Review: Plushopedic Memory Fluff Pillow by SLEEPWIZ

Many people think that the mattress is the most important factor in getting good quality sleep. Well, it is. However, when it comes to sleep quality, the right pillow is just as important as your mattress.

I haven't been sleeping all that well ever since I got discharged. Things got slightly worse when I had to be confined to bed as much as possible. I couldn't do much but lay down. I didn't exactly lie flat and this gave me really bad headaches. The next few nights were intense due to the headaches and body aches. Then I realised! My pillow! I was using the higher and firmer ones which I had! You see, I have a total of 4 pillows on my bed. Two were my older ones while 2 new ones were gifted by the good people at SLEEPWIZ. I am a regular user of high and firm pillows. It didn't really occur to me that it was probably the cause of my neck aches and headaches. I didn't really bother whether my spine was going to be misaligned whilst using those pillows. I only wanted to sleep. But unknown to me, the misalignment was creeping on me. I have been having stiff necks and I simply attributed them to stress. Stress is inherent of course, but we can certainly relieve it a little with the right pillow. So back to my story about having massive headaches in the last couple of days whilst in bed. Realisation struck that I had the two pillows from SLEEPWIZ. I immediately switched to them and the next day, my headache was alleviated. Of course, you may say that it could be because I was less stressed or that the headaches naturally would go away. Well, I waited for three days and it didn't seem to diminish. I guess only time can tell if the pillow is the true reason behind it. But I believe it is a strong contributing factor.

Having the right pillow plays an important role in supporting our neck, shoulders, head, and spine. If your and neck and shoulders don't get sufficient support, it will put your spine and body out of alignment, leading to strain and discomfort. When used correctly, pillows will alleviate or prevent common forms of back and neck pain. We spend a lot of time with our pillows. I mean we do need at least 8 hours of sleep right? (Ok, probably I need less in my case). So imagine 8 hours on a pillow that is not right for you! The damage could be detrimental in the long run. 

There are several types of pillows in the market. Honestly, it confuses me when I go pillow shopping. They include:

- Feather pillows

- Down pillows

- Memory foam pillows

- Microbead pillows

- Buckwheat pillows

So which is the best pillow? 

According to Dr. Alissia Zenhausern, NMD physician at NMD Wellness of Scottsdale, as far as the best pillows for neck pain are concerned, he suggests "a more rounded pillow to help support the natural curvature of your spine," as well as pillows made of memory foam or feathers! There you have it! Memory foam! words from the expert adapted from an article from FORBES.

So there you go! The best type of pillow is made of memory foam. And that was exactly what SLEEPWIZ sent me! Their Plushopedic™ Memory Fluff Pillow is filled with an interlocking cross-cut memory fluff that conforms to your neck and shoulders, creating a buoyant and supportive experience cradling your head! Unlike conventional memory foam or classic pillows, the Plushopedic™ Memory Fluff Pillow feels soft and plush, just like a giant marshmallow as it absorbs your head like those pillows in the luxurious hotels! Moreover, the fillings can be easily shifted around by hand (in contrast to the traditional fixed memory foam), enabling you to fluff and re-fluff your pillows into your favourite shape, perfectly fitting your sleeping posture!

In all honesty, when it first came to me, it was all rolled up and flat. 

I was skeptical.

I thought to myself, how good can this flat thing be? I am used to high, rigid pillows. I opened it up and it fluffed up! It was still considerably flatter than my existing pillows and I was still not quite convinced. However, it was love at first sight for the hubby who has always loved his pillows a little lower. He can't comprehend me. When I think of memory foam pillows, the first thing which struck my mind was that it would be contoured, hard and ergonomic.

This Plushopedic™ Memory Fluff Pillow is nothing like that. It's fluffy! I decided to give it a try. I had a feel of its memory foam and it was little foam cubes packed in the pillow. really unlike the traditional ones which feel like it is one big piece of foam. The durable memory fluff is said to maintain volume and support for years and years, unlike the traditional fiber fillings. This pillow contains special memory fluff fillings which sink more in the center where your head rests, while remaining comfortably supportive under your neck where you need it. Some say that memory foam retains heat hence lead to discomfort. But I experienced none of that with Plushopedic™ Memory Fluff Pillow. Mind you, I was doing a mini confinement where I didn't have the fan blown at me. Can you imagine how terrible if the pillow were to be a heated one? Super -breathable Coolmax pillow protector allows airflow throughout the pillow, keeping you cool and fast asleep throughout the night. It is made with good ventilation and does not have that chemical smell which is emitted by products when they are brand new. 

While I still miss my rigid pillow, I do not want to endure the stiff necks that come along with it. I believe that in the long run, the Plushopedic™ Memory Fluff Pillow will do good for my spine. If you spend 7-8 hours a night in bed, that would be approximately more than 2500 hours a year! Hence having the right pillow is an investment! The husband's review of the pillow, needless to say, was good. He sleeps on a mattress on the floor at times (poor guy) and needs a soft pillow. This, to him, was a good in-between. Not too soft and neither was it too hard. As for me, I have been using it for close to a month and I haven't looked back. My headaches seemed to be kept at bay too. 

If you'd like to sleep well with SLEEPWIZ, hop over to https://pillows.sg/ to give it a try today! Psst, they are having a very good discount (50%!!!!) and free shipping within Singapore right now!

Disclaimer: All photos are property of www.themishmashmess.blogspot. Please seek permission before reposting and give due credit when doing so. We were given 2 pillows for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the products.

Live Right, Breathe Right with GUSH paints

We have shifted into our current place for over 2 years. Built in 1988, it is an old unit of 31 years but we revamped the entire place. The tiles were hacked and the paints were fresh. We engaged an interior designer for this project, not because we didn't trust our aesthetic radar, but it was more for convenience. Both the hubby and I work, hence we really needed someone to supervise. 

Two years later, I regretted. White patches started appearing on my feature wall. 

Initially I thought that it was my children's masterpiece. They told me that they did not vandalise my wall and I believed. The patches somehow started to "grow". I tried using a cloth to wipe (because Easy Wash right?), but it still resurfaced after a day. I highlighted the situation to my ID who then taught me an unorthodox method which was advised to him by his paint supplier -- Nippon. The concoction was bleach and vinegar in hot water. Armed with gloves, we tried once again. Sadly, it didn't work. Shortly after I wiped the wall, it dried and the patches resurfaced. I was exasperated and got the supplier in for a site visit. I was told that not only was my master bedroom affected by mould, the two adjacent rooms were also affected! I just couldn't see it because the walls were white. I was skeptical, especially when I was persuaded to paint the entire house! Imagine the hassle! Where am I to stay for at least a week? The stench from the sealer will be unbearable! More importantly, it was going to cost me a whopping $3100 should I choose to go ahead. 

I decided to seek a second opinion. I chanced upon GUSH, a local paint supplier and decided to call them in for a site visit. While the other giants have great market share, I know that very often, they subcontract, hence the severity of the diagnosis might have been inflated all in the interest of profits. I do not blame them, but I asked if there were going to be any guarantee against this, and the answer was that they would only give one year's worth of warranty but the mould may come back in 5 years time! So tell me again, why should I spend $3100? GUSH paints came into the picture as I searched for anti-mould paints. What drew me to GUSH was not so much their anti-moulding solution but their air-purifying properties in their paints. This is the first time I am hearing of such technology and the Science behind it is quite intriguing. 

6 BENEFITS OF GUSH

1) Air Purifying

GUSH Cair interior paint is able to purify the air. It eliminates 60% of Formaldehyde in 48hours, has zero VOC and helps break down other VOCs. Say What? I hear you! These jargons baffled me as well. In general, there are 2 main types of pollutants in the air -- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which is essentially gaseous chemicals released in the air due to biological or chemical components. These may come from traditional paints, building adhesives and even your furniture and traditional cleaning solvents!

2) Regulates Humidity

Efficiently absorbs moisture when the air is too humid, and releases it back into the air when it is dry. WOW! So smart! Your room would feel less humid on hot days and less dry with the air-con turned on. High humidity is also the reason why moulding is so common in Singapore and by regulating it we can reduce the chances of mould growing. 

3) Anti-moulding

This is another key feature of GUSH paints. By limiting moisture accumulation, it effectively prevents mould growth, ensuring that your rooms are free from mould and keeps mould-related health conditions at bay.

4) Releases Negative ions

The other pollutant which you may be more familiar with is PM2.5/10. PM2.5 poses one of the biggest danger in indoor air pollution. The tiny particles are able to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, causing eye, nose, throat irritation as well as asthma and even heart diseases. We scrambled to get hold of those 3M masks in times of haze, but unknown to us, these particles are lurking in our interiors, haze or no haze. We certainly can't be putting on our masks while moving around at home. The negative ions released cluster with PM2.5, causing them to sink to the ground, away from our respiratory tracts.

5) Anti-bacterial

Eliminates 99.9% of infection-causing bacteria such as E.Coli and S. Aureus for a cleaner and more sterile interior.

6) Zero VOC

GUSH’s zero VOC, odourless and non-toxic formulation means that you and your loved ones will not be exposed to such toxic chemicals.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The core material of GUSH paint is highly absorbent. Almost 3000x more absorbent than charcoal! It draws surrounding air towards the wall but not into the wall. The paint is packed with catalysts that are then able to break down harmful pollutants in the air (like Formaldehyde) into harmless substances like CO2 and water vapour. 

THE PROCESS

The team from GUSH came down for a site visit and while many layman will dismiss the white patches as dirt, I was told that these chalky spots may be caused by initial moulding issue or efflorescence, which is a crystalline deposit of salts which are caused by humidity. If your walls are plaster, it is possible that a chalky appearance is a result of water seeping through the walls from behind. As the water seeps through, it carries with it mineral salts that are deposited on the surface of the wall. 

Small mouldy patch

They also spotted a small patch of furry white substance on the wall, next to my bed. That could potentially be MOULD! This was certainly a big concern with our two little ones often being in our room. 

Mould thrives on moisture, air and warmth. Singapore is extremely humid and we can't prevent that. We can reduce humidity by improving ventilation, drying your laundry thoroughly before keeping them in the closet, have a dehumidifier, use your air conditioner (but be warned of inflated bills) and of course, paint with GUSH!

The day to paint....

After ascertaining the problem, we immediately got down to work. I was told that I needed a day to complete the painting of 2 rooms as opposed to one week for the whole house to be painted. Apparently, there were no traces of mould found in the other parts of my house! GUSH could have easily blown things out of proportion and get me to do the entire house, but they were ethical. They were honest. In fact, the signs for mould weren't even distinct in my kids' room and I could have potentially just have my master bedroom painted only. But, I thought prevention is better than cure. 

They shifted our bed and protected it.

The painter and the project manager came down that morning. Our friendly painter, Min, took down all the curtains and protected all our furniture. 

They first needed to clean the wall of any existing mould with their solution. Before all, they did a small patch test to see if the solution would work. Ours was a partition wall, hence it may be too porous thus reducing the efficacy. But all was good and we proceeded as planned. 

Next, they brought out their ionizer to kill all spores in the air. Even though the ioniser was used only in both rooms, I was told that is so strong, its effects may extend to my living and dining area. They ran it for a few minutes, after which they applied an oil-based sealer. 

Applying sealer

Paint peeling off easily after removal of stickers

Apparently, the project manager with 20 years experience in this industry, told me that no sealer was used previously as the paint came off easily when he scratched it with his nails! Once that layer dried, Min, our friendly painter, proceeded to layer on with GUSH paint. He was so dedicated and meticulous and psst, he is under the direct payroll of GUSH and not a subcontractor who may upsell you. 

Fast forward 10 hours later, Min was done! I was actually in and out my house , working and picking my children when the project was running. Initially, I hesitated but the project manager sent me images of Min applying the second layer and I was certain they were trustworthy. I was home for a bit when the sealer was applied and eek! The smell was really very over-powering. Then, I went out and hours later, I came home and could smell a significant difference. The stench was not that over-powering anymore! The air-purifying property was working! We tried to ventilate the house as much as possible and that night, we were able to sleep in our rooms. While the smell of sealer was still apparent, it was bearable. By about 48 hours later, the smell had dispersed! GUSH really delivered! I am so proud of this homegrown brand!

PRICE STRUCTURE

You really won't be breaking an arm or a leg with GUSH. 

A 4-room HDB flat would cost approximately $1900, depending on the current state of your home. A top up of sealer requires an additional $350 - 450 as well. Final pricing will only be confirmed after a thorough inspection. For your reference, I was told by another competitor that I had to double the price of painting a room should I require anti-moulding treatment. This was a far cry from what GUSH has laid out. They also have an extensive range of 200+ colours to choose from.

How do you like my new wall? The husband didn't want such a dark colour anymore, hence I gave in and we chose a lighter shade of grey. It was really interesting to note that the kids felt that it was more  a purple than grey whereas the hubby and I felt it was a concrete grey. The next morning the kids told me it was grey but come night, the wall was purple again! haha what voodoo is this?

So if you suspect that you have a moulding issue at home, don't leave it to chance or if you'd like a fresh coat of paint for the impending Chinese NewYear, call in the experts from GUSH and have it assessed! Remember, mould doesn't have to be black or green in colour. It can be white as well! 

DISCOUNT CODE

Quote "JANICE WONGJ" for a 10% discount (up to $200) for painting services

Terms and Conditions:

• Offer valid till February 2020 (Just in time for CNY!)
• Discount code must be mentioned during the site visit
• Valid for a single room up to whole house painting services which include both painting application and paint supply.

LIVE RIGHT, BREATHE RIGHT!

GO WITH GUSH!

Xmas DIY:: Do you wana build a snowman?

I know that Christmas is over but I have been mad tired and busy that I haven't had the time to pen stuff down. This is so not good! This Christmas has been the most fulfilling one in terms of family bonding as well as home learning and crafting.

I didn't want a Christmas tree this year after throwing away my tree of over 20 years. It was turning yellow and shedding and hence was high time I dumped it. Yes, I am a sentimental person though i didn't even like the person who gave it to me! haha.

We have shifted to our new place for approximately 6 months now and it was great decluttering. I was determined not to get a tree and hoard again. Sooo, lo and behold, i built a snowman!

Do you wana build a snowman?

I saw this over the Internet and was determined to get it done. So many trips to DAISO was made as i couldn't anticipate the number of cups needed. I must have used over 200 cups! To add to the hassle, not all Daiso sells the same things hence to hunt down the size of cup i needed was a bit of trouble. 

This is essentially a very easy task. Just staple one cup to the next. It will naturally form a circular shape. Only the head will be a full sphere whilst the rest are slightly bigger than a hemisphere so as to hold each layer up. The project took me only a few days and Big K helped in stapling. Great motor skill practice. Both kiddos helped in dressing up the snowman whom they now named as 'Rusty'. 

But merely having a snowman didnt seem enough hence i made some subtle decorations to the home. Am so loving this minimalistic look!

Here's sharing how we decorated our place: 

Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Home series: Furniture shopping

Sourcing for the right furniture is an arduous job. This is especially so when you have kids in tow and a work to run! The furniture could make or break the whole look and feel of your home. Hence I took it very seriously and went to several places to check things out. Our theme is skewed towards Scandinavian modern with probably some elements or industrial. Below are some of our sharings:

Our ID brought us to this place called Next Phase at Kaki Bukit Road, Enterprise One. It houses a collection of Korean inspired furniture called Daaz. They are simple and practical and we really liked what we saw. Only problem was the price tag. This three-seater sofa for example could set you back by $3980. It was hard to resist its sleek, minimalist design though. You could check out their website here for more inspirations.

We ventured next door at Enterprise One and chanced upon this store which sells a nice collection of wooden furniture. I love the quality of the wood. It is teak and is imported from the forests of Thailand and each piece is unique as their grains will be different. The prices however is a little hard to swallow. I believe the table itself is a whopping $5000?

City Extendable Dining Set. Great for parties as I can extend it! 

Atelier TV stand

I have been seeing a couple of ads on Facebook and decided to check out this place called Nook and Cranny. As much as I enjoy clicking the mouse and browsing through tons of photos, I still feel unsettled if I can't see the actual item. So I decided make a trip down to their brick and mortar shop. They are located at Blk 514 Chai Chee Lane #02-07 and have a good range of furniture. From Chinese antique furniture to industrial furniture range. A handful of home accessories are also available to help create a unique representation of your individuality. We managed to settle our dining set by getting the City Extendable Dining Set. It is priced at $1499! Pretty reasonable I would say! We also got a matching Atelier TV stand for $899. In order to save money plus to reduce fixtures, we didn't want to custom make a TV console hence had been searching for a long while for a suitable piece that was long enough to sit in our living room and THIS was simply perfect. Most of their bulky items has to be preordered, so do take note of the waiting time.

A hidden gem is Tan Boon Liat Building. If you haven't heard about it, it is located at Outram Road. This factory building houses a handful of furniture shops. The following are some which we have found: 

Journey East. You can find an eclectic range of furnishings of reclaimed teak wood furniture and hand-selected vintage furniture pieces here. 

Address: 315 Outram Road, #03-02, Tan Boon Liat Building 

The Beuro.

This company gets their inspiration from its environment. They redefine materials to create sculptural pieces. Unique. You may find industrial and contemporary pieces here.

Address: 315 Outram Road, #03-09/10 

Mountain Teak

They are a supplier of environmentally friendly teak wood furniture. They have good designs and caters to a wide range of interior styles.

The below is yet another shop which I saw online -- Castlery. It was popping up so often on FB, it was hard to miss. Once again, I needed to visit their brick and mortar shop at Delta House to check out the quality. The staff were very helpful and their selection was totally in sync with what we were looking for. 

We placed an order for the William Sofa in Dark Gray some time in March and had to wait for a few weeks before it arrived. No hurries since our place wasn't ready. However, when we unveiled the sofa, the colour was a stark different. (See above photo). It is supposed to be dark grey but it looked like it was more green than grey! I have since feedbacked and they have since sent someone to assess. And my hunch was right! The one we received was in Charcoal whilst the one we ordered was Dark grey. They are still in the midst of sorting things out with production. It has been a week now and things have not been sorted out at the time of print. In addition to that, we bought a standing lamp and was dismayed to find that light bulb holder had melted! See below photo. That spells Fire Hazard! We have tried to look for a similar light bulb holder but to no avail. We have since gotten a holder which doesn't fit well and had to use masking tape to adhere it. Their recovery was to either to do an exchange for a different piece or a full refund for the item. This, however, has shaken our trust in the product. I mean, shouldn't it be checked and tested before it was sent to us?  We had previously bought a bed frame cum side tables from them and had no issues. This time round, we were dismayed.

Next up, is one of my favourite place to shop -- TAOBAO! the largest online shopping mall from China! Seriously, everything comes from China these days so don't judge. However, there is a huge risk especially when importing big items. Quality is questionable. When people hear the words "Made in China", automatically a stigma is formed. Most buyers are resigned to a certain degree of risk when they shop for stuff which they have not touched or seen in person and hence have to accept that some flaws are part of the cheap deal. What I end up doing at times is to sell them away if I really don't like it. Shipping wasn't too bad as I consolidated my items and went via sea mode to save on costs. If you have more stuff, you could use freight forwarders who will charge by cubic metres. It is more economical for bulkier products to be charged by CBM. Wooden furniture sold on Taobao tends to be heavy due to the material used, so if you were to go by weight, it would definitely cost you. If the items aren't too heavy, you could consider using agents such as ezbuy (formerly known as 65daigou), Peeka, Etrove and many others. The list is endless and the process of shopping on this China eBay is addictive! You can find anything from a Nordic European Sofa, to a piece of sponge for your home! Below are some of my buys:

Majorly pleased with our bar stools! We could even choose the colour of the wood! Item came 90% close to the picture.



Adding an industrial touch to my study room. It was quite hellish drilling the holes though. Fortunately, the hubs is quite a handy man and with the right tools, it was up in a jiffy. 

This was another beauty from TB. My study table. There was a great selection of colours and the wood grain is lovely. Similar ones in Singapore could set me back by more than $600. This beauty was approximately $450 with shipping. The only problem we had with this was its depth! We were too engrossed in making sure the length was right that we forgot to check its depth! It couldn't enter my main door! It couldn't be dismantled either! I had thought that most furniture would come in pieces and that we had to assemble them somewhat like Ikea items. But this particular table wasn't quite like that. The frame was fixed so there was no way to unscrew things. Lesson to self: Check with the seller how it will be packed and ask for extra protection before purchasing! Our solution: to take down our fire rated main door and squeeze it in! Mind you, a fire rated door is extremely heavy! Thank goodness for helpful neighbour who came to the hub's rescue. Hub was trying to be hero and I was no help at all considering the weight and all. Another issue I have with the table is that the drawers have not rollers and hence are tough to pull in and out. You got to be careful not to pull it all out lest the entire drawer comes off! That said, I still love how the table matches my study room. 

If you are interested, the link for the study table is here. 

My Eames inspired chair. Love it! A steal at approximately $30! Link here.

So there we have it. Furniture shopping more or less done. Next up, I will share with you how I jazz up my little abode with little knick knacks! Stay tune!

Home Series: Lights, camera, action!

The correct lighting options can brighten your home style. Planning your home lighting is an important step. The hubs and I spent several hours thinking of what sort of light to use and what mood we wanted. We had to consider what tasks were going to be carried out in that particular room. Both design and function have to gel. The kids' rooms for example had to have ample lighting whilst our master bedroom needed something softer. There are various other factors to consider when choosing lights:

• Floor and surface may reflect or swallow your lights. 
• Ceiling height impacts the way you illuminate the room as well. Should you be lucky enough to have high ceilings, brighter lights can be spaced out. 
• Colour of walls. If you have a dark-coloured wall like our master bedroom, keep in mind that that tend to absorb light. Similarly for textured walls made of stone or brick. White light on the other hand reflects light hence the room would look brighter.

What do you think of this baby? Gorgeous right? It is meant to be a night light but I am planning on using it as a bedside table lamp. It didn't come cheap though considering that it is from Taobao. It cost me close to $40 per piece? I probably have bought the last two as the link is no longer working. 

We got this LED light for our master from Taobao. Many would probably shun at the thought of getting lightings or anything electrical from Taobao. We know how unreliable that may be. However, I tried to get it from a store with better ratings and more diamonds and crowns. Also, according to the hubs, who deals a lot with electricity in his job, such ornamental lights in Singapore didn't come with the safety mark anyways, so no diff. Biggest diff is in the driver of the lights. So fingers cross that that doesn't catch fire! *Gulp. The size we bought was of 52cm however, I kindof regretted it as it isn't as bright as we wanted it to be. Should have gotten a bigger one. Nevertheless, a nice designer piece like this would probably set us back easily by triple its price in Singapore. I got this at approximately $60 with shipping. Great deal right?

Here is the link to it: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=39817163391&toSite=main

I didn't want my house to be filled with boring old downlight hence here's another beauty for my study room to give the room a bit of an industrial look. A good an big lighting can be the talking point when guests come so I am hoping that its prominence would bring some chatters. Also, gotten from Taobao. I couldn't find a nice and decently priced one here and whilst browsing randomly one day, this beauty caught my eye and I had to get it. Cost me approximately SGD60 (inclusive of shipping). 

Here's the link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?ft=t&id=527913145018&toSite=main

Track lights have been in vogue of late. It can be used as mood lighting or general lighting. It goes really well with a industrial or Scandinavian  modern theme.

These boring lights are well, boring, but essential. It gives the place a minimalistic look. Too many pendant lamps will kill the feel of the place. Cove lights and downlight go hand in hand. To achieve a continuous glow effect, the strips of cove lighting has to be installed well. Be sure to cater enough width for overlapping.  We got these from a wholesaler at Kahki Bukit.

Switches are an integral part of the house. It is of utmost importance that you plan the position and the function of each switch. Like where would you like a two gang or a three gang to be? Would this switch be able to be controlled at another part of the house? Which lights do the switch control? Where do you need the sockets to be -- this depends highly on the things that you go about doing in the house which require a socket e.g. vacuuming. All these information has to be discussed and communicated well to the electricians because trust me, there are some out there who would simply not take initiatives and will have several lights controlled by one switch, thereby turning your house into a stadium! The hubs is particularly fond of Schneider's switches. He says it's the designer piece amongst switches. I have to agree with him as it has a softer touch than its cheaper counterparts. When turning off and on, it doesn't make the loud click click sound. Also, when it is switched off, you would see a small blue light which is enough to be my my night light. You may be wondering why is my switch placed horizontally but well, that's the design! Most switches would be vertical but ours are horizontal. Perhaps I'm a frog in the well, but this is pretty interesting isn't it?

Apart from Taobao and local brick and mortar stores lining Geylang and Balestier, we did check out a couple online lighting stores. Below are some of my favourites in no particular order of preference:

http://www.hipvan.com

http://www.lightsandco.com

https://www.castlery.com

The entire renovation journey thus far has been an exhausting one. From choosing laminates and flooring to lightings and furniture. However, one thing's for sure, the hubs and I got to bond more over this project and we have been talking about things other than kids! You know how you tend to loose yourself when you have kids? So this is a refreshing topic. That said, I wish things would move a tad faster! The wait is an arduous one!