Martine Brisson – Page 33 – BrandSource Canada Blog

April 11, 2018

Chest Freezer Organization Tips

There’s nothing more annoying than opening your chest freezer to find such a complete pile of mess that you’re unable to locate the food you needed in the first place. Not to mention, it can feel overwhelming, leaving you with less motivation than you started with. With a little effort from your side and a few tips from our side, you can get a clean and tidy chest freezer with just a few tips!

Follow these steps to make your chest freezer use as efficient as possible!

Put It Away Right the First Time

The easiest way for things not to get messy is by putting everything away the right way the first time. Of course, if you have a family that likes to rush with putting the groceries away, this may be a struggle. But if your chest freezer is already out of control, there are a few simple ways to gain back your control again.

Take Everything Out

There’s no better way to organize than to start off with a blank canvas. Start by removing everything from your deep freezer. When all the contents are removed, take advantage of the empty space and thoroughly clean it out with a simple all-purpose cleaner. Who knows the next time you’ll get a chance to wipe your chest freezer down, so be sure to do an efficient job!

Containers

Instead of placing the food back in your freezer appliance so that everything is intertwined and likely to be muddled, separating your food with containers will greatly help you organize. First, you’ll want to sort your groceries into categories and make each container a category. Let’s say these are your categories:
– Meat
– Ice cream/ desserts
– Frozen fruit
– Ice
– Frozen food

Label each container and put the correct items in their box. This is a surefire way to always know where things go and where to find them.

Your freezer plays a big role in your family’s life, so it’s important that it’s easy to find what you need. Check out our GE Chest and upright freezers and start organizing yours today!

Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert

April 11, 2018

Built-In VS. Countertop Microwaves

It’s a no-brainer why almost everyone owns a microwave – it’s a convenient way to cook and heat up food. So when it comes time to upgrading or replacing yours, will you go with one that sits neatly on your countertop, or one that fits seamlessly into your wall?

The choice is a hard one, but there are a few ways to figure out what would work best for you, your family, and your kitchen. Take these pros and cons into consideration when making a decision on this kitchen appliance.

Countertop Microwaves

There are two things to think about when it comes to a countertop microwave: it can be placed anywhere and it’s less expensive than built-in microwaves. The con? The loss of counter space. You win some, you lose some. If you’re someone who tends to move around a lot, taking this appliance with you would be extremely easy opposed to if it were connected to your house.

Built-In Microwaves

You may not have as many options but you’ll always have a lot of counter space as well as the look of luxury with a built-in microwave. While they require someone to install them, they ultimately add a lot of value to your kitchen. Also, if you happen to be someone who uses a lot of counter space when prepping a meal, you may want to go the way of an over the range or built-in microwave.

The biggest factors that come into place with this microwave quandary are price and space. Whether you prefer a built-in microwave, or one that can be placed on your counter, our main suggestion is that you just don’t get a cheap one.

While you may like cheap, spending a little more money on a microwave is always a better idea to ensure you get a working microwave in tip-top shape. Trust us to give you the best from several kitchen appliances brands.

Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert

April 11, 2018

Why Buy an Adjustable Base?

Adjustable beds weren’t just made for hospital patients. They were made for anyone who wanted the controls to a healthier lifestyle. From increasing circulation and oxygen levels to positioning your body in a specific manner for injury purposes, Sealy Adjustable Bases were built so that sleeping could be made better.

Instead of placing numerous pillows under your feet to raise your legs, you can push a button to elevate it. You can even change the setting to both sides of the bed so both you and your partner can sleep the way you want.

Learn more about Sealy Power Bases and why this is one bandwagon you’ll want to jump on!

Combatting Injuries and Illnesses

Like I said before, adjustable beds weren’t just made for hospital patients, but they do aid health and healing. Fowler’s position, a 45-65 degree sitting-position, was created for hospital patients to improve and assist breathing after surgery or even childbirth. With a Sealy Base, Fowler’s position is easily achieved.

With the chest and head elevated, acid reflux and heartburn are also less likely to occur. If you happen to suffer from circulation or swelling issues, elevation can help alleviate the problem as well. Having an adjustable base can be an instrumental part of your life especially during recovery.

Customize for Couples

Sharing a bed isn’t always easy if you both prefer to sleep in uniquely separate ways. One person may try to steal all the pillows in order to get enough neck support while propped up, while the other just wants to sleep with their legs slightly elevated.

A Sealy Tuxedo Adjustable Base splits down the middle allowing each person to experience different ergonomic positions, without using any pillows at all. Both people can control their bed’s side and even save certain positions to their favourites all with a wireless remote.

Having an adjustable base can help relieve back pain, assist with circulation, and improve your breathing. So, while you may not need a Sealy Tuxedo Adjustable Base, your body will only progress with one. Give your body the ergonomic support it wants with an adjustable bed base from our mattress department.

Gerry, Your Sleep Expert

April 11, 2018

Sleep Better by Keeping These Out of Your Beautyrest Mattress Bed

The way we sleep affects our entire life. If you’re well rested, you generally have more energy and brain power. If you sleep bad, your health starts to suffer. Sometimes the only changes that need to be made are minor and come from your nighttime routine. Simply removing electronic devices from arms reach could be exactly what you need to help you fall into a deep slumber. Try keeping these things out of your bed to minimize your distraction and help you get some shut-eye!

1. Phones, tablets, computers, and all other electronic devices

Electronics can keep you awake forever, it would seem. If you aren’t looking at a computer all day for work, you’re looking at your cell phone throughout the day, and then you’re watching television at the end of the day. Your brain could use a rest, but it’s difficult with so much information being thrown its way. Do yourself a favour and turn the tv off while you’re in bed, and put your electronic devices away in a drawer. If you need to be working on something, don’t bring it to your bed. It’s important that there is a line between where you sleep and where you work.

2. Your Pet

If you’re someone who likes to have your furry friend sleep next to you while in bed, you’re not going to like what I have to say. Unfortunately, while sleeping with your pet can be cute, it can also be the reason why you’re waking up off and on throughout the night. Not to mention, they can bring in dirt, pollen, and other allergens, that could flare up an allergy. Try finding another place, that isn’t your bed, so you can cuddle.

3. Food

Eating in bed is a solid no. There is a good chance that even though you’re the most careful person in the world while eating on your mattress, you’ll still spill a few crumbs here and there. Crumbs bring bugs, and bugs are gross. Leave the food in the kitchen and continue to keep your sheets clean so you don’t have to deal with nighttime creepy crawlies.

If you have a healthy bedtime routine, your lack of sleep could all come down to your mattress. Find yourself a Beautyrest Mattress at your local BrandSource Beautyrest Mattress store that won’t disturb your precious sleep!

Gerry, Your Sleep Expert

April 10, 2018

Why Adjustable Beds Help Improve a Couple’s Sleep Experience

Mattresses have come a long way over the decades and despite the best technology, when a couple sleeps on the very finest their money can buy, one won’t enjoy it as much as the other one will. Let me explain.

Everyone has very unique sleeping preferences that include soft to ultra firm, lumbar support, and snoring relief. Perhaps you enjoy a warm cozy feel while your partner prefers it cool. The best solution then is to sleep on separate beds! Not quite! Enter the adjustable mattresses placed on separate foundations over a common frame!

A Custom Fit for Your Sleep

Adjustable mattresses have gone through many changes over the years and today we can enjoy a custom fit separate from our partner but retaining the closeness we desire. My wife and I experience has been unexpectedly one of pure delight.

We always took our sleep preferences very seriously when purchasing a mattress because our health depended on it! We never cut corners and looked at what was new in technology, in foam for comfort, and support that we both needed. There was, however, some compromise to be made… Until we took the plunge into an adjustable mattress. Our sleep experience is so much more elevated than ever before because now, we each have our own piece of sleep heaven.

Two Twins Become King

Keeping our same bedroom furniture and our king-sized frame, we each got our own Twin XL adjustable foundations and mattresses in the comfort and support levels we independently needed and desired.

The separate foundations are designed to clip in strategic places to keep the two beds together. Additionally, strong metal risers on the foot and outer sides of each foundation keep the mattresses from sliding off when adjusting.

Other than purchasing new bed linen for the Twin XL and recycling our regular mattress sheets, our bed looks the same once the comforter and shams are in place. The secret lies underneath!

Elevating for Pain Relief

Now, more than ever before, when my arthritic knees from sports related injuries act up, a quick push of a button on my remote that comes with each adjustable mattress, will find the comfort level I need for relief. Raising the mattress under my knees, when I would typically pile on pillows, supports my knees perfectly. When my partner is having sinus and snoring issues due to allergies or overwork, while my knees are happy in my preferred position, she adjusts her mattress to raise her upper body to that perfect elevation.

Our preferences will change regularly, but the adjustable mattress will always be ready to bend to our every desire and need. To be able to do that without compromise and without affecting each other’s comfort level is truly a gift we enjoy every night.

We always believed that we enjoyed a good night’s sleep with the standard mattress that met most of our needs, but purchasing the adjustable mattress has become a game-changer. Our sleep experience has definitely been elevated to heights we never imagined, and we are grateful to enjoy it.

Gerry, Your Sleep Expert

April 9, 2018

3 Outdoor Cooking & Kitchens Trends to Know About

Outdoor kitchen with sink and BBQ

Cooking outdoors has been part of humankind since the caveman, and our pleasure in gathering together hasn’t waned since. Outdoor kitchens, from the most basic of barbecue setups to the full enchilada of prep surfaces, sinks, seats, bar service, and entire outdoor rooms, have continued to gain momentum and are now considered a big selling feature for home resale.

When it comes to cooking and enjoying the great outdoors, we’ve pulled together our top three trends.

1) Simplicity

In Outdoor Cooking:

A great meal, just like a great party, doesn’t need much – just the right attitude and ingredients. Simple backyard barbecue meals from our past are seeing a resurgence in popularity. Think pasta salads, Jell-O moulds, egg salad sandwiches, and the classic burger. Sure the pasta salad might have some quinoa sprinkled in for good measure, the eggs are organic free-range, and the bread is gluten-free, but its nostalgic nature makes it a crowd favourite and help us dream of simpler days.

In Outdoor Kitchens:

If you are just starting your outdoor kitchen creation, focus on the basics like a great barbecue with a large enough capacity for guests, and a great outdoor sink for quick hand wash and help during prep. And during dinner parties, keep things simple by bringing the indoor furniture outside.

2) Long Time Running

In Outdoor Cooking:

Smokers, the outdoor kitchen’s version of a slow cooker, have made a major comeback. With smokers, one must have patience, but just like the classic Hip lyrics say: “it’s well worth the wait”. From backyard briskets to the Thanksgiving turkey, we’re seeing smokers and meat smoked recipes pop up everywhere.

In Outdoor Kitchens:

Where previously the outdoor kitchen was a barbecue, today’s outdoor kitchens include longer cooking time options like pizza ovens and smokers. Take a seat, enjoy the outdoors and your company, pull some wine out of the outdoor bar fridge and put on a good Canadian album while you wait to enjoy the fruits of your efforts.

Danby 3.3 cu.ft. Outdoor Compact Refrigerator

3) Edible Garden

In Outdoor Cooking:

Fresh herbs, vine tomatoes, and a crunchy cucumber are awesome additions to any summer meal. Even better when they’ve come right from your kitchen garden! With even more people looking to know more about where their food comes from, kitchen gardens are becoming more popular than ever. Read this guide from the Almanach if you want to attempt the vegetable garden challenge Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

In Outdoor Kitchens:

Rather than spending time doing back-breaking yard work, more and more backyard designs are incorporating low maintenance landscaping and maximizing the outdoor entertaining areas. With planters for fresh herbs and other veggies, gardens are kept to hearty annuals giving you more time to enjoy your outdoor space with family and friends and a great meal.

If you are curious about how you can improve your outdoor living and entertaining, below are more readings just for you.

• Outdoor Furniture: Types of Materials
• Become the King or Queen of Your Outdoor Kitchen
• New Refrigeration Technologies Dad Will Love

Enjoy!

Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert

March 25, 2018

What Not to Do with Your Tempur-Pedic Mattress

If you are a first-time owner of a Tempur-Pedic mattress, you understand how life changing it really is. Sleeping is better, your mental health is better, and your body is probably more relaxed than it’s been in years. Basically, sleeping on a Tempur-Pedic mattress is much different than any other mattress you’ve probably slept on in your life so you will understand that the care for it is different as well. Take these tips into account when taking care of your new Tempur-Pedic bed so that yours can live a long and robust life.

Don’t Rotate

Most beds need a good flip and a rotation every couple of months to not get soft in spots, increase the mattresses lifespan, and ensure your spine is aligned and not sinking in due to continuous use. Your Tempur-Pedic mattress is firm and meant to stay exactly the way you bought it. Forget rotating with these mattresses. Tempur-Pedic doesn’t easily change shape and will be able to handle a lot of use for several years.

Don’t Drink on the Bed

We can’t tell you what to do, but we can at least warn you. Bringing liquid on your bed is fine, but spilling it on your Tempur-Pedic Hybrid Mattress or any other Tempur-Pedic mattress, can be ultimately damaging to the foam. Fluids and Tempur-Pedic don’t go well together so in order to maintain the bed’s durability, you will want to prevent accidents from occurring. Although if one does happen, you can act quickly and absorb the liquid with a clean cloth.

Don’t Purchase Just Any Mattress Cover

With Tempur-Pedic beds, you will need a mattress cover. Obviously, one would be helpful in the incident a spill were to occur. If you are interested in getting a mattress cover, talk with a sales associate at your local BrandSource store carrying Tempur-Pedic Mattresses to find out what mattress cover works well with a Tempur-Pedic mattress.

Gerry, Your Sleep Expert

March 25, 2018

Monitor Your Z’s with the Beautyrest Sleeptracker

We are lucky to live in a time where advanced technology, such as monitoring health and nutrition with wearables, has become just a normal idea. You don’t even have to be conscious to track your health’s progress these days! Beautyrest Mattresses are now smarter than ever and tracking your health with its Beautyrest Sleeptracker while you are sailing away to dreamland is so easy!

Smart Sleep

Monitoring your sleep is extremely easy. By simply placing one of the Beautyrest Sleeptracker devices under your mattress bed, it will instantly be ready to accurately track all of your body’s movements. All you need to do is go to bed, wake up and voila! Information from the Beautyrest Sleeptracker app will be at your fingertips.

There is no need to wear anything such as a watch – simply being on your bed is enough for the sensors! Once you have laid down, your heart and breathing rates, REM sleep, and body motion are precisely monitored. It can even identify the second person in your bed and not get you two confused.

Why This Is Good for You

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. With a system that provides total body analyzing when asleep, there should never be a reason a sleep issue goes undetected.

For example, the Beautyrest Sleeptracker allows you to receive reports from your “sleep coach” informing you of your sleep efficiency so that you are always aware of improvements or setbacks with your sleep habits. The sooner a problem is brought to your attention by the Beautyrest Sleeptracker, the sooner you can resolve it.

Choose to Give Yourself a Better Life

The BeautyRest Sleeptracker gives you a chance to better your life with its reporting. This mattress gives you the opportunity to improve your sleep so that your mental and physical well-being are at their very best.

If you are looking for something to monitor your sleep and don’t know what to choose, discuss with someone at your local BrandSource retailer carrying Beautyrest mattresses to learn more about the benefits of the Beautyrest Sleeptracker.

Gerry, Your Sleep Expert

March 25, 2018

How Bad Sleep and Weight Gain Go Hand in Hand

According to a study presented at the Endocrine Society National meeting, getting 30 minutes of sleep less than you should every day can be the reason you’ve gained a few extra pounds. It’s hard to get the perfect amount of sleep, but it’s important to try and get at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night otherwise you can find yourself not having the energy to commit to a healthy lifestyle.

Hormones and Food

Sleep deprivation is a vicious thing. If you miss out on it, your stress hormone levels rise, which usually increase your appetite. While we wish that meant we were hungry for some greens, unfortunately the stress causes your body to want to produce serotonin (the happy hormone) and the easiest way to get that is by eating something sweet and fattening. Not to mention, your lack of sleep makes it difficult to digest these sugars. We told you, sleep deprivation is a vicious thing.

Weight Gain Isn’t the Only Issue

Sleep pretty much affects every system in your body. If you lack the proper rest, your body begins to physically show signs in hopes you might get a hint (dark eye circles, etc.). If you don’t see it physically, you will sure notice it in other ways. Little sleep can result in low cognitive functioning, reaction time, and even memory.

Living Batteries

Think of humans as phones. They need time to charge so they can be their very best. Have you ever used a phone on 5%? The phone darkens, it works slower, and won’t allow you certain abilities such as taking photos. If it doesn’t get to a charger it’s going to crash hard. Not unlike people at all.

Sleep Better

Sometimes the right bed can make all the difference in your sleep cycle. Try out Tempur-Pedic mattresses at your local BrandSource mattress store to help end your sleep deprivation ASAP!

Angela, Your Sleep Expert

March 25, 2018

4 Tips for Keeping Your Mattress in Decent Shape

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Mattresses are not cheap. It’s not for a bad reason, either.

Beautyrest Mattresses are made with materials that aim to support, comfort, and contour your body so you can sleep well to live a healthy life. Science and creativity went hand in hand to design and build your rectangular sleep haven, and every bit of it is worth every bit of money you need to put into one.

With that said, once you’ve bought one, it’s your responsibility to take care of it, just like it’s working to take care of you. Give your mattress the love it deserves by trying out some of these tips.

1. Just like your back, your mattress needs good support

What does your mattress sleep on? Do you place it on a box spring? A bedframe? Do you just place it on the floor? Many people don’t realize this, but what your mattress lays on is crucial to its health. Depending on whether your mattress is a spring mattress, memory foam, powerbase, adjustable bases or another specialty mattress, will help you figure out what kind of support it needs. Getting the right support for your current mattress will make a dramatic difference in its life expectancy.

2. Mattress protectors will shield your mattress

It’s simple, but it works. A mattress protector will prevent stains, spills, allergens, sweat, and more from getting all over your Beautyrest Mattress. The cleaner your mattress stays, the less wear it will show and feel over time. The cleanup is easy and you are less likely to get sick. Remember to still wash your mattress protector!

3. Wash your sheets and blankets often

If you don’t use a mattress protector (something we don’t recommend) wash your bed sheets, blankets, and pillowcases regularly to prevent bacteria from growing. We suggest doing it at least once every week or two.

4. Give the pets their own bed

We all want to snuggle with our pets in bed, but you’ll soon regret it. All the animal hair, allergens, oils, and so on that your animal carries on their body will soon be on your bed – resulting in a dirty mattress! Do you and your mattress a favour and get your fur friend their own bed.

Visit your local BrandSource retailer carrying Beautyrest Mattresses for more ideas on how to protect your bed!

Angela, Your SleepExpert

« First ‹ ... 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 ›