I have had and trialed a number of Dyson vacuum cleaners and my favourite one is the V8. It has the best suction and features/price ratio in my opinion. No, it doesn’t have the longest battery life or LCD screen telling you all sorts of information but it seems to hit exactly the right balance when it comes to ‘bang for your Buck’!

I have had one for many years and the battery life is adequate for giving the main parts of the house a good clean. I use mine mostly on high power for the carpets (two dogs and two cats), and low power on the hard floors, and it gets round the whole place before I need to charge it again. TICK.

The dust container is not as big as some of the latest models but I only ever need to empty it when I’ve finished cleaning so it’s just right. TICK.

The cleaning attachments are pretty much the same as all the other models but I do find that the floor head gets better contact and a firmer suction than some of the other more expensive Animal models so – TICK.

The price – well it’s a good value option that doesn’t break the bank but does offer you all the basic functions that all the top-end Dyson vacs do but just without some of the whistles and bells. With our TSV price on Saturday 9th July and Easy Payments too, I’d say that’s another TICK.

Join us at the weekend and put one to the test.

Simon x
@simonbiagi

The post My favourite Dyson appeared first on Stories.

The ones I have in the kitchen get used every day for all the normal things but the amazing thing is they just don’t get blunt or become ‘old’ like other scissors. We have an opportunity for you to try these great tools as they are a Today’s Special Value offer on Wednesday the 6th of July. They will be a great price and with a 60 day money back guarantee you can make sure they are the sort of scissors you will keep for years rather than replacing every year or so… And that is good value!

Simon X

@simonbiagi

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Choosing a laptop is something of a minefield of specifications and requirements and prices.  You are never quite sure if you have made the right decision until you have had the machine for a few months.  I suppose that why QVC’s 60-day money back guarantee really is a godsend. The one thing I can say wholeheartedly is that all the HP machines we have owned have been really well made and have lasted very well. For example the one in the middle of the picture is mine and it’s ancient.  I bought it from QVC nearly 10 years ago, when Danny Kiai was the guest, it has all the photos on and all my emails and everything else, and it’s still going strong!

We have a new guest who will be in all day on Tuesday 14th June to tell us all about a new HP laptop that will be the star of the day. I don’t have any great details about it yet but I know it will be a great offer and, with a world wide shortage of computer chips, this could be the place to get a new machine in preparation for new starts at school and uni in the autumn.

I know that seems way off but it would be awful to leave it late and find nothing decent was available and this gives you plenty of time to get it all set up and familiar before starting that new course or job (perhaps it’s still working from home and getting a bit frustrating getting on the old machine).

Our TSV has the perfect spec and you can save nearly £90 compared to buying it at HP!

• The HP Pavilion x360 14 convertible adapts to you so that you are productive at any angle. With four angles to choose from, you will find just the right view for anything with the extremely flexible HP Pavilion x360. Plus the 88-degree, wide-angle field of view camera lets you video call with the entire family or colleagues with crystal clear detail.
• Designed to run more efficiently and more reliably at faster speeds, DDR4 is the future of RAM. With its higher bandwidth, everything from multi-tasking to playing games gets a performance boost. And with a Dual-core Intel Pentium Gold processor you can expect your device to run smoothly and reliably to handle all your tasks.
• Take on your day without worrying about recharging. With up to 8 hours of battery life, you can work, watch more, and spend more of your time totally untethered and it only takes about 45mins to charge from 0-50%.
• With FHD IPS touchscreen you can always see your content at its best with 178° wide-viewing angles and a vibrant picture. And with touchscreen technology, you can control your PC right from the screen.
• Enjoy a richer entertainment and authentic listening experience. The Dual Speakers with Audio by B&O give this laptop the immersive sound and entertainment experience to enjoy your favourite movies.
• Power your device or connect to an external display from just one USB-C port, perfect if you work from home with multiple screens. And it’s reversible, so you never have to worry about plugging in upside down.
• Listen to music, get news and manage smart home devices – all hands-free using Amazon Alexa on your PC

I’ll be keen to hear all about it and I hope you’ll be able to join us at some stage through the day on Tuesday 14th June.

Simon x

@simonbiagi

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We decided to have a bit of a do with some close friends and rolled out the red white and blue!

Good food, good friends and a bit of fizz, what more could you ask for? We managed to get some good weather (phew!) and as my daughter was away for a Duke of Edinburgh practice weekend (which I suppose was quite appropriate), we had the whole place to ourselves.

It’s a shame we don’t do this more often…

Simon x

@simonbiagi

The post What a jubilee! appeared first on Stories.

With a supreme level of powerful suction, the Dyson V10 Animal Extra Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is precision engineered for homes with hard floors and carpets, featuring a direct-drive motor head for deep cleaning. It comes with a range of Dyson attachments that are specially designed to help remove ground-in dirt, dust and pet hair. Plus, it was awarded with a Which? Best Buy 2020.

The battery life is pretty impressive as it’s up to 60 minutes (depending on the power setting used). That’s all due to a 7-cell, energy-dense battery that powers the Dyson cord-free, as you clean your home.  The machine’s advanced whole-machine filtration captures allergens and expels cleaner air back into your home, which means it’s also certified asthma and allergy friendly – which is great!

The Direct Drive technology deep cleans carpets and hard floors equally well and the motor inside the cleaner head drives stiff nylon bristles deep into carpets to suck up fine dust and ground-in dirt. Remember there’s no loss of suction because of the advanced cyclone technology helps deliver strong, consistent suction from start to finish.

It changes to a handheld in one click for  easy cleaning around the home and car.

Six cleaning tools included:

• Combination and Crevice tool to clean surfaces, edges and right into narrow gaps.
• Mini motorhead to tackle pet hair on upholstery, stairs and in the car
• Soft dusting brush for gentle dusting on delicate surfaces
• Mattress tool Designed to remove dust and allergens from mattresses, cushions and upholstery
• Up top tool. Twists and locks at different angles for effective cleaning in high-up areas of your home

And it has a big bin for the big cleans, which means less stopping to empty the bin so you can clean more of your home in one go!

Plus:

• Three power modes to suit any task
• Hygienic point-and-shoot bin emptying
• Wall mounted docking station for grab-and-go storage
• Separate charger so you can plug it in anywhere

All in all it’s still a smashing vacuum cleaner no matter what size of home you have and our special offer on Sunday 22nd May will allow you to try one at a much lower price than normal.

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Flash forward a little over a year and the Moto Edge is back for round two but, hang on a minute, where’s the curved edge display gone? The Moto Edge 20 has a flat screen. Some might say it therefore lost its edge – figuratively and literally – but I think it’s a much nicer design and as someone who has had an edge phone for a while, it’s a feature I never use and find rather annoying.  Motorola is a brand with decades of heritage, bringing us the iconic Motorola brick and the first ever flip-phone! Didn’t we all have one of those back in the day. Now the company has been acquired by Lenovo (the massive computer giant) and that has led to major advantages. Our last handset TSV was way back in May 2021, and we’re back with our first Motorola handset TSV and our first handset TSV of 2022!

This phone will arrive SIM free which means you’ll receive an unlocked device, so there’s no requirement to commit to any network, leaving you free to decide which network to use. My whole family have sim free handsets bout that from QVC and they save us a fortune as we can choose the right tariff and provider that best suits what we need. By the way , it’s dual SIM which means you could have a SIM for phone calls abroad which has become a bit of a thing again!

At just 7mm the Motorola Edge 20 is incredibly light and slim. You can also enjoy a vibrant and smooth 144 Hz OLED display. And experience unbelievable performance with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 5G speeds.

The Motorola Edge 20 possesses 3 rear cameras and 108 MP camera system allowing you to get creative with your photos! While the ultra-wide lens is ideal for group and landscape shots the 30x Super Zoom will allow you to get epic close-up pictures! Always look your best with a front-facing 32 MP selfie camera with Quad Pixel technology and 4K UHD video capture. Record the rear and selfie cameras at the same time, so you never miss any of the action! You also have the option to switch to Night Vision mode to get bright, vivid photos and selfies with stunning clarity and more accurate colours. Even at night.

Our special offer even has a 30W turbo charger, so you can top up your power super quick. I know James Murden will be like a coiled spring on Monday night and Tuesday through the day next week, so join us on the morning show at 9am to find out more.

Don’t forget with a 60 day money back guarantee and no contract, this sleek phone has to be one of the best ways to buy a new phone!

Simon x

@simonbiagi

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Things are busy at the Q too with all sorts coming up; we have a great Today’s Special Value offer from Cubii. It’s the latest one and it’s 30% lighter than before , but still solid and well made and I’m sure will be loved. For those who aren’t familiar with Cubii they have won many design awards and much praise from customers and industry alike.

Cubii is the compact and portable seated elliptical that gives you the freedom to keep active wherever you sit. Whether you’re on the sofa with a good book, watching your favourite show, or working at your desk at home or in the office, it’s the perfect workout to add a little extra movement to your day without changing your routine. With Cubii, you’ll get fit while you sit!

• A way to wellness: Makes fitness and overall wellness easy and approachable for all ages, fitness levels and lifestyles, so you feel happier, healthier, and more balanced.
• Work out at work: Whether you’re at the office or at home, Cubii’s the perfect way to add a little movement to your day and burn a few extra calories while you work. It’s even proven to increase energy expenditure 5x more than a standing desk.
• Health at home: Add more strides to your day, get your heart-pumping to boost your endurance and heart health, and even burn extra calories, all while you sit.
• Fits easily into your life: Sleek, compact design fits easily into any space. If using under a desk, we recommend a gap of at least 6cm between the underside of your desk and your knees. Ideally, we would also recommend a distance of 58 cm between the underside of your desk and the floor.
• 8 levels of resistance: Perfect for every fitness level, even if you’re just starting out. Start at level 1 and increase as you progress.
• Total lower-body results: Tone, strengthen and define your calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes and even your core!

We’ll be taking it easy and getting our steps in on Wednesday the 13th April if you fancy join us to find out more about it.

We’ve also got a great deal from 8Greens. I got to chat to founder Dawn Russell, who explained what they are so good at and what goes into them. I must admit, I did already know about them as I am one of their fans and take them regularly to keep up my ‘green intake’ in a natural and non additive way. They are on offer with a £20 saving but only for a week or so, so be quick!

I also noticed we have Du Jour back with us again. It’s a lovely fashion brand who use recycled fabrics in the production of the range.  I used to think that was a bit weird but I bout a sweater recently (from another brand) and it was 90% recycled poly and cotton and I have to say it’s great and I have had a lot of compliments on it.  I do think we should recycle where we can and we never think twice about it with regard to milk bottles or cardboard, so why not clothes?

There’s always loads going on at the Q but if you want to find out what the best deals of the week are you can either head to the website or the app or indeed join us for the Morning Show every Monday morning because from now on we will have previews of all the big deals for the week , all in the one show!  Now that’s what I call a destination show!

See you all there.

Simon x

@simonbiagi

The post We’re on our way… appeared first on Stories.

With my tulips and daffs in flower and my grass demanding to be cut for the first time this year….. spring is definitely in the air!  We have been hibernating for what seems like two winters as last summer was a bit of a wash out in so many ways, so my urge to do a bit of spring cleaning has become palpable. In fact, I was overdue doing some last year but we planned some renovations and so thought we would wait. Unfortunately the renovations have been delayed and the spring cleaning just got…… err, missed!

Things were brought to a head when I was offered the chance to try out the Vax carpet cleaner todays special value, and I jumped at the chance. The carpet in our main living area isn’t big and it’s been down for over 20 years, seen two kids, three cats four dogs and a few partridges and pear trees as well.  I used to shampoo it every year but things have gotten a bit behind schedule and I don’t think it’s been done for three of fours years now.  My wife is always reluctant for me start as she is worried it won’t dry quickly and we’ll be sitting there with the windows open for days.  She wasn’t keen on me doing it March as the average temperature was ….. three degrees below Baltic! However, when I pointed out that the Vax has a special dry only function to really get the carpets dry quickly, so I was given the green card.

When I have shampooed the carpets in the past, I am always rather disgusted by the filthy water that comes out but this time I was truly horrified. Our carpet does need to be replaced but I thought I see if we could refresh it until the renovations ( which involve flooring replacements ) were approved.

Oh my goodness, that carpet was utterly disgusting! It looked more like a pint of Guinness!

The first thing you’ll notice about the Vax platinum carpet washer is it has two blue brush bars at the front. Most carpet cleaners I have used have had just one, so I felt assured that the carpet was going to get a lot of ‘grooming’.  The next thing is that you don’t mix up the cleaning solution with the water, which is fairly common. The Vax has a separate container for the cleaning solutions and that makes sure there are no dilution mistakes (1:25, 40ml/litre etc).  This is a really good idea.

The best part, however, is the fact that the machine knows when to spray the cleaning solution on and when to suck it back up.  This is brilliant as every other machine I have ever used has required a bit of finesse when it comes to just how much cleaning solution is requires to get the carpet clean and how wet the carpet becomes.  The Vax automatically dispenses solution when you move forwards and automatically switches it off and starts sucking when you move backwards – genius!

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When you are sure the carpet is clean you can switch off the spray altogether and go into drying mode and this worked a charm.  In actual fact this machine left the carpet drier than any other machine I have ever used.  I started cleaning the carpet at 10am and the furniture was all back in place, on a clean dry carpet,  by 3pm – truly better by a country mile than anything I’ve ever used before. Now the carpet isn’t as good as new, after all it’s 20 years old, but it certainly was cleaner and smelt fresher (and not like wet wool) and was brighter.  I suppose the true testimony was when my daughter came home from school. Even though the lights were all off, the first thing she said;” Why’s the carpet so clean?”  Must have made a big difference!! We’ll be cleaning every carpet in the building on Sunday so join us then to find out if it would suit your carpets

Luckily, before the cleaning, we had managed to have a bit of a break over the half term when we had a few nights in a hotel. My daughter and I were booked on a French brasserie cookery course and my wife into the spa (only coming out to eat when the soufflé was ready). It was a great course and we really enjoyed learning a few classic French culinary techniques… and my wife enjoyed the ‘fruits’ of our labours!

I’ve been busy in the prep kitchen at work too making my early morning smoothies in the Blendtec TSV that coming your way on Wednesday! 60 seconds to a beautiful glass of heathy ‘get up and go’ in the wee small hours.  It’s a two-piece bundle featuring the Blendtec Designer 650 Blender that incorporates six pre-set cycles and an eight-speed capacitive touch slider, plus a Pulse and Illuminated, capacitive touch interface, complete with a mini Wildside blending jug that’s perfect for a single-serve. Providing a revolutionary blending experience, you can whip up an array of delicious smoothies, cocktails, dressings, dips and more with this sleek and super-fast blender.

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It’s Small but mighty – specially engineered to enhance blending performance, and I like the lightweight, single-serve jug which has been designed to ensure blending is stress-free. Allowing for easy lifting and pouring, it also remains durable, featuring two vertical ridges on the interior walls designed to disrupt the blending pattern even further and accelerate the blend.

Join us in the morning show on Wednesday to find out more.

An update on my Gudoshnik tulips from Plants2gardens – they are coming through! Protected against the squirrels, I think they are going to do well.  I’ll keep you posted ( and hope Ken is proud of my efforts).

Simon x

@simonbiagi

The post Spring and cleaning appeared first on Stories.

It always gladdens my heart when I see the first signs of spring; daffodils, snowdrops and this year, even some tulips already. I have read some reports telling us that spring could be as much as a month earlier than normal, and there are certainly signs that things are happening. After all, it’s only very early February and there’s a lot of greenery appearing in my garden.

I’m looking forward to seeing the tulip Gudoshnik bulbs from Plants2Gardens do well. Planted them towards the end of October and they produce the most amazing, big blousy blooms. Fingers crossed that they do well!

Actually, it would be pretty good if the spring would start early as the grass on the rugby pitches would come back again. Sunday saw me first aiding at my daughters rugby match and we were away. The opposition must have forgotten that grass was required (as you can see from the picture), which meant I was kept busy patching up the odd cut from the stones and sand… ouch!

A sure sign that spring is on its way is when we see the first special offer of the year from Ultrasun. It’s not so much about protecting yourself from the summer sun on holiday, more of a year round battle protecting against and repairing the pigmentation issues. We have a three-piece kit with face hands and lips all taken care of.

Ruth Francis has another great offer from the Tili range and it’s one of her ever-popular vanity cases in home and away sizes. I don’t think you can ever get enough of these and with the special price for a week or so, you should have a look for a second one.

I know a lot of people will be thinking about booking a holiday again for the first time in ages, so look out for a great luggage TSV we have coming up in the next few weeks from Hayes. They are great at making suitcases!

It’s always exciting when Elemis bring us a big skincare offer, and this one is no exception.

This kit combines hero products from the Pro-Collagen and Superfood ranges, and it has something for everyone! A great collection to add to your routine as we head into spring. It’s currently available on pre-launch – don’t miss out.

We were looking forward to a break away for a few nights during half term. My daughter and I are doing a cookery course and my wife is going to come and watch… from a spa. It’s in Yorkshire and the dogs are coming too (it could be a bit crazy).

Lots to look forward to!

Simon x
@simonbiagi

The post Is spring a-springing? appeared first on Stories.

I had a nice weekend off and enjoyed watching my daughter training at rugby. Luckily there were no injuries as I’m now responsible for their first aid – poor wee things! I have been out for some brisk walks in the frost with the dogs but standing on the sidelines with sub zero temperatures makes me glad that I paused my outdoor swimming until March. Fingers crossed for an early and warm spring.

Simon Biagi’s dogs walking one another

Find out more about Simon and his pals – https://stories.qvcuk.com/author/simon-biagi/

Actually some of the walks have to be a little less brisk than usual as my old boy, Jamie, is really beginning to show his age. He’s nearly 15 and although he scoffs his food every night, only has one eye ( and the other is pretty blind) and is as deaf as post, he still loves a walk. Now, though, he paces himself and spends a while longer than before at the interesting smells. He’s a good ol boy but both my dogs were wont to run and run and run off quite often. It was interesting when we attached the lead from one to the other, how the young one, Toby, slowed right down to Jamie’s speed. Bless! The animals all seem to be snuggled down for the winter months and are clearly under great stress in our house (as this picture of Toby and Ruby, one of our cats, taking advantage of some Cozee Home demonstrates!)

Last week I really enjoyed getting back to normal at work. Now that Christmas shows are gone for a while and the sales are over, it was good to get back to morning and lunchtime shows and Morning Style is back with Katy Pullinger, so it feels good to get into the groove again.

There are some great Big Deals around at the moment with my favourite being from Dr Seaweed. I take his weed & wonderful seaweed every day and I find it really helps with keeping my energy levels normal – great special offer for a week or so if you check out the web.

Now that things are back to normal, I’ll be back soon with news of what’s coming up.

Simon x

@simonbiagi

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