It all happens very quickly, or at least that how it seems. One morning you wake up feeling rested and refreshed, and the next you awake with an aching back, low energy, purple circles under your eyes and the sneaking suspicion that you actually hadn’t slept at all. If you are at all like me, you quickly run down the list of “could bes”. Was it the awesome workout from the day before? Not likely. Lifting the spoon from the ice cream carton to my lips isn’t what I consider a  heavy workout. Maybe it was the yard work I did a couple of days back. It’s the middle of winter so that’s not likely. I am in my 30’s, maybe the old bod is starting the inevitable breakdown into random aches and pains. Okay, I’m not even entertaining that thought yet. Maybe when I’m 40. Then it hits me, could it be my mattress? At first thought, I really like this idea since it means my aches and pains have nothing to do with me doing or not doing anything, it’s all the fault of my mattress. How old is that thing anyway? Huh, can’t remember. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I flipped the mattress either. What a pain that is. Flipping a king sized mattress inside of a room that barely fits the frame is downright comical (unless you are the one doing the flipping in which case it’s an exercise in patience, flexibility and brute strength).

Perfect, so now the hunt begins for a new bed. Fun! Visions of a quilted mattress topped with crisp, soft, white sheets and fluffy pillows fill my head. Hmmmm… I will probably need some new pajamas to go along with that fantasy. My Garfield jammies aren’t quite making the cut. As with all purchases, I begin my search online. “Best Mattress Ever at the Best Price Ever”. There, that should do it. Oh no, more than one hit. What’s more, I run across several sites that are selling Organic and Natural Mattresses. Huh? I’m pretty hip and in the know. We buy organic food and visit Farmer's’ Markets. Organic Mattresses though, I’ve not ever considered. I will save you from the rabbit hole of terrifying information that I filtered through and leave you with this one article from one of my favorite sites. This is a no-nonsense, no fear mongering article that lays out in a clear way what we know and what we don’t regarding mattress chemicals: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/03/should-you-ditch-your-chemical-mattress

In the end, we did decide to buy an organic mattress. At the time, there weren’t as many options as there are today, but we have never regretted the investment we made. Yes, the cost was high; 1.5 times that of a traditional set, but it was worth it.

Fast forward six years and we are on the hunt again, not for us but for our kiddos. Since we bought our mattress, there are many more companies that have come to the scene. As I haven’t researched any of them in great detail, I can’t recommend or comment on any. One thing I have noticed are videos and blogs that share information on how to make your own mattress. Very cool. I am all about doing things yourself and being self reliant. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have the skills to do it. I am sad to admit that I never learned how to use a sewing machine. Buttons and hand sewn hems I can do. Zippers and ticking are out of my reach. Fortunately I am surrounded by extremely crafty women, one of whom founded her own DIY Natural Bedding company. It’s pure genius. There are two showrooms where customers can see the materials, you order online, and everything comes directly to your home where you put the pieces together. You can opt to do some of the sewing yourself and save some cash, or you can get it all sewn and ready to go. For our kiddos we are opting for expandable ticking which will allow us to increase the amount of latex and wool as they increase in weight.

If you are due to replace your own mattress, or are looking to price out the options, check out DIY Natural Bedding company. It's one of the cleanest, most flexible, and affordable options out there.