Curious about my the title of this week's blog? No, I don't have a sweet tooth. There is absolutely nothing better (in my opinion) than 8 solid hours of much needed sleep. Don't you agree? Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I loooove to sleep. I blame my parents; my middle name means leisure, what else do you expect?!. In this week's blog, I'll update you on the status of my master bedroom redesign. I'll also share with you what I've learned over the years about one thing you need for a good night's sleep -- yep, you got it-- a mattress, and last but not least, my thoughts on rest.
Project Status
Let's start with a progress update (see chart below)
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| Master Bedroom Project Status |
Good news, I bought my queen sized mattress! Now I can really sleep on my new bed. I've been eying this mattress for close to a year, I tested it out several times, did the research, waited for a sale, and finally it's mine :-) The original cost was over $1700.00 and I got it for around $700.00 (cha ching!) from Macy's. The sales associate was great, but he didn't have much work to do, as I knew exactly what I wanted. I marched in that store, told him my budget, and when he suggested we walk over to the more expensive side of the store, I said, "Uh huh, how about we stay right over here, the side I can afford?!" Ignorance is bliss, and my philosophy is, if you haven't tried it, you won't want it.
Mattress Tips:
So, just in case you're wondering what the big deal is with a mattress, here are 5 things to consider:
1) Comfort: a bad mattress can leave one feeling tired, achy, and in pain the next morning, even contribute to back pains. If your mattress is more than 10 years old, not the right level of firmness, that could explain that grouchy attitude of yours in the morning.
2) Firmness: choosing the right level of firmness is so critical to good sleep. This is completely subjective, so go to the store and spend at least 15 minutes laying down to test all the types; the most common types I've found are plush, firm, extra firm, along with pillow tops combinations with any of those. I'm a pillow top girl, they kinda give you a feeling of sleeping on a cloud.
3) Patience: it's so worthwhile to wait for that sale. I waited about a year before buying my mattress (yes, I was in no rush). In the USA, common sale days are President's Day (February), Memorial Day (May), Independence Day (July 4th), Labor Day (September), Thanksgiving (November) and of course Christmas, with several other sales in between. Take some time to research mattresses online, compare brands, read customer reviews, and observe price cuts during sales.
4) In-store vs Online: My suggestion is to test all the brands in store, write down the ones you like the most and then pounce when they go on sale online. I like to do comparison shopping, however, it's a little tricky with mattresses, since each store has their own branding of each type of mattress (for example their own types of Serta, Simmons, and Sealy). This makes is difficult to determine which ones are similar. If you can find the exact one you test in store on sale on the internet, I say go for it. Otherwise, buy in store.
5) Warranty: usually a warranty is a good thing, but in the case of mattresses it's not that great of an insurance policy. ConsumerReports.org indicate that they cover defects in materials and workmanship, not comfort or normal wear and they're usually in effect for 10 years. However, in my online shopping, if I see an mattress on sale with less than 7 years warranty, that's a warning sign for me, but that's just me.
So you've got a great mattress, now how about those sheets? Aesthetics is not all that counts. For those of you living in North America, we're in the middle of winter (or some semblance of it). The best thing you could do for yourself, bed wise, is to purchase flannel sheets, if you don't already possess some. They're soooooo good! You can get these at any number of stores, e.g. Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Pottery Barn, etc.
At Rest
So, all of that just for a good night's sleep Kyla? Yep, rest is that important. But outside of sleep, is it possible to always at rest? Merriam Webster defines 'at rest' -- to be free of anxieties, and 'rest' -- to remain confident: trust, to cease from action or motion. I like all of those; once again, my middle name means leisure :-) Just the thought of being completely free of anxieties is heart warming. Guess what? I don't think it's out of reach. That's the whole point of this blog, to make an oasis (sanctuary, refuge, retreat, safe harbor) of our homes. Did you know that God cares about that too? In fact, he said in Exodus 25:8, "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." In fact, he had very explicit instructions for the design of this sanctuary, which gives us even more reason to think carefully about the design of our homes (not any and everything should go). You wouldn't think God would need a sanctuary, or place of refuge, right? He is, after all God. So then, this must mean that it's more for our benefit, so we could get to know Him, become familiar with His life, and directly address our concerns. I also think God just likes hanging with us. God wanted to remind us that he himself is a refuge, the best there is. There are so many references in the bible to God being a refuge, I'll share 2 with you:
Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge."
You know what else, God went a step further than designing the sanctuary; when he created this world he "rested" on the seventh day and sanctified it (Genesis 2:2). My mother used to say to me on a regular basis, rest doesn't only mean sleep, it's also a change of activity (probably had something to do with my excuses for how much I slept growing up). Do you have time set aside for rest? Aside from the 6-8 hours you sleep daily, what about time to decompress, get away from all the troubles of life, and take refuge. Maybe you could take God up on His offer of refuge, one day of the week, all day. Why not do so on that seventh day He rested? Food for thought.
Thoughts, questions? I'd love to hear from you :-)
Happy resting!
Kyla
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