WHAT'S ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE?...6 MUST HAVES!!

I have a confession to make, I am TERRIBLE at styling bedside tables.  Of course you probably have noticed that if you have seen some of my recent master bedroom posts.  I'm sure you have spotted my fan...that old eyesore...who could miss it, right?

And I'm certain you must have seen that horribly ugly digital alarm clock too.  Well, therein lies the problem as to why I am terrible at styling my bedside tables.  I need my fan (I must have white noise or I can't sleep) and I need my digital alarm clock...with it's large red numbers...not necessarily for the alarm but so I can see what time it is in the middle of the night.

To be truthful I have had bedside table envy for years.  I have seen at least a MILLION beautiful bedrooms with their perfectly styled bedside tables in magazines that I would love to imitate but no matter how hard I try it just never works out.

Here's the reason why. Those bedrooms are not styled to be useful or user friendly.  They are simply styled to get a GOOD picture.  You will never see one that has an alarm clock that an actual person would use, or could use.  If you do see an alarm clock it is always one of those cutesy kinds that would be impossible to see should you were to wake in the middle of the night, without your contacts in, and want to know what time it is. You never see one with a half drunken bottle of water and a bottle of headache medicine.  And it is for certain you will never see one with a fan..adorned with little dust bunnies!

  So that's it, I guess I will NEVER be able to have a perfectly styled bedside table.  Of course I guess I could take all the necessary stuff off of them, leaving only the pretties, just for the sake of taking some nice pictures; but nah, that's just not my style!  I say leave it all there and just be real...

Real can still be pretty, don't ya think? Have I ever told you that I love how my master bedroom is coming along? The colors are just so soothing and serene. I love going to sleep there and waking up there now. It's such a change from what it used to be.

Now in case you have been alluded by the perfect bedside table stylings too, here is a list of 6 must haves for every bedside table....according to the EXPERTS, from my Google research...whoever they are...

1. Lighting---you should have some sort of lighting on your bedside table either in the form of a lamp, candle or flashlight.
2. Alarm Clock---you should have something on your bedside table that shows the time and that has an alarm. 
3. Water---you should have a small glass of water or bottled water at your beside in the event you wake with dry mouth or a cough.
4. Reading material---not necessarily a must, but you might want to have some sort of reading material at your bedside in case you have trouble falling asleep or need a little down time before turning out the lights.
5. Tray---you should have a small tray on your bedside table to corral small things such as a wrist watch, jewelry, wallet, keys and change.
6. Sentiment---you should have something personal or sentimental on your bedside table such as a wedding photo, photo of your children or some other item that makes you happy.  This could even be fresh flowers.

So, what's on your bedside table?  Do you have a bedside table must have that's not on THE list? Do tell!