The cable knit has a classic look, which is a large part of the appeal. It seems like a garment that's been around a long time. Cable knits have been worn for centuries, right? Wrong. The cable knit is actually only about 100 years old. The origins can be traced back to a tiny group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Aran Islands are a speck on the map to most people: three small islands off the west coast of Ireland. The islands are dotted with cliffs near the shore as well as expanses of limestone jutting from the ground. A freak of geography allows the islands to have an extremely unusual temperate climate for such a northern location. As a result, the Arans enjoy one of the longest growing seasons anywhere in northern Europe.
The first folks to live on the Arans were exiles from mainland Ireland, fleeing wars and the like. They eventually gravitated toward fishing, the seas filled with tasty catches. That's one of the reasons the cable knit sweater was born in the Aran Islands.
In the 1890s, mainlanders introduced a top called a "guernsey jumper", which was used by fishermen to stay warm on the water. According to wikipedia, "these guernsey jumpers have similar stitch patterns, though usually only on the yoke, and are worked in fine wool not available to the Aran Islanders." The locals soon started using "thicker local wool, all-over patterning, and different construction such as saddle-shoulders, rather than the more usual gusseted drop sleeve."
The "Aran jumper" became popular with the locals on the Aran islands, available in cardigan styles and pullovers. The stitching increased in complexity with more stitching patterns, some of them thicker, or "cabled." No one was yet calling them cable knits, however, that would take another few decades.
How do you become a world famous knitter?
One stitch at a time, people. One stitch at a time.
The most famous knitter in history was Elizabeth Zimmermann, a British-born woman who emigrated to the United States in the 1930s and went on to host her own knitting show on PBS in the 1950s. Zimmermann advocated many new knitting styles and impacted trends in the industry for decades.
By the 1930s, the "Aran jumper" had migrated to the mainland of Ireland and in the 1940s, World War II
In 1958, influenced by the Aran cable process, Zimmermann knitted the first Aran (cable knit) sweater ever featured in a U.S. magazine. The sweater appeared in Vogue, and a pattern was included. Shortly after, American women were copying the pattern and Aran-inspired cable knit items were appearing on this side of the ocean. It quickly became popular with people from all economic groups, not just the rich, which had been the case in Europe.
When Vogue published their cable knit article in a '58 issue of their magazine it sparked an interest in the garment in America. Fairly quickly, the cable knit sweater started to make an appearance in the U.S. as a popular cool-weather option. It also became a fashion statement.
Close your eyes. Think of a cable knit sweater. Now think of a famous person wearing a cable knit. Do any come to mind? There are probably a few.
Maybe the most iconic cable knit from a motion picture comes from The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey. In the final scene, a culmination of Truman's search for independence, he wears a dark cable knit sweater as he sails a small boat to get out of his "world."
Others known for wearing a cable knit sweater are actors Grace Kelly and Robert Taylor, both fashion icons.
]]>What size bean bag chair do you need? How many people are going to be sitting on it? Where will you use it? Answer these questions first.
If you're replacing a couch, consider choosing a bean bag lounger. A lounger is shaped more like a couch, longer as opposed to round like a typical bean bag chair. A lounger will typically seat two or three or more depending on the size.
If you're seeking a bean bag to take the place of a recliner or to provide single seating, get a round bean bag. A 4-foot is a good place to start. If you want more room, go to a 5-foot chair. A 6-foot is good for two people to have some room.
Keep in mind that the bigger you go the more space you'll need but also the chair or lounger will be more cumbersome to move.
Most bean bag chairs are round or a traditional tear-drop shape. Those chairs are designed to wrap nicely around one person, sort of swallowing them up with a big hug. But premium bean bag manufacturers offer loungers as well.
A bean bag lounger is longer, shaped more like a jolly rancher (without the stickiness). A lounger is more like a couch, providing seating for multiple people, while also offering a place for one person to stretch out. One person can lay down on a lounger and have their entire body suspended by the bean bag, like stretching out on a couch.
Which shape do you need depends on how you want to use the bean bag. Many of our church and school customers choose loungers because they want to offer seating for many young people.
Bean bags can be filled with nearly anything. Originally bean bags were stuffed with synthetic polyvinyl chloride beads, or PVC. Those things eventually became known as "beans" and the name was born. But beans don't really amount to a hill of beans.
Chairs filled with beans are cheaper and will not last as long. The chairs you probably see in department stores and on shelves, that cost $89, those are stuffed with the synthetic beans. They won't last long, which is why they cost so little --- they're basically throwaway items. But premium chairs are much better made.
The best bean bag chairs aren't actually bean bag chairs at all. That's because they're filled with foam. The better the foam, the better the chair.
Foam is softer and more durable than beans. Furniture-grade foam is the same foam that's used in the arms and cushions of your sofa and recliner. Furniture-grade foam will not flatten like beans. It will take years and years before furniture-grade foam flattens at all. If you want a chair that lasts, walk past the beans and choose a chair with foam.
The first bean bag chairs were leather. While leather is durable and classy, it's not what you want to lounge on for hours. Most quality bean bags have an outer shell made with quality fabrics like twill and microsuede. The covers are manufactured with care so the zippers and seams are durable.
You can also find specialty fabrics, such as polar bear fleece, cableknit, and other soft fleece or shag options.
Make sure you get a bean bag that has an inner liner. The inner liner secures the foam, while the cover slips over the top of the inner liner. That ensures that your foam (or other filling) stays secure and does not spill when you want to remove the cover.
Premium bean bag companies will make their product with a removable washable cover.
Lastly, investigate the manufacturer before purchase. is the retailer the manufacturer? Do they offer a warranty and how long is it? What does the warranty cover? How long has the company been making bean bags? Are they committed to making quality products or are they simply making cheap bean bags for mass consumption? What would you rather have, a cheap bean bag that will break down, leak beans, and have a torn zipper, or a premium bag that lasts years and is hand-stitched and filled with high-grade foam?
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Xorbee sells premium bean bag chairs filled with hand-sorted furniture-grade foam. Our covers are removable, washable, and hand-stitched in the USA. We offer a lifetime warranty and we've been making bean bags for more than 20 years. We believe in providing only quality products to our customers. Many of our customers have been with us for years. Browse our bean bag collection.
]]>A newspaper subsequently published a cartoon depicting the incident. Spurred by the cartoon, which showed Roosevelt turning his back (and his gun) away from a cute little bear cub, an enterprising entrepreneur made a fuzzy toy and dubbed it "Teddy's Bear." That was 1902 and it was Christmas, and the entrepreneur, a man named Morris Michtom, eventually established a toy empire, largely built on what would be called the teddy bear.
A little bit of housekeeping: Roosevelt's hunting trip was a political maneuver to appease the Governor of Mississippi, who had been having a rough time after some unpopular decisions. The Governor, a dapper man with a bushy mustache named Andrew Longino, hoped that the beloved Roosevelt would shoot lots of animals in the woods of his state and garner press attention. Roosevelt shot lots of things. Secondly, Michtom was a Jewish-American immigrant who scraped together enough money to open a candy shop in Brooklyn in the late 19th century. A man of inspiration, when he saw the cartoon of Roosevelt (drawn by famed Washington cartoonist Clifford Berryman, the fella whose cartoon of the explosion of the USS Maine helped start the Spanish-American War), he got his wife Rosie to stitch together the little stuffed bears he designed in the backroom of his candy shop. Lastly, President Roosevelt had many nicknames: some people called him TR, his close family called him "Teedie", his children called him "Papa", but he hated the nickname "Teddy".
As often happens with these things, a second inventor created a "teddy bear" at the same time as Michtom. His name was Richard Steiff, a wildlife artist living in Germany. Steiff was one of those young men who found himself daydreaming a lot while he tried to figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up. As an art student in Stuggart, he often spent the time he should have been studying at the zoo, where he liked to sketch the bears he saw there. When he saw the Berryman cartoon he was prompted to design a prototype for a stuffed bear with moveable limbs. In 1904 he sold 12,000 of his Teddy Bears at the World's Fair in St. Louis, which was opened by Roosevelt and attracted nearly 20 million people in seven months.
Two other milestones helped increase the popularity of the Teddy Bear. In 1905, Seymour Eaton launched a book series titled "The Roosevelt Bears", which sort of became the Harry Potter of its time; and in 1907, composer John Walter Bratton penned a song called "Teddy Bears' Picnic", which became a hit. Bratton reportedly hated the song (he wanted a mainstream hit and considered the tune to be for kids), but he didn't balk when checks started coming in.
In those first few years, Teddy Bears were made to look more like actual bears, with long snouts and small eyes. Many were made to look like black and brown bears, grizzly bears and panda bears, and even polar bears. Later, through the popularity of Steiff's design, the bears had larger eyes and small noses and were formed to be huggable. The fur evolved into the light, fuzzy brown that we know today.
In 1926, British author A.A. Milne wrote "Winnie-the-Pooh", which was followed quickly by "The House at Pooh Corner" and two other collections of stories about a boy and his teddy bear who comes to life. Once Disney purchased the rights to the series they produced ten films starring Pooh starting in 1966.
In both World War I and World War II, soldiers were known to bring teddy bears into the battle zone with them, either for comfort, as a reminder of home, or as a mascot. In the popular television show M*A*S*H*, Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly slept with a teddy bear during his time in the Korean War.
By the 1950s, Teddy Bears were so popular that they'd become one of the ten best selling toys annually. A new word was coined: an "arctophile" is a person who loves teddy bears. In subsequent years several teddy bears entered pop culture, including Paddington Bear, Corduroy, Teddy Ruxpin, and The Care Bears. They became prominent in advertising (Snuggle bears), food (gummy bears) and even horror ("Dolls" in 1977 and the horrifying "Teddy" in 2011).
Today, the Teddy bear industry is worth more than $1 billion annually. Teddy bears are all over the place, and still delighting young people all around the globe.
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See our foam-filled bean bag chairs with a Teddy Bear fur covering.
]]>The bean bag chair too.
The first bean bag chair was invented fifty years ago by three Italians for a company called Sacco in 1968. A lot has changed since that first bean bag was mass produced. Today, most sensible people realize that it's much better to rest on a chair filled with foam. Beans aren't worth a hill of beans when it comes to seating.
Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro were commissioned by Sacco in 1968 to design a new type of chair that would appeal to a young demographic that desired new materials and counter-culture. They called it the "shapeless chair" and it was completely different. The chair was tear-drop in shape with a spot for sitting and a tall back support. The Sacco shapeless chair was filled with synthetic polyvinyl chloride beads, or PVC.
The leather shell paid homage to the great leather craftsmanship that Italy was known for, and the stitching on the Sacco shapeless chair was superb, which assisted in creating a consistent seating surface.
In the late 1960s, the hippie counter culture was in full swing. Hippies wanted to opt out of traditional society, seeking new experiences and new items for their lifestyle. The Sacco bean bag chair was popular with hippies in Italy: the young, apartment-sharing college students and dropouts who flopped themselves onto the new piece of furniture. It was also popular because it could easily be tossed in the back of a car or van.
The three Italian designers believed that their new chair would be popular because it created a symbiotic relationship with the user. When no one was sitting in a traditional chair it still held its form as a chair. It looked like a chair, it acted like a chair, and it was a chair once and always. But a bean bag wasn't truly formed into a chair until a person sat on it, when it worked in unison with their body to become a chair. It needed a person to become what it truly was.
After its popularity in Italy in the late 1960s, the bean bag chair was soon available as soft seating almost anywhere in the world. In the 1970s, bean bags were popular in Europe, Asia, and in North America, where they boomed on college campuses.
But the first commercially successful bean bag chairs were not like the original Sacco bag created in Italy. The popular bean bags of the 1970s were cheaper products with lower quality covers and beans that flattened rather quickly. They were inexpensive, and millions were sold.
The bean bag chairs of the 1970s matched the aesthetic of that era: bold, bright colors and lively prints.
In the 1980s many companies shifted their manufacturing to China and other foreign countries where material costs were very low and labor was cheap. The only thing manufacturers cared about was how cheaply and quickly they could make bean bags. Mass production of low-quality products was the craze.
During this period and into the 1990s, bean bags were stagnant. The sales of bean bag chairs flattened, just like the expanded polysterene (EPS) they were filled with.
It seemed as if bean bag chairs might go the way of lava lamps, pet rocks, moon boots, and other fads. But a big change was around the corner, and that resurgence was called...
Most "bean" bag chairs are filled with polysterene beans. Those little "pellets" are cheap to make and easy to blow into any shape. But they don't last long. Eventually, after being squashed and sat on many times, they will flatten. It's science.
But quality furniture doesn't flatten that easily because the "comfort" part of a comfortable arm chair or couch is made of foam. About 20 years ago, a few companies realized that a "bean" bag chair was much more comfy without the beans. Foam also lasted much longer. The future was filled with foam.
Once people realized that bean bag chairs could be very comfortable and last a long time, they wanted them made to high standards. Luckily, at the same time, there was a consumer-driven trend toward better quality, (often hand-crafted) products. In many ways consumers were forcing manufacturers to look backwards to find better ways to make things.
The high-quality foam-filled bean bag chair, like the one made by Xorbee, has furniture-grade, hand-sorted foam inside. It has an inner liner to secure the foam against spills and to allow the cover to be removed and washed. The covers are hand-stitched and expertly crafted so they stand up against wear and tear.
Bean bags of the 21st century offer many cover choices, such as twill, suede or microsuede, leather, and fur. These high-quality foam-filled chairs are more stylish, making consumers more likely to show them off. The modern bean bag chair has graduated from the kids room and the dorm room to the living room and home theater.
At the same time, foam-filled bean bag chairs with quality covers are more durable. That means the consumer has a choice between the cheaper $90 bag and the premium bags available from Xorbee and competitors.
]]>How does George Clooney still stay cool after a bad guy hits him in the head with the butt of a revolver? How is it possible that Tom Hanks can take a frying pan to the head and live to tell about it? It's movie magic and it only happens because the production team uses a foam prop.
Movie prop experts can craft almost anything out of foam, for example many guns used in films (that don't need to fire) are actually molded from foam. You can get frying pans, cement blocks, hammers, and even baseball bats that look like the real thing, but are actually harmless foam props.
Even more ghoulish: the severed hands and other body parts in "The Walking Dead" are made from foam.
Ok, so this isn't manufacturing foam. But technically, whipped cream is a foam in a scientific sense. Whipped cream, meringue, and mousse are all foams, because they are made by suspending air to form a gel or stabilizing agent. That means there's no air, but it's still yummy.
What should you do when a fire breaks out? Throw water on it, right? Not necessarily.
Sure, water puts out fires, but it doesn't do it the most efficient way. Water extinguishes the heat of a fire, halting it's growth and progress. But foam is a more scientific way to put out a fire: choking the fire by separating the oxygen from the heat. Foam fire extinguishers use a type of foam that looks a lot like shaving cream to blast into the fire and cut it off at its deadly oxygen source.
The Beach Boys sang "Everybody's gone surfin...surfin USA!"
You can go surfing on a foam board, in fact many of the best surfboards are made from foam cores molded with firm (but pliable) high-grade foam. It's then covered with fiberglass cloth and polyester resin so the owner can "hang ten."
How would you feel if you had a foam ticker?
In 2015, researchers at Cornell University created a heart made of foam. The organ could "beat" just like a regular human heart.
Somehow I think I would have been less hurt if Stacey Bowles had broken my foam heart in high school instead of the real flesh-and-blood thing.
There's been a lot of controversy about concussions in football lately and the topic is sure to continue to be important to the health of athletes and the future of the NFL.
According to Popular Science, a student at Brigham Young named Jake Merrell invented a "smart" football helmet that uses memory foam and sensors to transmit data wirelessly to a tablet with information on the force and acceleration of an impact on the field in real-time. Pretty slick, and helpful for keeping athletes safe.
We tend to think that "hard" things are tougher than soft things. Metal is a better material to protect us on the road than soft, spongy foam, right? Not exactly.
A mechanical engineering professor named Afsaneh Rabiei at the University of Tokyo has spent her career researching the properties of materials. She noticed that in nature the strongest materials are made up of soft, non-solid materials at the molecular level. In nature, "strong" is made from "flexible." Rabiei developed a "foam metal" and molded car bumpers out of the material. While cars have long had softer materials on their frame, in this case the bumper itself is made from foam. A car with a foam metal bumper will absorb the shock in an accident much better and help passengers stay safer.
Why would you want foam playing cards rather than paper or plastic? Because they hold up longer to the wear-and-tear of human hands. (Or maybe monkey hands if you play gin rummy at the zoo).
The game company Zazzle makes dozens of playing card sets produced from foam.
The industry still tends to call them "bean bag" chairs even if the best ones (Xorbee, hint hint) are not filled with beans. Instead of beans, which flatten over time and end up leaking onto your living room floor, foam-filled bean bags are packed with quality furniture-grade foam. Try sitting in one, and you'll realize the difference.
]]>This past April, Xorbee was delighted to once again be the seating partner for the conference. Our staff spent four days at Orange meeting people from across the country. They all had one thing in common: they were passionate about helping youth and enthusiastic about their youth fellowship. We had several wonderful conversations with youth leaders at Orange, and we also loved meeting other partners and vendors at the conference.
Here are ten things we learned at Orange Con 2017.
“You can make excuses, or you can make progress. You can’t make both.”
Those words came from Carey Nieuwhof, a pastor from Ontario, Canada, and a speaker at Orange Con '17.
What do we make of that quote? It inspires us at Xorbee to focus on doing things right and doing things better. It inspires us to refrain from making excuses. It made us think about the ways we're holding ourselves back by saying "we can't."
“You can make excuses, or you can make progress. You can’t make both.”
Wise words.
We saw lots of people wearing orange (and we mean LOTS OF PEOPLE). And you know what? They all looked marvelous. People say they like red. They claim to love blue. Some people go crazy for yellow. Prince loved purple. But orange takes a backseat to no color. It's the Most Handsome Hue of Them All. Orange M&M's are the best, and orange is the only color that works in a knock-knock joke ("Orange you glad I didn't say banana???") It's the only color that's also a fruit. Are you kidding me? Orange is the best, people.
A speaker that we always try to catch is Doug Fields, the Executive Director of HomeWord’s Center for Youth/Family at Azusa Pacific University.
Doug is always spot on with his thoughts on faith and leadership. He's a treat every time we see him at Orange Con or elsewhere in our travels.
The folks at Phoenix Roasters kept everyone functioning properly during the long hours of Orange Con '17. Most impressively, they did it with a big smile!
"We had the best time serving 15,000 cups of coffee over four days at Orange 2017," Britt Mooney of Phoenix Roasters told us. "Everyone at Phoenix Roasters commented on the amazing energy at the conference this year, and it wasn't just the caffeine. We met new friends and partners and reconnected with ones we've met from previous years. We were encouraged by all the conversations about ministry, and we thank everyone for allowing us to share the things God has been doing for the Kingdom through Phoenix Roasters and a great cup of coffee."
How many cups did we have? Don't ask, but we loved every drop from the good people at Phoenix Roasters.
Are we telling you something you didn't already know?
Did you see the tricycles in the registration area and at the entrance to the arena? You didn't get run over, did you?
The focus of Orange Con '17 was Kid Ministry. As a result, there were a lot people in attendance who are kids at heart. We quickly witnessed a lot of "big kids" having fun on three wheels at Orange Con. Many wheelies were popped.
That's @juicegeraghty (and her orange hair) riding a trike in the rain at Orance Con '17.
Ollie the Owl is a beloved character in youth education. The big-eyed owl was at Orange Con. We saw him peeking out of backpacks, resting in the arms of conference attendees, and we even saw him dancing to the DJ during the kickoff party. At least it looked like Ollie. Whoooo can tell?
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Why should I pay more for a foam-filled bean bag-style chair?
Folks who ask that question have usually seen the cheap bean bag chairs that range in price from $50 to $100. We're not naming any names, but you'll see a lot of those cheap bean bags in Walmart or Target. The price may draw your attention. But as Vanilla Ice would say, "Stop...collaborate and listen" before you purchase a cheap bag.
The chair shown above on the right is a cheap bag filled with polystyrene beads. The photo on the left is a Xorbee filled with furniture-grade foam, with a removable cover and an inner liner to keep the foam from making a mess.
Cheap bags are sown in China with cheap thread and cheap fabric. They're filled with polystyrene beads, which will flatten over time, and quicker than you think.
With cheap bags you get nothing extra: no warranty, no customer service, no quality workmanship on the furniture. What you get is disposable seating.
The cheap brands want you to buy one now and replace it in a year or less. They plan on you buying their product over and over.
The foam makes all the difference. Just like your couch cushions, furniture-grade foam used in Xorbees bounces right back. You want it to bounce back for several years, not compress and crunch like coffee beans.
The Xorbee loungers and chairs are bigger, better, and badder. They stand out and they stand up over time. Sit in them again and again, and you'll experience the same comfort. They have a wow factor.
You could pay $80 for a cheap bean bag, but you'll end up replacing it. If it tears, you won't be covered under a warranty. You'll simply have beans all over your floor. If you spill something on it, good luck getting the stain out because you won't be able to remove the cover.
When you buy a quality foam-filled chair like a Xorbee, you have several advantages:
Take a look at our Rounds and Loungers to see your options.
Are you searching for ways to invest in yourself?
If so, try reading. Reading is relaxing. You're reading this blog post, so that's a head start. Look at you go! Let's dive (like you would into a Xorbee) into a few of the books you should be reading in 2017.
by Elizabeth Gilbert
From the author of Eat, Pray, Love, this book encourages you to find the hidden talent you have inside of you, the talent that's in your soul. How do we know what that talent is? According to Gilbert, it's whatever we can't stop thinking about in our spare time, the healthy thing we're obsessed with doing.
by Gretchen Rubin
Here's a great book to start out the new year. The content is inspiring and real about habits. Apple iBooks says: “It’s exciting to find a self-help book that’s not only full of eye-opening insight but also provides practical tips to help you procrastinate and stress less, exercise and eat more healthfully, and spend time on activities that matter."
by Paula Hawkins
A New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, and now a major motion picture, you need to read the book before seeing the movie. Rachel (played by Emily Blunt in the film), lives every day the same. She navigates the same 9-5 commute every day and passes the same familiar places and people. But one day she witnesses something shocking. The ensuing story brings the police and dark secrets of a suburban couple into Rachel's life. What was once a simple, perhaps mundane life, is now complicated. This is a psychological thriller that will leave you turning pages as fast a train goes by. From the USA Today review: "Marries movie noir with novelistic trickery ... hang on tight ... You'll be surprised by what horrors lurk around the bend."
by Jason Matthews
Written by a former CIA insider this spy thriller is set in present day Russia. How's that for topical? Dominika Egorova is drafted against her will to be a trained seductress in the intelligence service. Nathaniel Nash is a CIA officer who handles the most sensitive espionage against the of Russians. The two young intelligence officers forbidden love affair threatens their careers and America's security. The Washington Post calls this a "sublime and sophisticated debut … a first-rate novel as noteworthy for its superior style as for its gripping depiction of a secretive world." The movie starring Jennifer Lawrence is set for release in November of 2017.
by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter fans rejoice! Readers will find books cherished by the great library at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. This timeless boxed set collection is the perfect addition to the Harry Potter series which has been treasured by fans for years.
This collection includes Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. the three volumes expand on the magical world created by Rowling and popularized in the Harry Potter series of books and films.
You can also feel good about yourself: part of the sales are donated to Rowling's charity Lumos; which helps children who are in institutions. For this tome, Rowling also collaborated with Comic Relief Charity to dedicate a portion of sales toward ending poverty. This giant collection is set to be released in March, but most retailers are allowing you to pre-order online.
by Chrissy Tiegan
Although it may be difficult to trust a cookbook author who happens to be a celebrity and model, this delightful book delivers with taste. Tiegan's cookbook lists sensible and achievable breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes including cheesy, saucy, and spicy favorites. Lets face it, life is about living and delicious food is a wonderful part of the journey. A few of my favorite recipes from Tiegan: Capon's Chrissy Burger, Chipotle Honey Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower, Orzo & Feta Salad, and Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe.
by Champ Thornton
A fun-filled children's book great for ages 8+ who wish to explore the Bible. This book will spark curiosity and also facts about the ancient roots of Christianity. You can start this book anywhere, it's perfect for short reads together. With this book as a resource, kids will learn to trust and stand by Jesus when the universe seems at odds. Young readers are introduced to ancient languages, jewelry making, and fun skills like learning to tell time by the sun. The Radical book for Kids will help create a path of wonder while always seeking God.
Xorbee blog is here to help you rest, recharge, relax and focus on enjoying life. From your health, faith, family, and lifestyle we wish you the best year yet.
]]>Usually around three in the afternoon, as the energy level runs low, I close the door to my office and have what I call a nippy nap.
I spend about fifteen minutes of quiet time plopped on my Xorbee Xplorer, our 4-foot model. I drift off almost immediately.
I know I'm not in Kindergarten any longer, but there's plenty of evidence that supports the idea of napping midday. It's a great way to recharge.
Taking a nap has has many benefits.
You're in good company if you like naps. Here are six famous people who saw a nap not as an indulgence, but as a necessity.
Don’t let anyone shame you out of the luxury—no necessity—of a short nap. If they try, simply explain to them that if it was good enough for President's Clinton and Kennedy, it's good enough for you.
Enjoy.
]]>Your Toddler/Kids
Our 4-Foot relaXer is a foam-filled delight, great for little ones to plop on to read, play, or chill. You might even get them to nap.
Your College Student
The MSU Xorbee is strong enough to be an option for your next tailgate party. It's soft and sturdy enough to support you through overtime games, and it's comfy enough to make all your college friends jealous.
Your Mother
The beauty of the Xorbee Xcursion Foam-Filled Chair is that it's simple, clean lines have a contemporary design that will match any décor yet provide soft, cushiony goodness. Add a tranquil piece of furniture that will undoubtedly provide you and your busy friend a place to relax for your next "coffee date."
Your "Trendy Friend"
It's hip to be square, right?
Xorbee has always been a little bit round...but now we offer a Square ottoman-style Pouf.
The pouf is perfect for feet or even to use as an end table. It's firm enough to support a tray or your favorite sandwich. Yummy.
]]>
It seems so.
After adding a Xorbee round to their home, his family noticed that Tyler Mieczkowski seemed more relaxed and calm. In April of 2016, Valerie Lego of WZZM-TV in Muskegon visited Xorbee headquarters to see how happy Tyler was in his favorite furniture.
Here's the video from that news report:
Read the full article from WZZM 13: "Pillow Chair Helps Calm Children with Autism"]]>Growing up, Momma had strictly forbid the pellet filled furniture in our household, though I was permitted a variety of "inflatable" chairs and couches. I never understood the reasoning behind giving a young adult furniture that could pop or leak at the slightest introduction of a sharp object, but I could hardly complain; as that was what I had. At least it seemed to foster an acute sense of property ownership and maintenance, as I quickly became skilled at adhering patches, and instituting creative repairs. (The first lesson being that BandAids do not stop air based leaks.)
Like waterbeds, bean bag chairs were the craze during my childhood, and still very popular among the gaming and casual furniture consumer today. Regardless of the filling, there is simply something comforting about falling into a material that molds to your every nook and cranny.
Like most iconic concepts, even the classic bean bag chair has come into the 21st century; though the Xorbee might be a little offended to be compared to such a primitive creature. Similar to so many of my favorite home lounging comforts (bedding, pillows, etc) the Xorbee foam furniture relies on a filling entirely comprised of memory foam. There's a reason FOAM is now universally used in so many high end and luxury products; it's not only durable, but comfortable.
Foam, unlike PVC pellet, water, and air based furniture, returns to it's previous state quickly while still providing unmatched support and comfort throughout the entire surface area. Xorbee's unique foam based material also naturally regulates temperature, proving a much better lounger, year-round, and even eliminating the need for heavy blankets and Snuggies. And, should this sack ever tear open you're not looking at water damage or millions of dangerous plastic pellets!
I first discovered Xorbee looking for therapy alternatives for a friend with an autistic range child. I recalled seeing an amazing blog post about how a bean bag style chair was one autistic child's sanctuary, providing the complete cradle support the child needed to feel calm and in control. However, there provided to be a drawback to the bean based lounge, that never returned to its form on its own, and proved difficult for the child to get out of, as well as cold during the winter nights.
The Xorbee seemed like the perfect solution; but I wanted to get my hands on one of them for my own family! Available in Big Pillows to ginormous Loungers, the Xorbee range fits any budget or space, and outlasts ordinary alternative furniture thanks to the 'self resetting' foam and beautifully crafted. washable, covers. Sold in 12 modern decor colors, in twill or microsude materials, Xorbee covers are the key to ensuring your foam-filled furniture investment outlasts even the rowdiest kids and guests.
We received the Xorbee Xcaliber with a cranberry red microsueade cover for official testing in our living room. At nearly six feet in diameter, this king-sized chair is suitable for seating 3-4 young children, or one "Jabba The Hutt" sized adult (as the website brags). Twill covers are included in the initial investment price, though microsuede proves easier to maintain and clean in the long run, and is much softer in my opinion (for the minor additional upgrade fee).
Of course, when ordering your Xorbee furniture, you can always choose to invest in alternate cover colors and materials at a later date.
When the Xorbee arrived I anticipated my UPS carrier would have a fit: this took two men to haul up the stairs to our condo, well over 40 pounds when compressed into a box 1/5th its expanded size. Just looking at the swollen shipping container made me nervous to unleash the beast within. Thankfully there are several great customer submitted unboxing videos to guide you through expectations and handling tips. You'll also find a simple visual guide for unpacking the foam material, and dressing the interior sack with your cover.
At first glance, the Xorbee was a giant, medical blue, crinkled ball of material; all of the air carefully suctioned out of the containing wrapper for shipping. I was grateful the foam sack didn't expand as rapidly as I'd anticipated, once the exterior packaging was pierced. In fact, there was plenty of time to peel the plastic wrapper off and set the expanding ball into the cover prior to massaging the foam to relaxation.
Once we'd zipped our microsuede cover over the Xorbee it was easy enough to roll the Xcalibur over, so the seam was against the floor, and continue massaging the clusters of foam pieces. During this process the once moderate-sized ball seemed to expand like a muffin top over the rim of a baking tin, taller and wider every second. The excitement seemed to build every second, while the beating of the foam clusters wore out excess energy from all of the holiday sugar (I decided to unleash this monster just after Christmas).
It should come as no surprise that I was, in fact, the last one to actually lay or sit on the Xcalibur, with one very enthusiastic adult and wide eyed 10-year old promptly plopping onto the giant red blob.
The Xorbee, for now, has replaced a giant five-foot square ottoman we'd previously had in front of our couch. It's not the most design friendly (as it's width expands when occupied), but I've yet to convince anyone that it should be relocated, it's truly the highlight of our home when guests or children are over. Sabrina plops into the middle of if after school each day and does not budge until I usually wake her up after homework around 6 PM.
As big as the Xcalibur is it is also very versatile in use; I can reshape the foam structure into a giant lounge chair, or prop it up against the corner of the living room as a couch, when I need the space.
Moving our Xorbee is certainly easier with two adults, but also manageable on my own; and the microsuede has proven a wonderful investment with kids and pets constantly climbing on it.
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