Craig gets on his bike

Hi there, hope you all had a brilliant Christmas break!

With the New Year and its resolutions looming, I've decided it's time to get out there and cycle some more.

I'm not doing things by halves - I've kitted myself out with lots of high-vis clothing as the roads down here in London can get pretty frantic and I want to make sure I'm safe.

Here's a photo of me testing out my new gear in my local park (Roundwood Park in north-west London). What do you think to my nifty bright yellows and oranges? Do you think Glen Campbell, our resident style guru, would approve?

Have you been getting out and about and enjoying the fresh air over Christmas, or do you prefer being tucked up in the warm indoors on these cold and frosty winter days?

And let me know what you think of my cycling outfit - be honest!

Have a great New Year's Eve, and I'll be in touch again soon,
Craig. xx.

Debbie: The torment of a snoring husband

Ladies - I need your help.

Every night for the last three weeks I have been to bed tired and ready for my Northern Nights experience. Relieved that the stresses and strains of the day are behind me, I enter my sanctuary.

The irresistible pull of my several-hundred-thread-count haven draws me in. In my mind I am already floating on my cloud-like featherbed, drifting off to meet the sandman.

Reality check.

My experience can no longer be measured in the luxury described by Susie Adams. It can only be measured using decibels and the Richter Scale. The lovely Mr. Coia has taken to snoring with such a forceful reverberation that no jury in the land would convict me if I cracked and used his own uncrushable feather pillow to silence him.

What can I do? I have tried gentle reprimand, elbow in the ribs, hard squeezing of the marital err......... nostrils. Nothing works. And then he tells me he wasn't snoring, and that's when I really want to kill him. I need sleep, and I need it now.

Suggestions please, and quickly!

Debbie x

Alison: My Christmas and Thursday's Today's Special Value

Isn't it amazing how we spend months planning Christmas and then it's all over in the blink of an eye! I found a turkey in the end, and even had all my presents wrapped by midday on Christmas Eve which was quite a feat for me.

I recorded The Polar Express which is a truly traditional Christmas film in which Tom Hanks plays every character with the exception of the reindeer and that's only because they don't speak, and then I forced my boys to watch it! Even though they're 19 and 15 it brought the spirit of Christmas back for them and they had already opened their stockings by 8am Christmas morning!

We had a lovely day and not only did we all get some lovely thoughtful gifts but lunch was served on time and every morsal was eaten. I have to let you know that I had some help in the kitchen, courtesy of our New Year's Day Today's Special Value. I'll be bringing it to you at midnight on the 1st January and I know you're going to love it.

Craig - sleeping like a fairy princess!

Hi everyone - hope you all had an utterly fantastic Christmas and Boxing Day!

I just had to share this little tale and photo with you - I think it might just make you giggle!

Last weekend I popped down to Bristol to see the family and stayed at my sister's place. As she's a bit short on space I slept in Jasmine's (my niece) playroom.

I took my Aerobed with me (you have to get one, they're SOOO comfy!) to sleep on, and Jasmine loved helping me with my 'magic bed'. I reckon we must have inflated and deflated it at least five times as she was so fascinated by it!

I was tired out and went to bed before my sister, and she just couldn't resist sneaking in and taking this photo of me. She thought it was hilarious seeing me all snuggled up in a girly pink fairytale princess-themed room!

Still, I had a great night's sleep. And don't worry, I don't have any wild decorating plans to turn my own bedroom into something similar!

Have a great week,
Craig. xx.

Jilly: Merry Christmas everyone!

Hi, just a quick last minute Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a great time over Christmas and here's to a healthy New Year! Thank you so much for all your cards and best wishes, they really mean a lot.

Don't forget to join me Boxing day night, especially as Leighton Denny will be joining me at midnight!

Lots of love and Christmas kisses

Jilly xxx

Catherine: Our Christmassy call center in Liverpool

I ran up to our QVC call centre in Liverpool last week to judge their team Christmas decorating competition. It all looked wonderful, as you can see by the picture of a penguin on a trapeze(left)!

See more of these fantastic decorations and read all about it in Craft Etc now.

Have a very merry Christmas everybody!

Love,
Catherine x

Craig's cook's essentials dinner party

Hi there, hope you're all having a good week and are ready for Christmas.

Anyone who's seen me on the box will know I'm a HUGE fan of cook's essentials kitchen products! I always get a bit flustered when I'm cooking for people, so knowing my cookware is reliable always makes my feel a little bit calmer.

I got to test that theory out last week when I threw a little dinner party for friends.

Catherine: Five years at QVC!

Wow. Five whole years at QVC and so much has happened in that time! I always say that how I came to be a presenter on QVC is a real 'Cinderella' story.

I was working as a dental nurse when one of the companies we sold toothpaste for asked me to represent them on QVC as a guest for 'Janina whitening toothpaste'.

I did it as a favour and was paid in toothpaste! Well from there I was asked if I would audition as a QVC presenter and several months later. Out of thousands of applicants, to my bemused surprise, I got the job!

I was looking back through some old photos and thought I'd share these with you. I always try to appreciate every moment and never forget where I came from and how blessed I have been. When I saw my lighted mirror in my dressing room I was so excited! Don't ask me why, it's just kind of special.

Alison: Only a few days to go...

... and I've just realised that I haven't bought the turkey!! There's gammon in the freezer, and Christmas pudding in the cupboard, but I'm praying I won't have to resort to chicken pieces on Christmas Day!

I have to be honest and tell you that one year I put the turkey in the garage as there was no room in the fridge. It was meant to be below freezing overnight... unfortunately the temperature rocketed and the rather attractive pistachio green tinge that coloured our bird meant drastic measures had to be put in place, hence the chicken pieces. I thank my Girl Guide Training for that one! 

I hope you've managed to be a little more organised than me?!

Debbie on her family Christmas night out

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! I went to the girls' Christmas carol concert last Thursday, which was lovely, and last night we went on our family night out.

It's always an adventure for us going into the West End of London. For years we would queue up in Harrods for three hours to see the real Santa (it was DEFINITELY the real one), and then to Hamleys for the girls to buy each other their Christmas presents.

Afterwards, we’d go to Trafalgar Square to see "the biggest Christmas tree in the world." Now that the grls are 11 and 14, we're a little bit more "sophisticated".