Silent Night Help Me Get a Great Night's Sleep

Last Thursday night I was caught up reading my book, The Three by Sarah Lotz. I pushed through my sleepiness at 11pm as I wanted to keep reading, and when I finished around 1am, suddenly I realised I wasn't sleepy. Usually I'd put something on to watch on my ipad, but instead I tried to stay tech-free and just attempted to sleep. Come 6am I was still lying there sleepless, and when it was that close to getting up time I didn't want to sleep & then feel kind of sick trying to get him to school. So after the school run I just had a nap. 

I took to Twitter to have a rant about my sleepless night, and Silent Night Beds tweeted me asking could they send me something to help me next time I'm awake staring at the ceiling. 

This morning this gorgeous Sanctuary Spa set arrived, the trademark Silent Night hippo & chick in plush form, and lots of advice on how to avoid sleepless nights. The Sanctuary stuff smells amazing. It reminds me of sun lotion scent, but in a good way that I now smell like I'm on holidays. I've the hand cream on and I'm just sitting smelling my hands.

Look at those goodies! It was almost worth the sleepless night! 

The Silent Night site has a dedicated section with tips and facts on sleep including a sleep clinic if you have questions http://www.silentnight.co.uk/sleep-matters/

Some of the main pointers for maintaining good sleep routines are: 

1. Having a relaxing, clutter-free sleep environment. Keep the bedroom for bed. No iPads, laptops or phones in bed (this would be a tough one for me!) 

2. Have a winding down routine. We used to do this with our kids, half an hour before bed you quiet them down, read a story etc. A relaxing bath perhaps with lavender is also a natural way to make you sleepy. 

3. No caffeine before bed. Drink juice or water, or even hot milk. 

4. If you wake during the night, don't check the time. You will only start worrying how little sleep you are getting or have left. Just relax, breathe and think about using whatever time is left to relax. 

5. Exercise. It can reduce stress and help you sleep more deeply. 

6. Eat breakfast 30 mins after waking. Again it starts your body getting used to a routine. 

Have you any tips I might be able to add or use? Let me know on Twitter, I'm @rudedoodle, and Silent Night are @silentnightbeds

Stocking Up the Pantry for Spring with M&S

I popped up to Sprucefield M&S today and picked up some wonderful cupboard items to liven up all sorts of meals. Here's what I found. 

I love rhubarb, and have repeatedly bought the rhubarb sweet shop fizzy pop from M&S over the years. The new sparkling Rhubarb presse is a little more grown up, with a hint of ginger. Really refreshing. There's a matching cordial which will be great for on the go in a water bottle. 

And obviously I couldn't pass these tiny rhubarb crumbles. So cute!

Cordial £2.30 : Presse £2 : Bakes 2 for £4

I'm a sucker for anything coconut too, so I chose these Paradise Slices. The white chocolate fudge sauce will be fab for over ice cream when the weather stays sunny.

Slices 2 for £4 : Fudge sauce £3

Some more sparkling drinks now, Apple & Cucumber and Raspberry & Pear. Brilliant for tee totallers at BBQs  

Presses £2 each

Speaking of BBQs, if you are a fancy grilled rather than just a blackened sausage on a fork type person, M&S has lots of marinades, rubs and wonderous powders to add flavour to your meats. Or you can just stuff a regular burger in a bap and smoother it in relish or fancy lemon mayo.

Relish £2 : BBQ paste £2

Smokehouse sauce £2 : Marinade £2

Mayo £1.75

M&S always seem to have 3 for £6 on Deli items, so I picked up these beauties. 

3 for £6

This fresh pasta is only £1.13 on offer right now, which seems amazing value. I added pesto, the feta and sundried tomatoes.

There are lots of new Italian flavours to try in store. 

Cherry tomatoes £2.50 : Olives £3 : Sundried tomatoes £2.60 : Bruschetta £1.30

Lastly some chutney to keep in the cupboard for with my Cornish Cruncher cheese, and some fab snacking cashews. 

Chutney £2 : Cashews £3.50

Flamingoes Flap Into Dunelm Mill

I love lawn flamingoes, and Dunelm Mill are currently selling one for the very reasonable £14.99 

They also have some other flamingo products, so I'm going to have to get to my local store and pick up one of everything this spring. 

http://www.dunelm-mill.com/

Flamingo tumbler £1.99

Flamingo table cloth

Flamingo beach towel only £4.99

Must have door mat £5.99

Tiny Cute Japanese Erasers That Look Good Enough to Eat

All available at www.partyerasers.com  

Kickstart the Playbrush & Make Teeth Cleaning Fun

Please help out the Playbrush team to get their Kickstarter funded and Play rush available for us big kids too. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/479441910/playbrush-we-make-brushing-teeth-fun/

It turns a regular toothbrush into a wii style gaming controller. Because it slips onto any regular toothbrush, everyone in the household can use it, you don't have to buy one each. Handy! Get funding. 

Tiny Food-shaped Erasers from Japan: The Obsession You Didn't Know You Needed

I ordered the cheapest sushi train toy on eBay last week for my son, and it just so happened to be a Japanese eraser set. Wonderfully, it fits the scale of his Playmobil hotel perfectly, look how cool!

I just have to decide what my next purchase will be, from the tempting little catalogue that came with the set. 

I Made Home-made Sushi Rolls

I managed to pick up all the ingredients at Tesco at Springhill, except the rolling mat, so if you are a local reader, head to Sainsburys as they sell them along with everything else. 

Making sticky rice. I add lots of sugar and salt to the cooling mixture to give it the proper sushi rice taste. 

Sticks of pepper, cucumber, crab and salmon. 

The cooked and cooling sticky rice. 

Ready to roll. 

My rolls  with guacamole to stick. 

Some finished rolls

Ready to cut

I fell foul to not having sharp knives, so my rolls were a little messy. They tasted good though. 

The Ultimate Toy for Your Hipster Kid, A Toy Sushi Conveyor Belt

You know how my son tends to get interested in odd things, like how he got a smoke machine for his last birthday? His latest must have item is a sushi conveyor belt. Here are some toys I found on eBay. They are quite pricey,  £50 and up, so if he does want one, he'll have to wait until next October and another birthday!

I was able to buy him this set in the meantime, of little erasers.