Google Checkout Rocks!

Okay, it has been a few months since we implemented Google Checkout on our retail sites (we sell loft beds & bunk beds ), and the response has been overwhelming. I honestly had no idea that so many people used the Google service, but over 25% of our customers have paid that way.

Google Checkout is similar to PayPal, in that both systems prevent vendors and others from seeing your credit card or banking information. The way that works is that you provide your financial info to Google or PayPal, and whenever you purchase something, they will act as a middle man, transferring your funds to the vendor, without the vendor seeing your information.

Have you ever purchased something online, then all of a sudden your inbox begins filling up with spam? That is because some vendors will sell your information to "marketing" companies, who may resell your email address. There are also vendors who will send you emails on a regular basis announcing special offers and other sales pitches. It just gets to be too much after awhile.

The way Google Checkout is superior to PayPal, is that they also protect your real email address. If you purchase something and want to keep your email anonymous, Google Checkout will create an email address for you. It looks something like this (YourFirstName-bq83u32h38g@checkout.google.com). The vendor will never know your real email address, which means they can't send you spam or sell your email address to a spammer.

If you have an online store, Google Checkout is also superior to PayPal in that they will automatically send the money to your bank account, so you don't have to go in and withdraw funds all the time. It just makes things run smoother and automatically.

So, I have to give Google Checkout 4 stars. I would've given them 5, but only because I can't find a way to import my sales reports into QuickBooks. Maybe there is a way, so if you know of one, please let me know. :)

Types of Bunk Beds

Bunk beds become more versatile and creative with each passing year. It is amazing to see the opportunities that await you to not only save space by utilizing a room’s vertical area but create a theme for the room in the process. The possibilities are endless with optional configurations of bunk beds and creative combinations to maximize your available floor space.

The different types of bunk beds available include:

* Standard
* Twin combined with full
* L-shaped
* Futon
* Loft
* Loft bunk bed with a tent and a slide
* Bunk beds that separate

A standard bunk bed usually indicates two twin mattresses, a lower and an upper, stacked one above the other.

A twin combined with a full mattress has the twin mattress on the upper level and the full mattress on the lower level. The lower level would then take a slightly larger horizontal space than if it were a twin, and the appearance is that of a staggered line.

An L-shaped bunk bed configuration combines pieces of furniture so that it ends up resembling an “L” if it were to be viewed from above. This “L” creates a niche where a computer desk or television set could be placed. This area could also make a great study place for the student.

A futon bunk bed has a twin mattress on the top bunk and a Western-style futon on the bottom bunk. Futons originated in Japan, with the Western-style futon recognized as the United States’ counterpart. The Western-style futon is designed to be used as a bed and/or a couch when the futon is propped up. This is just one more multi-purpose use bunk beds can offer.
A loft bunk bed is perhaps the most versatile unit. A loft bunk bed combines a twin or full mattress on the top bunk with several options possible underneath the bed frame. In the area available under the top bunk bed frame, you could position a chest of drawers, cabinets, or you could utilize the space for extra storage, or use it as a desk for your computer and accessories. You could also add a trundle, or hide-able, bed in a sliding drawer at the bottom of the structure, capitalizing on yet more possibilities. The trundle bed will be on rollers, or casters, so as to let the bed roll out from a bottom drawer for use and roll back in when the extra bed is no longer needed.

A loft bunk bed with a tent and a slide is another idea to make your child’s room and bedtime experience an adventure. This option uses a twin mattress on top with a tent over and enclosing a play area below. You can choose from different tent colors and designs. You can also purchase coordinating accessories. It is generally recommended that a child under the age of 6 not be allowed on the top bunk bed.

Bunk beds that separate can be helpful if a spare room opens up for a sibling who was previously sharing a room. The bunk beds can separate into two beds, with one being able to be moved to the newly available room, leaving the other sibling’s bed in place.

Also, the separation of bunk beds can be useful for overnight guests that would be more comfortable sleeping closer to floor level. This is yet another sign of the bunk bed’s versatility.

Bunk beds can be constructed of wood, metal, or a combination of both. You can leave the luxurious natural wood finish or you can apply a color to the wood to coordinate the bunk bed with your theme for the rest of the room. Metal frames for bunk beds can be fashioned into many different patterns, including a wavy pattern and a z-shaped pattern.

When choosing a bunk bed, you can hardly go wrong as there are so many options for use possible; you will be able to make a combination work in some form.

Why Choose Bunk Beds?

Why should you choose bunk beds for your home? Bunk beds can bring a myriad of endless possibilities to your living space. If you are a little cramped for space, or you want to create more available floor space in a room, bunk beds may be just the answer you are seeking. There are twin bunk beds and combination bunk beds with a twin mattress on top and a full mattress on the bottom, as well as loft bunk beds which can offer considerable storage space. There are bunk bed options available for any room scenario you are trying to create.

Bunk beds save space

Bunk beds come in all shapes and sizes. There are bunk beds that come with enough compartments for practically everything you could possibly need space for, all in one beautiful piece of furniture that doesn’t take up much area at all. Bunk beds use vertical space as opposed to horizontal space. This frees up floor space for other needed uses. Bunk beds are great for compact or studio apartments where you need all the space you can get. Loft apartments are growing in popularity, converting large buildings in highly populated cities into individual living spaces. Bunk beds can help you creatively use your available area in a loft apartment.

Bunk beds are attractive

Bunk beds are crafted from various wood types that can accentuate your room’s décor. The wood can remain in a natural state or it can be painted to match the color scheme of your room. You can also purchase bunk beds made with metal frames, if metal suits your needs better than wood. There are bunk beds with spindles on the ends and without, and there are all-in-one units that serve multi-purpose uses in one compact place that can be aesthetically pleasing in its design.

Bunk beds are fun

Bunk beds offer a different alternative from a standard bed. For children and teens, bunk beds offer a sense of fun. Siblings can stay close to each other, yet have their own space to sleep. Youngsters can pretend they are in a fort, on a pirate ship, or a damsel in distress awaiting rescue from the knight in shining armor who will climb up the ladder to save her; bunk beds tend to let one’s imagination soar.

Bunk beds give you more available space for overnight guests

Birthdays, parties, family reunions – we all love those great get-togethers. Wouldn’t it be great to have extra overnight bed space for those special loved ones that you don’t get enough time to visit with? Have a fun-filled day of activities, enjoy a leisurely evening with no one in a rush to get home, because they will be home for the evening, and get a fresh start the next morning. Bunk beds can help give you that opportunity.

Bunk beds for children/teenagers

Bunk beds are a must for older children or young teens having to share a room with another sibling. Bunk beds give each child his or her own space. Sleeping on the top bunk bed is generally not recommended for children under 6 years of age, due to the fact they are more likely to fall. Guard rails on both sides of the top bunk bed mattress can help prevent falls from occurring. A secure bunk bed ladder and a night light can also be beneficial.

Some types of bunk beds can be taken apart and used as a regular bed. If a teenager has an opportunity to move into his or her own room at some point, he or she already has a bed to furnish it with, leaving the child sharing the previous room with his or her own bed as well.

Bunk beds serve multiple purposes and are a diverse piece of furniture that can work in practically any living space.