A family gathering and a luxurious L’Occitane TSV!

A lovely, lovely converging of my family took place this weekend and it was wonderful. I’m so annoyed though, as no group pictures were taken.

I started so well but then with all the stresses of being the organiser and having a pub rather lacking in service meant I failed at the last hurdle in forgetting the candles and ultimately failing in the photo stakes… mind you, I didn’t see many others of the bunch saying CHEEEEESE!!!

Anyway, Momie was happy and that’s the main thing.

We were able to catch up with my brother who lives in Singapore now but is over for 8 weeks on business all around the globe. Although, don’t you find it hard to chat properly at those kind of do’s? What was lovely was to see my three with their cousins and their other halves all chatting and laughing away.

So… today is technically a day off. I slept like a log and I’ve still not come-to really. So my rambles may be more ramble than usual! I now take a magnesium tablet at bedtime, primarily to keep migraines at bay, but it’s reputedly good for sleep too… so I will continue my ritual!

Off for my nail appointment next and the food shopping. It’s Mother Hubbard stage at home – thank goodness for the chickens still giving me eggs! I’ve started having a veg box delivery, such a lot of fresh fruit and veg and great value too.

Although, Maddie was venting the other day about something or other and yelled at Joe after he’d stolen HER Jaffa cakes… hmmm, I’m sure I bought them! However, her words were: “I’m the one that chooses nice things Joe, if it wasn’t for me getting them with Mummy we’d all just eat flipping cauliflower!”. Note to self: “no cauliflower in the veg box this week!!!!”

Does anyone have any good family recipes? I’m so bored with the usual – remember that Dan is the creative cook in our house and he is so busy with work, plus I’m trying for us all to eat earlier, so cooking is back in my domain… ideas gratefully received…!

I spent an amusing half hour yesterday with Simon. Biagi, we were asked some questions about Christmassy things… all I can say is the moment someone says ‘you’ve got 30 seconds to… that’s it!’ I’m instantly a rabbit in the headlights.

Ask me NOW to name Christmas songs/films etc and they just fall out. I honestly just freeze… luckily Simon suffers from much the same affliction, so if it were indeed a competition, then yes we accept our dismal last place I’m sure!! Coming to my social media account soon I believe, unless we can wipe the tape!!!

I will be mostly spending time connecting with my friends on my days off this week. There is much sadness for so many people close to me and I will be trying to be a support wherever and whenever I can be. Sometimes I have so many good intentions but then haven’t put them into action, so I will be trying to do less thinking and more doing.

Talking of support, I saw a post about an amazing local charity who feed and clothe so many people who are living on our streets. It is such a terrible situation people can find themselves in and I feel incredibly moved and will be looking at ways to help both physically, and by finding good places for my things that I would normally pass to a charity shop.

That feels a good thing, and also by being more specific about items that may be better given directly to those in need during this dreadfully cold weather. It is heartbreaking to realise so many people are in this situation.

Charity shops or directly passing on is a great start, so it will be a wardrobe cleanse next. I’ve said it a few times now, but Goks analogy during our show of ‘you wouldn’t hold onto ex boyfriends…’ made me laugh so much. It’s not that I have many ex boyfriends but a vision of them lurking in my cupboards really made me laugh!!! So when I can muster it up it will be done!

In the meantime, I am on the hunt for new sweaters, specifically to go with some skirts I have. I love the look of a posh skirt and a sweater… it sounds wrong saying that when I re-read my last paragraph but as we know, it is still important to live and love our lives and be grateful for them and what we have. Grateful I am… but it never does any harm to be reminded.

And who’s ready for the acceleration into Christmas? This is the ‘riding the clutch’ kind of period: the coasting, freewheeling bit… forgetting that it’s going to zoom right up on us. Do you think someone steals some of the days between now and then? That’s the only plausible reason for the monumental skid into Christmas week that never fails to happen!

I’ve been casually grabbing things when I spot them and I must admit to loving the Big Deal offers too. Neom’s three-piece fragrance collection has proven irresistible to me as I personally appreciate the benefits of essential oils. I too need to lift my mood sometimes and help calm myself at other times, so it’s only sensible to share that as a gift with others. The Big Deal ends on a Sunday, so you may get Neom’s trio if there’s any left.

New range of footwear alert! Kenneth Cole, though by the time this blog is up I suspect there may be less available. But… high heels, fabulous ones… boots with ..a PADDED heels and a PADDED underfoot made me thoroughly excited that I have ordered a pair to try them out, as I have had some painful ball moments… do not read anything into that statement!!!

My Christmas choir is in full rehearsal mode, I love it! Two hours of tra-laaa-laaaing… I smile during and after, that’s for sure, as indeed I do with my Tao class. I’m struggling to find my exercising mojo at the moment but will keep trying.

Now, let me tell you about L’Occitane’s seven-piece Bath and Body Luxury Gifting collection Today’s Special Value on Saturday. It’s a biggie and it’s a beauty. The packaging is delightful, the contents huge… and the ‘sift and gift’ opportunities, to coin Alexis’s phrase, are immense.

I adore the Almond Oil Shower Gel, so have been loving the small, very giftable sizes within the Warm option. My skin smells incredible and it feels so soft, almost silk-like.

There are huge sizes of either the Rose, Verbena or the Supersize Shea Shower Oil depending on your choice of the TSV, plus a new limited edition packaging of the fabulous Shea Hand Cream that everyone receives.

And new and currently only new at QVC… drum roll please… Shea Rosemary Liquid Soap in the Floral option, Shea Citrus Liquid Soap in the Fresh option and the Shea Butter Ultra Rich Hand & Body Wash in the Warm option – that’s proof of a great and long-lasting relationship between QVC and L’Occitane, right there.

When I brought it home to trial, the presentation box was pounced on by Maddie asking if she could have it if I was allowed to keep it!

The full details of all you receive are in the Houses (referring to the delightful packaging by the way) are all available, where you can order now for the 9pm pre-launch on Friday, and into Saturday where I shall see you on air at 11am.

We all wash our bodies and hands, so who wouldn’t you like to do it with L’Occitane?! Especially at this brilliant price, so slather that cream on, things are getting cold out there, aren’t they? The sandpaper sound is starting to come from my hands for sure!

I took some Hand Cream and a Neom Candle to a friend who has recently given birth… “it’s as if you knew”, she said. I remember it so well all that constant hand washing around a new born, so was glad I had thought – and DONE – on that occasion.

I so hope you are keeping warm and dry with this relentless weather.

Sending lots of love to you all,

Claire xx