I have gastro. Go on. Be jealous

This is day 6 of having gastro. Seriously. I wake up every morning thinking - this is it! I am better. And then I am dumped straight back to where I feel like my stomach is Mt Vesuvius. 

My stomach is not a great place to be. It's not good. It's not pretty. And I feel so rotten.

Which is only made worse when I look on Instagram and see everyone's having fun. Getting ready for Christmas. Decorating. Gifting. Partying til the break of dawn. 

Damn you! I shake my fist from my bed. 

For me it's bed and the bathroom. No beyond. I'm double-handedly keeping the disinfectant business in trade. I'm pretty certain they've doubled their sales in the last week. Lucky them! 

The cat has been my constant companion throughout. Because who wants to spend time with Gastro Girl? No one. And I don't blame them. But the cat? He comes and sleeps on the bed during the day. He's my one true friend. Sigh.

And if one more person tells me to think of the weight loss - I am going to puke on them. Weight loss is the last thing on my mind when I feel like my stomach is about to explode. 

Please. Send me entertainment.

How to nail a good night's sleep (7 tips)

Sleep is such a big thing for me. 

I hate insomnia. I mean that in itself is the dumbest statement ever. I never heard someone they love insomnia. 

Lying in the darkness, ticking through conversations, your to-do list, and any other detritus lying about in your brain. You roll over and look at the clock. 2:21am. Surely you'll fall asleep soon. You lie there for what feels like forever. Toss, turn. Rearrange the covers. Toss, turn. Repeat. Look at the clock 2:26am. Ouch. You count sheep. Those sheep keep coming. Those sheep are not going to stop. 

You get up. Wander around the house. Find that the only movie on right now is Escape from Alcatraz. Not exactly the best sleep inducing fodder, but given your obsession with crime shows, it will have to do. At least the strolling and Clint Eastwood's hairline distracts you. Shakedown.  

After a while you think you'll test the waters and crawl back into bed. It's now 3:42am. Pretty soon the birds will start their morning song. The sun will start creeping it's way into the sky. Life outside your walls will become louder. But you just lie there. Blinking in the darkness. The frustration only works to further awaken you. 

You toss, you turn. Repeat. 

It's not until much later that your eyes become heavy. Your body starts to relax. And voomp. You're asleep. It's just flipped over to 5:16am. You're alarm goes off at 6:02am. 

Sleeplessness. Such a cruel beast. 

I've gathered seven tips to help make for a good night's sleep. Well here's hoping.

1. Don't go to bed with your phone: In fact, ban phones from the boudoir. You don't want your last waking hours to be staring at a lit up screen, being stimulated. Bedrooms are meant to be sanctuaries. Spaces of relaxation and rest. Research shows that you should have a full hour of screen-free time before you hit the sack. 

Oh but you use your phone as your morning alarm? Get a real clock and ditch your incessant social media check ins. Your sleeping self will thank you. 

2. Take a bath: It's science baby! Your body temperature naturally dips around 2 hours before sleep time and bottoms out at around 4am according to a 1997 study conducted by New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in White Plains, N.Y. When you soak in a hot bath your temperature rises, while the rapid cool-down afterwards relaxes you. A shower, though less effective, can work too.

3. Make a list: So often my mind is churning through the day that's been - and the day to come. I'm processing thoughts, to-do lists, and sometimes it won't stop. I'd love to be able to turn it off, but instead if your brain is busy, make a list. Keep a notebook and pen next to your bed so you can jot down anything that's keeping you up. There's a reason Santa makes lists and checks them twice. So he can sleep.

4. Routines aren't child's play: Get your mind into sleep mode with a routine. Putting out your pyjamas, brushing teeth, washing your face - it all helps your brain get prepared for sleep. 

5. Cut the caffeine: It's really a no-brainer, but try not to drink caffeine after 3pm, try a herbal tea instead.

6. Evict the electronics: By doing something relaxing, such as curling up in a comfy chair with a good book you'll be slowing down your brain. Try cutting out the tv and computer before bedtime so you can really relax. This will help melatonin production (a hormone that helps you get ready to sleep) - production of which is reduced when you're in bright light.

Which brings me to another point, dim the light in your bedroom, and use a small bedside light for reading and getting ready to tuck yourself in. 

7. Exercise: I find days when I exercise, sleeping can be a cinch. My body's worked hard, it's ready for a rest. And we've got the rhythm baby! But try not to exercise late. It brings your body temperature up, it stimulates you. And if you think you can't exercise because you're using the old "I'm too tired" line - that could be your problem. 

Research shows over and over that regular exercise improves heart health and blood pressure, builds bone and muscle and helps fight stress and muscle tension - and lifts your mood. 

Exercise can also help you sleep for longer and more soundly, and help you feel more awake during the day. WINNING!

Got any solid gold sleep tips to share?

Favourite Find:: The Flower Drum Pillow PJs

It seems lately that sleep evades me. 

Frocktober has coincided with a zany, crazy, uber, super busy time at work, and I've been up late, and out of bed early to get work done. 

Which is part of the reason I adore these pillow slips. Or Pillow PJs as Holly Hipwell of The Flower Drum calls them. And who could resist these Pillow PJs when they're so hilariously awesome? 

Clearly not me. 

I can imagine these babies on my bed, but I don't know which side I'd sleep on. I think I'd have to switch sides when I was in a cranky mood. 

And if you don't know who Holly Hipwell is, well I have to say - where  the bloody hell have you been? Only Sydney's coolest cat and friend to flowers of the world - particularly peonies. 

The Flower Drum Club vs The Badass Club Pillow PJs - $45 for a set of two 

Winter Bedroom Makeover With Adairs

This is a sponsored post

Matt and I talk a lot about our bed. It's the source of marital unrest. No. Not that. 

It's the blankets. And the layers. And the sheets. Particularly in Winter. 

At the start of the Winter season I declared that we were on the hunt for a Winter weight quilt. Matt looked at me blankly. I don't think he realised there were different weights for quilts - and that our regular quilt was not going to cut the mustard this Winter. Particularly if we were to get through the big cold without major tussles in the sack. 

I know I've written about it before. I like lots of layers. Matt, not so much. I love snuggling down under a plethora of blankets. Matt is not into it. I like both sheets -  fitted and flat. Matt likes just a fitted and a quilt. I say tomato. He says tomatoe. Potato. Potatoe. Let's call the whole thing off. 

Or should we?

Adairs gave me the opportunity to make over our bedroom. Keen to eliminate any rising tensions in our boudoir, I accepted the challenge. 

This is how it played out:

I know you think I am some kind of nanna, but I defy you! I am truly, madly, deeply enamoured by cotton flannelette sheets. Our house is like living in an igloo, and flannel just makes edging those toes into the depths of the bed so much easier. Flannelette is my friend, and I have convinced Matt that yes, flannelette does very well in our bed (particularly since I am not such a fan of the sweaty electric blanket). 

A brand spanking new quilt. HELLLLLO wool quilt. This. Is. Bliss. Just as light as our regular quilt, but so much warmer - and it's machine-washable. Did I mention how warm this little baby is? We went for a King size so that it drapes over the sides of our queen size bed. This has also reduced the number of bedroom tussles we have - there's no sneaky quilt thief cocooning themselves at night. There's plenty of quilt for everyone! Well the two of us at least. And two squirming bodies in the mornings. And sometimes in the middle of the night. Yawn. 

And just like your favourite t-shirt we opted for this awesome jersey quilt cover - it's super comfortable! The grey marle is a win with both Matt and I (I've never met a man that doesn't love grey marle), and is the perfect muted tone for our Winter bedroom make-over. 

I switched the lamps around in our bedroom, tidied up (heck if only you'd seen the mess of the before shot - actually, let's rethink that, so glad you couldn't make it over to mine), commissioned a family portrait by Tiny, and tossed some fresh tulips in a vase - et voila! Bedroom make-over complete!

If you feel the urge to give your bedroom an overhaul - head over to Adairs right now! The Adairs Massive Mid Year Sale is on, and you can snaffle some very excellent deals.

Are you a massive fan of flannelette sheets? 

Three Of The Best:: Bedlinen

Sleep. It's one of my favourite things to do. Which is why I have a vested interest in bedlinen. I could go really nuts on bedlinen. Really. I love the feel of climbing into fresh bedlinen of a night. It just feels so darn good. But whether it's the crisp hotel bed sheets, flannelette for Winter, or a super soft set that's ideal for Summer, I think your bed needs at least a bit of a wardrobe to switch things up in the boudoir. 

This week I take a look at three of my favourites. Giddy up! 

Fairhaven quilt cover set from Freedom $79.95: Nothing says nautical by nature more to me than navy stripes. Classic style for the boudoir, that mixes and matches so well with stripes, spots, bold colours or neutrals. You could really go nuts with this cotton sateen (super soft) set, I'd be adding some citrus highlights, this velvet cushion and that luxe throw and crawling into bed pronto!

Home Republic Modal Jersey queen quilt cover from Adairs $229.95:: Have you ever slept in jersey bedlinen? It is, I swear, like sleeping in your favourite t-shirt. It's seriously good, and fancier than sleeping in flannelette (one of my favourite things to do mid-Winter, I know, I am mega unsexy). It's so soft, and another excuse to climb into bed early. This modal jersey quilt cover just lifts things to the next level, plus it doesn't crease, so your bed looks fresh and ready around the clock.

The Heath duvet cover (queen) from Citta Design $219:: There's something that appeals to me about this quilt cover. It's like a vintage book illustration, and then it's splashed onto a duvet cover - which means I would have totally excellent dreams. And I love the palette too - dreamlike and dialling up my childhood memories = WINNING!  

Which is your favourite? 

Behind Closed Doors: In My Bedroom

This is a sponsored post.

I love sleep. Being in bed is almost my favourite thing. I don't get enough sleep - therefore I covet it. And it's well-documented that I really love bed linen. It's even in my bio. Obviously sleep and bed linen go hand in hand. I love them both. 

So when Adairs asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing their bed linen - well I could hardly turn them down in the pursuit of a better night's sleep, right?! I even got to peruse their bed linen online and choose what I wanted - hello!

After spending most of my weekend tidying our bedroom, moving furniture (one of my favourite past times) and re-making our bed - this is the end result. I'm pretty chuffed with it - and so is Matt - and that's pretty important given we share the bedroom. 

And before you say - "Hey PottyMouth, you didn't iron the cover" - well let me just inform you that I like a relaxed look in the boudoir. I can assure you nothing matches in our home - and that's the way I like it. An eclectic patchwork of pieces we've found on the side of the road (actually, I've found, and Matt's begrudgingly helped me re-home), and pieces that have been passed on to us - mixed with a few newer pieces here and there. I like linen to look comfortable and lived in. And PS - I don't have time to iron my quilt cover - who does (however I DO iron my pillowcases - I know, go figure).

So the pieces I chose are:

Vintage Washed Linen quilt cover:: oh aye carumba! This Home Republic quilt cover feels and looks like luxury. I am SO in love with this - it's pure linen, lightweight (perfect for Summer), and will last a long time - the more you wash linen, the luminous and softer it becomes. FACT!

Hotel Royale Cotton Blanket:: Matt and I constantly tussle over bedcovers. I like layers. He doesn't. But a cotton blanket is mandatory in our household - and this one ups the stakes in luxe in high quality cotton. Plus it's oversized so it fits our queen bed generously. It washes well and the charcoal colour is lush! It's probably a little unhealthy just how much I really love this blanket. 

Stella Zig Zag 250tc cotton percale bed sheets:: I'm a little nutty about chevron - and what better way to bring it into the boudoir (they also come in aqua) than with these Mercer + Reid sheets?! You can mix them back with a block colour too to change the look.

Vintage Paris cushion:: Once upon a time Matt and I went to Paris. He spoke French. I did not. I loved this Mercer + Reid cushion for its simple graphic - and love that it works with our whole room.

It feels so good to go to bed! 

The good news for you is that Adairs is offering PottyMouthMama readers 10% off across the site (includes full price and discounted items). The offer is available online only - and valid until January 31, 2013. (Can only be used once per user and can not be used in conjunction with any other offer). Promotion code is MAMA10. 

Really Very Pretty

I've recently just finished making the Doctor's quilt. It took such a long time, and I have such immense respect for those who make things with their hands.

Which is why I love this Kantha range that's new-ish to Freedom. Hand made in India, no two pieces are the same. There are throws, cushions and bolsters. I love the look of them layered all together, the nuances in each piece, the stories that those stitches can tell. Plus they are perfect for Winter, for layering onto your couch, or over the end of your bed. There's nothing I love more than snuggling under the blankets - layers and layers of them, whereas Matt protests, I feel like I am in my cocoon.

In fact, our bedding is a constant tussle with us. A bone of contention in our marriage. I pile them high, Matt prefers just a doona. I like an old school bed. Matt likes just a doona. I like bunkering down under 87 layers. Matt likes just a doona.

Someone talk some sense into the man.



Stuff. On My Bedside.

I have a mountain of stuff on my bedside table. Actually, a lot of it is Matt's stuff, because I decided we were swapping sides. Why? Because every single night one of the smalls would come in and wake me up. Every night. I got so exhaustipated that I said we had to do a "side exchange". Much like being an exchange student in a foreign land, I am now sampling the delights that are the other side of world bed. As part of this exchange I have inherited a whole stack of Matt's books, art catalogues and reading matter. 


On his side are some disinfectant wipes that are still there since Tiny had the vomiting lurgy. And another stack of books and some dust bunnies. It's a home interiors photographic dream, quite frankly. 


But back to my side. I have my nightly must-haves. Hand cream (this Aesop hand cream was gifted to me sometime again, and my goodness, it is certainly one of my favourites). And Blistex. I HAVE to have lip balm on before I go to sleep. Or I can not, will not go to sleep. I know. Go figure.


It's all part of my nightly ritual.


I also have a stack of newspapers next to my bed. I still read the news old school. I like the smell of newspaper, I love a broadsheet, and I keep those weekend papers there for the week so I can suck out the marrow of the news for the week. 


I am crazy like that.


What's on your bedside? 

The 'Pants' Talk

Last week I took the Doctor into the dentist to have a filling. But we wont' talk about that right now.


What I want to write about is the fact that I had to have a firm 'pants' talk with Tiny.


My little friend Tiny does not like pants. Too tight. Too 'comfy'. Too too too - too pantish. Tiny doth protest the pant.


The day was long and the day was cold, so I advised Tiny to wear some leggings. In fact, she had some new polka dot leggings and oh my! They look so cute on her. Ridiculous how cute.


Tiny is an advocate for choosing her own outfits - ever since she was a wee babe. So I've come around to it, and mostly let her choose - except when it's inappropriate to weather or place. You can wear that sheer ballet skirt. But not to the supermarket. No one needs to see your knickers.


Sometimes I work out options for her - give her two pieces to choose from, then she's got some independence and feels like she's making that choice. And usually she'll comply. And then return to her bedroom while I am otherwise occupied, strip off and either emerge completely newd, or in another random outfit. Like when it was super chilly this week - she came out in a t-shirt and ballet skirt. Then went outside and told me she was cold - and quite literally turned purple. Funny that. 


So this day last week - she had a complete meltdown after getting dressed. And I felt cranky and fed up with the tussle. The constant tussle. The hussle and bussle of the pants. 


She threw the biggest wobbly (or lobbly as she would say) for at least half an hour. Crying. Screaming. Fluctuating between inconsolable and completely angry with me. I forced her limbs into warm clothes - and she went on. We finally got into the car, and she sobbed throughout the short drive to the train station. We were about to catch our train when I stood in the street with her and pointed out that everyone was wearing pants. Or stockings. Or tights. It was pants-on Wednesday. It would have been a funny conversation to overhear. 


She detests the pants. 
I am pro-pants. 
She detests shoes - and always points out pictures where fairies are barefoot. 
I try and find pro-shoe fairies. It is a constant shift. 
Will she? Won't she? 


She's a funny little person that Tiny. I don't want to quash out her individuality - but I do want her to be warm. It's a quandary.
-------------------
Last night I crawled into bed downbeat and exhausted. Tiny awoke with vomit covering her bed, her pyjamas. Then cried. And cried. And I stripped the bed while Matt put her in the shower. Gastro is a wicked beast. 


PS  - Check out this ace piece I was included in. I didn't know until one of the other ace bloggers let me know. How cool! 

When Small People Won't Go To Bed. And Steam Comes Out Your Ears.

I am like this hamster running on one of those wheels. Running. Running. Running. And getting nowhere fast. 


Tiny is totally punishing me lately. 


All week she's been a reluctant sleeper, there have been raised voices. There's been hollow threats. And a threat of punishment (and I struggle with this because I can't think of anyway to punish her - because her response is always so non-chalant).  Once she's finally wrestled down to sleep - I find myself in the middle of the night pushed to the edge of the bed - with no covers on me. Cold, uncomfortable, and with no pillow.


This week her bed linen had been changed after an accident, and had literally been replaced, when she came out to me and told me her bed was wet. 


She denied denied denied, then blamed it on the Doctor and said he wee'd on her bed. I told her that the Doctor didn't do it (because I know the Doctor better than she does), finally she admitted that no, the Doctor had nothing to do with it. Instead she had been playing with water on her bed, and now her doona was wet through. 


I was pretty cross. 


It was one of those nights when you're like a jack-in-a-box, up and down, up and down, putting the smalls back into bed. Then they come out again. And so on for around 15 minutes. Then the steam starts to pour out your ears, and you walk them back and tell them once more - don't come out again. It's late. It's bed time. 


So this is where we were. I stripped the bed again when there was an almighty crash. I peer into the Doctor's bedroom and he's inadvertently smashed his bedside lamp. Glass everywhere.


If someone was checking my blood pressure, I think that cuff thing they put on would have been torn to shreds as I turned into the Incredible Hulk. 


Seriously. The bed humdrum is killing me. And not softly. 
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Images - despite being totally unrelated were something that made the smalls and I laugh today. We went to visit my sister, Sarah at Calico + Ivy today, and en route to get some smoothies, we spotted a plane vapour trailing his way through the sky. 'Marry Me'. We stood with our mouths agape looking skyward, causing other pedestrians to do the same. By the time the pilot got to me the marry had blown away and looked like a mangled version of the word. Whoever commissioned that - I hope they got in quickly. 

Tiny. Tiny. Tiny.

When will she learn? Tiny just can't expect to stay up to 11pm and soldier on the next day. Tonight she fell asleep with the book on her head. She not only had bags under her eyes, more like a whole collection of Louis Vuitton luggage. The girl's got stamina. But man oh man, when will she realise she can't burn the candle at both ends? Someone - answer this question that plagues me so! Matt called me to look at Tiny sleeping. I couldn't see her anywhere and thought she must be hiding. I had to look really hard to spot her, fast asleep under the book.

Ahh Sleep

Lately I've not been getting enough sleep. I seem to stay up later and later, whereas once I was one of those people who went to bed around 9:30pm, lights out by 10pm. I'm blatantly flouting my own rules and staying up 'til midnight. I miss the sleep. And I am grumpy in the mornings. I hate being grumpy.

Part of the problem is that I've started reading again. I've not been into reading in the last few weeks, but now I've hit my stride and I'm back into the books.

I've finished one and into the next. It's my plan to get through the backlog of books on my bedside before the year is out. It's not a resolution people, it's just a plan.

The Perfect Bed?

Matt and I have an almost weekly argument. It's almost a ritual. It's a ritual that has been carried out for most of our married life. Not in the beginning, because Matt was too polite. I say 'was too polite' because now he's told me the truth.

Controversially, Matt does not like sleeping with a flat sheet and blanket. He only likes a doona.

Me? I like a traditional bed. I call it traditional because I imagine the Queen sleeps on a properly made bed. Generations have slept this way. It's just the way it is. And I like it like that. Fitted sheet. Flat sheet. Cotton blanket. Doona. Quilt if need extra warmth. I like the option of switching things up. I don't like being too hot. I don't like being too cold. I am the Goldilocks of beds.

I like hospital corners. I like ironed pillowcases. I like multiple pillows.

Weekly we engage in a tug-o-war over the bed. And our bedding. It's not a heated argument by any stretch, but it's a niggling disagreement.

And Matt now wants to 'trial' sleeping with just a doona. What is he? Crazy? No way Jose!

pretty beds all found on Apartment Therapy

Oh Sheet.

A quick update for anyone interested (Mum, hi!), we've put Tiny back into the cot as we've been hit with a lurgy that's making anything new abysmally difficult and woeful. I might even have a case of man flu. And I'm not even a man. Making it worse was Tiny night-waking, which is still occuring because she is so congested and just keeps saying 'nose, nose nose' while rubbing snot everywhere. It's days like these I wish I had a job to go to. Oh I do. As a mother to two children.

In my days as a Mum I can fill my time with all sorts of important stuff. Like picking up Lego. Like picking up nappies that have been tossed aside by the likes of Tiny. Like folding endless piles of washing. Like avoiding the ironing pile until it topples over and the smalls have to cross it like a small creek of crumpled clothes. Like I said, important.

As a distraction I've cast my mind on ways to keep Tiny in her bed - when she's actually in her bed. Inciting the excita-bugs. I cast my web out to the network that is the interwebs, googling 'til the cows came home. And when they didn't return, I cast out my call out to my Twitter pals who totally came to the rescue when it comes to ridiculously cool linen for a bed with cred.

Here are some of my favourites.

Castle Bedlinen: Holy smokes - I love hotel grade bedlinen, and I love yellow, and I love spots. This combines all three. That hand-printed cuff is divine to the power of divine.

Rosenberg single quilt set from Kido Store

Rosenberg single quilt set from Kido StoreBoodalee duvet & pillow set - City from Kido Store (I adore this print, so cool)

Jacob & Bonomi Lil' Apple Cot set

Tree of Life single quilt set from Jacob & Bonomi

I want this on my bed - so cute! Dwell Studio 'Gio Lemon' Duvet set

Who wouldn't want Dwell Studio's 'Dots Chocolate' duvet set (am setting myself up for chocolate dreams, baby!)

This is such an awesome idea - a waterproof fitted single bed sheet made from silky Australian Tencel fabric - mattress protector and sheet all-in-one. That is an awesome idea - don't you think? Especially in the middle of the night when you need to strip beds, why not make it all one thing! GENIUS! From Ecobabe and also available in white and blossom pink.
And Australian designed Kideko's Sunshine bed set. Bright and YELLOW! Me likey.

Because That Was Such a Great Idea

Who made the suggestion to move Tiny into a big girl's bed? Who? Raise your hand. Put your hand up and tell me who.

Oh. It was... me.

Whoa nelly. What kind of a weekend has this been?

It's been the kind of weekend when Tiny gets her big girl's bed. And subsequently climbs out of it. Fifty million times.

Saturday heralded a new beginning. The beginning of the end of my sanity, given she was awake until 12:30am getting in and out of her bed, wheeling a trolley around in her bedroom, in half darkness. Until finally I could take it no more. I told her gently it was bed time and she must stay in there. I played with her hair until she fell asleep.

Then she woke up at 3:30am crying. 'What the heck? Where am I? What is this?? A big girl's bed?!' And then woke again at 6:30am which for me is equally as rude as being woken at 3:30am.

Sunday night I hoped for better things to come. She was tired after her night out and about. But as my sister Choc has mentioned before, the girl has stamina.

She was awake again until 12:30am. And even then I think she was playing possum. She came pitter-pattering into our room at 1:30am. I was up and down, up and down like a jack-in-the-box. I tried hard to coax her back into her bed to no avail. She finally settled in our bed, and throughout the night I found her in different positions, including sitting on my head. If I so much as moved, she'd throw a huge spac attack.

I don't so much need a life buoy now as I need a nanny and a really good nap. Without small feet pattering in to see me and sit on my head every ten minutes.

Is it wrong, that right now I'd swap a little siesta with this little donkey for my cheeky mouse of a daughter?

Image found when googling images of a sleeping baby. Et voila - the image I never knew I wanted. A sleeping donkey and a baby. Google, you really are so good to me.

My Place and Yours:: Bedside

I was lucky enough to be Theme Queen for this week's My Place and Yours. I chose bedside. Probably not a wise move on my behalf because my bedside is a breeding ground for unread reading matter and a petri dish of sorts for dust. Dust! (Marjorie Dawes can come and eat at my bedside if she likes?)

It must be told that I am pedantic about my bedtime regime. I can not go to sleep without applying lip balm (and this comes in the form of my favourite non-lip balm product Lansinoh - perfect for cracked nipples AND lip balm) and my L'Occitane hand cream. Will not go to sleep without them. You might think I'm crazy, and quite frankly, I will have to agree with you.

Other bedside matter, Tiny's 'radio' or 'phone' (as the Doctor calls it) because I can NEVER hear her through the walls), some pretty books, a hair piece made by Nan and a Moleskin notebook and pen. Because all the best thoughts come in the darkness.

What you don't see is a pile of ever-changing magazines. My favourite of them all is Australian Country Style. Every single month, I snuggle into bed and nights on end, devour each and every page. Such a dreamy magazine.

Blogtoberfest Day 21: Bedside

Before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, I have no idea whose this photo is. If it's yours let me know and of course I will fully credit you! I stuck it in my inspiration folder, and er, I didn't tag it correctly. I love it. I'd like it to be my bed. Maybe we could share? I come with a husband and two smalls. It'd be squashy. But as long as you didn't get your mattress off the side of the road, we're tight.

Anyway, what am I banging on about today? I am the THEME QUEEN for Pip's new meme. Are you a signed up member? If not, click over here (but not before you read this). My theme for this week - BEDSIDE.

Are you fostering a range of dust bunnies next to your bed? Do you have a forest of used tissues tucked under the mattress? Is bedtime precarious because of your leaning tower of books? Or are you growing something in an old glass of water? We want to see it. Messy. Tidy. Styled. Whatevers. Just show! Ok you can go forth and click over to Pip now!

image via

Blogtoberfest Day 19: Bedtime Reading

See this? See this? After a hard day cleaning all the windows, waiting for the cleaner (oh bummer, that's me), general house hold duties, re-arranging, baby whispering, as well as paying work, well I am looking forward to crawling into bed with the new Frankie.

Magical March: Sneaky Day 5

Autumn is playing with me. Already racing me up in the morning, making it all crispy, cool. What a flirt!

Late at night I jump into bed, rustle under the covers, try to get a little warmer and ahhh - bliss, I am asleep. Tiny slept through last night. What a champ!

This morning I woke to a duller morning, I could even call it a little bit cold. I grabbed my hoodie and got the washing on.

While it's mundane, days at home are some of my very best. I love being able to hang the washing out at my own leisure. The Doctor and I have made a simple banana cake, the smell has filled the house with that goodness. Tiny has given herself a beauty treatment with a Laughing Cow cheese (she must have read in Baby Love that it's good for her hair and complexion). Life is good. Autumn is super.

So Autumn, we're in love. Even if you don't know it yet, we're in crazylove.

The Real First Day

It's the Doctor's first full day at pre-school. I'm fluctuating between being teary and trying to get all the boring jobs done before pick-up. Tiny's in a grumpy mood sleeping, so I'm washing, baking, blogging and trying to tidy this never-tidy house. I hope the little dude is ok.

This is a photo of my two punks together this morning. Tiny - as mentioned - in a filthy mood. Needless to say, she has not been introduced to the puppy (from my previous post) as yet. Once she is, I am sure she can turn that frown upside down.