From the village of nothing much

Let's get sleepy

Bedtime stories are like a soft landing spot for your mind. Rather than letting your brain race through the same thoughts you’ve been chasing all day, we are taking a detour to a calm and comfy place. We tell the story twice and go a bit slower the second time. Each week, we support a meaningful non-profit organization. Explore the causes we've contributed to in past episodes.

 
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

City Sidewalks (Encore)

Our story tonight is called City Sidewalks, and it’s a story about an evening looking into shop windows filled with Holiday displays. It’s also about miracles made in gingerbread, realizing when something is good, and the hushed excitement in a theater as the movie is about to begin.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Outside At Night, With My Dog

Our story tonight is called Outside at Night, with my Dog, and it’s a story about waking with a loved one when the moon is high. It’s also about flower bulbs and a heavy quilt, the scent of the night air as winter arrives, and the warmth that comes from being there with the ones you love.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Thanksgiving at the Cabin (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Thanksgiving at the Cabin, and it’s a story about a walk through the woods with a friend to start the day. It’s also about the sun on your face, empty branches, and squirrels, cranberries, and apples. The sound of the shower in the other room, and a note written in the steam on the mirror. Family, as you find it, and the deep feeling of enough.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

After Dinner

This is a story about the quiet that settles in as the plates are cleared and the candles burn down. It’s also about passed-down recipes, dogs chasing through the halls, bay leaves and pine needles, the sound of voices in the next room, and a moment alone under the stars.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Joy of Missing Out (Encore)

Our story tonight is called The Joy of Missing Out, and it’s a story about recharging your body when your battery has run down. It’s also about frost on the windows, reading a favorite book snuggled deep under the covers, being honest about what you need, and giving others permission to do the same.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Curtain Call

Join Kathryn Nicolai and friends for a one-night-only live virtual event on Wednesday, November 19th, filled with calming bedtime stories, live music, guided journaling, and a few thoughtful surprises. You can tune in from anywhere!

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Guest Room

Our story tonight is called The Guest Room and it’s a story about making a space feel warm and welcoming. It’s also about fresh sheets and fluffy stacks of towels, a pearly button and a jewelry box, the clean feeling of room that’s been properly aired out, a silly dog who sees every chore as a chance for play, and showing love through thoughtful hospitality.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Sunday Reset (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Sunday Reset, and it’s a story about a day set aside to plan for a good week ahead. It’s also about sheets hung on the line, drying in the last warm rays of the autumn, a record spinning on the turntable, and a changed outlook after advice from a friend.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Recipe Testing

Our story tonight is called Recipe Testing, and it’s a story about a quiet afternoon at home, preparing for the holidays. It’s also about leaves raked into piles in the backyard, cranberries and pastry flour, the incredible softness of a dog’s ears, soup pots and sage, and the comfortable feeling of your loved ones resting nearby as you cook.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Autumn Sun (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Autumn Sun, and it’s a story about a day at Weathervane Farm, treating the animals to autumnal enrichment. It’s also about light shifting through orange and red leaves, the pillowy soil of a well-tilled garden, the last pumpkins picked from their vines, and the simple joy of watching kids play.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Rainy Morning (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Rainy Morning, and it’s a story about savoring a good book from bed. It’s also about resting your eyes, having the house to yourself, and looking forward to the next great read.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Trick or Treat (Encore)

Our story tonight is called “Trick or Treat,” and it’s a story about roaming the streets on All Hallows’ Eve. It’s also about a gust of wind that turns you around, lit porch lights, and making memories with the people you love.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Chef and the Ghost Light

Our story tonight is called Chef and the Ghost Light, and it’s a story in which, fine, I’ll admit, something happens. The jig is up. It’s even a little spooky, friends. So if that isn’t your cup of sleepy-time tea, please skip this episode and dive into one of the hundreds of others I’ve written for you. We’ll return to your regular programming next week. This is a story about Halloween Night at the Inn, as party guests dance and cavort. It’s also about lightning over the lake, whirring in the walls, a piece of Village lore rediscovered, and a lone light shining in the darkness.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Behind the Curtain (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Behind the Curtain, and it’s a story about two friends meeting for the first time. It’s also about a copper kettle simmering on the stove, a gentle approach to tip people toward kindness, and cinnamon sticks and sliced apples. 

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Gatekeeper Tree

Our story tonight is called The Gatekeeper Tree, and it is ever-so-gently a spooky bedtime story. I know that’s not for everyone, so if it’s not for you, the good news is that we have hundreds of other episodes to listen always at your fingertips. This story is about a late-night expedition, the flickering light of a lantern in the woods, tree roots that might trip you up, or make way, depending on whether or not you ought to be there, a fox kit and a fairy circle, and the prize found at the journey’s end.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Curios Shop (Encore)

Our story tonight is called The Curios Shop, and it’s a story about a little shop in downtown Nothing Much, that takes the right set of circumstances to be found. It’s also about creaky wood floors, an old book covered in velvet, and a small grey cat with yellow eyes.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Rosewater and Witch Hazel

Our story tonight is called Rosewater and Witch Hazel, and it’s a story about reclaiming your sparkle on a moonlit night. It’s also about a grey cat and a friendly neighborhood shop for needful things, flower petals and vanilla pods, brown paper and an ink pad, and taking time to pamper yourself, just as you deserve.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Leaf House (Encore)

Our story tonight is called The Leaf House, and it’s a story about an autumn day spent working in the yard. It’s also a game remembered from childhood, a spider’s web spun on a chrysanthemum, and different ways to think about home.

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Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Autumn at the Inn, Part 4

Our story tonight is called Autumn at the Inn, Part Four, and for now, it’s the last in this series. It’s a story about a new routine that heals as it unfolds, a morning cup of tea drunk from a window seat on the second floor, a room full of interesting objects, and stories waiting to be heard.

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