Smart Sleep even when your kids don't

If you have read my blog before or follow me on my social channels you may already know that this little man above doesn't sleep fantastically well and is up every night at some point meaning I'm on tired mama. We have tried everything to get him to sleep through but nothing has worked as of yet which means the hours I do get need in between wakes need to be quality sleep so that I can be a functional member of society which is not always the easiest of tasks when sleep deprived. Of course the more tired you are throughout the day due to lack of sleep, the easier it will be for you to make mistakes, lack energy or feel overwhelmed. While it is true that getting the right amount of sleep is important in my case right now that is harder said than done but still there are things I can do to improve the sleep I do get and hopefully these tips can also be useful for you to achieve better sleep at home. Taking a look at a Brooklinen review  will give you enough information to ......

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Moving on up - From cot to bed

It feels like I blinked and my youngest has gone from a newborn to a toddler in no time and is learning things at such a fast pace. He watches his older brother like a hawk and is so eager to get involved and keep up with him.  Every morning he climbs over me as we co-sleep most nights and the first thing he does is go to his brothers room to see if he is awake and tries to climb into his bed, which doesn't always go down well with my eldest. As soon as Baby G is up he is going a hundred miles an hour and I think things have happened quicker the second time around such as walking, using cutlery and his communication skills because he has an older sibling to look up too. Even though like I said we co-sleep nearly every night and my youngest is yet to actually spend any time over night in his own bedroom we feel thats it's not going to be that much longer that he will be ready to go from the travel cot that is right next to our bed to his own toddler bed so w......

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Styling a guest bedroom

When we move we are hoping to have a small study space or extra guest bedroom where our friends can come and stay for a few days and explore the Welsh Capital. Being an expat means that I have lots of friends and family who I would love to visit and the prospect of being able to style a space like this is very exciting.  Of course space would be limited, a spare room would most likely be the small space such as a box bedroom so keeping things simple but stylish is key to making the most of the room. I have put together a little moodboard of a few key bedroom accessories I think would make the room feel welcoming, comfortable and cosy but still on trend.  1. In a small room the main furniture would consist of the bed, side table and small wardrobe so space for a large lamp may be limited so this Copper Desk lamp would be a great space-saving choice. 2. I love notebooks and when I travel it's often the time I feel most inspired to write something down, so ha......

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Get your Guest bedroom ready this Christmas

Having parents of two different nationalities meant we always had visitors growing up, mainly from my mothers side who would come over from Wales to South Africa for the warmer climate, often over the festive seasons. Luckily we had a large enough house to accommodate most of them and my mother always made sure the guest bedroom was ready should anyone need it. Not everyone has a large extra bedroom but that doesn't mean you still can't open your house to visitors, perhaps you could opt for a sofa bed in your living room, or sort out that cluttered box room and turn it into a relaxing space with a day bed, or perhaps there is an attic waiting to be converted, either way here are some top tips for stylish a guest bedroom to ensure it feels like a welcoming place. Just remember that your guests are not expecting hotel standards but there are a few cost efficient extras that will add comfort and ensure that have a happy and restful stay. How to create a stylish guest bedr......

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Monday interiors - a Beautiful bed

Oh restful sleep, such a beautiful thing and something I have been lacking of late with the baby. A solid 8yrs really is the stuff of dreams right now but I know we will get there in the end and it's certainly made me think more about making the most of our bedroom space and creating as much of a peaceful haven as possible, even if the nights are broken at the moment. The one thing I am going to be replacing this week is my pillow, which has lost all it's life and instead of being a soft comfy haven for my head it's turned into a flat and lifeless piece of material. I know this would make a world of different straight away. It's always the little changes that really help and I thought I would put together a list of tips that I have learnt along the way on my journey of trying to achieve restful sleep. 1. Invest in the best Mattress you can afford , at the end of the day you are going to be spending a lot of time on it and you want it to last. A high......

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Kids interior chic

We are currently finishing up redecorating Mr A's bedroom, walls are painted, shelves are up, toy box up cycled and now we are on a search for a new bed as it's been long overdue for him to move from his toddler bed to a full sized one. He wants a small cabin bunk bed or something at least fun and unusual, now we don't particularly like novelty interiors and furniture but Cuckooland and Made.com have such unique and inspiring pieces that capture childhood and chic perfectly, such as these fun teepee beds and bunks with dens below. At the end of last year we bough some bedding and a print for our living room from Made and have been really impressed with the quality and design and would love to pick up one or two things for Mr A's room as finishing touches such as the bunny cushion and these cool mini chairs in various bright colours to add a bit of pop. Hopefull we will find a bed soon that suits him, is comfortable, practical and fits into......

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Surprising Bedtime Habits

I have to admit I really don't get enough sleep, I know this is a problem and something I really need to work on. As I do the most of my work in the evening I have fallen into the bad habit of going to bed late, even when I am not working I just can't seem to lay my head down early. Perhaps it's worst now as I know when the next baby arrives I will have to take any hours to sleep that I can. I found this infographic really interesting below as clearly I am not the only one who is not getting enough sleep and there are some really surprising bedtime habits causing people problems. If you are struggling with getting a god nights sleep and think it's down to your bed than there is an amazing giveaway on Life With Munchers blog to win a beautiful double bed from carpet right worth £299 This is a collaborated post...

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A night in Mayfair

Our beautiful hotel room and me relaxing on our balcony before heading out   I touched on our little night away in a post two weeks ago and thought I would share our little city break with you in more depth. For Johns 35th birthday he didn't really want anything in particular but he was keen to visit a few stores in London we often had to give a miss if Mr A is with us and it seemed like ages since we had had a day to ourselves just as a couple. So I decided to book a night at the St James Hotel in Mayfair as his present, paired with some cash back I had been saving up and also taking advantage of our two together railcard it meant that a little bit of luxury was in order and St James did not disappoint, it was in fact our first 5 star hotel stay we have taken together and they kindly upgraded us to a deluxe room with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a wonderful balcony and the biggest bed we have literally ever slept in. The location of the hotel is also great as it'......

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Sweet Dreams - Bed perfection

I think this is a good quote to live by ( image ) It's surprising how many of us sleep on uncomfortable, old and basically unsuitable beds, especially when you think how many hours we spend on this one piece of furniture. Surely it should be one of the most important purchases we make, yet we often overlook, even John and I can put our hands up and say that we have gone for way to long without replacing our bed and it's now being put to the top of the list of must have things for the house, especially since sleep and the quality of your sleep is so important to your physical and mental wellbeing. \ How beautiful and cosy does this bed look? ( image ) Personally I find lack of sleep really does affect my mood and makes me less attentive and when you have a toddler running around if your not on your game it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or get a little short with them, which is not fair on them. Also you are more likely to eat more when you are tired whic......

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