Good morning and happy Wednesday! Today is officially the last day I will be doing any work for the next few weeks as we are off to Dubai/Oman on Thursday and I cannot wait. For sunshine. For time with my family. For seeing new places. For relaxation. For my holiday outfits! I have a few meetings today, 3 hours of beauty appointments tomorrow and then we fly in the evening. So I wanted to leave you with this blog post before I go: I have done another interview this time with the lovely Frankie who is the brains behind The BeauBox (remember that insanely beautiful house I went to in January? It was for the launch of The BeauBox. And btw it was co-hosted by such a lovely girl called Katie who was almost 8 months pregnant at the time and looked AMAZING!) I have as usual focused the interview on motherhood related questions as well as how she runs her business and what her essentials for a new mummy would be. I love her honesty, positivity, the way she speaks about her own mother. And I will definitely be buying the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow after reading this. Hope you enjoy! Oh and I will of course be on Instagram and sharing my travels via Instastories so follow me along if you want to see what we get up to, but for now I leave you with this…
Tell us a little bit about The BeauBox – when did you start and how did you come up with the idea?
The BeauBox was born after a friend living in Australia had a baby and we were spoilt for choice with cool baby gift boxes to send her. It made me realise we didn’t have anything similar in the UK and it started from there. While on holiday last October I really started brainstorming and by time we had returned home I had the name, concept, branding and domain name! From then on I spent every spare moment I had building The BeauBox with the aim to launch in Jan- which we did!
What 5 items are absolutely essential for a new mummy?
1.Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow; – When I was pregnant someone told me to get a really good face cream because I wouldn’t have time for lengthy make up sessions along with NO sleep, I’ve tried plenty of lotions and potions but one of my favourites that I think actually makes a difference is the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow; it’s a primer, it’s anti-aging, it’s illuminating, it hydrates skin, – it’s pretty much a mum’s best friend!
2.Hand Cream- my hands were so dry when I first had Beau, you’re constantly washing them so they dry out so easily, I have hand cream in every room and every bag!
3.A great pair of flats shoes or trainers. I lived in heels before having Beau and even for most of my pregnancy. I’ll never give up my heels but I have learnt to love a flat now and ended up buying plenty of really cool trainers, and black biker boots. I’ll be buying some silver pointed flats for Spring.
4.A chic rucksack – thankfully there’s much more choice around now for stylish baby bags (I love Jem and Bea obviously!) I personally love a rucksack; they’re so cool and a perfect alternative to a regular style baby bag.
5.Baby Carrier- I really enjoyed baby wearing and still do now to take Beau to nursery! I can’t bare waiting for a million lifts when shopping so sometimes it was a nice option to leave the buggy at home! The Ergo Baby is great and easy to use when you’re on your own. Some are so complicated, when you’re on your own with a new baby everything needs to be as straightforward as possible!
What’s the most challenging thing about running your own business? And the most rewarding?
The days when you question yourself are really hard. Leading up to the launch I had so many moments of doubt. What if no one buys it? What if people don’t like it? Is my branding ok? What if I fail? Thankfully I had lots of positive people around me motivating and cheering me on. Now when someone buys a box the feeling is just incredible; to know that someone actually believes in your creation makes it all worth it!
How do you juggle being a parent with running your own company?
It can be very challenging at times. It’s important to try and separate the two and not attempt do both at the same time because one will suffer. If I’m working on The BeauBox I will make sure someone is looking after Beau or a lot of my work is done in the evenings when he’s asleep! And when I’m with Beau I make sure I’m totally focused on him.
Any plans to have more children?
Yes we would like more eventually but there’s lots going on at the moment to keep us busy!
Favourite place to go for a date night?
We used to meet in Soho after work a lot when we first started dating so we always like to do this when we can! Bit more difficult now, but when we do our favourites are Chotto Matte, Soho Hotel, The Blind Pig and Hix.
Favourite way to unwind?
Clearing the weekend of any plans and spending time with my family. A takeaway and a bottle of wine on the sofa always goes down a treat too!
Who is your role model?
My mum! She’s always worked so hard and has an incredible work ethic yet I have never felt that she doesn’t have time for me, and I know my sister and I have always been her priority. She has done such an amazing job of raising us and this encourages and reassures me that you can have a healthy work / life balance. She inspires me to succeed and truly demonstrates to me the meaning of a ‘mumboss’.
Travel with your baby- yes or no?
Yes! As hard as it is sometimes I can’t bear to leave him! We’re going away very soon and the Ipad and snacks will be my best friends!
What advice would you give to Beau if he decided to start his own business?
He’s got to be passionate about it; the passion is the key to overcoming the doubt! I’d also really encourage him to do something that he has some knowledge or experience in. It will always make it a little easier if you have some background in the industry you’re trying to break into. I’ve tried to apply that to my own concept; my background is luxury fashion and I am a mum, so creating a luxury and stylish product for mum’s felt like a solid combination of knowledge, experience and skills.
Your favourite women on Instagram?
Oh SO MANY!!! Well obviously I completely love The Fashion Bug Blog! Some others include,
Charlotte Lepore @mikamoops- absolutely love her style and she recently became a mummy so can’t wait to see more baby pics and brands she recommends.
Philippa Bloom & Sarah Tankel Ellis, @wearetwinset , obsessed with these two!! Literally want to buy everything on their insta and blog!! Philippa is pregnant and I just love seeing her bump style, she’s really nailing it!
One more! Masha, @masha_theone, Mama to two littles, her feed is just gorgeous, brightens up any day!
You are stranded on a desert island with your baby – what one thing would you want to have with you?
Snacks! Food is the only thing that truly keeps Beau happy J
Best piece of parenting advice you ever received?
Do it your way! Listen to the advice but don’t hang on every word, every baby is different and you know your baby better than anyone. You will find a way that works best for you and your baby. xx