Tales for the Tired: Recent Episodes
Francesca Holly
Written and presented by Francesca Holly, Tales For The Tired is a cosy podcast for tired adults. Weekly episodes combine ambient sounds with wholesome, cosy stories read in calm, sleepy tones.
Hopefully, youβll never hear the end!
This week, I'm back reading works from the public domain. This book on birds is such a beautifully written time capsule of what Bath and Wells were like at the turn of the 20th century. I cut in a few times to explain some of the words. Enjoy, and thank you for listening π€
π§ Want to buy a MP3 copy of this story to keep? Check out my shop! https://ko-fi.com/franholly/shop π
Support with a one-off tip to keep the content coming: https://ko-fi.com/franholly/
β― Watch on YouTube where I complete a digital paint by numbers as I read to you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMYd8T37IUl_ZoD2yvCKLw
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cozywithfran/message
Do you ever feel so stuck when you're trying to create, either for work or for fun? Hopefully, this soothhing and invigorating meditation will help!
Take a journey to a magical cove where you'll explore your own imagination.
Thank you for listening π€
Narrated by me (Fran!) and accompanied by ambient music.
Sound effects by zapsplat.com
π§ Want to buy a MP3 copy of this story to keep? Check out my shop! https://ko-fi.com/franholly/shop π
Support with a one-off tip to keep the content coming: https://ko-fi.com/franholly/
β― Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMYd8T37IUl_ZoD2yvCKLw
I believe your imagination can help relieve your anxiety, insomnia, and stress. As adults, it's all too easy to forget to have fun and ignore that sense of wonder and silliness you had as a kid. That's why I create magical, uplifting guided meditations, creative visualisations, and wholesome sleep stories! Thank you for joining me on a journey to a happier, more peaceful you π€
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cozywithfran/message
Feeling tense? Listen to this meditation to relax your body, any time of day, with the magic of a hot chocolate!
Narrated by me (Fran!) and accompanied by ambient music.
π§ Want to buy a MP3 copy of this story to keep? Check out my shop! https://ko-fi.com/franholly/shop π
Support with a one-off tip to keep the content coming: https://ko-fi.com/franholly/
β― Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMYd8T37IUl_ZoD2yvCKLw
I believe your imagination can help relieve your anxiety, insomnia, and stress. As adults, it's all too easy to forget to have fun and ignore that sense of wonder and silliness you had as a kid. That's why I create magical, uplifting guided meditations, creative visualisations, and wholesome sleep stories! Thank you for joining me on a journey to a happier, more peaceful you π€
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cozywithfran/message
In a forest in Springtime, you venture down a path to a giant toadstool-shaped cafe. Inside, you'll find magic, mystery, and comfort...
Join me on this magical, cozy sleep story with ambient forest, fireplace, and gentle conversation sounds.
π§ Want to buy a MP3 copy of this story to keep? Check out my shop! https://ko-fi.com/franholly/shop
π Support with a one-off tip to keep the content coming: https://ko-fi.com/franholly/
β― Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cozywithfran/
I believe your imagination can help relieve your anxiety, insomnia, and stress. As adults, it's all too easy to forget to have fun and ignore that sense of wonder and silliness you had as a kid. That's why I create magical, uplifting guided meditations, creative visualisations, and wholesome sleep stories!
Thank you for joining me on a journey to a happier, more peaceful you π€
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cozywithfran/message
Yu can listen to this episode anytime you want to come to a magical cottage and craft something beautiful.
Narrated by me (Fran!) and accompanied by ambient music and sound effects of birdsong and a crackling fire.
π§ Want to buy a MP3 copy of this story to keep? Check out my shop! https://ko-fi.com/franholly/shop π
Support with a one-off tip to keep the content coming: https://ko-fi.com/franholly/
β― Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMYd8T37IUl_ZoD2yvCKLw
I believe your imagination can help relieve your anxiety, insomnia, and stress. As adults, it's all too easy to forget to have fun and ignore that sense of wonder and silliness you had as a kid. That's why I create magical, uplifting guided meditations, creative visualisations, and wholesome sleep stories! Thank you for joining me on a journey to a happier, more peaceful you π€
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cozywithfran/message
Hi! I'm Fran and this USED to be Tales For The Tired... but things have changed round here. Give this podcast episode a listen if you want to find out the exciting changes!
Thanks so much for listening π
Links I mentioned in this episode:
π§ Want to buy an MP3 to keep? Check out my shop! https://ko-fi.com/franholly/shop π
π Support with a one-off tip to keep the content coming: https://ko-fi.com/franholly/
β― Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMYd8T37IUl_ZoD2yvCKLw
π Listen on Insight Timer: https://insig.ht/QIkCzLhQSyb
π Tell me what you think on IG! https://www.instagram.com/franhollystudio/I believe your imagination can help relieve your anxiety, insomnia, and stress. As adults, it's all too easy to forget to have fun and ignore that sense of wonder and silliness you had as a kid. That's why I create magical, uplifting guided meditations, creative visualisations, and wholesome sleep stories! Thank you for joining me on a journey to a happier, more peaceful you π€
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getcozy/message
Enjoy this guided visualisation any time of day - it can help you feel more grateful and appreciative of the present moment. You'll journey into a cozy stone cottage with a secret; it can magically give you the knowledge to craft any beautiful piece of wooden furniture with your own two hands!Accompanied by ambient music, birdsong, and a crackling fireplace.
π§ Want to buy a MP3 copy of this story to keep? Check out my shop! https://ko-fi.com/franholly/shopπ Support with a one-off tip to keep the content coming: https://ko-fi.com/franholly/
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getcozy/message
This sleep story episode is from a book we've explored before, back in 2022 when this podcast was very first finding its feet. The book is call On The Trail. This time, I'm reading a section about taking a camera with you to photograph wildlife and your camp.
Please let me know if you enjoyed it and share with a friend if you did!
If you have the means and would like to keep this podcast ad-free for every listener, consider supporting with a one-off tip - no subscription required: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/talespodcast
Thank you for listening!
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talesforthetired/message
This is a classic from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook. It tells the tales of how an injured little bird, separated from its friends, finds solace among the trees. It's accompanied by soft music and light winter forest sounds.Β
Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tfttpodcast
Support with a one-off tip: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/talespodcast
Subscribe everywhere podcasts are published!
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talesforthetired/message
Back for a new season! In this episode, we take a journey through a magical forest where we meet a young deer named Mavis. She is a curious creature who loves to explore and one day, she comes across a clearing where she finds a large and ancient oak tree. In its hollow, she takes a nap and dreams of many exciting and wonderful things.
The story is a reminder of the beauty and magic of nature and how spending time in the outdoors can have a positive impact on our well-being. It also highlights the importance of taking time to rest!
Sweet dreams x
Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tfttpodcast
Support with a one-off tip: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/talespodcast
Subscribe everywhere podcasts are published!
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talesforthetired/message
This was a tough episode to post as it'll be the last time I do so. Thank you to everyone who has listened, supported, shared, tipped, and sent me messages to let me know you enjoyed this podcast. For my mental health I have to step away from making future episodes, just because no matter what I do, I always end up burned out and disappointed with what I've created. I'm so sad that what started out as an exciting, unique project has ended up making me feel under pressure and so critical of myself. It's not fair on you to listen to and support someone whose heart isn't all the way in it. Being creative for work and for pleasure is tough and believe me when I say it took me MONTHS to get to this decision and I don't take it lightly. I'm so forever grateful that you joined in this journey with me. Thanks for listening. Sweet dreams x
Dinah Cat helps Betty when her landlord turns her out of her home. This is a sweet fairy tale with a magical twist! Thanks to Uuhlissa for supporting me as my first ever Patron <3
LINKS
Read The Sandman's Hour
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
The Sandman's Hour is packed full of wonderfully relaxing, magical bedtime stories, so here we are with another tale from it! This week, I'm reading Hilda's Mermaid. A massive thank you goes out to Uuhlissa who became my first ever Patron supporter!
LINKS
Read The Sandman's Hour
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Reading classic works means books don't get surrendered to the past. This collection of bedtime stories is so relaxing and magical that I could have read the whole lot to you in one go. The one I've chosen is called 'Where The Sparks Go', featuring and cat, a dog, a cosy fireplace, and a starry sky.
Thanks to Jen and Eric for listening while you organised your house and Uuhlissa for supporting me even when I wasn't posting new episodes. You guys rock <3
LINKS
Read The Sandman's Hour
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
In todayβs sleep story episode, Iβll be reading from one of my old favourites, but with a twist.
Iβll take you back in time to a very nostalgic place, and together weβll leaf through my old books.
I read a lot as a child, but Beatrix Potter's books stick out to me as some of my all-time favourites. So weβll select one from my old childhood bookshelf and read it together. This time, it's The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse.
Sounds: Countryside and birdsong ambience
Links Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
You can read the book at Gutenberg along with the entire collection of Beatrix Potter stories.
Sweet dreams!
In this sleep story episode, I'll be reading all about creating a home vegetable garden (the old-fashioned way). I've taken a few chapters from an old book published in 1911 by F F Rockwell. To immerse you, I've included ambient countryside sounds. You can almost feel the soil underneath your fingernails!
LINKS Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
You can read the book at Gutenberg (if you fancy starting a veg garden of your own) and suggest a book by contacting me at talesforthetired.com.
Sweet dreams!
Is your mouth watering at the title? Get cosy and maybe even sip your own cup of hot cocoa as we read Chocolate And Cocoa Recipes, a book published in 1780. These recipes I've selected to read to you are accompanied by ambient crackling fireplace sounds to help you imagine melting the chocolate in a heavy pan over a fire.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Read Chocolate And Cocoa Recipes
Published in 1892, this guide about cats talks lovingly about their habits and different breeds. Today, I'm reading about their habits, accompanied by ambient purring sounds, to lull you to sleep.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Read Our Cats by Harrison Weir
Last year, I was rummaging in antique and junk shops in a quaint little village near to where my mum- and dad-in-law live.
Outside one of the tiny shops down an old cobbled alley, they had a box filled with all kinds of little treasures that they were almost giving away. Right at the bottom, I found a battered old paperback book. It was water damaged, but I noticed it was by a long-forgotten poet called T C Wilkinson - he had written a collection of poems about my county. I took it home with me, and now Iβm sharing a few of those poems with you today.
I did a little bit of research and discovered he was an American poet called Thomas Carlos Wilkinson, from California. I found out he wrote another collection called The Conquest and Other Poems, and his father was born in London - which might explain the connection to East Anglia. Iβll post my finding on Instagram if you want to read a little more about him.
The book itself was published in 1882 in my hometown. It has an eggshell blue cover covered in brown and black water stains, and the binding is falling apart - but itβs hanging in there 140 years later.
And here are a few of my favourite poems.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
If youβve listened to An Autumn Visit to Starfish Cabin, you may remember that Freya had a big ginger cat called Crumble. A fun fact is that I was inspired by both of my pets - my cat Sox, and my pug Shih Tzu cross called Flint - and Crumble is sort of a combination of their personalities. I thought that Crumble might be a little sassy, very lazy, and adorably chunky and fluffy.
Well since writing that very first podcast episode, Iβve been a bit Crumble mad. He may have only featured as a few lines in that original story, but I made some cute Crumble earrings and was gifted an amazingly cute coffee cup with a cat that looks just how I imagine Crumble to be. So I took that as a sign and have been conjuring up ideas of what Crumble might get up to.
So here it is. A story dedicated to Crumble the fictional cat, taking a little adventure around his neighbourhood, exploring sights and smells.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Laurel wants to discover the best way to enjoy nature, so takes a visit to the library to soak up some knowledge from books, and hopefully make a plan to take a break from the mundane.
This story features a wonderful book called On The Trail, and it was written over 100 years ago by Lina and Adelia Belle Beard - these ladies were the founders of the Girl Scout Society in America.
Relax and enjoy!
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Read On The Trail free on Gutenberg
This story is a slow tale of a woodland dream, a handmade scarf, and a peaceful, much-needed walk in nature. I've included gentle ambient music to accompany this story. Hopefully, you'll drift off to sleep.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
I trudge slowly through Snowsap Forest, a thick blanket of snow underfoot, and the chill wind nipping my nose. Around me is a wondrous forest of majestic fir trees standing tall and mighty, unfazed by the blistering cold.
I spot a small log cabin off a little way in the distance. The windows have a warm, cosy orange glow, and there's a small stream of smoke coming from the chimney.
This episode is wintery without feeling Christmassy - and I'd love you to follow me into Snowsap Forest on a log cabin adventure.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
In this episode, I'm delving into the classics.
Specifically, I'm going to be reading a story from Beatrix Potter. As a child, I loved Beatrix Potter. It's one of the authors I grew up with because I was very lucky to have all the books. They were the little books with the green covers and they were a little collection on my bookshelf. I don't know what happened to them. Do you remember what I mean? If you liked Beatrix Potter too, then you might have had the books as well. They always remain some of my favourites.
Today I've selected one of my favourites, which is Mrs. Tiggywinkle.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Today's episode is a story about a woman called Freya. She's a young woman, she probably works a bit too hard and doesn't get enough sleep. I'm sure you can relate! All she wants is a little bit of peace and quiet, so she goes to visit her Gran's old beach hut and she enjoys some time offline, with a very special find.
Thank you for listening to this, the very first episode of Tales for the Tired! I'm so grateful and excited to share this with you.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Say hi over on Instagram.
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
This is Tales For The Tired, a cosy sleep podcast.
My name's Francesca and every fortnight, I will help lull you to sleep with a standalone, wholesome, cosy story mixed with ambient sounds.
If you struggle to switch off your overactive brain, I can help! Shrug off your worries as you slide into bed and press play.
You can subscribe on:
Apple
Amazon
Spotify
And find out more at talesforthetired.com
Sweet dreams!