Although I have some backtracking to do with how I arrived at where I am today in regards to eating organically and being motivated in researching how to live as healthily as possible, I want to share one of the companies I've been working with to help transition my home to being healthy.

Lifekind is a natural, organic mattress company based out of Grass Valley, CA that is committed to providing organic, natural, and thereby completely non-toxic mattresses, bedding, and other natural living products. I came across Lifekind during my mattress search for Brady. He is 4 1/2 and in the 90th percentile for his height which, still being in a toddler bed sleeping on a baby mattress, translates into feet hanging off the edge while sleeping :) We knew it was time to graduate up to a "big boy bed" and so began my mattress research. Upon researching mattresses I was SHOCKED to learn how many toxic chemicals are used to make the synthetic portions of a mattress as well as making a mattress fire retardant. Toluene, Boric Acid, melamine (which contains formaldehyde), are just a few chemicals used to make mattresses. If you're interest is piqued, read this fascinating article I found while researching before I wrote this post highlights some of the potential risks of having a conventional mattress. Needless to say, I wanted the healthiest option for my 4 year old, knowing his body is growing so quickly which means a high rate of cell growth and division. With putting healthy organic foods into our body being a priority for my family, wouldn't having a safe and healthy place to sleep be a no brainer? For me it was, but making the choice as to where to buy a mattress was difficult. I came across several well rated organic mattress manufacturers while doing my research. Ultimately, I chose Lifekind because their showroom was within driving distance and testing out the various mattresses and levels of softness/firmness was important to me. As it is, we have had to trade in Brady's mattress twice due to firmness issues, but that's where this story gets good! Now, you may balk at the fact that we have had to trade in a new mattress twice, but with 100% natural latex there is natural variation that occurs whereas with synthetic (chemical, artifical based) mattress there is little variation. Personally I would rather have to go through a couple of mattresses to get a perfect fit that is also completely non-toxic. And Lifekind has been wonderful through the whole process. Their customer service is amazing. Sylvia, our sales person and who we've dealt with during the whole process, is wonderful, kind, professional, and beyond helpful. We ordered a medium-firm mattress for Brady and our first mattress arrived a bit too soft. So we called up Sylvia who apologized and immediately put in an order for a medium-firm mattress , personally calling the facility that puts the mattresses together and having them select a medium-firm latex core that was on the firm side of medium-firm. Well, the new one was definitely firm. Too firm. Great for firm mattress sleepers, but definitely not a "medium-firm". So I reluctantly called her back, worrying about causing problems and worrying about her thinking I was one of those crazy, unable to be pleased kind of people (I'm really not!) But she was wonderful. She spent a good part of the day I called, talking with the founder of the company and the head manager at the mattress building factory working on a solution for us. SO, they are building a 3rd custom mattress for us, and all of this has been at no extra charge to us.
So while I write this and Brady is still waiting for his "perfectly medium-firm" mattress to snuggle into each night, I know that this company will ensure that he is sleeping on the perfect mattress. And that kind of customer service is what will bring me back to Lifekind when Andy and I buy our healthy mattress and when we buy Londen's "big boy bed" as well.
To read more about Lifekind's mattresses and about organic mattresses in general, click here