Cheers from the balcony and roll on 2021

If you’re reading this in time the first thing to say is join me tonight, New Year’s Eve, at 11pm for a super Kipling show leading up to midnight, and afterwards for the new Today’s Special Value. I will be reading out lots of your messages, and thank you to our guests for some of the videos they made talking about what they are thankful for, very important in these times, which you might be able to catch on QVC’s social media platforms.

Do make sure you send me a message on my social media (Twitter is ideal) including a photo if you like, before 11pm and I will give you a mention. If you’re reading this after New Year’s Eve then… Happy New Year!

So Christmas passed by with a bit of a “going solo” theme… (for many people this year, of course, not just me.) Obviously, Lauren could not come down from Wales, and Bradley ended up isolating, so could not come either. But my sister delivered me a Christmas dinner, I waved at Mum over the balcony, had some nice walks, and did some wonderful Facebook live posts where lots of people in the same boat all joined in!

My sister was a godsend, she and her hubby made sure I had a massive Christmas dinner, which then lasted me nearly three days. 🙂 But if I don’t see a roast dinner for some time, I will not be disappointed. 🙂

Check out my Facebook page for all the things I did, including the sing-a-longs and Christmas Eve “T’was the Night Before Christmas” poem, (check out the hair decoration! Okay… I know it’s from the Christmas tree! 🙂 ) Click here to take a look.

I read it out complete with gold glass Christmas tree twinkling away next to me, courtesy of Alison Cork’s fab lighting range. (Some are still on clearance, check out our end of year sale here.)

I hope it passed by okay for you and I hope you weren’t affected too badly by the impact of Covid. Thinking of you, including some of my friends, Fiona, Caitlin and Gill, if you were.

So, off we go with a brand new year, the sales are nearing an end, and our health and wellbeing theme kicks in. I’ve been doing regular live online sessions with the Bodyblade, mostly with my lovely friend Jennie, my yoga pal from Devon. It really makes us do it if we both stick to it, and I’m feeling much stronger as a result. Lauren has also got one, and while it’s not on QVC at the moment, hopefully it will be again in the future, because for me this is still the best device going. If you missed out on some of the sellouts, here’s what’s available now from our fitness range on QVC.

Check out what’s left of our Doctor Seaweed Weed & Wonderful Immunity Support supplement offer (one of the Big Deals) – he was on with me recently and I was very impressed, especially because the immunity bundle, which is a Big Deal at time of writing, not only saves about a third, it also includes all-important vitamin D, which is big in the news at the moment. Look at the reviews on the other products here, then maybe take the plunge this season.

Plus, we are never as healthy as when we are getting good sleep. See below for information about the new Sealy TSV offer, which has gone online already here.

Eyes down, look in, off we go on the first blog of a brand-new year.

Snippets

Narnia lamppost

I managed to find the first of the Narnia nature trail wooden tree sculptures at the local Banstead Woods. It’s down by the main carpark, close to the lion. If you live nearby, it’s a wonderful walk to take the kids on! Albeit, it was very, very muddy over the last few days, no sign of snow, or the White Witch!

Space invaded!

I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed using up some of my downtime by getting rather proficient on my arcade game. So glad I bought it for myself. Took me back to the years when I used to play it in the pubs, and not only Pacman, but Galaga and Galaxian (a bit like Space Invaders) also kept me amused. This picture shows a very frustrating moment however, look at the high score in the middle, then look at the score on the right, which I got just before my final spaceship got blasted and it was game over. Rats! So near and yet so far. Must practice more. 🙂

Made me realise it helped me relax though, as it’s a bit mind-numbing, and I realised I was using a different part of my brain. It’s got me into doing some word games and puzzle apps as well, to kickstart my poor menopause brain. Not sure if it’s worked – I will keep you informed!

Podcast

The Inside QVC podcast ended the year with a look back at some of the best of 2020, in Will Gowing’s super series of interviews. Go here to see more, and look out for Nicole Elliott from Neom, who is the first in a series of four, focusing on wellbeing, happening through January.

Watch

I’m always wary of recommending Christmas stuff after Christmas, but considering a certain leading man, a.k.a. Rege Jean Page, very handsome and charismatic, I binge-watched new costume drama Bridgerton (on Netflix) and also spotted him in the Comic Relief panto (available on iPlayer). Now, if he isn’t a James bond in the making, I don’t know what! Quite beside watching him and his antics, this period drama is very, very watchable and a visual delight. Highly recommended!

Book of the week

Notting Hill in the Snow by Jules Wake. The last of my Christmassy recommendations is from a writing colleague who has a wonderful way with words. I really enjoyed the unusual occupation of the heroine, and I like how she portrayed the developing romance between Viola, and single dad, bolshy solicitor Nate. Always a reliably satisfying read, and again highly recommended. 🙂 Plus, the narrator (regulars will know I only usually read audiobooks) was excellent! Result!

Last Christmas…tree

Here is a funny for you, the last Christmas tree picture of this season. It’s down in our security reception, near Facilities, and has been be-decked by Facilities as well… can you tell? It made me smile (look at some of the decorations!) Well done guys, getting in the Christmas spirit.

QVC top deals for the next seven days

Thursday – go here to see and buy what’s left of the fab Frank Usher cape – if there’s any left! Plus don’t forget to join me at 11pm as above, for our New Year’s Eve two hour special!

Friday (launching today) – it’s the New Year’s Day MarlaWynne crepe shirt with three button detail, and join me at 9 pm to launch…

Saturday – …the latest Dyson vacuum cleaner deal, at a very affordable price! The V7 Animal, on through the day, while stocks last. There’s also a very big garden theme. Yay for the garden team returning, signs of spring already! Plus, it’s a big day for supplements and looking and feeling good, so check out all of the programming in our TV Guide.

Sunday – Sealy Posturepedic bring us the response 1500 spring GelTex deep pillow-top mattress and/or divan on five easy pay payments, at a really good reduction. Feeling good is definitely helped with a good night’s sleep, don’t you think? Don’t miss it!

Also the Big Deals end every Sunday night, here are the current ones…

Ab Booster plus Multi-Workout Home Gym
Cozee Home stripe texture Velvetsoft four-piece duvet set
LAB set of two Teeth Whitening pens
Kim & Co Wellness cuffed drop crotch trousers
Hairfix two-piece Follicle Treatment & Volumising collection
Dr Seaweed Weed & Wonderful Immunity Support Supplements

Go here to see and shop them all

And here are the new Big Deals launching on Sunday 3rd at midnight and lasting only one week:

Vercella Vita pack of three bras
Benefit Filling Good Brow & Eye collection
Orbitrek X17 Multi-Path Trainer
Easiyo set of 10 Every Day Favourites yoghurt sachets

Now back to the Today’s Special Values for the rest of the week:

Monday – end of year sale day, all day with a Denim & Co. Sherpa open front cardigan with patch pockets.

Tuesday – Cozee Home bring us the Aurora shaggy rug. I love my current one, will be nice to see this one.

Wednesday – Homedics are back with a Stretch Plus stretching mat inspired by yoga (I have one of these and I love it! ) Also, look out for the 11pm Algenist bio-technological skincare show. Featuring the Supersize of the Month and the beauty Pick of the Month from this brilliant algae-based brand. It was the one we did the training for before Christmas, if you remember the picture of the Zoom meeting!

Thursday – at midnight on Wednesday, I will have the Judith Williams Life Long Beauty four-piece Laser Lift skincare collection, featuring their rose oil, and a wonderful Tightening Cream, amongst other things.

More mature skins adore this range and it is incredible value for money, and I mean incredible. If someone gave you money to spend and you want to get the best value possible, make sure you join us.

Friday – Ninja time again, launches Thursday at 9pm, the SP101UK multi-function counter-top oven. I’ve been loving my nine-in-one, including having a go at pressure cooking, although this result made everyone laugh on social media. I think I overdid the carrots in the new pressure cooker!

Also, look out for the early bird order links for both the Ruth Langsford V-neck contrast jumper, and the fabulous Alpha H three-piece Rose Gold Hydrate and Glow collection, the latest to feature the superb all round skin solution – Liquid Gold.

Next week – what will the first few days back bring us? Who knows. I’m certainly feeling upbeat about 2021, with the news of the Oxford vaccine, politics finally coming down, and getting closer to seeing my grandbabies again at some point. Plus, I’ve been looking back on some bygone photographs from the town I grew up, Morden – will show you some next week. Don’t forget to join me in between times, for all my social media updates, links are below.

Best wishes,

Debs

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