Me Time - Bringing The Cowshed Home

I recently read a quote about “me time”….

Forgetting about ourselves is so easy for us mums to do. We Prioritise our babies, and of course everything and everyone else. But the truth is, a little self care and guilt free indulgence can be so good for the soul.

Personally, I feel happiest when I’m relaxed, and feeling happy has a positive impact on all aspects of my life. So, this post is written not only to gush about our recent trip Soho Farmhouse and it’s gorgeous CowShed Spa….but also to (hopefully) inspire you to take some time for yourself this week. And if that means bringing the Cowshed spa to you…then perfect! ❤️

Soho House is the ultimate members club, boasting some of the best hotels and restaurants in the world. Specifically, Soho Farmhouse, however, set in acres of stunning Oxfordshire countryside has been on my bucket list since it’s launch 2 years ago. Friends who have visited have raved about it ever since and one very lucky friend is even a member and spends most weekends enjoying the best food and drink after a swim in the idilic infinity pool. What a life huh?!

So you can just imagine my excitement when we were invited to visit for a day and try out their beautiful Cowshed Spa that I’d heard so much about. At last! 🙂

To be clear, as I know that there is some confusion about the farmhouse being open to the public. You need to be on the guest list to enter. To get your name on the list you need membership, or to be a staying as a guest at the Farmhouse, you can book that online HERE.

And my goodness…Soho Farmhouse did not disappoint. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect on the day we visited and the drive alone was a dream. The British Countryside certainly is breathtaking!

Farmhouse itself is set in 100 acres of Oxfordshire Countryside and made up of 40 log cabins, a 7 bedroom farmhouse and a 4 bedroom cottage. It’s the perfect hybrid between traditional English farmyard charm and out and out luxury. Living at its very best!

Cowshed Spa is pretty famous, and rightly so. The spa feels like a home from home. None of those horrible neon lights and loud jacuzzis, it’s calm, cosy and inviting, the definition of “hygge”.

The thing that first hit me when I entered was the warm relaxing smell of oils burning and fresh garden flowers. The music was soft enough to hear the birds outside. It’s the kind of place you take a deep breath when you walk through the door.

I decided to go for the “Luxury Pedicure”. My feet have been so neglected lately. During pregnancy I couldn’t reach them, and then really ever since Rory arrived where I haven’t made the time to treat myself.

But summer is upon us and it’s time to get the open toes out! Not only that, but I find foot treatments so incredibly soothing, for my whole body and mind too.

Cowshed Spa’s pride themselves on using all their own products that they know to be completely natural and organic, but not at the detriment to their results. I have to admit that Cowshed products were new to me, and I’m so completely sold, the textures, smells, everything, just gorgeous! It was so much fun wandering around the shop after my treatment looking at all the lovely products.

Even the Cheeky Nail Polishes are natural and nourishing to the nail. The spa doesn’t offer any gel or everlasting nail treatments as they’re just too damaging to the nail. How’s that for integrity?

I met my therapist, a sweet and elegant mum of three. She brought me one of the best flat whites I’ve ever tasted and we chatted through the most wonderful pedicure I’ve ever had.

After my treatment I felt so relaxed and utterly pampered, and promised her I was going to recreate this at home. Just an hour, once a month, to relax and unwind (and keep my feet looking pretty too!).

So here it goes, my guide to “bringing the Cowshed Home”…..

Find a time of day you’re most unlikely to be interrupted. For me, this is when the boys have gone to bed and Colin is out playing golf.

I got my very own big fluffy fleece ROBE (and even one for Ollie too) from SOHO HOME. These are the same robes they use in the spa and honestly they’re like a big hooded hug.

Make yourself a drink and light some candles. If you like you can burn some oil (I went for lavender and bergamot) and bring some fresh flowers into the room as that fresh and relaxing fragrance really did revive me at the farmhouse. These gorgous blooms are from THE REAL FLOWER COMPANY

Make yourself comfortable on a sofa or an armchair, as that’s all part of the luxury.

There’s no fancy foot spa at Cowshed, which made me realise that they are completely unnecessary. Instead I submerged my feet a bowl of warm water made frothy and fragranced with BATH and SHOWER GEL.

Soak your toes and relax with a book/magazine and your warm drink. I treated myself to one of the LIFESTYLE BOOKS as a coffee table book, it’s brilliant! Loads of fuss free recipes like the perfect Sunday roast and full English.

After 10 minutes you can begin your cut and file as well as any cuticle work. My therapist used an orange wood stick with the beautiful COWSHED APRICOT NOURISHING CUTICLE OIL. I’ve since been using this on my fingernails at bedtime too, it’s made a remarkable difference and smells Devine!

with a flat surface covered by sandpaper. It spins so fast that it’s super effective for removing dead skin on the bottom of your feet. Unfortunately I don’t have one of these at home, so I just used a foot pumice instead. That does the trick.

Then it’s time to exfoliate using COWSHED ON THE HOOF FOOT SCRUB. Make sure your feet are dry for the scrub to be most effective. Rather than scrubbing super hard, just scrub gently but for a long time. The scrub is inspired by the smell of the walled garden at Babington house…it smells dreamy! The black volcanic sand exfoliates while the lemon brightens and rosemary revives.

After a good scrub, rinse and dry your feet and then apply the PALMOROSA MASK. This is actually an award winning face mask, so it feels really decadent applied to your feet. But wow…it smells and feels amazing! The therapist then wrapped my feet in warm towels (fresh off the radiator).
The heat helps everything work better and it feels so cosy and comforting

At Cowshed, you can enjoy a relaxing scalp massage while your mask soaks in (in my case, it soaked completely into my thirsty feet). This really did feel like a treat, just stopping and slowing down for 10 minutes is sometimes all we need.

Obviously it’s a little tricky go give yourself a head massage, at home though… so instead I would recommend inhaling some lavender essential oil on a tissue and calming your breath. I can’t mediate, my mind is far too busy, but sometimes just slowing down and focusing on your breath is enough to help you feel focused and steady. Once you feel ready, inhale some lime essential oil, this will help to revive you and bring you back into the room.

Remove the mask with a hot damp flannel. Your feet (and you!) will be feeling all tingly and revitalised

Finish up your footwork by massaging your feet with some ON THE HOOF HEALING FOOT BALM. I can’t even tell you how amazing this smells and how comforting and nourishing it is on your feet. I’ve been popping it on before bed (holiday prep) and I’m super impressed with the results.

Cheeky nail varnishes are so pretty, as I said previously they’re very nourishing for the nail and have a high pigment dense and shiny colour. I chose BIKINI SO TEENY in preparation for our upcoming holiday, but there are loads to chose from. BASE COAT and TOP COAT are the secret to beautifully finished nails at home.

And that’s it! It might not be a trip to Soho Farmhouse, but it’s still the perfect way to spend some all important “Me Time”. Promise me you’ll make some time for you this week too?