My name is Yuni and I run my own lifestyle and design blog, Love Your Abode. First and foremost, I'm a wife and mama to 3 awesome kiddos. I also work as an interior decorator. You can find me blogging about all things affordable design, DIY, healthy recipes and life as a mom.

Deciding to Become Foster Parents

As if we weren’t busy enough, for the last few months, our family has been preparing our home to care for a new foster child. Deciding to become a foster parent was a huge personal decision for me. But after learning that there are more than 415,000 children and youth in foster care on any given day in the US, I wanted to do something big to help.

Once I made the decision to become a foster parent, I quickly learned that there’s a lot of work that goes into it — I’ve loved documenting every step of the journey on my blog. As we get ready to welcome this special child into our lives, I am so grateful for the generous help of Mattress Firm, quite literally helping my family rest easier at night. ?

Creating a Cozy Sleep Sanctuary

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One of the guidelines for becoming a foster family requires that each child in the house has his or her own bed. To make room for our new foster child, we decided to move our youngest daughter into her big sister's bedroom and get them bunk beds. That way, our foster child could have his or her own space. Our daughters were so excited that they could be involved in getting the home ready for our new addition.

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To create a comfy, restful retreat for our foster child, I filled the walls and empty space with trinkets and décor from around our home, sticking with a rustic-comfortable theme that would work for either gender. I wanted to make sure I was putting just as much effort into this room as I did with my biological children's bedrooms.

I love DIY and creating one-of-a-kind pieces that add charm and beauty to any space. To give the room a home-y feel, I repurposed this vintage dresser with some chalk paint and gave it new life.

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Because we don’t know the age of our foster child yet, I kept the room suitable for any age by adding a variety of books and toys. In to a plush mattress, adding extra blankets and pillows made for a super warm and cozy bed. With the uncertainty and anxiety that comes with being in foster care, the last thing we want our foster child to worry about is a good night’s sleep.

With help from Mattress Firm, we also used this moment as an opportunity to get new mattresses for our two youngest daughters. During a time of change, they’re sure to experience restless nights, so we wanted to be sure that their mattresses were helping them sleep soundly.

What is Mattress Firm Foster Kids?

I knew Mattress Firm was the perfect partner for this project when I heard about the "Mattress Firm Foster Kids" program, designed to support foster children. The program has partnered with foster care organizations throughout the country to provide hundreds of thousands of foster children with new clothes, shoes, school supplies and more, serving to improve the lives of foster children.

Mattress Firm Foster Kids Pajama Drive

A recent Mattress Firm study found that people who sleep in pajamas actually fall asleep more easily and wake up feeling rested. If there’s one thing that a foster child will need coming into a new home, it’s a restful night’s sleep.

From now through February 18, Mattress Firm stores are collecting donations of new pajamas of all sizes. These pajamas stay within the community and are distributed to select foster care partners with the help of the Ticket to Dream Foundation. I highly encourage you to locate your nearest Mattress Firm and make a donation! Not only will your donation help give a foster child a better night’s sleep, but it will equip foster families to help bring a sense of normalcy back to their foster child’s life — and that is a priceless gift.