, but parents and siblings were also able rejuvenate with a sound sleep. There is a deep sense of gratitude upon receiving feedback, such as the following, from parents.”
What people are saying
“We ordered a weighted sensory blanket for our son with ASD who has extreme anxiety over bedtime. We contacted Willow Acres, had a reply within minutes, and had our blanket within a week! Our son used his new blanket for the first time tonight & he was out like a light within minutes (which is NOT the norm). Really makes me wish we had bought one sooner! Thank you so much!!” – M. Humphreys, December 2016.