Daydreamer

A recent conversation with OH has gotten me to thinking about something. We have noticed lately that Holly is becoming somewhat of a daydreamer. Although she is constantly running, jumping, shouting, rolling and diving off of high things with the enthusiasm of a base jumper she has started to spend a lot of time just daydreaming. Sitting in her swing in the garden, or in the rare moments when she will actually sit on your lap for more than 5 secs. Holly will be somewhere else, miles aways, who knows what she is dreaming up in that toddler brain of hers. She looks serene and calm, which is such a rare thing to behold in my boisterous little beauty. David and I sat watching Holly as she daydreamed one day and he turned to me and said,

"She's going to be a daydreamer just like me when I was little."

I looked at him in surprise.

"Me too, when I was at Primary School it was written in all my school reports!" I said.

It had never occurred to me that we had both been daydreamers as children.   I had always heard about the sporty, smiley, helpful and kind child that David was. Then he said something else.

"I used to get into trouble for being such a daydreamer, especially at school. I was always told off for daydreaming at school especially."

I  suddenly realised that it had been the same for me too, and when I thought about that, it made me sad beyond words.

Is it really a bad thing to be a daydreamer? Should it be written in a report card as a negative attribute?  In a child? A child of 5, or 6 or 7? Or any child of Primary School age? Surely there are far worse qualities to posses than having an imagination? A world inside your head, all your own, secret and special. Deep and wonderous and full of fun and magic? Would any adult really begrudge a child that? It seems to me to do so would be cruel in the extreme. Don't we all worry that children grow up too fast?  Wouldn't it be nicer to let them have their dreams before the harsh realities of life are made clear to them? 

Would it bother you to see those words on your child's school report in such a negative light? Would you agree and wish away their childish ways too? I for one would not. I will never be sad to hear that I have a daydreaming daughter. I will never look on her dreams as fanciful or childish, because that is what she is. A child. A world of wonder and possibility.  There is time enough for reality, and she has time enough to learn it. So while she can dream, she should. Enjoy every magical moment my darling daughter. Dream big...

Review: Sleep Mist

I love to sleep. I really do. There is nothing better than being able to drift off peacefully into a deep sleep and wake up refreshed the next day. It's just one of life's simple pleasures. However, drifting off easily isn't something I'm always able to do. Often it takes me a long time to fall asleep. Despite being tired at bedtime I often don't feel relaxed and ready to sleep and spend a lot of time tossing and turning in bed before sleep. So when I was approached with opportunity to try a product to help me sleep, I was very happy indeed!

Firstly, in order to ensure I received the most suitable sleep product for my needs I completed a short survey detailing my sleeping patterns and habits.

The product I received was Amelie et Melanie White Linen Pillow Mist.  Now I'll be honest, when I received the product I wasn't hugely optimistic that using something as simple as a pillow mist would actually help me sleep. When I first received it, I decided to spray a tiny amount of the product just to see if I liked the fragrance.  It was lovely. It had hints of jasmine, rose and lily of the valley and reminded me of the smell of freshly washed linen.  It's a very light and fresh fragrance and  although the scent lasts well, it isn't overpowering. It's exactly the type of scent I use around my home already which made me very happy! So despite my initial doubts, the wonderful scent had me looking forward to trying it out properly at bed time!

Bedtime arrived and I went through my usual routine as normal. I washed and changed, then sprayed the sleep mist onto my pillows before I climbed into bed.  I sat and read for a little while before lying down to sleep, but even before lying down I could smell the delightful scent of the pillow mist and definitely felt relaxed by it. That night I fell asleep very quickly, taking no more than 15 mins to drop off to sleep, when usually it might take me an hour or more.  The rest of the week was the same. I fell asleep much more quickly than normal, and even when I was lying in bed awake I felt more relaxed by the scent of the pillow mist. It was such a lovely product to use and also made me feel like I was jumping into freshly cleaned sheets every evening which was another bonus.

Since using the pillow mist I have been looking forward to bedtime so much more and have been looking for other ways to help improve my bedtime routine. If using something as simple as a pillow mist can improve my sleep so much then, making other, bigger changes should help too. I have now stopped watching television in bed (as I used to occasionally if I didn't have a good book to read) and this has made my bedtime much more relaxing already. I am also considering changing to all natural bedding and bed linen and investing in a more supportive mattress.

In conclusion, I would say the pillow mist had an extremely positive effect on my sleep. I felt well rested and happy as a result, and the whole experience has made me much more aware of how a relaxing environment can improve sleep. So I would definitely recommend this product as a sleep or relaxation aid.