You don't have to know me well to know I'm a sucker for used furniture whether it be flea market finds, Craigslist scores or even curbside treasures.  But no matter how tempting a piece or how low the price, there is one looming risk that is always at the back of my mind: the dreaded bed bug. Case in point this perfect pink tufted chair that I knew my daughter would love in her room and was being sold for a steal!



Bed bugs are a scourge for anyone but especially for lovers of used furniture!   So I'm quite careful in what I bring home, following a simple but strict system for how to keep those little nasties out of our house.  While nothing is foolproof, I'd like to think my system works pretty well.  Perhaps it can help you as well. I've been asked about how I deal with this quite a few times so it seemed like a great time to share.
 

First things first - you must INSPECT.  And I don't mean a cursory glance.  Bring a flashlight and a magnifying glass if necessary.  These bugs are great hiders but there are some tell-tale signs you can spot if you look carefully in seams including pinprick stains the bugs leave behind, molted skins or even the bugs themselves.  Consider the risk of the item itself - something like a mattress or any soft item in a bedroom is going to be more likely to be an issue then say a kitchen stool or a hallway table. Consider the source of the find. I always prefer to talk to the previous owner if possible to get a sense of why the item is being discarded. While bed bugs don't discriminate, I always tend to feel better to find out the backstory.

Once you've given it a throughout once over and feel pretty confident the item is pest free, it's time to get it home.  The next step is ISOLATION.  If you can, place the item in your garage, basement or even your bathtub for a few days and inspect again just to be sure. Since I don't have a completely isolated space, I create my own by wrapping the item in plastic and letting it sit for as long as practical.
 

With that step behind you, I like to do one final step in making sure I haven't missed anything and that's TREATMENT. I use a large plastic drop cloth and Hot Shot® Bedbug & Flea Killer Aerosol. This product is water based so less likely to stain, affordable and kills both live bugs and eggs before they hatch.  I lay out the drop cloth, use the product as instructed. Always read the label before use!


Once it's gone through my system, I breathe a sigh of relief and feel so much more comfortable using the item in my home.


Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Hot Shot® Brand but all opinions expressed are my own. 

Saving Memories with Legacybox

Call this digital nesting or just plain being smart.  Some of my most prized possessions - old photographs - are finally off the shelf and safely backed up.  After years of wanting to get this task accomplished, I can finally cross it off my list! I had been researching the various companies for years but Legacybox seemed to be at the forefront both for ease of use and great reviews. The process could not be easier.  Legacybox sends you a kit which is essentially a box you can load your various outdated formats into  - VHS, Super8film, slides, photos, whatever. You return the box and LegacyBox turns those bits of ephemera into digital form and send the whole thing back to you in a few weeks.  The only hard part is going through all those old photos without spending a week reminiscing and calling up old friends to laugh about the good ol' days.
I had expected the task of culling down to just 250 photos was going to be difficult but I was wrong. Back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth (pre-digital cameras), there were a lot more bad photos thanks to not having that handy preview feature so even in the many rolls I had taken over the years, it was easy to find the ones worth treasuring.  Most importantly we are able to preserve in time some beautiful old photos that were well on their way to being damaged by sitting in shoeboxes! Like some of these beautiful black and white portraits that were practically falling apart...
Or just some generally adorable images of me being cute. Excuse my sap but having some of these treasured photographs secured in a way that not only I can appreciate but my kids will be able to share gives me the warm and fuzzies. It also makes me feel like I really accomplished something with very little effort on my part. Double score!

Want to preserve your own digital memories?  The first 25 readers will get a 40% off coupon with the code "LIMESTONE".  Click here to grab the deal. 

disclosure: This post was sponsored by Legacybox but all opinions expressed are my own. 

New Mattress, Better Sleep {Sponsored Post}

I may have mentioned that the amount of time I'm spending in my bed has increased a lot during this pregnancy and my current mattress just wasn't cutting it.

While ol' lumpy and I were no longer getting along so well, I dreaded the whole process of buying a mattress at the store. Too many options and a somewhat less than open sales pitch really puts me off.  So when the lovely people at Leesa, a new online mattress company, asked me if I wanted to give their product a try, I jumped at the chance.



The Leesa mattress arrived on my doorstep in an unassuming box.  I was a little suspect of how a truly plush, comfy mattress could fit in there but I held off judgement.  Out it came and we laid it on our bed and cut open the plastic.   The sound of air rushing into that mattress was a hoot and within minutes, the mattress had plumped up to its full 10 inch size.  We were impressed.

The mattress is made up 3 different kinds of foam - dense core support, memory foam and a cooling top layer designed to keep you cool. It's all wrapped up in a seamless, pretty cover.  It's also super tempting for toddler jump parties!


But who cares all about that?  The proof is in the sleeping!  We only had had spring mattresses before and I was prepared for a small adjustment period to get used to the foam. Much to my shock, it took no time at all to adjust.  We've been sleeping like logs on it for a few weeks and I've really appreciated not waking up with a back ache each morning.  I've also noticed that because of the foam, we are less prone to wake each other up throughout the night so that's another big win.  So far, I love it and I'm so glad I made the switch!


As if that wasn't enough Leesa is doing good in the world by donating 1 new mattress for every 10 they sell so we can all sleep a little easier. Want to join me for a snooze?  The first 50 readers to redeem the promo code "BROOKLYN" will get $75 off your order!


disclosure: this post was sponsored by Leesa but all opinions expressed are my own.