THE GIFT OF SLEEP - TOP TIPS TO CHOOSING THE BEST MATTRESS FOR YOU

[Advertisement - This post has been written in collaboration with Silentnight. All opions are 100% my own]

So you might remember that last month I visited the new Silentnight Showroom in Bristol to take a look at their range and get some much needed tips for a better nights sleep.

Being mama to a toddler takes its toll on the old eye bags and currently I’m sporting some fetching suitcases. Our current mattress had surpassed the ten year mark and we’d started waking with shoulder and back aches. Knowing it was time to switch it up we headed down to Silentnight Bristol Cabot Circus Showroom to check out their mattresses and have a one on one consultation with a team member, all of which have had training from a sleep specialist.

Silent Night is one of those brands that has stood the test of time and is a well loved UK name in the sleep department, providing good sleep for 70 years. Do remember the hippo and duckling TV ads in the 80’s? so cute *and possibly showing my age* but it did mean I was in good hands.

While Romi literally climbed, bounced and treated the experience as her own personal soft play, I was excited to learn more about their range, it turns out there are a whole host of choices when it comes to choosing mattress, all with different structures and fillings, each creating various forms of support and breathability, plus prices vary hugely depending on your needs. Thankfully the in-house team have great in-depth knowledge and were happy to talk through all the ranges, while using the sample cut away mattress to show you how they work from a technical view point.

Did you know that the average person doesn’t even lie down to test the mattress before they buy even though they are going to sleep on EVERY night! As we spend a third of our life in bed finding ‘the one’ is so important. So here are some top tips on choosing the right mattress for you and improving your sleep:

TOP TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST MATTRESS FOR YOU

1. When choosing a mattress take time to think about your sleeping habits, did you know your sleep position could effect what mattress you should buy? Do you sleep on your back, front or side? Turns out sleeping on your back is the best sleeping position for your spine but if you sleep on your side like me, there is more pressure on your shoulders and hips, so you should opt for a medium/soft mattress to allow you sink in and support the natural curve of your spine, rather than a firm one.

2. When choosing your mattress you shouldn’t be afraid to put your feet up! You’d be surprised at how many people take a quick bum bounce check before purchasing, and in some cases even not at all. The advised amount of time to lie on the mattress is more than five minutes in your preferred sleep position. This will allow you to experience whether the firmness and pressure is right for you.

3. Have a partner who likes to party while they sleep is no fun. tossing and turning is a sure fire way to keep your loved one from getting that all important shut eye. The best tip is to choose a mattress that provides motion isolation, this basically means movement on one side doesn’t effect the otherside. Foam mattresses tend to be the best at this but if you get hot at night you probably want to look at buying a pocket sprung mattress like the Silentnight Mirapocket mattresses.

4. If you’re looking for a little bit of added luxury, think sleeping on a cloud effect, then look no further than picking out a Pillow Top or Box Top mattress, all have an additional layer of padding built onto the top of the mattress for added comfort, while still offering support.

5. If like me you are looking for an Eco Friendly option as well as a comfortable nights sleep then Silentnight have you covered with their Eco Comfort range. These mattress are fully recyclable and naturally fire retardant without the use of any nasty chemicals! To top it off each mattress has a unique Eco Comfort fibre layer made entirely from 150 recycled plastic bottles!

6. The average lifespan of a mattress is 10 years! Even though it seems like you’re saving pounds by eeking out a few more years, in terms of hygiene and comfort, it’s time to say goodbye and invest in a newer model. Good news is SilentNight are able to take away your old mattress for a fee and recycle it rather that you duping it in your local tip. Plus this mattress range is available for all ages, from cots to king size so it’s a win for everyone.


After rounding up Romi and testing out ALL the mattresses, I managed to take a seat with a coffee and run through our mattress needs, like a consultation of sorts.

I was especially taken by the new Eco Comfort Range that not only gives you a great nights sleep but is eco conscious and helps remove plastic from the ocean, that effectively means I’m helping the planet while I sleep. Especially as it uses 150 recycled bottles to create the fibre layer, preventing them from causing havoc to marine life and floating in our oceans

Thankfully Paul has very similar sleeping needs and quite frankly was happy for any mattress that didn’t dip in the middle, so we were very grateful to be gifted The Eco Comfort Breathe 2000, which arrived within a few weeks. Giving it a few hours to breathe I couldn’t wait to add fresh sheets and dive into bed. I’m thankful to report it is very comfortable and I’ve really noticed a reduction in how hot I get at night. Even Felix and Romi have made up excuses to hop into our bed so it’s definitely got their seal of approval, plus suddenly changing the sheets has become an exciting activity!

After understanding the time that goes into choosing the right mattress I would definitely recommend popping into your local Silent Night store, the team have a great understanding of what makes a great nights sleep and it feels like a brand you can trust, giving you a full 60 days to try the mattress at home and if it’s not right for you, you can send it back no questions.


You can find details and opening time of the new Bristol Cabot Circus showroom here.

*This post is in collaboration with Silentnight.

 I recieved a mattress and fee in exchange to an honest review of my shopping experience. 

All thoughts are 100% my own. 

MOODBOARD & MUSES 05

How is it even March! I can't believe how quickly time is slipping and I feel like I have so much to do, the diary is filling up and I really must get myself organised *do you have any tips?* I've been super busy creating content, styling commissions and photography this last month, working with some fab brands – all will be revealed soon – and had a feature in the March Style at Home Magazine showcasing the bedroom makeover from last year, as well as being spotted in Very Magazine for some pinterest inspo– YAY!

So let's dive straight in. 

Things I'm loving:

// Magazines. Yep as much as I love scrolling through various feeds, down the Pinterest rabbit hole and other such visual feast, there's nothing quite like flicking through the pages of a beautifully designed mag. Currently on my radar is Lunch Lady (family kitchen stories), Dog (love this), Oh Comely (obvs), Human Being, Aperture and the Chloe Sevigny book.  

// Podcasts and radio shows. I've got into a bad habit of working in silence, mainly because I forget to put anything on in the background, which is a) boring and b) not that productive. So to combat this I've been listening to various podcast for inspiration and hoping some info seeps in while I work. I've been getting some instagram joy from Me and Orla's podcasts and nice to find a small radio slot I listen to is back on....makes me chuckle. Oh and if you have any music recommendations then let me know.  

// Goals. My new motto is 'if you have some, write them down!' I think I've kind of bumbled along a little too long without stopping to focus on what I want to do, or at least revisit dreams I once had, but as we know life is waaaay to short to overlook this sort of stuff and thinking about things isn't really going to make mountains move. Now is the time to start achieving, planning and making it happen. At the beginning of the year I received an upsetting diagnoses health wise, which has made me stop and evaluate my next move. It's never to late to follow your heart people. go go go.

// Wolfgang Tillman exhibition at the Tate Modern. Surely no explanation needed for this one! Go check it out, it's on until June :)

Things I'm Not:

// Tumeric. yep turns out when you have a brace this lovely little spice has a very interesting effect. Think gold grills/full on bling! Oh My Eyes. So a quick trip to the dentist and off I go to swap them elastics out for some refreshed white ones. eek.

Other Things:

// Ok let's have a quick talk about kindness, yep you should sprinkle that stuff like confetti. Now perhaps my expectations are a bit out there, who knows, but my friends know that I'm pretty straight up, open and honest, supportive and generally very forgiving or at least tolerable. But just incase there is any doubt let me just write it here. What is not cool is bitching, bad mouthing and generally being a dick. Be better than that and remember karma's a bitch. 

Top left: Amber Vittoria's illustrations make me super happy. // Top right: Maia Boakye feed is aworld of peachy colours and I have no idea how she hasn't got a gazillion followers, definitely one to watch. // Bottom left: New to me Nette Rose has the most beautiful handmade lingerie from Cape town and the pictures are dreamy. // Marize feed She Is Visual is total goals! A combination of design and style. 

Also let's take a sec to swoon over these pins! I am so feeling the need to be by the water. I was brought up living by the beach and watching the water change depending on it's mood and am always drawn back there. 

What has been inspiring you this week? 

NEW YEAR, NEW ME? MOODBOARD & MUSES 04

Oh hey! So I seem to have silently slipped through the whole transition of the dud that was 2016 into what I'm hoping will be a much better and more positive year. I took a step back over Christmas from pretty much all social media and didn't pressure myself to jump back on the horse as soon as the clock struck midnight, in fear of a Cinderella type scandal. Nope I want to start the the year with both feet firmly planted in those glass slippers, grounded and full of intent. I could look back over the last year, pop together a review but to be honest it was a pretty crappy one peppered with some awesome highlights, not to mention the global sigh of 2016, and I'm quite relieved it's been given the boot to be honest.

STYLE IN YOUR CITY // ISLAND LIFE

It's that time again for another Style In Your City, which showcases your life and creates a community celebrating all the things you love about where you live. I think this is definitely my favourite image from Instagram from the last fortnight due to breathtaking views captured by Amanda. My post pick was by Marmalade Pie, I really loved hearing how this link up inspired Lizzie to pick up her camera and see her city through fresh eyes, even in the rain.

I have had a few people ask me whether they can join in with this link up even if they don't live in a city, so to embrace the wild and prove that even nature has it's own amazing style I thought I would share a glimpse of Island life.  

Click to read more

STYLE IN YOUR CITY // YELLOW BERLIN

It's been another fortnight since our last series of Style In Your City, which showcases your life and creates a community celebrating all the things you love about where you live. I think this is definitely my favourite image from Instagram from the last fortnight due to the sentiment of live vibrantly from Xanthe. My post pick was by These Four Walls, as I have a taste for travel at the moment and it was great to get a glimpse of Lisbon through this link up.

As you can see my #StyleInYourCity post is not in Bristol but rather Berlin, I have so many cool pics that I wanted to share with you and I love the pops of yellow I found on my travels. When you think of Berlin, most people think of the words: grey, industrial, cold and concrete, and while the last one might be true, I couldn't have found it more different. Yes there is graffiti and areas that are unloved, but there is also colour and curiosities waiting to be discovered and that is why I love seeing places through others eyes as there is always a new perspective to see.

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STYLE IN YOUR CITY // AN URBAN STORE

It's been another fortnight since our last series of Style In Your City, which showcases your life and creates a community celebrating all the things you love about where you live. I loved reading your posts and all your stylish photos over on Instagram, I think this is definitely my favourite colourful coffee capture. My pick from the last fortnight was by Not Another Mummy Blog, I loved discovering a new city and how friendly a local neighbourhood cafe can be.


This fortnight I focused on stylish interiors, I'm slightly cheating as this is a store I found in Amsterdam but totally loved this urban feel and wanted to share it with you, plus I'm hoping that city might adopt me ;)

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STYLE IN YOUR CITY // A NEW SERIES

It's no secret that I love Bristol, not only has it just been awarded European Green Capital 2015, but it's such a vibrant city and a great place to raise kids. Whether it's the creative quarter and street art of Stokes Croft, the beautiful Georgian architecture and tree lined streets of Clifton, the buzzing harbourside, the galleries, art house cinema, eclectic shops and huge coffee culture – which I swear I personally fund! – there's something for everyone.For me it holds a piece of my heart, it's the place I made great friends, made our home, gave birth to my boy, and the surroundings in which I watch him grow. I love exploring the city with F and even though I've lived here for almost seven years, it seems there is always something new to discover.I really enjoy sharing the places that inspire me both here and on Instagram and Twitter – I'm big on over sharing in case you hadn't noticed – and in a bid to discover new places I've teamed up with Fritha from Tigerlilly Quinn to start a new linky and see where you live and love.

So how does it work? 

We want you to #StyleYourCity, to showcase the places you love, the coffee you drink, the fashion you wear, the street art you see, the people you meet, your finds for the home. We want to see your City/town/village through your eyes, we want to make a community which shares inspiration and creativity from all around and in turn, creates a cool directory of places to see and do.

We will be running a linky every two weeks and choosing a theme to inspire your finds. Don't worry you don't have to have a blog to join in or live in a bustling city for that matter, simply use the hashtag #styleinyourcity on twitter and/or IG with a photo and tag @wildandgrizzly and @tigerlillyquinn and we'll pick our favourites to showcase on our blogs.

You can find me on Instagram here and twitter here.
You can find Frith on Instagram here and twitter here.

This first theme is The Place I Call Home, tell us where you are and what it means to you. I can't wait to learn more and be inspired by you!

An InLinkz Link-up

KICK START JANUARY WITH THE FITBIT CHARGE

So here we are again, the month where we all make promises to quit this and stop that, to do more exercise and eat less, to swap our vino for water, the whole shebang. January is renowned for the month that we are told to basically do better, to dust ourselves off from the heavy carb loaded christmas and alcoholic tendencies of New Years Eve and make a new you.

Don't get me wrong I love a clean slate so to speak. But truthfully it's not as if your body resets to factory mode on the strike of midnight come NYE, to be healthy you have to work at it. Not a fad or an half hearted attempt to have a dry month only to last until the weekend. No wonder most people fall at the first hurdle! With me I'm an all or nothing girl, so when it comes to making healthy choices it's hard to reach the perfect middle ground.

Where I lack motivation is:

Sleep – I think it's enough but it's definitely not enough.
Healthy food – Sporadic. Either a health fest with eat clean tendencies or you can find me in Dorito heaven.
Exercise – Running around after a four year old counts as this right?!
Fluids – Water? erm what's that again...oh you mean coffee yes?

So when I was asked to test out the Fitbit Charge, a wireless activity wristband, I didn't know what to expect or how it would impact my day to day lifestyle. Well it has, so much that I think I'm a little bit in love with it, in fact it's like having a personal trainer on your wrist!

The Fitbit Charge is sleek in design, lightweight and splash proof, and basically looks like you're wearing a really cool watch. It's super easy to set up with a free downloadable app for your phone or computer where you enter your details such as: Gender, weight, height, date of birth and you're all set.

It's that easy. You literally wear it all day and night and use your bluetooth to sync the info to your app. So I've been using my iPhone to chart my progress and achieve the daily milestones: walk 10K steps a day, 30 minutes of active minutes, plenty of water etc. as recommended by the government for a healthy lifestyle.

The Fitbit Charge will log your steps automatically as well as stairs climbed, calories burned, distance in km walked, active minutes, calories eaten, water consumed and it also logs your sleep and for me this is a biggie. It tells you how many hours you slept and during that how many minutes were restless and any periods you were awake. So all that sleep I thought I was getting, erm not so much.

When I first started inputting how much water I was intaking I was horrified to realise that it equalled 200ml, that's a cups worth. So all that lack of energy, feeling groggy and headaches was down to dehydration. Even though I feel like I'm drinking a ridiculous amount of water I'm still only filling up on 1100ml a day, just over halfway to my daily recommended target.

Having something which easily allows you to see your daily activities and celebrates your milestones certainly changes your way of thinking about your health plus you can share your results on your social platforms too. If your arms are full of shopping/ a hundred and one things there is even caller ID synced with your phone. One glance and you know whether it's worth dropping all those bags for.

I love the Fitbit Charge and if you want to hear me chat about it some more and other wearable fitness technology then I will be live tonight at 19:00 hours GMT on a google hangout hosted by Faya from Fitness on Toast for Argos with me, David from MensRunning and Liina from Mind Over Matter. You can use the link to tune in and find out which Fit Tech is best for you, otherwise you can find more information about wearable technology at Argos

*This post is in association with Argos.