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Green Living Healthy Lifestyles Sleep Tips

Greening your bedroom

Since we spend a third to half our lives in our bedrooms or personal space, it makes good sense to make it as healthy as possible. Sleep deprivation has been proven to lead to number of health problems such as high blood pressure. The body needs sleep to replenish the damage of the day can do.

Making your bedroom eco-friendly consists of making many little changes to the decor of the room. This includes getting organic bedding, made with natural cotton, wool and latex, restored furniture, “green” paint, wood floors, natural fiber rugs, energy-efficient light bulbs, a dimmer switch and cotton pajamas. Surrounding yourself with natural fibers, pieces of furniture without glue or chemicals and paints with low- or no-volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) and organic cotton pajamas is a great way to keep your bedroom free of indoor pollution. Small steps like these help ensure that you are getting the most of your sleep experience.

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Customer Reviews Green Living Healthy Lifestyles Made in the USA

Share your love for CozyPure on social media

You could win one of our monthly prizes

We love our faithful CozyPure customers. We really love it when those customers share their CozyPure loyalty on social media. That’s why we’ve begun our monthly selfie contest. Whether you take a selfie in our Granby Street showroom or post a quick photo of your new CozyPure goodies from home, we want to see you posting. Our artisans love to know that their handcrafted mattresses and bedding goodies are appreciated.

Matthew Hinson samples outrageous organic comfort in the CozyPure showroom.

 

That’s why we’d like to congratulate Matthew Hinson for sharing his social media posts in our showroom and a photo ofhis little boy wrapped up all cozy in his prize, a travel-size “Three Pigs on a Blanket” blanket.

Our exclusive “Three Pigs on a Blanket” is cute and cuddly soft for babies, toddlers and kids of all ages.
Made with our matelasse triple-knit 100% pure organic cotton, no synthetic blends that reverses to solid eggplant color. This is not a generic “printed” design but rather the little piggies are actually woven as part of the fabric.
There are more prizes to claim from our monthly social media contest. Just post your best CozyPure photo with #cozypure on Facebook or Instagram. If we see a post we enjoy, we’ll contact you and award you with a comfy, cozy token of our appreciation for your commitment to buying organic and natural mattresses and bedding from CozyPure.
So if you have or haven’t climbed into bed with CozyPure yet, do it today! Then share your love of our products on social media. There might just be a prize in it for you.

Categories
Green Living Miscellaneous Natural Bedroom

Adding Some Earth to the Bedroom with Plants

Sleep is a necessity of life. It is a staple in assuring well-being and good health. If you are not getting a restful nights sleep then you are at risk of sleep deprivation and deficiency. These are unhealthy sleep habits that can affect every part of your life, extending beyond the bedroom. There are many chronic problems related to sleep deficiency, including heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, stroke, and diabetes. Sleep disorders are a chronic epidemic in America, and the damages can be as instantaneous as a car accident from a delayed reaction, to an array of harmful health problems and habits developed over time.

We here at CozyPure want to help America sleep better. We are dedicated to helping you find the right bed and bedding to fulfill your organic comfort needs, but also to provide other resources and information on getting a healthy and benefiting slumber. In lieu of Earth Day, we want to share with you the many resources our own Mother Earth provides that can help you in reaching a soothing slumber.

We partake in the resources given by nature in our products, but also in our showroom where many plants and benefiting foliage has been strategically arranged to offer an aesthetic appeal and to assist in the soothing effects of calming and seducing sleep. We have composited a list of twelve benefiting plants that can aid in sleep. These are plants that NASA recommends in enhancing air quality of living space. It is recommended, that 15 to 18 plants such as these should be located in an 1800 square foot area to provide the best results in improving air quality and overall experience. Poor air quality can lead to an array of health issues, including asthma, allergies, inflammation, and even cancer, with that in mind, adding a plant or two to the bedroom seems to be more than necessary in providing a safer sleep environment. Here are twelve air-quality improving plants, recognized to be benefiting to the restless sleeper:

  1. Jasmine, Jasminum: Jasmine is a vining plant, that grows naturally in warmer climates, but can be kept indoors where it can receive plenty of natural sunlight. Jasmine has been known to reduce anxiety, while the smell can help improve sleep and alertness.
  2. Lavender, Lavindula: Lavender is diffused into many newborn products and products for new moms because of its stress reducing properties. Lavender has been recognized to reduce stress and anxiety, slow heart rate, and lower blood pressure. All of which can help set the stage (or bedroom) for a better nights rest.
  3. Rosemary, Rosemarinus Officinalis: Rosemary works hard to improve the air quality around with its immune boosting qualities and blood flow stimulation. It is has also been shown to boost memory levels by 75 percent.
  4. Aloe Vera, Aloe Barbadensis Miller: This plant is rated by NASA as the number one in oxygen generating and air improving. More oxygen can help you get to sleep better and stay there. The Aloe Vera plant offers a topical ointment inside its foliage that can soothe burns, rashes, and skin abrasions.
  5. English Ivy, Hedera Helix: This ivy is an amazing addition to any plant of garden. It has been shown to reduce up to 94% of airborne mold in a matter of hours. This aids in reducing allergies and lung irritation.
  6. Snake Plant, Mother- In- Laws Tongue, Sansevieria Trifasciata: This is a plant that many have exclaimed is impossible to kill. It filters out many household toxins from the air including formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and benzene. It has also been recognized to aid in preventing eye irritations, respiratory problems, and headaches, while increasing energy levels.
  7. Gardenia, Gardenia jasminoides : The gardenia is a bit trickier to care for, needing to be in bright room without direct sunlight, but is known to aid in relieving anxiety and promoting sleep.
  8. Valerian, Valeriana officialis : This is a perennial flowering plant with a sweet scent that needs a minimum of 6 full hours of sun daily. Valerian is one of the oldest and most studied plants that aid in curing sleep disorders like insomnia.
  9. Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii : The Peace Lily is rated as one of NASA’s super plants as it filter toxins from the air and can boost humidity by 5 percent. This suppresses airborne allergies and offers relief from allergens. This plant captures mold spores from the air and circulates them to the roots for food.
  10. Bamboo Palm, or Reed Palm, Chamaedorea erumpens : This is beautiful plant that can grow up to 6 feet tall and offers air purification along with a wonderful aroma.
  11. Gerbera Daisies, Gerbera jamesonii : These are cheery flowers that release oxygen at night and are often recommended for the home in cases of sleep apnea and severe allergies. However, these plants need a lot of attention for they are often prone to fungal diseases.
  12. Golden Pothos, Scindapsus aures : This plant has marbled- heart shaped leaves that are incredibly helpful in purifying the air. It is just important to note that the leaves may also be considered mildly toxic to children and pets.
Categories
Green Living Organic Comfort Sleep Tips

Cuddling up with the Critters on National Pet Day

Some of CozyPure’s pampered pets lounge with Hans on the Eco Terra Organic Sofa-Day Bed on site.

 

April 11th is National Pet Day and CozyPure supports your commitment to your critters.

Pets are family, and we would not offer the entire family sleep support if we did not mean it. There are many reasons pets are known to benefit the health and quality of life in people, which may be why our owner allows our pets to come to work with us. However, sleeping with our pets, or allowing them to sleep with us, is something more of us are guilty for than not. The American Pet Product Association ran a survey and found that nearly half of dog owners allow their fur-baby to sleep with them at night. It was also found that 62 percent of house cats sleep with their owners and that 13 percent of them sleep with the children. In another study conducted by the Mayo Clinic on sleep disorders, half of the patients in the study admitted to sleeping with their pet and 53% of those patients recognized that their pet disturbed them while sleeping. Disruptive sleep is not restful sleep, but there are those who have shown to sleep easier and more comfortable sharing their slumber space. Pets, like partners, can provide a calm, warm body to regulate our own against and therefore making it easier to fall asleep at night. Those with fibromyalgia and other chronic pains that respond to heat have found that their pets warm bodies act like a heating pad to those sore spots. There is a comforting sense of security that many pet owners remark as the reason for keeping the critter in the bedroom at night. Whether it comes from knowing that they have an alert system near if any intrusions occur or if the security embeds in the companionship of critter and owner is unclear. It has been mentioned that the soothing purrs of a cat or the heavy heart thumps of a pup have aided those with insomnia and other sleep disorders to a peaceful sleep. The body responds significantly to the “petting” of an animal, the cortisol (stress hormone) levels of the human body lowers, while the serotonin (feel-good chemicals) and oxytocin (cuddle chemicals) increase. This release of serotonin and oxytocin relax the body, enhance psychological stability, and provide an excellent mood to drift into sweet dreamland.

Sharing your bed space with your pet is not for everyone. Those who suffer from allergies and asthma should not allow their pet to sleep with them, and preferably should not allow them to sleep in the same room as them. It is good to give the body a rest from breathing in irritating allergens and dander when so detrimentally affected by it. Dogs can become honorary, portraying aggression and dominance issues, when they feel they have certain ‘rights’ to your sleep space. Breaking them of this habit can take time and it is recommended by Pet M.D that owners do not give their dog the freedom of sleeping in the bed on their own accord. Instead, dogs should be taught to ask permission, or wait to be invited to the bed (territory) and then be directed to where to lay on the bed. This allows the pet to recognize the space as a shared space that is dominated by their owner, and their privileges in the bed will be more appreciated and less entitled. Though, if your dog tries to sleep with you, take it as a compliment. Internationally recognized dog trainer, Victoria Stilwell, says, “Dogs only sleep with people or dogs they trust.” So if your waggy-tailed critter wants to cozy down with you, relax in knowing you have created a bond. If you have a cat and question the fuzzy feline’s love for you, experts say that the kitties slow blinks are your sign of approval. People can return the love with a long gaze and slow blink to reciprocate the sign of loving approval. According to cat behaviorist, the calm blink works on house cats, feral cats, and wild felines.

We want you and your furry friends to sleep comfortably and confident in knowing that your companion is as cozy as you. This is why we had to extend our product line from organic bedding made for humans” to CozyPure comfort for your pets too. So whether your fur baby sleeps with you, you are attempting to change their sleep space, or you are a soon-to-be pet parent we have quality organic comfort for you to tuck them in.

‘Sunshine’ is shown, posing on the large Orthopedic Pet Bed, made by the CozyPure professionals.

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Categories
Environment Green Living Healthy Lifestyles News Coverage Organic Mattress & Bedding Press Releases

PIONEERING LOCAL BUSINESS AHEAD OF NEW LEGISLATION

Photo provided by the Office of U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La.
Photo provided by the Office of U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

Norfolk, VA – CozyPure, makers of organic mattresses and bedding, applauds President Obama for signing the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act into law earlier this week. The law, which updates the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, will do a better job of reviewing chemicals currently in the products Americans buy for their homes as well as regulating new chemicals before they are introduced to consumers.

CozyPure is pleased to announce that this new law will not affect their operations. “We’ve been making mattresses without the use of any harmful or proprietary chemicals for the past 25 years,” says CozyPure’s owner, Cheryl Hahn, “the passing of this act is a great achievement, people deserve to know what chemicals are hiding in their household.”

When the original law was passed there were already 62,000 chemicals on the market but the restraints placed on the EPA made it nearly impossible to ban them. In fact, due to proprietary trade secrets only five of the 62,000 chemicals have been banned in the 40 years since the law’s initiation.

“Folks should have the confidence to know the laundry detergent we buy isn’t going to make us sick, the mattress our babies sleep on isn’t going to harm them,” Obama said. “For the first time in our history, we’ll actually be able to regulate chemicals effectively. And we’re doing it in the same, overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion,” the president said.

The new bill emulates the stance that CozyPure has always taken on the products they manufacture and sell to consumers made only from natural ingredients such as rubbermilk, wool and organic cotton versus similar mainstream products made from plasticized polyurethane foams and undisclosed, potentially toxic chemicals often coated in flame retardants.

In 2007 a huge milestone was reached when PBDEs, a widely used set of toxic flame retardants, were finally phased out. According to an EPA report in August 2015, the new substitute chemicals are now also cause for concern. This new legislation should hopefully eliminate the instances where one harmful chemical is replaced with another.

Consumers aware of the potential dangers lurking in mattresses have sought-out organic alternatives. Norfolk resident Michelle Germano, a victim of the devastating toxic chemicals found in Chinese drywall, had to replace everything in her home and contacted CozyPure for her entire sleep system. “I’ve been a customer since 2009 and recommend CozyPure to all my friends. I’m thrilled we have a local company that makes products without depending on harmful ingredients.”

Categories
Green Living Healthy Lifestyles Made in the USA Miscellaneous Natural Bedroom Natural Home Organic Comfort Products & Sales Woman-Owned

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift: SLEEP

It is no secret that moms are some of the most sleep-deprived people in the world. They tend to juggle responsibilities all day and spend countless hours at night thinking about how to juggle even more. Studies show that mothers with small children are seriously lacking sleep, which over time can have some pretty negative effects on both physical and mental health. No matter how old her children, mothers tend to continue the habit of putting others needs before their own. Instead of shopping for the trendiest new gift of fashion or settling for the obligatory flowers, why not give Mom what she really wants (and needs) – SLEEP!
Just in time for Mother’s Day, CozyPure has assembled a bundle of some of our most popular items for the sleep deprived mom. We’ve paired together:Mother's Day Bundle

  • Our best selling LaNoodle pillow, the perfect pillow for Mom – it is adaptable to any type of sleeper, made with all natural latex and organic cotton (no harmful chemicals) and simply the coziest pillow to be found – and designed to last up to 10 times longer than conventional pillows
  • Our ever popular Pebble Pique Travel Blanket which is handcrafted in our Virginia workshop and made from luxurious Organic Cotton Matelasse and beautiful like Mom
  • Organic Lavender Linen Spray, soothing aromatherapy to relax Mom’s mind, body and spirit

This trifecta is the perfect Mother’s Day gift and will arrive packaged in our kraft bag with a complimentary handcrafted note card.

Due to the handcrMothersDay_online cardafted nature of our items, we can’t guarantee delivery by Mother’s Day on orders received after May 1st. However, Mom will agree it’s worth the wait. In the meantime, you can print out a gift announcement HERE to put in Mom’s card notifying her that the gift of sleep is on the way!

Our products are sustainable, natural and organic and made in the USA, and our company is woman-owned by a mom that grew this company while raising children of her own. She thinks sleep is the perfect gift and every mom is sure to agree!

 

The retail price for the items in this bundle is $133 – the Mother’s Day Bundle is being offered for $99.  Valid until Mother’s Day 2016.

Categories
Environment Green Living Miscellaneous Organic Apparel & Textiles Organic Clothing Press Releases

Project Earth Day: Fashion Trashion Runway Show

As manufacturers of natural latex mattresses and organic bedding, CozyPure has a year-round dedication to earth-friendly practices.  Not only do we manufacture GREEN bedding using only renewable and sustainable materials, we are eco-conscious in all of our operating procedures right down to the light bulbs we use in our showroom and workshop.  Although we like to think of everyday as a day to celebrate Earth and her renewable resources, we join the rest of Earth’s inhabitants to celebrate “Earth Day” on April 22 each year.  CozyPure typically has a sale each year to celebrate Earth Day and of course that is well received!  This year we will be doing something new and exciting (in addition to a sale):  A fashion show in which contestants will be challenged to use their creativity to design a wearable fashion using only local business scraps and waste, otherwise headed to the landfill.

On April 22, 2016, The Venue on 35th in the Park Place District of Norfolk will host Project Earth Day: Fashion Trashion Runway Show. Sponsored by CozyPure, Virginia Fashion Week and The Venue, this fashion competition is open to all ages and levels of experience.  project-earthday-poster

This community event seeks to showcase Hampton Roads’ creative talent while participating in environmental stewardship through the demonstration of upcycling – also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless and/or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.

Attendees of the event will enjoy a runway show featuring the designs, as well as Earth Day-themed live performances by area talent presented in interims throughout the show.

All interested contestants are encouraged to register at http://www.cozypure.com/projectearthday. Spots are limited, first come first serve.

The general public is welcome to attend the event on Earth Day, April 22nd at the Venue on 35th located at 631 W 35th Street in Norfolk. Doors open at 6pm. Runway show starts at 7pm. Refreshments will be available for purchase through a local non-profit organization. Contact CozyPure Organic Mattresses and Bedding for more information, 757-480-8500.

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Green Living Miscellaneous Organic Comfort Organic Mattress & Bedding

From Rubber Milk to Latex: How is your Latex processed?

In the past 25 years CozyPure has accumulated customers from all over the country; Even before the internet, we were able to serve customers nationally through our catalog. Since purchasing a mattress is quite the investment, we have customers call our Norfolk, VA facility every day asking questions to help them finalize their purchasing decision. Some common questions include: the difference between our Organic Mattress and Natural Latex Mattress, how to determine the proper firmness, what materials are used in our all natural products and just general concerns you would expect from someone shopping for a new mattress.

I’ve also noticed that some consumers do a little more research than others and have very specific questions,like is our latex “dunlop” or “talalay.” I knew the answer to be “dunlop” but I did not know the difference between the two and decided to do some research. Here is what I found:

Natural latex starts out the same; Rubber milk is harvested from the rubber tree. You can read more about how CozyPure’s latex is harvested in our blog post, “Organic Comfort Made Fresh Daily with Farm Fresh ingredients.”RubberTree

After the rubber milk is harvested the way it is made into durable and all-natural latex varies; It will either be the “dunlop” process or the “talalay” method. Dunlop latex is mixed with a gelling agent while still in its liquid form and then put in molds and introduced to heat through a vulcanization oven. This vulcanization process is what turns the rubber milk into a durable foam rubber. It is then washed out to remove any naturally occurring impurities and then dried. A fairly simple process, which makes Dunlop latex more affordable and more eco-friendly. The Talalay process is more complicated. It requires the latex to be placed in a mold and then introduced to a vacuum for expansion, then frozen. The gelling occurs when carbon dioxide gas is forced through the mold. After the vacuum, freezing and gelling, it is then vulcanized. In addition to being a more expensive and less environmentally responsible process, it is not available in as many sizes and a naturally occurring topper is not made in the process as in the Dunlop process.

When discussing with Cheryl Hahn, the owner of CozyPure, about why CozyPure uses Dunlop latex in the crafting of our CozyPure organic mattresses, she refers to the Dunlop process as “tried and true.” “What I particularly like about our Dunlop latex rubber is that we deal direct with the grower. The latex is processed on site at the plantation. We never have to wonder what it went through before getting to us.” Hahn sums up her preference by saying, “It is grown there, harvested there, processed there and shipped directly to us.”

The Dunlop process results in the most natural latex available.
The Dunlop process results in the most natural latex available.

It may have been believed at one time that Talalay latex provided a softer alternative to the original Dunlop latex, however through constant improvements the Dunlop process has become more sophisticated. Through density variations and sculpting, Dunlop latex can acheive any desired softness while maintaining the firmness that makes it sought after. CozyPure’s mattresses are available in varying configurations to accommodate the various softness needs of individuals. If you are a discerning customer that wants to know how your latex is processed, now you know!

 

Categories
Eco-Tips Green Living Healthy Lifestyles Miscellaneous Organic Comfort Organic Mattress & Bedding Products & Sales

The LaNoodle Pillow Education

I consider myself a country boy with a broad, somewhat worldly perspective. I was born in Maryland. I grew up in North Carolina and Virginia. There are some things country folk are known for, but healthy lifestyles has never been one of them. That being said, I know that there is a certain amount of education that has to occur for someone like me, when it comes to organic products and healthy living. Add to that, I am an overweight, type 2 diabetic, which is a further indication that I do not have a great track record of making healthy choices.

But I’m still fighting to change all that. I’ve cut out fried foods as much as absolutely possible. I’m eating more kale than any ten human beings around me at any given moment these days. Hell, I even got a bike for Christmas … and I’m actually riding it. I’m getting healthier is my point.

TroyLaNoodle
I’m not much of a sleeper, but the LaNoodle pillow is teaching me that a healthy life begins with healthy sleep.

So, coming to work at CozyPure has been a huge step in the right direction and a graduation to another level of educating myself about healthier living. And let me just preface the rest of this by saying that listed on my chart of medical conditions is occasional bouts of insomnia. These bouts have been so frequent that I’ve sort of written off the notion of getting a lot of healthy sleep in my life. But as I’ve learned in a short period of time of working and researching sleep issues at CozyPure, it is definitely something I need to pay more attention to on my quest to healthier living. More sleep equals more energy. And more energy equals more weight loss. I’d clearly neglected a vital link in the chain to a healthier me. I need to solve this whole sleep conundrum.

Step one to solving this mystery has been sleeping on CozyPure’s bestselling LaNoodle pillow. While I can’t speak to the science of what tiny, little latex noodles masterfully stuffed in an organic casing should do for helping you sleep, but I feel tremendous after sleeping on one of these organic gems.

My neck pain has reduced greatly, as the LaNoodle cradles my rather bulbous head and shoulders in a way that makes drifting off to sleep a much less daunting task. With each passing night of sleeping on the LaNoodle pillow, I value sleep a bit more. And that is huge for me.
I don’t think any other product could’ve affected that change in me.

Sleeping on my new LaNoodle pillow, I begin to think maybe my sleep woes are more a case of I’ve been doing it, but I haven’t been doing it with the right tools. I guess it’s the equivalent of eating your farm fresh peas with a fork with only one tine. You can get it done but it probably could be done better with a spoon. So I’m thrilled I turned in my old pillow for a CozyPure LaNoodle pillow. It has opened the door to the school of healthy sleep. I can’t wait to see what CozyPure’s entire sleep system has to teach this country boy.

Categories
Eco-Tips Environment Green Living Healthy Lifestyles Made in the USA Miscellaneous Natural Bedroom News Coverage Press Releases Products & Sales Retailers

Embracing National Cuddle Up Day on January 6

January 6 is National Cuddle Up Day and we’re embracing it at CozyPure. After all, who better to celebrate this nationwide day of cuddling than makers of organic mattresses and bedding? So it’s official, CozyPure declares National Cuddle Up Day as it’s holiday.

Some may wonder why the nation would adopt a holiday devoted to such a seemingly inconsequential activity like cuddling. But, there is so much more to a good cuddle than we realize. There are many physical and emotional benefits to cuddling. When cuddling, the body releases oxytocin, the feel-good hormone, endorphins, the chemical most experience after exercise, and dopamine, the hormone that enhances sexual desire. These chemical and hormonal releases have been shown to help lower blood pressure, chances of heart disease and aleviate anxiety. That’s right, you get all that from just cuddling up with a loved one.

To celebrate National Cuddle Up Day on Jan. 6, CozyPure is hosting contests on Facebook and Instagram.
To celebrate National Cuddle Up Day on Jan. 6, CozyPure is hosting contests on Facebook and Instagram.

Moreover, human contact makes us better communicators as well. We can communicate soothing thoughts and comforting wishes through cuddling, hugging and kissing.

Of course, there’s no better place to engage in these comforting and sensual activities than on CozyPure Organic Mattresses and Bedding. Knowing that your cuddle time is free of harmful chemicals and fillers will add peace of mind to your warm snuggle. And since all CozyPure bedding is made with organic and sustainable ingredients, you can cuddle knowing that you’ll have pure organic comfort to cuddle on for years to come.

Since we’re so excited to celebrate National Cuddle Up Day on January 6, we’re holding two social media contests on Facebook and Instagram. On Facebook, you can enter the “Who Ya Wanna Cuddle?” Contest. Just comment on our “Who Ya Wanna Cuddle” post with who you’d like to cuddle with on National Cuddle Up Day and why. We’ll choose the comment we like most and that person will win a $100 gift certficate to CozyPure. You can also enter the “Cutest Cuddle” Contest on Instagram. Just post a photo of your cutest cuddle with #cozycutecuddle. The winning cuddle will also receive a $100 gift certificate. Winners for both contest will be announced on National Hugging Day, January 21, 2016. So enter now!

Also, because we want you to get closer to us on National Cuddle Up Day, we’re having an in-store only sale at our location at 2308 Granby Street, Norfolk, Va. Stop in and practice your cuddling skills in our showroom on January 6. And if you purchase a CozyPure mattress, you’ll be welcomed into our prestigious Cuddle-Up Club. Members of the Cuddle-Up Club get 20% off all future organic bedding purchases. You can enjoy healthy slumber and loads of cuddling for years to come.

So, celebrate National Cuddle Up Day by entering our social media contests and/or come by CozyPure on the big day to embrace some big savings. Happy National Cuddle Up Day!