A Quick Furniture Fix for that Sagging Family Sofa

How old is your family room sofa?

I love our sofa.

I stalked our sofa for YEARS at Urban Country in Bethesda, MD - a fabulous shop if you are ever in the area - browing on the weekends (before kids when I could do that) and then relaxing on Big Blue, as I called it, and dreaming of a day it would be in my very own home.

Our sofa is a giant, massive, slip-covered, denim beast that is soooo comfy and wide you sink right into it.

But our sofa is over 10 years old and those comfy cushions have started to sag. I refuse to get rid of Big Blue so finding a way to perk it up became the only option.

Enter Furniture Fix

I was given an opportunity to test out Furniture Fix to help give Big Blue some much needed support...and my back as well!

Furniture Fix is a series of interlocking panels that slide right under the sofa cushions (or mattress, or easy chair cushion, etc) to give sagging furniture a firm lift.

 Furniture Fix panels

Does it work?

I slid Furniture Fix under one side of our sofa and then sat on both sides. I definitely noticed a difference immediately. In the above photo you'll see 2 sets of the panels under one sofa cushion (I told you Big Blue is big).

How much does Furniture Fix cost?

You can purchase one set for under $15 at various retailers (Bed, Bath & Beyond) and online at www.furniturefix.com. One set is large enough for a chair, but you will need to get 2-4 sets if you want to firm up a sofa or bed.

Have you found other quick fixes for sagging sofas? If so, I'd love to read about them in the comments!

Janine

Disclosure: I received 2 sets of Furniture Fix at no cost for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior publishing. Also, I invite you to come over and test my sofa before I buy 3 more sets of Furniture Fix and see for yourself!

National Geographic Weird but True app

Did you know that honey does not spoil?

Me neither. That fact would have come in handy last year when my huge Costco-sized container of honey crystalized and I was trying to decide if I should toss all $14 of it.

It took National Geographic to design an app that my kid is hooked on to educate me about the shelf-life of honey.

The Weird but True app give you an interesting fact with every swipe or shake.

Inspired by the National Geographic book series of the same name, Weird but True has some of the strangest facts that can be ranked with your vote on the weird-o-meter.

 Here is what Ellie thought:

The Weird but True app is available for iPhone and iPad on iTunes.

Also, be sure to check out the Weird but True Collectionon Amazon.

Disclosure: I received the app for free but all experiences and opinions are my own. This post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published. Some links are affiliate links.

Back to School with Better Lighting

“Turn the light on or you’ll wreck your eyes!”

That’s what I remember hearing from my dad as he flicked on the light after finding me reading in a dark room. It stuck with me throughout college and now as I have two very active readers. Through the years I’ve noticed that the right kind of lighting is not only better for your eyes, it’s better for concentration.

SmartLight by Verilux is the perfect homework partner

Now that I think about it, I am drawn to work in a room with good natural lighting. The room in my house I chose for my office has 2 southern facing windows and gets the most daylight of any room in my house. When I choose a ‘virtual office’ for the day, I choose a coffee shop or library that has lots of windows and day light.

When Verilux asked me to review their SmartLight I was intrigued. Could a desk lamp really help someone read faster, work longer, and experience better concentration? I’ve been using the lamp for over an hour now writing two blog posts and I can tell you, I’m in a groove I haven’t experienced in a while.

SmartLight – what’s the difference?

Here’s the difference between the lamp we have on the Twofer’s homework desk and the SmartLight.

our regular desk lamp

You can see the yellowish light from the regular lamp, versus+ the “natural spectrum” light from the SmartLight. Which one do you think increases contract, reduces glare, and stimulates the body’s natural enhancers much like a sunny day would do?

Here’s what else I like about the SmartLight:

• Lightweight and easy to move from room to room
• Flexible gooseneck and 6 foot cord perfect for any desk
• White, contemporary design fits into any décor
• Bulb that lasts 10,000 hours
• Retails for under $40

For more information about SmartLight
visit Verilux
Find them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter

Got questions about the SmartLight? Leave me a comment and I'll try to answer it as best as I can!

Want more back to school tips? May I suggest...

DIY Portable Study Carrel

I spent $130 on Backpacks for School

Disclosure: I received a SmartLight at no cost for the purpose of this review. All opinions and experiences are mine and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published.

Riceworks - good snacking giveaway and confession

Have you ever come across a new kind of chip that you simply fell in love with?

The kind of chip that made you think about snacking differently? A chip that had a richer flavor, and didn't leave your finger greasy?

For me, this was Riceworks.

Made with whole grain, brown rice, Riceworks chips satisfy my chip craving, but are nutritionally better than the standard corn or potato chip. Also, I LOVE brown rice. Period. It's good for you, it's filling, and I love the slightly nutty flavor. So, a chip made with brown rice? A chip with no artificial flavors, no cholesterol, and no trans fat? Made for me.

Confession time

Do you have a snacking confession to make? Here's mine...

Occasionally I still buy the large multi-pack of chips for the girls to pack with the school lunches. I hide the whole bag in the basement. If I don't, The Mister will eat every last bag. But also? I have to hide it from me! I can't eat just one chip, curl, or puff.

Tell Riceworks your snacking confession on Facebook and you can get a $1.00 off coupon to help you make the switch!

Win 5 Bags of Riceworks

Riceworks is giving me coupons for 5 bags of chips that I can give away to one of you! Here's how to enter: (each counts as a separate entry - just leave me a comment for each one)

1. Confess your snacking sin right here in a comment

2. "Like" Riceworks on Facebook and confess your snacking sin there too!

3. Post a link to this giveaway on twitter and mention @JanineNickel in the tweet (put the URL to the tweet in your comment)

Contest open to residents of US and Canada 18 years and over, and ends Saturday, 9/17/11 at noon Eastern. Winner will be notified via email and has 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner.

Good Luck!

Disclosure: I will receive coupons for 5 bags of chips as a thank you for helping spread the word about Riceworks and the Facebook app. But, if you think I'm writing about this just for chips, you are crazy and need to confess more than your snacking sins I bet. I love love these chips. I met the Riceworks folks at Blogher. And I'm excited to have you try them too!

Update on Monday, September 19, 2011 at 03:50PM by Janine Nickel

Congratulations to our winner....MARIA!

Summer Ponytail Styles Call for Goody Ouchless

This has been a ponytail summer.

Between swim team, camp, and the urge to grow their hair really, really long, this has been the summer of the ponytail.

Keeping hair tied up has been essential for so many reasons:

It's soooo much easier to get those swim caps on when hair is tied up

Hair is a little less knotty after swimming in the pool with a ponytail

Putting hair up and under a cap can help keep ticks off kids

It keeps the girls cooler during hot summer days spent outside

The only issue with having to do so many pony tails is the 'ouch' factor.

I hear "OUCH" when I brush their hair. I hear "OUCH" when I'm putting the elastics in, and I hear it when I'm taking them out...especially when their hair is wet.

Thankfully Goody approached me and offered to let me test drive their newest line of 'ouchless' hair bands and brush!

Goody Ouchless hair bandsGoody Ouchless Brush

Keep in mind - just like the TwoferMom logo shows, I have one with curly hair, and one with curly hair and one with straight hair so we are giving the Goody products a good all-around test. With BOTH hair types I noticed less snagging, less wincing, and yes, less "OUCH!" with the Goody Ouchless brush.

We were swimming yesterday so the real test was taking the Goody Ouchless elastics out of wet, knotted hair. This usually has El in tears. As she was getting ready to shower I heard her say, "These really are ouchless mom!" as she pulled the elastic out of her hair.

Where to find Goody Ouchless

Be sure to follow @GoodyHair on Twitter, and take part in their styling discussion on the Goody Facebook page August 23-25th.

You can purchase Goody Ouchless on Amazon , at Walmart and Target stores, and through other major online retailers.

WIN a Goody Ouchless Brush and 2 packs of Ouchless Elastics right here!

• Simply leave me a comment telling me how your beaut routine needs less "ouch".
• For an extra entry, post a link to this blog entry on Facebook or Twitter (then leave a separate comment with a link to your post).

I'll run this giveaway for 2 weeks (ends August 29th) and winner will be notified via email. Open to all US and Canada residents 18 and over. Product provided by Goody.

Power to the ponytail!

Janine

Disclosure: I received 2 packs of Goody Ouchless elastics and a brush at no charge for the purpose of this review and giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published.

Update on Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 01:54PM by Janine Nickel

CONGRATULATIONS to... Brenda!

You won the Goody Hair Ouchless Prize Pack!