Bean Bags and Music: It’s Universal

Last night I had a crazy dream that I was floating through space, apparently using my house as some sort of space station as I slowly drifted toward the Martian frontier. Meteors passed like cars outside the window as the earth gradually shrunk from view. My iPod was floating by, so I grabbed it and put my headphones on. Not knowing how long the journey would take, I came across an appropriate song – David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ and settled in for the journey. “…this is Major Tom to Ground Control…” the lyrics say – how fitting. Amidst all of this space weirdness, I was chilling out on a red-hot micro suede bean bag, the Chofa for Two.

But don’t worry, I’m not about to pull out the dream interpretation books or start analyzing my childhood. I already know what this dream means to me. It means that no matter where I am in life, one of my favorite things to do is hunker down at home and listen to music. Whether I’m worn out from an endless to-do list or happy and satisfied after a great meal with friends, the respite of good tunes and a comfortable seat always puts me at ease. And I’m not the only one to indulge in this music-centric way of relaxing. I think that everyone can probably remember a time when they drew the blinds and sat down to listen to some tunes with no purpose other than to enjoy themselves, and it’s probably safe to say that these memories are most likely good ones. That’s the thing about this process: it’s universal.

But it ain’t always easy. Sure, you can close the blinds and press ‘play’ on the iPod. You might even have a new album that you can’t wait to listen to. The stage is set and you’re ready, yet you find yourself squirming on the couch, agonized by the thought of a hundred other things you should be doing. You crank up the volume and pace around the kitchen, trying to burn off the nervous energy. When that doesn’t work you try changing the music — a procedure that only kills time. What’s missing? It’s like an almost perfect soup recipe that you keep tasting over and over again because you’ve added all the main ingredients but it still doesn’t taste right (if we were actually talking about soup I would suggest trying a splash of apple cider vinegar, it brings a dead soup back to life!).

So you’ve got the privacy, the stereo, and the time, but where’s the mood? There’s a crucial element missing that will transform your experience from sitting in a room with a noisy stereo to drifting down a river of musical relaxation. No, it’s not a magical Hawaiian idol or a powerful healing crystal, and it’s not even a pimped-out sound system. It’s a simple, stylish, and comfortable bean bag chair filled with shredded memory foam. With the missing piece in place, I suggest you put your headphones on and turn down the lights and relax on that comfortable oversized bean bag chair. I think you’ll find that the mood is finally just right.

Beanbag Therapy

I really don’t know how it happened or who’s to blame. Not that it would do any good to know these things. If I had to guess, the culprit is probably the guy on the other side of the cube from me at work, always coughing and making sounds that make me wince. I imagine the flu bug jumped right over the cube wall and found its way to me. But then again, who knows where it came from for sure.

 Oh well — I give up trying to figure it out! The only thing I need to know is that I’M SICK. What felt like a tickle in my throat the other night has grown into a thriving patch of stinging nettle. The inside of my skull is a sweat-shop of pain, and I can’t remember what it feels like to breathe out of my nose.

 You might not believe me, but there is one good thing about being as sick as I am: staying home and relaxing on my awesome Chofa for Two beanbag chair. I’ve got it set up in front of my high-tech space heater (the kind that beeps and swivels in all directions). And right next to the beanbag chair is an end table stacked high with the following sick-day items—a  large electric kettle filled with water (so I don’t have to walk to the kitchen for tea), a box of tissues, my new book (11/22/63 by Stephen King), my laptop (for watching movies and writing to you), a bowl of fruit, and finally, a little bottle of nighttime cold medicine, for when I want to close my eyes and get some rest. Surrounded by this sea of comfort is me, nestled in my beanbag chair and wrapped in a wool blanket. If I weren’t sick I’d think I was in heaven.

 I know what you’re thinking — “you need to take some vitamins… you really should try these pills I have for sore throats… you shouldn’t have stayed out late last weekend… you need to be more proactive about getting better…” But I don’t really want to hear it. I guess everyone has their own cure-all for getting over being sick, and in reality people want to believe it works for them. Speaking of work, I had to call out for three days, so I’ve got that to look forward to when I go back (hopefully go back) next week.

This year I said NO THANK YOU to the bitter drinks, nose pots, marble sized pills, and smelly remedies. Those things might work for some folks, but they don’t know what I know. There is a secret remedy out there, one that truly works and doesn’t make you wish you were dead. Ask me about it next time you’re sick and I’ll tell you all about that mysterious beanbag therapy.

Mojitos, Anyone?

Aaron relaxing on the Chofa for 3

Take a moment to consider the different forms of exhaustion that present themselves during your daily life. Now take another moment to trim that list down from the thousands to about ten. These are the most exhausting things that could happen to you throughout the day, and chances are you’re very familiar with them. Perhaps you’ve included “the smell of cat food” in your list, or maybe it’s something more along the lines of “an hour long phone conversation with Dad while simultaneously finishing a boring spreadsheet.”

 With the tiresome contents of your list in mind, try to conjure up some possible remedies. You could sell the cats to your local cat merchant and never worry about prying open another can of stink again. Or you could switch to a prepaid cell phone and tell your Dad, “Sorry Dad, I love chatting with you, but I only have 15 minutes left on my phone, so unless you want to buy me some more…” end of conversation. So where does that leave you? Your lovely, furry, purring friends have been sold off; your dad has started to forget who you are; and you’ve still got that spreadsheet to finish.

 Your cats have the solution, so follow their lead—curl up in a warm corner, turn your brain off, let your eyelids sink down, feel the relaxation. Ideally, you’re nestled into the most comfortable chair you’ve ever owned—a sophisticated, memory foam filled bean bag chair. Soft and soothing in the right places, yet supportive enough to keep you from flopping onto the floor when you nod off for a moment. Yes, you can look stylish even when you’re napping.

 Put your phone on silent and invite the cats to cuddle up. Better yet, mix up a mojito and rack up some ‘good friend points’ by inviting your best buddy (or two) to come join you.

 You might have to persuade them when they insist that “you’re crazy, absolutely insane, ’cause there’s no way a beanbag chair is gonna fit both of us.” But you’ll win them over eventually, especially once you include the bit about how your bean bag is seven and a half feet long, three feet wide, and covered in a soft micro suede fabric. Not to mention, you’ve got mojitos. You could even tell them that there’s a nice view of the sunset out the window. And if they’re still stuck on the fence, have them compile their own list of exhausting daily events. Listen to the fatigue in their voices as they recite it to you. Ask them what’s more comfortable, a crowded barstool or a plush bean bag? If they bring up the fact that it’s a fifteen minute walk to your house, hit them with the free mojitos again.

 Now, with your cocktail in hand and companion close by, try to recall that list again. What was so tiring, exactly? Now that you think of it, cat food isn’t half bad. Most likely, if you are able remember what made you want to find a warm respite in the first place, the thought will make you laugh, not cringe. Now call your dad and see how he’s doing. Tell him he needs a Booty Beanbag chair of his own, for those long, relaxing talks.

Then and now

Then… The first bean bag chair that I ever owned was a lavender colored, vinyl bean bag chair that got when I was eleven years old. It was one of my Christmas presents that year. I was past the Santa phase, so I got to look in the catalogs and make a list of what I wanted. I really cannot remember anything else I got that year, but I do remember that chair. I was so into lavender when I was that age. It is kind of sad looking back on it. I had a purple room with white furniture. Can you imagine? I won’t even get into how much I hated that color scheme when I turned fifteen; but I digress. I remember opening the family room door on Christmas day and seeing my bean bag chair. It was already put together and waiting for me to fall into it, and fall into it I did. I think I spent the whole day in that chair. I was in love with my chair for about three months. After about a month the fluff started to leave my chair. After the third month every time I sat in my chair my butt would hit the floor. I was able to talk my mother into a refill for my chair. I thought a little extra fluff would bring my chair back to its former glory. I am not sure if there was an easy way to refill that thing, but I certainly did not figure it out. Have you ever seen a million Styrofoam beads all over your floor? I am willing to bet if you owned one of these you have. After I cleaned up the mess that it made I took that old bag straight to the trash. It would be another eighteen years before I got a new one.

　

Now… My second bean bag chair is nothing like the first one I owned. First and foremost I have outgrown the lavender phase. No offense to the color. I mean it is great for a shirt, but I am not covering my walls in it or getting lavender furniture. I have also learned that my body is too precious for vinyl. I think when you are younger you don’t really think about the fact that your chair makes your whole body sweat. When you get older and discover boys, being drenched in sweat is something you try to avoid. Unless of course if the guy you have a date with is a loser; but I digress again. My new bean bag chair is a micro fiber chair that is called Red Hot Red. Now I know they say a name is just a name, but that name says it all. It is a great color that matches my accent colors and even resembles my car. I can be such a girl sometimes. I hesitate to remark on its other great features as it will make me sound old. This chair does wonders for my back. That is right, I said it. I have a bad back. When I was younger laying on a bag of a million hard little beads was not a big deal. Now I would be calling the chiropractor for an appointment after about 10 minutes. My new chair is stuffed with this great shredded memory foam. That means it never gets flat and never hurts my back, or anything else for that matter. Plus I will never have to crack this chair open and refill it with stupid beads like I did with that old beast of mine.  I have a bean free bean bag chair and I am loving it.  The first time was not the charm, but it was worth the wait.

Papa’s got a Brand New Bag

What comes to your mind when you hear bean bag chair? Most people think of the bean bag chairs from the 70’s. They picture those vinyl monsters that stick to your thighs when the temperature gets above 65 degrees. There really is nothing like the feel of your skin sticking to vinyl to help you relax. You also probably remember the fact that after about a month all the air was out of the “beans” and every time you plopped down on it your butt went right to the floor. Well believe it or not a lot of things can change in thirty years. After all we are not still listening to eight-tracks and watching movies on VHS. The bean bag chair has gone through a major transformation. Today’s bean bag chair is not just something you find in a college dorm. The bean bag chair has been upgraded to true furniture status. The bean bag chair is for those who are chic, stylish, and know that furniture can look and feel good.

That is the foundation that Booty Bean Bags is based on. It is for the guy whose apartment does not look like his mom decorated it. It is for the girl who does not want furniture with flowers on it. It is for the people out there that want some style and edge in their lives. These chairs not only look hot but they feel great. They are constructed of shredded memory foam. Yes, the foam you see in those mattress commercials. Picture that shredded up and covered in a soft microfiber cover. Talk about comfort. We offer a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors that will go with whatever style you are looking for. This is not just a piece of furniture. As you can clearly see; Papa does have a brand new bag.