This post is in partnership with Pact.
I am one of those people who simply cannot function when I don’t get enough sleep. My evening routine is sacred. The effects of a bad night’s sleep linger with me for no less than 48 hours (is this just what getting older is all about? ha!) and so I’ve learned to guard my nighttime routine as best as possible in order to have productive, happy weeks. The fact that I have some health issues also means that it is just generally difficult for me to bounce back from fatigue.
I thought it would be fun to show you all my evening routine and our bedroom – a rarely seen space on my blog or Instagram. We’ve been sleeping on Pact bedding lately (thanks to the team over there for sponsoring this post!) but I thought instead of simply doing a review about their bedding that I’d get a little more conversational with you all.
Pact Favorite Tee Organic Cotton Sheet Set in Heather Grey; Pact Organic Cotton Sleep Tee in Black.
(How cute is this sleep tee?! I am very pro having real pajamas these days, versus old t-shirts.)
We don’t really have your typical minimal-blogger-bedroom, which is one of the reasons why I’ve never really shown it on here. Actually, when I was picking sheets for this post, Matt wanted the Pine set and I was like, “But those won’t look good with our blue bedding on Instagram!” We laughed about it, but it is sort of weird to have to balance the fact that we actually live here with wanting to keep a tidy space for the ‘gram.
The artwork above our bed is from Rooted + Grounded Home.
First things first – these sheets are ridiculously soft. They’re made to mimic your favorite worn in t-shirt, and it has been so comfortable sleeping in this set! Pact’s Organic Cotton also uses far less water than conventional cotton, with these sheets saving 540.2 gallons of water. That’s definitely something to sleep easy about.
I’ve been trying a lot of new clean beauty products lately as part of my evening routine. I wouldn’t say I exclusively use clean beauty, but since cruelty-free is an important product attribute for me, I certainly lean more toward natural brands. I take a shower and do my skincare routine early in the evening, since it helps me get into a relaxed mindset. My hair also takes a long time to dry and style, so if I need to shower after 9 p.m., just forget it. It will be a dry shampoo morning.
If I’ve had a stressful day, I like to use this Klei Facial Steam. I don’t use it all the time since, frankly, steams can be a hassle, but the blend of chamomile, lavender, rose petals, rosemary, juniper and spearmint is so relaxing.
I am also a huge fan of this Little Barn Apothecary Honeysuckle and Grapefruit Body Oil (a little goes a long way!). I use it after I shower when my skin is still damp, and the scent is so unique. It weirdly reminds me of the beach, which I’m not sure is the intent – but it does.
For my dark under eye circles, I use Little Barn Apothecary Carrot Seed and Rose Eye Serum. To be honest, I absolutely hate the smell of this product, but I see a significant difference in my dark circles on the days I use/ don’t use it, so it has become a mainstay in my skincare routine.
I also use the Indie Lee Co Q10 Toner to even my skin tone, and Ursa Major Vitamin C Serum to combat the dark spots on my face and moisturize. The jury is still out on if the Vitamin C serum will be effective for me. I recently switched up my skincare for my face, which is why not everything is pictured.
When I sit down for the evening, if I’m not working on a blog project, I like to knit while Matt and I watch a Netflix series. I’m just learning to knit, so nothing I make is too exciting, but the repetition has been really beneficial for my anxious/depressed brain. It’s relaxing, but I also still get to feel like I’m accomplishing something and bettering myself. My favorite place to buy yarn is We Are Knitters.
Whether it’s blogging, knitting or Netflixing, anything I’m doing in the evening usually gets interrupted by this guy.
He takes cuddling very seriously, and while he posed so handsomely for these photos, he is usually sprawled out on the bed and trying to bite my feet if I move them.
When it’s time to fall asleep, I try to read for 20 minutes or so. I’m currently reading Beartown, which my friend Andrea recommended to me. Initially, I didn’t really think it would be a book for me, but I’m loving it so far! I’ve also been reading Goodbye, Things on and off, although I’m struggling to get into a book that is so focused on minimalism from a man’s perspective. I can’t use a small hand towel to dry my entire body and hair.
After reading, it’s time to really cozy up in bed!
These sheets have been so soft and comfortable to sleep on, and it was a real pleasure to get to try them out and share my nightly routine here! I think the Room Service Set also looks interesting, especially since I tend to be a hot sleeper. But the softness of the Favorite Tee set is really wonderful, and certainly doesn’t make me any warmer than other sheets I’ve tried.
These sheets are also pretty sizeable for a Queen set, with a deep fitted sheet (great if you have a mattress topper) and lots of extra top sheet (great if you share a bed with a blanket hog).
All for now – what’s your favorite part of your evening routine?
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Sounds like a great bedtime routine. I’m wondering whether to commit on the Pact sheets which is how I found this! Also your comment on Goodbye, Things totally hit home. I traveled for a year out of a backpack and the first thing to go was a full size towel. Now I only ever use a hand towel to dry off, even at home. And I have thick hair halfway down my back! I’d suggest giving it a try, it’s really really easy to adapt to minimalism if it interests you!