The Value of Confidence

“Confidence is the best fashion accessory” Vivienne Westwood

How I got there

To explain the value of confidence, I think I need to tell you my own journey of how I got there. After two caesareans with my boys and the journey of re-educating myself after being diagnosed as gluten intolerant really took its toll on my body, I was actually quite proud that I never exercised, had owned the same trainers since I was at school and to the most part ate what I wanted and only properly cooked when we were entertaining, the only thing I truly looked after (and received the compliments on) was my skin. But, and it was a big but, I was definitely not body confident and it was because of that, nearly two years ago I decided I needed to change. It was strange, like someone had flicked a switch in me that I needed to get healthier, fitter and more importantly take back ownership of my own body. I began cooking everything I and the family ate from scratch (which is like a military operation as I work more than full time and the kids are like starving hungry beasts that never fill!), training five times a week, obviously the knock on effect of this was weight loss, which was one of my personal goals as my BMI was obese and I was far too lethargic for a woman in her early 30’s. 3 and 1/2 stone lighter and two years on I feel at my physical best that I have for years, it’s insane how much more energy I have and my confidence has changed beyond recognition.

Don’t be afraid of it

To start with I was fairly afraid of being more confident as I also care what people think. But by whole heartedly embracing it, it’s lead me to here, a point where I help others with their style, confidence, self worth and all organically, what started as me exploring my style meant others asked me to develop theirs, I realised I was actually very good at it, and not only that, I get that same incredible feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I make someone feel beautiful that I do when we hear about how Clockface Beauty skin care products have transformed their skin.

The power of feeling good through looking good

Finding my style and exploring fashion has been like putting in the final piece of the jigsaw, it’s allowed me to find me, the power of feeling good in how you look should never be underestimated. This certainly does not mean loosing weight that was something personal to me that I felt I needed to do, what it does mean is that you can (hopefully with my help) use fashion to embrace who you are already, hone your style and feel beautiful and empowered in every way.

How I can help

So I am here, sharing my journey with you, being a full time Founder and CEO of a fast growing skincare business, raising boys, running a home, cooking for my family and friends, and now being a part time stylist. I want to use what I have learned to help you grow not only your self worth but confidence too, a great place to start is with beautiful glowing skin and a style that gives you swagger. However I can help you I am here, if you want to use any of my  fashion advice services please get in touch or for skincare pop over to our website www.clockfacebeauty.com and head straight to the skin clinic.

 

 




Baking with Kids

“Cooking with kids is not just about ingredients, recipes, and cooking. It’s about harnessing imagination, empowerment and creativity” Guy Fiery

One of the great joys of my love of baking is being able to share it with the boys, Henry in particular is a baking addict just like his Mummy. I can honestly say it has been a huge bonding experience as its something almost daily we do together and both always make time for. The hardest thing is to embrace the mess and chaos, but if you let go to that it can be so wonderful, coupled with yummy treats at the end what is not to love.

So, where do you start? The best place to begin is with the (and I say this with gritted teeth as it’s not something I would ever use now!) kits from the supermarket, picking a theme like Frozen or Paw Patrol is a great way to get children engaged, there is not much that can go wrong with them and they get to experience in a really quick way the joys of the delicious pudding at the end!

The next phase is letting them help you with your bakes, all of my recipes on here are child friendly, I don’t think I have made any of them without Alfie or Henry getting involved somewhere along the line. You can buy lovely children’s mixing kits from either Amazon or Lakeland with their own bowls and perfectly sized utensils, or you can just give them one of your wooden spoons and let them crack on!

My boys favourite bits are; cracking an egg (if you worry about the shell, get them to crack it into a separate bowl they can then pour in to the rest of the mixture), stirring, again this doesn’t have to effect the overall bake, use your stand mixer to create the batter then let them finish with their spoon. I bought some fantastic children’s knives for chopping, (linked here) so the boys are always helping me chop cherries for bakes and vegetables for cooking.

Use the time when chopping vegetables with them to explore each one, what colour is it? what does it feel like? and if its suitable let them try it raw, I’ve found allowing them to explore when they are ready has meant they are prepared to be more adventurous. Before the first lockdown my eldest was a terrible eater, he was really fussy, only liked plain food and meal times weren’t great fun. If you follow me on Instagram you will know that now he eats EVERYTHING! The change definitely came from him helping me prepare lunches, chop the vegetables and understand what went into his meals, he no longer started to challenge the bits of carrot on his plate because he’d already eaten some in the prep process and was excited for the final result.

My overall message is in my experience encouraging them to get involved in baking and cooking was the best thing I could have done for my boys, who now have developed their own passion for food and will try almost everything. I’d love to see pictures of your baking and cooking results with your kids so please do share them!

 

 

 

 




The joy of personalised jewellery

The joy of personalised jewellery

It’s lovely to have bold statement jewellery, in fact I have written a whole blog on it! But for me the items in my jewellery box that are the most precious and that I wear the most often are those with little monetary value but maximum sentimental. I wanted to talk specifically about an item you will often see within “My Style”, my gorgeous necklace from Phillipa Herbert, it is Rose Gold (anyone that knows Clockface and has seen it’s branding will know how much I love Rose Gold!), and has two small disc charms on the bottom, one with an imprint of Alfie’s fingerprint and one of Henry’s.

Nick organised the original necklace for my first Mother’s day present after Alfie was born, I don’t think I took it off at all for about 3 years! Then he had Henry’s charm made up for the Mother’s Day after he came along. It is beyond precious and I am pretty sure gives me super powers, I wear it to all the important things in my life or whenever I need a little courage, I know the boys are right there with me, cheering me on.

Aside from my engagement and wedding rings, which always mean I have my husband close, I have a gorgeous ring from my Mum, her Nanna gave it to her for her 18th, again, it has zero monetary value, but I never take it off. It has her maiden name initials barely still inscribed on the surface, it’s discreet, understated but extremely beautiful, it reminds me of someone I never even got to meet (my Great Nanna), and again brings me a sense of strength just by wearing it.

Why am I telling you all this? Firstly, wear the pieces that make you feel loved, beautiful or just that little bit more courageous, but also never underestimate the power of sentiment. I cannot recommend enough my beautiful finger print necklace, I will carry and wear these precious memories around with me forever, if you have children or just someone you really care about I would urge you to consider a personalised piece.