Hello everyone,
Well, what a time we are having right now. To use a word that I have heard used a thousand times in a week, it’s unprecedented. I hope you are all well and safe and looking after each other.
I am actually currently on annual leave, which has been spent mostly in my living room. I booked the time off at the start of January as it’s been a long time since I had a proper relaxing holiday, and certainly it was long before my heart surgery in August 2018. In fact, I think it was March 2017 when I last had a ‘chilled out, relax by the pool, read books and go out for dinner every night’ kind of holiday. So I was really looking forward to this one, but alas, it was not to be.
I checked with my GP to see if I was ok to be out and about and the word came back that I should be socially isolating because of my heart condition, so here I am in my kitchen writing a blog when really I should be laying by the side of a pool reading some frivolous nonsense and drinking something very cold.
It all seems to have accelerated very rapidly in a short space of time. So much so, I didn’t really get time to shop or stock up on anything at all. By the time I got clued into the fact that something serious was happening, I couldn’t find hand sanitiser, anti-bac soap, toilet paper, pasta, or a myriad of other things because so many people were panic buying.
I did spend over £45 on some toilet paper and a bottle of hand sanitiser in a local shop last week because I’m not meant to be going out, so I had to take what I could get, when I could get it and be thankful. That was a financially painful experience!
I found a large bottle of Australian Body Care Tea Tree Oil Skinwash at home that I got from QVC ages ago and boy am I glad to have it. It is gentle on my hands and really feels like it thoroughly cleans. It’s in my bathroom now and I’m praying it will last for a while. I’ll be ordering more of it and I’ll be getting some gorgeous Molton Brown and L’Occitane Shea Liquid Soap whilst I’m at it!
I have washed my hands so much this last week I can’t quite believe I still have skin on them. Makes me wonder how people like my grandmother coped with all that handwashing years ago and all the scrubbing of floors they did on their hands and knees with those huge bars of Lifebuoy soap they used. I can still remember the gorgeous smell of cleanliness. It brings me back. Their poor hands, though, must have been raw!
Speaking of which, my hands did get a bit dry and painful in the last few days and as I didn’t realise I was going to be in self-isolation, I didn’t have any of the hand creams I normally use at home. They were all at work. My hand kit (mostly used for when I have a jewellery show and my hands are going to be in vision and in close-up) normally has one of either Gatineau Vitamina Hand Cream, Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose Hand Cream or Decleor Hand Cream. My hands were very dry and painful after some work I had been doing at home and some living room workouts I had been doing (check them out on my Instagram). The skin got really dry and sore.
Luckily though, I found a tube of L’Occitane Hand Cream in my gift drawer in a gorgeous zesty lime fragrance, so I’ve been using that and they are really coming back to themselves very quickly. I’ll also be ordering this four-piece hand cream collection for home and away, as I think we are going to need to be washing and sanitising our hands for quite some time yet.
I will let you know more about the living room workouts in my next blog, which I will hopefully be able to bring to you next week. They have been keeping me going and keeping me distracted through the long hours at home. Let me know what you’ve been doing to get through it.
In the meantime, please stay well, stay safe, socially distance and stay home (as much as you can). This is a really difficult time for everyone and not everyone will react as well to it as others, so be kind and be patient.
Until next time,
Miceal
15 Responses
Oh Micheal you do have some bad luck, i’m sorry you didn’t get to have your holiday and you missed out on getting to the shops! Can’t you get an online food shop as a vulnerable person? I wish I could help you. I have been doing more gardening seeing as the weather has improved if it takes a turn for the worst I have plenty of jobs to do around the house. I hope all your family are well and please take care of yourself. Love Debbie Xx
Hi Miceal. Good to see you as I was concerned. I thought you would have to isolate, as I’m doing. I watched your exercises on Instagram, so I’ll try some, although I’m not sure my bronchiectisis will cope. Please keep well. Maggie Wilkes
Lovely to hear you are well. Take care of yourself.
Hi Micheal.
Noticed you weren’t at work and glad you are ok. I use the ABC all the time in the shower so, like you, I was late to the shops (having had terrible food poisoning!) there was zippo left! So the ABC has left the shower and onto the hand basin. It truly is gentle on the hands as mine aren’t nearly bad as my friends – via pictures as none of us can get together. I swear by the Margaret Dabbs hand serum at night as well. Plus the multitudinous hand creams I have courtesy of QVC. Take care and see you soon xx
I was exactly the same, went shopping and stood there and thought have i missed something!!, same with the holiday, saved two weeks so i could go midweek and then return and have some time at home, before returning to work. Lets
hope it gets better soon, take care.
Hey Craig, you need to contact your local Parish council and they will do all for you.
Stay we and safe 💙
So this is life you are strong e.g your surgery this will pass and Work & Holidays will come again I for one who has Lupus have been washing my hands like this for years so Almond oil is in my store wonderful in cooking,skin,nails,andhair and even my dog Finn who dry skin has been helped I have spent this time cooking trying out new recipes and inventing new ones depending on what I have in store my Husband Martyn and I have sorted out some garden pots he the strong one and I have the plants green fingers I look forward to seeing you and all your wonderful style we will come out stronger and wiser after this Covid 19 keep safe and well xx Pamela
Hi Miceal, thank you for you lovely blog. Wishing you all the very best. I’m doing lots of jobs in the garden. Please keep well. God bless you. Antoinette x
Dear Miceal,
I have been meaning to write to you for AGES.I was in bits when I read about your heart condition though I do not even know you.I must say that you are,dare I say, the best presenter on QVC.You are really professional and always concentrate on the product which is very refreshing .You come across as a FINE gentleman and it is a pleasure when you are “on air” presenting.
I really hope and pray that you are well and coping through this uncertain time.I have never met you but I pray that you are managing.Both my husband and I have been indoors as much as possible since the 03/03/2020.Luckily he can work from home to keep things afloat.I believe you live in London;they ought to make provision for those who are vulnerable,like yourself.PLEASE do let us know how you are coping.Bless you Miceal and do look after yourself!God be with you,protect you and bless you!Our kindest regards and very best wishes to you.
Hi Miceal,
It’s so good to hear from you as the ladies say. I agree with Naseem. You’re such a lovely man; a true gent. Luck of the Irish? I don’t think so! You deserve so much more. I’m glad you’re isolating but I’m so sorry you’re on your own. Please phone people to ask them to leave you food etc. The pictures are dreadful and scary. It’s so much worse for the people on the ground in the face of it though. I wish some of the saints could get paid more.
I also wish you could have a sunny holiday! I can’t stand it when people go on about needing a holiday and they’ve had many in a year! It’s an unfair world and I hope it changes for the better after this. To think the last 3 years were Brexit too! Crazy.
Keep in touch.
Susan x
Miceal !! Glad you are getting by ! Me, mum & grandma are missing seeing you on the Q ! You are always so sweet and friendly and your style is on fleek ! I’ve been poorly since last May and mum is disabled, we’ve really struggled to get a food order. Luckily qvc has come to the rescue and we’ve got some things we’ve needed and some treats in Diamonique form 🙂 We love you lots Miceal and look forward to seeing you again soon on the Q ! Stay safe ! Lots of love, Elise, mum & grandma xxx
Miceal your hands look awfully painful. I had a similar experience when using Lulu’s and Leighton Denny’s handcream many years ago and what sorted it out was Sudocream. Australian body wash contains sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) which strips the skin of its protective layer. When I use it it leaves a dry white film on my skin so I know straight away if anything contains SLS. Other products like Molton Brown and L’occitane and some Liz Earle hand and body products contain it but seem natural because of the other botanical products they contain. So they may not make your skin any better either. Some of the Liz Earle products are now becoming soap free so they may help you but you are best to go as near to 100% organic as you can such as Neals Yard which do home delivery. The unfragranced L’occitane shea butter hand cream may be better for your skin than the fragranced ones. Take care.
Hi Miceal. This is the first presenter blog I have responded to. Very difficult times. I have an almost 96 year old Mum who lives alone so I am going to see her every other day after confirming we are both showing no signs of the virus. I keep her medication box up to date and collect her washing etc. Not ideal but I think I am doing the right thing and being safe when there. Take care and look forward to seeing you back on QVC when the madness ends. Molly
Good to hear from you. You have been missed on Q. Sorry to hear you are in isolation, but better to be safe. Such a shame you had to cancel your holiday 😢. It is nice to see the majority of people are not going out unnecessary. Take care and stay safe ❤️Xxx
Missing you!!! Hope you’re ok xx