10 Things to do on a Duvet Day

Organic duvet snugglers should make the most of their time in bed!!! Here's 12 ways to spend time in your duvet !!!

1.     Take your duvet downstairs and lie on the couch all day

2.     Have breakfast in bed and get crumbs all over your bed

3.     Take a flash light and play finger puppets under your duvet

4.     Cuddle up with some one whose also bunked work and having a duvet day

5.     Be ill and not appreciate being ill at all

6.     Read the novel that’s been sitting on your bedside table for the last month

7.     Look at all your friends photos on facebook and add annoying comments

8.     Sleeepppp!!!

9.     Meditate with your duvet wrapped round you

10.     Make life plans

If you said 'work' then you really need to re-assess your work life balance!! :)

The Best Eco Friendly Pillows for Greener, Healthier Sleep

Most people spend their nights resting their heads on a combination of cotton, polyester fill, and petrochemical based memory foam or down feathers. Although you may think you’re being natural if you use cotton or down feather pillow, there are much better eco-friendly pillow options that are natural and actually good for you and the planet. Ordinary cotton is one of the worst offenders, using a multitude of pesticide, herbicides and water in excess in order to grow. Most people think that polyester is a safe fabric, even though it’s not natural. This is not true. Polyester is a petroleum-based, non-renewable resource, It’s production is very energy intensive, using 63% more energy than the production of cotton. The main toxic chemical in polyester is ethylene glycol, this gets absorbed by our bodies through inhalation and our skin. It can damage your kidneys and central nervous system – most definitely not the best thing for a rejuvenating sleep! Down feather pillows maybe natural but are one of the worst fillings to harbour dust mites in abundance, the fillings stay warm and moist so are equivalent to dust mite heaven! Most down and feather pillows can’t be opened for the fillings to be cleaned. The other latest invention is polyurethane foam based memory foam pillows, these release VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds ) into the air whilst you sleep. The main bi-products of polyurethane foam production are benzene and formaldehyde, hardly healthy for workers or the planet. To begin with the most eco-friendly pillows are organic pillows, because all the fibres and fillings are either wild grown, or grown without using pesticides or herbicides and nasty chemicals. With an organic pillow you can be assured that the top cover on which you rest your head, is made of organic cotton, not regular eco unfriendly cotton! 1. Kapok Pillows – Kapok Pillows are very popular and is great eco-friendly alternative to poly fill pillows. Kapok is wild grown and comes from the seed pods of the kapok tree, it is an entirely renewable vegetable based fibre and as the tree is pest free, pesticides are not needed in the growth of this wonder fabric. It’s soft and lofty producing really comfy pillows which are hypoallergenic, water and mould resistant and quick drying. 2. Grain Pillows – Grain pillows such as Spelt, Millet and Buckwheat have been used for centuries to create pillows that have healthy and beneficial effects for mind body and soul due to the high level of Silica in the grain. The grains move freely allowing perfect cushioning of the head and neck. They are hypoallergenic and easy to clean. The only thing that might take some getting used to is the crunchy feel and the rustling sound when you move. 3. Natural Latex Pillows – Natural Latex comes from the milk of the rubber tree and if bought from a reputable source has no additives or chemicals added to it. Totally renewable, the tree starts to regenerate in an hour! Latex is the best fillings as it is bouncy, comfy and comes as little flakes in pillows which move around freely. They have antibacterial, antimicrobial properties and are dust mite resistant and biodegrade naturally 4. Organic Cotton Pillows – Organic cotton is much healthier for you and the planet than non- organic, , organic farming techniques are used and the cotton tends to be grown in high rainfall areas making it less water inefficient, but it’s not for everyone as a pillow stuffing because it flattens over time. Great for people who like flat pillows though! 5. Organic Wool Pillows – Wool is a fabulous filling for all bedding, and pillows are no exception. Wool has great insulating properties that keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. As a filling it is dust mite, mould and mildew repellent, It is naturally wicks away moisture and is also naturally fire repellent. Totally renewable, the sheep are raised organically and re grow their coat year after year. Once removed the coat is not treated with any toxic chemicals after. The added bonus with BuyOrganics organic pillows is that they are zipped allowing the filling to be removed for cleaning and the cover to be machine washed separately. You can even adjust the amount of filling to suit your needs!! None of our pillows have fire retardant chemicals on them or in the fillings and rely on wool as a natural fire retardant.

Making Your Dorm Room Eco-friendly with Organic bedding

University is just round the corner now that your results are out and your places are in, the next step of the journey has to be getting ready to furnish your Dorm room. It doesn’t take much imagination or effort to get things environmentally friendly.
Here’s our top tips to getting your room GreenDon’t rush out to buy appliances, see if you can share appliances with room mates , you may be able to pay them towards the cost and share. Always look for energy efficient products

Reuse boxes when packing, if possible get them from your local shop and then recycle them, it will cost you less!
Pack your stuff in re-usable bags , you can use the bags later when you go shopping for groceries
Buy organic sheets for your bed and organic bedding if your parents can help out with the cost. They will stay with you for a long time and will make you feel special when you tuck into bed at night, plus you’ll be saving the planet from all the pesticide pollution that goes into non organic cotton. Make sure you order it early enough so that it gets to you in time for Uni.
Avoid plastic plates and cups, go for good old ceramic stuff that is better for the environment.
Shop for stuff at discount stores or second hand shops, you can pick up some real bargains and recycle them in the process too, such as rugs, furniture, desk stuff and decorative things , you just need a creative eye!
Use recycled paper notebooks and pens, and always use recycled copier paper for your assignments.
Buy Eco friendly cleaning products for your dorm room, so that when you have to clean up its still Green!
Buy your text books from second hand books shops if possible or even Amazon used. You can often get ones in very good condition.
Above all enjoy your-self, and study hard!! Good luck!

Organic cotton bedding 'has numerous benefits'

Organic cotton bedding could be set to grow in popularity among homeowners, after one writer noted such products offer a multitude of advantages.

In an article for Helium, Dr Pandula Siribaddana noted the use of natural materials in the bedroom could help to reduce the number of allergens that are present, as they do not contain "any chemical fertilisers, hormones or any other synthetic toxic agents".

Additionally, he stated organic linen is better at maintaining body temperature, which means "comfort levels of these materials would be higher in comparison to synthetic versions".

Dr Siribaddana added natural bedding can be recycled more easily and is environmentally-friendly due to the lack of chemicals in the items.

And Britons inspired by the expert's comments may want to head to buyOrganics, where there is a wide range of organic cotton linens available for homeowners.

These include mattress protectors, blankets, throws, pillows and duvets from brands such as Fou Furnishings and Boomarang.

Healthy sleep for the chemically sensitive.

Organic mattress lovers will be interested to hear about a recent article claiming some organic mattresses contain fire retardant chemicals. What a shock, surely the whole point is to get away from chemicals and sleep on a pure surface! Just so you know this is catagorically unacceptable at buyOrganics!

These companies site the reason for using fire retardants in their organic mattresses as due to fire safety regulations and law. This is actually not accurate, in the UK anyway. In fact what is required is that any mattress pass a flame test, the surface should not smolder if a light is held to it for a designated amount of time. This flame retardency can normally only be achieved through use of flame retardant chemicals, however it can also be achieved through natural means, some companies just don’t have the know how of how to do this naturally and without chemicals.

We can proudly say that our Organic mattresses have achieved fire safety tests and have the BS7177 test naturally without the use of any fire retardent chemicals and are Soil Association certified also

Studies have shown that flame retardants migrate into the blood stream of humans; In addition, Dioxin, a bleaching agent, and formaldehyde are two other unpleasant chemicals which may be found in a conventional mattress that can cause health problems.

To ensure that you are getting the most out of your organic mattress, ensure you get synthetic dye free organic cotton sheets, under blankets and protectors. We have combined the best organic mattresses with the most sumptuous organic sheets together at buyOrganics.

All in all, when buying, be careful to check that the organic mattress you are buying does not contain fire retardents and is in fact pure organic as ours are.

Getting a Good Nights Sleep

Organic Mattress lovers will be delighted to learn that their investment in getting a good nights sleep is well deserved as an article out today in a U.S newspaper warns us that lack of sleep can have serious side effects.

Getting the optimal level of sleep is essential to a persons mental and physical health. The ideal amount is 7 to 8 hours and not getting enough sleep can have serious effects to your health, your ability to concentrate, and minimize personal productivity due to fatigue. Resulting poor health may include signs of irritability, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, emotional mood swings, lack of concentration or hyperactivity.

If we followed our natural body clock, we would wake as the sun rises and sleep as it gets it darker in the evening, but our busy lifestyles mean that we sleep according to the tick tock clock our society follows instead.

Common ways to treat sleep disorders include sleep studies which help treat sleep aponea and snoring, whilst Mattresses and pillows play a big part in our sleep. If a mattress is too soft or too hard, a person will be unable to get comfortable.

Mattresses and linens need to allow body temperature to adjust. Having too many pillows can cause head position to obstruct a person's airway. Instead, pillows are a great way for assisting with propping of arms and legs to minimize body aches.

In this instance organic mattress lovers will appreciate how the natural pure fibres in an organic mattress will allow better temperature regulation than artificial fabrics.

Although mattresses and pillows are a source for allergens to hide, organic mattresses made with deep layers of organic wool will help repel allergens, as wool naturally repels dustmites. Treating the bed with a Neem spray can also help greatly. Bamboo and organic cotton sheets are also hypoallergenic without the need for chemically treated mattress covers.

Our U.S sleep expert also suggests parking your day before you go to bed by writing your worries and thoughts down before you go to bed, so that they're there for you to deal with in the morning rather than worry about all night!

Has the last year been a time of pain or a time of gain?

Christmas comes at a time when it’s just nice to get a break, a solid good few days away from work. It’s a time as well as we approach the new year that we look back on the last year and decide whether its been a good year, a bad year or a down right ugly year!

It’s been an odd year for me, I’ve had low’s, especially when one of my closest friends was diagnosed with cancer. It made me really see how fragile life is and how dear our loved ones are to us. It’s also been a time when I had new experiences in my personal life….I went on a holiday with my husband and kids for the first time in about 5 years. It was fantastic and awful all at the same time! Lost hotel bookings, lost tickets, upgrades, family arguments…argh!!! My husband lost his job with Lehman Brothers which was so stressful! But out of all these things that have happened there has been a silver lining to all of them. My friends cancer is nearly cured and the Chemo has been working, if it hadn’t have been caught in time she wouldn’t have been here now, my husband found another job, a better one! And as a family, the holiday made us closer and able to see our faults better.

This last year has been a closing for an old way of life, globally too. The false economy we’ve been living on has crashed! One of the biggest obstacles to doing something about climate change…George Bush, has been shifted. Barack Obama provides a new hope that has not been presented by any other for a long time. More and more people are buying eco friendly household products, green, organic and natural personal products, organic bedding and latex mattresses, despite the economic down turn, which shows an increasing commitment to what really matters. Hi fuel usage cars are not selling, but instead are being outsold by their green counterparts! This will force manufacturers to come up with viable alternatives or bite the dust.

So, this Christmas season seems different to me than most. I feel more contemplative, more hopeful and as if I’m on the verge of a whole new beginning.

Think of current painful situations as an opportunity for growth.

So if you have lost your job, like countless members of my family and friends, or business is tight, it will no doubt be a seriously worrying time. It may even be a sign that your old way of being was not right for you any more, and that however painfully its happening, its time to embrace something new. Whether it’s a new course, a new interest, a new career doing something that’s going to bring more into your life, than what you were stuck in previously, or re-evaluating how you do things currently.

Change is always painful, I know that, because I’ve been there, not once or twice, but many times, we are going through global changes, and personal changes all at the same time. I’m sure many of you have too. Even if you’ve not had a bad year, and have had a brilliant year, there it’s always good to re-evaluate your strategies and lifestyle. Is there another area of your life that could do with improvement, your friendships, love life, or health? James Ray Philosopher and Life Coach, likens this economic climate to winter, everything that is old and unwanted is dying. This is a time for contemplation so that when the new spring comes we are prepared to create a new spring in our own lives. Astrologically it is the end of the celestial Piscean age and the dawning of the Aquarian age, which is an age of greater spiritual awareness and growth. Whatever is created now will be deeper, more rewarding, richer and more fulfilling than ever before because it will come from a deeper level.

I wish you all the greatest happiness for the New Year

Sonia