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You are here: Home / STYLE / A trip to Badminton with Joules (and a bit of celeb spotting)

A trip to Badminton with Joules (and a bit of celeb spotting)

May 9, 2017 by Molly 24 Comments

True fact: when I was about 14, I used to earn free horseriding lessons by mucking out stables and walking round and round a paddock leading naughty ponies with young children on top. “My” horse was called Queenie and I loved her strongly. In my head, I was an Olympic athlete, jumping over huge jumps and cantering with finesse. The reality was probably (definitely) a lot more awkward than that but, the truth remains, I bloody loved horses. So when the lovely clothing brand Joules invited me along to Badminton for a day watching fancy horses doing fancy things I jumped at the chance to relive my childhood.

Never having been to Badminton before, I had no idea what to wear. As tempted as I was to go in all-out tweed, I opted instead for the Joules Monroe skinny jeans (similar here), this pale pink shirt, this pale blue jersey blazer and my black Chelsea boots.

I’m already a big fan of the jeans and have them in a light blue – they’re so comfy and a really flattering high-waisted cut that covers my multiple mum-tum bulges. I took my trusty raincoat in case of any showers too.

Joules have been a part of Badminton for the past 27 years, and it was a luxury to browse the shop there without my small people (or very tall person) getting bored of me oohing and ahing over the pretty clothes. (Totally got my eye on this bag now.)

After looking at the fancy horses – who absolutely knew they were fancy, by the way – we went for a picnic lunch overlooking the mansion. It was one of those surreal moments (I don’t get many of these) that felt like stepping inside a Pinterest photo or the very depths of Instagram. Everything was adorned with beautiful blooms and even the food looked too pretty to eat (not enough to stop me eating everything in sight though, ahem).

Living in South Devon, it’s rare I get the chance to go along to many press events which, to be completely frank, bugs the hell out of me, often. When you work from home in an often isolating industry it can feel frustrating to not get the opportunity to catch up with fellow bloggers and journalists, so this trip was a huge boost. I got to share dinner that night with some really interesting people and soaked up every moment of my 24 hours of mum freedom at the very beautiful Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel.

To see a behind-the-scenes version of the trip, and find out which celeb I spent much time attempting to stalk, watch the video below…

 

 

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Thanks to Joules for inviting me along and giving me such a brilliant 24 hours. And thanks to my blogging pal Emma for being my plus one bestie on the day. For more information on how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page. 

Filed Under: Fashion, STYLE Tagged With: Badminton, being a mum, mum day off, UK day out

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Comments

  1. Jade - Raising the Rings says

    May 13, 2017 at 9:03 am

    Looks like you had a really lovely day! I love Joules stuff and I love the blazer you’ve got on! Food looks pretty good too – super jealous! x

    Reply
  2. HelpfulMum says

    May 11, 2017 at 9:21 pm

    It looks like such a fabulous day! My friends are all into horses, but I am allergic to them. I shall have to try taking an antihistamine so that my children can go horse riding!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 12, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      My husband is very similar – which is why I didn’t take him along!

      Reply
  3. Donna says

    May 11, 2017 at 10:04 am

    This looks like such a great day – and I love your outfit!! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 12, 2017 at 2:55 pm

      Ah thanks Donna!

      Reply
  4. Colette says

    May 11, 2017 at 9:57 am

    You look flipping amazing lady! I’m super nervous around horses but do like a day at the races.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 12, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      Ah thanks Colette! It was a fantastic day. And you don’t get near enough to the horses to touch them so you’d be fine!

      Reply
  5. Jen Walshaw says

    May 11, 2017 at 9:51 am

    I LOVE that blazer. My boys both have joules dressing gowns and adore them. I just wish they did older than 11 years!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 12, 2017 at 2:57 pm

      Yes both my girls love their Joules pieces too. They do such lovely kids clothes too don’t they?

      Reply
  6. Talya says

    May 11, 2017 at 7:59 am

    You look absolutely gorgeous – do love a bit of Joules – and looks like you had a fab time too!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 12, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      Thank you! It was a fantastic day x

      Reply
  7. Jenny says

    May 10, 2017 at 5:43 pm

    Looks like a fab day out, I used to go to burleigh horse trials a lot back in the day. Joules are fab!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 12, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      Burleigh sounds like fun too!

      Reply
  8. Claire at Tin Box Traveller says

    May 10, 2017 at 9:58 am

    What a lovely treat and your outfit was perfect for the day. Oh, and the Joules caravan!!! I need it in my life 😉 I’m also in South Devon *waves* so know what you mean about having to forgo press days. This one looks like it made up for it though!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 10, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      It really did – such brilliant attention to detail! *waves to fellow South Devonian* !!

      Reply
  9. lisa says

    May 10, 2017 at 9:03 am

    Sounds like a fantastic day. I love Joules!

    Reply
  10. Kerry says

    May 10, 2017 at 8:25 am

    Well Joules seem like just the loveliest brand! I saw some other bloggers posting about their day too and it looked lovely. I now want one of those flower arches permenantly erected in my garden! Xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 10, 2017 at 8:44 am

      Gosh the flower arch was stunning. I want one too! x

      Reply
  11. Steph Oakes says

    May 10, 2017 at 8:22 am

    Ah what a fab day! Sounds (and looks) like you had loads of fun and I LOVE your outfit!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 10, 2017 at 8:44 am

      Ah thank you! It was SUCH a lovely day x

      Reply
  12. Alison says

    May 10, 2017 at 8:07 am

    What a fabulous sounding day. Love your outfit, love the photos and I’m so gutted I couldn’t come! Also Bath Spa hotel is where Mark popped the question all those years ago so it would have been ace to revisit.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 10, 2017 at 8:45 am

      Wow – what a venue to pop the question! I got Rochdale Cricket Club! Ha! x

      Reply
  13. Debbie Nicholas says

    May 10, 2017 at 7:39 am

    Oh I love Joules, it always screams country style and quality to me. It looks like you had a lovely day xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 10, 2017 at 8:45 am

      The quality is great isn’t it? I love their kidswear too – always washes really well and the prints are so lovely and bright!

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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I am not “bossing” it. Or “slaying”. Or “hustling”. Or “smashing” it. I’m not even juggling or spinning plates or doing any of the other words we use as a glossy, marketable, Instagram friendly way to package up burnout culture, under the guise of “empowering” women (💪🤢). 
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What I have been doing, though, is working too hard. Call a spade a spade. I’ve been working too hard, neglecting my health, my relationships, my life away from my laptop. I can not be everything to everyone AND work at the level I’ve been working at BECAUSE I AM A HUMAN BEING. And you are too. We are not robots.
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I care deeply about all my work, and things aren’t always this intense, but I wanted to sprinkle some reality into the Gram because I am so over this lie that *any* type of success or achievement doesn’t come at a cost, or involve many failures in the background, or require many other people to help make things happen. 
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I guess what I’m saying is, let’s be real about all that, as well as showing the achievements. I’m bloody proud of my book. And I’m so excited to launch the social enterprise @bodyhappyorg properly next month. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, and that there isn’t a price. 
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And with that, I’m taking the weekend off. See you on the other side 🥰🥰🥰
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[Image description: Molly sits in her office with her hands covering her mouth. On the back of one hand is written “Not bossing it”. She is wearing a pink boiler suit with a black and white top underneath. She has pink leopard print earrings on and her hair is tied back.]
This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
#BodyHappyKids 
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[Full text in Alt Text]
When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnan When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnancy yoga class every week. It was the highlight of my week. I left each session feeling like I was floating on a cloud, and I used the poses and breath work to guide me through labour too. But then I had my baby and found that, as a knackered new mum of two, I couldn’t find the time for yoga. I no longer had the excuse of doing it “for the bump” or “to prepare for labour”, so what was the point?
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It wasn’t until I started reinvesting in myself and unravelling the diet culture perspective on exercise that I found it again, along with running, which turned to hiking, and swimming. 
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It wasn’t about preparing my body for someone or something else. It was about the process itself, the time to unwind my mind and move my body for joy, just for me. I’ve lost a bit of that this past year with lockdowns, and I feel it.
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I recently signed up to @theunderbellyyoga with @mynameisjessamyn and feel like I’m finding it again. I love that my kids can see me taking time for myself, and enjoying movement, and that they sometimes want to join in too. Even if it is a bit annoying sometimes (swipe 👀). 
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#BodyHappyMum 
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[Image description: Molly and her 6 year old daughter Effie sit on yoga and gymnastics mats with their legs crossed and arms in the air. They have their backs to the camera. In the second image they are sitting crossed legged while twisting round to the side, and in the third image Molly is lying on the mat with her eyes closed while Effie leans over her, being a bit annoying.]
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