Table of contents for 21-Feb-2019 in Pick Me Up!

Watching Mum tearing round making tea, giving my dad Harold, 96, his meds, doing the washing up, I was worried. ‘Let me help you,’ I said. Mum shook her head. ‘I’m fine,’ she chirped. Strong, determined, she was a survivor. She had to be. In 2000, she lost her mum, then just over a year later my brother Robert, 19, passed away, too. If that wasn’t heartbreak enough her brother - my uncle Fred - died in June 2013. Too much for anyone to bear. But Mum always rallied. Then in July last year, my beloved dad, who had dementia, took a turn for the worst. But, despite the grief, endless hospital trips and the funeral arrangements, still Mum stayed brave. ‘We’ve all got to stick together,’ she’d smile. I…

Head for the bars… These eco-friendly, cruelty-free, vegan shampoo bars come in Calming Lavender, Revitalising Rose, Nourishing seaweed and Purifying Charcoal. Quote ‘PickMeUpShampoo’ at checkout to get 15% off until 1 March. Visit procoal.co.uk/collections/shampoo-bars. Ooh la la! Going vegan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a flaky morning pastry. Just heat these delicious vegan pain au chocolats or vegan croissants from La Boulangère in the oven for a few mins to add a touch of French flair to your breakfast. They’re only £2.25 (usually £2.50) at Sainsbury’s until 23 February. Personalise their paste! Launched exclusively for Valentine’s Day, Colgate’s new limited-edition Dare To Love toothpaste is half price (RRP £5.99). Available in a pink or red pack – you can even write a personalised message on the back…

What’s normal, what’s not? Warts They’re unpleasant and embarrassing, but ultimately harmless. Warts often go away by themselves, over time, but creams, sprays and plasters from pharmacies can help get rid of them. Visit your GP if the wart keeps coming back, if it’s very large or painful, if it bleeds or changes appearance, or if it is on your face or genitals. HEALTH TIP Have you tried...the Stop, Breathe & Think meditation and mindfulness app? Free for iOS and Android, this app can help you tame your anxiety, reduce your stress levels, sleep better and improve your breathing. You can check in with how you’re feeling and thinking, track your progress and so much more. It really does do it all! 7.9 That’s the life expectancy gap in years…

Stephen Port, 41, adjusted the blond toupee he’d glued on with eyelash adhesive. He hated the fact he’d gone bald, wanted to look his best. Taking off his shirt, he flexed his muscles as he took selfies for online-dating profiles. But Port was in search of something darker than love. Creating false profiles, he was hunting for men to take part in his sordid fantasies. Years earlier, at 26, Port came out as being gay, but he’d kept it secret from his parents, sure they’d disapprove. His older sister knew, even meeting a number of his boyfriends along the way. It was she who let slip to his parents, over 10 years later, that their only son was gay. As he’d feared, they were disappointed, and had hoped it was…

There’s no denying it. We’re a nation of social-media addicts, obsessed with scrolling through other people’s lives, or snapping Insta-worthy pictures of our own. And, more often than not, that includes sharing images of our babies, toddlers and teens. In fact, every year in the UK, parents share approximately 1.3 billion images of their children on social media. Every moment is documented, from proud mums in labour suites holding their newborns, to days out, birthday parties and wobbly first steps. But should it be? Often we find ourselves engrossed in the lives of people we wouldn’t stop to say hello to in the street. Celebrities lead the way, posting pictures to their millions of followers on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. The Beckhams are famous for their close-knit…

Barry M All Night Long Stick Foundation, £6.99 If you’re used to liquid foundations, their stick counterparts can feel a little drying. Not so with Barry M’s base, which is infused with vitamin E to keep skin supple and hydrated. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Shaping Stick, £8.99 The rounded tip gives precise handling, whether you need all over coverage, a targeted concealer or a contour stick. Plus the matte finish lasts up to 24 hours. Maybelline Superstay Multi Use Foundation Stick, £8.99 Stick foundations are great when you’re on the move but this one eliminates the need to get your fingers messy with a handy built-in beauty blender. Smooth the stick over your face, then blend out with the sponge. Lottie London All About That Base Matte Foundation Stick, £7.95, Superdrug…

BRISTOL Natalie Davis, 51 A brothel madam has been jailed after being busted by undercover cops. The brothel, which had been run out of a flat in Weston-super-Mare since 2007, was operating under the name of Butterfly’s Massage Parlour. Plain-clothed officers entered the business and were, on three occasions, offered sexual services. They subsequently returned with a warrant, and found a number of sex toys locked in cupboards. Owner Natalie Davis, 51, of Hewish, North Somerset, admitted controlling prostitution for financial gain, before being sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to two years and six months in prison. EDINBURGH David Mitchell, 48 David Mitchell was nabbed by Scottish police for attempting to import a dangerous firearm from the United States. Edinburgh High Court heard David Mitchell bought a Glock semi-automatic handgun…

That same day, I was sent home from the hospital. Feeling broken, I took Jake’s yellow blanket with me, as well as his hand and footprints. So I could keep a little piece of him with me. Medics said that I would receive the results of his autopsy within a few weeks. But I heard nothing. After three weeks of silence, I called the hospital to check on the autopsy. I was desperate for answers, reassurance that I’d not made the wrong choice. Calling in to the hospital switchboard, I was told that somebody would call me back. Again, the call never came. Months turned into years and my frustration only grew I was deeply frustrated, and my mental health began to suffer. But I was also taking legal action…

1 Drink lots of plain fluids, such as water and squash, to flush out your system. 2 Stay at home and get plenty of rest. This will also stop you infecting others. Stomach bugs are most infectious from when symptoms start until two days after they’ve passed. 3 Eat when you can, for energy and to keep up your blood sugar levels. 4 If in discomfort, take paracetamol. 5 Do not have any fruit juice or fizzy drinks, as they’ll exacerbate symptoms. But visit a GP… …if there is blood in your stools or you’ve had diarrhoea for more than seven days.…

Laryngitis 1 Laryngitis occurs when your voice box or vocal cords become irritated or swollen. ■ True ■ False 2 The main symptoms for adults are a hoarse voice, losing your voice and a sore throat. ■ True ■ False 3 Laryngitis usually clears up by itself within around four days. ■ True ■ False 4 Whispering can help to keep your voice healthy. ■ True ■ False 1 TRUE Laryngitis usually comes on suddenly and gets worse during the first three days. 2 TRUE You may also need to keep clearing your throat and have an irritating, persistent cough. 3 FALSE It can clear up by itself after a week or two – but painkillers, cough syrup or lozenges may help ease the pain. 4 FALSE Both whispering and…

Sphynx 3-in-1 Portable Razor, £19.99, firebox.com From a stray ankle hair to an armpit blitz, this razor lets you shave wherever you are. Turn the dial to spray the area with water, run the moisturising stick over it and shave away! Verdict: BONKERS! Don’t actually use it on the move… Just Wears Pro Pants, £24, just-wears.com Designed to put an end to sweaty balls, these high-performance pants use a super-soft fabric that is 50% more absorbant than cotton to keep skin fresh and dry. Verdict: GENIUS! But not something we really want to thinkabout! Suck Fun Facts Tape Measure, £5, John Lewis Making us think of Mary Poppins, this 10ft, double-sided tape measure is filled with fun facts. Some are seriously scientific, but others are just…

It was the end of a really busy weekend. Peace at last, I thought. It was 7.30pm on a Sunday night in January of last year. Though it wasn’t totally peaceful! I chuckled as my hubby David, 41, shouted at the TV. His footie team was clearly losing! I’d found a fun new way to enjoy some of my free time I joked I was a football widow. But I didn’t mind. David’s footiewatching meant I had some me time! I loved watching the soaps. And recently, I’d found a fun new way to enjoy some of my free time. I’d joined Pick Me Up! Bingo could play on my phone. I’d only joined three days earlier and was surprised when I’d won £15. I was still finding new games,…

Social media is a minefield when it comes to sharing information. Someone could wait outside the school, call your child over by name and say they’ve got a message from you – knowing your name, where you work and what you were doing last weekend. How is a young child supposed to think ‘stranger danger’ when the stranger  can pass themselves off as a family friend? Tracy Enright, Strood I post pictures of my children because it’s the only way I keep in contact with a lot of people. Apart from my profile  and cover photos, anything else I share of my kids is set to ‘friends only’. It doesn’t bother me if people choose to share photos of their kids, that’s their decision. Levi Hetherington-Scott, Newport Personally I don’t…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Try to take the rough with the smooth this week and remember that without mud, there’d be no flowers! You think your efforts have gone unnoticed, you’re wrong. E-mails, and other forms of communication prove how much others really think of you… Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Try not to throw your ideas away –but also understand everything that you’re feeling and wanting at this moment is down to you having your own best interests at heart. However, things you agree to, I’m sure will make your life a happier place to be. So, deep breath, Taurus. All is well. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June What you thought you really wanted, is no longer so appealing now that you can…

E-mailpickmeup@ti-media.com CALL 020 3148 6460 WRITE TO Pick Me Up!, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP FACEBOOK facebook.com/pickmeupmag SEE OUR WEBSITE lifedeathprizes.com TI Media Limited reserves the right to reuse any submission sent to Pick Me Up! magazine, in any format or medium. Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a stampedSAE. Letters/photos must not be sent to any other publication.…

Walking into the cafe, I was glad of the shade from the hot midday sun. It was June 2016 and I’d recently arrived in Morocco. I was 20, from Norwich - and for the next two weeks, I would be volunteering at schools and orphanages in Marrakech. Scanning the busy coffee shop, I caught the eye of another customer. He had dark hair, beautiful eyes, and when he smiled at me, my tummy flipped. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t ignore him. ‘Hi, I’m Abdou. You have a beautiful smile,’ he said. ‘Thank you,’ I giggled. The attraction was clear. We swapped numbers - and every day for the next two weeks, me and Abdou, 24, would meet. Whenever I wasn’t working, we’d idle away hours on the beach,…

Groaning in agony, I turned over to the cold side of the pillow, desperately trying to soothe my aching head. It was March last year, and I had to be up for an early meeting the next day. As head of Year Six at a primary school, I was always extremely busy, but I loved every second of it. Life outside work was no less hectic. I also kept myself active, cycling to and from work, and going to Clubbercise - like a disco workout! All while spending time with my fiance Jay, 50, in between. I had no movement in my left arm and leg. I was terrified The next morning, when the headache still hadn’t shifted, I called in sick to work. I just need to rest, I…

As I swirled around, my fist gripped the pole and my legs shot into the air. Holding the pose, I glanced down at my strong, toned arms. Rotating into a different position, I felt the power pump along my limbs and adrenaline rush through my body. It was late 2016, and I’d never felt fitter. Always keen on sports, years before, I’d started wakeboarding. It’s like water-skiing but on a surfboard. Then I’d tried rowing, and loved the thrill as the paddle smashed into the water. The pulls and thrusts made my arms strong. When I wasn’t on the water, I was in the gym, weight-training - and now pole dancing was my newest addiction. I went several times a week, perfecting the moves. I’d come back covered in bruises,…

The Brits 2019, ITV DON’T MISS Comedian Jack Whitehall returns to London’s O2 Arena for the second year running to host the biggest night in the music calendar. Anne-Marie, whose hits include 2002, and One Kiss singer Dua Lipa each have four nominations, while George Ezra, Little Mix and Rita Ora are also up for awards. Plus, Ariana Grande is up for International Female. Meanwhile, Craig David, who’s had 13 nominations since 2001, features in the British Male Solo Artist category. Will this be his year? Traitors, C4 Emma Appleton, Keeley Hawes and Brandon P Bell are among the stars in this post-World War Two thriller. Set in the 1940s at a time of strained political relations and fear of nuclear war, it tells the story of feisty British civil…

Charging past me, my daughter Abi raced towards the front door. ‘Come on, Mum - we’re late,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘I’m coming,’ I chuckled. It was January 2013, and we were on our way to find out if she’d achieved her black belt in kung fu class. Abi, 12, was a whirlwind of energy, flitting between dance and swimming classes. Throwing herself in completely, never slowing down. ‘I did it!’ she beamed when I collected her later that night. Abi was a whirlwind of energy, never slowing down We hurried home to share the news with her dad Mark, 38, sister Jenny, 10, and brother Joe, 5. A close-knit family, they all whooped with pride. A month on, Abi was brimming with excitement for her upcoming dance recital.…