WHERE TO STAY: Birmingham - Holiday Inn City Centre

I'm OBSESSED with visiting hotels, or genuinely just staying some place different other than home. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm an absolute home girl, my home is my safe space, but I'm partial to a road trip or jumping on a train and heading somewhere other than home for a cheeky little adventure. And I just love a night away in a hotel. 

This has been heightened since the pandemic and never ending lockdown, especially as I'm based in Leicester, the forgotten city left in a local lockdown for what seemed like a good six months after the rest of the country. So getting out and about and exploring some place other than home definitely has a different vibe about it.
I love a good hotel, whether it be a bit of 5* luxury, or a nice mid-range that makes the perfect base to go exploring, and I thought I'd start sharing some with you in a 'WHERE TO STAY' series.

My youngest turned 7 recently and I planned a little night away to Birmingham for just the 2 of us complete with a trip to Cadbury's World. I wanted a budget to mid-range hotel in the perfect location (close to the train station, and the Bull Ring Shopping Centre) and the one hotel that fit that perfectly was the Holiday Inn Birmingham City Centre. I'd stayed there previously for a training event with my travel company and it was a lovely hotel, a stones throw from the train station and just down the road from the Bull Ring  and to top it off, I got a fantastic rate through my Travel Programme too.

The hotel lobby / reception is combined with a multifaceted social space including an e-bar to charge up your devices or get some work done, a cocktail lounge & champagne bar, media lounge & open lobby restaurant. The staff are welcoming and polite, and there is ample room to socially distance where needed. 
Their Guest Rooms are fresh and clean, available in Superior and Deluxe class, and larger Suites are available for those special occasions too.
We stayed in a Twin Guest Room which had a City View and it was perfect for us, plenty of room for the 2 of us, comfortable beds, a lovely bathroom, lots of storage space, and waking up to a nice city view (albeit only Birmingham City centre) made a nice change to waking up to my bedroom wall! 

We had a lovely night away, my son is definitely following in my footsteps and loves a good hotel stay too! It is definitely one of my favourite picks when staying in Birmingham, it's a great price and in the perfect location, so if you're looking for a nice, affordable hotel, close to all of the attractions in Birmingham, you won't be disappointed with the Holiday Inn Birmingham City Centre hotel. 
Are you following my Instagram or TikTok? You can check out my Reels of our hotel stay, plus our trip to Cadbury's World over there, I'd love to know what you think!

Lola's Lashes Limited Edition Throwback Collection

I don't know about you, but I'm missing having my lashes done, whether that be extensions or just a simple lash lift, anything to enhance my lashes! I've spent many years trialing out ALLLLL THA mascaras, lash serums, lotions, and potions to give me longer, more voluptuous lashes. Everyone wants longer lashes right? I love the look that false lashes give, and finally managed to get the hang of applying them a couple of years ago, so when magnetic lashes came on to the market, I was intrigued to give them a try. 

Lola's Lashes are, in their words, the home of FUSS FREE FALSIES.
They promise to have THE best magnetic eyeliner on the market, and unlike other brands, do not water down their eyeliner or shed no expense in their manufacturing process. Testing their unique formula against competitors time and time again, their eyeliner lasts an average of 6 hours longer than other competitors on the market, standing up much better in high winds and rain. 

Their specially designed lashes include 5 magnets, and their liner a unique magnetic formula that work perfectly together giving them full confidence that they are superior to their competition in both safety and performance. 
All of their products are manufactured in a cruelty-free environment and made from premium Korean synthetic silk, they never use mink or any other animal fur and their products are suitable for vegans. 
I've tried Lola's Lashes before, so when they contacted me again to try out some of their new 90's inspired Throwback Collection, I was more than happy to oblige. The Throwback Collection features 5 Limited Edition styles in both magnetic and strip lashes.

Daisy Chain; an everyday lash for your inner girl next door.Love Letter; a subtle fox eye look. Kiss & Tell; a super glam lash with bold length and volume.  Be Witchin; a full and thick cateye lash.  Sundae; a head-turning lash with varying lengths and full volume.
All feature their new Un-Real Lash Technology, for the most mink-like vegan lash effect out there, except Kiss & Tell which is made from synthetic silk. 

Application is super easy, simply apply the magnetic liner and let it dry completely, then apply the lashes starting with the inner corners, pressing on the lash line securing the magnets in place. The kits come with Magnetic Eyeliner Cleansing Oil for easy removal of the eyeliner. Full application and removal instructions are on the website. I shared how easy the application was over on my TikTok and Instagram Stories, so if you follow me over there you will have seen how super simple it really is.
They really have thought of everything, even recommending which style is suited to which eye shape and telling you everything you need to know about each style, including the band width and lash length, head over to the website and see which one gives you 90's vibes!!


Are you a fan of Magnetic Lashes? 


love, 

PR GIFTED ITEMS

The Skincare Diaries - The Introduction

I'm 37 and quite frankly I need to get my sh*t together when it comes to my skin. 
I've always been a big fan of skincare. I've been writing this blog for over 10 years now and have shared tons of beauty and skincare stuff. (Remember #TheSkinProject I did back in 2013? Oh, how things have changed when it comes to skincare nowadays! And it makes me cringe to look back on what I used to use on my face over the years!) 

I didn't really start looking after my skin until I was about 27. Before then I was happily using makeup wipes to 'remove' my makeup and then slap on the odd moisturiser every now and then, with no idea what or why I was putting anything on my skin. I also spent a lot of my early 20's sleeping in my makeup!! 

I attempted to make up for it though by really getting into my skincare, and I soon fell in love with it; learning about it and trying new products. I even started a beauty therapy course a few years ago, but then I got involved in a project that pretty much took over my life and I quit the course, and over time, my skincare routine started slipping too. All my time and energy went into this project and unfortunately, my self-care suffered in the meantime. I got really lazy, and would often just wipe my face with micellar water before bed and be done with it. 
I knew enough about skincare to know this wasn't great, at all, but I'd often stay up working until super late that it was all I had the energy for. 

Last month I turned 37 and I had a bit of a wobble. I realised I really need to start taking more care of myself. My body has changed, my metabolism has pretty much given up on me after having my back for all these years, haha, and my skin is showing more signs of ageing. Getting older sucks.
So I started looking into, and learning more about skincare again. I got my books out and started to re-read them, I ordered more books. I started following my favourite skincare gurus and doctors again, researched products, and bought more products than I care to admit (Cult Beauty needs some sort of alternative to a parental control lock, I've placed 2 orders in a week, it's becoming a problem, haha) and I've even enrolled on a new Skincare course too.
I've fallen in love with skincare all over again. 

Skincare has really evolved over the years and I'm really enjoying looking into all the products I'm using, learning about the ingredients, the benefits, and what is right for my skin, rather than listening to the hype that often surrounds beauty products. 
Gone are the days of 'Cleanse, tone, moisturise and be on your merry way...' and the days where I'd treat my face to a good scrub with an exfoliator are no more, fortunately. I genuinely used to think this was the best part of my routine years ago, the scrubbier the better!  I thought if it left my skin red, it was working, bye bye dead skin cells! *insert head in hands emoji here, haha* Then I'd usually follow with a good, usually alcohol-based, toner with absolutely no idea what it was for, it was just what we were told to do right? Oh my skin! 
I have a whole new skincare routine that I've been using for a few short weeks now and can already see the difference in my skin already. Softer, cleaner... I'd go as far as saying I've got a bit of a glow! I've finally introduced retinol into my routine (better late than never!) too. My skin is starting to look a lot healthier so I thought I'd jump on here and share my journey with you guys, everything from my routine, my favourite products, and also what I'm learning about skincare along the way.

So keep checking back for updates, I'm excited to share it all with you. 


What is your skincare routine like? Is it something you need to work on? Any holy grail products you use that you couldn't be without?


love, 

5 Reasons I LOVE Network Marketing

Network Marketing is up there as one of the most misunderstood industries around. I see and hear so many misconceptions (that's definitely an upcoming blog post) but it has been a huge part of my life for a few years now. I absolutely LOVE it and it has helped me in so many ways, both personally and financially. 

In my opinion, Network Marketing (also known as MLM) is an incredible business model, if done right.

It's not for everyone, and there are SO many people out there doing it wrong, which leads to a negative stereotype around the whole industry. I completely understand that, but I really want to open people's eyes and share a little REAL LIFE about network marketing, my journey, and why I absolutely love it! So I'd love to open up a safe space and conversation about this subject.

I'll share more about how I got into it, the ups and downs of my own journey soon, but for now...

Here are...

5 Reasons why I LOVE Network Marketing

Flexibility & Freedom

I work my network marketing business, from home (or anywhere with wifi), alongside my busy single mum life and part-time job. You create your own hours, choose when or how much you work, in the pockets of time you have free after blocking out time for the important stuff and planning around it.

I work both my part-time job and my NWM business from home which allows me to spend more time with the boys, which has meant that I've never had to miss any school assemblies or school runs like I did with my eldest when I worked full time, which I'm really grateful for.

And If I'm not feeling great, I don't have the anxiety of calling in sick, or having to show up at a job ill because I have bills to pay, as my business allows me to subsidise my income so I can work part-time, and if I need time out, I can do exactly that; rest, recharge, fill up my cup and come back stronger.

A lot of people tell me they 'don't have time', but I have many people within my team working full-time jobs and have busy home lives but build their businesses alongside this.

I asked some of my team what their reason for getting involved with network marketing was, and one of them replied, 'I can work around my family life and have more time freedom that I wouldn't get if I was working for someone else.'

Fun, Friendships & Support

One of the best, if not THE best thing about being in this industry is the friendships I have made over the years. The network of absolutely incredible, empowering people I have around me, supporting me, inspiring, and teaching me every day. 

Within my company, I work alongside a team of incredible people; all different ages, genders, backgrounds and levels of income and experience. A group of real, authentic people that have become good friends of mine, and as cliche as it sounds, we're more like a family. As a single mum, that doesn't have much of a support network, I'm so grateful for the relationships I have built within this industry and to be part of an organisation that truly cares about others, is built on honesty, support and fun, and wants everyone to WIN!

One of the girls I work with said that the support, community, and friendships she has made through this business meant SO much to her.

When was the last time you were surrounded by a group of positive people working towards their dreams and cheering for everyone doing the same? 

Earning Potential

Network Marketing provides a turn-key business at a low investment cost, with little to no risk. It allows you to leverage the upfront time and investment and turn it into an incredible return. I truly believe that everyone should be earning from multiple income streams and working towards a residual income. A Plan B income has been more beneficial than ever just recently, and I've definitely been so grateful for the income I've earned each month from NWM during the pandemic when my income went down. It paid for our holiday (that we FINALLY managed to get on last year) and also allowed us to extend our holiday after I hit a promotion the week before.

We get paid for helping others; offering people value, a solution to their problems, as well as an incredible business model and then helping others do the same. The earning potential within MLM is mind-blowing. Income records are broken, with people having massive success, fast! There aren't many other industries that have such growth and consistency.

Essentially, you're paid on your effort; if you work it like a hobby, you'll be paid like a hobby, if you work it like a business, you'll be paid like a business. So whatever you're aiming for, a little extra money or a life-changing income, it's there for the taking if you're willing, coachable, hungry, and prepared to take the action.

Helping Others

I was reading something earlier this week from a hugely successful leader, earning an income that would comfortably allow them and their family to retire if they stopped working their business today, who said that they couldn't imagine ever stopping because the feeling of helping others succeed outweighs anything.

I'm passionate about helping others to dream bigger and aim higher, and there is nothing better than seeing everyone around me winning and hitting their goals. Seeing how much this business is enhancing their lives whether that be through time freedom, financial freedom, an extra paycheque to help with bills or treats for the kids, or just providing them with a fun and supportive environment and being a part of something amazing, is one of the most rewarding things about being involved in this industry. 

Focus & Growth 

I once heard someone refer to network marketing as 'personal development with a compensation plan', I love that! I'll go a little further into my story in another post but briefly, I got involved in my first network marketing company 4 years ago when I became a single parent and wasn't in a good place. I needed something to take my mind off things, to give me a focus, something to keep me busy in the evenings when the kids were in bed, something to aim for, as well as a bit of extra money. 

It was honestly the best thing that I could have done.

The personal development / mindset work that goes hand in hand with building a business helped me SO much. I have grown so much as a person, an independent mama, and woman in business. I often get messages from people telling me they love following my journey and that my posts really inspire them. That means everything to me!

I continue to grow and learn so much about myself, and my industry, and in turn my income grows also.

There are so many reasons why I love Network Marketing, but these are just a few favourites to share with you. I'd love for you to share your thoughts and feelings in the comments, or if you would like to chat further about what I do, feel free to reach out to me via my socials. 

Read more about what I do.