Who’s your friend? And sneaky peeks

What a lovely mural on the wall of an underpass I walk through regularly at the moment – near to where I went to the shop the other day. Don’t quite know how it came to be in the Tolworth walkway, but very elaborate it is, and very colourful too. The sky was really blue that day as well – how lucky we’ve been with the weather. Mostly.

I must say it’s been pouring down in Devon though, apparently. I haven’t been there, but my lovely friends are looking after my place and sent me this picture of a very blooming clematis plant in my back garden, albeit after yet another downpour. I do think sometimes if I was going to choose where to run a retreat from scratch, I would not have chosen quite so far into the south-west! It seems to have its own weather system and has tons and tons of rain. That’s why it’s so green I suppose.

I’ve been enjoying putting in some of the lovely bulbs I got recently including the tulips from de Jager – go here to see all their offerings. And I attended to my big fruit plant delivery. Although, weirdly , every time I look at them, I think of the audiobook I was listening to while I potted them all up one long afternoon in the back garden: Jackie Kabler’s The Perfect Couple! Really weird how the brain links memories and sights, isn’t it?

I’m delighted to be hosting part of the wonderful garden extravaganza this weekend: tonight (Friday 8th) 9pm – 11 p.m. This is the two hour garden day preview show, where I will be launching Richard Jackson’s new Today’s Special Value: see below. In fact, I will be launching four TSVs on the trot at 9 pm. Busy times ahead!

Snippets

Debbie Does Dinner

This weeks top meal was Caribbean jerk chicken, I’m really enjoying doing the food from scratch every night, even though it’s just for me. Sometimes, I even leave enough to have it again the next day for lunch! Thank you to the recipe box company for the mindful recipes they are choosing. They also have big discounts for NHS workers, so I’m happy to order from them at the moment. I’ve got myself a little garlic rocker press, which is very efficient, and it made me very happy. As did a new draining rack for the washing up. I’m easily pleased at the moment ha ha.

Actually I had a very interesting Zoom conference this week, a webinar all about getting out of the hustle and into a better place in your head. They talked a lot about brainwaves and how you have different levels of consciousness. Dr David Hawkins work was mentioned, and it’s fascinating. Meditation is definitely helping me, that’s for sure. And not eating any rubbish. The nearest I get at the moment is a little fruit salad… Okay, I do add some soy custard sometimes 🙂 . But I’ve been doing Bodyblade regularly as well and it’s really making a difference. So has my nightly sing-song session, it’s really cheering me up, and apparently the audience too!

Vlog of the week

Do just go to my Facebook page and look at all the recent #Singalongadebbie sessions, fFrom Andy Williams to Carol King. Here’s the latest one! The nightly #kitchenkaraoke has continued to keep you entertained. On Friday (4pm today, 8th if you’re quick) we reach session 44, and it’s 40’s songs, appropriately for VE Day, which happened 75 years ago. I can’t promise I know it all or sing perfectly, but we have lots of fun!

Podcast
A performance to listen to of a different kind from Will Gowing, with his weekly podcasts. This week on Inside QVC, Will catches up with Laura Geller.

Tired Ziggy dog and tired niece!

Lockdown and the recent warm weather seems to be wearing both Ziggy and my 14-year-old niece out! Her birthday is at the end of May, same month as mine. My birthday is this Sunday 10th – when I should’ve been setting sail on that lovely South Caribbean cruise. Oh well, next year maybe. Instead, I’m going to have a lovely sing-a-long of some of my favourite songs ever on Sunday at some stage, and a big FaceTime quiz with my family.

Watch

Upload on Amazon Prime. If you recently got your Amazon products and you can watch Amazon Prime, do check out this sci-fi series. ‘Upload’ features a future world where when people die, just before they check out of their body, they can pay to go to a different kind of afterlife and their soul is uploaded to a virtual world. Loved ones can still communicate with them via technology, but as usual the main plot revolves around relationships. I’m enjoying it very much!

One Cup

I treated myself for my birthday this week, by buying myself a Breville One Cup boiling water dispenser. Actually the place where I’m helping in the garden (above) has an older version, and I use it all the time. So when it appeared in the kitchen products hour last week, I had to succumb. Go here if it’s still available and look at all the great reviews. Plus, check out all the lovely Lock & Lock offers, if you’re having a major clear out of your cupboards, like so many people are at the moment.

Book of the week – A Wizard of Earthsea

Just as soon as I finish reading Jackie‘s book (my opportunities are a bit more limited at the moment since I’m hardly driving anywhere!), I’m delighted to have been given a new recommendation by my book mentor, Julie Cohen. Her tips have almost always hit the spot, and I was over the moon to see that the narrator is none other than my favourite audiobook voice, Kobna Holdbrook Smith! So this is my most recent acquisition, it’s part of a series, and I can’t wait to get stuck into it!

Facebook funny

I saw this on social media this week:
Wife: “Could you please go and buy one carton of milk, and if they have eggs, get six.”
A short time later the husbands walks in with six cartons of milk.
Wife: “Why the hell did you buy six cartons of milk?”
Husband: “They had eggs.”
Does yours do this?

Blooper

Some slight technical difficulties on set!

The week ahead on QVC

Food3Z

Firstly, just a quick reminder that for the month of May, you can use the code Food3Z on all of our edible options at checkout, so buy your food stuff on qvcuk.com!

Friday 8th – Go here to see and buy a super skincare offer at a wonderful price. Abi Cleave is back with her Skinsense Hydranet hydrating facecare system in a four-piece Energising collection. Really, really, really good value.
Join me at 9pm Friday 8th for the launch of Richard Jackson’s big Root Booster – our big Gardening Day TSV. Just a few granules of Root Booster underneath your plants when you put them in the ground, pots, containers or hanging baskets, and this will get them going great guns. Join us, and don’t miss the great gardening shows all day Saturday, including the debut of Gardening World presenter Mark Lane joining us at lunchtime.
Saturday night 9pm – the Dyson V11 is back, the famous Animal cordless vacuum cleaner in its most powerful incarnation at a great price, on all day Sunday if stocks last.
Sunday night 9pm top offers with Dermaflash. I’m joined by Abi Horne for another face-changing deal, which hopefully won’t sell out early and will be on during the day on Monday. Also watch out for some brilliant Big Deals.

Big Deals old and new
This week, ending Sunday at midnight
Huggable Hangers set of 40 slim hangers
Sun Joe portable spray washer
Elemis Pro-Collagen Definition three-piece collection
Thompson & Morgan indoor Anthurium in 14cm Sierglass vase
Kipling Nosyla medium triple compartment multi-way bag
Go here to see and shop them all
And from Sunday at midnight…
James Reed three-piece Sleep & Glow Gradual Tan collection
Thompson & Morgan indoor Anthurium in 14cm Sierglass vase
Molton Brown four-piece Fragrance Layering collection

Monday night at 9pm – again, I’m launching and it’s the Denim & Co. Comfy Denim jacket with collar, for a really low price compared to some. It’s not planned to be on air much past 3pm on Tuesday so catch it early if you can.
Wednesday – Today’s Special Value all day is the Gatineau three-piece Supersize Smooth and Glow Body collection , which I swear by.

Thursday – JM by Julien Macdonald bring us a three crystal lotus mirrored candle holder platform. Very glam.
Friday – Gok Wan is here with his TSV sleeveless maxi dress from his WULI:LUU by Gok Wan range for QVC.
And Friday night at 9pm watch out for the Datalogixx triple play expansion of storage device, helps if you’re running out of space on your phone, tablet or laptop.
Also from mid-week onwards look out for the Margaret Dabbs supersize three-piece Hands and Feet collection as it goes on sale on early bird order link.

Next week – my birthday celebrations from Sunday 10th and online quizzes! Possibly featuring a FaceTime chat with this little darling who I am missing immensely, my granddaughter Phoebe who is a year and seven months now, and lives in Wales.

Best wishes and have a great week,

Debbie

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