Tuesday, February 12, 2008

My bed buddy

No, it's not what you're thinking.

And no, it's not that, either!

When I entered the term in Google Images, I was a little worried about what might come up, but there it was, first thing. (The rest of the page was G-rated, too. I can't vouch for later images. Feel free to go explore on your own.)

I wanted to share with you this simple item that can make your life a little more comfortable. It's simply a cloth bag filled with wheat that you heat in the microwave for a couple of minutes and which then stays warm for a half-hour or more. Maybe you've seen them, or used one to ease a sore neck. They cost about $10 at Walgreen's.

Well, I get cold easily. Especially my hands and feet. Bed Buddy to the rescue! I have one at work (where the thermostat is often set at Glacial) and put it around my neck or use it as a wrist rest. At home, I heat one up before I go to bed and throw it under the covers. Once I climb in, it has warmed the sheets a little, and I wrap it around my feet. Cozy!

And this may make you laugh: I took my old tiny microwave (there's a nice new one that came with the kitchen) and put it in the bedroom closet, so I can heat my buddy without running downstairs. It's like living in a fancy mansion with a phone in the bathroom! (Remember when that seemed like the height of decadent luxury?)

Laugh if you will, but my toes are toasty. If you have cold feet, too, give it a try!


  1. Oooh, speaking as a cold-footed one...this is going on my shopping list.

  2. I like the microwave in the closet. I have three bed buddies of the four-footed variety and one two-footed kind, and they tend to warm the joint up pretty quickly. Sometimes a little too quickly, once the temperature gets out of the 50s, but that's another worry for another couple of months down the line.

  3. I think it's a brilliant idea.
    I rely on these heat packs for monthly pains, and in winter and also have one at work, which is an old building and takes all day to warm up!
    They're also great for a back ache..
    ..and the kids have one each for winter nights ~ safer than a hot water bottle :O)

  4. I've seem something similar at the mall, where those annoying sales people chase me down to try to throw one on my neck. It makes me soooo uninterested in the item.
    But coming from you, I just might go back and try them out!

  5. Aren't they great, Gina?

    Diane, the mall versions might be worth a try if they're cheap. But don't let yourself get talked into some pricey aromatherapy vibrating satin-covered kind that plays soothing ocean surf and rainforest sounds. The basic bed buddy is about $10 at Bed Bath and Beyond or Walgreen's.

    Roois, you could also stitch up your own or just use knotted sock, and fill it with rice, whole wheat (you can get it from a pet store) or beans, such as lentils. Just don't leave it in the microwave too long!

    Lisa, Sophie refuses to stay on my feet, and no one else should have to suffer from my frigid digits.

  6. Our two cats sleep exclusively on feet. Which is nice and cozy until you want to move.

  7. These are great... I'm a huge fan of tube socks filled with rice!

  8. I first encountered something like this in South Dakota at a craft fair. A woman whose husband is a wheat farmer made them with flannel covers, using wheat from their farm. I loved mine to pieces (literally). I had no idea you could make your own so easily!