Went to see brother Glenn in Sweden this week, and of course his family; the last time Howard saw Glenn, Glenn was in nappies! (Those who don’t realise, my man and I were in the same class at middle school together till 13, and dated briefly when we were 14 – which is when said nappy incident occurred – 50 years ago this September!)
They were on holiday in a lovely villa. We flew into Copenhagen, a really clean airport, went downstairs to the railway station, hopped easily across to Sweden via the rail bridge and brother Glenn collected us from the station and via a whistle stop at our nearby hotel, we arrived at their lovely little villa/Airbnb holiday home with a pool!
Vlog: As soon as we got there, we settled into the holiday vibe. As you can see from this vlog, relaxing round the pool! See it here.
We spent most days with them at the villa or at lunch or going for walks or bus trips. Highlight was dinner one evening at the beach restaurant, where the picture above was taken. It was lovely spending time with my nieces and family again, it’s been too long.
And playing board games like Linkee – where you have to work out the links between four answers to four questions on a card that you will take turns to read. Here’s one of the questions, can you get the link? Answer at the bottom – what bird are these all types of – Mallard, Mandarin and… Crispy!! Lol
Howard had never played it before but by the end of the week he was getting lots of answers. All those years playing crosswords and Wordle! Anyway here is a link to a little selection of moments from Malmo. We hope to go back again next year.
Finally, look at this amazing picture just after the sunset – the time was about 11:10 pm! The joy and wonder of long days in the northern latitudes!
VINTAGE DAY OUT
Southern (rail) at War
Part of the Blue Bell railway schedule, there was a wonderful exhibition/day out near Howard at his village in Horsted Keynes last weekend. I was in my element with a lovely little tea wagon, vintage 1940s vehicles, outfits, uniforms, music, and even a model of a spitfire! Thought I would put it all into a little reel for you on Insta! But hope you like the little montage above anyway! We will definitely look out for this next year and hopefully take some of the kids along! I love all that stuff. See it here.
SNIPPETS
Garden bistro set, those cups that you keep warm and me in a ponytail
It’s been a week for ponytails! Too hot at work, on our pretend indoor (that bistro furniture is available on qvcuk.com by the way, I think it’s half price of £80 if there’s any left!) And for going brown – don’t forget there’s only a few days left to get your James Read self-tan offer of the month! 256461
Gorgeous Gatineau gang
Had some brilliant giggles with Andrew and Michaela during their miniseries for skincare this week – look up some of the ‘recently on air’ items and you might see! Including their famous Nick gel. If it’s in stock!
Elemis Alert!
It’s talking of amazing skincare, watch out for this weekend deal from from Elemis, already on sale! The night cream is probably my favourite ever, glass like skin the next morning and it goes on so brilliantly. Well worth it!
Exclusive – on this week’s newsletter (sign up to get yours in the inbox every weekend), the exclusive content is a picture of me and Howard by the pool. Plus, what a difference the angle makes when you’re taking a selfie! Thought it would reassure some of you, with one of the worst pictures I’ve ever taken of me, together with one just a few seconds later… It’s all in the angle!
Watch – This is one of the things that amused us this week while we were idling around the pool! Made me laugh out loud. Remember this? Rita Moreno’s famous muppets ‘Fever’ skit! See it here.
Blooper – funny – sorry our lads did not go through in the World Cup – but saw this and thought Morecambe and Wise could not have said it better!
Plus – Blooper – Sam Ovens and her blooper during her self tape! Pinched it from her Facebook post! #screengrab See it here.
Book of the week – A very British Affair by Jane Chappell
Met the author at the vintage event on the platform and thought, good luck to her!
“From the Home Front to VE Day, this sweeping novel follows a cast of spirited yet vulnerable characters as they navigate grief, duty, and quiet acts of defiance in a world forever changed.
Rich in historical detail and brimming with warmth, humour, and heartbreak, it is a love letter to the unsung women of wartime Britain and to the resilience that keeps hope alive in the darkest hours.”
I bought the book off her during the vintage event and I’m going to be reading it around the pool in Sweden!
QVC TOP DEALS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS
Christmas in July all weekend!
Friday (today) – go to qvcuk.com and search ‘today’s special value’ to see and buy what’s left of
Harry Slatkin’s fab Homeworx candle sets, four pieces in the cozy nights range
Saturday – food fayre and the choice of either the walnut tree luxury chocolate covered gift selection, or Churchill’s nutcracker story set of two biscuit tins, or both!
Sunday – elemis procollagen Black Cherry face and body five-piece collection, see above!
Big deals ending Sunday night
Go to this section of our website each week to discover the current ones which often end on Sunday nights if there are any stocks left!
Big deals are available on air for usually a week, they may be longer online if stocks last. Occasionally they last a couple of weeks but there are new ones every Sunday night so come back again and see them on the link above.
Next week should include:
– style – osprey Oxford nylon backpack
– garden – tbc
– extra – ICHI briane frill short sleeve printed top
– beauty – Dalton skin genius bronze and glow three-piece collection
– main – apricot mini crochet maxi dress
Offer of the Week – ARU sonic toothbrush starter kit
Now back to the today’s special values for the rest of the week –
PLEASE NOTE – these are correct at time of writing but may be subject to change.
Monday – Denim & Co super soft cuffed joggers
Tuesday – revamp straight and go cordless salt brush
Wednesday – Sloggi briefs four pack
Thursday – Bosch universal brush set with extra brushes and carry case – we used it to help decorate Howard’s house. See it here.
Friday – Philip Kingsley three-piece coconut breeze collection
Friday 9pm – nassif MD skin reset eye refresh three-piece collection
Next week – the final day in Sweden, and more sneaky peeks and bloopers!
Best wishes
Debs
X
** Duck!! Crispy duck… lolol!!
DON’T FORGET… to do me a favour by sharing the link to my house and business sale down in Devon! It would mean a lot!
https://www.retreatsforyou.co.uk/its-online/
PS I support Medical Detection Dogs. We raised over £2,300 in our event back in June ‘25. Watch out for another one in 2026! Find out more and donate on this link.
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