Based on dinner time conversations in my house, I have a hunch that this won’t be a very popular post, but I wanted to make a small plea that everyone hang in there and continue to wear their face masks. Every morning, I watch the morning news and am so proud to see that Illinois is among the few states where Covid-19 cases aren’t spiking. This tells me that all of the rule following we’ve been doing the last several months has been working and that we should keep going!
Last week, Good Morning America (GMA) did a story on which face covering provides the best protection from spreading the disease. Florida Atlantic University tested a bandana, a loosley folded cotton handkerchief, a two-layered homemade cotton quilted mask, and a cone-shaped mask. According to this study, GMA reported that cotton-quilted and cone-shaped masks were the most effective at preventing the spread of disease-filled droplets.
Lucky for us, two local women have been separately spearheading mask efforts from their homes–using these especially effective designs–to help keep us safe.
Lake Forest’s Kathleen Aberle has perfected a cone-shaped mask using fabric remnants from headbands she used to sew and sell years ago. The construction of these reusable masks is solid and they don’t move around your face once you secure them in place. And, it goes without saying that I’m a huge fan of her preppy color palette! Kathleen is selling her masks at Gifted Lake Forest for $15 each. If you have a special request for a mask, you can message Kathleen through her Instagram account @skaberle.
Katie May of Lake Forest, a clothing designer and entrepreneur, has made thousands of the two-ply quilted fabric masks since the coronavirus hit for adults and children in an effort she calls “The Mask Project.” For each mask that Katie sells, she donates one to nurses, grocery store clerks, police officers, postal workers, and other essential workers who are helping fight Covid-19. Her masks come in hundreds of different fabrics that she is tirelessly restocking daily. They are for sale on her website for $16 each or at the Sunset Foods grocery stores.
I know that wearing a mask can be inconvenient and in this weather–uncomfortable–but if it means that stores can be open, restaurants can host us, churches can be prayed in, and schools can be back in session…I’d say it’s worth the pain. If not for yourself, wear your mask for the health of someone else.
Happy Wednesday!
xo,
