Pool Side Glam

Having just returned from a fabulous week in Halkidiki with the family, I wanted to share with you some stylish tips I picked up whilst sitting around the pool of a very exclusive family resort. Whilst I was hopping on hot tiles chasing Scarlett around the pool and sitting in the shade with Savannah so she didn’t burn, the other mums with slightly older children were reading their kindles under their super sized sun hats and Tom Ford shades. There were Hermès and LV bags galore but my Longchamp Le Pliage stood its ground around the pool and I am so pleased I had it. It really is the best travel bag, suitable for the beach, the pool, hanging off the pram and to walk around generally looking cool! Paul thought it was ridiculous because he couldn’t find anything in it but that’s just men for you…

The main difference to packing for a holiday when you have babies isn’t that you now have nappies taking up valuable shoe space, its that the focus is on day outfits and less on the evening. Forget heels and sparkly dresses, it’s all about dressing for breakfast and lounging by the pool.

Now I have learnt this secret known only to mums, the following will be on my next holiday wish list…

Pool Dress

Until I can justify £230 on an Elizabeth Hurley silk kaftan, this brightly coloured cover up will do just nicely from Seafolly for just £44! Go as bright as you possibly can when kaftan shopping.

TIP: A simple loose fitting, pin striped shirt as your pool side cover up is the ultimate in Riveria Chic and a great alternative to your classic cover up.

Statement Sandals

These aren’t actually on my wish list anymore, as from last week they are in my shoe cupboard! When I wasn’t in my Beach Athletic flip flops I was in these fabulous studded sandals from Kurt Geiger, they are seriously comfortable and style up even the plainest of outfits.

The Hat

We all love an excuse to wear a hat but they are one of those accessories that get over looked for day to day summer wear. Holidays however, give you the chance to be more daring with your style and at £85 this Tory Burch designer hat is certainly a new look worth risking!

The Shades

Our plane was delayed by a few hours on the way home giving me enough time to try on every single pair of shades in Duty Free, these fabulous Dolce & Gabbanas are definitely a pair I hope to be getting soon!

TIP: Choose round frames for Hepburn glamour and square for contemporary cool, stick to tortoise shell and browns for blonde hair and be bold with blacks for brunette.

Compliment these fabulous items with a bright shellac mani and pedi and surf sprayed waves in the hair for the ultimate in polished beach style.

On another note, Scarlett (who pulled off pool side glam perfectly when chilling out playing on her iPad) lived in this beautiful cotton kaftan that I picked up at the JoJo Maman Bébé press day and I just had to share it!

What’s In My Beach Bag…

There is nothing quite like the smell of suncream to get you in to the holiday mood and with only a few days before we depart to sunny Greece, my beauty packing has already begun. Us girls spend a fortune on day creams, night creams, eye creams, lip creams, you name it – we buy an expensive cream for it, but when it comes to sun cream, perhaps the most important of them all – we get what’s on offer at Boots! Well this holiday I am living it up with a beach bag full of designer products, some of which I would like to share with you…

Dermalogica Super Sensitive Shield SPF30

I will never go less than a 30 on my face, sun is a catalyst to the ageing process and with only a few days left in my 20’s, it doesn’t need any additional help! It’s not a total sun block so you will still return home with a holiday glow, but always find a trusted brand with a high factor for this delicate skin.

Clinique SPF35 Targeted Protection Stick

Lips can get quite dry in the sun, obviously I don’t intend to let this happen with the amount of cocktails I plan on consuming but just in case, this is a lovely smooth stick that can also be used under the eyes or anywhere else that is suffering in the sun!

Clarins Sun Care Milk Lotion Spray SPF20

This spray really is the smell of summer and moisturises beautifully on to your body.

Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil

I’ll be getting my roots done just a couple of days before the holiday so to avoid my hair regressing into bleached straw, I will be spraying it generously with this hair veil from Aveda.

Arbonne Baby Sun Cream SPF30

Savannah will be coated in this cream from head to toe. Born in December and with less than a week of real sunshine since, her fair and sensitive skin is not at all used to the sun and heat so it is important to use protection especially created for infants.

Proderm Kids Sun Mousse SPF30

This is a fantastic mousse that rubs in easily, great for manic toddlers that won’t sit still!

Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray

With a high dose of citronella, it is a great alternative to mosquito repellant and highly recommended by mums!

Dermalogica After Sun Repair

If I don’t quite make it back to the room before starting on my evening cocktails, it’s best to keep this on me – some people keep it in the fridge, cold lotions give me no pleasure whatsoever, burnt or not.

And the Beach Bag? My trusty Le Pliage of course…

Beautiful gifts

So with a baby due early December, this year I really have no choice but to get organised for Christmas early. And when I say get organised for Christmas, I mean get my own list in order to start distributing amongst family so there is no confusion in what to get me… Well I don’t want to leave this to the last minute do I!? Don’t worry, as well as my own wish list, I have been checking out some beautiful gift ideas to get the girls in your lives who love a bit of luxury! In no particular order, here are the little beauties I have found (click on any of the images for more details):

Longchamp Foldaway bag

The Le Pliage. Every girl should own at least 1. Such a staple and style conscious accessory, a favourite amongst commuters looking for a lightweight alternative to a leather designer bag. They are just so useful for chucking everything into for a night away or to hang off your pram for everyday use!

Mulberry Cosmetic bag

The ultimate in dressing table glamour… Not that it will stay on the dressing table, it’s a product to flaunt and will be carried around in the handbag for daily make-up retouching! Anything from Mulberry is a bit of a winner let’s face it…

Ruby & Ed Slippers

This is such a gorgeous brand, the slippers are just so snuggly and everything arrives so beautifully packaged making for a very special pair of slippers!

Liz Earle Skincare

As a gift, you can’t really go wrong with Liz Earle if venturing into skincare gifts. The products are so gentle that you don’t need to worry if they will be right for their skin. They have bought out a Christmas edition of my favourite cleanser that will make a beautiful gift!

Ugg Ear Muffs

These were actually a gift that I received last year and I LOVED THEM! Perfect for looking stylish as well as staying practical with all the park time and long walks you are about to embark on with your little one!

Tiffany Necklace

For a real wow, the turquoise box and white ribbon is guaranteed to bring a smile! Who cares what’s inside? They offer such a huge range of silver jewellery in all different price ranges, I came across this gorgeous little necklace at only £140! You just can’t go wrong with the Elsa Peretti range.

The White Company PJs

Nothing nicer than putting on new pyjamas, as a gift, a boxed package of luxury sheer PJs that will give you the ultimate feminine bed time feeling is a gorgeous gift to receive! And if you do become that mum that doesn’t get dressed before mid day, beautiful lounge wear will make you feel much happier about it!

Hunter Boots

I already have the original tall in Purple Gloss and Navy and absolutely love them. You’ll be surprised how often you wear them when you’re a mum! I love these red ones, they are brand new and have been designed so they can be folded up which is actually incredibly useful plus they have a fabric ribbed top to add that extra bit of effortless style.

For beautiful little stocking fillers, a new original Touch Eclat by YSL, the YSL nail varnish in Violet Baroque and the Chanel Rouge Coco hydrating lip colour are all on my list to Santa!