best pillows (and best hot chocolate?)

[chinamoon]

Anyone got any good tips for nice pillows that don't cost the earth and do survive a wash or two?

DC are complaining about their pillows and they really are rubbish. Cheap ones that are five years old at least. I'd like some really comfortable ones but they seem extortionate. What are the best soft but supportive mid price ones?

Also, now the weather is closing in I want to get some really nice hot chocolate for the occasional treat for DC rather than cheap stuff they have daily (trying to be healthier and go for quality not quantity.) Any advice?

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Can't help on pillows. Hot chocolate - we get from Hotel Chocolat. Costs about £10 a tin, but lasts ages as you only need 1.5 tsp / mug (despite instructions - we also leave out the sugar). Link:www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/collections/products/hot-chocolate

Thanks Yo.

Dunelm Mill do cheap affordable pillows. You can browse online before having a look instore :)

The best hot chocolate is hot milk, a few squares of dark/milk chocolate and some cocoa powder. Might need to add a bit of sugar but it's lovely!

Dunelm Mill is a great idea. Everything I've had from them before has been good quality and very cheap. But we don't have a store nearby so it would have to be online and I don't know what sort of pillows are best. memory foam? feather? hypoallergenic? DC seem to want something very soft but supportive and I have no idea where to start.

Hmm, it would be difficult to choose without feeling them. They do different ones for different sleeping positions. You could start with that?

We've been pleased with pillows from dunelm and ikea :) both sets lasted ages. I like green and blacks hot chocolate but wanting to try hotel chocolates one now!!

Ikea do a wide range of pillows of varying materials and levels of support. If you have a store near you, they have them all out on display so you can have a proper look before buying.
We love Green and Blacks hot chocolate. Nice but reasonably priced. Hotel Chocolat stuff is a nice Christmas treat in our house but a bit too pricey for everyday.

BHS do nice pillows

Hot Chocolate
1 cup of sugar,
1 cup of milk powder,
1 cup of cocoa powder,
1 packet of chocolate buttons,
Pinch of salt
Big pinch of cinnamon

Blitz in the food processor. (Or just mix with a spoon but then the buttons stay big).
Add 3-4 teaspoons to hot milk and stir well.

I got the Silent Night pillows from Ocado when doing my shopping order and they are great. £12 for 2, nice and fluffy and last a decent length of time

Green and blacks hot choc hmmmm

I'd recommend Dunelm too! They have a thingy which asks what kind of thing you like in pillows and then helps you choose. Mine are still big and puffy, they're ace.

All these are brilliant, thank you. DC would love to help make Horopu's hot choc recipe. Definitely one for a cold day.

Hadn't thought of IKEA. Have to go there anyway soon so will check them out too. DS2 tried out M&S bounceback ones the other day and liked them but I wasn't sure if they'd turn lumpy in the wash.

I have tried loads of pillows and some very pricy ones. I now sleep with a £10 side sleeper pillow form Argos. It's the only one that doesn't give me neck ache. It's great.

My dc don't like posh hot chocolate, they don't like hotel chocolat stuff or the Costa Belgian chocolate one but much prefer Cadburys. They don't like own brand either. Check they like it before you but loads!

The Galaxy foamy one is amazing and about £3.

Another fan of Hotel Chocolat hot choc, it's lovely. We use Tempur pillows but they are expensive. The JML RestEasy ones are good and are often on offer. For children they should last a long time.

Marks & Spencer sell Spanish Hot Chocolate in their 'World Food' section in bigger stores - it's in a red tin with a gold lid and is absolutely delicious.
Another lovely one is by Clipper - they do a luxury hot chocolate which is really nice and reasonably priced.
I was going to mention Ikea for pillows too but I see they've been mentioned by a few other people! I need new pillows too and will probably get them there.

One person's sweet dreams pillow is another's sleepless nightmare, so you do need to find out what suits best.

These are a good standard pillow Link

I make hot chocolate with some gently melted squares of chocolate and hot milk whisked in.

I second Ikea pillows. Think mine cost about £20 each bit they've they've lasted well.

I can't sleep without two very soft squishy goose down pillows (I know its stupid). Anything else feels so hard to me and gives me a bad neck.

I tend to get them from dunelm mill due to cost but to be honest they don't last long for the money they cost (about £70 each). Probably a year in them before they go flat and horrible.

Dunelm for pillows. Not expensive and they have different ones for different sleeping positions. I shunned my John Lewis goose feather and down beauty for a Dunelm side-sleeper £10 job

Hot chocolate has got to be Green & Blacks. With a good blast of M&S real dairy squirty cream on top. Heaven.

John Lewis for pillows - ideally go and test in store, otherwise they have guidelines on their websites saying which is best for which type of sleeper.

Clipper hot chocolate - very chocolatey and not too sweet. Also certainly doesn't cost anything like £10 a tin...

Labrador is the M&S squirty cream REAL cream, or is it sweetened fluff like the Anchor one?

Goose down pillows are excellent, though expensive, and can be revived by a machine wash and tumble dry back to an almost new state. But only try to wash and dry one pillow at a time!

So many brilliant suggestions. Thank you.