A Guide To Buying A Mattress | New Year, Better Night Of Sleep

It took us awhile but one of the most important things to us during the process to 'green' and detoxify our home was our mattress. If you think about it, you spend an average of 56 hours per week (at least) using that thing - it needs to be a good one. I did a lot of research when looking for our mattress that we currently have thanks to Tuft & Needle, so I wanted to share my findings!

THINGS I LEARNED WHEN RESEARCHING MATTRESSES:

Mattresses are typically super marked up.

Some mattresses can be marked up 6-12 times past what they're worth. This is true for many furniture stores, but mattresses especially. Sales people need to make commission and storefronts have to meet rent, so you have an increase in price when the mattress itself isn't worth nearly what you pay.

The materials most mattresses are made of aren't ideal.

You can read tons more about this here, but some mattresses are made of latex (which isn't ideal and pretty outdated), memory foam (which results in hotter sleep at night because you sink into it), springs (which aren't supportive at all) I mean really when have you laid on a spring mattress and thought, "man I'm super comfortable right now" ha! Lastly some mattresses are made of egg-crate foam which I've personally never felt was comfortable and apparently you're paying for a mattress yet getting 50% less material! So silly.

Layers = glue = chemicals.

No, this isn't a math lesson, it's just common sense. The mattresses that have layers of materials are glued together with adhesive that gives off chemicals and also reduces airflow.

Buying online > Buying in store.

More math, I know... I hate equations, not sure why I'm using them, but really. The reason I prefer to buy online is that you can get it much cheaper. You basically cut out the middle man and reduce emissions and transportation as well, which helps our environment! I'm all for anything that is sustainable! Also, many mattresses are made outside of the U.S. which means we have to import the materials before even transporting them to the location where they're sold.

My solution?

Tuft & Needle.

We've had our mattress for around 60 days now. Tuft & Needle sent it to me to review for you, and to be completely honest I've wanted to really use it and sleep on it before writing this review. I never endorse products that I don't fully believe in or use myself. It's important to me to be honest and transparent with you.

I love Tuft & Needle for the following reasons:

1. Their mattresses are made in the U.S. and shipped to you directly.

2. Their products have less glue and adhesives so you don't have to breathe in as many toxins.

3. There are only two layers of materials in their mattresses versus the typical 4+.

4. Their products are SUPER fairly priced.

5. They give back to the community. Mattresses that are returned to them are donated to local non-profits.

6. They have a 100 Night Trial program! Read more about that here!

7. T&N has a 10 year limited warranty.

8. Their special foam is Certipur certified and free of PBDE flame retardants, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and other harmful chemicals. (See the graphic below).

9. Tuft & Needle uses a NATURAL flame retardant. This is a huge one for me.

10. They're environmentally friendly, as they are made in the U.S. and shipped directly to the residence vs. additional transportation to stores and importations, etc.

(source)

TIPS FOR BUYING A MATTRESS:

1. Buy one that's manufactured in the U.S.

2. Find a material that is breathable and less than 4 layers.

3. Find a company that delivers to your door vs. trying it out in store.

4. Try to find one that emits the least amount of chemicals.

5. Do your research and shop around for a fair price.

Tuft & Needle King Size Mattress c/o || Cariloha Bamboo Sheets c/o | Cariloha Bamboo Pillows c/o | Similar Headboard

*Photos by Erika Greene Photography | @erikagreenephotography

My Outfit: Similar Sweater | Denim (ONLY $64) | Identical Hat

 CHECK OUT THE TUFT AND NEEDLE SITE HERE!

Thank you so much for reading!

xo. L

Read More »

10 Second No Bake Vegan Granola Recipe + Video

*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BetterWithCraisins #CollectiveBias

I am so excited to share this vegan granola recipe with you today! This is my 10-second, raw, no bake granola that I share on Snapchat almost every week! I make a big batch in the beginning of the week so that G and I get to enjoy the soft and chewy goodness. This Autumn-inspired recipe is infused with naturally sweetened medjool dates, and deliciously tangy Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries, you are seriously going to "Fall" in love with this recipe!

I used to grab Craisins® Dried Cranberries when I shopped at Sam's, but haven't seen them there in awhile. I snagged this bag at Target, though! They have both the 12 ounce and 24 ounce bags! 

Ingredients:

• 1 spotty, ripe banana
• 5 pitted medjool dates
• 1 cup organic rolled oats
• 1/2 cup Craisins® Dried Cranberries
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1/2 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract

Method:

This is a pretty simple recipe! As you can see in the video, you literally just pour everything into the food processor and pulse until the dates and dried cranberries bind with the other ingredients, creating a soft, chewy, and crumbly bite!

I use Craisins® Dried Cranberries in sooo many things like salads, banana breads, muffins, and even our delicious vegan meatloaf! Did you know that 1/4 cup of cranberries is actually a serving of 1/2 cup of fruit? You can visit this link here to more recipe ideas and where to find this product near you.

xo. L

Read More »

Dining Room Gallery | Wall Black & White Photo Collage + Video

All it takes is one tiny look at your Pinterest feed to know that gallery walls are IN. They are THE thing to do. No more giant paintings above the couch. We want to see monograms, quirky art, and of course... family photos! I knew that I wanted to do a huge black and white photo gallery wall in my dining room the second we moved into our new house. The natural light is glorious in this space, so the black and white photos just shine.

I figured that while I'm hanging this, I may as well film my process. I know there are seriously TONS of ways to do gallery walls - I opted for the easiest, and quickest since #momlife and #toddlerlife rule all these days.

I am SO excited to share this video with you though! We've had it in the works for quite sometime, and I finally have it edited and ready to share!

*There's some glare in this photo, but it's literally the best one I could take the day we filmed. I'm going to update with a better one asap!

VIDEO:

HOW TO HANG A GALLERY WALL:

(watch video above for a full visual)

Step One: Pick out the photos and frames you want to display. We used Pinhole Press for both printing and framing and it was easy as pie! The frames we used are 8x10 and 10x8. Fourteen horizontal frames, and eight vertical frames for a total of 22 frames for the whole wall!

Step Two: Create a layout on the floor to be sure you have the frames positioned the way you want them. I messed with it a few times to make sure it was just right!

Step Three: Take twenty-two 8x11 size pieces of paper (if you are using 8x10 frames) and hang them on the wall with nails (estimating where the nail should go as far as where you hang the frame!)

*You are going to have to cut the papers to size if your frames are a 5x7, 4x6, or any other size!

Step Four: One by one, take off the papers and replace with the frames. You may need to adjust a frame here and there. I did this a ton until the very end -- actually I'm still adjusting them ha!

G is obsessed with our photo wall - she is always pointing up at it saying "baby" while admiring all the photos. I love looking at them during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and each time I walk by the space - they've made our new house feel so much more like home!

*Pinhole Press provided product for this post; all thoughts and opinions are my own!

xo.

L

Read More »

Home | Minimalist Bathroom Decorating Hacks

I've become somewhat of a minimalist when it comes to decorating my home. Part of that I owe to having a toddler running around, and the other part I owe to my husband who is pretty frugal with our decorating budget. Haha. Many women and moms I know fall into one of those two categories, and for this, I say. I've found the solution! At least, a solution. Here are a few bathroom decorating hacks I've come up with over the years!

Use a kitchen fruit stand to store various items. I love the color of this one and how it matches the urban, industrial theme I've got going on in my bathroom!

Frame old calendar photos. See that "I Love Lucy" pic? It's an old one that I've had forever from a calendar. I framed it and have used it to decorate my house for years. Do people still use paper calendars? haha... Just me?

Use tin soap holders to store cotton balls & cotton swabs! I've been using this hack for soooo... long! I've seen people use jars for these too, and it's cute + practical!

Hopefully these quick tips were helpful to you! I love a clean, simple space! Here's to frugal decorating amidst toddlers and husbands!

xo. L

Read More »

Three Tips To De-Clutter Your Child's Room

If you're a parent, by now you've probably realized that having a baby is just another way of saying "I'm about to accumulate a lot of stuff." 

Today, I am sharing a few tips for using up all the space in your little one's room plus great ideas for de-cluttering! I am not a fan of stuff. I don't like having things I don't need or use around, so if it is not useful to me, it either gets packed away for another time (aka the next baby) or gets donated.

Tips for De-cluttering

At first, it can be quite overwhelming to purge and de-clutter. A helpful tip is to act like you’re moving. When going through the items, have three empty laundry baskets in the middle of the room: one for items you want to get rid of, one for items you want to store for the future, and one for items you want to keep. Only keep items that you, or your child, love enough to lug with you to a new house. Also, consider the rule of six months: if you’re child hasn’t worn an outfit or touched a toy in the last six months there’s a reason – it’s an indication that it’s time to part ways.

Make sure you do one area of the room at a time! It will be tough to control yourself when you get on a roll, but try to stay focused on each space before moving on to another.

Reassess – after the initial de-clutter session, make sure you go through what you decided to keep and make sure it’s workable for the space, and things your child will actually want or use.

Now you are ready to get started!

The Great Purge

Oh, yes, the toys. There are SO many toys. When I registered for Grace, there were fifty toys per age category that I just absolutely NEEDED. Now that she's here and going on fourteen months old, I probably see her play with the same five toys! She loves things like measuring cups, and spoons, etc, but yes, she did accumulate a lot of toys! 

Step one: Group toys by type. You’ll quickly notice that you have 14 pretend cell phones but your kid only plays with one. Put aside the excess to donate. Also, as you’re doing this you will probably come across entire categories of toys that your child has outgrown. Newborn toys like rattles or hanging toys are not really of any use to your growing kid anymore. Donate these or stow them away for future kids. Same goes for clothes that don’t fit your child anymore.

With kids, it’s easy to get sentimental and find it difficult to throw out items. Remember that your donations will go towards great causes, and it’s an awesome opportunity to teach your children about the importance of charity. Also, don’t forget you can keep a few special things, but most of the clothing and toys that your child has outgrown are just taking up space.

Step two: Now that you’ve taken care of purging, figure out the best way to store the things that you are going to keep. I put lots of Grace’s toys in her Delta Children Jack & Jill Deluxe Toy Box. I was so happy to find this item because it's childproof, so the top doesn't slam down. It opens with ease, and it even has book storage on the ends for my little bookworm! I condensed down her toys so much that they all fit into this chest! 

As for storing clothing items, I have fabric bins in her drawers. I have three bins in each dresser drawer. They are labeled with a clothespin by the size. (18-24m, 2T, 3T, etc.) I also sort them by item in each bin, so all of her pants that are size 18-24m are in the same place, and her 2T tops are all in the same bin. It helps so much to keep clothing organized, especially for quick changes when your toddlers get messy and grumpy!

Tips for Reorganizing

Fabric Bins: My favorite item to use in bookshelves, other than books, is fabric bins. I use fabric bins all over my daughter’s room – I mentioned using them in her drawers but I also have them in her closet and on the floor. They are safe, and not pointy on the ends like plastic or wire baskets, and they look cute! You can find a whole variety of bins from Delta Children and they can be great for organizing bows, thermometers, and other tiny things that may be in baby’s dresser.

Spice Racks: Rather than putting a ton of nails in the wall to hang pictures, I have some little, white spice rack shelves to display photos and decor. I also love that I can store twice as many photos, and don’t have to worry about dusting on top of shelves or dressers where pictures would set if I didn’t use these racks. Also, Grace likes to grab anything within her reach, so I prefer the glass and fragile items to be very high up.

One last tip for decorating or re-decorating: Keep it simple with your décor. Less is more.

Hopefully after reading this post, you're a bit more confident in your ability to go through your kiddo's room and keep important things/donate or toss things that aren't needed. I don't know about you, but I always feel amazing after I get myself organized! 

*Thanks to Delta Children for sponsoring this post. Product was provided for my honest review.

xo. L

Read More »

Keeping Your House Clean | 10 Minutes A Day

If you're anything like me, you dread cleaning the house. Yes, that's right. I'm a stay at home mom who hates cleaning, go figure. I want to let you know that there is hope. I recently found this AMAZING cleaning resource, For The Love of Clean, and it's led me to a serious intervention. I have no choice but to love cleaning, because having a clean house means having a clean mind... or something like that. Clear mind, maybe?

Here's my newfound secret to keeping a tidy house -- a little bit at at time.

I clean my house every day, and although that sounds like it would be tiring it isn't, because I only spend about 10 minutes a day cleaning. (Give or take when there's an extra mess). Here's how...

(See Gracie with her collection of diapers hanging to dry? She's obsessed with her cloth, just like me haha. Those are her Charlie Banana pocket diaper covers, and that gorgeous floral one is their new swim diaper print, Floriana. Do you use swim diapers?)

Monday: Kitchen
Mondays can be rough. There are some days where I get a ton of stuff done, and other days where I literally can't deal... so it just depends on my mood! I obviously clean my kitchen every time I use it, I wipe up messes when G eats, and I almost always do the dishes when I eat so that they don't pile up, but I also spend my Monday getting my kitchen ready to be used.

First, I make sure the dishes are done, and I deep clean the sink and counters if they aren't already clean. Then I wipe down the cupboards with some warm water and some dish soap. I do the same thing in my fridge and kind of re-organize it so I know what foods I have for the week. This is pretty much all I do in my kitchen other than deep cleaning my floors (vacuuming/mopping) but that's coming up next!

Tuesday: Floors
So, I don't sweep. I don't have to. I have this gorgeous Dyson V6 Animal cordless vacuum and it literally does everything I could ever want and more. First I use the hardwood floor attachment and clean my floors downstairs (as you can see I have tile) so I don't have to sweep at all, which is glorious. Then I vacuum my rugs downstairs with the carpet attachment! This takes all of five minutes if I'm wearing G, and I pretty much always do when I clean.

Then I go upstairs and vacuum our rooms and hallway. It's pretty easy and done in ten minutes if I stay focused. I love the feeling of clean floors.

Also, confession: I use my vacuum almost every day when cleaning up after G when she eats on the carpet or in her high chair, haha. Honestly, it's been a major life changer since my previous vacuum weighed like 50 pounds.

Wednesday: Laundry

Try to limit it to two loads if you can - if you keep up with the schedule then you won't have that much laundry... keep in mind, though - we only have three people in our household. So laundry day may take a bit more time for you than it does for me. That being said... You should definitely get it all done in one day; don't drag it out. I'm talking wash, dry, fold, put away! It's sooo tough when you have loads and loads of clean, unfolded laundry sitting there!

I also cloth diaper, so I do laundry twice a week, but hey, that's my own personal choice to plague myself with more laundry haha. I think it's worth it! I love cloth diapering - we use Charlie Banana's one size pocket diapers, and they have an amazing new tencel blend material that is SO soft! I love that they come in a variety of prints and colors!

Thursday: Bathrooms (may take longer, but 1 out of 7 days over 10 minutes isn't bad)

This one is tough because I have three bathrooms so sometimes it can take a bit more than 10 minutes. My routine for bathroom cleaning is quick, however, so I try to get it out of the way in the morning before starting my day so that I feel accomplished! 

Always start from the ground up. So ceiling/walls/windows, then wipe counters and mirrors, then clean toilets, and floors last. Once a month I do a deep clean of our showers and grout. For The Love of Clean has great tips and resources for deep cleaning bathrooms!

Pictured above: The U.S.H. Sock Monster - a place to store all of your mismatched socks until you find their mate!

Friday: Bedrooms

Bedrooms are pretty easy if you keep them somewhat clean on the daily. Making your bed is a great way to feel like your room is clean. Same thing goes for picking up your clothes when you're done wearing them [unless you're like my hubby who prefers to leave them sprawled on the floor]. Having a clean room, free of clutter is super nice at the end of a long day, however, so try to keep that picked up!

As far as kiddo rooms, picking up anything that gets thrown about or left out during the week is probably a good idea. By this time, it's Friday, so the weekend is here and you've got lots of weekend plans which means your babes won't be playing in their rooms often, which then means you get to start your week off with clean kiddo rooms! Make this a family effort if you have older kids. My mom used to put on music and we would all clean (she would clean her room, and my sister and I would have to clean ours) we always felt better about cleaning our room when we knew she had to clean hers too haha. 

If you're like me and have a toddler, however, you're just going to have to do twice the work and until they're old enough to help, and also utilize #babywearing all day, every day, to keep that little toddling love from making a mess as you clean up a mess!

Saturday: Outdoor Yard Work OR Day of Rest

I'm not big into outdoor cleaning like mowing lawns, but if I were, I'd probably make it a family event on Saturdays -- or you can leave your grass long/hire someone to do it and take a Day of Rest!

Sunday: Declutter

This one really is ten minutes or under because it's just getting ready for the busy week ahead! I love starting off with a tidy house... free of toys strewn about or dishes it the sink. On Sundays, anything I didn't get to do one day that previous week because I was too busy, I do on Sundays, in addition to decluttering/picking up my house! It feels amazing.

This intervention has taught me so much about how important it is to maintain a clean living space. Believe it or not, no one taught me how to clean. No one said "this is how often you clean your sheets" or "this is the type of cleaner you need for your bathroom/shower" I kind of just had to learn it on my own. So, here I am 26 years later, a mama and wife, finally getting my stuff together! ha.

I truly want to know if you try this out, and whether it works for you! Try it for a week, or maybe the whole month of August, and let me know! You can also join in on all of the mom convos in our Mom Tribe over on Facebook! We'd love to have you.

*This vacuum was provided to me free of charge by Dyson, which is what inspired me to share this content with you. Thank you so much for reading!

xo. L

Read More »

The LifeStyled Company | Style to Live By

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending a private preview of a local pop-up design shop here in Arizona. Mama, editor, and designer Kristen Forgione is the mastermind behind it all - she is the creator of THE LifeStyled COMPANY, and she is super inspiring and equally sweet! This pop-up shop featured SO many fabulous pieces that would seriously look great in any home. Keep reading to learn more about my experience and see some gorgeous (and affordable) pieces!

Read More »