Author: Tony

beautiful memory foam mattress bed

Top 5 Memory Foam Mattresses To Use In Your Bedroom Today!

Aircraft cushions needed a major safety revamp in the 1960s and therefor Yost was contracted by NASA to develop memory foam. It was named temper foam and was created by pumping in gas into polymer resulting in solid cells which could move together as one, just like liquid. The material also had the ability to return to its original shape after the pressure that is placed on it was relieved.

Due to its fantastic ability, memory foam was used in practically everything you can think of. Its greatest claim to fame is being used in the medical industry. Memory foam mattresses were a wonderful solution to bedridden patients who could not toss and turn in bed without assistance. When a patient lies in the same position for prolonged periods of time, pressure points will form. The foam could absorb the pressure of the body weight and spread this evenly resulting in a relief of pressure points. Lack of pressure points resulted in less bed sores for patients.

Memory foam is now widely used as mattresses and pillows. This overall best memory foam mattress 2017 has all the great qualities of memory foam, i.e. support and comfort. The heat retaining property of a memory foam mattress makes it a great material to sleep on during cold days. Some people may complain that it gets a little too hot when sleeping for long periods of time on memory foam mattresses. Mattress companies have responded to this complaint by incorporating material which encourages airflow and could wick away body moisture effectively.

memory foam mattress topperMemory foam technology got better and better over the years and it is uncommon nowadays to hear of complaints. The latest generation of memory foam is able to release body heat faster and return to its original shape in half the speed. The new ones are also much softer than the original. Some companies have even incorporated charcoal, aloe vera and green tea extract into their memory foam mattresses. These naturally eliminate odors and function as an aromatherapy to improve sleep.

As discussed earlier, memory foam is made out of millions of solid cells. This makes it much denser and heavier than other mattresses. Transporting a memory foam mattress therefore becomes nearly impossible without proper heavy lifting tools or a couple of men. It may not appear so; however a normal memory foam mattress can weigh up to double the weight of a normal spring mattress. This should also be a consideration when choosing mattresses as it is considered good practice to flip and rotate your mattress every couple of months. A memory foam mattress may thus require more strength and energy to rotate.

Since the quality of a memory foam mattress changes according to heat, many users may find their mattress to be too firm when initially using it. However, after lying on it for approximately 20 minutes, the foam will begin to soften and become more comfortable. This may not suit everyone as not everyone can wait 20 minutes for their mattresses to become soft. That said, memory foam mattresses are very good for light sleepers. They are very quiet and will never creak like a normal spring mattress would when your partner tosses and turns in bed.

Bedrooms
garden coop

Give Your Backyard A Makeover With These Ideas Including Splash Pads And Chicken Coops!

It’s no secret that people love home makeovers, as evidenced by the 100 home makeover shows you can find on the TLC network on any given morning, afternoon, evening, and night. You get the picture. For some reason, watching these home makeover shows give us a vicarious thrill much in the same way that people who can barely fry an egg will religiously watch Masterchef. So don’t be one of those people who endlessly watch home makeover shows while living in a dump; instead get off your ass and go improve your home!

The backyard is a great place for you to begin your home makeover project because it causes minimal disruption and is the most forgiving of any mistakes. Also, the backyard is the area in most people’s homes that needs the most improvement anyway. So without further ado, let’s begin.

 

Give Your Kids a Play Area with a Splash Pad

While your wealthier neighbors might decide to sink at least 50k in building a backyard pool (which is by the way, a bad idea as spending 50k on a pool will NOT increase property values by 50k and in fact may actively turn off potential buyers, plus not to mention the fact that your pool will be covered in an unsightly tarp for many months of the year) you can opt for the smarter and cheaper route by constructing a simple and cheap splash pad. All you need is a garden slide (you may already have one), a hose or sprinkler (you definitely already have one of these) and a tarp (which will actually be put to good use).

The setup is simple, simply spread out the tarp at the bottom of the slide, keep it nicely wet and slippery with either the hose and sprinkler and voila! you’re good to go! The best part is that the splash pad can easily be ‘put away for another day’, something you can’t do with a huge pool dug into your backyard.

 

Give Your Family Fresh Eggs and Meat with a Chicken Coop

heating for coopsOk, so obviously a chicken coop itself won’t provide you with anything; but its (future and potential) occupants will! While going from a splash pad to raising your own backyard chickens is admittedly quite a leap, there is actually no better way to turn your backyard into a space that works for you instead of against you. Are you worried about the prevalence of hormones and antibiotics in poultry raised in the agricultural industrial complex? You should be, so why not avoid all that nonsense and raise your own chicken flock? And of course, building your own chicken coop can be a very rewarding project (these 2017 chicken coop plans are the best for beginners!) and if you’re clumsier than someone with two left hands then you can purchase one outright off the web. Whichever route you decide, make sure your chicken coop can achieve the following objectives.

  • Predator Protection – Don’t let other animals eat your chickens! If you give them the opportunity they definitely will. Even if you buy a chicken coop wholesale, you’ll still have to buy either chicken wire or hardware cloth (we recommend the latter as it is much sturdier) to surround the coop and run space.
  • Comfortable Living – While we’re not suggesting that you treat your chickens like a celebrity’s dog, we don’t want to subject them to cramped and inhumane conditions like their unfortunate factory farmed brethren. As such, we want to give each chicken a minimum of 3 square feet of coop space and at least 9 square feet of outdoor run space.
  • Healthy Environment – Unhealthy chickens make for lousy eggs. Two things are important for this: proper cleanliness and adequate ventilation. The first part should be a no brainer; you want to keep your chicken coop cleaned and well maintained as chickens are, honestly speaking, not the cleanest animals: don’t expect them to be anything like cats. Ventilation on the other hand is something that needs to be built into the chicken coop itself; we recommend a very minimum of one ventilation panel per side of the coop, including the roof. One ventilation panel per coop will simply not cut it; in adequate ventilation results in a buildup of ammonia which has negative health effects.
  • Easy Maintenance – People don’t like doing things are that are difficult (especially regularly) and you are not a special snowflake in this regard. A poorly designed chicken coop that is hard to clean and maintain will mean less motivation for you which will lead to a failing flock. Our recommendation? Make sure the coop is elevated, have an easy access door for humans only and avail yourself of the latest chicken coop accessories such as hanging feeders and automatic water dispensers.
Backyards
beautiful coop

Improve Your Backyard By Making It Feed Your Family Using Chicken Coops And Vegetable Gardens

Have you ever had dreams about being a farmer? Of quitting your corporate job and just ‘living off the land’ like an all-American rugged individualist, just like our forefathers? We’re sure that most corporate workers have had this sort of fantasy but of course, not many (or perhaps none at all) go through with it, for obvious reasons. That being said, there are ways to partially fulfill your dream of living off the land while still keeping your nice cushy corporate job, and that is true the use of vegetable gardens and chicken coops. No need to get overwhelmed; just read on!

Starting Your First Vegetable Garden

Anyone who’s ever done some cooking knows that the difference between fresh and day-old vegetables is night and day. When it comes to herbs and vegetables, freshness is paramount to taste, and when it comes to optimal health, making sure that it hasn’t been hosed down by a dozen different pesticides will probably make a huge difference as well. Of course, all of the above problems are solved by simply having your own vegetable garden. Let’s talk about the basics.

First, you need to plot out the ideal location. If you already have a nice fertile patch of soil in your garden, great! And if that spot is also a spot that receives a lot of direct sunlight and good shelter from heavy winds, then perfect! As you can tell, the ideal vegetable garden spot has the 3 ‘S’ good soil, sunshine, and shelter.

Next is the design of the vegetable garden itself. When it comes to backyard gardens, the most efficient design are like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon only much more modest in scale and using commercially bought vegetable beds instead. The reason is that most people’s backyards are simply too small to make the vertical ‘vegetable row arrangement’ work. Unless you have a huge space in your backyard to dedicate to a vegetable garden, a row arrangement would yield you a pitiful amount of herbs and vegetables.

Lastly, you’re probably wondering what kinds of herbs and vegetables you should start with as a beginner pseudo-horticulturist. And the answer is whatever vegetables you like to eat! To be honest, all the information is out there nowadays and if you have the drive to seek it out you’ll be able to find all the necessary information on cultivating specific herbs and vegetables on the Internet.

Getting Your First Chicken Coop

Your chickens need a home and that home is the chicken coop. Now, a chicken coop is not really a major investment but guess what it’s not really a minor one either. And even if cost is not an issue for you, then the time wasted most definitely will be. So it’s rather important that you choose or build the right chicken coop for you the first time round. First let’s discuss the 3 types of chicken coops.

  • Chicken Tractor – This is the most basic version of the chicken coop and is more of a cage really; a bottomless, portable cage. Basically the idea is you move the coop around from patch to patch to forage in. This is ideal if you have a very small flock, or to use as an addition to a standard chicken coop (see below) for ‘out of coop time’ for the chickens with the benefit of additional predator protection.
  • Mobile Chicken Coop – This is like a standard chicken coop but comes attached with anywhere from 2 to 4 tires for transportation purposes. Obviously it’s not bottomless like the chicken tractor either.
  • Standard Chicken Coop – The most comfy option for your chickens, really. And while I refer to the basic skeleton design as ‘standard’, in reality there are numerous variations in sizes and designs when it comes to your options.

chicken coop rampNow that we’ve talked about the types of chicken coops, and you’ve decided which type is best for you given your own unique circumstances let’s look at some characteristics that individual chicken coops should share regardless of design.

  • Ideal Size – Depending on the size of your chicken breed you are going with, each chicken will need anywhere from 2 to 4 square feet of indoor coop space and about 8 to 12 square feet of outdoor or ‘run’ space. Plan accordingly depending on the size of your backyard. And here’s a tip, always build your chicken coop bigger than what is needed for your first flock size, leaving yourself room to expand. Check out this useful guide on how to construct a chicken coop – it really comes in handy especially if you are a first timer!
  • Adequate Protection – If you’re not careful, it won’t be only you and your family’s mouths that the chickens will be feeding, it’ll be some other predators as well. Predators such as raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and weasels are always on the prowl and would turn your chickens into a tasty snack if you give them the chance. Avoid the sissy chicken wire; persistent predators (especially the larger ones) will tear through them. Instead, opt for hardware cloth.
Backyards
simple bedroom

Top Bedroom Pillows of 2017

Without enough sleep at night, your body will struggle to perform properly. As an example, you will see that you are struggling to give full attention to anything for as long as you normally can. We are generally susceptible to making some mistakes if we are devoid of concentration. Cell rejuvenation as well as development only takes place when you are sleeping.

memory foam pillowA few other consequences from lack of sleep consist of but they are not confined to baldness and constant fatigue. Extended working hours, depressive disorders as well as bad sleeping posture can cause you to toss and turn all night long therefore losing the quality rest that you desire. Not all the pillows will match you since most will give you discomfort. An excellent pillow will keep your neck area straight throughout the night. In the event your back feels sore whenever you are up, it probably signifies that your pillow is simply not providing you an effective support. All of these will allow you to snooze throughout the whole night with little complications. Medical professionals frequently advocate lying on the back since this will help to keep the spinal column aligned. When you are finding it challenging to inhale and exhale, it could imply that your pillow is simply not well suited for you.

We highly recommend switching your sleeping practice should you be a side or stomach sleeper. The deficiency of oxygen inside your body is harmful to your overall health. You might not want to use a firm pillow should you be a side sleeper. Making use of the incorrect form of pillow is not really an option for those who need to awaken invigorated every day. Consider memory foam pillows if you can.

Choosing the right pillow in your case is no longer a chore with all the types of pillows readily available. Feather, gel, polyester and foam will be the typical pillow types. You should get a pillow suitable for your sleeping style. I would personally opt for a pillow that I can sleep well on. If you are one of those poor, unfortunate souls who has neck problems, check out the 2017 top pillows for neck pain. They are said to provide adequate support for the neck area thus allowing you to have a good night’s sleep. I might buy an expensive pillow if it helps me sleep more effectively. You must not restrict yourself to one kind of pillow only and should experiment to discover the perfect one for you.

No person fancies sleeping on a pillow that stinks. You wouldn’t be the first person to whine about unusual smells emitted from your pillow. Gel pillows will last for practically two or three years generally. Nonetheless, water pillows usually are not recommended unless by a chiropractic practitioner or qualified medical professional who will advise regarding the ideal toughness that you will want.

I will realize that it is time to switch my pillow whenever I see fungi developing upon it. Memory foam pillows are also well-known because of the hypoallergenic characteristic.

Be ready to change your pillow frequently should you have a tendency to obtain low cost pillows. You might want to think twice prior to paying a huge sum of money on a pillow. Water and gel pillows are fantastic for long term use. Time will tell if you have chosen the right pillow. Some pillows come in small sizes and might be unable to supply great support.

You will additionally need to make sure that the pillow that you are getting meets your specific requirements. These days, there are many pillows sold in the market to cater for precise functions, like pregnancy, neck aches and pains or travel.

Bedrooms
clean apartment

How To Eliminate Roaches In Your Apartment

Roaches are a nuisance no matter whether you live in a house, townhouse, mansion, apartment, or in a cardboard box in a back alley. That said, when you live in a house, you definitely have much more control over the property which makes managing, preventing, and controlling roaches all the more easier. If you live in an apartment, that’s when things can get a little complicated; while you might be the cleanest and most hygienic person of all time, your neighbors might be candidates for the show Hoarders and roaches in their apartment might just spill over into yours. And if the roaches are living in the walls, which they happen to share with you, than you’re doubly screwed. Oh, and what if you’re just renting and you’ve got a pain in the ass landlord who refuses to seal up the cracks and crevices that the roaches are obviously coming from? That’s a triple screwing for sure.
So if you’re living in a rented apartment, what can you do to tackle a roach infestation, especially if you know the problem is not you, but rather your neighbors or even the building itself? Unfortunately, while you can’t control your neighbors or get rid of the roaches that are living in their filthy unit, taking the following measures should ensure that your unit stays roach free by comparison.

 

Sealing Off your Apartment

This is an absolute must. Because the source of the roaches is not your unit, you will never be able to eliminate them ‘at the source’ so to speak. Therefore, the best method is to prevent them from entering your unit in the first place. Go to your local hardware store and get a good tube of silicone caulk and a caulking gun. Now you must do the meticulous work of examining the walls and floors of your apartment to look for cracks and crevices (pay special attention to shared walls) where the roaches might be entering your apartment. When you find such cracks and crevices, make sure you seal them off entirely with the caulk. Also, use the caulk to properly seal off your door and window trims. If you suspect outlets or other such openings are the source, and they are too large to seal off with caulk, plug them up with steel wool (make sure you use steel wool because pests, including rodents, cannot eat through that). Next, pay attention to your door and window frames; are they sitting secure in their frames? If they’re loose, then roaches will be able to get through so make sure to fix that. Get insect screens for your windows if you like to leave them open.

 

Bait and Poison Them

cockroach killerWe’ll just be frank with you, don’t bother with any of the ‘natural’ remedies out there; with one exception (diatomaceous earth), they are all ineffective (and even diatomaceous earth will only kill the roaches that come into direct contact with it as it is non-toxic). Here are some great tips on how to get rid of roaches to try in 2017. The most effective method of getting rid of roaches is going to be to poisoned bait, which they will then carry back to their nests, spreading the poison among the roach community. Unlike ants however, roaches aren’t spreading the poison by sharing it with their colony, instead what happens is that when a poisoned roach dies, other roaches will consume its corpse and be poisoned themselves. This is why we recommend you stay away from ‘roach traps’, which do not allow for such poison transmission.

Of course, roaches don’t really like poison, so you’ll need bait to attract them. The most convenient solution is of course a premade roach poison bait, which you can easily find online or in your local hardware store. We recommend looking for those which use fipronil as the active ingredient, as this is the most recent pesticide formulation and hence roaches have had much less time to develop resistance against it. Remember, roaches will outlast the human race for a reason; they’re a hardy bunch. In the last decade, researchers have also managed to isolate roach pheromones, which are a highly effective bait, and is also our top recommendation when choosing between the various bait options available. In combination with the poisoned bait, you can also buy roach gel, which is basically a form of poisoned bait but has more versatile applications. For example, if you suspect that the roaches are crawling under your front door, just apply a strip of the gel right outside your door; the roaches won’t bother entering when the food is right in front of them and will take the poison instead.

Pests Control