From the Publisher's Desk

Dear Friends

I hope absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes I feel like my life is balanced on a scale that resembles an octopus with legs weighed down by any number of things I'm juggling.

However, the holidays are the perfect time to reflect on the things one loves, family and friends. When thinking of family and home, and how to happily combine the two, we consider a few of our favorite things.

The lowly sofa bed has come a long way from slumber torture device. Today, there are many options which work as well regular beds and are even intended for every night use. The Ektorp sofa from IKEA is a nice traditional style, nearly indestructible, comes in a variety of sizes and doesn't cost more than a new Toyota Yaris. Another multi-tasking sofa includes the flying bed variety. Flying beds are the hip, stylish and urban cousin to the Murphy beds of yore. Besides being a place to sit, some of these options include tables.

Another thing we love is multi-use disposable dinnerware. It's sturdy enough to wash and reuse. However, when the guests are gone, you can recycle it without feeling too guilty.

When all is said and done, the important thing is not the size of the space, it's what's in the space. Hopefully yours is as full of good cheer and holiday spirit as ours!

Suzanne Dreitlein
Publisher