Mums in the ‘hood: Christy Osborne
We love our West London Mums! Each month we feature a local mum from a west London neighbourhood who will share her favourite places in her community.
Today we feature Christy Osborne, the blogger behind ‘An American Girl in Chelsea’—the go-to source for expat mums (or moms) to find out about living in the royal borough. In addition, Christy runs a social media and PR company focusing on health and beauty. Find out what she loves about her ’hood:
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a 31-year-old mother of two. Ella is 4, going on 15, and Carter is 2. I grew up in LA, and officially moved to London with my husband in 2008. Everyone asks me why I would move to London from LA and leave the gorgeous sun behind, but I adore London—there is always so much happening and there are enough term breaks to head back to LA when I need a little bit of family time on the beach.
I went to law school and worked in Parliament after getting my degree, but after I had Ella I started ‘American Girl in Chelsea’, a blog for American women who have relocated to London. It went from being a complete expat guide to a full-blown lifestyle blog with a lot of my own fashion and travel tips. After the blog became successful, brands started asking me to do their social media. ‘Hashtag Haute’ was born. I recently teamed up with a friend of mine, and fellow-mum, who has had a successful career in beauty PR, and we have added PR services to Hashtag Haute, mainly focusing on health and beauty. So that’s me: wife, mother, blogger, journalist, social media ‘expert’ and now taking a crack at a little PR!
Which area do you live in, and what do you love about it?
I live in Chelsea and I love it. It has a real neighborhood feel, and there are a ton of Americans, which makes it feel a little more like home. Up until this year I haven’t had a car—I love that I can walk pretty much anywhere I need to get to, either on Kings Road or Fulham. And of course, you can’t deny that there is some of the best shopping in London right here in Chelsea.
Where’s your favourite neighbourhood place to hang out as a family?
Another great thing about Chelsea is all of the local parks and garden squares. We love St Luke’s playground when the weather is nice. When it is too cold and rainy to be outdoors, we spend the morning at Purple Dragon. Ella loves the cooking and art classes, and Carter just likes the opportunity to run around like crazy.
Where’s your favourite place to escape in your area for a little ‘me’ time?
My hour at the gym is definitely my ‘me’ time and keeps me sane for the entire day. I love barrecore on Kings Road, and the spin classes at Lomax.
What local activities do you and your family take part in?
We’ve scaled back the activities this term because my daughter just started reception and we were warned that she would be tired, but her favourites have been swimming at Purple Dragon, ballet through Kensington and Chelsea Ballet, and cheerleading at Cupcake. Carter loves Budokwai and Playball in Eel Brook Common, which is great for boys!
Is there a little hidden gem in your area you’d like to share?
A kid-friendly hidden gem is definitely the Sunday brunches at The Goat on Fulham Road, where they provide a children’s entertainer. The kids have a quick lunch and play for hours. It’s a great opportunity to entertain them and be able to sit and have a glass of wine with my husband, Chris. A hidden gem for mums has to be Tanya’s Cafe in myhotel Chelsea. It’s the only raw food cafe in the area, and I’ve become addicted.
Want to be one of our featured mums? Get in touch at contact(at)westlondonmum.co.uk
