Tag Archives: pillows

Keeping Kids Busy During Winter Break

You know winter break may be wearing out its welcome when you send your kid outside to play with his Crayola Sidewalk Paint Sprayer in the snow and subzero windchill. My neighbor’s 8-year-old spent a good chunk of this afternoon decorating snow banks with a toy typically reserved for warm weather fun. The sight prompted me to phone his mother and share a chuckle. I called, but she wasn’t laughing. Apparently, my neighbor sent her son outside (with multiple layers of snow gear on) to regain her sanity. The kid, who’s in week two of his Christmas break from school, … Continue reading →

Secret Pillows and Taming Winter Throws

I have been looking at those luscious catalogues again. You know the ones by Pottery Barn and others that create the ultimate in a well-organized and ultra beautiful home? You think, hmm, maybe if I lived in one of those pages, life would be prefect. Okay, so it really wouldn’t, but the luxurious bedding, the elegant dining rooms, the lack of peanut butter fingerprints anywhere really does make you want to live in the dream. Usually, I just try to “steal” ideas from those glossy pages and adapt them to our home. After all, who can really afford a $70 … Continue reading →

Cleaning Pillows

Do you know how to clean pillows? Did you even know that they should be cleaned? Think of all of the billions of dust mites, skin flakes and other nasties that could be living in them right now. But don’t worry, here is a guide to help you take care of your pillow the right way. Pillows should be fluffed on a daily basis to restore their shape. This helps redistribute down or the poly fill to keep them in good shape and last long. Pillows can collect a lot of dust. Don’t believe me? Give a pillow a good … Continue reading →

Mixing Things Up for a One of a Kind Look

While following the current trends is the way many people like to go when decorating their homes, using trendy items doesn’t mean your spaces have to look like everyone else’s do. One good way to make sure your look is unique while still being up to date, is to use items differently than their intended purposes. One example is using a desk set in an eating area. It might sound rather unusual, but replacing a napkin holder with a very similar desk sorter can add interest to the dining room or kitchen. A matching cylindrical pencil holder can be used … Continue reading →

Back Busters in the Bedroom

Your bedroom could be a major contributor to your occasional or chronic back pain. Let’s look at your mattress first. We spend about a third of our lives in bed — so you need a mattress that supports your back properly! Are you waking up sore every morning? It’s time for a new mattress. Is your mattress saggy or lumpy? Do you have a mattress that’s more than seven years old? Time to shop around for a new mattress. When you’re shopping, take your time. Lie on the mattress in your usual sleeping position for at least ten minutes to … Continue reading →

Home Care Extras

Bedspreads and quilts and pillows—oh my! My young daughter enjoys pulling all of the aforementioned items off of our beds and creating what she calls “Pillow Mountain.” The puffy monstrosity usually sits at the end of the hallway—the perfect spot for her to hurl her body into after running at maximum speed down the strip of carpet. The point of this blog is not to give you tips of how to create the perfect pillow mountain (I’ll save that for another blog). Rather, I wanted to provide some care tips on a few home items, including bedspreads, quilts and pillows. … Continue reading →

Types Of Pillows

In previous blogs I discussed different types of pillow fill material and what pillows can help allergy sufferers get a good night’s sleep. This blog is dedicated to the different types of pillows that you wouldn’t necessarily use to get some serious zzz’s, but are wonderful additions to your home’s décor nonetheless. Decorative Pillows. My mom is a nut for deco pillows, especially in the bedroom. (My poor dad spends about 10 minutes each night removing deco pillows from his side of the bed. She has so many deco pillows it’s hard to tell there’s a mattress underneath. My 2-year-old … Continue reading →

Low Cost Decor: Using what You Have

Here’s another way to recycle things you already have. Instead of making clothes into other items of clothing like discussed previously, you can also make certain pieces into home decor elements. One of the easiest ways to do so is by making pillows from unused clothes. Pants are probably the simplest item to make into pillows. The best pants are dressy slacks or pajama pants that you no longer wear. You can make small accent pillows or cute bolster pillows from the leg sections. All you have to do is cut off the straightest area of the leg section, stuff … Continue reading →

Reversible Decor Elements

If you like to change things around in your home and change your decor every so often, perhaps with the seasons, you can do so easily with reversible decor elements. Creating reversible decor elements not only allows you to change the look and feel of a space with ease, but it also gives you more bang for your buck. Instead of having four separate sets of accent pillows for the family room sofa, to change with the seasons, you can cut that number in half. Make pillows that feature one color, texture, or print on the face, and another completely … Continue reading →

Caring for Your Home after Head Lice Infestation

No! Not head lice! It’s every parent’s nightmare. Your child comes home from school with a note, and he or she will not be admitted to class until every trace of lice is gone. Now, you not only have to treat your child for head lice, you also have to treat your entire home! Start by treating your child’s hair and scalp. You can use the tips offered in “The Dreaded Dilemma of Head Lice” article in the Health Blog. Check your other children, and all other family members carefully for lice and nits. While your child’s hair is soaking … Continue reading →