7 minute read
Meet Mrs Hinch
Meet the real MRS HINCH
It’s official, cleaning is back in vogue. With over 3.4 million Insta followers, it seems we all want a bit of the Hinch sparkle and shine in our lives. But it hasn’t always been a bed of roses for Sophie Hinchcliffe, her new book, This is Me, explains why…
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What’s the best part of being Mrs Hinch? Without a doubt getting to speak to and interact with my followers each and every day. I have the best followers in the world! They tell me all the time how much I help them, but they honestly help me just as much! It feels like we’re all part of this big group of friends and family. Being able to do something that you love as your job every day is also absolutely amazing, but if I had to pick just one thing, I’d say my Hinchers every time! Why did you decide to write This Is Me? It’s hard to explain, but it just felt like the right thing to do, and now felt like the right time to do it. I get so many amazing DMs every single day with people asking me lots of different questions. As much as I try, and as much time as I spend, I know now that I’ll never get to the bottom of my inbox, so I feel lucky to have the opportunity to be able to answer a lot of those questions all in one place.
I’ve also read a lot about myself over the last couple of years, and I’ve not always been able to tell my side of those stories, so it feels incredible to be able to do that now, in my own words, and on my terms.
Do you have a favourite chapter? The chapter all about our Ronnie is definitely my favourite. I can’t wait to read him his letter one day, when he understands a bit more about what is going on here. I’ve kept a little memory box of all the things he’s been sent on our journey and I can’t wait to tell him all about it one day. He doesn’t realise just how much he’s loved by so many people!
Left: Sophie with Ronnie and beloved dog Henry relaxing at home.
You write about internet bullying in your memoir, if you could say one thing to ‘trolls’ what would it be? I would ask them to just stop and think, and please remember that there’s an actual person with real feelings at the end of their words. I’m a strong believer that if you wouldn’t walk up to someone and say something to them in the street, then you shouldn’t say those things about them or to them behind a keyboard anonymously. I will never understand what positivity trolling brings to anyone’s life. It seems like such a waste of time to me. Life is so short, and our time is so precious.
You recently became a mum – what’s the best part about motherhood? Gosh there’s just so much. I know that you hear that you’ve never experienced a love like it before, but it’s not something you really, truly understand until you get there. He is my whole heart. My world. Everything I do, is for him. He melts me every day. It’s like learning to see the world again through his eyes, and it’s just amazing. Things that we take for granted he’s starting to learn all about, and it makes me see things in a whole new light. I just love it when he tries new food he’s never had before, or we take him to see the animals he’s only ever seen in his books. It gives you a new appreciation for everything because he’s just gets so excited. He’s such a happy little man and that makes me so happy. I just want to give him the world.
Do you have any advice for first time mums? Be gentle and kind to yourself. Remember that you’re doing your absolute best and that is enough. You are more than enough. We’re all learning as we go along here guys. So don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re unsure and accept those offers of support. Try your hardest not to compare yourself to other people because all of our babies are so different and make sure you accept advice from only a few trusted sources. And please, please talk about how you’re feeling! Don’t bottle it up inside. You are never alone! I promise you that!
Top ‘Hincher’ tips
★ Store pan lids upside down to save on space ★ Store bed linen sets in their matching pillowcase with Lenor tumble dryer sheets to keep everything smelling fresh ★ Use loo paper rolls for keeping pleats in your curtains ★ Mix fabric softener with water to clean grubby marks off painted doors ★ Wipe down indoor plants to remove dust on the leaves
How do you cope when you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious? I have a few things I do when I feel like things are getting on top of me. It depends what
Henry showcasing Zoflora for his mama, with husband Jamie, her elegantly spotless dining room and Sophie’s own ‘Mrs Hinch’ fairy liquid.
type of anxious I’m feeling at the time. If I’m getting panicked, racing thoughts, I like to Hinch to give myself something to do and to redivert my attention elsewhere. I find that really helps me to break the cycle of the panic. If I’m generally feeling overwhelmed, not a lot calms me down more than sitting and cuddling either Henry on the sofa, or swinging with Ronnie on the egg chair.
I think people find it funny that Henry calms me down so much, but he’s been such a constant in my life for such a long time now, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without him. Long term, to keep myself as balanced as I can, I find taking proper time out for myself; having a long soak with a face mask and writing my lists and doing my activities in my journal really helps over time, but you really have to stick to it for it to work. What do you hope your fans will take away from reading This Is Me? Mostly I hope that my Hinchers will understand just how much they’ve helped me and changed my life and just how grateful I am for everything. I know I say it all the time, but I’ll never understand “why me”, and I just feel so blessed. I hope my book and my journey shows people that the best person you can be, is yourself. And that incredible things happen when you accept who you are and embrace it! And I think there’s a really important message here about the world of social media and what it can be really like, and just to make sure you go in eyes wide open, if it’s something you really want to be part of.
What’s next for Mrs Hinch? So many exciting things to come that I can’t wait to share! One particular project I’ve been working on for such a long time now and it’s always been my absolute dream! I’m so excited to be able to talk about it! You’ll all have to watch this space!
Mrs Hinch (Sophie) has written four books, her latest This Is Me by is published by Michael Joseph, £16.99 amazon.co.uk
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