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How to Choose a Memory Foam Mattress -

by: Eric Morris

If you enjoy the softness of a traditional, coil-spring mattress, but also need the back support of a good solid carpeted floor, then a memory foam mattress provides the perfect middle ground. A memory foam mattress contains most of the cushioning and body forming capabilities of a regular mattress, with all the back support of a floor � perhaps even better than a floor, since memory foam obeys the contours of your spine.

Its tendency to soften with warmth and harden with coolness regulates how much support your body gets and where. You�ll feel the greatest difference at the more jutting parts of your body, such as ankles, knees, hips, ribs, shoulders, elbows, finding less aches and pains in the morning. You�ll find that there won�t be as much morning numbness - your limbs will wake up when you do, as your overall circulation will be improved.

You�ll sleep better. You�ll live better.

But before you go smashing your piggy bank to spend everything on the first memory foam mattress you see, realize that not all memory foam mattresses are the same: they vary in density, thickness, and overall quality. Densities range from 2.5 pounds per cubic foot to 5 pounds per cubic foot in most cases, and as high as 5.3 or more for some of the premium brands. Denser mattresses tend to be more expensive because more raw material goes into them, and because fabricating them requires a finer science.

Denser mattresses are firmer and respond better to those who are thinner with more protruding bone structures, while mattresses that are less dense are softer and tend to do a better job at cradling curvier forms. If you do not tend to move around much while falling asleep, a denser mattress is ideal. For those who toss and turn a bit, a less dense mattress is the better choice. Do keep in mind that your tossing and turning may not actually be your natural way of sleeping, but rather a result of inadequate bedding. A middle-density memory foam mattress � about 4 pounds can accommodate a range of sleepers. Low-density memory foam mattresses (2.5-3.5 pounds per cubic foot) can sometimes �bottom out� and usually aren�t worth the lower price.

As memory foam mattresses have gained in popularity, more luxurious (meaning thicker) beds have become more common. Your basic memory foam mattress uses a 5� base layer with a couple inches of foam at the top for any size, be it twin, twin-long, full-size, queen, king, or California king. More luxurious mattresses have a 6� base with an extra inch or two of top padding, for a more responsive feel, and these mattresses are the most popular memory foam beds. The top-of-the-line models also have a 6� base, but include extra top layering, for maximum responsiveness.

If you�re looking to save money, finding a good discount memory foam mattress can be a difficult proposition. For a quality product, Consumer Reports recommends you spend at least $450 for a twin bed, $600 for a full-size bed, $800 for a queen, $1000 for a king, and about $1200 for a California king.

Major manufacturers tightly regulate retail pricing on their products. However, if you go through a smaller dealer or retailer, either at a brick-and-mortar location or online, you might be able to get the salesperson to throw in a free memory foam pillow, free shipping, or some other additional value to seal the deal.

Otherwise, if you are looking to save money on a memory foam mattress, try a manufacturer that makes lower-density mattresses. The quality will be lower than a denser mattress, but it might well be an improvement over the rusty bedsprings to which you�ve subjected yourself in the past.

About the author:
Memory Foam Info provides detailed information on memory foam mattresses, mattress pads, pillows, slippers, and dog beds, as well as memory foam product reviews. Memory Foam Info is the sister site of Mattresses Web.

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Home Improvements � The Fun Stuff
by: Raynor James

Planning home improvements necessarily involves addressing numerous practical matters. That doesn�t mean you should ignore the fun stuff!

The Fun Stuff

The first thing to plan for in home improvements is the practical stuff. The second thing you need to talk to family members about is the fun stuff.

Most people have colors they like and colors they don�t like. They have things that interest them and things that don�t. Get your family to talk to you about those things. Each person�s bedroom, or bedroom area, should reflect his or her taste and interests.

A boy who likes green, football, and backpacking can easily have a sage green (it �reads� as more neutral than many shades of green if re-sale of your home is a concern) room with cream woodwork, cream interior shutters, and cream ceiling. Framed football posters and wilderness scenes might be pleasant. Bedding with a rustic motif (rows of stylized pine trees?) from L.L. Bean or Plow and Hearth would work right in. Add a touch or two of a bright color like red or yellow.

Does he need a desk in his room? A chest of drawers? A bookcase? Would he enjoy having a bulletin board? Even if they�re small, most rooms need at least three lamps so that illumination is general and even. The shades are usually best in warm, neutral colors. (Light coming through green shades tends to make people look sick.) Lamp shades should be level and the seams should be toward the wall so they�re not visible. When the bottom edge of most lamp shades in a room are the same height from the floor, the room tends to look serene and cohesive.

Hanging pictures usually look best if the bottom edges of the frames are the same height from the floor and level with each other, too. There are exceptions to this and every generalization of course. A grouping of pictures can have the bottom tier follow the �rule� while all of the other pictures are higher. A picture over a fireplace often looks good higher than the other pictures in the room.

Pictures usually look best when they have a relationship to furniture or an architectural feature. Pictures centered over a chest, bed, bookcase, or fireplace are good examples. Pictures don�t tend to look good if they�re scattered willy-nilly around a room, or if they�re up near the ceiling (unless they�re part of a grouping), or if the height at which they�re hung varies wildly with no rhyme nor reason.

A girl who loves pink, the ballet, and swimming can have woodwork the same cream as her brother�s while her walls are a soft pink (a pink with a hint of yellow in it tends to go well with cream), and her art work reflects her interests. If she loves to read, make sure she has a good reading lamp near her bed, or near a comfortable chair, or both.

A cream colored dust ruffle with widely spaced pink stripes and a quilted plaid coverlet in pink, green, yellow, and blue on a cream background might look nice. Add cream fabric window shades with large pink polka dots and I�ll bet she�ll smile.

The bigger point is to simply have fun with some of your home improvements. There is no need to look exclusively at practical matters.

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