Monday, March 15, 2010

How to Make a Bed

There are a few things that you must know about my mother-in-law:
1--she is one of the most generous people I know.
2--she loves to shop.
3--it's important to her that her guests are comfortable.

When we visit, we invariably stay up too late. Who doesn't when they chat with rarely-seen family? At the very end of the day, retreating is a treat. I can't decide if climbing into her guest bed is like wrapping up in warm, well-risen bread dough (though significantly less sticky), lying down on an oversized pile of cottonwood snow (minus the itching and sneezing) or if it feels more like Zeus going to sleep in Fantasia, disappearing as he pulls a corner of his thundercloud over himself. Either way, it's a welcome relief. As I was making the beds before we left this last weekend, I discovered her secret, and I'll pass it along to you:

Ingredients for a Comfy Bed:
1--a good mattress.
2--allergen-protective cover
3--padded mattress cover
4--high-quality matching sheet set
5--knit blanket
6--another knit blanket, doubled over
7--add a third for good measure, doubled over
8--for loft, spread a vellux blanket
(8a--if on the queen sized bed, replace two of the blankets with a thick down comforter)
9--cute bedspread
10--fluffy pillow in coordinating case
11--second fluffy pillow with matching sham
12--just in case, fold an extra blanket at the foot of the bed
13--repeat with matching blankets and bedspreads for second bed in room

(Riah prefers to sleep with fewer covers, as he gets uncomfortably warm. I, too, get toasty, but would rather awake sweating than chilled.)

Add to it that the queen-sized bed in all its cozy, enveloping splendor is in a room far from any windows. When the kids have snuck off to ambush Grandma & Grandpa awake, succumb valiantly to a tickle fight then help make french toast, I could sleep all day in that dark fluffy world!

And now I retreat to my own bed with its soft sheets, single blanket, bedspread and doubled-up flat pillows. I'll sleep well, but I think I know what I'll dream of...

Sweet dreams to you!

1 comment:

  1. thanks for the tip, dyann. or should i say, your MIL. i look forward to the day when i'll actually have a guest bedroom and can deck it out and make it as cozy as possible so that someone like you will blog about how awesome my guest bedroom is. someday. in the far distant future.

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