Archive for July, 2009
Sleep Easy
Ever since we posted about our new organic and natural latex mattress (the Organic Serenity Natural Dunlop Latex Mattress By Savvy Rest) a slew of readers have been clamoring for a one-month-into-new-mattress-ownership post so… here it is. You might remember that my obsession with all things eco made me yearn for a pure and organic mattress free of fireproofing chemicals and made from 100% natural materials that are just as good for the planet as they are for people. So we saved our pennies for months (we even had a “mattress fund”) until we could make the big purchase, and of course had high hopes that a month into our decadent 11″ natural mattress ownership we’d still be loving everything about our selection. Well… we’re pleased as punch to report that we’re even more enamored with our purchase than we had hoped. Even Burger sleeps more soundly these days. No kidding.
But how does one really evaluate a new mattress anyway? How about based on comfort, quality of sleep, and morning-after-aches (or the lack thereof)? Here’s how our ancient hand-me-down spring mattress stacked up in those categories on a scale of 1-10:
- Comfort: 3 (hard as a rock, but a featherbed helped a bit)
- Quality Of Sleep: 5 (we usually woke up at least a few times each night to toss and turn and get comfortable again)
- Morning-After-Aches: 8 (as in, there were a lot of them)
And here’s how our new natural latex encased in organic wool & cotton measures up:
- Comfort: 9 (it’s supportive yet sink-in-able, and we settle into it instantly)
- Quality Of Sleep: 8 (we often sleep right through the night and don’t wake up til the alarm goes off)
- Morning-After-Aches: 1 (sometimes we wake up with sore arms or tight legs but it’s from painting & demo, not the bed – though it did take a couple of nights for our bodies to adjust to a new level of support)
But what about how they compare in the safety arena? A few readers voiced their concern about forgoing those flameproofing chemicals that we worked so hard to avoid but the good news is that we’ve since learned straight from the mattress makers that they pass all federal burn tests with flying colors thanks to the organic wool mattress encasement. Isn’t it amazing that something so natural and pure can have flame-resistant qualities? Now it’s even easier to sleep soundly knowing that we’re protected and comfortable.
We also had a few people who were concerned with the idea of picking a mattress on the internet instead of laying around on one in a showroom. We’re extremely happy to report that thanks to the helpful phone support (you can call and talk about what you’d like in a mattress and they’ll help you choose the density of each layer) we were able to select the perfect mattress “virtually” and a month later we’re still super satisfied with our choice. One thing we learned from their staff was that although the idea of latex sounds super soft and squishy, natural Dunlop latex is actually quite firm. So even though we like a firm and supportive mattress, we went with a layer of medium followed by another layer of medium and topped by a layer of soft (it certainly didn’t sound like the formula for a moderately firm mattress, but they were right- it really is perfect!). With that in mind we’d suggest going with three layers of soft for anyone who wants something extra cushy since just one layer of soft plus two mediums adds up to a pretty firm end product.
So that’s our mattress recap over a month into ownership. Hope it helps! But what about you guys? Have you made any sleep-soundly upgrades in the form of new pillows, a featherbed, or a new sheet set? Tell us all about your resting place upgrades of late!
Oh and speaking of new bedroom accessories, check out the new accent pillow that we snagged from one of our favorite giveaways of yore. We love the crisp printed black on white lettering and you can grab one of your own Paris pillows for just 15 beans right here. Ooh la la.
Burning Question: Television Takeover?
Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised to hear that Neilsen has recently calculated that there are more television sets in America than humans. So with the average American home now having 2.86 TVs (dare you to get a good signal on that .86% of a television set) we wanted to know where your household stands.
Do TVs outnumber family members in your home? Or does flesh-and-blood still rule over wires-and-plasma ’round your parts? Don’t worry, we won’t judge either way- we’re just curious if our readers reflect these recent Neilsen findings. While we’ve only got one TV set in our house at the moment, we may have to invest in a second one someday to accomodate Burger’s viewing habits…
Our Live TV Appearance- We Survived!
This morning we rushed home from our big morning show interview on CBS6 and ran to our DVR to watch our little segment. The good news: we didn’t have any spit bubble incidents or crying and running off stage occurrences. In fact we managed to string together a few coherent sentences. Victory is ours!
We were pretty nervous when we learned that we were the very first interview of the show, but in hindsight it probably helped that we weren’t the last because the suspense would have built for another hour while we sat on our hands. It was nice to drop in, get mic’ed up, do the interview and find ourselves back in the car on the way home within an hour’s time! And the crew and hosts were fantastically nice, which really helped to put us at ease. Actually the entire atmosphere was suuuper laid back. We honestly thought there would be someone screaming “quiet on the set” and all these intense countdowns to taping but it was more like you blink your eyes and you’re on air and then you blink again and it’s all over. Thank goodness for that! Check it out below on Vimeo or see it here on YouTube.
Sure they said our old web address in the interview (although the subtitle got it right!) and added an extra N to our last name (“Petersnik” made us titter for about half an hour when we got home and noticed it) but we’re overjoyed that we lived to tell the tale of our stint on live TV! There’s just something unexpectedly scary about the pressure to get things right in the first take (we’re especially aware of this now that we’re making weekly videos which often require about five takes for us to make any sense at all). But we did it! And Burger even looked sideways at the TV screen when we played it back for him. Is it possible he’ll listen to us more now that we have TV cred?
And as a bonus, it was totally fun to see the weather girl point to a bunch of random spots on a green screen (and then watch it back at home to see that her seemingly random motions made total sense). How does she know where things are when it’s a giant green backdrop? We’re in awe of the magic that is on-air weather.
Anyway, we hope you guys enjoyed our little clip! Questions? Comments? Experiences on TV? Wardrobe critiques? Share and share alike!
The Grass Is Always Greener Freebie Winner!
Okay, so who’s volunteering to throw a party for all of us? After reading your entries in our MonkeyGrass giveaway we’ve realized you’re all far more qualified to play host than we are. I can promise you that we’ll definitely be referencing your comments the next time we have people over. But before we start planning our next shindig, let’s reveal the lucky person who has won all this…
If you recall, it’s the MonkeyGrass eco-friendly party kit which includes a foursome of Pop Tumblers, a Puzzle Serving Board and a Cotton Flag Banner. Maybe this week’s winner will throw a little celebratory party for us all. Are you up for it Joyce? Because random.org selected you as the freebie winner. Congrats! Here’s wishing you many earth-friendly hostessing gigs in the coming years. For everyone else, next Monday brings us a new giveaway that’s inspired by one of our favorite household animals. Oh yeah, and also by outer space. How’s that for a mind boggling clue?
Psst: If you’re local and looking for those fab Envirosax we love so much without having to pay for shipping, check out MonkeyGrass in Richmond’s Shops at 5807 to snag a few of your own!
Get more info on our freebies at our Giveaway FAQs page. Serving board image courtesy of MonkeyGrass.
Reader Redesign: One Gorge Gazebo
We’re currently editing our clip from our live interview on CBS6 so we thought we’d post this amazing patio makeover to tide you over. When Julie and Mike sent us their gorgeous before and afters we couldn’t wait to share the eye candy. Here’s their letter:
We really enjoy the DIY before & after pics featured on house renovation blogs, especially yours. Persistently reading your blog is often the kick-in-the-arse that motivates us to face yet another weekend of Home Depot trips and household projects. For the past few months, we have been fixing up our own first house - a tiny ranch coastal cutie and loving every minute – okay, not every minute, but it has been a lot of learning, a lot of band-aids, and a lot of fun. We’ve long been dreaming and planning for an outdoor space where we can relax and entertain. We are so proud of our DIY project, we were bursting to share the pics with your readers. Also, over at our own renovation blog, there are bonus pics and a step-by-step photo follow-along of the “during” stages. At this point, our favorite room in our house is actually outside the house. -Julie & Mike
And for anyone who’s curious about what came from where (and how much it all cost), here’s a handy dandy shopping breakdown:
- Wellington Gazebo from Target ($249)
- Indoor/outdoor rug remnant from Home Depot ($20)
- Better Homes and Garden patio set from Walmart ($249)
- Buddha candle holder from Target ($9.99)
- Mosaic capiz end table from Bed Bath and Beyond ($19.99)
- 3 small plants from IKEA ($.99 each)
- Solar string lights from Sams Club ($14.99)
- TOTAL: $564.00
Thanks so much for sending those awesome pictures our way Julie and Mike! Your patio transformation is truly mindblowing- as is the totally walet-friendly budget. An addition would have cost a pretty penny, but an instant outdoor room for under $600 is truly an achievement!
