My quest for the Perfect Mattress.

I need a new mattress. But of course being me, I can't just go down to Art Van or Mattress USA with their 5th going out of business sale this year and buy one. Been there, done that, three times in ten years and have the bad back to prove it.

I believe in all things natural and organic, but I also live on a budget like most moms, and sometimes have to sacrifice the luxury of an all-natural option because of price. But when it comes to my son, and the things that he comes into contact with the most, such as his clothing, cloth diapers, food, and bedding, I believe he deserves the benefit of healthy natural products. Currently I am in need of a new mattress for my queen size bed and while researching my options I have learned about the better alternatives to traditional crib mattresses as well. My son usually begins the night in his crib and then ends up getting in bed with me around midnight and spending the rest of the night with me. For some reason, ever since he started sleeping with me, I have awoken in the most miserable pain: he kicks a lot and moves around and I often find myself on my back or in very uncomfortable strange positions and wake up stiff and very sore. Partly because Caden has started nursing again and has turned into an all night champion nurser like a newborn baby and that means I can't curl up and get comfortable like I normally would sleep but rather I either lay on my back so he has access or sometimes on my side with him tucked next to me so he can nurse. But whatever the position I end up stiff and numb. Also, he sweats a lot and when he cuddles up with me we both wake up damp and sometimes even soaked. Also, being that he is only two, he still wears diapers and although I add a wool diaper cover and extra layers of protection to his night time diaper he does occasionally leak.

My current mattress cost over $1000 and is only 3 years old. It sags in the middle and on one side. It is lumpy and I have pressure pain and discomfort from the dips and uneven surface. And even with a mattress pad and feather bed over the surface I feel very uncomfortable with the thought of sleeping on a mattress that my son's diaper has leaked into. In short, it's shot and I'm looking to replace it with a healthy, natural, comfortable and affordable alternative.

I research everything I buy. Being a student and mom I cannot afford to be dissatisfied with a purchase, especially a major one such as a mattress. I read product reviews and manufacturer's information and shop around to compare prices and materials. I keep a record of this data and use it to make my final decision. After I purchase the product and use it for a while, keeping notes of my likes and dislikes about everything from the buying experience, to shipping and packaging quality, initial review of the item, and how well it works vs. expectations or previous experience, and overall opinion. Then I will publish all this on my blog. These product reviews simplify the shopping experience for you - other moms who's time is very valuable- and hopefully allow you to make an informed decision.

I must admit I can't help buy be drawn to the many $300 "memory foam" mattresses that supposedly arrive at your doorstep with free shipping in a small box and then expand into a queen size, luxurious foam mattress that promises a cloud-like sleeping experience comparable to one would get on the $4000 original. The only bad reviews I've read are a "slight chemical smell from the factory." Huh? What? What does that mean? I don't really like the sound of that! What kind of chemicals? Are they dangerous? Will they give me a headache or make my baby sick? What is memory foam anyways? And is the natural latex foam really better, or just a costly gimmick? With all the options, high density, visco elastic, talalay, open vs. closed cell technology, three layers of this, or two layers of 4lb 2 inch that.....? How on earth can I ever choose? I just want a good nights sleep on a healthy surface that will keep us dry and comfortable and last several years without cost a fortune! And if it were made of all natural materials it would be even better.

Speaking of all natural materials, why is one mattress better than other comparable natural mattresses? Some websites say wool is the best sleeping surface. Some saw natural latex is best. Others use coconut husks, horse hair, organic cotton or bamboo, and many other components. Many of the natural options still use the traditional innerspring mattresses, while some look more like a futon cushion: a giant pillow filled with wool fibers and box tufted to keep everything from shifting and bunching. It looks nice, but is it comfortable? Will it feel lumpy and bumpy? Will the wool fiber eventually compress down and matte together into hard clumps? And what is the best outer cover fabric? Should I look for something removable for washing, or should I purchase an additional mattress pad ($$$) that can be removed for washing in case of a spill or accident? And should I look for washable wool or the seemingly softer, loftier kind that needs to be dry cleaned.

The really nice organic mattresses are very expensive, and I need both a queen and crib mattress. I am considering the "futon-style" version for Caden's crib size mattress. I will be transitioning him into a toddler bed soon and I think we are going with a toddler daybed so he can sit on it and play or read like a couch as well as sleeping. But this is an expensive purchase and I want it to be an investment: if I have another baby in the next few years will the mattress be ok for a newborn? And will it hold up that long? If I spend this kind of money, I would hope I could use this for a couple more babies, over about 5-10 years.

As for myself, maybe I could get away with a compromise: I could get the cheap-o foam mattress and buy an additional organic wool mattress pad to go on top- like a pillow-top. Caden and I might still have the benefits of wool: climate and moisture control, softness and comfort. They are pretty pricey, ranging from about $140- $400 and up. There is the kind that looks like a fleece of a sheep (but of course isn't- it's just the fibers woven into a usually cotton backing) with straps at the corners to attach to your mattress. Or their is the kind that looks like a feather bed: a big pillow or cushion around 3-4 inches high filled with wool fiber fill and box quilted so it doesn't shift around, but not as big or firm as the previously mentioned futon mattresses.

Or I could go with the $2000 entry-level Organic Mattress and combine that with a $39 1 inch "memory foam" topper! Ha ha, I wonder what I would like better? Sleeping directly on wool or memory foam? Since I am buying online, the only way to find out is to make the purchase and so far it looks like most of the mattresses are non-returnable/refundable. I would love comments and opinions please! Do you sleep on a natural mattress or are you in the market for something new? Which way are you leaning? And what about for your little ones? Kids often end up sleeping on hand me down old mattresses which are broken down and probably full of dust mites, allergens and flame retardant chemicals. Crib mattresses are usually thin and hard yet flimsy at the same time and covered with plastic for waterproofing. Caden actually has a pretty decent one: it was about two or three down from the top of the line version at our local Babies R Us about 2 and a half years ago and cost about $150. The only thing I was educated about crib mattresses back then was the number of coils. I was told they must have at least 90 (I think, don't quote me on this please) and the more the merrier. I think Caden's has 240 and is reverse-able with a firmer side for newborns and slightly softer side for toddlers but I could never feel the difference. The thing seems incredibly hard to me, although I'm sure Caden has loosened it up with his constant jumping and bouncing when he was ready to get up!

So stay tuned while I continue my quest for the right mattress. I need to decide soon. My back can't take much more of this!

Summer School

I just found out my summer classes start tonight. I am not happy about this. My ADD led me to believe I had until Wednesday night before classes started back up. I am supposed to be taking two summer courses: Microbiology Health and Disease and a Psych class, Human Developement Throughout the Lifespan. I am thinking of only taking one though. I really need to get As in my classes for the nursing program I want to get into and summer classes are only 8 weeks so each class is really like two classes because the workload is doubled. Also- I'm still feeling kind of burned out on science, having had three science classes in the last year already! But I will at least give each class a chance for a week or so and decide. Hopefully I will be able to handle them both and do well.

I am not planning on completely stopping all projects. I currently have four going right now: a big major one and three smaller things. I had hoped to finish them all during this break, but the time just flew by and nothing's finished at all! I had such high hopes...*sigh* such is life for me. I spend too much time online planning, and too much time dreaming up ideas and too little time actually "doing" stuff!

But some good things are coming up! My www.knock-offwood.com Storage Daybed is almost done. I've run into a little issue and need to iron some things out, but the building part is almost complete. Then comes the fun part, sanding and staining! My little round Wal-mart table I'm refinishing is getting there. For a simple, quick and easy project this thing is turning into a nightmare of uneven MDF and veneers, wood putty and spray paint. I am making an awesome Baby/Pet Gate that I will be posting a tutorial for so look for that coming up soon. And lastly by certainly not least, I have the most beautiful Pottery Barn knock-off (besides the daybed lol) in the works and I cannot wait to show it off! To all my non-existent readers!

Design Challenge: Style vs. Practicality

I am working on Priorities right now, and in the interest of blog content, that includes design priorities. For instance, when choosing my next "to build" project, do I build a console table for one of the many unadorned walls in my home (especially the one right at the top of the stairs!) or should I begin building my modern farmhouse table to replace the out-of-the-box light oak kitchen table and chair set my dad has set up in the dining room? If I build the farm house table I can use it as a workbench for a while to realistically distress it with some amateur carpentry wear and tear. But, then again, I only have so much time before school starts back up again and there are so very many empty walls around here!

I am also trying to prioritize the many home-improvement projects I want to tackle. From building and designing closet organizers, to changing the light switch plates, heating grates, cabinet drawer pulls, kitchen and bathroom faucets and maybe sinks, and hopefully designing and building/installing new bathroom vanities, sewing curtains, refinishing the wood floors in the dining room and den, and my current obsession: new light fixtures both in and out of the house.

They ALL have to go. I have never seen so many awful, ill designed and obviously picked out by an utterly clueless man light fixtures. For reason's unknown to me, the guy who "updated" this house by adding the rooms upstairs, and adding on to the first story, as well as building the awesomely ginormous "8-car garage" also thought it would be a great idea to put in skylights in all the BEDROOMS. This is also the man who installed 6 electrical outlets in the upstairs hallway and only 2 in each bedroom. But anyways, these skylights aren't the topic of this post, except to explain my confusion in his installing the luxury of seven windows in the ceilings, but NOT putting in central air. Instead he came up with the prefect solution for any comfort-seeking/ oblivious-to-style homeowner: the combination ceiling fan/light fixture. Again, in ALL the bedrooms, along with the kitchen, and one on each side of the living area. And they are ugly. And they don't even match. Even the two that are in the same room aren't the same.

And I am not ashamed to say I love them.

I love turning them on in the living room while I vacum: the breeze cools me off and the light helps me clean better. And in the kitchen when I sautee eggplant for parmesean...and let me tell you, it is positively luxuriating to sleep in a bed under a ceiling fan, especially when your room has been baked by the sun from the two skylights above all day AND you have a clingy sweaty two year old snuggled up against you all night long. Ah, bliss.

They are ugly as sin, but ceiling fans might be the only way to go around here for now. What other choice do I have? It's still early in the season, but I know from previously living in a house sans air conditioning for the last few years that it can be so miserable you start to contemplate sleeping in the bathtub, or outside on a lawn chair with the mosquitos, or spending an entire weeks worth of grocery money on one night in a nice cool hotel room.

Caden and I both have window AC units, so I suppose we can install those in two of the rooms, but they are expensive to run and again, not the most attractive option, especially from outside. My dad brought along the AC unit from his little cottage, but I have no idea if or how it could be installed and made to cool off this notably bigger abode. Then there is the giant attic fan, which I suspect we will explore out of desperation, but I cringe just thinking of all the old attic dust it will spread around.

So I suspect the ceiling fans will stay. At least in some of the rooms, at least for the summer. And that brings me to the question in the title of this post. When do you sacrifice style for function?

I mean, let's face it. Even the higher end ceiling fans are not all that drool worthy when it comes to fresh original design. I am not exactly sure what is "in" or "out" by way of ceiling fan design right now- 3 blades? 5? long blades with tapered ends or rounded stumpy ones? dark stained wood, or light? Or black or white? And what kind of lights? But even though I don't know what the freshest look for ceiling fans is right now, I do know what we have isn't it.

I've seen a few blogs where they take the ceiling fan down and spray paint it and fit up like new and they are pretty impressive, and I might try it on one or two of these, but I'm not overly geeked about the idea. I'm not even sure what look I'm going for!

And hence, I hope to compromise. My idea is to leave the ceiling fans up for summer- possibly revamping or replacing one or two of them if I find something I like- and then changing them for traditional (or not so traditional) light fixtures in the fall. I'm thinking chandeliers or semi-flush mounts in the bedrooms and living areas and I'm not sure what in the kitchen. Possibly just another pot light to go with the several already up there, as I already have a cute chandelier over my table in there. What do you think? Is this do-able? How much of a chore is it to uninstall and reinstall light fixtures and ceiling fans?

Sit down and stay a while,

I've always liked chairs. When I was about 12 or so my mom brought home and old red chair from a garage sale and let me put it in my room. I thought it was very cool having this chair in my room. To me, it turned my bedroom into more than just a bedroom. Even back then I loved to re-decorate and I would re-arrange the furniture in my room from time to time. Every time I dragged that red chair from one corner to another the support spindles would pop out and I could use the glue stick in my school bag to fix it. My first DIY project and my first chair.

I have been thinking about chairs a lot lately. I pretty much hate most of the chairs in my house right now. The chair I am sitting in is the worst. It is your standard black pleather swivel desk/task chair on wheels. So ugly. And the desk is pretty awful as well: glass top over a brushed aluminum frame a la Ikea or maybe Office Max. A friend gave them to me before moving out of state. I actually think I might even have asked for them! The rest of the house isn't much better. I would love to replace this desk and chair with a Pottery Barn Porter Desk and either an antique wood desk chair or a beautiful French armchair, depending on what room this set-up ends up in. Right now it's just kind of hanging out in the left half of the two-sided living area in the front of the house. But what I would really like in this space is a fireplace with an awesome mantle for decorating and two beautiful club chairs with an accent table in between. These cozy arm chairs I dream of curling up with a book in front of a fire with are what started this obsessive craiglist treasure hunt. Since I couldn't afford what I really wanted- which is a good thing because if I had the money I would never be able to decide- I hoped to take a cast-off vintage chair (preferably with down cushions, great lines, on little turned legs with castors) and cover up the pea green velvet with a white linen slip-cover or maybe even re-upholster it. So far I haven't had much luck with this project, mainly because all the chairs I like enough on craiglist are still around $200-400 and that's way out of my budget. I may have to settle for a pair of wingback chairs with Queen Anne legs. But for now, I am moving on to other rooms and other chairs.

Rather on focus on finding enough chairs for my dining room or kitchen, I'm focusing on two pairs of chairs right now. The first pair is for my sewing room/office. I'm building a long, narrow work station for both my sewing machine and serger. I thought about just getting a chair on wheels for in there, but I like the idea of having a pair of cute chairs side by side instead. The other pair of chairs is for outside. We don't really have a patio, per se, but there is a paved sort of "row" off the doorwall leading to the backyard. As much as I would love to build a complete outside sitting and dining area, I don't want to put it on the grass so I'm going to settle for two chairs and a small bistro table (most likely). And that's the key word right there: bistro. Or, cafe, rather. As in the original French Cafe chair, the Tolix Marais AC chair.

I just want two of these babies and you can even pick the color. Why can't I just find a couple vintage originals for about $30 on craigslist? I would actually welcome the chipped paint and rusty patina, and seal it with a coat of spray on poly varnish.

Or maybe I would sand them down and cover them with a beautiful glossy red (rustoleaum would come in handy) like the one's Pottery Barn is selling for $199 a pop.

If I had several little outdoor areas that could accomidate a couple little chairs, I would also love a pair of vintage metal mesh chairs like these. I actually have had some luck finding great Mid Century Modern chairs like this online, like these Woodard chairs:

or these knock off Knoll® - Bertoia Diamond Lounge Chairs from Overstock.com

I love the shiney metal. And that brings me back to the pair of chairs for my sewing table. What I really want are a pair of these aluminum chairs that were originally designed for Naval ships:

They may look modern, but they are timeless and classic- they were introduced in 1944, the year my dad was born, and they are made to last 150 years! I love the simple lines and the silver finish. They would work anywhere, with any decor. They could look classy at a desk in Caden's navy blue room in a few years, or cozy in my rustic kitchen. But I really want them in my sewing room now. I would make a couple thin cushions out of four of my favorite Amy butler fabrics and tuck just enjoy them.

Along with The Navy Chair, these colorful Bentwood cafe chair reproductions are widely available online at stores like DWR and The Conran Shop. Of course, they cost a pretty penny, $416 for the metal navy chair and $15-$250 for the Bentwood chair's depending on the color. Why oh why did I feel the need to visit www.conranusa.com to verify the prices for this post? :-) I love chairs!

As much as the gleaming reproductions tempt me with their beautiful colors and updated materials, and the fact that they are readily available for anyone with a credit card and the capability to choose. However, I have neither. My credit card is maxed out and I love them all so I will happily continue dreaming and wishing and hoping I stumble upon someone selling their French Aunt's old balcony chairs.

And that last picture makes me smile because out of all the great chairs I found on Craig's List this morning, those are the two chairs I would have been thrilled to find. And here they are, together. I didn't have any luck with the Tolix, but this ad sparked my interest:

2 Antique Chairs $15

I'm calling first thing in the morning. Maybe I will spray paint them silver metallic.

(sorry this post is so long. I had even more chairs to talk about, but I'm going to save the rest for another post, too be continues. If you linked to my blog after searching for Tolix, and happened to get this far, thank you for reading. Please leave a comment to let me know you stopped by!)

Haagen-Dazs Banana Split

I love choices but I hate making decisions. I can never decide between so many great options. When I was pregnant, the night before I found out I was having a boy, the name "Caden" popped in my head and I just knew that was my baby's name. I was already pretty sure I was having a boy, and although I allowed myself a list of girls names just for fun, it's a good thing I didn't have a girl because she would have been named Sophia Loretta Katherine Grace Elizabeth Madeliene. As it was I didn't decide on Caden's middle name until a couple days after he was born.

Could he be anything but Caden?

Caden playing with the annoying elephant pull toy, January 2009

But give me ice cream and I will pick vanilla ever time. I love Vanilla ice cream. It is so good. It's the best taste in the world, and easily my favorite food. Especially really expensive Vanilla Ice Cream, like Haagen Daaz. I really like their new "5" which just has five natural ingredients. To me, it is especially perfect after it sits out and melts halfway.

So I love it, but I don't always buy ice cream when I go to the grocery store. It's a treat. But since I recently gave up my favorite breakfast and snack treat, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I allowed myself a trip down the frozen aisle this week. And Haagen-Dazs was on sale, which I have never seen before except the little individual mini-pints (I know, right? I thought pints WERE individual portions too.) So for $2.88 I thought I would stock up. I brought home 2 Vanilla Bean Five, Strawberry (my second Fave) and chocolate for my dad. I always thought Haagen-Dazs was very classy and exclusive with their limited, no frills selection, but besides several low fat and serbert options, there were also several gooey desert themed flavors available as well. I guess they have to compete with Ben & Jerry's which I don't eat because as far as I know they don't make Vanilla and if they did it would probably have vanilla-flavored pretzels or candy in it. But to keep my dad away from my vanilla and strawberry I decided to tempt him with Creme Brule and Banana Split.

It's a week later and all that's left is the Banana Split. Or was, I should say. I ate almost the whole pint. I HATE bananas. I don't eat Banana anything. I got this so I wouldn't eat it. But it was actually pretty good. I mean, it is Haagen Dazs. It's banana and whipped cream flavored ice creams, with swirls of fudge and bits of cherries and strawberries. I like cherries a lot. It has a nice blend of flavors, and nothing overpowers the taste. The fudge is like a little dollop of soft gooey fudge, not a crunch frozen swirl that makes everything taste like chocolate, which I'm not a big fan of. I don't really taste whipped cream: it just taste like ice cream. And the best part is I can't taste any banana.

And Good Things are Here!

Mama has landed in blog land. After years of over-sharing on forums with paragraph-long posts, and, more recently, months of reading and drooling over the many "decorate your home with garage sale junk and spray paint" DIY blogs (which are awesome, btw, and this is another one) I decided to finally claim my own little bit of bandwidth. It took a while to think of the right name for my personal cyber-space station, but I finally came up with the right title tonight. Good things are coming up around here- both on this blog and in my own life- but I must leave you with that for now: my little guy has coughed himself awake and I hear him calling for me, "Mama, where are you? Where are you Mama? Mama. Mama, MaMA!" Goodnight!