As the owner of AHH! Products (as in ahh…that bean bag is comfy), I have the constant pleasure of speaking to parents about how our bean bag chairs are adored by their kids worldwide.It’s all fun and games for the most part, but about once every week I get to talk to a grateful parent who has a child dealing with ADHD, ADD, autism, and other sensory integration issues.One parent’s feedback struck me: “We bought your giant bean bag for our daughter years ago who has severe ADHD and other learning disabilities including autism and we absolutely love it! It's really been a life saver for us to get her focus and help her to learn - she can wiggle around in it and doesn't have to sit still. Thanks, C.E.”
That made every single person here happy.
It turns out that bean bags are perfect for kids who just cannot sit still in rigid, straight-back chairs.Bean bag chairs allow them to change position quickly and easily without getting up, so they don’t need to stop focusing on what they’re doing (reading, etc.).Bean bags also provide a feeling of being cuddled and safe.It is important for us to offer super soft fabrics to give tactile comfort, as well as calming colors that help soothe frazzled kids.Bean bag chairs can be transported around the house by almost everyone, so kids have “pride of ownership”.They can also carry their “nest” to any room and not be bound to one spot.Every bean bag chair we offer also has a washable cover and a water-repellent liner that holds the filling.The bean bag liner zipper is child-resistant and our bean bags meet or exceed flammability standards.We assemble our bean bags right here in Virginia, U.S.A..
A few years ago, the Washington Post featured us in an article about how bean bags help kids with ADHD and ADD.And, from our experience, children with autism benefit as well.This spurred us on to put more focus on this aspect of bean bag furniture. We are always on the lookout for skin-friendly, kid-friendly materials.We added organic bean bags, which are hypo-allergenic and “green”.
AHH! Products will continue to try to help for years to come (14 years strong so far).I congratulate all the families making it work for their children and look forward to being a helpful part of your lives!
Just a few more days and it's back to school for college students! And for many college freshmen, it's goodbye to home-sweet-home, hello dorm room. It's a transition that doesn't have to be crazy stressful if you take a little of home with you. In a survey of ex- college freshmen, everyone agreed on 25 supplies that will make living in a dorm room more comfortable and fun.
The first days for college freshmen in a new dorm environment are awkward and sometimes lonely. The perfect icebreaker to meet fellow students in the same boat is the yummy smell of food and the siren calls of people having fun!
1. To this end, bring a microwave and lots of popcorn. Who will be able to resist you?
2. Pair that with a DVD player, and if your room is big enough, a TV. If not, a portable DVD player. Bring favorite movies, and even home movies for when you are homesick or want to show your fellow students how goofy your little brother is.
3. Don't forget an IPod or similar device with speakers to really pump up the good times. Speakers do double-duty for your computer or laptop too.
4. A game system like Nintendo is great to get guys and gals together.
5. Likewise, a deck of cards and other games like Cranium are fantastic ways to bond.
6. If there's space in the dorm room, a mini-fridge keeps drinks, leftovers (think pizza), and fruit fresh, so you can properly entertain!
7. An electric kettle to boil water for ramen noodles, tea, hot chocolate.
8. You'll need bowls, cups, and utensils too.
9. And a can opener. You get the idea. The way to students' hearts is through the stomach.
With all those college students clamoring to hang out with you, you'll need extra seating.
10. Bean Bag Chairs are perfect since they can be stowed away in the closet, or under the bed, or stacked in the corner. Make sure to choose bean bags that have washable covers and stain-resistant liners. Bean bag chairs are portable furniture, so you can take them to common student areas when all the couches are hogged up. Or each student can hang out on their own bean bag in the hallway until the wee hours of the night, studying of course (with some pizza-eating and card-playing thrown in). Bean bags are also great as a back rest on your bed to read all those interesting textbooks without getting a backache.
Bean bag chairs from AHH Products are popular with college freshmen since they have washable covers and water-repellent liners - like the Blue Denim bean bags (this casual style matches everything). Or the Zebra bean bag and the Cow Faux Fur bean bag chair (the texture is soft and cuddly and the animal theme gives a hip accent to the dorm room decor). The Velvet bean bags are stain-resistant and come in tons of colors. People looking for "Microsuede" end up liking these silky-soft, upholstery velvet bean bag chairs even better! For students who want to cheer up a dreary room, choose a print like Bubbly Citrus and for guys who dig style but not so much color, the Camouflage Fleece bean bag. Prints are great for hiding dirt, which is a must in dorm rooms. Let's not forget the environmentally-conscious students, for which there are Organic Cotton bean bags that are both "green" and hypo-allergenic!
Bean Bag Chairs in College Dorms
Also necessary supplies for college freshmen are personal items.
11. First-aid kits should include water-proof bandages, disinfecting swabs and sanitizer gel, headache/ pain relievers, moisturizing eye drops for long nights, and rubbing alcohol for scrapes (which can also be used to remove sticky stuff like price tags from hard surfaces).
12. For gals, a manicure/ pedicure kit with favorite colors. Double-duty the electric kettle to boil water for disinfecting tweezers, clippers, and other metal supplies you might share with other students.
13. Shower items like flip flops and a bath caddy for shampoo, razors, etc. to make communal bathrooms bearable.
14. Bring your favorite laundry detergent and put dryer sheets in drawers to keep clothes smelling nice.
To make your dorm room less institutional and more like home, students can't do without these items.
15. Bed frame risers create storage space under the bed. Stow away empty luggage, which you can use as a hamper! Or, better yet, bring plastic storage units with wheels that fit under the bed so you can have easy access to clothes, shoes, and supplies.
16. Hang a large dry-erase board on your door for messages and schedules.
17. To cool the dorm room, or expel unwanted smells (burnt popcorn), a portable, strong fan does the job.
18. Photos of family and friends will warm up cold walls and combat homesickness. Double-sided tape that is easily removed works great for photos, posters, even heavier frames - just pick the right size tape like 3M's removable strips. Many dorm room walls are concrete, so tape will be much easier to apply than nails, and no nail holes!
19. Dorm room mattresses aren't the best, so a mattress pad will be much appreciated.
20. For dirty or otherwise yucky floors, bring a nice rug. One that has a non-slip bottom and is machine-washable is best.
Lastly, college freshmen must learn to keep a tidy home-away-from-home. Let's make Mom proud!
21. Air fresheners to plug-in or spray are essential, including a product like Febreeze to take care of not-so-fresh odors. You may want to shop with your dorm-mates to agree on the fragrance.
22. Keep paper towels and spray cleaner/ disinfectant handy. Disinfectant wipes like Clorox's are convenient, but if they dry out, reactivate them with a little water.
23. A hand-held vacuum picks up crumbs, dust bunnies, and other unsightly things. A broom and dustpan do the trick too.
24. For the unexpected, have a flashlight or two ready with batteries installed (and a pack of extra batteries).
25. And for you shoe-addicts, hang a shoe organizer over the door or keep pairs in shoe boxes with see-through windows like Ikea's inexpensive Komplement products.
It's a topsy-turvy time for freshmen students entering college. If you go prepared, you'll make it a fun and fabulous time!
Hey, what about bean bag chairs in kids’ play houses? I just had a club house installed in the backyard as part of a huge swing set for my kids. There’s a top club house and a bottom club house directly beneath it. So we were putting a few things to furnish it, rugs and little kiddy furniture. But no one would sit in the hard and uncomfortable chairs. So.... [light bulb]!
We put in a few of AHH! Products’ Ahh Spot small size bean bag chairs in the top and the bottom club houses and the kids went crazy over them. They could move the bean bags around without denting the very expensive wood walls and stack them to make room when they needed extra. Playing house was so much more fun with the bean bag chairs, especially since they could also lay on them, really relax and hang out.
The bean bags stayed relatively clean, but it wasn’t a big deal to wash the covers since ... Ahh Spots all have removable, washable bean bag covers. And we parents also love them because we know they won’t accidentally hurt themselves by falling into or tripping over anything hard or sharp, which happened with the traditional chairs we originally put in the club house.
What a great idea! Go try surprising your kids with some bean bag chairs or maybe just one bean bag in their play house, your kids will love them! They’ll never expect to have such awesome kid’s furniture in their pretend house!
Bean bag chair sizing for adults was discussed in my previous post, now let's talk about the right size bean bag chairs for your kids! Again, sizes discussed here reference AHH! Products bean bag chairs, but you can find the same sizes at most retailers.
These are some great tips to think about when purchasing bean bag chairs for kids. We'll define that as someone shorter than 5 feet tall. (Age really doesn't matter for the most part when it comes to bean bag chair sizing, assuming the child can safely use a bean bag to begin with. It's how tall and big that counts.)
1. First, some words of CAUTION. If your child is unable to get herself out from under a bean bag easily by herself, don't use bean bags until she can. We suggest a two year minimum age, but that's up to you in the end. Make sure you instruct all children to never, EVER hold a child underneath a bean bag chair. You're going to want to use the same common sense you would apply to a large pillow where suffocation can occur!
2. Some more CAUTION. If your child is disabled, bean bag chairs can often be a welcome type of seating. It will mold more to your child's body and allow him to move around easier if they get antsy or need to adjust position often for comfort, as compared to traditional chairs. Just be extra careful that they don't fall off the side. Try placing the bean bag between two soft-ish stationary objects, like a sofa and ottoman, with a bit of space between the bean bag chair and the objects to allow for wiggle room.
3. And just a bit more CAUTION. When I just had my baby, I put her in a 37 inch bean bag chair. It molded to her body and since she really didn't move much as a newborn, it was the perfect safe nest for her. It was a God send while I did laundry, dishes, etc.. If you do this, however, NEVER leave your child unattended. Have her, cuddled in the bean bag, right next to you! And do NOT do this if your child is rolling over already, as she may suffocate if you're not keeping a very watchful eye.
4. If your child is 3 feet tall or less, you can get away with the 27 inch small size bean bag chair. It is big enough to be comfy, but small enough for them to easily take around with them. This promotes a sense of ownership, great for self-esteem and confidence. Even when they outgrow it and it's not big enough to snuggle into anymore, it can still be used to lean against and even sit atop of. And, any bean bag size can be used as an ottoman to kick up tired feet!
5. If your little one is 3 to 4 feet tall, I suggest the 32 inch standard size bean bag chairs. However, since kids grow so fast, I often suggest considering the 37 inch size so it will last for many many years. This does not hold true, though, if you have a space limitation and the 37 inches takes up too much room. You never want a bean bag chair to become a nuisance! All size bean bag chairs, 37 inches and smaller, can be stowed away in a closet or stacked in a corner when not in use. And all sizes, 37 inches and smaller, can be carried or dragged by most children. They will undoubtedly take if from room to room and probably want to take it along on vacations!
6. If your child is over 4 feet, I think it's a waste of money to get anything smaller than the 37 inch size bean bag chairs. Again, unless there's not enough room for it. Remember that you can push bean bag chairs up against a wall or other large stationary object like a sofa to raise up the back and reduce the floor space it takes up.
7. If you plan to have more than one child on the bean bag, or you plan to sit on it with her, opt for the 52 inch giant size bean bag chairs. As this size gets a bit flatter and is less poofy, it will have enough slack to allow multiple kids and/or adults to sit in it.
I hope these tidbits prove helpful in your search for the perfect bean bag chairs for your children!
As with most things in life, size absolutely matters. You wouldn't adopt a Saint Bernard if you're looking for a lap dog for your New York City studio apartment. Nor would you get a team of chihuahuas to pull your racing sled. Getting the right size bean bag chairs is important for both comfort and practicality.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when shopping for bean bag chairs, so that you can end up with the perfect bean bag for you and your loved ones. I'm going to talk in terms of AHH! Products' bean bag chair sizes, but the measurements can be found at most bean bag retailers, give or take a couple inches.
Let's talk about adults first, let's say anyone over 5 feet tall.
1. A 37 inch wide bean bag chair is the best-selling size for adults, since it's big enough for most adults to sit comfortably in without taking up too much space. It's very portable so you can take it from room to room, or from home to summer house. This size bean bag averages about 12 pounds and is filled with 9 cubic feet of bean bag filling.
2. If you are 6 feet tall or more, consider investing in a 52 inch wide bean bag chair. This is a "giant" size that will let you lounge out well. Although quite large, it's still portable for adults with average upper body strength. If allowed to get a little flat, the giant size bean bag can also make room for 2 adults sitting side-by-side, like a comfy love seat. Remember that this size is big, and will take up the space of a lounger chair (like a Lazy Boy). This size bean bag chair averages about 24 pounds and is filled with 18 cubic feet of filling.
3. If you don't have enough space for a 37 inch, you can get smaller sizes, but adults will be less able to sit down into the bean bag and be more perched on top of it. Any size, including the smaller sizes (AHH! Products has a 27 inch and a 32 inch wide), can be leaned back against. This is great for video game playing and TV watching and is more comfortable than leaning against a stiff couch or wall. The 27 inch is about 6 pounds and is filled with 4.5 cubic feet of filling. The 32 inch is about 9 pounds and is filled with 7 cubic feet.
4. In general, the bigger the bean bag, the more bean bag there is to cozy into. So, go for the biggest bean bag chair your budget and floor space will allow. Just keep in mind that the bigger bean bags (52 inch giant for example), the harder it is to stow away when not in use and you need to reclaim floor space.
5. If you are not able to get up using upper body strength, large bean bags may not be the right size for you. To get up, arms are used to push up off the bean bag. You can roll off the side, but at some point you will probably need your arms to push up off the floor. On smaller bean bags where you don't sink down much since there's less bean bag and slack to sink into, you may be able to get up using core strength (abs, etc.). Please be careful and make sure you can safely get up before sitting in a bean bag of any size (or have a helping hand nearby).
6. If you are a larger adult, you'll do best with a giant sized bean bag chair for logical reasons. Our bean bags will hold up to any weight of course, but you'll be more comfortable with more surface area and slack to snuggle into.
7. We have been told that people with back problems can benefit from bean bags, but we don't necessarily suggest this. If you doctor says to get a bean bag, then go for it. Just make sure you follow tip #5. We do believe that leaning against (versus sitting in) a bean bag can be good for the back since it molds more to you than a regular pillow would for support. All of our sizes, but particularly the 27 inch and 32 inch, are great for this purpose (you don't really need a very large bean bag for leaning against).
8. Any size 37 inches and smaller makes great ottomans to kick up your feet and create the ultimate bean bag lounging experience.
Keep these tips in mind and you're on your way to the right-sized bean bag chair for you needs!
Stay tuned for tips on bean bag sizing for kids in my next post!
Who doesn't like special prices or coupon codes when you're shopping online? What's better than getting an extra discount on something you need anyway? We at AHH Products agree!
So, we have just created a coupon code page on our site with all the latest and greatest extra specials and discounts we are offering on our bean bag chairs, bean bag chair refills, bean bag covers, and more. Check out our special Coupon Codes for your next discount.
Remember, only coupon codes offered directly by us are valid! So when you're shopping for bean bags, bean bag chair covers, or simply need more bean bag filling to plump up your Ahh Spot bean bag chair, check out our coupon code page first.
We don't promise there will be a coupon discount for everything you may want to buy from Ahhprods.com, but there will be at least one code offered at all times. Happy shopping!
I don't normally pat myself on the back, but we received an amazing testimonial from a customer that I just had to share! Now, don't get me wrong, we treasure all customer feedback, but this one really made the entire staff smile as it came in as an actual letter via snail mail! Yes, snail mail!
"Dear Customer Service Staff:
I have purchased two bean bag chairs from your company: one for my daughter (Cuddle Soft Purple purchased in 2007), and one for my mother (Cuddle Soft Brown in 2009). When my sister mentioned that she wanted to buy bean bags for her two kids, I told her that she had to order from AHH Products because of the quality AND excellent customer service. As a result, she purchased two bean bags in 2008. Since then, I have exchanged a bean bag cover, and throughout that exchange, received only the highest level of customer service - much appreciated!
My point with this letter is to not just thank you, but to commend you on the importance you place on 'personalized' customer service. I spoke to Lisa on several occasions regarding the exchange and she was nothing short of professional, kind, and extremely helpful. That type of service just isn't very common anymore. It is reassuring to know that amidst this fast-paced and money-driven world, your company continues to place customer care above all else.
Thank you for the excellent customer service - you have earned a faithful customer!"
Thank you to H.V. in Redding, CA for taking the time and making the effort to let us know that our philosophy of service is appreciated!
So what else is going on in home interior design in 2010?...
The state of the economy has fed the trend to blend traditional and modern interior design. Money is tighter so we are trying to conserve dollars and use more sense by simply working with or even repurposing the items already in our homes. We are also focusing more on our homes since we’re spending more time in them; establishing more sound and reasonable budgets for redecorating or updating projects; and deliberating longer over these projects so the end result delivers the best possible outcome.
“Spend Wisely” is the 2010 mantra!
It’s no doubt that we’re all affected by the economy, and it’s stressful. “Staying with what is recognizable and comfortable is what people tend to do in stressful times”, according to color and trend analyst Stephen Bernasconi. In the High Point Fall Fashion Report he said, "When the economy is tough people tend to long for the good ‘ol days . . . and we’re certainly in a period now where people want their ‘comfort’ food.” (High Point Market is one of the world’s most influential home furnishings events that shape future design trends.)
So the comfy ‘mac ‘n cheese’ of design is being updated and elevated by mixing traditional and contemporary furnishings, as well as fusing the styles to create a fresh soup du jour. The recently coined “trad-mo” (TRADitional-MODern) describes this mixing of apparent contradictions.
In Arthur Douglas Thayer’s High Point column he confirms, “The blending of traditional and contemporary styling has accelerated. This blurring of classic and modern design means that a Louis XIV chair may be covered in a bright silk print.” Or, a cushy, cozy bean bag chair can be covered in a high-end, luxury velvet!
Thayer added, “As a counterpoint, a recent survey revealed that a new, more up-to-date permutation of country outstripped both modern and classic as a style of choice for most Americans.” (also called modern-rustic or modern farmhouse.) Could this be something like our Autumn Leaves bean bag chairs, with its updated floral design (not your Grandma’s roses) in a contemporary chenille and rustic colors?
Below you see the Autumn Leaves bean bag chair beside a traditional sofa and contemporary cigar chair. The coffee table is a modern leather version. To complete the trad-mo, eclectic feel, a Japanese antique is repurposed into a bookshelf and an antique trunk is used for storage. Modern touches include the asian-inspired, contemporary floral print and modern landscape painting in bright colors. Accessories include an antique African crocodile sculpture and glass vases in modern shapes.
If you’re worried about blending, Thayer says, “Tonal colorations in fabrics and flooring help bridge whatever styling gap may result from the merging of disparate trends and styles.” So whatever your tastes, trad-mo or rustic-mo, you can make it all cohesive. Choose colors in the same family, like the autumn colors above, for example. Warm, golden wood floors tie all the earthy furniture pieces together.
Speaking of color…“Cooking with neutrals and seasoning with color,” according to designer Barry Dixon of Barry Dixon, Inc. Sprinkle colorful accent pieces among your neutrals, or fun designs among your solids (throw pillows, lamp shades, lap blankets, and a bean bag chair would be easy accents!). Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color said, “People are thinking twice about how they are spending their money, and when they are spending money on big ticket items they are more apt to be thoughtful and opt for a neutral color. In fact Pantone added a palette of neutrals to their eight-palette forecast. We didn’t actually call it a ninth palette, but we felt it was important to reflect the fact that there is that elephant in the room.”. (Pantone is the furniture industry benchmark for color.)
Speaking of elephants…Gray is all the rage in 2010. Softer than black, gray is a cool neutral that works well against the wood and metallic elements that are emerging. According to Eiseman, grays are replacing the warm beiges that have dominated the color scene. They can be warm but are largely cooler which makes them a fresh alternative. The Zen, unobtrusiveness of gray can have a calming effect for people.” One of our elevated versions of gray is the Earth Stripe Chenille bean bag chair. You can place these bean bags in almost any room.
One night in Bangkok I met with a tarot reader. He sat quietly in a booth nestled between vendors trumpeting trinkets and t-shirts in the hot, crowded Suan Lam Night Bazaar. According to the fortune teller, my future involved money and also travels to a place represented by a card labeled “ordinariness”.
His cards spoke the truth—I’m home now and broke. But I had an amazing adventure nonetheless in Bangkok.
Bangkok is antiquated in places, and totally modern in others.It is beaten down and also built up.I felt comfortable in this city because, well, it was like my house.
I live in a new home with some of those sought after upgrades like granite, fancy moldings, and huge windows. This shiny, new backdrop has been lovingly decorated with battered flea market finds, my mother’s discards, and one new couch.
The first year in our new home, I would wander its rooms and weep little tears of longing for fresh, off-the-truck furnishings. But my budget forced me to embrace my mixed up, mish-mashed, eclectic design aesthetic and so I ran with it. My trip to Bangkok deepened my appreciation of the beauty in disparities and mismatched things.
Now as I walk through my home, the Chinese Buddha who rests atop an antique phone table with a bright Kandinsky print hanging over his head seemingly smiles at me as if to say, “We like it this way, and it’s OK.”
Lucky for me because thiseclectic design aesthetic I’ve applied to my home out of pure necessity is one of the biggest design trends for 2010.
Libby Langdon, an interior designer and expert commentator on HGTV’s show “Small Space, Big Style”, commented on the trend in her Industry Insights column for the High Point Market Web site. She said, “Consumers are getting more confident about surrounding themselves with the things they love and by gosh, if they bought that enormous Southwestern dining table while they were on their honeymoon, but now like a 1960s mod chair, they are going to mix them together and love it! Designers have been doing it for years. Now thanks to all those design shows, everybody else is figuring it out.” Langdon also said that consumers today trust their own taste more.
It’s true. Driven by my love of interior design, I comb through magazines and watch HGTV to pick up some of the ways interior designers blend seemingly off-beat colors, patterns, and furniture styles to create a beautiful, pulled together room. Now that interior design has been demystified, I feel confident enough to create an interior that speaks to my individuality.
Unsure you can mix it up? It’s like this: consider the comfy, floppy fleece bean bag chairs you got for your kids because they take them to a happy place. It’s OK to bring them up from the basement and use them alongside your sleek, modern leather couch and contemporary glass and steel coffee table. If that’s too much of a stretch for you, give the bean bags a touch of modern with cool new covers like the Kinetic Energy style.You’ll be mixing retro, home-y furniture with modern pieces in a pleasing way.
Explore the fun of design and step away from the perfectly matched sets of yesteryear and into a mix of styles, fabrics, furniture, and accessories! Below you find traditional form and texture on the upholstered sofa paired with the simple, clean lines of contemporary leather cigar chairs and coffee tables. Note the crystal and steel lamps that combine retro inspiration with a clean, simple, modern feel.These fixtures are paired with a traditionally shaped wall sconce; the dark scrolled iron and beige lamp shades are quite old-world. It’s hard not to notice the very modern abstract painting and fireplace hanging that pop with color.The updated trophy deer head is a playful twist on traditional rustic! (photo courtesy of HGTV.) Plop in a Kinetic Energy bean bag on that retro shag rug and you’re ready for 2010!
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9 this year. I'm a Mommy, so I can tell you it's a VERY special day for us. For all the things we do for our families, it's nice to know we are appreciated at least once every year (so you better make Mom feel extra loved on Sunday!).
Here are 10 unique gift and activity ideas to do for Mother's Day that are easy and fun:
1. Of course, bean bag chairs are a part of my everyday life as a bean bag chair store owner. How about making one a part of Mom's life? A bean bag chair nestled beside a good lamp or next to a bright window can be Mom's favorite reading nook. Get 2 bean bags, one for her tush and one to kick up her tired feet! Here's me in mine:
2. Go to the library or bookstore and get a book about something Mom is interested in: gardening, antiques, quilting, fashion, animals, etc. She will appreciate that her family pays attention to what she likes. She may even be quite surprised you noticed! Make a bookmark covered in thank you notes to her.
4. On a big sheet of poster paper, everyone contribute to a list of all the things she does for you. From basic stuff like what your favorite meal is to little things you notice like waking up before you every morning to make sure you're not late for school. Mothers sacrifice because we love, but we don't necessarily like doing the laundry, so it's nice our work is noticed! Everybody sign and date it.
5. Draw a portrait of the family with Mom in the middle. Be creative with crayons, markers, glitter, etc. Draw everyone sitting on bean bag chairs! If you want to reach out to extended family, draw a family tree and get everyone on the tree to write a note to Mom next to their name. How to: http://www.ehow.com/video_4774628_draw-family-tree-diagram.html
6. Make a storybook depicting a day in the life of what Mom does for the family. Put your book on top of her bean bag chair so she can read it as soon as she sees her new reading nook. Don't forget to dedicate it to her and include every author's name.
8. Plan a picnic at a local park or in the backyard. Bring a jar filled with thank you notes. Take your personalized kite.
9. At breakfast, lunch, and dinner, go around the table and tell Mom why you love her and what she does for you. Give her a hug after each speech.
10. Moms can never get enough coupon books! I mean the ones that offer her a foot massage from Dad, breakfast in bed from the kids, one week of making her bed for her, 1 hour a day free of distractions to sit and read on her bean bag chair, etc. Make sure you are willing to do what your coupon offers!
So, for all the Dads out there: print this out and get going with your kids on some (or all) or these ideas. For all the Moms out there: maybe you need to print this out and hand it to Dad...*wink*
I just got a call from Accounting, we just got hit with another "fuel surcharge" from another supplier. I'm not surprised, since all costs- from raw materials to getting the raw materials delivered to us to make our bean bag chairs - have gone up dramatically for years now.
FedEx shipping costs have steadily increased about every 6 months since we started making our bean bags in 1998. Shipping a giant bean bag to California used to cost us $44 in 1998, it now costs us almost $100. We expect this increase to continue, but have NOT increased our shipping cost to customers EVER. It remains $22 per bean bag chair! We're going to subsidize our customers' shipping costs no matter what. High shipping costs have most likely been a major cause in the demise of other bean bag chair companies, making the market for bean bag shoppers much smaller.
Material prices have increased by 20-60% depending on the supplier. Zippers, fabric, and even thread prices continue to rise. With gas prices the way they are, just transporting the raw materials to us via UPS, FedEx, and freight truck has hurt. But since AHH! Products' sales have been very strong, we are able to absorb the enormous increase in costs across the board and not pass them on to our customers. Except for a short period of time following 9/11, we have sold more bean bag chairs from year to year with 2009 being our record year so far. How can this be? Bean bag chairs are "luxury", non-essential items afterall.
So the question is: how do high costs in a terrible economy affect shopping for bean bag chairs? What makes one company thrive and others crumble? Simple. Low-quality bean bags don't cut it anymore, even if they are dirt cheap. Our sales have increased despite the current economic crisis because we offer very high quality bean bag chairs that will last. Smart bean bag shoppers are looking for extras like our water-repel liners, child-resistant zippers, and washable covers. Customers seek fair pricing, but know how to balance dollars with value. So even though we are priced higher than Walmart or lower-quality suppliers, our bean bag chairs are much more durable. These are not throw-away toys, they are real furniture. Plus, since we offer so many fabric styles in so many colors, our bean bags match any decor and can be taken from room to room. No one wants to spend money on a bean bag chair they have to hide in the basement. Our bean bag chairs are found in every type of home imaginable.
Our advice to bean bag shoppers? For the most part, you get what you pay for with bean bag chairs. Look for a warranty that is at least 5 years (ours is 10), covers that can be removed and washed to prolong the life of the cover, liners that resist liquids in case of spills, child-resistant zippers so your kids don't spill the costly filling, and most importantly: buy from a reputable company that has been in business for at least 3 years that offers contact phone numbers (not just email) and a street address (not just a PO box). If you don't get your questions answered within 24 hours, or keep getting an answering service, move on!
As for absorbing so much cost increase, it's not the best situation for a bean bag retailer, but we are happy to still be in business and contributing to the turnaround of this great country's economy. We project 2010 to be another record year!
It's the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day today! To celebrate the Earth and put Mother Nature on everyone's minds this week, we're taking $10 off our best-selling organic bean bag chairs. Plus, take $10 off our best-selling Earth Day, Blue Garden, and Watercolor Butterflies bean bag chairs!
Here are 10 easy ways you can be Eco-friendly this week:
1. Plant a tree, bush, vine, anything that will grow!
2. Add herbs or a vegetable plant to your existing flower bed to add color, smell, and something to eat!
3. If you don't recycle, try it just for today. Extend it to the week. Get used to it and extend it forever!
4. Take your kids to a botanical garden or park and get them excited about nature!
5. Go to the library or bookstore and get a book about nature, read it with loved ones on a picnic.
6. Go to a nearby stream or creek and clean up - there will be trash most likely!
7. Attend the Climate Rally on the National Mall and show you care: http://www.earthday.org/climaterally
8. Do an Earth Day craft with your family and give them as gifts to spread the love: http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/
9. Donate what you can to an eco-friendly organization. Find one at justgive.org
10. Gather all of your friends and throw an Earth Day party! Instead of cookie exchange, everyone brings a plant to trade. Use all green party supplies and recycle everything. Have everyone donate to a We Love Earth jar and donate the proceeds to a green charity. Hold a raffle and give away a planted pot of herbs (proceeds to charity).
It's crazy how many companies advertise themselves as being "eco-friendly" and "green". This is true even in our niche bean bag chair market. This normally would be great news for shoppers searching for environmentally-conscious products, but the reality is that most companies don't go very far to make their bean bag chairs green. It's just a marketing ploy.
Almost all bean bag chair retailers that sell "green" bean bags are limiting their claim to their filling type. Bean bag chairs are typically filled with polystyrene pellets (commonly known as styrofoam). There are 2 types of styrofoam filler: reground and virgin bead. Virgin bead is brand new styrofoam that is produced to fill your bean bag. Reground, on the other hand, is styrofoam that was already made, but typically never used for anything. It's just lying around destined for a landfill. Reground filling is the more "eco-friendly" filler because it is styrofoam that is repurposed to plump up your bean bag chairs. This is good for the environment.
But that can't be all there is to bean bag chair companies calling their products "green"... right? Sadly, except for AHH! Products, that's usually the best they can do.
AHH! Products naturally offers reground filling, that's a no-brainer. But, beyond that, we believe that it is important to offer organic bean bag covers to shoppers wanting an alternative. Our organic line was launched in 2009, and has been a big hit. We found a source for a buttery-soft cotton twill that is 100% certified organic, grown without pesticides! It is also dyed and finished using an eco-friendly and sustainable process that won't pollute. Plus, for allergy sufferers, these covers are also hypo-allergenic! There are 4 sizes from small to giant, and 11 colors to choose from including hot pink, lime, navy, burgundy, and black.
Our company is lucky enough to be able to retain a family-owned culture, so it's easy for us to be as green as possible. Every employee knows our recycling mantra, no sheet of recyclable paper or cardboard gets trashed. Plastic bags are always repurposed and reused. Lights don't stay on overnight, and computers are always shut down when not in use. Forget about throwing away a soda can lest you be chastised by the President herself! We also donate all fabric scraps to charities to make blankets, scarves, etc. for military families and families in need.
It may take more time and a little bit of our budget to care about our planet, but in the end, not many things are more important than keeping Mother Earth safe.
So the next time you come across "eco-friendly bean bags", be sure to read the fine print!
Every year, the Easter Bunny leaves a goody-filled basket on my doorstep for my daughter to find. So far, her belief has not waned. Same goes for all of the other little kids in my neighborhood.
So, every year, about this time, all of us parents gather up as many pastel-colored toys and candies we can find at our local Target to surprise our children. This alone is fun, but this year, we decided to have an Easter egg hunt, too. Not only are we going to fill little pastel plastic eggs with candy, stickers, and temporary tattoos, but also have one super special egg with a gold chocolate egg inside.
Whichever lucky duck finds that gold egg gets the biggest, most comfy pastel Easter egg ever! Yes! A bean bag chair! Luckily, I own a bean bag chair company! So, my neighbors get to choose from one of our Easter-colored pastel bean bag chairs - there's the Cuddle Soft in pink or light minty green or lavender. Or, the Cuddle Bubble bean bag chair in baby blue or pink. Not to mention the pink corduroy or pink organic cotton. There's also pink or baby blue fleece bean bags.
My vote is for the pastel minty green. It's screams Easter to me, for either boys or girls.
We're going to have the happiest kids around...give you any ideas?!!
It's pretty much common knowledge that bean bags are awesome for kids and adults, but what do you do after you've given the perfect bean bag chair already? Give another one, of course! But, if there's no space for bean bag #2, how about some accessories to make your bean bag experience the best it can be?
My first suggestion is a lap blanket. Blankets that are big enough to cover at least your legs are great, since even during warm months when your air conditioner is blasting and you've got shorts on, you'll appreciate a little coziness! And during freezing winter, a soft blanket will guard you from cold drafts blowing up where cold drafts don't belong! Make sure the blanket is washable and coordinate it with your bean bag chair. Try AHH! Products' washable fleece blankets, that come is a wide variety of colors. There's even a discount if you buy a blanket with a bean bag chair. Personalize your blanket for a special touch.
And how about matching pillows to go with your bean bag chairs? Since pillows are accessories, you can even go with a contrasting color as an accent piece. Again, washable pillow covers are the way to go.
Position your bean bag chair next to a low side table with a well-placed lamp to encourage reading, whether it be Macbeth for this week's English class assignment, or just to catch up on celebrity gossib with the latest US Weekly! Come on, we all read that stuff sometimes right?!
So, grab a book and a drink. Turn on your lamp and sit back on your bean bag chair with legs cocooned inside a blanket and head resting on a comfy pillow . Now, ENJOY!
Finding the right household furniture is not always as easy as it might seem. Comfort and design are both important factors when it comes to choosing furniture. Durability is even more important, especially when children live in the house. Active children present a challenge to even the toughest types of furniture. This is why the bean bag chairs we offer allow for both comfort and resilience.
Unlike many other forms of home furniture, bean bag chairs are usually quite inexpensive. Ahh! Products bean bag chairs are not just comfortable; they're also quite resistant to wear and tear. The Ahh! bean bag chairs are made from high-quality fabric that is more durable than most materials. In addition to that, the washable nature of the outer covering makes it easy to handle stains. Ahh! Products bean bags also enjoy a ten-year warranty, which is testament to the fact that while nothing lasts forever, our bean bag chairs still come pretty close.
We aren't shy about sharing full details about our bean bag chair products and we'd love to hear more from you about how your bean bag chairs are holding up against the tests of time! Drop us a line at beanbags@ahhprods.com.
Bean bag chairs are already really unique gifts that are both practical and fun, so how can you make them even better? Personalize them!
Whenever I can, I try to put names on gifts that I give, especially to kids. Children love to feel like they own something, that something is all theirs. I have music boxes engraved, clothing screenprinted with names, and kid-sized towels monogrammed with initials. But, by far the most appreciated gifts I ever give to children are personalized bean bags embroidered with their names. Sometimes I will add an extra "dream" or "imagine" underneath the name to inspire.
At AHH Products, you can buy bean bag chairs embroidered in tons of colors and styles. The lettering styles offered are really cute and some you cannot find anywhere else, like the "curlz" font. Almost everyone who buys a personalized bean bag chair chooses the curlz font since it's so irresistably fun and whimsical. Names can be embroidered in many colors such as red, black, white, blue, green, brown, yellow, pink, purple, and many more. There's also a "fairytale" font that looks like a page out of a 'once upon a time' book.
So, have fun turning your bean bag chair into a unique gift for everyone in your life - kids and adults all love bean bags!
In the 1970s, the world saw the coming of the bean bag chair - a chair that immediately became a staple in many houses. For a time, issues about the safety of its contents raised concerns. But today, with the development of materials that pass meticulous safety screening, bean bag chairs are seeing renewed popularity, and more people find them perfect for their living rooms, studios and bedrooms.
The bean bag chair offers a lot of qualities that make it everybody's favorite spot... such a favorite, in fact, that it could even take the place of the good old sofa.
For one, bean bag chairs are smaller and lighter than sofas, and so they can easily be moved around. Moreover, bean bags are less expensive to buy and maintain. Unlike the sofa which may require thorough hand and/or machine cleaning as well as occasional upholstery replacement, the beanbag chair has a removable and highly durable cover which can even be placed in the washing machine.
The bean bag chair also offers great comfort with its ultra-soft contents, and has a wider range of colors and fabric designs. All this while saving space and cleaning muscle, too! If having a bunch of bean bags in your home sounds like a great deal, then you can always go shopping for bean bag chairs right here at AHHProds.com for a huge selection!
Kids are always so full of energy. When they are not in school or in bed, you can usually find them running around the house, playing with anything they can get their hands on. Their tendency to jump on and off furniture has definitely caused more than a few white hairs on nervous adults' heads.
But with bean bag chairs, parents can let their kids be kids without the fear of injuries to both the kids and the furnishings. Beanbags serve as the ultimate comfort zone, and even the most hyperactive children may just find themselves lying in them for hours.
With their ultra-soft styrofoam filling, bean bag chairs can provide a warm snuggling place perfect for sleeping, studying and playing with gadgets. And if these bean bag chairs come from AHH! Products, they are warranted for ten whole years as well! AHH! Products beanbags feature high-quality covers and liners put together with tough double-stitched seams and self-locking zippers.
Our bean bag chairs are washable and water-repellent too, so there is no need to worry over chocolate, candy stains or pet hair making a mess of things.
Valentines Day is just a few days away, and you still haven't gotten a gift for your sweetie?! NOT GOOD!
Well AHH! Products is here to rescue you. Don't give your lovey that tired bouquet of flowers, or that been-there-done-that box of chocolates this year. Golf balls - boring! Instead, give them an awesomely comfortable and beautiful bean bag chair that will give them pleasure for years beyond this February 14th!
Bean bag chairs make really unique gifts that are unexpected and have a major WOW factor for all ages. They are fun, but also practical if you choose something like AHH's bean bags which have removable, washable covers, water-repel liners, and a 10 year warranty. Bean bag chairs come in hundreds of style, color, size combinations, so you can find the perfect bean bag no matter who you're shopping for - your hard-to-please Mother who won't put anything in her house except neutral colors, or the guy who has to have a very "manly" bean bag chair, or your son who is so into anything camouflage this month. And don't forget your daughter who's eyes light up when she sees anything with hearts on it.
I give my daughter a Valentines gift every year, and it will definitely be the Love Stripes bean bag chair for 2010!
For my guy, he's getting the giant leopard faux fur bean bag chair, because even investment bankers need a little pizazz (he may not adore the leopard print, but my rec room decor will).
Or, if you've already got a bean bag, how about surprising your loved one with a new bean bag cover to update the style? All of AHH's bean bag chairs can be purchased as separate covers!
We just had another snowstorm this past weekend, 4 inches on the ground and freezing. I just can't wait until Spring is here again to warm my bones! Sitting in my office, the sunrays streaming through my window actually make me forget for a second how cold it is outside. And makes me daydream about one of the best days I had last Spring on a research trip to New York City.
I was downtown visiting fabric suppliers and had a chance to visit the High Line Garden. What used to be the remains of a railway track that carried trainloads of carcasses daily into New York's meatpacking district, was now a place of beauty preserved and renovated into an oasis of wildflowers and greenery. The coolest part of the "hanging garden" (it's an elevated railway track) is that the old track rail was made into a path to follow and enjoy the butterflies.
There's a part of the track that has wooden lounge chairs built right in, and I thought "Man! Our Ahh Spot bean bag chairs would be awesome here!". Weary New Yorkers could come and relax, get some sun, and read a book for hours if giant bean bags were available. Tourists looking to be Manhattan-ites for a few hours could pull up a bean bag and blend right in. And oh how the kids would love to visit the High Line Garden, they can never resist bean bag chairs!
Warm weather, flowers, and bean bag chairs...can't wait until Old Man Winter is gone!
Since their comeback a few years ago, bean bag chairs have practically become a fixture in every home. With their versatility and ultra-soft and comfortable construction, they are easily everyone's favorite chill spot.
Today, bean bag chairs can be found not only in houses, but also in hotels, studios, offices and hospitals. Bean bags made by AHH! Products in particular provide total luxury and comfort, thanks to stylish designs and construction that is very soft yet highly durable.
Among the most discerning clients of AHH! Products are Marriot Hotel luxury resorts, Pepsi, celebrities John Travolta and Kelly Preston, Jessica Alba, Hillary Duff and Kid Rock. Set designers for the popular television shows Saturday Night Live and Lost are AHH! bean bag chair product users as well.
For each and every one of their customers, AHH! Products offers a selection of designs that can suit any interior theme. Rural, Zen, urban or exotic - AHH! has something for everyone's tastes. Moreover, bean bag chairs from AHH! Products come in a wide range of colors, from vibrant red, yellow, and orange hues to muted tones like dark brown or tan. You can see our entire bean bag chairs selection and buy bean bag chairs year 'round directly from our website at http://www.ahhprods.com/.
The other day, a bunch of us at AHH! Products went to a model home that was staged using some of our Ahh Spot bean bag chairs. We were curious to see how bean bags could be incorporated into the professionally designed home decor. After all, interior designers do make big bucks. Our little tour took us into the lower level recreation room/ home theater room where spread out, along a couple neat crescent-curved rows, were our bean bags in front of the huge flat-screen television. And, without bragging (too much anyway), the bean bag chairs looks fabulous! Marigold yellow, spearmint green, luscious red, bright orange, cool slate blue, and delicious purple upholstery velvet bean bags were quite the accent pieces in this room full of cold electronic media equipment. We were pleased needless to say.
We talked to the agent that was there representing the builder and showing the house to see if she had any comments on the bean bag chairs. She said that they are a big hit with everyone. Not only the families with kids, which is a no-brainer, but also with the mean coming through the tour. Most people couldn't help but try them out, she said. And with all the traffic, the bean bags were holding up really well, especially since...(and there was a pause). "Since what?" we asked. Apparently the kids more often than not would decide to lump all the bean bags together and use them as a giant landing pad in whatever game they were playing while their parents walked around the model home. Yes, the bean bags were withstanding this. Yes, the kids were super happy. Yes, the parents were even happier since the kids were occupied and not asking when they could leave to go to McDonalds. Yes, Yes, Yes to attest to all the great things about Ahh Spot bean bag chairs. But, there was one No...
No, the agent did not enjoy rearranging the bean bags back into their beautiful crescent-shaped curve in front of the television after each family left. Well, we said, at least she didn't have to keep the kids from trampling the rest of the beautiful house - and we are pretty sure the rest of the home's decor definitely could NOT have taken the kind of abuse that the bean bags were enduring!
When we, at AHH! Products, started offering our organic line of bean bag chair covers and bean bags, we were taking a bit of a risk. We are the first beanbag chair manufacturer to offer a complete product line with the benefits of being organic. We've seen hemp bean bag chairs, but even the hemp wasn't necessarily certified as organic. And, although other areas such as clothing and food have seen an explosion in organic sales, consumers have not yet been on the lookout for organic furniture, certainly not bean bags. But AHH! Products figures that furniture does touch your precious skin, so why not?
The great news for us is that the idea of organic bean bag chairs is starting to catch on. There has been lots of interest in our organic bean bags, especially from parents. Customers are asking for bright colors such as red, lime, and bright blue, in addition to the staple neutrals and black. We hope our organic bean bag chairs will become as popular as our current product lines and will expand to more fabric varieties if possible. We may look into prints to add to the solid colors, but we will wait to see how the current organic line does. We actually like assessing what the marketplace lacks and fill the need with quality products. The best part is that our organic bean bag chairs also fall under our awesome 10 year warranty and 365 day return policy, so the organic consumer has a lot to be excited about.
A friend of mine just sent me this great article about the world's best playgrounds, by David Israel. Man oh Man! Kids nowadays have it good! I remember my neighborhood playground when I was growing up and it was pretty much chain swings with cracked rubber seats, a metal slide that was either ice-cold or scorching-hot, and a really beat up old merry go round. Oh yeah, and the metal frog or alligator on a big rusty spring. Okay, so perhaps you had something a little better, but probably not to the level of these playgrounds!
The good news, for me and all the little kids in my life, is that I can proudly say that one of the ten best playgrounds on the list is less than a half hour drive away! Clemyjontri Park in McLean, Virginia is #3 on the list.
Looking at the other parks on the best playgrounds list, I have to say they are pretty cool! There's a huge park in Japan comprised of tires, and a park in Sweden with playground furniture and equipment made of humongous fruit! In Germany, there's a playground only for adults! The furniture and equipment are geared for seniors, to get them outdoors and active - no kids allowed! In San Francisco, theres an elaborate playground on a rooftop! There's an ice-skating rink, bowling center, and giant open spaces for free play and a 103 year old hand-carved carousel.
So I'm thinking all of these playgrounds are so unique and kids and adults must go ape over them. But you must know what every single one of them is missing right? Yup, bean bag chairs! Think about it, what's safer and more scrumptious than a bunch of bean bag chairs, say, at the bottom of a big slide or underneath those crazy monkey bars that I always panic over when little kids precariously zoom across hand-over-hand, so many feet above the ground! We've all seen our kids using bean bags as landing pads, dare I say that they leap from the top of the stairs into them. So, same idea here. Or bean bag furniture inside the playhouses. Bean bags would definitely go over well with kids with disabilities too, giving them soft seating instead of hard traditional benches.
I have to go see these playgrounds...and maybe I'll tote along my own bean bag! No joke, I'm going to do that and I bet you I'll have a big hit on my hands! I'll take some pics too so you can all be inspired. Look for my followup post this week!
In the meantime, check out the article, there's great pictures and more playgrounds to marvel at. It's a quick read, and so cool. Thanks David! www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/34277
Satuday was a gorgeous sunny, 75 degree, perfect Autumn day, complete with an awesome meeting with Project Runway Season 4's winner Christian Siriano. The youngest winner to-date, Christian was born in November 1985 (he's not yet 24!) and studied ballet as a child. This led to his interest in costume design, and thankfully for the future of the design world, to becoming a fashion designer. If you watched him in season 4, you were probably like me and couldn't get enough. He was tart and hilarous and as he likes to say "sassy!", and above all...let's say it together now...FIERCE! Remember when Victoria Beckham gushed over his final collection at New York's fashion week?
To promote his new shoe and handbag line at Payless stores, and his new book "Fierce Style - How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self", Christian answered questions and did a mini runway show where he re-styled 4 lucky audience members at Montgomery Mall in Maryland. I was there with IPhone video taping in one hand, and camera in the other (not to mention my fashion-loving 5-year-old in tow). I asked him if I could give his assistent something for him, he was so gracious and so NOT diva-ish and said "sure, or you can just give it to me!' with a coy smile. I love him! So UNlike many celebs I've come across in the past. So I gave him a gift card for any of my bean bag chairs, and he slipped it into his back pocket - I hope he doesn't forget and put it in the wash! Shoot! I should have asked him to show me his squid and octopus tattoos on his right arm.
Videos of Christian answering questions and his mini runway show (keep in mind it's from a phone and not a real video camera, but at least you can see how cute he is):
Delicious bites of Christian's thoughts on fashion and design: -He was wearing a "cheap but fashionable" Topshop Men's shirt and a womens' blazer from Intermix NYC - "Don't judge me cuz I'm little!" Jeans from Cheap Monday and sneakers from his new shoe line. "No Gucci today." -His favorite designers include Mark Jacob, Michael Kors, and Alexander Mcqueen. -He's so over the 'no white after Labor Day' rule. -He loves animal prints "You can never go wrong with animal prints, but it can be dangerous, don't go out and buy a leopard faux fur giant parka, accessorize with shoes or bags. It's graphic and an interesting texture, do it in a new way". -Leggings..oh goodness...he sort of gets when they're ok to wear...not a fan apparently -Stay-at-home Moms can stay chic by emulating iconic celebrities, get inspired by people in the media because it's easy. His Mom does this. -To get inspired, he doesn't look at other designer's clothes, he looks at movement, styling, and shape. -Heidi Klum is so real, not sassy. After the show, he went to her house to find Heidi on the porch with flip flops and no makeup. "I will tell you though, on set, she's a diva. She deserves it. Her set wardrobe is huge" -"Tim Gunn's so cuddly. He's a little sassy!" The way Tim is on the show is the way he is every single day. Always in a tie, always pinned up. He writes his emails exactly how he talks. -Michael Kors looks orange on the show because of the set's lighting - he's not over-tanned! -The best wardrobe staple is accessories: statement shoes and statement bags. Dresses are easy because you don't have to worry about lots of different pieces in your outfit. -Purple is his new color for the moment.
My favorite Chrisitian-isms caught on camera: Sitting with Style The Head Throwback Sassy and Tart!
So what's Christian up to lately? Besides his Payless shoe and handbag collection ($30 price level), Christian is also creating a makeup line for Victoria's Secret, a new fashion mobile phone for LG - the "Lotus", has clothing in Saks Fifth Avenue, and designed a collection for Puma. He also appeared as himself in "Ugly Betty" and was even in an R&B music video (Estelle, "No Subsitute Love"). He has shown 4 collections at NYC's Fashion Week.
Sporting His New Shoe Line
I agree with Tim Gunn that Christian Siriano is potentially "the next Marc Jacobs...the next great American designer." I only hope he takes me up on my offer to design the fiercest, sassiest bean bag chair ever!
When you picture a bean bag chair, is your first thought cuddling? ...mixed with shooting people in multiplayer computer games? That mix was extremely popular at September's Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), where it's hard to find any news report that doesn't mention the plethora of bean bag chairs made available.
PAX is described as a "weekend-long gaming festival in the Seattle, WA area, complete with beanbag chairs, videogames and beanbag chairs." Yes, the bean bags are so important that they list them twice. IGN.com, the ultimate gaming and entertainment resource featuring award winning coverage of video games, reports "Whether it was getting to play Battlefield: Bad Company 2 six months before release or just cuddle up next to a new friend on a beanbag, it seemed every PAX-goer I encountered was tasting a little gamer heaven for the weekend."
In their wrap-up of the wildly popular event, IGN's Levi Buchanan and Ryan Geddes offers an in depth recap of their "thoughts on the magic, mayhem and musk of the Penny Arcade Expo. With the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo now behind us, it's time to grab a beanbag chair, sit back, and reflect on the weekend that was. Tens of thousands of people descended on downtown Seattle, WA, for the show, and the world's largest videogame publishers were out in force, too. Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Valve, Blizzard, 2K, THQ and many more crowded onto the display floor of the Washington State Convention Center to show off their upcoming games". Read more at http://games.ign.com/articles/102/1021902p1.html.
For all of you serious, hardcore gamers out there (or those curious to see what in the world happens at these crazy conferences), mark your calenders and get geared up for PAX East 2010 in Boston, MA March 26-28, 2010! Check Paxsite.com for more information.
If you're a parent, grandparent, school teacher, day care provider, or pretty much anyone that cares about a particular child, there are a few things that are always on your mind.When it comes to that precious child, the mantra is: safety, nutrition, and education.Right? Right!
We baby-proof our homes with multitudes of gadgets, make sure there are bandages within reach, buy anti-bacterial everything.We give gummy vitamins, force them to consume calcium even when it seems like going to war, compare food labels, and zone in on products that have lots of vitamins.And when it comes to education, practically from day one, we know that reading is key.We read to them before they can speak.Some of us read to them before they can hold their own heads up!It has been seen that kids who read at home score better in school, and kids who love to read have comparatively higher IQs.
So how do you promote literacy and get your child excited about reading and eventually writing?You make it super fun and rewarding.If it's a chore, forget about it.You have to make it a comfortable, inviting experience to look forward to.
To create a reading environment that will lure children away from the TV and into a book, we have 12 tips on how to help your child read:
1. Designate a special time. Consider a half-hour, perhaps after dinner when you are cleaning up, to be reading time.Or, after the bath, teeth are brushed, and pj's are on.Try to make it part of your daily routine, so your child knows that it's his special time.Give it a name! It's Billy Book Time!It's Katie Reading Time!
2. Choose a special spot in your home. Make it the best little reading corner imaginable.It should be a permanent set up if possible.
3.Provide adequate light.A nearby window is perfect but should be supplemented. Choose a lamp that can be adjusted to shine light directly above the reading area.Make sure there isn't too much heat over their little heads - that's really important!Many lamps are cute, but get way too hot.Great ones simulate natural light and stay cool like full spectrum floor lamps that you can find at online and offline stores.Please, please do NOT use halogen if you can help it!
4. Offer practical yet comfortable seating.Let's face it, a straight-back chair in a hard material just does not scream relax on me with a book.Your child will gravitate to something that looks comfortable, feels soft, and that she can call her own.The couch can be comfy, but be careful.The family pet, little brother, or meandering husband may be tempted to have a seat on the couch as well.This would distract your child from his book to say the least, if not pull her completely away into another activity.That's not to say you have to make 3 separate reading nooks for all 3 of your kids - but make sure they each have their own seat.Kids like to feel ownership.Include a spot for yourself so you can join in either reading with them, to them, or reading your own book to be a great example.
The floor isn't advised either, it's impossible to get comfortable for a long time (and no, a rug and pillow won't be much to help).Our thoughts for fantastic comfortable seating choices are soft, cozy bean bag chairs.
Make sure they are easy to clean, preferably with machine-washable covers and water-repellent liners.To encourage ownership, personalize the bean bag cover with your child's name, or something fun like "READ HERE!".
Kids who fidget can move into different positions in a bean bag chair quickly so reading is not disrupted too much (they can get comfortable on their tush, their back, their tummy, etc.).Bean bags have been used successfully with kids with ADHD.You can add a smaller bean bag to prop up the feet.
5.Create a book depot. Include a sturdy, stable bookshelf or a special book basket within easy reach.Add a new book on a set schedule so there is something to look forward to.If you cannot afford to buy them, go to the library for easy book renewal.Thrift shops often offer inexpensive used books (maybe offer to trade).You can add a new book as a reward for good behavior (better than stickers and candy!).Always make it a glorious event!
6.Add a cozy lap blanket.If you want, offer a small side table with a note pad and pen.Encourage your child to jot down ideas that the book gives him such as new topics he would like to read about.If there's more doodling then ideas, remove it.
7.Adding snacks or drinks. On the subject of snacks and drinks, it's probably not a good idea unless you can ensure your child won't be distracted and the books can stay clean.With that said, if your child tends to always need to stop reading to get a drink, it may not be a bad idea if it will keep them focused.
8. Create a list of "books I want". Creating such a list with your child can rev up the excitement. Create a list of "books I've read" and reward each addition to the list with a sticker or another book!And always a big hug.
9.Setup an additional computer space. You can provide a laptop, but be sure to use it only to look for new books or other literacy-related purposes when the laptop is in the reading corner.You or your child can look up the definition of a word or explore a topic (keep it brief, remember this is a reading corner).
10.Be an "active" reader and encourage "active reading".Use your hands, voice, and sounds to make the story come alive and get your child excited.She will mimic you and be just as creative.Practicing being outgoing and expressive will help build confidence and self-esteem.
11.Keep the reading area clean and tidy.Your child should help, again, to encourage ownership.
12.Use online resources to investigate and discover ideas.You can download over a million books online for free at Google's http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2009/08/download-over-million-public-domain.html.Google also provides book searches, articles, and videos on literacy at http://http://www.google.com/literacy/.Another great resource is Google Books http://books.google.com/googlebooks/about.html - you can search the full text of books for topics that interest your child from fairies to baseball.You can preview some books, and even freely download others.Google Books will also help you locate where to buy or borrow the book.
At Reading Is Fundamental http://www.rif.org/, you'll find reading tips to spark enthusiasm, all sorted by age group!Access free monthly reading and writing activity calendars, too.They also offer free downloads of audio books (visit http://http://kids.audible.com/ -scroll down to the bottom left for the free link).Use audio books in the reading corner to mix up reading a book and listening to one.
Professor Trevor Cairney offers very informative information on "Literacy, Families and Learning" to help parents and teachers.In his "The Importance of Reading To and With Your Children", Professor Cairney gives detailed steps of how to move from reading to a child to involving them in the reading process.
Use these 12 tips to get you and your child on the road to literacy.You can certainly apply these tips to the home, but also to libraries and classrooms.For professional offices, such as dentists and doctors, a reading area would be appreciated by parents and kids waiting for their turn.The goal is to get kids used to seeing, handling, and reaching for a book. Let's encourage all kids to read wherever they go!Get on board!
Just a few minutes short of high noon, and I'm at the beach with my gear, ready to lounge out and get some rays! It's not super duper hot out today, thank goodness, but the skies are pretty clear, the sand is warm, and the waves are sounding very inviting. I layed out my big blanket (an old comforter actually), and on top of that I have my scuba bean bag chairs. A big bean bag for my body and a small one to put up my footsies. I'm not planning on putting more than my ankles in the water, but even if I got wetter, my bean bags would be okay since the neoprene bean bag chair covers are waterproof! Seriously, you have to try bean bag chairs at the beach! It's fabulous! And for the families out there, what about bean bag chairs for kids? They would probably find it fun to lug a bean bag to the beach instead of a boring beach chair!
Well folks, I'm going to sign off now - ahh, life is so hard :D
Its smack in the middle of August and it is HOT here! I'm looking out the window, while sitting in my air-conditioned office, and I can only imagine how humid it probably is outside. So, I open the window and POW! ...it hits me - muggy and scorching. Hmmm...I think: a great day for the pool, or better yet, the beach! I sit back down at my desk, waves and sunshine and total relaxation on my mind: I dream of logging off my computer, throwing on a bathing suit, and heading to the beach. It's just about an hour away, so that's the plan for tomorrow! Oh yeah, baby! Off to pack my oversized Jackie-O sunglasses, sunscreen spf 5000 (you can never be too careful), and you know what? I'm going to bring my bean bag chairs! I have these 2 bean bags that I had made by the AHH! Products team that are made out of a scuba-diving material called neoprene, which is not a normal in-stock bean bag chair. I bought the fabric online and they made the custom bean bag covers for me with my material! It has filling which is inside an awesome super strong water-repellent liner, and then on top of that, I have my custom-made scuba cover!
Okay, so I'm not the inventor of this awesome scuba- bean bag chair idea. On the AHH! website, in the celebrity sightings and testimonials page, there is a blurb about how a really famous (super-famous, think something like in the top 10 known world-wide!) clothing and interior designer outfitted her entire beach-front vacation property with scuba-material bean bag chairs. So, I copy-catted her and tomorrow, I'll be relaxing on the warm sand on my very own scuba bean bags (one for my butt, one to prop up my legs) - so much better than a towel or uncomfortable beach lounge chair! Beach bean bag chair furniture - you gotta love it!
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"We love our bean bags! We've had them forever, like 1999 or something. Our kids grew up in them, now they want their own. They have totally held up over the years." -J.G. (she reordered more bean bags)
"They're great! We love 'em. We got our bean bags for Christmas (2005). The kids beat the snot out of them!" -S.F.
