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You are here: Home / STYLE / The mum evening routine and my secret to sleep

The mum evening routine and my secret to sleep

May 19, 2017 by Molly 8 Comments

One of the things I miss most about my pre-parent days is the freedom from a rigid routine. Of course I went to work, often went to the same gym classes and had a basic weekly routine, but if I felt like shaking it up a bit then I could. Pub on a Wednesday evening? No problem. These days my mum evening routine is pretty much the same Sunday to Thursday, but without it I wouldn’t get any work done and would exist on barely any sleep. It might be predictable and a tad monotonous at times, but these are the things that help me survive with two young children.

My mum evening routine

I know I should get out more but, for me, there’s little that beats the luxury of slipping into sparkling clean sheets after a long day. And if the sheets have been dried outside on a warm spring day then all the better. (Yeah, yeah, I get my kicks where I can these days.)

Most evenings I’m so exhausted by the time I get to bed I could probably fall asleep standing up, but there’s something about falling into a comfortable and clean bed which makes me feel like I’m looking after myself – even if one or other of the kids inevitably wakes me up a few hours later.

Because I’m so rock and roll I tend to put my pyjamas on when the girls are in the bath before bedtime. PJs on, bra off, hair up is basically my ideal evening wear. After we’ve gone through the rigmorale of a ten hour bedtime (toddler sleep regression and moving into a “big girl’s bed” has been zero fun), I do a quick tidy up downstairs before settling down to do some work.

No caffiene

I live on chamomile tea in the evening and drink about four cups of the stuff. For some reason (and I don’t have this issue with wine!) I’ve always steered clear of caffeinated drinks after around 7pm. I probably watched a programme about it when I was 17 and have stuck to that rule ever since. It helps that I can’t stand the taste of coffee, I guess. A real treat for me is an evening when I can shut the laptop by 9pm and settle on the sofa with a cup of chamomile and an hour or so of Netflix, but this doesn’t always happen.

As well as the caffeine thing, I’ve always been pretty strict about removing my make-up before going to bed. Again, I probably read a scary fact in Just Seventeen when I was 15, telling me my face would melt off if I didn’t do it.

And then – aaaaaaaaah the best bit – bed.

A game changing duvet

Although I’m pretty meticulous with the sheet washing, I’ve not always been great about washing my actual duvet in the past. It’s just a huge mission taking it to the launderette so becomes a job that always gets put off. But when I found out that I was probably sharing my unwashed duvet with at least 20,000 dust mites, my whole perspective shifted. Luckily I’d been sent a washable duvet to try out – the Spundown Duvet by The Fine Bedding Company – so could dodge a trip to the launderette.

The Spundown Duvet is a washable duvet that can go in a machine with a capacity of at least 7kg. It’s the first duvet I’ve ever come across that claims to be able to be put in the machine in the morning and then back on your bed by bedtime, so I was intrigued to see if this was actually the case.

Here’s how we got on (and a peak at what happens after I’ve shut my laptop on a weekday evening)…

After a spin in the washing machine the duvet came out really light and not dripping full of water, as I’d anticipated. It was pouring with rain on the day I washed it, so I had to hang it inside on the airer. Again, I’d expected it to take a good few days to dry (considering most of my jumpers take forever to dry indoors) but it was ready within 24 hours and back on our bed again, as fluffy and pristine as it had been before.

This duvet will be a game changer in the dustmite department. Just the thought of sharing my bed with 20,000 dust mites makes me feel a bit itchy – never mind the 200ml of sweat we secrete overnight too (vom).

No phone

Back to the bedtime routine then, once I actually make it to bed I’m pretty strict about leaving my phone downstairs. It’s just too tempting to have a “quick” check of Facebook or Instagram or emails otherwise, and that is not conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Pillow spray

I sometimes spray a little bit of lavender pillow spray on my pillow too, just to help with the extra sleepy feeling, and then I’ll read my book for a bit before collapsing fast asleep. In fact, I often fall asleep with my book literally on my face and the NLM has to take it off me and turn out the light. Ah, the romance!

Tell me, what’s your evening routine? Do you have any tried and tested sleep remedies? 

**

Thanks to the Fine Bedding Company for working with me on this post and video. All opinions and content remain my own. For more information about how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page. 

Filed Under: Beauty, STYLE Tagged With: bedtime routine, being a mum, mum life, pampering, sleep, working from home

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Comments

  1. Lottie | Oyster & Pearl says

    May 22, 2017 at 8:59 am

    I feel like right scummer now – I’ve never washed our duvet! AND I’m terrible at taking off my make up. Must try harder….

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 29, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      Ha – the struggle is real. Never enough time is there?!

      Reply
  2. Grandma from the north says

    May 19, 2017 at 9:10 pm

    My secret routine to match with clean sheets and for complete relaxation is clean feet!! A foot wash before bed with some nice body lotion is so relaxing. Try it.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 29, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      Ooh I like that – will try it!

      Reply
  3. Emma says

    May 19, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    Oh my gosh. How do I wash my giant super king duvet? I’m not even sure I could transport it to a laundrette easily 🙂

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 19, 2017 at 7:16 pm

      This one is a giant super king and fit in our 8kg machine no problem! x

      Reply
  4. Slummy single mummy says

    May 19, 2017 at 12:57 pm

    You know, I don’t ever think I’ve washed a duvet! I feel well skanky now…

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 19, 2017 at 1:12 pm

      20,000 dust mites… that’s all I’m saying!

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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Back in January I was on the brilliant @school.for Back in January I was on the brilliant @school.for.mothers.podcast - we talked diet culture around kids and practical things we, as parents, carers and teachers, can do to dismantle some of the messages and create body happy environments for children to thrive in. Here’s a little snippet and you can listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts ❤️ 
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Reminder: my book, Body Happy Kids is out 1st April and available to order now!
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[Video description: a pink square with blue audio wave and closer captioned text of a clip from an episode on diet culture and kids with Molly on the School for Mothers podcast.]
I am not “bossing” it. Or “slaying”. Or “hustling”. Or “smashing” it. I’m not even juggling or spinning plates or doing any of the other words we use as a glossy, marketable, Instagram friendly way to package up burnout culture, under the guise of “empowering” women (💪🤢). 
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What I have been doing, though, is working too hard. Call a spade a spade. I’ve been working too hard, neglecting my health, my relationships, my life away from my laptop. I cannot be everything to everyone AND work at the level I’ve been working at BECAUSE I AM A HUMAN BEING. And you are too. We are not robots.
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I care deeply about all my work, and things aren’t always this intense, but I wanted to sprinkle some reality into the Gram because I am so over this lie that *any* type of success or achievement doesn’t come at a cost, or involve many failures in the background, or require many other people to help make things happen. 
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I guess what I’m saying is, let’s be real about all that, as well as showing the achievements. I’m bloody proud of my book. And I’m so excited to launch the social enterprise @bodyhappyorg properly next month. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, and that there isn’t a price. 
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And with that, I’m taking the weekend off. See you on the other side 🥰🥰🥰
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[Image description: Molly sits in her office with her hands covering her mouth. On the back of one hand is written “Not bossing it”. She is wearing a pink boiler suit with a black and white top underneath. She has pink leopard print earrings on and her hair is tied back.]
This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
#BodyHappyKids 
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