After a six- or seven-week hiatus, it seems I should have something a little more interesting than bed making to post about. 

But it has been a quiet summer. No vacations or travel plans, no concerts in the park, no big get-togethers. It sure has been a strange year, and things are still quite uncertain. So much turmoil and confusion. I've been reading very light, old-timey fiction and watching Hallmark movies when the news gets to be too much. And trying to rest and trust in the One Who has all things under control.

Speaking of resting, haha, I want to show you our new bedding arrangement. I'm not exactly sold on this, but my husband likes it, and there are some definite pros.

I thought about gussying up the pillows and my nightstand for this photo, but decided just to show you what it really looks like on a day-to-day basis.

The biggest change is not using a top sheet. This is just a fitted bottom sheet and a light down alternative blanket on top. It's super easy to make a bed like this. I wash the fitted sheet and pillowcases every week and flip the blanket over for the second week and wash it every other week.

I made this change mostly because my husband is a hot sleeper and has never liked tucked in sheets at his feet. Sometimes I put an extra throw on my side of the bed if I need extra warmth. In the winter of course we'll have a heavier comforter (not too heavy for him!) and I will probably wear socks.

The down side for me is that I love the cozy feeling of being tucked in. I'm getting used to it, though, and love how easy it is to make the bed.

I understand this no-top-sheet thing is popular in Europe and in Scandinavia. When my sister went to Iceland with her family, she and her husband slept on a bed that had only a bottom sheet and two twin comforters, one for each of them. I might try that this winter, with a heavy comforter for me and a lighter one for my husband.

You can see we have different pillow preferences too. I like a tiny little one under my head and a squishy one to hug.

Do any of you sleep without a top sheet? Or have any other non-traditional ways of making the bed?

I keep thinking I've done all the decluttering I can. But look what I came up with in the past few months during our lockdown. I finally was able to schedule a pick up by the Vietnam Veterans Association.

All this decluttering over the past five years or so, and I still have lots of stuff. I'm not a minimalist, although I love to read those blogs for inspiration. I still have hundreds and hundreds of books, dozens of teacups, boxes of old letters and journals . . . 

But I've been really thinking more about getting serious about questioning every. single. purchase. It feels like I've made so many bad purchase decisions and have wasted so much money when I do these decluttering rounds.

I feel I'm even more committed to making much fewer, but better, purchases in the future.

I'm sorry I haven't been around to visit my blog friends this month, and hope to remedy that as soon as I hit publish. Hope you're all staying well.

xo Deborah