Feathers in Our Nest

a blog about faith, family, food, & more written by a wife and stay at home mom of five

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7 Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

August 14, 2014 by Aliesha

Tad was recently telling me about a sleep study that revealed that a good night’s sleep actually “cleans out” your brain and prepares it for the next day. That’s why we feel so terribly when we don’t sleep well!

Here are some helpful ideas for making sure you get the sleep your body needs!

7 Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

1. Turn off the screens

Watching TV, browsing the internet, and staring at your phone or tablet can signal to your brain that it is daytime, so try and shut off your electronic devices an hour or so before bedtime in order to help your body’s clock to know it’s time for bed!

2. Dump your brain
If you frequently lie awake at night thinking about the next day’s to-do list, try and write it all down before you go to bed. Dump out all the things you have to do onto paper so you can sleep peacefully!

3. Avoid sugar and caffeine

These culprits can keep you staring at the ceiling long past when you had hoped to fall asleep. Try not to drink caffeine after dinner, and be cautious of eating sweet snacks (like ice cream) late in the evening.

4. Develop a bedtime ritual

Create a routine you follow every night before bed, such as taking a bath, reading, trading foot rubs with your spouse, or anything else that helps relax you. When you do these rituals (even brushing your teeth and changing into PJs), you will signal to your body to start getting ready to sleep.

5. Dim the lights

It is helpful to turn off the overhead lights and just use lamps in the late evening. This is yet another clue to your body that night has arrived!

6. Use lavender essential oil

Since before it was “cool,” I have been using lavender oil to help me sleep. Rub a few drops on your pillow and sheets to help lull you into dream land. You can also rub it on your feet or even add it to your laundry detergent when you launder your sheets. Lavender is safe to use with children as well.

7. Invest in a great mattress
When you climb into bed, you should feel that your bed is the most comfortable bed in the world! That’s how we feel every night, especially when we come home after traveling. If you don’t have a great mattress, you should definitely get one!

Havertys is hosting an amazing giveaway in conjunction with their Labor Day sale! The Grand Prize is a TEMPUR-pedic Mattress (Queen) Cloud Supreme Mattress Set – $2,699 RTV!!

Visit the contest landing page between 8/4 and 9/1. Just complete the entry form for one entry. You can earn an additional entry by sharing the promotion on social media using #HavertysYawn. You can also join the #HavertysYawn Twitter Party on 8/27 at 1pm ET.

Connect with Havertys below:

Website | Mobile Site | Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter
Visit http://www.havertys.com/ to enter the TEMPUR-pedic conetst for your chance to win a TEMPUR-pedic Mattress!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Havertys. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: health and beauty, sponsored

8 Reasons Why You Need an Exercise Ball

July 4, 2013 by Aliesha

1. Useful for workouts
You can find all sorts of workouts that use an exercise ball.  I’ve done some prenatal exercises using mine!

2. Promotes good posture
Because of the way you have to sit on it to stay balanced, it helps keep your spine aligned properly. You can sub out your desk chair for your exercise ball!

3. Relieves pregnancy back pain
I have used my exercise ball in a few different ways to help strengthen my back and relieve pain while I’ve been pregnant this time.  You can lay back on it for some relief, or you can kneel in front of it, put your arms (fully extended) on it and roll it forward for a great stretch.

4. Prepares you for labor
I bought my exercise ball when I was 40+ weeks pregnant with Cordelia.  Rocking back and forth on it is good for helping the baby move down into the proper position for birth as your pelvis opens.  The rocking back and forth motion is actually similar to walking in terms of trying to get labor started.

5. Awesome labor tool
I labored on a birthing ball provided by the hospital with Vera and with Cordelia.  It was wonderful!  I could sit on the ball and drape my body on the bed, rocking back and forth and letting gravity do the work!  It’s a great alternative to walking the halls if you don’t have an ambulatory monitor.  Plus it’s quite relaxing and gives you something “productive” to focus on doing (rocking or swaying) during each contraction.

6. Comfortable to sit on postpartum
After baby, soft surfaces are a must!  I sat on my exercise ball a lot during meals instead of on a hard kitchen chair.

7. Calms a crying baby
I distinctly remember bouncing a fussy baby Cordelia on my exercise ball all evening one time when she was little.  You can even wear them in a wrap, sit on the ball and bounce gently, and have your hands free to do something else (blog, read, etc.).

8. Kids love to play with it
My girls love playing with the exercise ball!  It’s a really fun “toy” for toddlers and even older kids.

My exercise ball was around $12-15 (and it came with a pump) at Wal-mart, and it was totally worth the investment!

Filed Under: health and beauty, pregnancy

Guest Post: Kristin from Kristin’s Veranda!

August 12, 2011 by Aliesha

Today I have a special treat for you… a guest post by my friend Kristin of Kristin’s Veranda! I am excited to have her “chatting” with us today, and I am even more excited about a Blog Warming Party she is hosting on her blog(Vignettes) all next week! Without further ado, here is Kristin!

I was so tickled when Aliesha said she’d be a part of my “blog-warming” team! I’ve known her for many, many years, but we both entered the blog world unbeknownst to the other. Once my blog was up and running, several mutual friends said to me, “Your blog reminds me so much of Feathers in our Nest!” So through their comments, I found and reconnected with Aliesha!

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Kristin, and I am a blogger of various and sundry interests (don’t you love that old phrase “various and sundry”?). Besides old phrases, I enjoy all things domestic, and have a special love for the art form of dance. I adore my husband, and am very passionate about friendships too. I am generally a very healthy eater, but could out eat any of you when it comes to Sloppy Joes or BBQ Sandwiches! So surmise of me what you will from those few choice facts, and let’s be friends, k?!

Today I’m here to share with you first and foremost about a little shindig going on at my place next week: A Blog-Warming Party! I hope you’ll come join in the fun…and invite your friends too! There will be some guest posters that I know you’ll love, prizes/giveaways EVERYDAY, and some fabulous announcements for the upcoming fall season. The celebration begins officially on Monday, but come on over early and introduce yourselves…I’d love to get to know you!

I did want to share one of my very favorite simple ideas with you today before I go: Infused Water, and since we’re in the dog days of summertime, an idea for jazzing up your lemonade too. Hope you enjoy!
Oh girls…if you’ve never tried this, you must! Fair warning: you may very well never go back to old fashioned lemonade again. Just make your batch of lemonade however you normally do, and before you cover the pitcher, throw in 4 or 5 thick orange slices and let them swim around and do their magical thing for several hours before you serve it. Oh taste of heavenly deliciousness!!! Pardon me – I need to go get some right now…

Now onto a healthier and more necessary beverage: water!

How many of you drink as much water as you should (5-8 glasses per day)? I know unless I’m exercising/working/playing hard, I don’t! I do enjoy water and drink it with my meals, but because it’s relatively uninteresting, I never crave it. – Enter: brilliant idea from Martha Stewart – “Infused Water”. I can’t tell you how much more enjoyable and refreshing and craveable this makes consuming your required amount each day! It’s also very high style if you’re hosting a brunch or spa party or something. All you do is decide which essence you’d like, put a few pieces in a glass pitcher, and fill with water. You can let it sit overnight in the fridge if you want it nice and strong by morning. – I love to just keep my pitcher out on the counter all day w/ ice in it on a trivet w/ a glass nearby, and I know that by the end of the day, my pitcher needs to be empty (which translates to 5-8 glasses consumed). You could do this at your work too – just keep it on your desk and know that by quitting time, you must be able to see the dry bottom of the barrel!

Here are some of my favorite infusions:

Pineapple: just keep the core after you’ve cut one up, and soak the whole core in your pitcher (as pictured to the left – no, it’s not a stick of butter! I know that’s what you were thinking)! You can also wash the rind really well, and soak a few pieces of that.
Lemon slices and mint
Lime slices and lemon balm
Cucumbers: yes, I know it sounds strange, but try it!
Berries: sliced to release the flavor
Oranges slices
Lemon slices
and berries mixed
Mint leaves
 
This is such a simple, delicious idea, and I’ve been doing it for years. – I hope you give it a try!
Do you have a favorite infusion to share?
 

Thank you so much Aliesha for letting me post over here today!
Thanks, Kristin for joining us at Feathers in Our Nest today!  I really enjoyed your post!  
Mark your calendars now for Kristin’s Blog-Warming Party next week at Kristin’s Veranda!  There will be prizes every day (whoo hoo)!
”Kristin’s

Filed Under: friends, health and beauty, healthy eating

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This blog shares our family's story and our journey from newlyweds to a family of seven. We share milestones, we share struggles, we share sweet memories, and we share about our Savior. Keep reading...

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