When I first started seeing snippets about Mum’s The Word on social media, I knew this brand was going to be a biggie on the Tunbridge Wells ‘Mamas’ scene. Launched in May 2016, Mum’s the Word is the brainchild of local sisters, Natalie Mcilveen and Laura Swann, who live in Tunbridge Wells and have two children each.
With a strong background of working in the world of Events and PR, these sisters have hosted two #Wild_Child Family Dance Parties for parents with babies, toddlers and young children and two #MamasMeet-ups bringing together like-minded Mamas with inspiring guest speakers. With an exciting line up of events over the coming year, including a #Spooktacular party at Salomon’s Estate for parents and children up to age 12, here’s a little insight into the two events I have been along to so far:
Photographs by Julia Mortimore – Flukeshot Creative
Wild Child Family Dance Party
My husband was nursing a huge hangover on the day of the Wild Child Family Dance Party so I decided to brave the event by myself with my two boys, aged 1 and 4. I can confirm that this isn’t a particularly common ocourance – he had been at his own stag party the night before so let’s just say my expectations for him were low that day 😉
After parking my massive double buggy outside the entrance of The Royal Wells Hotel, we were given our wristbands and made our way into the party! Boy do these girls know how to plan an event – the attention to detail was sublime. The room was adorned with funked up balloons, beautiful backdrops, laser lights, bubble machines, photo-booth and much much more.
Mint DJs were playing some banging tunes mixing Old Skool Garage with 90s Dance Tunes and as the lights went down and FatBoy Slim came on, I was catapulted back to a life pre-children, when my biggest worry was finding a new ‘going-out’ top to wear on my next night out. I was jolted back into reality after being dragged to the arts and crafts table so the boys could do their thing. They were in their elements sticking and drawing and cutting and we spent quite a while at the photo-booth trying on some of the paraphernalia while I tried to get both boys to post for a pic – not an easy task!
We made our way down to the dance floor and it’s clear that my one year old has picked up some of my dance moves. The poor guy! They were both tearing up the dance floor and enjoyed bouncing around on (and arguing over) the inflatable animals scattered around the room.
The star of the day was Guinness World Record ‘hula hooping’ holder, Laura Lamn, who showed off her twirling talents in a performance for us all.
We briefly visited the Chill out Zone but after Harry tried to steal some biscuits off the counter (which incidentally is a licensed bar so parents can have a ‘proper’ drink if they wish), we decided to make a swift exit back to the party. After two hours of partying, the boys were ready to go home after what was clearly an awesome afternoon!
Photographs by Julia Mortimore – Flukeshot Creative
Mamas Meet-up
The Mum’s the Word Mama’s Meet Ups take place on a Friday morning once a month in The Royal Wells Hotel. We went to their second meeting which focused on fashion and beauty for busy mums. The boys made a beeline for the super selection of toys which was supplied by the lovely Ellie from What About The Kids, while I grabbed a cup of coffee and said hello to some of the other Mums – some of which I knew already, several of which I had come across online but not yet met in person and a few Mums who I hadn’t met before. It’s like an informal networking session and a great way to meet other Mums, whether you have a business or not.
Local stylist, Victoria Genevieve, fashion blogger Style Mum (aka Pascale Banks) and the highly acclaimed No.6 Clinic & Shop were the speakers at this event and gave some really good advice from recommending some practical but stylish items for breastfeeding Mums, outfits to pull on for the school run, daytime to evening chic style and inspiration for a summer wardrobe. They had brought a collection of clothes to show us from high-street heroes to something a bit more special. I find it tricky to have any kind of signature style so it was really useful to get some tips from them and I have already picked up a pair of jeans which were recommended (from Topshop) to hold things in a little better 😉
The session finished up with a little tipple from The Cocktail Social, though as I was driving, I did stick to the ‘virigin’ variety. I have already signed up for the next Mama’s Meet-up which sold out in record time and am looking forward to meeting more mamas!
Tickets went on sale TODAY (Thursday 15th September) for the next Halloween #Wild_Child Party taking place on Sunday 30th October at Salomon’s Estate. You can book yours HERE.
The next Mama’s Meet-up is sold out already but keep an eye out on the website HERE for details of the October session.
A big thank you to Mum’s The Word for inviting me to both exciting events!