One of the things that I was adamant with when setting up The Boy's bedroom when he was first born, was the window coverings. I was determined he'd have a black out blind and the linings on the curtains, as I didn't want him waking up at silly o'clock in the morning during the Summer, and I wanted him to have uninterrupted sleep during his afternoon naps. It's worked brilliantly and as a result is always something that I've worried about when we've gone to stay with friends and family, or gone on holiday. Most holiday homes have thin curtains which serve little purpose other than to throw a tinted hue over the room. I've been known to be pegging black out lining to the curtain rail in an attempt to darken it sufficiently enough for him to sleep.
Well, not any more!
Last week we were sent the Lights Out Portable Pop-Up Blinds to review, and they came at a perfect time as we were away for Easter weekend in a place that I knew had wafer-thin translucent curtains at the windows. These blinds are excellent. The pack contains two blinds and each one measures 1.2m x 1m. They fold down into a circular lightweight storage bag (measuring 45cm diameter) which took up barely any space in an otherwise cramped car!
Each of the blinds has a toggle through the middle of it with a suction cup attached to the one end. Simply position the suction cup and attach it to the window, pull the toggle and it holds the blind in place over the window, pulling taut to rest against the frame.
They overlapped perfectly and pulled tight to cover the wide expanse of window with no problem whastoever. Bearing in mind I'm not a 'follow-the-instructions' person, I had them up in the window within thirty seconds. For deeper window recesses there are extension rods to attach.
The left picture above shows the window to be covered, the middle shows it with the 'curtains' drawn, and the right hand picture shows the blinds in action. Apologies for the blurriness on the middle picture but I was taking the photo without a flash and had to stand still for thirty seconds to get the photo. I couldn't take a photo of the room with the blinds attached at first, as it was pitch black and my camera couldn't focus. I had to place my phone on the bedside table with the light on to give it something to focus on. As a result the slight light strip you can see is from the reflection of my phone not from the window.
One last point to note is that, despite many 'pop-up' items being nigh on impossible to 'pop-down' again afterwards, these were back in the storage bag within thirty seconds.
The Lights Out Portable Pop-Up Blinds are excellent! I would buy these in a flash because they work brilliantly, and I wish I'd known about them when I first had The Boy, so many holidays could have been more enjoyable with more sleep!
The kind souls at Lights Out are offering a set of the Portable Pop-Up Blinds to one lucky reader. Simply fill in the Rafflecopter form in order to enter.
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We were sent this product for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.
These look brilliant! We have an alternative companies black out blind (portable) and whilst it's good, it's just too big so sits in it's packet :/
These look fab though.
These would be perfect for our room with new baby about to arrive. Thinking that very soon I will be needing a good night's sleep and ready to do just about anything for it!
These look brilliant! We have an alternative companies black out blind (portable) and whilst it's good, it's just too big so sits in it's packet :/
These look fab though.
For a good nights sleep, I would set up my tent, blow up my airbed and climb inside my sleeping bag because that's the best nights sleep I ever get!! CAMPING!
I'd sell my husband to get a good night's sleep…. in fact thinking about it I probably would get a better night's sleep if wasn't there!
These are a great idea! For a good nights sleep I'd give up chocolate for a week.
These look fantastic! I would give anything for a decent nights sleep! My daughter does not need this, I do.
i will come & do all your ironing for a year just for 1 full nights sleep again or at least a lie in as my boys think its time to get up at 5am cus its getting lighter aarrrggghhhh!
@emmav6
At the moment? Pretty much everything. Amy gets up up to 10 times at night and it is so draining…
@caro_mad x
Well I should just get off my blog/twitter earlier good nights sleep really, shouldn't I? lol!
Fab prize
God, me too, i'd give up a lot! My daughter is 1 y.o. next week and started going to bed absolutely horribly, I cannot get anything done.
i have to read before bed no matter how late it is or early hours of the morning it is usually and i have to spray my sleep therapy mist on my pillow otherwise i cant sleep x
I would love a good nights sleep, I would give up chocolate if it meant I could sleep well!
I'd give up whatever is necessary to get a good nights sleep. My daughter is almost three years old and hasn't slept through the night since she was born. I'm pretty desperate!
I would do anythng for a good night's sleep, even stooping to good old fashioned bribery!
I'd give up my sleeping tablets as they make me wake up feeling lousy and unrefreshed! I would love a natural nights sleep!
I would sell my granny for a good nights sleep! sorry gran hehe.
I always get a good nights sleep but thats because I don't have young kids! Grandchildren are not the same problem! I like to wind down my head before bed and read a few pages of a book thats not too exciting haha!
i would do pretty much anything!dont think ive had a full night since i had my daughter 5 yrs ago!
i have not had a decent nights sleep for over a year! i would run down wembly way naked for a decent uninterrupted nights sleep
literally anything!!
At the moment I have to read Mr Grumpy several times whilst doing the voices for Mr Grumpy,Mr Happy and Mr Tickle.
I would got sleep in the shed
I sleep in beside buster 9 1/2 mights out of ten in order to get some sleep!!
I love my sleep and get very grumpy if it gets disturbed so I'll do anything and everything to get it, even if that involves bribes!
I love sleeping so much! I generally sleep well but wake up too early wondering if the kids are awake yet. I would love those extra couple of hours in the morning
I would do anything practically for a good night sleep. Need my sleep otherwise I get very GRUMPY! These blinds would be AMAZING! My son sleeps brilliantly during the winter but once summer comes he struggles to sleep because of the light and also is up at 6am instead of the usual 8am. Cross fingers I can win these because they would be heaven sent.
I'd do anything for a good nights sleep. I could literally sleep the clock round given the chance. I'm sleeping well although because of the lighter nights and mornings the kids want to stay up later and get up earlier reducing the time I spend in bed – not good!
Id give up chocolate and wine for a good nights sleep
These would be amazing to have!!!
If entering the competition, you need to answer what you'd do for a good night's sleep in the comments box. Thanks
I would wake up without snoozing for a week for an extra good night sleep. Thanks
I would love a good nights sleep,
I would go bed earlier and not set my alarm and hope the kids don't wake me or the cat and dog, something always disturbs my sleep
Either get very drunk when ive not got kids so i can sleep in as long as i need to.
Or read a good book until my eyes grow tired,
For a guaranteed good night's sleep I would do pretty much anything! For a good night's sleep I usually read a chapter of my book to wind my brain down!
I'd give up choccy for a whole week, or at least try 😉
I'm 35 weeks pregnant and very uncomfortable with sore hips, bump and pelvis plus terrible heartburn. To get a good night's sleep I've been forced to banish my poor hubbie to the spare room and build a 'pillow fortress' to try to find a comfortable position and support my bump. I can't wait to get this baby out!
For a good nights sleep I'd give up chocolate
Hot bath and a glass of wine
snog keith chegwin!
Fo a good night's sleep I'd give up moaning about not getting enough sleep.
I can sleep on the lip of a chicken, nothing gets in my way!
My dad used to peg bin bags up at the window for me when I was little. For a good night's sleep now, I'd leave my son with my mum and find a nice soundproof room to lay in. And put bin bags at the window.
i would do anything for a good nights sleep. x
Just what I need to keep the little one in bed longer, especially now the lighter mornings are coming
I would pay for a good nights sleep! its a valuable commodity lol x
i would try anything to have a good nights sleep, maybe give up tea for a week!
i have a pillow s[ray i use to get a good nights sleep
I always read before going to sleep to just wind down.
@baggiesbabe69
I would give up cake for a good nights sleep.
Get glue ear (which i currently have) and pretend I cant hear them lol x
Turn out the lights, ear plugs in and close my eyes goodnight
I won't do what my granny said I should do which was put a rum in my baby's bottle to help him sleep AAAAARGH – she's crossed off my list for babysitting LOL. I do allow him into our bed though and, although it's a bad idea, if it allows me to go back to sleep I don't care and, as my dear old dad used to say, he won't be still getting into bed with us when he's 18
I'd give up TV for a good night's sleep
@littleboo_21
Leave my kids with family lol
These look great, I'm always being woken up by the light outside!
I would do ANYTHING for a good nights sleep!!! I have a husband who snores endlessly, currently have braxton hicks all night long and a street light outside my bedroom window that goes on and off all night! Thats why im on the computer at 1am – I know I wont be able to sleep any way lol
i would give up a weeks chocolate 🙂
give up 10 cups of tea for aday
Anything
i'd do just about anything for a good nights sleep!
Anything! We have black out lining on the curtains in my daughters room but the light still sneaks through!
id give up my hair straighteners for a good nights sleep and a lie in!
I would do anything for a good nights sleep. x
I would do pretty much anything for a good nights sleep right about now!!
A long walk in the evening works a treat! usually sleeping before my head hits the pillow!
Make sure no little people are in the bed with me
I would sell my soul for a good nights sleep at the moment! x
id would sell me own granma for a good nights sleep lol
I would avoid tea, coffee and anything alcoholic at night time and would drink horlicks or hot chocolate instead
These are a great idea. The nursery really gets the sun in the morning so this would help to keep the room darker.
I would do anything at all on earth for a good night's sleep – it takes me absolutely ages to fall asleep every night!
i think i would have to take my tv out of my bedroom for a good nights sleep x
I do almost anything for a good night's sleep. It usually involves kicking the huuby out into the spare room for snoring at 3am!
I'd send my kids to their grans for the night.
Haha what would I do for a good night's sleep. Pretty much anything…….but it doesn't work like that does it. Booooo. These look pretty good, wonder if our wooden blinds would get in they way.
I would do absolutely anything for a good nights sleep atm. I'm 7 months pregnant so getting up loads during the night to go to the toilet and trying to get comfy. My 1yo is teething so he's up a few times during the night and due to the early sunrises now he thinks 5:30am is a great time to wake up and want to play ><
I'd ban myself from the laptop for a good nights sleep
I'd sell my granny!
Best idea a good nights sleep
Have a relaxing bath then watch a bit of tv in bed x
We try everything, bed, bath, book routine, but we still get woken everynight
Id do anything for a good night sleep forgotton what one is!
Does the tiredness ever cease??……..right about now i would give up my right arm for a decent nights kip.lol
i would give up all my choccies and hot drinks, if i good have a good nite sleep x
I'd sell my kids to slavery! 😉 😛 😀
I discuss everything which is on my mind with my husband before I go to sleep!