During the work week, I sleep underneath a Willow Quilted Down Blanket and enjoy the lightness that it affords. At some point during the Winter, I turn to a heavier weight comforter of some kind, but most of the year this light down filled blanket allows me to sleep comfortably without over heating. The workmanship details on this down blanket are excellent and the quality of the down is top notch. It is not our lowest priced blanket - which is my only grumble, but setting aside that one caveat, this is a beautifully made product which if you are looking for a lighter weight but quality down blanket, you cannot go wrong with this one.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/quilted-down-blanket.html

I did some interesting market research recently. While I am a firm believer and devotee of the Royal Pedic latex mattresses, our company decided to offer a very high quality memory foam mattress - the Sandmahn, which I put in our guest room. So when I had a girls’ reunion and sleep over, my houseguests were scattered through out my house. When they all gathered at breakfast and I politely inquired how they all slept, the person who slept on the Sandmahn waxed effusive that she had woken up without any pain, even though she had had her knees replaced recently. The other girlfriend who had slept on a Royal-Pedic said she had slept better than usual, but since she had had her hips replaced and still experienced pain, she wondered if the Sandmahn would be better; so my two friends swapped beds for the next night. The second girlfriend arrived at breakfast the next morning with tears in her eyes. She said she had woken up not entirely pain free, but it was such a remarkable improvement that it gave her some hope that she need not wake up in pain for the rest of her life!

  Curious after my girlfriends left, I have tried out the Sandmahn memory foam mattress on many an occasion. There is no doubt it is supremely comfortable and does a good job at reducing early morning stiffness. My only personal caveat is when I want to move around the bed, the indentation in the memory foam takes a little while to regain its original shape and I found that disconcerting at first. It is a characteristic of all memory foam beds. So I will stay with my latex bed but if you have a lot of aches and pains, the Sandmahn starting at $4349.99 is well worth your consideration.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the elderly even when they are being maintained at home can be susceptible to leaking at night, a quick way to destroying a mattress. I sent my sister a waterproof mattress cover for use with my Dad which has a nice soft toweling covering on one side and plastic on the other. This has worked wonders. Recommend this highly at $49.95
 

Most important of all in my opinion, is that these comforters are cruelty free and the down is not “hand harvested” but is collected naturally as part of the molting process. Hand harvesting is banned in some countries and for good reason- how shall I put it bluntly? Live birds are strung up and plucked till they are bare and bleeding and shrieking as the down and feathers drop into collector bins below. Hypodown is collected in a way that is cruelty free, so animal lovers need not feel guilty when they buy one.

Then let’s get down to basics! The most important part of a down comforter is the quality of its fill which should be 700 or 800 fill weight for the lightest, fluffiest, and best insulating down. The next important feature is the quality of manufacture and we recommend box baffling to make sure the down has enough room to remain lofted but does not shift around. For allergy sufferers, the cleanliness and hypoallergenic properties of the down is paramount, and the Hypodown Collection does it better than most because it introduces a tiny amount of Syriaca into the down, which in turn enhances its hypoallergenic properties. You do not need the most expensive covering; this comforter will last more than a lifetime if given proper care and that means putting it into a duvet cover so it is protected. For most people the Monarch covering is the most effective choice since it is soft and supple.
 

I was asked today to recommend a mattress pad to soften up a child’s bunk bed mattress. We have two new mattress pads which I know will fix this problem without costing too much money. Both mattress pads come with deep pocket elasticized sides so you can avoid straps - which can slip off your mattress. These are what I would buy if I did not have mattress pads already. I think the Dream Essentials Pillow Top Pad, which is really puffy, is a really nice pad and moderately priced at $199.95.

The open faced Wool Fleece from Home Essentials is quite sumptuous and definitely is our best value for the money
 

While our photo of these wool sheepskin slippers is not that thrilling, I can tell you that when our staff first saw these, everyone wanted a pair for themselves- me included! Why are they so special? They are manufactured in the same factory as Ugg boots and have a really rugged sole so that you can quite happily step out onto your deck or your front doorstep to collect the paper in winter. For all of us who can slip on our bathroom or hardwood floors- the soles on these slippers give you a firmer grip than your sneakers! Let’s not forget that the uppers are lovely soft sheepskin suede, and have a really plush inner sheepskin lining. Mens and Womens sizes. $59.95

With Bamboo Sheet Sets, it’s so easy to save the planet, and you can do it in your sleep. Long hailed as sustainable and earth-friendly, bamboo is a wonderfully renewable resource for home furnishings and construction. Breathable and adjustable to body temperature, these ultra soft sheets are perfect for individuals who have hyper-sensitivity to most fabrics, $216 and up.

I bought these soybean and cotton bath robes for my entire family last year and they have been a great hit. I love them! They are super soft and comfortable and wash like a dream. The undyed and sustainable soybean fibers feels and shines like silk on the exterior and the terry interior is very absorbent. This robe is for both men and women and comes in sizes Small/Medium and Large/Extra Large. $118.95