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Honest Mum

The Imposter Syndrome-Why Women Often Feel like Frauds & How To Beat It

March 7, 2019

Honest Mum

Updated post.

As women, we often feel like frauds don’t we? I know I do and often, and there’s a term for it: the imposter syndrome.

The imposter syndrome alludes to feeling like a fake when you have no reason to.

The term ‘imposter syndrome’ was originally coined by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in their landmark 1978 study of 150 highly successful professional women in various fields where despite great achievement, ranking and salary, many women felt like frauds.

It boils down to confidence, and despite more women than ever thriving in the work place, it’s sad to admit, we’re so often our own worst enemies.

And we’re in distinguished company (sadly).

My greatest literary hero of all time Mayo Angelou suffered from the syndrome,

‘I have written eleven books, but each time I think, “Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.” ‘

The gifted Tina Fey also said this of it as noted in Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg,

‘The beauty of the impostor syndrome is you vacillate between extreme egomania and a complete feeling of: ‘I’m a fraud! Oh God, they’re on to me! I’m a fraud!’ So you just try to ride the egomania when it comes and enjoy it, and then slide through the idea of fraud’.

Even Oscar winner Kate Winslet feels it,

‘Sometimes I wake up in the morning before going off to a shoot, and I think, I can’t do this.  I’m a fraud’.

We’re in great company right? Wrong. It needs to stop. Or at least, we mustn’t let it stop us from succeeding.

You HAVE TO accept you’ve worked hard, have talent and DESERVE success. It’s that simple…yet of course, rarely that easy. It takes practice.

The fact you even feel that way shows you’re clearly not incompetent, as verified by Neuroscientist and former TED speaker Bradley Voytek who wrote that,

‘Anecdotally, [imposter syndrome] appears to be fairly rampant among academics and other “smart” people. At some point during your career, possibly more than once, you will look at your peers and think to yourself, “I’m not as good as they are; I am not cut out for this…”

I get it, women are made to feel by a patriarchal society that success professionally will make them unlikable, and statistics back that up. A study mentioned again in the inspirational Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg cites an experiment conducted in 2003 with business students who were given a story of a successful entrepreneur. Half were told the entrepreneur was called Heidi, the other were told it was Howard.

They deemed Howard as likeable, talented and worthy of respect yet Heidi was seen as selfish and not someone you would want to work with or hire.

Two exact profiles, the only difference being their gender.

OK, so those questioned were students, not yet in the workforce, but it’s rather telling is it not?

And there’s more-

In 2011, a study published in Human Relations questioned 60,000 full-time workers on their attitudes toward male versus female bosses. 72 % of those who expressed a bias towards gender, wanted a male manager.

However those with a female manager gave them equal ratings to their male counterparts, meaning sexism wasn’t (thankfully) played out in reality. Reassuring to some extent.

But we are far from equality in the workplace.

When 50% of bosses are women, then powerful women will no longer be seen as something rare. They won’t be deemed ‘the other’, the exception to the male-dominant norm. Then, surely then, the archaic, negative representations of successful women in the media will be forced change. The Devil Wears Prada anyone?

I abhor the notion that women must act like men and be ‘ruthless’ or ‘difficult’, to thrive.

I am testament to the fact this doesn’t have to be the case.

Pre-professional blogging days, I was a multi-award winning filmmaker, one of only 4%  now and I believe 7% then, of women working in a male dominated industry.

I was always professional, steering the ‘ship’ and drawing out the performances from the actors in the pieces I directed. I cared deeply too.

I nurtured my cast and crew while remaining strong about my vision and leading a team.

I simultaneously handled huge budgets whilst being creative on set. I was ambitious, as I am now, pitching for work, networking and putting myself out there, pursuing success.

In the early days, at 22 after gaining my MA, I worked for one of the most notoriously difficult movie bosses in the world-and survived it, I more than survived, I learnt, grew, grabbed and carved out opportunities- but I refused point blank to change who I was, or my personality, despite witnessing many others around me visibly hardened under his leadership.

I didn’t want to achieve at the expense of others, in fact my filmmaking friends and I were dedicated to supporting one another, recommending each other for work, sharing knowledge, contacts and even regularly crewing up on one another’s passion projects. We didn’t believe in the ruthless dog-eat-dog world we were presented with. We were actively the change we wanted to see.

Now, as a professional blogger, I work in exactly the same way, I’m the director of a limited company leading a small freelance team, creating, as I did as a director, emotion on screen (albeit a smaller but no less powerful screen) in this digital magazine of my life, working with global brands I’m passionate about which enable me to fund this site and whom make blogging my full time job.

I embrace PR and know it’s crucial to people discovering and reading my blog and watching my videos and vlogs.

When working in PR in the film industry for one of the biggest UK distributors, I quickly learnt that 50% of their movies’ budgets were dedicated to press and advertising. It therefore makes sense to dedicate time to promoting your work whatever medium, doesn’t it?

…Yet here we are, with a great deal of society appearing uncomfortable with women sharing their work and demonstrating pride in it. In celebrating their own and each others’ success.

Some deem it unnecessary and pompous even. That as women, we have no right to promote ourselves.

I ask you, would you feel that way if a man behaved in the exact same way? If Heidi was Howard?

Maybe you would, but it’s worth questioning yourself.

Check yourself before your wreck yourself hey- and that means your own internal dialogue which could well be preventing you from pushing higher and reaching your potential.

As Lena shares in her book, women are often told from a young age not to be tenacious, not to ‘lean in’ Sheryl Sandberg style, to keep quiet in class or refrain from taking their seat at the business table, or in the director’s chair. I wasn’t that girl. With feminist parents who instilled a strong sense of self-belief in my brother and I, I tend to feel confident for the most part, owed mostly to that vital foundation. I have that constant reminder ringing in my ears, even now, that anything is possible.

However, I’m human, creative and sensitive, so often find my self-belief has waned or dissipated completely.

I suffered a traumatic birth with my first son which took a long time to recover from, to arrive to where I am today.

Of course, there are others, on and offline, who have undoubtedly tried and continue to try and pull me down (as they will, you), who hope to break my confidence, business, brand and calling. That’s life.

Sheryl Sandberg reminds us to confront the sadness (cry it out) then move on quickly.

My husband likes to remind me that it’s a positive thing when people show their true colours, that way you know who has your back.

I’m now pretty good at the ‘moving on’ part. I forget easily, don’t hold grudges and press on, not looking back.

It’s come from practise though-being in the media industry for many years, understanding rejection, dusting myself off after each and every let-down or mistake and vitally failing, and accepting failure as a crucial part of the process. Everyone must fail in order to learn, grow and ultimately succeed.

I also have a deeper appreciation of what success means to me, be it having more free time in my work week to achieving a contract that means a lot, or writing a blog post which resonates with others and makes a difference, however small.

Success is fluid- and my kids, my greatest success of all, ground me when life feels crazy. I look at them and know what matters. They are the reason I want to achieve.

And yes, there are many times where I pinch myself, questioning whether I was the right person for the job or if perhaps someone made a mistake somewhere and hired me accidentally.

But not all of the time.

Like Tina Fey, I will ride the wave of euphoria when it comes, and endeavour to glide through the inevitable self-doubt.

I know one thing for sure, I’m committed to trying my hardest to prevent the imposter syndrome from crippling me. To remind myself that I deserve to live the creative life I work so hard for.

I’m determined to keep fighting the feeling I might be fraudulent, when it arises for I am not an imposter, nor are you.

I presented an except of this post for SKY News’ Morning Stories which was broadcast on 24 Feb 2016 when this post was originally posted. You can watch it below.

P.S For further reading, you might find my post a Creative Life-Pushing Through the Self-Doubt useful.

I also released my debut bestselling book Mumboss in May 2018 which covers this topic.

 

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The Imposter Syndrome-Why Women Often Feel like Frauds & How To Beat It - Honest Mum

 

 

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  1. Pingback: Who me? Imposter Syndrome... - Wellbeing - How Felicity Finds
  2. Tom @Ideas4Dads says:
    August 30, 2018 at 10:24

    As a man I struggle with Imposter Syndrome and my mind set can swing from confident and creative to down beat and disheartened. I work on the mantras ‘suit up, boot up and show up’, ‘keep doing the next right thing’ and ‘Fake it until you make it’!

    Reply
  3. Hatty Hanna says:
    July 24, 2018 at 15:58

    Just read this at exactly the right time for me, don’t know what but lately I’ve been consumed by feeling of self doubt and actually wondering what I’m doing with my life post kids. Thanks Vicki. And you’re absolutely right. I used to be a headline DJ for an international record label travelling the world playing music to thousands of people. So why do I feel like I can’t achieve anything now? I needed to hear this, and now I just need to act on it.

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      July 24, 2018 at 21:55

      You are amazing, we must remind and list our achievements as as women, I don’t think we’re good at this, at telling ourselves and others what we’ve achieved and what we’re capable of. We can do anything we put our minds too. Glad this helped x

      Reply
  4. Deborah says:
    March 26, 2018 at 14:32

    Funny to read that today. I’ll be closing the studio as we will be moving soon, and despite it being a success, I feel like such a failure. It runs deep. I have this re-occurring dream of not having passed the last exam to earn my degree and that a previous boss comes up to me and outs me. Sometimes it’s so real, I almost want to go down into the basement in the mornings to dig out my diploma. Will this ever stop???
    Sending hugs and love and can’t wait to hang out xxx

    Reply
  5. luis parsons says:
    February 9, 2018 at 05:55

    this is such a great read!not just only for women but it applies to all…thanks you so much for sharing this!

    Reply
  6. Anusha says:
    January 1, 2018 at 15:14

    So many things in this post seem relatable. Never thought someone would give this syndrome a name.

    Reply
  7. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says:
    July 11, 2017 at 20:35

    Hi, Vicky! I have only just found your blog, and I have to say: it’s an absolute treasure. I am all too familiar with imposter syndrome. A few toxic relationships throughout my life have fed that monster, but never did I feel it more strongly than during graduate school in a STEM field. Actually finishing and being successful in my career should have dealt the IS-Monster a fatal blow—but as a new-ish blogger, it haunts me anew. Your story inspires me to stop it already and realize that I need to get on with being me and doing what I do. Thank you for the wonderful post.

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      July 12, 2017 at 22:35

      Oh Michelle, so wonderful to read your comment and I’m touched you’ve found my blog. Please know you can build that confidence again, I did xx

      Reply
  8. Multicultural Motherhood says:
    June 20, 2017 at 00:42

    I had never heard of imposter syndrome before. Really interesting! #BrillBlogPosts

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 21, 2017 at 01:02

      Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Finn says:
    June 17, 2017 at 10:02

    Grear post. Obvious I know, but men can suffer from imposter syndrome too. I know I do. I know that we are still far from gender equality, especially in the workplace, but we all have to keep reminding ourselves that we deserve to be there and we are not worthless. I am so sorry that so many feel this way and we all have to keep supporting each other.

    Reply
    1. Finn says:
      June 17, 2017 at 10:03

      #BrilliantBlogPosts

      Reply
  10. Nico @ yumsome says:
    June 16, 2017 at 23:29

    Oh gosh, this has rung so many bells! I know exactly why too; my mother was a truly horrible person (a bi-polar, violent alcoholic), and in the short time I had to live with her, every single day she would tell me how wrong I was: I was the wrong gender, my hair was the wrong colour, I was too tall, too skinny, too thoughtful, too quiet, too tomboyish… you name it, whatever I was, I was wrong. It was only with adulthood that I realised it was her sickness talking. Nevertheless, her words still cut deep.

    Fortunately, most of my childhood was spent with my doting grandparents, so a lot of the potential for damage from my mother was offset. However, even though I know I’m great at whatever I do (and modest too!), I still have those moments of self-doubt… not helped, I think, by my insistence to find my own way of doing things, rather than the ‘accepted’ way! Stubborn, moi?

    My most prominent fraudulent moment was when I was invited to a conference in Beverly Hills, back in 2004: there I was, surrounded by CEOs, VCs, and goodness knows what other abbreviated titles – I felt so out of my depth, and wondered what the heck I was doing there. I felt like a complete fraud. And then during one of the breaks, the CFO of Sony came over to me, and just started chatting about tattoos. Apparently he’d been sitting behind me, trying to work out whether it was actually a tattoo peeking out from under my blouse, or something else. His opening line?

    “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”, as he took off his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves!

    Completely put me at my ease… and helped me to keep focused on the very legitimate reason I had for being there – and that I too was a CEO!

    I’d love to say that the fraud-monster has been vanquished but I’d be lying if I said it had. Instead, it mostly lurks like a Harry Potter boggart, and occasionally rears its ugly head. I just have to remember to shout “Ridikulus” at it! Because it absolutely is ridiculous; we’re all pretty much superheroes… am I right? 😉

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 16, 2017 at 23:49

      Oh Nico, so touched you’ve shared this with me on my blog. I am sorry for what you went through as a child and it was the illness talking when your mother said those things. I am so glad you had the love of your grandparents and I love your attitude-the fact you shout down that self-doubt when it rears its head. It’s what I do too or I rely on my support team to do it for me when I feel clouded with self-doubt particularly during PMT time. Thank you for being your amazing self. Love your experience in Beverly Hills. Have you ever blogged about your tattoos? Would love to see them xx

      Reply
  11. Gail says:
    June 16, 2017 at 12:45

    Fab post – I think this is something lots of women can really relate to. Great advice too xx

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 16, 2017 at 20:16

      Thanks Gail, so glad you liked it x

      Reply
  12. Rebecca says:
    June 16, 2017 at 12:27

    This is so true and to be honest I had never thought about it before! #brilliantblogposts

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 16, 2017 at 20:17

      Thanks Rebecca, it affects us all but must stop xx

      Reply
  13. Lucy At Home says:
    June 15, 2017 at 21:16

    What a great post. I definitely suffer with this; I just have this feeling that everyone else knows more than me or can do stuff better than me, even if it’s something I’m really good at and “should” feel confident about. The study with Heidi vs. Howard is really interesting and shows how ingrained sexism is in society and how we expect men and women to behave differently (men in leadership, and women subservient). Thanks for sharing this and showing us that it’s a common feeling and one that can (and needs to be) tackled #brillblogposts

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 16, 2017 at 20:21

      Thanks Lucy, we all suffer from this but we need to remind ourselves of our worth, work on our confidence always, battle the voices in our heads and also society/culture which is still so inherently sexist.

      Reply
  14. Nicole says:
    June 15, 2017 at 20:07

    What a great post! I confess to suffering from the imposter syndrome all the time! And it’s not just professionally. I feel like a fraud in so many aspects of my life! Whenever step aside and think about it, I realize I’m being ridiculous, but it is SO HARD not to feel that way in the moment! Thank you for your insight! #brilliantblogposts

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 15, 2017 at 20:56

      I hear you but it’s vital to fight it, to remind yourself we all feel that way at times and you deserve to be right where you are in every sphere of your life x

      Reply
  15. Mama Grace says:
    June 15, 2017 at 07:27

    There is so much in this piece. I’m an actress and it has given me so much strength for trail and error, putting yourself out there and playing. Yes, there’s lots of rejection, failure and embarrassment but that’s all part of creating and you can’t create the pieces you’re proud of without the backlog of crap. I think that translates to motherhood, there will be so many moments of crap I will be crap, so will my baby but then we’ll get to a moment where we nail it and it would’ve never have come with out the (yes) crap. So a great piece. The voice in your head that doubts is you being on the journey to the moment where you get it. #brillblogposts

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 15, 2017 at 09:27

      Love this and you are so right, I was a director pre blogging and have so much respect for actors-you fearlessly have to keep putting yourself out there. You are right about motherhood too, we are all on this journey and grow from the tough times x

      Reply
  16. Katie says:
    June 15, 2017 at 00:03

    So many of your pieces actually speak to me! Like you know the day I need them! Much needed read!
    #brillblogposts
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 15, 2017 at 09:28

      That means a lot. So glad to have helped and hope you are OK. We all suffer from this and we can overcome it xx

      Reply
  17. jodie filogomo says:
    June 15, 2017 at 00:01

    I have to agree with TopFiveMum that it does seem to get better with age. Either we finally know more or we don’t care??
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 15, 2017 at 09:29

      Yes Jodie, definitely feel that way about a lot of things like my body image x

      Reply
  18. five little doves says:
    June 14, 2017 at 23:12

    I totally relate to this, and I think that I still feel like a fraud in so many ways, which I agree has got to stop. I feel like a fraud as a parent, as a blogger, as a wife, just as a woman, and I hate that! Accepting my worth and my place is something I am really working on. #brillantblogposts

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 15, 2017 at 09:30

      We all suffer but must fight it because we deserve to feel good about ourselves in every sphere of our lives xx

      Reply
  19. Jo @ Jo's Kitchen Larder says:
    June 14, 2017 at 22:52

    I think feeling like you are an imposter especially at the beginning of your journey is quite a normal thing. This self doubt is not necessarily negative but shows that we are going through a learning curve, paying our dues so to speak 🙂 I think it’s important we lose this feeling though and know our self worth and that we CAN! I’m constantly working on it :). Thanks for refreshing this post! x

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 15, 2017 at 09:32

      I agree Jo but so many of us, myself included and greats like Tina Fey feel it all the time, irrespective of where we are in our journey. It’s time to be kind to ourselves xx

      Reply
  20. Laurie says:
    June 14, 2017 at 22:42

    I don’t think I’ve earned the merit to think that I’m an imposter yet, but my blog is slowly growing and I wonder sometimes “Hey, how did I get here!”

    Reply
    1. Honest Mum says:
      June 15, 2017 at 09:32

      Your blog is amazing Laurie, never doubt that. So important we treat ourselves as we would our best friend and believe we deserve happiness and success x

      Reply
  21. Topfivemum says:
    October 30, 2016 at 22:46

    I’ve always felt like a bit of an imposter but it’s getting better with age and experience. A few years ago I was given an ‘outstanding’ rating at work and got a brilliant bonus. My reaction? How will I be able to keep this up and what if I don’t perfect as well next year?! Rediculous. But true! Thanks for sharing this issue that many of us women face xx

    Reply
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About me

Vicki Broadbent

Hi! I’m Vicki, mum to Oliver, 12, Xander, 9, and baby Florence who was born in November 2021. I’m also a multi award-winning lifestyle blogger, broadcaster and author.

I wrote the bestselling book Mumboss-The Honest Mum’s Guide To Surviving and Thriving at Work and at Home (UK) in 2018 and the US and Canadian version titled The Working Mom was released in 2020.

If you would like to work with me, please email me at mum@honestmum.com. You can read more about me here. .

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☀️Nowhere beats London in the sunshine in my o ☀️Nowhere beats London in the sunshine in my opinion and today we played tourists in the capital again (we’ve been heading back most weekends recently) kicking off with the multimedia screening of the new Minions movie (The Rise of Gru) -thanks for the invite @universalpicturesuk-which the boys thought was a clever and funny film dedicated to Gru’s backstory and journey to becoming everyone’s favourite villain. Florence only lasted 30 minutes so we ended up marvelling at buskers in Leicester Square together and strolling around Covent Garden in search of smoothies before reuniting with Peter and the boys and eating our way through the Southbank Centre Food Market with Korean, Italian, Greek and Japanese cuisine no less, enjoyed between us! We did walk and walk and walk (Florence seemed amazed by the crowds and energy of London and spent the day smiling and laughing at everyone we passed) and after hitting 20k steps (mostly of her in the baby carrier on me), I’m hoping we’ll all sleep well tonight, her included🤞! Oliver’s been waiting to walk around with Florence in the carrier bless him and today was the day. (Scroll for pics). I remember him saying he couldn’t wait to experience ‘a kangaroo’ when I was pregnant, after seeing photos of himself and Xander in carriers as babies, in photos. It’s crazy to think I once walked around with Oliver on my chest and he’s now taller than me, carrying his baby sister on his 😂! I hope you’ve all had a sunny Sunday filled with joy, people. Are you planning to watch the film too? I’m going to catch it in full when it hits the small screen⭐️ <gift> #movies #film #mummy #london #londonfood #babies #babygirl #trend #fyp #foryou #motherhood
#Competition! Check out this beautiful portrait of #Competition! Check out this beautiful portrait of a slightly younger Florence by the talented @pkayarts (scroll through to see more photos and a video) and the sweetest collection of leather baby shoes by @dottyfish Florence loves to wear, play with and chew!  Excitingly you can win a portrait of your own (of your baby or even yourself) and 2 pairs of beautiful baby shoes for either girls or boys thanks to @pkayarts and @dottyfish. This gift package is worth approximately £280. Enter below by:
🌸 Following me @honestmum, @pkayarts and @dottyfish.
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🌸 Share in your stories using the paper plane symbol below for an extra entry. This competition is not affiliated with Meta. Ends Friday 1st July 2022. UK only. Good luck 🤞 <gifted>.
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and £699.99 (mop) totally £1499.98 below.  Simply: ♥️Follow me @honestmum. ♥️Follow @irobot_uk. ♥️Share in stories for an extra chance to win. ♥️Tag 3 friends in the comments for an extra chance to win. ♥️ like this post. Ends July 11th 2022. No affiliation with Meta. Good luck! UK only. #winitwednesday #freebiefriday #giveaway #giveaways #competition #competitiontime #cleaning #cleaninghacks #cleaningmotivation #win #home #comp
Florence celebrated her 7 month birthday today and Florence celebrated her 7 month birthday today and saying her first word, ‘Mama’ at the @royalwindsorflowershow 🌸 in Windsor Great Park 🌳. The Show, which is the annual celebration of the Royal Windsor Rose & Horticultural Society was opened by the Countess of Wessex alongside horticultural hero @alantitchmarshmbe. The Society’s current Patron is Her Majesty The Queen and the Show formed part of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations marking her 70 years of service with majestic displays, flower and plant stalls, cake and veg grower competitions and activities for all the family spanning gardening fun, live performances, music and al fresco storytelling sessions. Florence particularly enjoyed watching other children plant seeds, and play in the mud kitchen hosted by the brilliant @littlemuddy.boots (established in 2014 to enable more kids to connect with nature in a safe and stimulating environment) and we marvelled at @busybuttonscorecharity’s stunning platinum orb composed of 70 recycled bicycle wheels and 700+ plastic milk bottles involving over 1000 people including families, @dukeofedinburgh_award candidates, NHS adult and child referrals, local businesses and volunteers. Florence and I were also utterly captivated by the beautiful @berkshire_birds_of_prey (I snapped a sweet owl, here). It was extra special to spend the day with my floral expert friend Anca and her kids as she’s the co-founder of the award-winning @bambooflowersuk and patiently answered my flora (and baby-related) questions and took the photos of Florence and I. Congrats to the first prize winner of the peach honed flower wreath I’m posing in created at @oldwindsorflowerclub and the creator for letting me take a million photos until I was happy! Aww, what a wholesome day of beauty, community and cheer. Thank you to PR superstar @charlottesdavey for inviting us, we loved every single minute 💚 <gift> #royal #royalwindsor #windsor #berkshire #flowers #flowerstagram #flowersofinstagram #flowerslovers #royalfamily #royalwindsorflowershow #thegreatwindsorpark #greatwindsorpark #windsorcastle #familyday #friends #babies #bebe #babygirl #daysout #motherhood
🌸🌺Competition 🌸🌺 I truly adore @little 🌸🌺Competition 🌸🌺 I truly adore @littlebutterflylondon: luxurious, organic, sensitive and nurturing mother and baby skincare brand I’ve been using daily on both myself and Florence since she was born so it’s a pleasure to offer 2 of these soothing, pampering sets worth £85 and £115 respectively to one lucky follower. Full details of the sets below. 🌸 To enter: 🌺 follow me @honestmum and @littlebutterflylondon. 🌺Like this post. 🌺 Share this post using the paper aeroplane button below to your Stories for an extra chance to win and tag 3 friends in the comments for an extra chance too.  Ends Tuesday 14th June at midnight. UK only. No cash alternative. No affiliation with Meta. Good luck! ♥️♥️♥️Details of the pamper gift box: 

1 x  150ml  cocoon of bliss - stretch mark butter
1 x  150ml  scent of seas - toning body serum
1 x  100ml  fresh meadows - cooling leg gel
1 x  luxuriously soft washcloth made of 100 % cotton. ♥️♥️♥️Baby set: 
1 x  200ml  dewdrops at dawn - body lotion
1 x  200ml  bubbles in the breeze - top to toe wash
1 x   50ml  soft as moonlight - nappy change cream
1 x   50ml  love eternal - baby massage oil
1 x  luxuriously soft washcloth made of 100 % cotton.  Ad, gift. #competitions #competition #win #winitwednesday #freebiefriday #skincare #skin #babyproducts #babyskincare #babyskincareproducts #babygirl #bebe #motherhood #pregnancy #pregnant #pregnancyskincare #competitiontime #comp #instababies #kidsoninstagram
Windsor and Eton is in full joyful jubilation mode Windsor and Eton is in full joyful jubilation mode 🇬🇧 and the weather is practically tropical! We’ve roamed around town taking in everyone’s pretty decorations and enjoyed a peaceful picnic in deserted Eton earlier with delicious fare from @flamingcowburgers (swipe for pics). The past few weeks haven’t been all sunshine and celebrations however, I’ve been massively sleep deprived thanks to a teething baby and poor Alexander cracked his head open at school last week. Thankfully he’s almost fully recovered post gluing and Florence was all smiles today. Now if I can just sleep for a week, all will be well! What are you all up to for the bank holiday? #jubilee #queenelizabeth #queen #windsor #eton #windsorcastle #platinumjubilee #royal #royals #royalfamily #parenting #baby #honestparenting #bankholiday #bankholidayweekend #family
Happy birthday to our rock: our strong, humble, fu Happy birthday to our rock: our strong, humble, funny, handsome and loving Peter. The only person I know of who would slowly and calmly walk down seven flights of stairs whilst a hotel we were staying at was on fire! I literally flew down those floors. No one is calmer than that man. We definitely won the husband/daddy lottery with him ♥️ (photos by the talented @phoebegilderphotography). #birthday #birthdayboy #dad #daddy #photoshoot #photography #dadofthree #daddyslittlegirl #father #happybirthday #cute #family #familia #kidsofinstagram #babiesofinstagram #babygirl #explorepage #explore #exploremore #familyphotography
#Competition time 🌺! We had the most glorious d #Competition time 🌺! We had the most glorious day @hilliergardencentres @hilliersyonpark, a hidden oasis of botanical beauty in Brentford, London a few weeks ago (you can read my review at Honestmum.com). @hilliersyonpark is frankly the most picture perfect nursery in the 🌎 overlooking @syonparkofficial where we also whiled away hours in their sumptuous acres! Now you can #win £100 to spend in Hillier’s dreamy on-site restaurants/nursery/shops/ deli including the wonderful @wyndhams_butchers.  To enter: 🌳 like this post. 🍃 follow me @honestmum 🌸 follow @hilliersyonpark 🌺 share in your stories and tag 3 friends in the comments for extra chances to win. Ends Mon 30th May 2022. Not affiliated with Meta. No cash alternative. Good luck 🍀! Huge thanks to Matt and Rob, horticultural experts for the tour, lunch and gifts and to @syonparkofficial for complimentary entry. Florence’s outfit is @baereaccessories. Gift. #floral #flowers #botanical #winit #winitwednesday #competitiontime #london #londonlife #days #daysout #family #baby #babygirl #explore #exploremore #nursery #greenfingers #gardeninspiration #garden #gardening
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Vicki Broadbent / Honest Mum - Press

@HONESTMUM ON INSTAGRAM

☀️Nowhere beats London in the sunshine in my o ☀️Nowhere beats London in the sunshine in my opinion and today we played tourists in the capital again (we’ve been heading back most weekends recently) kicking off with the multimedia screening of the new Minions movie (The Rise of Gru) -thanks for the invite @universalpicturesuk-which the boys thought was a clever and funny film dedicated to Gru’s backstory and journey to becoming everyone’s favourite villain. Florence only lasted 30 minutes so we ended up marvelling at buskers in Leicester Square together and strolling around Covent Garden in search of smoothies before reuniting with Peter and the boys and eating our way through the Southbank Centre Food Market with Korean, Italian, Greek and Japanese cuisine no less, enjoyed between us! We did walk and walk and walk (Florence seemed amazed by the crowds and energy of London and spent the day smiling and laughing at everyone we passed) and after hitting 20k steps (mostly of her in the baby carrier on me), I’m hoping we’ll all sleep well tonight, her included🤞! Oliver’s been waiting to walk around with Florence in the carrier bless him and today was the day. (Scroll for pics). I remember him saying he couldn’t wait to experience ‘a kangaroo’ when I was pregnant, after seeing photos of himself and Xander in carriers as babies, in photos. It’s crazy to think I once walked around with Oliver on my chest and he’s now taller than me, carrying his baby sister on his 😂! I hope you’ve all had a sunny Sunday filled with joy, people. Are you planning to watch the film too? I’m going to catch it in full when it hits the small screen⭐️ <gift> #movies #film #mummy #london #londonfood #babies #babygirl #trend #fyp #foryou #motherhood
#Competition! Check out this beautiful portrait of #Competition! Check out this beautiful portrait of a slightly younger Florence by the talented @pkayarts (scroll through to see more photos and a video) and the sweetest collection of leather baby shoes by @dottyfish Florence loves to wear, play with and chew!  Excitingly you can win a portrait of your own (of your baby or even yourself) and 2 pairs of beautiful baby shoes for either girls or boys thanks to @pkayarts and @dottyfish. This gift package is worth approximately £280. Enter below by:
🌸 Following me @honestmum, @pkayarts and @dottyfish.
🌸 Tag 3 friends in the comments for an extra chance to win.
🌸 Share in your stories using the paper plane symbol below for an extra entry. This competition is not affiliated with Meta. Ends Friday 1st July 2022. UK only. Good luck 🤞 <gifted>.
Ad, gift. ♥️ #Competition ♥️ I’ve been u Ad, gift. ♥️ #Competition ♥️ I’ve been using the @irobot_uk 
i7+ hoover and M6 mop for 3 months now and they’ve helped me keep my house clean and tidy when that’s the last thing I’ve had time for with a small baby and two other kids. These iRobot devices are the ONE, my friends. Cleaning the floors autonomously, they’re equipped with Smart Mapping that allow you to clean the house easily and quickly. The iRobot learns your home’s layout and its easy to navigate app allows you to control it remotally or on a schedule (e.g. when the kids are at school). Enter to win them both worth: £799.99 (hoover)
and £699.99 (mop) totally £1499.98 below.  Simply: ♥️Follow me @honestmum. ♥️Follow @irobot_uk. ♥️Share in stories for an extra chance to win. ♥️Tag 3 friends in the comments for an extra chance to win. ♥️ like this post. Ends July 11th 2022. No affiliation with Meta. Good luck! UK only. #winitwednesday #freebiefriday #giveaway #giveaways #competition #competitiontime #cleaning #cleaninghacks #cleaningmotivation #win #home #comp
Florence celebrated her 7 month birthday today and Florence celebrated her 7 month birthday today and saying her first word, ‘Mama’ at the @royalwindsorflowershow 🌸 in Windsor Great Park 🌳. The Show, which is the annual celebration of the Royal Windsor Rose & Horticultural Society was opened by the Countess of Wessex alongside horticultural hero @alantitchmarshmbe. The Society’s current Patron is Her Majesty The Queen and the Show formed part of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations marking her 70 years of service with majestic displays, flower and plant stalls, cake and veg grower competitions and activities for all the family spanning gardening fun, live performances, music and al fresco storytelling sessions. Florence particularly enjoyed watching other children plant seeds, and play in the mud kitchen hosted by the brilliant @littlemuddy.boots (established in 2014 to enable more kids to connect with nature in a safe and stimulating environment) and we marvelled at @busybuttonscorecharity’s stunning platinum orb composed of 70 recycled bicycle wheels and 700+ plastic milk bottles involving over 1000 people including families, @dukeofedinburgh_award candidates, NHS adult and child referrals, local businesses and volunteers. Florence and I were also utterly captivated by the beautiful @berkshire_birds_of_prey (I snapped a sweet owl, here). It was extra special to spend the day with my floral expert friend Anca and her kids as she’s the co-founder of the award-winning @bambooflowersuk and patiently answered my flora (and baby-related) questions and took the photos of Florence and I. Congrats to the first prize winner of the peach honed flower wreath I’m posing in created at @oldwindsorflowerclub and the creator for letting me take a million photos until I was happy! Aww, what a wholesome day of beauty, community and cheer. Thank you to PR superstar @charlottesdavey for inviting us, we loved every single minute 💚 <gift> #royal #royalwindsor #windsor #berkshire #flowers #flowerstagram #flowersofinstagram #flowerslovers #royalfamily #royalwindsorflowershow #thegreatwindsorpark #greatwindsorpark #windsorcastle #familyday #friends #babies #bebe #babygirl #daysout #motherhood
🌸🌺Competition 🌸🌺 I truly adore @little 🌸🌺Competition 🌸🌺 I truly adore @littlebutterflylondon: luxurious, organic, sensitive and nurturing mother and baby skincare brand I’ve been using daily on both myself and Florence since she was born so it’s a pleasure to offer 2 of these soothing, pampering sets worth £85 and £115 respectively to one lucky follower. Full details of the sets below. 🌸 To enter: 🌺 follow me @honestmum and @littlebutterflylondon. 🌺Like this post. 🌺 Share this post using the paper aeroplane button below to your Stories for an extra chance to win and tag 3 friends in the comments for an extra chance too.  Ends Tuesday 14th June at midnight. UK only. No cash alternative. No affiliation with Meta. Good luck! ♥️♥️♥️Details of the pamper gift box: 

1 x  150ml  cocoon of bliss - stretch mark butter
1 x  150ml  scent of seas - toning body serum
1 x  100ml  fresh meadows - cooling leg gel
1 x  luxuriously soft washcloth made of 100 % cotton. ♥️♥️♥️Baby set: 
1 x  200ml  dewdrops at dawn - body lotion
1 x  200ml  bubbles in the breeze - top to toe wash
1 x   50ml  soft as moonlight - nappy change cream
1 x   50ml  love eternal - baby massage oil
1 x  luxuriously soft washcloth made of 100 % cotton.  Ad, gift. #competitions #competition #win #winitwednesday #freebiefriday #skincare #skin #babyproducts #babyskincare #babyskincareproducts #babygirl #bebe #motherhood #pregnancy #pregnant #pregnancyskincare #competitiontime #comp #instababies #kidsoninstagram
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