Princess and the Pea

Week One of the new year and God it's been long and boring in work but... the highlight of my year so far is that I, or rather we have taken delivery of a new... mattress.

I'm not going to tell you how old my recently dearly departed mattress is, was, as it's too embarrassing given that the new recommendation is that you replace your mattress every 8 years.  But, it must have been a good'un as it's only in the past couple of years that I've felt like the Princess in the Princess and the Pea as the springs had begun to poke at my ribs during the night. 

I intended to shop for a mattress twelve months ago but I'm not sure what happened, I didn't have the money or Jan wasn't available to take delivery for me while I was at work, or I just didn't get my act together and so I missed the January sales.  So that was me, done for another year, with springs poking at my ribs.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my mattress but it just became more uncomfortable than comfortable and so, it was time.  Out with the old and in with the new.

For probably the past three months, I've been priming Jan to have at least one day free to come mattress shopping with me, I wasn't sure I was brave enough to lay down on random mattresses in front of the general public, on my own, and so she had no chance of forgetting that I needed her.

On the 28th Dec, Jan and I set off on a freezing cold day, we had four stores to visit, store number one gave me two options and we left there, with hope, store number two was a disaster, the mattresses looked so unappealing and dusty, I refused to lay down, Jan did for me but we both knew I wouldn't be buying from there.  Three and Four were the same company just different locations.  The only thing they may have had in my price range was only online and you just can't buy without trying can you?  So Jan and I set off back to store number one and on and off the two choices we hopped.

In the end, I opted for the second mattress we'd been shown at 10am and it was now 1pm.  I knew that I wanted a pocket sprung mattress and that was all that I knew.  It was a bit more than I had hoped to pay so just had to hope that I hadn't made a mistake.

I got up around ten minutes early on the day of delivery, 4.19am to be exact, in order to strip my bed and manoeuvre my old mattress into the dining room ready for Jan and Geoff to take delivery of the new one while I was at work.  It was more of a struggle than I anticipated but I got there in the end.

Jan messaged me around 11am to say that she'd taken delivery of the new mattress at 7am and had just woken up as it was so comfortable.  Yes, her sense of humour has deteriorated along with her memory, however, I'm truly thankful that they could be there for me while I was at work.  I'm so excited but so still worried I've made the wrong choice.

As a bonus, I get home and Jan and Geoff have hauled my old mattress to the local tip for me so it is gone but not forgotten.  What would I do without my sister and brother-in-law?

I requested, via post-it note - 'winter side up please' for delivery, stuck it on my bedroom door at eye level, and so it was done.

I came home after a thirteen hour day and made my new bed, with a little trepidation I should say and still a little guilt for letting old faithful go.

Bedtime finally came and I sat on the very edge of the bed not knowing quite what to expect.  Have to say that my old one was stronger for the 'sitting on the very edge' scenario but for every other aspect... oh, my, goodness.  That first night was like floating on a cloud, whilst in a coma.  Why oh why, did I wait so long?

I'm warm in bed.  How is that possible?  The mattress has a winter side that is lined with wool and oh wow, the wool delivers.  I have actually been too warm at times, having to release arms over the duvet.  My body is supported, neck was a tad dodgy for a week or so as my neck and spine are now at a different angle but I have adjusted and I am now aligned to my new cloud.

Forking out for a mattress seems like such a huge worry and possible gargantuan mistake with money.  But, if you're brave, do your homework, stay around your budget and take a chance, you can be warm and comfortable at night.  At last.