You all know me as Fabgrandma, but in real life my name is Karen. My husband, whom I always refer to as Fabgrandpa, is Jim. We have been married for twenty years (in July of this year), and in that twenty years, we have had many different mattresses.
Back in August of 2000, Jim and I sold all our “stuff”, then put our house up for sale. It took only ten days from the time the sign went in the yard until I was sitting at the closing table. For the last 8 years before we sold the house, we slept on a waterbed. It was ok to sleep on, but made it hard to get into and out of bed. And if the electricity went off in the winter, it was c-c-c-cold.
A few days after selling the house, we moved into our first RV trailer. I loved the construction and look of it, but let’s face facts–we paid just over $18,000 to buy a brand new 32′ travel trailer. The mattress in it was, for the sake of keeping it clean here, a piece of junk. We slept on it for about six months before we literally threw it out in the yard and bought an air mattress. A couple of months after that, we woke up in the middle of the night with a flat.
That flat mattress started a chain reaction of buying a new air mattress every few months. I liked that the air mattress was convenient , very inexpensive at only $40, and it was a standard queen size. It was like camping. Wait! We WERE camping, but it wasn’t supposed to be like that! We decided after a year or so of sleeping on air that we really needed to buy a new mattress. We did, and it was somewhat comfortable so we decided in 2006 when we bought a new trailer that we would move that old mattress in and get rid of the standard piece of junk RV mattress as soon as we moved in the new one.
Uh, OH! We forgot to measure the platform in the new trailer, and guess what? It wouldn’t fit! The mattress in the new RV was somewhere between a queen size and a king size. That old mattress wouldn’t fit on the platform, because it was also about 4 inches too short to accommodate any standard size of mattress. We were stuck! We left our old mattress in the old trailer, and slept on the new piece of junk for about four years.
Two years ago, when we could tolerate that RV mattress no longer, we went to a mattress store and ordered a special made mattress that would fit our wonky size space. We had it made to the same size as the original equipment. Queen size sheets are too small, and king size sheets are too large. I can never make the bed and have the sheets fit.
That special order mattress is already sagging in the middle. I wonder every night how in the heck it can sag when it is perched on a platform. I have enough trouble trying to sleep since my surgery in May, and can only sleep on my back or on my right side. When I turn on my side, I roll down the slope of the bed, and only hope that my husband doesn’t get up in the night and let me roll on out of bed into the floor on the opposite side of the bed!
Last winter, we finally bought another house. We will be moving into that house in November when we leave our seasonal job at the Grand Canyon and go home to Georgia. The very first thing we will need to buy for the new house is a mattress and bed.
I have been reading reviews of the iComfort Serta Mattresses from Sears. I would love to have one of these in queen size.
I love how you can get one that adjusts to different positions, so that you can sit up easily in bed to read, watch TV, or use a laptop.
I would love to have a mattress that would allow me to use queen size sheets and have them actually fit! I love that the iComfort mattress offers more targeted support than other memory foam mattresses, something that my husband and I both really need. I need support in my lower back–he needs it in his hips, upper back and neck. I love that it has Cool Action Gel to help keep the mattress cool all night long, something that will come in quite handy during summers in west Georgia. I also love that it is antimicrobial and dust mite resistant, something that is very important for Jim because he has COPD, and every thing that we can do to prevent respiratory problems is a plus. I can not wait to get out of this remote area and be able to lay down on one in the store! I wonder if I can make myself leave the store if I do?
I have been shopping at Sears since I was a little girl. My mother used to take all five of us kids shopping at Sears for school clothes every year. I still remember the time my little brother got his hand caught in the elevator door, and had to have a security guard help him get it unstuck. (We, of course, where a bunch of misbehaving brats. I don’t think my mother ever found out about that.) And, every year when that Sears Christmas catalog arrived in the mail, my brothers and I fought over who was going to get to look at it every day! By the time Santa arrived, that book was dog eared! Now, as an adult, I know I can get everything I need, from sheets to lamps to bedroom furniture, at Sears. As we get closer to the time when we will be getting back home and starting to furnish our little house, the more I am thinking about being able to shop at Sears for the things I need.
Sears iComfort Labor Day Promotion Offer, Valid 8/20-9/8 Only:
- Free Box Spring or up to $400 off Adjustable Base with purchase of iComfort or iSeries mattress.
- Free Delivery with a $499 or more purchase.
- Free Haul Away of your old mattress.
- 36 month Financing with a $1,300 or more purchase.
- 2 Free iComfort scrunch memory foam pillows with mail-in rebate.
- Blogger Exclusive Coupon Code: BLOGMATTRESS (2x ShopYourWay Rewards Points), online only. (Valid 8/31-9/7 Only)
- You can shop online for the Serta iComfort Mattresses from Sears.
Omgoodness! I hope you win!!! and congrats on your new house!!
Thanks Jen. We bought that house in December and need some furniture for it.
What a nightmare! You definitely deserve a good mattress.
yes, it has been a long time since we had a good mattress to sleep on.
There is nothing better than having a great night sleep, but to do that you need a great mattress. This iComfort one from sears looks great!
I sure do hope I can find out first hand about how comfortable that iComfort mattress is
You definitely need a good mattress. They make all the difference.
Thanks, Nolie. I think so too.
that big ole’ empty space sure does need bed…with a nice mattress! i look forward to reading about your adventures in furnishing your new home.
I know. My bedroom looks soooo lonely. I want to give it quality company.
I hope you win Karen!
Thank you Henrietta! I sure do hope I win too!
Hun,I sure hope you win a bed.I hear the Icomfort is wonderful for all our aches and pain that come with our age.LOL.I wish for you nothing but my best wishes.Go on,win that bed!!!!
Oh, my aching back! I really do need a good mattress!
I hope you get that mattress you really deserve and need it!
awww, thank you Debbie!
Best of luck to you… It really sounds like you need that mattress!
I don’t know how you can stand all these years without a decent mattress!! We have done a lot of talking about whether to get an expensive air bed for an RV or not. We got one of those Select sleep beds some years ago, but hubby did not like it after awhile. So daughter still has that one. I think we could manage ok with one again, as I think they have improved some things about it now. And the one we had did not bother me any.
Getting to travel around the country and see so many places I have always wanted to see was a great tradeoff, but now that we are going to be living in a house again, I really want a good, comfortable bed.
Karen,
I cannot think of one single item more important than having a good bed. I also have a GREAT recliner…made for a short person, so fits me to a T. Made here in the USA in VA I think…by the BEST company. The one GOOD thing I got from the pennies from the insurance company of the Mack truck that hit me back in 2008. I CAN always sleep there if no place else!! So I guess a GOOD recliner would be #2…as we age, our weary bones need better places to rest I think!!!
I hope you win!!! That poor new bedroom DEF needs some love!!!
Rebecca, I know! That bedroom has so much potential but right now, so sad looking.
I hope you win. A good nights sleep makes all the difference.
Good luck!
It’s amazing the difference a good mattress can make! And congrats on the new house, too!
Hope you win!
I hope you win too my Seester, BUT I MUST say something here…..while MOST of you were misbehaving BRATS…I was always, AND still am…the good child 🙂
I think you were still a baby and had to stay with Mama when we were running around all over the place.
We had one of those foam pieces of ….junk in our first motorhome. I could barely get out of bed. A poor mattress makes life miserable. This one sounds like just the thing for you and Jim. Good luck!
Jaimie
Jaimie, yes, it does sound like just what we need. Thanks for stopping by!
Everyone needs a good mattress! But you especially do after your surgery. Not to mention I have heard from Sarah what a wonderful woman you are. Good people deserve good things! Good luck!
Thank you for letting me know my daughter in law speaks well of me. Not everyone is so lucky.
I hope you win the mattress. You deserve a great one!
You definitely need this mattress! Especially since all you went through with your surgery. I pray you win!
That looks like an awesome mattress!
It does look awesome. And you can sleep in that bed for naps when you come to visit me if I win it.
Good luck!!! Crossing my fingers and toes you WIN!!
Oh man, I really hope you get that mattress- and soon! You need to be taking care of yourself after your surgery & all that yuckiness that went with it. &It’s so funny because I was nodding my head at your waterbed assessment- hard to get in & out of and SO COLD {I had one in high school} and the air mattress- I slept on one of those for a few months & mine popped a couple of times.
I’m glad to know I am not the only one who slept on an air mattress for an extended period of time. I was soooo glad to get rid of it.
I sure hope you win too! That adjustable iComfort Serta does look comfortable. If i had one I’d be temped to move the TV from the living room into the bedroom.
You know, I have been thinking that if I win I might just put it in the living room.
I hope I hope you win! YOU deserve it …. such a cute way to try to win. I know another blogger was entering and I Just wish you all could win one! Wouldn’t that be the bestest ever?? Great post for your entry!
Okay yes, you definitely need a better mattress. Point one for Karen!
Lee, sleeping on that mattress we have is like rolling down a hill. It is so hard for me to get out of bed because of the slope!
Wow, I might have mattress envy WHEN you win it! It looks awesome. Good Luck!!
Emily, thank you for being so positive. I am trying to think of WHEN and not IF too.
When do we get notification of your win??? Oh lucky one!!!
The contest is closed on Sept 9, and then the judges will decide on a winner. I don’t know when the winner will be announced.
That looks like just the sort of bed I could actually be comfortable on – I really hope you win that mattress! Be sure to come back and give a review when you do!
Jennie, if I win, I will be delighted to write a review!
You get my vote for a new bed. 🙂
Thank you Alison! I knew I could count on you!
Good luck!! I hope you win! (When that happens, get a KING!) Congrats on the new house!
Sara, I don’t like king beds–they are just too big. And our bedroom in our house is not big enough for a king. I don;t want the room to be crowded.
If anyone deserves a new bed, it’s you!! Good luck Karen!
Annie and I had a king size pillow top mattress we bought at Sears almost 20 years ago. we finally decided we’d gotten our money’s worth out of that mattress and maybe we should think about changing mattresses. I loved our old mattress, but when it comes to such discussions, Annie usually wins. So. We bought a king size Sleep Number Bed.
I’ll never willingly go back to a “regular” mattress again.
Our model has separate settings for left and right sides of the bed. I like to sleep “firmer” than she does – my number is 65 – hers is around 45 – and we both sleep like babies.
Good luck getting the new mattress! I had to sleep on the floor (on foam cushions) for the first few weeks at our new place because I left behind the bed at the last place (it belonged to the landlady). Now I’ve got a bed, and it’s not great but it’s way beyond the 4 inches of foam on the floor.
Karen, you have my support. That video was fantastic! I am so pulling for you to win! You deserve a bed that doesn’t need sheets in a “stupid size.”
hahaha, Andrew, yes. I have been dealing with that no sheet fitting thing for far too long.
Good Luck Karen, I hope you win! Everyone deserves to sleep on a good mattress!
Oh girl! I hope you win this! you have been through it all! GOOD LUCK!!!
Good luck. A Fabgrandma like you deserves a beautiful night’s sleep. And that iComfort Serta looks awesome.
You deserve a great nights sleep! I just bought a new memory foam mattress and it makes all the difference in the world! Good luck!
If you are looking to buy a new mattress we bought one off of amazon for about $400 (queen) and was shipped free to our door. We’ve slept on it for several months and I wouldn’t buy anything else ever again! Good luck!!
We bought this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Innovations-12-inch-Memory-Mattress/dp/B003CT37L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346167175&sr=8-1&keywords=mattress
and we built our own platform bed frame.
I hope that you win! We just bought the Serta iComfort Revolution in King size Plush at the end of June. We had an old queen mattress and we researched that one. We both love it and have never slept better in our lives!
Judi, I am so jealous that you already have a Serta iComfort mattress. I want one!
I hope this doesn’t mean you won’t be coming back to GRCA next summer. Good luck and hope you win!!
Having a house does not mean that we won’t be traveling. It just means that the price of houses in Georgia was ridiculously low and we couldn’t pass up the deal.
I love the video. So cute.
I hope you win!
I agree with you, I’ve slept on the standard mattress in a mobile home and they aren’t that comfortable. I’ve also slept on an air mattress and can relate to the “flat”. I don’t know if I prefer a firm or soft mattress but I do know what I don’t like.
I agree..you absolutely need a new mattress. I need to talk to alan and see if I can convince him to give this one a try. we are desperate for a new mattress.
Man you all deserve a metal for going through all that! You need that mattress! I bet traveling around was nice but sleeping on a better mattress would have helped!
Cute video!!
Good luck with the contest!
Well after all of that, you and your husband deserve a good night’s rest!
This looks like a fantastic bed, and a good mattress is so important. I hope you get it!
I think you definitely deserve to have a good night’s rest at the end of the day. So hope you win this. Can’t think of a more deserving person! 🙂
I loved your blog post. How creative! I hope your dream of getting a icomfort Mattress comes true!!! Good Luck!
This mattress sounds great! I also have back problems. My husband and I sleep on a very expensive mattress-bought with the intention that it would last for years and be worth the investment. However, lately, we have both been waking with back problems. Sounds like we may have to give this one a try!
Thanks for sharing the info, and good luck.
I hear you! I need a new one too and that one sounds amazing!
Kas
What a great post. We need a new mattress too so I am in the market !! Besides that I love Sears 🙂
I LOVE THAT QUILT one your bed 🙂
Jeanine
Every fab grandma deserves a fab mattress! I hope you win!
The mattress my husband picked out about 8 years ago was so expensive, I thought we would have it for the rest of our lives. I didn’t even know that mattresses could cost so much, since during my single days, I just opted for what was the cheapest, lol! Maybe I was just wasn’t paying attention, but I don’t remember my grandparents ever replacing their mattresses, or my parents for that matter. Well here it is, 8 years later and we need a new mattress. We flipped it, switched sides, and I think there is dip in it that is causing my back to be bothered.
I hope you get a new mattress, and I would love to hear all about. We are definitely in the market to purchase one soon!
I love you, Karen! Hope you win 🙂 🙂
Karen you definitely need to win that mattress!!! Thanks for the memories of sharing in the Sears Christmas catalog 🙂 Do they even still print it!!
Love you and do hope you sleep well!!!
You deserve a new mattress after the health crisis you have endured. Best of Luck on the contest.
I can’t wait to test the new bed out!
Good luck! A mattress is next on my list, too. The one I currently sleep on is very pokey.
I know what it’s like to wake up in the morning with your back hurting, going back to sleep because you hope that your back will stop hurting, then waking up later only to discover that your back is STILL hurting. And this is on a mattress that’s only 1 1/2 years old. I hope you win the mattress! You and Jim certainly deserve one after the trying year that you’ve had.