My wellbeing essentials

Hello there. I hope this finds you healthy and happy, as much as is possible.

So much is out of our control at the moment, and it’s sometimes hard to stay positive. I believe there are things we can do to help ourselves cope with the issues life throws at us. It’s a case of finding what works best for each of us.

I find I benefit from spending time outdoors in green spaces when I’m feeling stressed and out of my depth. I’m incredibly lucky for over 30 years now, Olley and I have lived in our home that has a large garden bordered by woodland.

However, it has taken until now for me to spend the time that’s needed to look like a proper garden.

I’ve always taken the lazy option and just had a few easy care shrubs and colour in pots on the decking. I let most of the garden look after itself. Lockdown has given me the opportunity to put some more time into it and I’m proud of how it looks now.

Most of the flowering plants came from QVC. For example, the bright orange flowers in the foreground are Cosmos from Suttons. They cost me £11.99 and arrived in 4cm pots – and now look at them!

How about the Thomson & Morgan dahlias? It has produced some spectacular blooms and will go on performing for years to come. The hundreds of petals create such perfect shapes and the blooms remind me of my lovely Dad who was a wonderful gardener (and man). He found huge pleasure in his dahlias.

These plants aren’t available now, but others picked for the season are featured in our gardening shows each weekend and our website. We do have plenty of finishing touches for you as well, like these two graceful heron statues that I treated myself to.

I’m showing you my garden to hopefully inspire you to have a go yourself, even if it’s just a few pots on a balcony that you enjoy as your outside space. It can do wonders for the soul!

But we mustn’t forget our bodies, and one of our Big Deals this week is something that I’ve been intrigued by for a while.

From Hayo’u, it’s a bamboo tapper and comes with a full size Body Oil and a Body Beauty Restorer massage tool. You use it all to help de-stress, creating a wellbeing routine inspired by the Chinese ritual of Gua Sha.

You use it to tap your body, firmly or more softly, on skin or on clothes. You move up and down your arms and legs, around your tummy area, hips, bottom and your back (if you can reach!)

It can be invigorating or relaxing depending on how you use it. I’d advise watching the Hayo’u founder Katie demonstrate the technique on Instagram or YouTube in the excellent tutorials she posts on a regular basis.

The tapper is £28 if bought separately and the massage tool is £34.So, the price of £59.96 is fabulous, especially as you also receive the gorgeous Revive Body Oil, which contains lotus flower and frankincense and smells divine!

The reviews for the individual items are predominantly five star and they encouraged me to give the tapper a try (knowing that QVC has a 60-day money back guarantee, even if you’ve used what you’ve bought). You might find Hayo’u products and rituals can help improve your quality of sleep, which is such a major factor in dealing with the trials of daily life.

In addition to these, we also have something available on QVC right now for a limited time that’s virtually guaranteed to help achieve a good night’s sleep.

It’s the luxurious Sealy Advantage 1550 Gel Deep Pillowtop Mattress & Divan, or you can opt for the mattress alone here.

It’s our biggest ever saving on a Sealy TSV! It’s our Today’s Special Value on Sunday but is also available on our website now. If you’re looking to upgrade your bed and/or mattress, you simply must take a look as this offer.

You save more than you would pay if you bought direct from Sealy, but only until midnight on Sunday – if our stocks last that long.

Both options are available in five interest-free instalments with P&P included. That means the excellent Sealy delivery service, which includes setting up your new bed if required.

The delivery crew will follow strict safety measures, but if you’d rather have your new bed delivered only as far as your door, that’s absolutely fine, of course. They will also take your old bed and/or mattress away for recycling if you choose.

You can find out more details of this service online or tune in to watch the presentations throughout the day from 9pm on Saturday and through Sunday.

And take a look at our website too, as all the details are there for you. After a good night’s sleep, we can be ready to take on the world – give yourself the chance to see how that feels!

I do hope you stay well. I write this with all my best wishes to you.

Take care,

Kathy x