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.

Web Sites Referenced
www.highpointmarket.org
www.lasvegasmarket.com
www.pantone.com
www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/news/pantones-2010-home-interiors-color-forecasts-080182
www.barrydixon.com
www.libbylangdon.com
www.kinzeycompany.com/stephen_bernasconi.htm
www.hgtv.com

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.

3. Make Mom a kite and decorate it with notes about how much you love her.  Go fly it!  How to make a simple kite: http://www.allfreecrafts.com/kids/paper-kites.shtml

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.

7. Post a tribute online about all the wonderful things Mom does: http://kidsturncentral.com/holidays/mothers/mgreet.htm (scroll to bottom of page to submit your message).

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*

Happy Mother's Day to you from AHH! Products! 

Yours Truly, Jade

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!

Love is always in the air at my house.  That's because I have 3 cuddly dogs.  Add in a few well-placed bean bags, and you've got a full-blown love affair.  I probably don't have to tell you if you own a bean bag chair and have a pet that there's no keeping them apart.  Your kitty nests in it, your pup circles and does his digging thing in it.  Heck, your ferret won't keep his teeny little paws off of it! 

Animals have a natural instinct to nest.  They need to create a sleeping area that feels safe and comfortable.  My friend had a pregnant dog who wouldn't stop stealing sweaters, socks, and whatever knit thing she could get her mouth around to make a nest.  I gave her a bean bag chair and problem solved!  That mama dog was in love.

My theory is that bean bags are easy to "dig" in to some extent, since the filling inside can be moved around.  This gives your pet the sensation of moving sticks and leaves around like his ancestors once did.  I also think that my dogs like to be elevated too, since it's either the bean bags or my sofa or my bed.  And, when the perfect depression is made in the bean bag chair center, the animal is perfectly cuddled and warm. 

One of my dogs does something super cute - after he's done creating his nest, he sometimes gets out of it, does a complete circle around the bean bag as if to inspect his work, climbs back in and lays down belly up.  He absolutely adores his bean bag!

Do you have any animals that do funny things with your bean bag chairs?

Ok, so H1N1 swine flu has been THE hot topic lately now that it's getting colder.  Yes, we're all kind of getting sick of it, pun intended, but it's important.  This doesn't have anything to do with bean bags, but this short guide has great tips on ways to battle cold and flu bugs. You'll read things you didn't know!

1. Sleep - Since chronic sleep loss is shown to hurt the immune system, getting enough sleep is invaluable. Longer, better sleep can in fact boost your defenses.  Tests show that less than 7 hours a night triples the chance of catching a bug!  Folks who toss and turn for more than 8% of the time are 5 times more likely!
2. Act Now - As soon as you get symptoms, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, etc. - start an "older-class" antihistamine every 12 hours, or what your doctor recommends (i.e. chlorpheniramine like Dayquil or Sudafed) so you'll sneeze and blow your nose less. Too much nose-blowing can lead to ear infections. Symptoms get stronger in the first 48 hours, so that's when you need to attack them.
3. Wash - Handwashing is still the best way to reduce spreading and getting bugs. Plain soap is great to simply wash the germs away.  In fact, antibacterial soaps have antibiotics, which don't kill cold or flu viruses, but they can make antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Eeks! Antiseptic soap does kill bacteria and viruses, and hand sanitizer gel is good too.
4. Keep Noses Clear - Use a saline nasal wash to flush out viruses and bacteria and to remove mucus.  It's just safe salt water if used correctly!  Some commercial decongestants can be bad on blood pressure for some people, so saline is natural relief.
5. Be Active - Regular exercise increases macrophage cells, which kill bugs!  Activity also makes immunity cells more reactive to bugs as soon as they try to get you.  But do NOT overdo it, since over 90 minutes of high-intensity workouts can make you more prone to catching something.  If you're already sick, just rest and exercise later.

Did you know: Flu season runs from November to April, so get vaccinated even if you think it's too late.  H1N1 occurs throughout the year!  You need 2 weeks for vaccines to kick in.  You need a separate H1N1 vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine, and can get them at the same time.

You are contagious 1 day before and 7 days after you have symptoms.  Kids can be contagious longer.  Stay home, kick back in your bean bag chair, and avoid people if you have the flu, especially H1N1.

Don't know if it's a cold or the flu?

Symptoms	Cold	Flu (including H1N1)
Sore Throat	Usually	Sometimes
Runny, stuffy nose	Usually	Sometimes
Cough	Sometimes	Often, can worsen
Fever, Chills	Rarely, or low-grade 102F or less	Usually, and over 102F *H1N1 can be very high.
Headache	Rarely	Usually
Muscle aches	Rarely	Usually, and often severe
Fatigue, weakness	Uncommon	Usually, persists 2-3 weeks
Nausea	No, loss of appetite possible	Usually, *H1N1 can have diarrhea

Disease severity: how serious can it get?

Milder, few complications, includes sinus or ear infection

Higher risk of severe complications (pneumonia, hospitalization, high fever, death). Children, elderly, people with ear infections or chronic conditions at high risk.

*courtesy of the Costco Connection

Although H1N1 has been reported in all U.S. states, it isn't always a disaster.  My friend's 4 year old daughter got it, but very mildly, and recovered within a week.  BUT...don't take chances and do what you can.  Stay healthy!

Yours Truly, Jade  

As promised, I took my bean bag chair to my local park and it was a blast!

This park is super colorful with rainbow-inspired play areas and fabulous running tracks.  I made it better with bean bags:
  

There's a great playhouse, but I made it better with bean bag chairs:

Twisty slides, bumpy slides, torpedo tube slides galore, I made them better with bean bags:
     

Kids love the child-friendly "zip line", but I made it better with a bean bag chair:
   

And no more panic attacks watching my child traverse the monkey bars:
 

Climbing this rainbow was a whole lot safer and fun thanks to the bean bag:
   

The bean bag was an all-around great landing pad:

   

And let's not forget the swings:
   

Thanks to the bean bag chair, my kid had lots of fun and made new friends today!  Which seat would your child pick at the park..no contest!

My park, Clemyjontri in McLean, Virginia, is number 3 on a Best Playgrounds list, but I bet a million dollars if it was furnished with bean bags it would be numero UNO!  This may sound crazy, but the kids had so much fun with the bean bag chair that I'm going to bring it everytime we go!

Yours Truly, Jade

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.

Until next time, Sandy

Bean Bag Chairs for Kids - ColorSplash

There's a brand new super-cool bean bag chair at AHH! Products!  It's called  "ColorSplash" -  an exclusive Waverly screenprint that's crazy colorful, fun, and retro-inspired!   This ColorSplash bean bag chair has bright, exciting colors like hot pink, lime, purple, aqua, and sunny yellow.  The printed design looks like intermingling blobs of color, splashed all over the bean bag chair.  So much movement! Perfect to brighten up a kid's bedroom, or playroom.  Seriously, check it out and see why it's so awesome!  Girls of all ages will go wild!

Yours truly, Jade