Anniversary Bash #6: Hayneedle {Review & $100 Gift Certificate Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to those who entered!}

With Big Sister E's fourth birthday approaching in just a few short months, I'm amazed to look back and see all of the milestones that have come and gone since her birth. She crawled, she walked, she fed herself, she moved from a crib to a toddler bed, she conquered potty training, she became the older sibling... sometimes I just can't believe all that has happened in the past almost-4 years.

Recently, however, I noticed one of those achievements was in need of a little... adjustment. As both of my daughters are quite tall for their age (which is baffling, considering I'm only 5' 4") Big Sister E was starting to look a little scrunched in her toddler bed. If she actually stretched out fully, she was nearing both the head and foot of the bed at the same time and every time she turned over she was closer and closer to sliding right off.

So, the obvious next step was to start looking for a larger bed. And when I shop online, I want a site that is easy to navigate, has a huge selection and provides a great value. I didn't want to just settle for the first twin bed that I found and be done, I wanted to be able to browse multiple options and find the one that would fit our decor, style and personality. The obvious choice? It was time to shop at Hayneedle.

It only takes one visit to Hayneedle to prove that their tagline, "Variety, Sweet Variety," couldn't be any better written. With over 200 specialty stores that are each devoted to a single product category, narrowing down precisely what you are looking for is easily done with just a few quick clicks of your mouse.

Shopping for a wind chime? Try WindChime.com. How about a Fondue Pot? Everyone needs one of those. Hayneedle has electric, candle, gel-fueled... they're all there at FonduePots.com. Does your dog need a new kennel? DogKennel.com has every size and shape home that your pampered pet will ever need. See the pattern?

So when it came to a new bed for Big Sister E, I couldn't think of a better site to go to than SimplyKidsBeds.com. Ah yes, the variety. There were categories for Kids' Bunk Beds, Kids' Loft Beds, Kids' Trundle Beds... and what we finally decided on couldn't have fit the description of what we were looking for any better. All we had to do was sit back and wait for the South Shore Summer Breeze Mates Twin Platform Bed to arrive.
Showing up in one long, heavy box, the pieces to Big Sister E's new platform bed were all clearly labeled with step-by-step instructions. Normally I am the one who puts things together around here, but my husband was so eager to get this bed together that he went right to work laying out the parts and getting the construction underway.
After not much time at all, the frame was complete and I could already tell that the laminated engineered wood was plenty strong and durable for any amount of sleeping (or jumping) that my girls would do on this bed. All that was left was to lay out the included mattress and it was ready for a test.

Did you catch that? The mattress was INCLUDED. How cool is that? I love the idea that you can order a bed from Hayneedle and not have to worry about making a separate mattress purchase, what a time and money-saver! In fact, as well as the 14 select beds that come with a free mattress, there are even 9 gorgeous bunk beds that come with TWO free mattresses - a doubly great deal!

So, after laying out the mattress and dressing it up with a fun set of sheets, the whole family stopped to admire the newest milestone that Big Sister E had reached.

We couldn't be happier with the South Shore Summer Breeze Mates Twin Platform Bed and how well it has worked out. The profiled edges are smooth and safe for Big Sister E and the three spacious drawers have already added great storage to the room. I know she also really loves her new "big girl bed," not only because she frequently tells us so, but because any time she catches me stretched out in it she is quick to point out that it is hers and hers alone.

Hayneedle truly is a great place to head for just about anything for home, work or play. Their range of interesting product options, extremely easy-to-navigate stores and the overall caring feeling you'll receive from their customer service just can't be beat. As all of their sites are conveniently connected to one shopping cart, you just never know what you might find as you browse... and with their competitive prices (Big Sister E's bed is sold on Hayneedle at 30% less than retail!) you'll always walk away with a bargain.

Ready to shop? Thanks to Hayneedle's generosity, one person will get to have their pick of the Variety, Sweet Variety found on their 200+ stores, because...

One lucky person will win a $100 gift certificate to Hayneedle!

To enter to win: Visit Hayneedle and leave me the link to an item that you might like to purchase with this gift certificate.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Hayneedle on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook. 1 more Extra Entry if you leave the following message on their wall: Hayneedle has it all! I just entered to win a $100 gift certificate at Thanks, Mail Carrier! http://bit.ly/dCkSLM
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Anniversary Bash #6: WIN a $100 Hayneedle gift certificate from @hayneedle! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/dCkSLM #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
1 Extra Entry if you put my Anniversary Bash button up on your blog. And, for the people who put it up BEFORE the event started (I have a list), 3 more extra entries on top of that.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Hayneedle. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on August 19th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A huge thank you to Hayneedle for providing the South Shore Summer Breeze Mates Twin Platform Bed for review as well as a $100 gift certificate for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.