My bed is, and always has been, my haven. It’s a place that I will gladly spend my entire day and not feel one ounce of guilt – especially in the cold Minnesota months. I truly believe that there is nothing better than taking a shower, having freshly shaved legs, and jumping into warm, clean sheets. Very rarely do all those things occur at the same time, but I’m in heaven when they do and Lord help the person that tells me I need to get out of bed and be productive. When I’m in heaven, I don’t want to leave. So I stock my nightstand full of my seasonal nightstand essentials.
With my bed being my place of perpetual refuge, it’s no wonder my nightstand is such an important part of my life. I’m not going to get out of bed for anything, and will be a total grump if I actually need to get out of bed for anything other than food or the bathroom. I need to have everything within reach. (Is this what it’s like being a millennial? Am I just living up to the world’s low expectations of my generation? Maybe. Oh well.)
1) Make-up Remover / Facial Wipes
Because no, people, I don’t always wash my face before bed. I care more about my precious white sheets than I do my face and there is zero chance I get makeup on my pillow case. My favorite wipes are Simple, but lately I’ve been using Olay Fresh Effects with the exfoliator.
2) Facial moisturizer or mask
Especially in the winter, my face can get super dry. This makes me unhappy, but I’d be even more unhappy if I had to get out of bed to tend to my unfortunate skin. With moisturizer right next to me, my dry skin is just a minor inconvenience. My two favorites right now are Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream and First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream. The Burt’s Bees stuff is THICK and super moisturizing overnight, whereas I tend to use my First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream in the morning before I put on my makeup.
3) Lip exfoliator and balm
No one wants to kiss a reptile, am I right? I am. Before bed I exfoliate my lips with my sugar scrub, and follow that up with a balm or other lip treatment. My lip exfoliator right now is Jersey Shore Cosmetics Vanilla Bean Lip and Hand Polish. (I’ve never tried it on my hands, but great for lips and comes in a tube.) Lately I’ve been loving First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Lip Therapy for after my exfoliator. Hello beautiful, soft lips!
4) Stress Relief Body Cream
This one is awfully specific and a year round necessity. I don’t do drugs, so eucalyptus and spearmint essential oils are the next best thing. I’ve never done meth, but I’ve seen a lot of A&E’s Intervention and think the two high’s are comparable. I’m not saying that my life is so stressful that I need this every day, but I personally am just a stressful person, and I have to spend a lot of time with myself. So… it’s necessary. In the winter I bathe in this every night and play slip and slide in my bed like a child.
5) Pillow Spray
Also stress relief. Also eucalyptus and spearmint. I spray it not only on my pillow, but also the part of the bed my pillow lays on, my headboard, and the sheets near my face. I want to make sure I don’t miss out on any of my eucalyptus, spearmint meth-blend. I like to think it wards off stressful dreams.
6) A Book
To keep my smarts. Obviously. Now, I admit that I don’t always read the book in my nightstand… but it’s the thought that counts. I read a few pages here and there to keep myself engaged in something other than the Real Housewives and Leah Remini’s Scientology: The Aftermath. I’ve been really horrible about reading consistently lately, so it’s helpful that I have my book so close to me. Currently reading the autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, gifted to me by my sister-in-law and definitely recommend.
7) Headphones
Turns out my husband likes to sleep. Sometimes I’m sleeping by 8:00PM, sometimes I’m up until 1:00AM watching cat videos on YouTube. I’m not willing to sacrifice my comfort for a few funny YouTube videos, that’s where headphones come in. They’re a beautiful little invention that let’s you listen to music, TV shows, whatever your heart desires, without disturbing anyone around you.
8) Room Spray
With all my time spent in bed during the winter, I need to keep the room fresh. I can’t just open the windows all the time because there’s another human and a dog living with me that I also have to consider. So? Room spray. I’ll give a dollar to anyone who can guess the preferred scent. Eucalyptus? You are so smart.
9) Hand Lotion
I have this thing about having dry hands. I never actually have dry hands, but I always perceive my hands as dry. It’s weird, but therapy is expensive so I just continuously use hand lotion. I like to use this extra intense stuff at night in the winter so I wake up with baby soft hands.
10) Candle
How else am I supposed to watch the drama that is Leah Remini’s Scientology: The Aftermath in candlelight if not with a candle? I want you to shut your eyes and think about laying in a big comfy bed with lots of pillows and blankets, surrounded by the meth-blend of eucalyptus and spearmint, in candlelight while watching your favorite show on your iPad or TV. Yes. That’s my life. It’s pretty fabulous.
11) Glass of Water
I’m thirsty, but not in the single and desperate kind of way. The winter months are dry, my husband sleeps with a fan, and our bedroom is at like 5% humidity. Our bedroom is upstairs and our kitchen is on the main level – you see where this is going. I save myself the trouble and fill up a big glass of ice water right before bed like the functional and responsible adult I am.
12) Hair Binder / Hair Tie
My hair, I am convinced, tries to kill me at least quarterly. It’s long and occasionally wraps itself around my neck in some sort of attempt to choke me while I sleep. I don’t love sleeping with my hair up, but sometimes, especially if I have a cold or am running a bit hot, I need to in order to avoid death by hair.
So tell me, what are your nightstand must haves?
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