Another incredibly busy week, including a Facebook Live with Jilly talking about our Christmas and New Year and what we were looking forward to most! (Go to our QVC Facebook page to see it.) What about you, how has your first week of 2022 gone?
For me, the decorations are down, the place is relatively tidy again and I’ve ticked off the list of some of the many appointments I need to attend including, in this week’s blog: an update on my problematical left eye – see below. Plus some fabulous news about which of our friends is on terrestrial television this week! Plus what I did at New Year. But I’m kicking off with something that is making my heart sing – a new audiobook I’m absolutely loving!
Book of the week
Another wonderful audiobook from my favourite authors, and given how many hours long it is, it may well end up being book of the month! It is Outlander book nine: Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. I just had to mention the adventures of 17th century Highlander, Jamie Fraser and his wife Claire again. I am fully engrossed once more in the lives of this time travelling doctor from the 1960s, her soulmate Jamie, their family and their foes. Diana Gabaldon is so clever, interweaving bits of history with drama, emotion, heart-tugging, edge of the seat moments and vibrant characters. Obviously start with book one, first released in 1991, or if you like, watch the TV series and you will catch up quite quickly, but there are five seasons on Amazon Prime!
However the books go much further ahead, and book nine is amazing. I first listened to Written in My Heart’s Blood, book eight, to refresh my memory about what had happened, since it was so long since I read it (it was first released in 2014!). It didn’t take long and I was plunged back into the shenanigans taking place in the middle of the Civil War, in the 1770s in the USA, where the family have now located themselves. And without giving everything away all I can say is… come with me on that journey and get engrossed in one of the best series I’ve ever read on audiobook. Do you know when you are enjoying a book so much you find yourself thinking of a place in the characters and plot, I’m wanting to spend time with them? Well, I’ve been like that for over a week. Watch this space for more – it’s 45 hours long, so I will be reading it for a fair while 🙂 highly, highly recommended.
Snippets
New Year at Shyama’s
Was really lucky this year because I got off by 7pm, so went straight from QVC to see my New Year friend Shyama who I have known since 1990! And a lovely evening it was too, eight of us for dinner and another two arrived for midnight, quizzes, (we won! Embarrassingly, I got most of the political questions right, what a geek!), and lovely food and good company. Thank you Shyama for another wonderful night, given I really don’t like New Year’s Eve usually! Hope you had a nice time whatever you did. I can tell you what our lot did at QVC that night – it involved a lot of dressing up, including cameraman Nick as Bananaman and floor manager Capri as Tinky Winky! They are such good sports!
Meeting Fiona in Dorking
My Wednesday was very busy – dentist in Dorking, meeting up with my old pal Fiona Summers for a coffee and catch up, then hairdressers in Reigate, then home for dinner, then work! Had a lovely chinwag with Fiona who I used to go horse riding with when I lived in Dorking, and who is a QVC fitness guest. Always lovely to catch up with all my friends. Definitely check out her Leg Master online here if you want to see what everyone is raving about, especially if you want to trim up your bum and thighs and tummy and pelvic floor! There is never enough time to say everything we need to, so we will have to do it again soon. Do you have friends like that?
Also went to see Nikki and Becky, two of my relations, plus Ziggy the dog and Glenn, all separate catch ups! I had a busy week. 🙂
Amy’s on The Apprentice!
Not only does our very own Craig Rowe debut this week on the Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun on Friday, but on Thursday 4th, lovely QVC guest and friend, Amy Anzel, first appeared on The Apprentice as one of the contestants! I have tickets to see one of my favourite shows, The Apprentice, You’re Fired, on Monday 24th, if I make it in time, I wonder who will be out by then! Fingers crossed it’s not Amy. How proud we all are! She used to do the No!No! and now she does Hollywood Browzer beauty brand here on QVC, maybe that’s what she is presenting to Sir Alan Sugar!
Eye update
What a nuisance this is, the latest check up on my eye reveals that I have a cataract that needs operating on around March. It happened mostly due to the gas bubble put in my eye to fix my detached retina that happened in September. Now Dr Daya, my eye expert in Oxshott, said that I have astigmatism caused partly by the scarring on the cornea due to the eye issues I’ve had over the last few years, and partly because of the detached retina op. So he’s had to order an expensive lens from abroad that I will need to have put in, probably in spring. These were some of the computer-generated images of my left eye – you can see (bottom left) apparently that the lens is slightly more rugby ball-shaped than it should be and recreating a replacement of the right shape will be a pain. Well I wouldn’t expect anything else, given what’s happened over the last few years with my flipping left eye! Anyway for regular updates, watch this space… Even if it’s blurred…
Watch – King Richard, with Will Smith – available to watch online.
Last week I had a little film binge with my mum when I popped next door, but in the middle of the afternoon! Very unusual for me to do that! I’m usually alone in my own place at night loving my little bit of late-night telly! Anyway… It’s not cheap, but good when you share, and features the story of Venus and Serena Williams with Will Smith playing their father, Richard. And what a character he was. Without him, I really doubt they would have been transformed into two of the top tennis players the world has seen. Some harrowing scenes early on in their lives, and some real single-mindedness from their dad later on that led to them hitting the big time. I always love a good Will Smith movie and this is a really good Will Smith movie. 8 out of 10.
PS, a quick addition as a footnote to last week’s review of the year, and I should have said It’s a Sin was also one of the best TV shows of the year, spawning the big love of the 1980s that we saw during 2021, and the launch of its main star Olly Alexander. I was reminded of it when I saw him performing on New Year’s Eve!
Podcast
Did you hear Will’s chat with award-winning beauty journalist and author, Alice Hart-Davis? Next week he catches up with our very own Miceal Murphy. You can listen to all the podcasts here.
Vlog
As promised, here is my New Year’s Thursday Bantz. By the time you read this, there will be another one up, including the story of how I fell out of a cupboard! Follow me on social media to see all my updates and behind-the-scenes videos!
QVC top deals for the next seven days
Friday (today) – go here to see and buy what’s left of Dr Harris Anti Wrinkle mask. See Alison Young presenting this unusual innovation at a really good price of under £60.
Saturday – it’s a Ruth Langsford day with a spring padded coat with removable hood, just right for our awful weather we’ve been having. I have the 3pm ’til 5pm show, looking forward to it! You can get it early here.
Sunday – already online, a big Alpha H offer, featuring their famous Liquid Gold to reboot your complexion, plus a brilliant new eye serum you can apply overnight and add it to your existing moisturiser, plus the new lifting eye treatment. Huge, huge value, don’t miss it. I love how the glycolic helps to really smooth your skin and make it like glass the next morning, for very little effort! See it now online here or live on Sunday.
Join me Sunday evening at 9pm when I will be launching the new Pilates reformer!
Big Deals are available on air for usually a week, they may be longer online if stocks last. New ones every Sunday night! Subject to change!
Tidy & Co 20-piece large sizes water-activated cleaning blocks
WULI:LUU by Gok Wan Suedette Jacket
Cozee Home Becca Ribbed Velvetsoft & Fleece four-piece duvet set
My Hair Doctor Volumise Supplement collection
Gale Hayman Ultimate Lip Lift five-piece collection
Elemis five-piece Indulgent Face & Body collection
Kim & Co Wellness Brazil knit harem trouser
Periea set of five large sizes printed compression storage bags
Go here to see and shop them all
And here are the new Big Deals launching on Sunday 9th at midnight:
Kim & Co Wellness Brazil knit harem trouser
Liz Earle Pro-Biotic Skincare Regime
YourZooki Vitamin C 1 month supply
Easiyo ten-piece Yoghurt selection
Now back to the Today’s Special Values for the rest of the week:
Monday – we don’t do many of these each year but it’s time to bring you the Aeropilates home studio four cord reformer 435 with DVD library and five Easy Pay payments, already online here. Great opportunity to get one of the best if not the best devices ever, if you want all round fitness.
Tuesday – Judith Williams is back with a Life Long Beauty mature skin five-piece Deluxe collection! And I am off after a very long New Year stint, for three whole days!
Wednesday – a new trainer from my favourite shoe brand with the built-in orthotics, Vionic, with the Delmar Ayse design. Look out for this on my social media, I’m very excited to bring it to you. I just cannot stand up for long periods of time now without wearing Vionic to support my flat right foot, and walking is so much easier with the correct alignment that the built-in orthotic brings. A Today’s Special Value is one of the best ways of introducing yourself to the brand as well!
Thursday – Cozee Home time with a double Sherpa shawl colour cardigan. Very warm for winter. Plus still on sale, lots of their other offers including these cool cuddly cushions!
Friday – its the Color Wow four-piece Colour Protect and Style collection. I do love the shampoo and I’ve nearly run out, so this would be a good choice!
Friday 9pm – going on sale mid-week, guest Tracy Krieger is back with the Homedics Stretch Plus back stretching mat inspired by yoga, this time with True Heat! I love the regular one, and use it a lot at home, so I think I will need to get one of these!
Next week – a catch up with grandson Kaleb and co, as GrandNan Lesley (my mum) comes to see them with me. And one of the most unusual things I have ever done, assuming I get up early enough to make it mid-morning to Rotherhithe – mud larking! Can’t wait. 🙂
Best wishes.
Debs
2 Responses
Hi Debbie, Just to let you know the Outlander series has been removed from Amazon Prime now. You can still get it on Starz but at an extra cost, 99 pence for three months then 4.99 a month. The new series 6 will be on Starz in March but not on another platform!
When is the tsv for kipling?