Finding the best in 2020

Well, we did it guys, we made it to the end of 2020. I’m sure we are all ready to see in a New Year, even if we are still facing many challenges. It feels like a fresh start and hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

As hard as this year has been I wanted to reflect on some of the positive things from this year. It was something that I did with the kids recently and I was blown away by how much joy they had found in this year.

I realised that I too had much to be grateful for and that it was really important to embrace this. So, I thought I would share them with you. It by no means ignores the struggles so many have faced but I just want to document the good in the year that made us all take stock.

• I am grateful for the health of my family, we were not untouched by this year but thankfully so far we got through it ok.
• I am so thankful for our incredible NHS and key workers who as we all know have been pushed to their limits.
• For our teachers, I can only speak for my daughter’s schools but boy have they stepped up.
• For having a roof over our heads and a garden to spend so much of the year in, it made me appreciate it all so much more.
• The trampoline and the paddling pool!
• For living on the coast, to be able to see the horizon on a daily walk and breathing the sea air.
• Discovering even more special places to spend time outside in and around our local area.
• For our local golf club opening up their beautiful space to the public to use for exercise back in the summer.
• Take-away fish and chips on the beach.
• Streaming services, thank you Netflix and Disney Plus!
• Teaching Tilda to ride a bike and see Ivy getting stronger swimming in the sea.
• Their laughing faces on their boogie boards.
• For what felt like an endless summer, if it hadn’t been for the weather that we had I think we would have struggled even more.
• For the family time, Fred couldn’t travel for work so we had lots of time just us 4 and we made the most of it.
• For getting the extra time with our children at home from school, yes it drove us crazy too but to have the extra time of these young years with them I know is gold.
• For making it over to Ireland in the summer and getting some time with my parents, that’s a luxury I know many have had to forego this year.
• For being allowed to carry on doing the job that I love but also being able to support my family when this year put a hold on Fred’s work.
• For the team that I work with at QVC who have been incredible and made extensive changes to make it safe for us to be there but also for being so much fun to be around and for being so good at what they do.
• Getting time to work on the garden and try my hand at growing fruit!
• The pizza oven!
• Our new sofa which fits us all on for movie nights.
• Time to cook and play around with new recipes.
• My friends, I love them all fiercely.
• For being made to slow down, I sometimes don’t stop for a minute and this year I realised the importance of doing nothing.
• Extra grateful to all of you who have stuck with us this year, whether it be for the shopping or just our company, we needed your company too.

I’m sure there is much I am forgetting but I am very grateful to be able to look back at many moments of happiness this year and don’t for one second take any of it for granted.

Swanage steam and lights

We have now joined much of the country in the Tier 4 gang but for a short time we had the privilege of being able to have a little more freedom to do a few nice things. We certainly didn’t overdo it but we did have one nice Christmas treat to bring a little magic for the girls. We went on the Swanage Steam and Lights Christmas train journey and it was a complete joy!

The beautiful old steam train had been completely covered in lights which lit up the Purbeck countryside as it travelled through the dark. Along the route there were light installations and we were accompanied by the music of Frozen, which the girls loved. Tilda and Ivy have hit the Harry Potter phase in a BIG way so of course this to them was like going on the Hogwarts Express.

I ordered them the Harry Potter Sweets the characters eat on the train to school including chocolate Frogs, jelly slugs and Bertie Botts every flavoured beans! One of my best friends had sent them Harry Potter school satchels and Ivy even wore her ‘Ginny’ costume. She also got picked to turn on the train lights which made her feel incredibly special.

It was really lovely trip and made us all feel lovely and Christmassy, we may make it a new yearly tradition.

Today’s Special Value – The Sealy Advantage 1550 Gel Deep Pillowtop Mattress and Divan – available now!

I think this year has made us look at what is important to spend our money on and our homes have been top priority. Comfort has been a top of the list and so many of us are looking to our beds. I for one bought new bedding to make it feel fresh and new. For some though it’s time to really make a change and update the whole bed!

So our Sealy Mattress and Divan offer is bound to be popular. You have the choice of upgrading your mattress and the divan or just the mattress. Now I have laid down on the Sealy beds at work and they feel incredible but I have not had the pleasure of sleeping on one so I wanted to get a proper review from someone who has.

Our gorgeous model Ali Bailey not only has one herself but she got one for her parents earlier this year in the last TSV. They kept their old divan and went for the mattress, pictured here.

Ali Bailey says – ‘On our old mattress I always used to wake when Charles got up at 5.30am for his weekday run. Sleeping on the Sealy mattress I don’t feel him get up! I wake when my alarm goes off.’

She added – ‘The delivery team were really hot on safety with all their PPE and foot covers etc so it all felt very safe.’

She goes into much more detail with an Instagram video she did back in the summer which you can watch here, it’s her taking delivery of the mattress for her parents.

So if you are considering upgrading your bed then do look at this offer as it is a great saving no matter which size you go for but also it’s on Easy Payments and, as always, we allow you to properly try it and if you don’t love it you can send it back!

New Year’s Eve

We won’t be able to do our usual New Year’s Eve tradition in quite the same way this year. A friend of ours started a ‘stone throw’ a few years back where we all get together for fizz and hot dogs on the beach. We write on stones the things we want to say goodbye to and our hopes for the new year.

We are going to do our family walk at the beach and still do the stone throw but obviously there will be no get together this time. I’m sure you can guess what we will be writing on our stones this year!

So, there’s only one thing left to say. Wishing you all a much brighter 2021 filled with happiness and most importantly health!

Lots and lots of love

Katy xxx

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