My journey, starting Ask Charlie and my 'why'...

A very warm welcome to this week's Ask Charlie. I thought this week I'd chat to you a little bit about my 'Why' just in case you're new here! Why I do what I do, a bit more about my background and how Ask Charlie came to be.

So I'm going to start way, way back in my early twenties. I wanted to be a fashion designer. Fashion was everything to me and I was just really passionate about the thought. I love designing clothes, I loved making clothes and had been designing and making from my mid-teens. It was everything that I wanted to do!

From my late teens to my early twenties, I had a boyfriend with several connections in the fashion world. Through him, I met a few designers and I realized rapidly that actually, that wasn't a world that I wanted to be in. One of them, in particular, had children and they were being brought up by the nanny. She was jetting here, there, and everywhere, her life was frantic. I met her when she was on holiday and it was glaringly obvious that it wasn't a holiday at all for her, she was really busy the whole time. I just got thinking that actually, that's not what I want for my life. I want to have children, to have a family and to be present. I want to be there for them as much as I possibly can.

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I'd started my fashion degree and just wasn't loving it at all, so I quit. I was really naughty and spent the rest of my student loan on a wonderful six months travelling around Thailand!

Whilst I was out there, I had time to consider and have a think about what I wanted to do. Various things happened and I ended up back at home with Mum with no money and no car.

I'd been home for one night before Mum received a phone call from a friend of a friend's family asking what I was up to. I had done a lot of childcare and had worked as an Au Pair for a few summers for a wonderful family in Italy. This family, in particular, were on holiday in South Devon. The mum wasn't very well and the dad needed to go back to work in London.

I called them straight back, went in that afternoon and I ended up staying for a year. I loved it, but it was really tough! They had three young children and I was doing all sorts of things to help them out, from looking after the children to doing my weekly shop to cooking, catering their dinner parties, all sorts of things.

So I was thrown in at a young age, but I loved it and was thriving from it. I'm at my happiest when I've got my apron on and I am cooking or cleaning.

After that, various years went past, I got jobs in London, met Simon, and I worked when we were first married.

I worked up until I was heavily pregnant with Archie and then I handed in my notice. I didn't even go on maternity leave, I just handed in my notice because I knew I wasn't going to go back to work in London. We'd moved into the house in Sussex and for me, I just wanted to be at home with the children. I just wanted to be there for them like I'd planned to do so many years before, and not miss out on anything. I've been really lucky that I have been able to do that and Sigh has supported me in that.

I have worked, I've done various things such as a children's nightwear business, but it was very much a side hustle. The children and Simon always came first for me.

Now that the children are at school for longer periods during the day I have got time to do Ask Charlie and I've got time to share all the things that I have learned along the way with you guys.

I'm passionate about homemaking and being a housewife. We've got choices. And, if you love keeping a home, can be at home to support your loved ones and that's what you want to do, do it! If you just want to be a homemaker and stay at home, and you can, then do it.

If I had a full-time job and didn't work from home, I would have to pay somebody to come and do a lot of the things that I do. I wouldn't have the time for Ask Charlie, to create content to help you make your lives easier. Or to lovingly forage for and handmake all the preserves and goodies that I create to share with loved ones and Ask Charlie shoppers. I just love sharing all of that with you!

The reason I wanted to chat with you today was that I was thinking about how we've always got choices. Don't feel pressured by society that you've got to go and do this and be 'high flying' or of a certain career level. Yes, I wanted to be a fashion designer and I wanted to do all of those things, but actually being a mum and being here for my children, it's the most important thing for me. I can be there for them, I can drop everything without it being a problem and go to them if they need me.

To me, that is the most important thing. They grow up so quickly and I want to be here for them as much as I possibly can. Work comes second.

That's why I wanted to take time off in August because I'm very aware that they are growing so quickly. I wanted to be able to say yes to things. I wanted to just go and do it, to make amazing memories, because the summer holidays to me are a precious special time.

I always feel a bit blue in September, especially the first week they go back to school. The house is so quiet and I love having a house full. I want the children to be able to bring their friend's here, for there to be food on the table and for the music to be turned up. It's a fun, safe place where we can dance around the kitchen and make those memories!

I was working full time and in a high powered job, I wouldn't be able to do that because I'd be exhausted. Simon is hands-on and we work as a team. There are loads of things that he does to take the pressure off me. I hate admin and filling out forms, so he does all of that side of things, which is amazing, plus so much more. I think it's about teamwork and creating your family unit to work really well.

I just love being at school to pick up the children, to come home and chat about their day. To sit down together and eat delicious home-cooked food.

Don't get me wrong, it's all hard work! I don't have much downtime what with running the home alongside our B&B and holiday lets that I run down in Devon.

I never really planned the Devon lets. It just sort of happened because we wanted to keep Mum's house, and it fell to me to run it.

Luckily I've got a great team of people down there that keep things running so smoothly. They're always checking in with me whilst I'm organizing things and we manage well.

Through Ask Charlie, I want to give you all the confidence to make those choices. If you're unsure of how to do things, check out the library of knowledge on my website. I've created blog posts and videos showing you how to clean, cook, garden and so much more. I go into real detail about each skill, such as how to get stains out of whites, how to hang out your washing so there's no real need to iron and so many other hacks, tips and tricks.

So in a nutshell, Ask Charlie is about making life easier and giving you the confidence that you can do it.

I'm encouraging you to try things because actually if you don't try, you don't know.

I also want you guys to be able to ask me questions, no question is a silly question! You only learn by asking and by being given good advice.

For me, the community is really important. Through my Instagram, my YouTube and my website, we've created a wonderful space of like-minded people who can come together and talk about all of these things. We can share our feelings, our experiences and ask anything. We can enjoy a lovely, supportive community where we encourage one another and support one another to be the best version of ourselves.

Much like my online spaces, I think the home you run should be inviting, comfortable and relaxed. For me, it's not about having a perfect show home and being immaculately clean the whole time - life is too short to clean everything to within an inch of its life!

Life happens and with all the children and the dogs, things get into a mess. And actually, it doesn't matter because when I've got the time I will sort it out! I want people to feel comfortable, relaxed, cosy and at ease here so they can sit down and chat and not feel on edge, or afraid to touch anything. I think sometimes if you go into a perfect show home, you're a little bit overwhelmed and intimidated!

Thank you all for your lovely support, and your kindness. I'd like to wish you a happy weekend, sending you lots of love, and I'll be back next week!

PS - I'll be filming another of my Q&As sometime shortly so please, if you've got any questions, send them my way. I will see if I can get my husband Sigh involved as well!

Love, Charlie x