I’m sure after you all read my review of the designer bars available at ShopBarbara.com, you immediately went to check the store out. Right? If not, what are you waiting for? If bras aren’t your thing, they have a huge selection of clothing, accessories, shoes - even designer panties from high end designers without the high end price tag. Everything at ShopBarbara.com, from the Hanky Panky panties to the Mary Green panties is reasonably priced. If you’ve been shopping for lingerie in your local mall, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the variety of styles & colors available to you! The site receives new styles each week, so you can be cutting edge and current with the trends without waiting for new fall lines and such. The site also offers some great tips on how to ensure the perfect fit with your bras and panties, and how to solve common fit problems. Among the best advice I found there? Bras and panties are meant to last about 6 months. SIX months! How many of you have bras you’ve had for years, or panties that are starting to get a little droopy? If you wouldn’t want anyone to see you in your bra or panties, it’s time to replace them with something new, pretty, and fun!

This is a sponsored review.

For the past few years, I’ve been stuck in what I call a bra rut. (It sounds like more fun than it is - trust me!) You see, several years ago, I found one particular style and brand of bra that fit me very, very well, so I began buying only that style and brand. Recently, the brand I put my faith in decided to change the style I loved so much. I bought one of their “new models”, and I was not impressed. It came with little gel “implants” inside the cup padding, as to point out that my A cup is simply not large enough. Gee, thanks! That leaves me with a few bras from the past few years that aren’t ready to be tossed yet, but not enough bras to get through a week. Which means shopping once again for designer bras without a designer price tag. Despite trying on what seems like hundreds of bras at local department stores, I haven’t found anything that works for me. I’ve decided to search online, and found ShopBarbara.com, a fashion website that offers a large selection of brand names I’ve never heard of. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since I live in a rural area that seems to get the new styles about 5 years after they are new, if you know what I mean.

Regardless, I’ve found all sorts of cute things, like the Belabumbum bras and Hanky Panky bras (pictured here) which are not only cheaper than what I’ve been buying all of these years, but in a style that looks to be a little more fun than the basic bra I’ve grown accustomed to! Bonus points to the store for offering a discount to shoppers who spend at least $100!

This is a sponsored review.

All of the cool kids are getting new bedding.

No, seriously - I know of 2 or 3 blogging friends who have all ordered or bought new bedding this week. I’ve been inspired to shop for new bed linen as well. I’d like another duvet cover, since we only have one. When it needs to be washed, I absolutely have to finish the job in one day, because I don’t have another cover! The one we currently have is a red stripe, and it’s a lot of red. Overpowering, almost. That’s why I like this Praque duvet cover so much - it’s completely different from what we currently have. I love the fine line of color detail on the white background - it’s so crisp and clean looking! And machine washable, that’s a huge plus!

A few months ago, I switched from using a comforter in our master bedroom to a duvet and duvet cover. Now, because I am stupid, I went to a local store to buy a duvet cover and I paid big money for what I wanted. If you didn’t already know, a duvet cover is nothing more than a big sleeve that fits over your duvet. Mine actually looks like 2 big king sized flat sheets that someone has sewn together on 3 sides, and left an opening one the 4th side with buttons to close it up after you put the duvet in. It’s not rocket science to make one of these things, however, I have no sewing machine to even attempt it. There wasn’t a big selection at the store either, so I was dumb. You can buy much nicer embroidered duvet covers online, and you’ll pay a fraction of what I paid in the store.

Trust me when I say that I will never use a comforter again.

I love my bed.

Every night, when I crawl into it, I feel utter relief. It wasn’t always that way - just a few years ago Jim and I were sleeping on our first mattress, that we bought back in 1993. We didn’t realize how bad it was until we bought a new mattress! As the GalleryFurniture.com website points out, different types of mattresses fit different needs. I resisted getting a pillow top bed because I thought it would be too cushy, and I am definitely a firm mattress kind of girl. I learned while shopping that a pillow top doesn’t negate the firmness of a mattress, and we have the perfect combination of comfy and soft and firm. Add to that my favorite sheets and duvet, and it makes for a comfy place to spend 12 hours a night!

When we purchased our bedding, we tested out a Tempur-Pedic bed and that thing was amazing. It’s like sleeping on…well, a cloud. The material flows around you and cushions your entire body but it’s supportive too. Everyone I know that has one absolutely loves it!

I’m all about being comfy when I sleep. And really, who isn’t? There’s a reason we pay big money for mattresses and 600 thread count sheets, down comforters, and ceiling fans to keep us cool all night long. If you don’t sleep well, the rest of your day is going to go downhill quickly.

We bought a new mattress a few years ago, and I’ve fallen in love with it. At the same time, I bought new pillows. Those…well, it’s probably time for new pillows. They were a name brand, but they didn’t seem to hold up well. I don’t want a super stuffed pillow under my head at night, but I do want support. The Mediflow pillow is a new pillow designed to provide people with a comfortable pillow, even after years of use. The pillow is somewhat like a waterbed, in that it has a base of water, and you can add more or less depending on your needs. For instance if you’re a stomach or side sleeper like I am, you don’t need a super firm pillow, because it will force you into an uncomfortable sleeping position.

The pillow was tested at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and it reduced neck pain for users, helped them fall asleep quickly, and stay sound asleep all night! You can forget about plumping your pillow or fluffing it, because this pillow is going to stay perfectly adjusted for many nights to come.

And, you can buy it at Target or JcPenney!

If you lived in my neck of the woods, you’d know how limited I am if I want to buy lingerie or sexy costumes. My choices include a few stores in the mall that are overpriced, and other stores that are kind of sleazy. I’m personally not buying my lingerie from a place that also shows adult movies in a 25 cent booth, but hey - to each his own, right? Maybe you’ve got a little sports fantasy going on, and you want to dress up like a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader? Why try to shop at a local store when you can hop online and shop safely from the privacy of your own home? You’ll find a great selection, better prices than the mall stores, and a much nicer shopping environment than the local stores!

I’m a firm believer that the right bed and bedding make a big difference in the way you sleep. I buy nice sheets and comfy blankets, and cushy pillows so that I have maximum comfort when I sleep. And I’m usually pretty well rested each morning. Now my husband, on the other hand, despite all of my efforts to make a comfortable bed, is usually not well rested. Due to his wacky schedule for work, he gets less than 6 hours of sleep a night, and 7 to 8 hours on a good night. On some nights, it’s less than 4 hours a sleep, and that’s just not right for an adult who has to go to work and do a job.

He’d discovered power napping though, and he takes a nap as often as he can. He simply slips out to his car on his lunch break, turns on the a/c, reclines, and dozes off. Oh, he does set his alarm first, so that he won’t be late returning to work when his break is over! He wakes up a little more rested, and ready to take on the rest of his day. Nap time isn’t just for kindergarten students anymore!

Yesterday was a big cleaning day around here - we stripped the sheets off ALL the beds and remade them. Even the bunk bed, which I hate doing - it’s such a beast to climb up on. Everyone has nice, fresh bedding though. All of the comforters are clean and the winter blankets are packed away. I do love the bedding we got for each of the kids rooms - for the girls, I got a more grown up style of teen bedding. Gracie’s is pink and green and Catherine has an aqua set that’s reversible. For Matthew’s bunk beds, I bought 2 comforter sets in a denim and plaid mix. I ditched all of the cartoon character sheets and got the kids nice, solid colored sheets in a higher thread count too.

Now, if only they’d MAKE their beds!

When I was a little girl, I hated getting up in the morning. I had to get up at 6am every day for school, and getting me out of bed was quite the chore. (Hmm…I’m 30, and that hasn’t changed!) My mom solved the problem by getting what was possibly one of the worlds worst alarm clocks. It featured Mickey Mouse on a train, and instead of a bell or a buzz or a beep, Mickey talked:

“CHOOCHOO! Time to get up and brush your teeth and have a GOOD BREAKFAST!! CHOOCHOO”

Imagine being awakened by that nonsense 5 days a week? I thought that topped the list of awful alarm clocks, but this flying alarm clock may just take the cake. Imagine something whirling around the room, flying up to 9 feet high, until you get up and return the rotor to the alarm clock base. I am quite sure that had this been around in the early 80’s, my mom would have bought one for me.

Yes, I am a brand new addict. Especially where underwear is concerned. I ONLY wear Victoria’s Secret bra and panties. Why? Well, as far as the bras go, I know my size, I know the style I prefer, and I don’t ever have to try a bra on in order to purchase it. As far as the panties…you can’t beat ‘em for comfort and style. I used to wear nothing but the cotton bikinis, especially since you could always snag them for $5 a pair, but then I got a freebie Body By Victoria bikini and fell in love.

Victoria’s Secret claims these Body By Victoria string bikini panties are “Tagless panties destined to become your everyday favorite”, and they’re right. My husband bought me a few pairs back from his last trip out of town, and then got me a few more pairs for Christmas. They work great with my low rise jeans and are so unbelievably comfy. I’m tossing everything else and buying these in bulk!

It’s that time of year again - the Victoria’s Secret semi-annual clearance sale is here! You can shop the clearance online right now, and in stores starting January 3rd. And of course, I’ve got a Victoria’s Secret coupon code for you. You can get free shipping and handling on U.S. orders of $100 or more when you enter code “SEMI” at checkout.

Technorati Tags: Victoria’s Secret, semi-annual clearance, Christmas shopping, Victoria’s Secret coupons

Kudos and props and good karma to Overstock.com for shipping my sheets so quickly! They shipped the day after I ordered them via UPS and arrived a few days ago. After I popped them into the washer and then into the bed, it was time to test them out. It’s been several nights now, and we LOVE THEM. The color is absolutely beautiful (we got Ruby to match our duvet) and they feel wonderful. I can’t believe the difference between the new sheets and our old sheets. Amazing…and I’ll definitely buy more!

Technorati Tags: Overstock, 600 thread count, shees, Overstock.com, fast shipping

In a previous post, I mentioned my disappointment with our Sealy Sheets. I won’t be using them for much longer though, because I just ordered some 600 thread count sheets from Overstock.com, based on a recommendation from my friend Amy. I just couldn’t resist the $50 price tag for a king set, and Amy said 600 thread count was decadent. I ended up getting a slighty different set than Amy picked out for her bedroom - I wanted a sateen with a stripe in it, to match our duvet cover. I got the ruby sheets too - love that shade of red!

I was able to find a coupon code online for Overstock.com at the Coupon Cabin that saved me 12% on my order also! To use it, just visit their site and click on the link for the coupon you’d like to use - it will instantly be applied to your cart!

Technorati Tags: new sheets, 600 thread count, Overstock

My husband brought home some Sealy sheets from JCPenney a few months back. At first, I loved them. They have these cool stretchy side panels made of a cotton/spandex blend. We have a king sized bed, and more than once, we’ve put the fitted sheet on the wrong way, and not discovered it til we went to put down the other 2 corners. With these stretchy side panels, it was really easy to tell how the fitted sheet should go on. I also loved how the sheets felt - they’re only a 330 thread count, but they felt like a much higher thread count sheet. We have a pillowtop mattress, and these sheets were also able to accomodate its height. Lastly, they’re a pretty green sage color, that my husband picked out all by himself!

Fast forward to now…after a few months of using the sheets, they’re starting to pill. I’ve never had any sheets that started to pill, and I can’t stand how it feels. The sheets weren’t exactly cheap, at $70 for the set, on sale, and I’m disappointed that they didn’t hold up. Thumbs down on these sheets!

Technorati Tags: Sealy, Sealy sheets, king size bed, king size sheets, JcPenney, JCPenney sheets