This post is brought to you by the 3 sets of mattresses currently occupying space in my living room.

I’ve had to do a lot of research over the past couple of months about ways to get rid of an old mattress. I’m actually starting to see why there are mattresses dumped on the side of the road, it’s not always easy to dispose of them. There’s no city service in our area that will take them away and we don’t have a truck, so we’ve considered several options.

1. Ask if the company you bought the mattress from will haul the old one away - Though this wasn’t an option for us (long story), before you buy, ask if the seller will haul the old mattress set away. This will be worth your effort, I promise.

2. Post it for free on Craigslist - If the mattress is in decent shape, try posting it for free on Craigslist. You never know what people will want.

3. Take it to the city dump - If all else fails, borrow or rent a truck, hand over the money and take the mattress to the city dump.

4. Donate it to a charity - Though this option isn’t available as frequently as it once was, perhaps there’s a shelter or a refugee resettlement-type program in your area that will take usable mattresses. Donationtown may provide some ideas.

5. Look for a mattress recycling center - My research has shown that recycling mattresses is becoming more popular. Check Earth911 for an option near you.

I don’t know what we’ll end up doing, but it’s got to be soon, or we’re going to have to put Christmas lights on the things.

How about you? Do you have any suggestions for disposing of old mattresses? Pleas share in the comments below.

The holidays can be a crazy time of year with shopping to be done, preparing for guests and getting kids ready for exams. We’ve been out late a lot during the week lately, and traveling on the weekends, so there’s not been a lot of time to fix dinner. Since it seems my family insists on eating every night, I figured I should try to do something about feeding them.

As a matter of fact, I even had most of these things in the pantry and fridge already, so this was easy.

Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Slices (about 1/4 inch thick) baguette French bread(enough to cover a casserole dish)
olive or vegetable oil to brush on bread

1-2 pounds (depends on what size dish you’re using) frozen cooked Italian-style or regular meatballs, thawed. Works best if they are smaller, bite-sized meatballs.

1 bag frozen chopped onions thawed and drained (I sauteed mine, but I’m sure it’s fine without)

NOTE: you’re supposed to use the onions and green pepper mix to make it like an authentic meatball sandwich, but no one here but me likes green peppers.

1 1/2 cups pasta sauce (I used a tomato-basil one)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• Heat oven to 350°F. Brush 1 side of each bread slice with oil.
• Line the bottom and side of a casserole dish with bread, oil side up and slightly overlapping slices.

• Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
• In large bowl,  mix meatballs, onion (and bell pepper), and pasta sauce.
• Spoon meatball mixture into crust; and bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated in center.

• Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

It was a hit with everyone, and it’s been just as good the next day!