An EPIC Gift for My Mummu | Nora Mattress Review

I am really, really excited to share today's post!  I know that this time of year you're inundated with gift guides and sponsored posts so you probably tune out a ton of them - but this one makes me SO happy!!!

I've nudged readers toward some practical gifts and that's from the heart because I had been saving up to purchase something big - and practical - for my Mummu.  My Mom, Mummu, and I had been playing Scrabble one night in the fall and our games always take so long because we talk and talk and talk.  Mummu casually mentioned that her decades old mattress had been really causing her some sleepless nights as well as aches and pains.  I'm not sure exactly how old that mattress is, but it's way older than me and that's old enough, so after that conversation I decided that I would surprise her with a new mattress.  After getting a foam mattress ourselves, I was thinking about getting her a foam mattress too because I thought it would be a crazy good surprise to have it shipped to her door!  The only problem was I wasn't sure if she would find ours soft enough, so I was going to do some comparison shopping online before committing. 

In a funny coincidence, Wayfair, a longtime collaborator, reached out to me about reviewing the Nora mattress!  I promptly ordered a double mattress for Mummu but I couldn't even wait for the package-on-the-doorstep surprise idea (I never could keep a secret) and immediately phoned her to spill the beans.

Her new Nora mattress arrived and my Mummu is SO thrilled!  Granted, her old mattress was terrible to sleep on so it probably isn't a fair comparison, but she is seriously smiling ear to ear.

We both tested it out and it's really cushy.  It's firm and offers great support, but you definitely sink into it a little, which feels amazing. 

The one thing Mummu noticed right away is that it's cool to the touch, thanks to a 3" thermo-regulating layer of gel-infused cooling foam.  There's also a 2" gel-infused memory foam (which gives it that cushy feel), plus two 3.5" layers of high density support foam (which keeps it from getting too cushy).  It really does feel quite different from our mattress, especially the cooling sensation and that memory foam - even the mattress cover is unique, crafted from a material derived from jade (!) which enhances the cooling effect.

I think my Mummu will enjoy the cooling properties because, being Finnish, she never seems cold.  Sure, she'll put on a cardigan but all summer long she keeps her house cool as an icebox and I have never, ever seen her don a hat in the winter - even if the rest of us are in toques and snow pants.  I wish I had inherited that gene because I am always cold.    

The Nora mattress is a really competitive price too.  The queen is $749 and the king is $949, but I've seen great sales, so watch for those.  There are nearly 500 reviews on Wayfair and the rating is almost 5 stars and because of that amazing return policy, it's a pretty safe bet!

There are a few small drawbacks though, which are worth mentioning.

1. For some reason, even though the mattress was allowed to relax for the 12 hours it requires after unrolling it (and then another 24 hours before I snapped the final photos) the mattress cover seems too large and that creates a sort of wrinkled effect.  But really, it's going to be covered with sheets anyway but I wanted to point it out, because it gives the illusion of the mattress not having expanded enough in the photos.

2. Like our foam mattress, the edges collapse when you sit on the edge of the bed.  The same thing happens with our mattress, but I honestly don't notice it anymore.  Even though this doesn't bother her, I did caution my Mummu to be careful when she sits on the edge of the bed.  If you're buying this for someone who isn't very mobile, or prone to falls, it might not be the right choice.

3. I didn't realize until we were ready to unroll it in a dramatic unveiling that the company doesn't recommend a typical boxspring for underneath, because it can cause the mattress to sag.  Oops!  That was definitely an oversight on my part.  Hubby and I will have to hack her bed to create a base that's suitable but that's okay - and it makes total sense, so that's not even a drawback, just a head's up.

Edited (Jan 14th, 2018): Yay! More testing has determined that you can use the Nora with any foundation or base.  I love that the company was so thorough and made sure this was possible.

Those are really my only concerns and they're so minor.  Otherwise we loved the convenience of having it shipped to the house - what a fun way to surprise someone, right?! (if you don't already spill the beans) - and it was a snap to unroll.  Once it puffed up, it was ready to sleep on and I didn't notice any off-gassing like with other brands, which was really nice.  I would have felt really terrible if the mattress had smelled bizarre, even if it was only for a few days.  Unlike ours, this mattress feels more plush and you sink into it more, without giving up support, so if you like a softer mattress that hugs you, this one might be a great fit.  And if you are someone who gets sweaty at night - or you sleep beside someone who does - the incredible cooling properties of the memory foam might be perfect for you.

After getting our foam mattress, I really thought all of these roll-up-and-ship mattresses would be the same but this one feels so different.  If you've been considering one, it will definitely help to comb through some reviews and find the one with features that suit your needs.

I was provided this Nora mattress through Wayfair but all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.  A HUGE thanks to my friends at Wayfair for letting me give my Mummu this amazing gift, especially at this time of year.  She is such an important person in my life and my connection to my Finnish roots, so I cherish the time we spend together.  Once a year , I sleep over and we have a gals weekend but I always sleep on a pullout sofa (that's also older than me), so I think that might be the next thing I'll need to replace...

Our DIY Painted Bowls + A Gift Idea for a Kid Who Has Everything

My city is currently renovating the marina and, while the reactions to the development are mixed, I really like the Arts Centre building that was built there.  It's housed in a renovated, historic freight shed and overlooks Lake Superior. 

They offer various classes and last month Hubs and I took our niece to a "paint a pot" workshop.  We were provided handmade bowls, glazes, brushes, etc., and given two hours to work our magic.  The centre has amazing light and we spent a blissfully peaceful afternoon painting.

Want to see the fruits of our labour?

This one is, quite obviously, my bowl.  I set myself up to fail by choosing an aqua glaze that happened to dry super quickly and I overworked it, so that's why it's weirdly patchy.  I haven't done anything pottery related since I was a kid myself!

You might not be able to tell, but I actually glazed the entire outside of the bowl with white because the natural colour was sort of ecru.

Handy Hubby made an adorable bowl.  He struggled with the glazes too, because some went on smoothly but some were chunky and uncooperative.  I had joked before the class that if his bowl didn't look good it would be a "work bowl" for him to use at the office.  With each defeated brush stroke, he'd mutter dejectedly, "yeah, this isn't working, this is going to be my work bowl".

When we were driving to the waterfront to attend the class, I kept teasing our niece about what we were doing because we'd kept it a secret.  Among my tall tales, one really resonated: I told her we were going to shovel grain (our waterfront has a lot of grain elevators) and this bizarrely piqued her interest, so I explained how we'd get paid $5.00 an hour to shovel dusty grain all day, with no breaks to use the bathroom.  I described in great detail what dusty, terrible work it would be and she believed every fib.  When we arrived at the paint a pot class, I said, "Surprise! We're painting pottery bowls!!! (insert jazz hands here).  Well, the tall tales blew up in my face because at first she was totally bummed that we weren't going to be shoveling grain.  After a few minutes she got more interested in the pottery and was eventually totally engrossed - although still deeply disappointed to miss out on $5.00 an hour doing manual labour.  I was so impressed with her focus; I think she could have worked on her bowl all day.

Our bowls were fired and ready to be picked up about a week or so later.  Although mine turned out a little wonkier than I hoped, Hubby's is cute enough to be a home bowl and our niece was thrilled with hers.  I'd definitely go to another class with a kiddo and I decided to share our experience in case anyone is struggling to find a gift for a kid who has every toy under the sun.  A gift certificate for something like this - a one day, crafty class - would be so much fun for kids.  It cost $75 for the three of us to attend this class, but it was better than buying a toy, I think, because we spent an afternoon together, making memories.

Next time I have a much cheaper outing in mind: shoveling grain it is!

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Creating and Grieving

There's something I've been wanting to chat about.  See that bronze sculpture to the right of the fireplace?

Here's a better look:

It's a sculpture that my grandfather made, in his early days of making art.  He experimented and practiced and sometimes things turned out a little wonky, but eventually he honed his skills and for a time he even owned his own art gallery in Toronto.  I have three other pieces of his work: a small bird on a branch, the striking centaur, and a tumbling gymnast (plus the headboard he made us).

I've been looking at this sculpture a lot, thinking about how much my grandfather practiced his craft.

As a kid, I was so prolific - much to my Mom's chagrin.  I churned out drawing after drawing, doodling on anything and everything, including important paperwork.  She had to deal with stacks and stacks of messy drawings and wibbly wobbly clay pots.  I just loved art and was convinced I'd be a photographer, painter, or interior designer (much to my Dad's chagrin), but somehow I've lost some of that joy.  I sometimes find myself overwhelmed - instead of inspired - by the sheer volume of (sometimes kind of disposable) crafts and DIYs that are shared online.  Lately I've channeled much of my creativity into "practical" projects, like a pot holder, catnip toy, painted planters and home renovations - money saving projects I can use and feel good about.  For some reason, I've felt the need to justify the time and expense of making things but this preoccupation has really done me a disservice.   

I could really benefit from some time spent making things just for the sake of making things.  I have to admit that the traumatic passing of a relative this spring has been difficult to process and my family is still reeling from the shock.  I, myself, have good days and bad days, but I've tried my best power through the bad days and downplay the stress, anxiety, and grief I'm feeling.  I spent the first half of September in Toronto, helping to tie up some lose ends, and that re-awakened all kinds of feelings.  I left feeling immensely guilty and sad and agitated.  Creating things is said to help alleviate stress and anxiety, and is especially recommended to help with the grieving process.  So why has a craft and DIY enthusiast like me not jumped at the chance to create things as part of the healing process?

Hopefully this gal will encourage me to recapture some of my childhood zeal for arts and crafts!  To make stuff, just because; to try some of the 1000+ projects I've pinned...  I'm thinking that a pottery class might be just what the Dr. (that would be me) ordered...

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Long Time No See

Hello again!

I can't believe I've been gone for so long...

At the end of May we received some upsetting and shocking news.  We dropped everything, stuffed too few clothes in a duffel bag, ushered a surprised Szuka into the truck, and made our way to Southern Ontario, while my parents hopped on the next available flight.  My family is working hard to maintain some semblance of privacy, so I can't go into detail about the unthinkable series of events that transpired, but I will say that a close family member passed away suddenly.

I only reluctantly returned home at the beginning of July.  We had a rough June.  My family had an overwhelming number of things to get settled and, of course, a lot of grief to work through.  Things are not entirely resolved, so I may disappear again, but for now I'm home.  Even though I'm physically here, it's going to take some time to find my way back to normal.  I'm working on it, taking one day at a time.  The calming effect of the lake is certainly helping.  But I worry about some of my family members and hope that they too can find some refuge.

Thank you so much for all of your kind words here, on Instagram, and via email.  I'm really touched that so many of you reached out to me.  Your kindness has done wonders to lift my spirits.

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Hello Again.

Hello again.  Thank you so much for all of your kind and thoughtful emails and comments (both here and on Instagram) about the passing of a family member.  To those who expressed concern for my family, I wanted you to know that they're doing well.  Sad, of course, but figuring out how to move forward.  I wasn't sure whether it would be appropriate/necessary to write about my family's loss in more detail on the blog.  I felt uncomfortable writing a deeply personal story that really isn't all mine to tell.  But it seemed heartless to jump from "a relative died" to "do you think subway tile is too predictable a choice for the bathroom reno?" 

I asked some of my family members what they thought and they said to keep on truckin'; to just return to my regular posts because what I had written was sufficient.  So that's what I will do.

 
Tomorrow's post is in queue.  I'll be switching up my posting schedule a bit moving forward.  I started slipping into random posting mode and I'm trying to right the ship.  I am now going to post every Tuesday and Thursday, with extra posts (like Etsy shop updates or random musings) slotted in, every now and then, on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays.  This will give me a combination of the structure and randomness I crave in equal parts.   

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Good Vibes Needed

It might be slightly quieter around the townhouse for a couple days because my grandpa is not well.  Although I only just stepped foot in the townhouse this evening, after two loooong flights, I'm off to see my Papa tomorrow.  I'm hoping my visit will cheer him up.  Although I am stressed and bone tired I am in good spirits.  The young woman seated in the row ahead of me on the plane was barfed on by the little girl sitting next to her (no relation) so things were really put in perspective for me.  Her day was, hands down, much worse.

Please send good vibes my way to pass on to my Papa (who I am confident can power through any ailment).  And hug someone you love.

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Mug Love

It is getting chillier and chillier here in Ontario, so I've been leaning on my good friends loose-leaf tea and hot chocolate (Hubby doesn't understand the purpose of marshmallows.  We are so different).  You know many of our paintings were made by Hubby's grandfather, see more on that here, and we also have some of my mom's prints hanging about, plus my grandpa's sculptures and even a few of Hubby's mom's paintings.  We know we are super lucky to have such an artistic family and we hate to brag, but we recently received another gift from a family artist.  Hubby's aunt, click here for her website, sent us a set of one-of-a-kind mugs she made:

It has taken me awhile to photograph them because since we received the package in the mail, there has always been one in use.  I cleared out space immediately in the cupboard and they are now my officially our favorites.

Don't ask about the elephants.
Least practical teapot ever.  Hoping to phase them out.

And yes, that's a knit mouse.

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Bla Bla Dolls

This post is not really home-related, but this doll did spend some time in our house so it counts.  It is too cute not to share.  Although we don't celebrate Christmas, the wee-ones in our family do so we cave and buy gifts for them.  This year I bought a bla bla doll for my cousin.  These dolls are adorable and so delightfully soft.  Apparently kids grow really attached to them and carry them around.  I know I had a hard time saying good-bye.  But I squished it into a cookie tin and mailed it off (it was super light and thus less expensive to mail).   

Photo source

The little recipient liked her bla bla doll!

P.S. How insanely fast do kids grow up?  This was us in the summer at our grandparents' place . . . she was so toddler-like and now she's a bona fide little girl. 

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