Carpet is typically the go-to material for floors in bedrooms, while hardwood is often reserved for kitchens and sometimes living rooms or dens. Carpet is warm and soft, but there are some distinct advantages to using hardwood in bedrooms.

1)   Allergies

The most obvious and probably the best reason for hardwood in bedrooms is the reduction of allergens. Dust mites and other allergens thrive in carpeting. Hardwood floors don’t have the fibers that can hide all of the things that make eyes itch and noses run. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, “Bare floors with small, washable area rugs are much easier to keep free of dust mites than carpeting.” If a stuffy nose has hindered your sleep, you may want to consider replacing your carpet with a smooth surface, such as hardwood floors.

2)   Cleaning

It is much easier to clean hardwood floors. Simply sweep or mop and you are done. How is it different than running the vacuum? The vacuum only does part of the job for carpets. Areas of high traffic will absorb dirt, pet hair is hard to lift  and stains from spilled items will linger. All of this will require shampooing and spot cleaning with chemicals to keep your carpets looking fresh. Carpets also maintain smells, especially pet smells. Spills and accidents can be easily wiped from a hardwood floor with a damp cloth.

3)   Style

Hardwood floors are classic and timeless. They match anything, and anytime you want to redecorate your room, you won’t have to start with replacing the flooring. Rugs can be easily swapped to match the latest style. And, unless it has an incredible amount of wear, you won’t have to replace your hardwood floors in order to sell your home.

All that said, there are advantages to carpet. If you live in a cold climate, it is nice to wake up and put your bare feet on a warm, soft carpet. Carpet is also a great, soft play surface for small children.  In addition, carpet reduces noise in a room by muffling footsteps and absorbing sound waves.

Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of both carpet and hardwood floors can help you determine the right style for your bedroom. What is your favorite flooring choice?

Photo “apartment” courtesy of Justin Leonard

Egyptian cotton is about quality.

For decades, even centuries, people have dreamed of having the finest quality bed linens and Egyptian cotton is often a sought after bedding material.

But is all Egyptian cotton created equal?

And is it really worth paying more money for Egyptian cotton?

Here are a few tips on how to choose the best bed linen material for your bed. It might be Egyptian cotton, but make sure you’re looking at only the best of the best.

How to Purchase Egyptian Cotton

Egyptian cotton has historically been the highest grade of cotton in the world. It will rank right above Pima cotton, which has become another popular material.

There is a reason the idea of Egyptian cotton in the bedroom has brought about visions of peaceful and comfortable sleep for generations. The cotton tradition in Egypt is distinguished.

Cotton in Egypt and other areas of the world was handspun for thousands of years until the development of spinning machines in the 1700s. Throughout the 1800s, Europe was in need of quality cotton. The commercialization of the Egyptian cotton industry occurred and the branding began. It was quite the amazing feat to become a worldwide standard for quality in a product that is now a commodity.

Over the years, many merchants have begun selling cotton branded as Egyptian cotton. As with most successful ventures, there are always impersonators. It can be difficult to know you’re getting the best quality when purchasing Egyptian cotton today.

Much Egyptian cotton is imported from other countries. The branding machine of Egyptian cotton has made people believe all cotton from Egypt is the best.

While Egyptian cotton is still the best, it is important to pay attention to the common items you would with any bed sheets: thread count, durability factor and even price. The price will often be the determinant, but verify other factors including the country of origin of the cotton on the purity of the cotton in the linens. Blends care popular, but 100% cotton is often the best and softest you will find.

For quality cotton sheets you are likely looking for something with 500+ thread count with origin and manufacturing country in Egypt. Look for cottons with minimal dyeing and other machined items. This will ensure the best sleeping experience.

Your comfort is important. Egyptian cotton sheets are still the best. As long as you are aware of a few key decision points you will find that Egyptian cotton sheets are a valuable investment.

Cotton Field image courtesy of subarcticmike

The other day as I was sitting at my computer, my seven year old son came up to me and said, “You are who you choose to be”, as he positioned his way onto my lap. To him it was just a casual passing statement, but I was quite stunned that such profound words came out of the mouth of a seven year old. I asked him where he heard that saying and he so matter-of-factly replied, “Spiderman.” He’s always been a Spiderman fan, so I was delighted that his cartoon hero was planting good seeds in his mind — seeds we could water, seeds that would hopefully grow into nourishing food for his soul.

Isn’t it true that we are who we choose to be?  From the moment we wake up in the morning, we begin making choices, and those choices influence not only ourselves and our future, but loved ones and everyone we come in contact with.

We choose to encourage or tear down, to love or to hate, to accept what God has placed in front of us, or grumble about our circumstances. We choose to smile or frown, be positive or negative. We choose to pursue our dreams or do nothing at all, and we choose to enrich the lives of others, or only our own.

Our entire life is full of choices and the choices we make determine the person we become.

Who will we choose to be?

Frequently Asked Questions About Sofa Beds

Is a sofa sleeper the same thing as a sofabed?

Yes. They are also sometimes called a pull-out sofa bed or pull-out couch.

Is it unhealthy to sleep on a sofa bed long term?

Sofa beds are not designed to take the place of a standard bed. Not all sofa beds are made the same, so depending on the quality of the sofabed, particularly the mattress, it may be comfortable for a while before you being to feel the ill effects.  Many sofa bed frames have a support bar located perpendicular to the length of the bed, which can usually be felt through the mattress, causing a very uncomfortable sleep surface.

How can I make my sofa bed mattress more comfortable?

Before investing in an entirely new mattress, which could be quite expensive depending on the size and quality, there are some other options you can consider to improve the comfort level of a sofa bed:

1) Purchase a good quality sofa bed mattress topper. There are different styles of toppers on the market. Some are sized specifically for sofabeds and have corner straps to keep it in place when the bed is closed.

2) Invest in sheets specifically designed for sofa beds. Since sofa beds are not the same size as standard beds, regular bed sheets do not fit well and cause the sheets to bunch up in the sleep surface and sometimes slip off the mattress. Sheets made for sofabeds stay in place and provide a more restful night’s sleep.

What size sofabeds are there?

There are many size sofa beds. Here are the most common sizes:

Twin (38 x 72)

Full (54 x 72)

Queen (60 x 72)

XL Queen (60 x 80) – same size as a conventional standard queen bed.

Extra Wide Queen (66 x 80) – same size as the conventional Olympic Queen size bed.

King (76 x 80) – same size as a conventional standard king bed.

Do I need to use special sheets with my sofa bed?

Although some sofa beds are the same size as a conventional bed, the mattress is much thinner in depth than standard mattresses, ranging between 4” and 5” deep. With that, sheets specifically designed for sofa beds are needed for a proper fit.  Some furniture stores may carry sofa bed sheets as a complimentary service to new customers, but most times sofa bed sheets are only found in specialty linen stores.

We do not remember days,

we remember moments.

Kids are usually curious about what happens in the kitchen. As soon as they can crawl, they spend time trying to get into this forbidden realm, only to find their parents constantly blocking their paths. In the long run, though, making the kitchen the forbidden place is not in the best interest of the kids or the parents.

When children lose interest in the kitchen, they also lose the opportunity to become more independent and secure, to spend real quality time with their parents and to become healthier. So, how can parents maintain and encourage interest in the kitchen, while keeping their children safe?

One good way to start fostering an early love of cooking is by allowing babies to hang out in the kitchen while the parents cook. Parents can narrate the process and allow the kids to play with some of the safe kitchen utensils as they cook. These babies will grow thinking about the importance of the act of cooking and will also begin learning early about healthy foods.

As the kids grow into older toddlers, parents can encourage their interest in the kitchen by getting them actively involved. Older toddlers and preschoolers can wash vegetables, pour ingredients and help stir when cooking. They can help knead bread and shape cookies. These hands-on activities are especially delightful to kids. They also serve a double purpose as parents can take the time to teach the kids about the different types of foods.

Once old enough, kids can be allowed to begin actual cooking over heat, with strict parental supervision. They can even help plan meals, which will show them that their contributions to family decisions are important. Eventually, older kids can actually be in charge of completing a meal a week if they want to. This is great preparation for when they move out on their own.

A recent news article from the Associated Press tells the story of an Ohio restaurant going out of business after 70 years. Another failed business is not a new story these days, and the reason, in general, is because the U.S. economy is not doing well right now. The reasons for this can be found aplenty in any number of newspapers and books written by economists from every point of the political spectrum, but I won’t go into any of that here.

What I want to talk about is how our saying the economy is bad somewhat obscures the element of individual human suffering that has quickly become a part of the lives of everyday Americans like you and me, especially in the last two years or so. We stand in the supermarket aisle gasping at the price of food, wondering if the children can get by with a little less protein or fewer vegetables. The companies we work for have had to make cuts, and we’re standing in line at the unemployment office wondering how we’re going to pay the mortgage this month.

In hard times, our parents and grand-parents did something simple and effective to combat rising food prices, sky-rocketing gas prices, and job loss: they stuck together. They joined with their neighbors, offering help and services, sharing what they had, and giving their business to the struggling shopkeepers in their own neighborhoods. In this way they hoped to keep everyone afloat—because everyone floating on a rickety homemade raft is better than most everyone drowning.

America is a great land populated by great people. We are like a neighborhood, where families live and work, stopping off at the neighborhood bakery after church on Sunday, or grabbing a couple of burgers at the neighborhood joint after a Saturday at the ball field with the kiddies.

But what happens to that neighborhood bakery and burger joint when we decide to pay for food at the larger fast-food chains? What happens to the florist down the street, or that cozy little book store on the corner when we buy from the “big guys” who import inferior—and therefore cheaper—products from overseas?

And this problem is not seen only on your street or just in your town. Online businesses run by Americans also suffer. For instance, fine linens sold online by American small businesses have a hard time competing with inferior linens imported from sweatshops overseas and then sold in major discount chains. When we buy foreign goods from overseas companies, we are “leaving the neighborhood.”  We are chasing each other to the welfare offices and helping to put each other “on the dole.”

Let’s keep our neighborhood businesses running. Let’s keep our Country running. Let’s buy American.

If you’ve been to the mall lately to do a little clothes shopping, you may have experienced a bit of sticker shock. That’s because retailers are raising clothing prices 10% on average to offset rising costs of materials and labor. The bottom line is, you’re paying more, but you’re getting less. According to Consumer Savings Expert, Andrea Woroch, some manufacturers are cutting down on the quality and extras, and instead applying inexpensive tweaks to con shoppers into thinking they are getting more for their money, when in fact they’re not. They’re using less material, cheaper fabrics and different items on the clothing to make it less expensive.

Some examples of this are:

Skinny Jeans and Pants – these are promoted as a hot new trend for fall and back to school, but what you will notice is that they are softer and there is less material. Although the softer denim is a lot less expensive, there is a subtle price increase.

Unfinished Clothing – yes, believe it or not, many items are not completely finished such as hems on pants, skirts, and jackets. Also, cheaper quality stitching is used on pockets to save on thread. These are being marketed as a new look, but according to Woroch, the real reason is because it costs less to manufacturer unfinished clothing.

Zippers vs. Buttons – surprisingly, zippers are less expensive than buttons, so when it comes to mass production, manufacturers save a lot by making little tweaks and using zippers in clothing instead of buttons.

Use of alternate materials to replace cotton – with the rising cost of cotton, more clothing is being made with rayon. It’s a soft fabric and many people like it, however, the real reason it is becoming popular these days is simply because it is a less expensive to manufacture.

Less fabric in clothing – this is especially noticeable with many of the women’s clothing. For example, blouses and shirts are low cut and more revealing, once again saving on manufacturing costs.

So, how do we combat “con-flation”? According to Andrea Woroch, here are some tips to help you get more for your money.

Coupons – look for coupons online that are printable. Many stores offer them.

Swap, don’t buy – this is a great way to save money on clothing for youngsters who quickly grow out of their clothes. Visit treadup.com and swap.com

Hold out for the holidays – this is when you will find the best deals on fall and winter merchandise.

Wait for Online Sale Days – Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Free Shipping days will offer the best deals.

Shop off season – the fall is the best time to shop for summer clothing when the left-over items are on sale. Likewise, late winter, early spring is a great time for winter clothing sales.

Outlet Malls – this is a great place to shop for brand name items at discounted prices. Factory outlet malls are the venue manufacturers use to sell their items directly to the public, saving you money.

Flooding in Pakistan and bad weather in India has majorly impacted the production of cotton in those countries, and, by extension, has caused rising prices on cotton-heavy items here in the United States. The recession has not helped, but when major cotton producers such as Pakistan and India have trouble supplying manufacturers with the raw materials they need to produce apparel and bedding, it leads to rising prices and declining quality on those items around the world.

In an article posted on November 3, 2010, New York Times staff writer Stephanie Clifford explains that manufacturers which produce jeans and other articles of clothing made primarily from cotton are scrambling to cut corners while maintaining quality.

The New York Times article, Cotton Clothing Price Tags to Rise, opens: “Synthetic linings. Smaller buttons. Less Italian fabric. And yes, even more polyester.”

Liz Claiborne, which makes brands like Juicy Couture and Kate Spade, has had to pull back from importing Italian fabrics and, instead, is dealing with suppliers who make their own raw materials or yarns. Buttons and trim are also on the table for review at Liz Claiborne: can smaller buttons and less expensive trim be used on apparel and still catch the eye of consumers? And then there are companies like Lululemon Athletica, the sportswear company, which has moved some of its manufacturing from China to Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh, where wages are lower.

Bon Tons retail prices rose 5-8% in 2010, and they are now selling sweaters knitted with rayons, acrylics, and other synthetic fibers in order to avoid raising prices in the stores. Levis, Hanes, Playtex…the list of retailers feeling the cotton pinch is a lengthy one. They are responding by moving away from natural fabrics and towards synthetic fibers and blends.

Naturally, Cozytown Linens does not want to start selling acrylic bedding! The thought of our customers sleeping on uncomfortable sheets made from acrylics is something we don’t ever want to consider. But we also don’t want you to have to take out a second mortgage on the house in order to sleep on fine, soft, cool cotton sheets and pillow cases! But there’s hope: some farmers in the United States have decided to grow cotton–not only farmers in the southwest, but also in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. This can only help the price of cotton in the United States, and help us keep our prices down.

At Cozytown, quality means everything. We want you to rest your head on the most luxurious pillows every night of the year. We want you to slip under silky cotton sheets in the summer, and buttery-soft flannel sheets and toasty warm, fluffy down blankets on cool autumn nights.  In short, we’re here to help you get the most out of those all too brief eight hours every night!

Linen is considered a vegetable fiber – a natural fiber that comes from the flax plant. It’s an excellent fabric for garments, table linens and bed sheets, but since linen is an expensive fabric to manufacture, its use is limited.  

Linen is one of the oldest woven fabrics in human history and was once considered suitable only for royalty. Purple linen was the material used in king’s robes – purple being the color representing royalty and linen, a finer quality lightweight fabric. This quality has made it popular in hot climates for thousands of years.

Today most flax planets used for fabric is grown in Western Europe and the fabric is manufactured there as well. Good quality linen is soft and free of “slubs” – the small knots that can be felt within the weave. Slubs are only found in lesser quality linen.

Linen fabric is an ideal choice for clothing and bed sheets because it is durable and wicks moisture away from the skin, however, the down side is that it wrinkles easily. Not only is linen prone to wrinkling, but it is more difficult to iron than other fabrics. In order to eliminate the wrinkles, you must either use a steam iron or spritz the fabric with water.

I can remember as a child, my grandmother dampening her linen towels, rolling them into the shape of a log and then placing them in the refrigerator to keep them moist, removing them one by one for ironing. It seemed as though she ironed for hours, but apparently it was worth it to have fresh, crisp, and beautifully ironed linens. When I was grown and started keeping a house of my own, I was given a linen dish towel. It was very absorbent and perfect for drying dishes, but it wrinkled terribly. I have to admit that I didn’t have the time or interest to stand and iron it as my grandmother surely would have done.

If you love the coolness, luster, and strength of linen fabric, and don’t mind the extra work involved to keep it looking fresh and crisp, then linen is a perfect choice of fabric for you.

Did you ever purchase a hand towel, dish towel, or bath towel that felt soft to the touch, only to discover that it’s not that absorbent?  Here are a couple of important tips to keep in mind the next time you shop for towels:

Look at the fabric content and consider towels that are made of 100% cotton. Cotton terry cloth towels are the most absorbent. Cotton along with a terry cloth weave are a perfect combination because cotton can absorb up to seven times its weight in water and the terry loops act as small sponges. The highest-quality terry products consist of more yarns used in the background fabric and very close loops packed into the pile. The more loops there are, the more absorbent the towel will be.

Avoid velour towels.  Although they look and feel beautiful, they have limited absorbency due to the shorter pile.  Velour towels are produced in the same fashion as terry, but with an additional process that shears the terry loops to a shorter length on one side.