Keeping fit and keeping it fun!

Hi all!

Many of you know I have recently lost weight using Diet Chef (check out our online brand page for more info). I have also taken up some light exercise in the form of belly dancing! It's so much fun. It's women only, all ages, all shapes and sizes and it has a very interesting history.

Belly-dancing exercise

Many people think of belly dancing in an erotic or titillating way but its origins are a far cry from today's Westernised view of it. It was originally done in a long kaftan-like robe and only in front of same sex groups. It has evolved and branched out in different directions like all things do.

The classes I go to are based on original Egyptian belly dancing. They put on shows regularly and I have been invited to take part in a dance display in November at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon! I haven't yet decided if I am brave enough to bare my belly and shimmy my stuff but watch this space and I'll let you know.

Old photographs

I was looking through some old piccies and getting all soppy about my little babies who are not little babies anymore, being 15 and 17 now, when I came across this photo (right).

It really made me chuckle, not least because of the hideous decor - it was not my choice! Just one of the drawbacks of rental properties! Tom and Chrissie were pretty inseparable when they were small and they wanted to do everything I did.

You can see me using baked bean tins as weights and my creative son using his Thomas the Tank Engine trains. My girly Chrissie chose Barbie dolls as her weights. It just made me smile seeing it again. It also brought a little tear to my eye to think they're growing up so fast. Jeez, I love my bonkers kids so much. Just love 'em and wanted to share.

So what do you do to keep fit? Have you taken up some unusual form of fitness or dance? I 'd really love to hear from you.

See you soon!

Love,
Catherine x

Reunited!

Hi everyone!

In my life time I've always moved around and been to countless schools but the one I definitely have the most memories of is my dance school from back in the 80s.

I left home at fifteen to join the Melody Urquhart Master School where we lived-in and learned all sorts about variety performance. I was soon being sent out on assignments at holiday camps, cabarets and abroad dancing my little socks off (take a look at me in Pontins when I was 15, right).

Well, the last time I saw most of the people from MUMS was around twenty years ago. Thanks to our fab music teacher, Tony Young, we have been reunited at last. We spent a whole weekend reminiscing, having girly chats 'til the wee small hours and dancing 'til we dropped (see top left)!

Let the cat out of the bag...please?

Honestly, if my little Dinkycat isn't biting my toes with his needle-like teeth, sitting his furry little bum on my face first thing in the morning or chewing his way through electrical cables then he likes nothing more than to get inside my handbags.

He seems to have specifically favoured my Lulu Guinness bags! Wonder what it is about them? Must ask Lulu if she secretly has catnip sewn into them as he has fallen in love with them. Funny little chap.

My most recent LG bag is the putty-coloured one. I am so in love with it and notice lots of people admiring it when I'm out and about with it. I've never braved a light-coloured bag like this before but it's great! I got some concealer on it and it wipes clean with a bit of kitchen paper and tap water. Fabulous!

Elemis Spa at QVC

Elemis recently recreated their spa experience at our very own 'QVC Towers' including reclining massage chairs, a full complement of Elemis-trained beauty therapists, a skin analysis machine and a Q&A session with Elemis expert therapist, Keeley Aydin (pictured with me, left)!

She even treated everyone to a sneak preview of their next Today's Special Value item. Elemis' latest product, which is included in the TSV set, has already had masses of attention in the beauty press!

Members of staff at QVC were given the opportunity to receive professional treatments in return for a donation to charity. What a genius idea, eh? I hear it was a fantastic day. Unfortunately that was on my day off and I wasn't aware it was happening but fortunately for me the very next day was a day for some of our customers who had been selected at random to attend.

Not only did I get to see the forthcoming TSV but I had a great time chatting to everyone who had come from far and wide to be there. These two ladies (right) are looking extremely relaxed and glowing after their pampering facials in the massage chairs.

Thank you lovelies for agreeing to let me take your piccy for my blog but silly me, I didn't take down your names to namecheck you! Feel free to write them below!

Chilli fest!!

I am a lover of hot food. I adore chillies so what better way to spend a Sunday than attending a chilli festival with great friends?

It took place in the beautiful grounds of West Dean College, Chichester. There was salsa music and dancing, wonderful belly dancers, arts and crafts, chilli everything and some blooming marvellous bloody Mary's with generous helpings of chilli mixed in! We came home with bags of chilli yumminess. I even tried some chilli fudge. Mmmm! Even the weather was on our side - glorious sunshine all day long.

How fabulous was Harald Gloockler?!

Hands up, who loves Harald Gloockler?

What a fantastically flamboyant character! Harald Gloockler premiered his Pompoos jewellery range on QVC last week and I just had to drop by his dressing room to say hi. Here is a piccy of myself, Harald and Steve, our CEO, sharing a giggle and a photo opportunity!

If you missed the show it's definitely one to look out for in future. I can't wait to present a show with him. Did you see his gorgeous dresses too? Maybe if I ask nicely he'll let me wear one if we do a show together. Oh so glamorous and oh-so-fabulously over the top.

Cars = invisibility cloaks?

Why is it that I always seem to believe that when I'm in my car I suddenly become unseen by all people in other cars, pedestrians, cyclists etc? I know I'm not the only one though.

Unusual drivers

Countless are the times I've seen someone sat right next to me at traffic lights having a good old nasal rummage as though no one can see them, just because they're inside their car! I've seen people changing their clothes, passengers not drivers I might add! I've even seen people squeezing their spots...eewww!

Roller-head

On Friday I had a minor operation on my foot and Steve drove me to work due to my sore stitches. Because I wasn't driving I noticed people around even more. They kept looking at me oddly. I became a little bit self-conscious wondering why people kept looking at me so I pulled down the visor mirror and it was only then that I remembered I still had a head full of rollers (see above, left)! No wonder, eh?

Catherine's Confessional

I was giggling away to myself about some of the various practical jokes I've played on friends over the years and funny little things you just don't normally share with other people but they are too funny to keep to yourself! I really want to hear your stories, let's have good old giggle together. Ok, I'll start...

My first confession is that I have been known to do 'windypops' on a packed train and then look around as though butter wouldn't melt. I've even gone as far as to look disgustedly around me so as to detract from my being blamed! That's naughty, isn't it? Oops!

I worked as a dental nurse for years and practical jokes were pretty much everyday occurences. We used to make up patient names and get the dentists to go to the waiting room and call them. One was 'Myra Mains' with a dead tooth but the funniest (perhaps naughtiest) was when we got a South African dentist, who didn't know all the British colloquialisms yet, to call out in a packed waiting room for 'Betty Swollocks'! It was very amusing...hee hee.

One final giggle-worthy thing. A friend of mine (remaining nameless) was fresh out of the shower and had a clean sanitary pad sticky side up on the bed when the doorbell rang. She put on a robe, went to the door and signed for a package. As she was about to close the door the postie said what a lovely dog she had.

It was only once the door closed that she looked down and saw the aforementioned pad stuck squarely on the dog's nose! He must have gone to investigate the item and inhaled a bit to deeply whilst doing so! I laughed for ages when she told me.

So now it's your turn...don't leave me out here on my own with these embarrassingly naughty confessions! Share your stories below - laughter's good for the spirit!

Love from Catherine xx

The cats vandalise our home!

Hi everyone, here's the latest on Le Chats of Chez Huntley.

Poopy Pixie is so fussy she will not do her business in the litter tray unless it's completely fresh and clean. With three other fully functioning felines in the house that's kind of impossible, despite having three large (and friend-losingly smelly) trays!

She has decided the perfect place is right inside the front door! I can't begin to tell you how embarrassing this is when the postie calls with QVC parcels first thing and I've not yet had the chance to 'de-poo' the area! I'm still considering the 'litter kwitter' - google it, you'll giggle if nothing else!

Baby and Dinky have become firm friends and partners in crime. They cuddle together, clean each other, fight each other and they go on the rampage together too. In the space of a few days they gnawed their way through an iPod charger cable, a phone charger cable, a Wii accessory cable and my camcorder charger cable!

My birthday treats

Hi everyone!

Well it's a been a busy week or two this end, particularly this last week as it was my birthday on Saturday. Due to the fact that I was working on my birthday, I've had to squeeze time in between for my family and friends!

Last Thursday, my Mum treated me to a birthday lunch. We love Chinese food and had a great feast with lots of jasmine tea... we get through pots of the stuff! It was nice to spend some time together, just the two of us.

My Mum said (as all Mums would) that maybe I was working a bit too hard recently and suggested we take a trip to Ireland for a short break soon... just after she finished saying that I opened my fortune cookie and look what it said inside (photo on the left); 'Take a break'! How funny is that? I just thought I'd share that with you as it amused us at the time.