A day of pampering and fun featuring cake, frocks and Tilbury Taxis

Before I became a mother it is true to say that I took having time to relax or be pampered for granted. There was never any reason not to book a hair appointment, or take a trip to a spa, or just enjoy a day shopping and having a spot of lunch. But once Joe came along it was different. Time really does become the most precious of commodities when you have children, to put it in simple terms, your time is never your own. And even now, as Joe is getting older, this is still the case. I work during the day when Joe is at work, and then spend most nights at his extra curricular activities, (football 2 nights per week, Karate one night, and then Saturday and Sunday mornings for more football.) So when the opportunity arises for a little bit of me time, I don’t mind admitting that I grab it with both hands.

Ocean Loans recently offered me the fantastic opportunity to have a relaxing day on them. Ocean’s ethos is all about making people’s lives easier, and I was more than happy to enjoy a day where I forgot all about real work, housework and being a soccer mom – if only for a few blissful hours.

Here is how I spent MY day (yes the capitals are totally deliberate!)

Stage 1 – Pampering and Beauty

I took a trip into Birmingham to enjoy a little bit of pampering and retail therapy in the 2nd City. After a quick stop in Selfridges to check out the Jimmy Choo Cinderella shoe, I made my way to the Tilbury Taxis, where I was booked in for a makeover. I’m a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury and her amazing beauty range, so this was a real treat. I was treated to the ‘uptown girl’ which was soft and dewy for daytime, I was also given a pot of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, a product that legendary in beauty circles. I loved the experience of the Tilbury taxi, which is part of a fleet that Charlotte keeps for pop up (or drive in) events.

Stage 2 – food

My next step was food. I met up with Emily Jayne to take a trip to Cadbury World for Afternoon tea. You can read all about the tea here, but suffice to say it was delicious, particularly the Rocky Road cakes that were just full of marshmallows and Cadbury’s milk chocolate. It was also lovely to have a girly catch-up and chat without having to rush back for the school run.

Stage 3 – Shopping

Any mom with a young child will understand how fabulous it is to actually have time to shop and even get to try things on! I was on the lookout for a new dress so headed to Debenhams, and particularly the Oasis department, where I had seen two amazing dresses. I tried them both on, and bought one and left one behind. Later regretted not getting them both…

I didn’t get this one…

But I did get this one…

A little bit of time for yourself can sometimes be the perfect pick me up, and I can say that I had the most wonderful day and felt really refreshed and invigorated after. Ready to go back to being on footie mom on the touchline on Saturday morning.