Table of contents for 11-Apr-2024 in Pick Me Up!

Walking into the house, with the smell of pasta quickly greeting me, I couldn’t wait for dinner. As even though I’d moved into my own flat, looking after my daughter Urszula, now 16, my mum Anna would expect us both at the dinner table. We had a close relationship. She wasn’t just my mum but my best friend, too. Originally from Poland, both my mum and dad made sure that me and my brother Arkadiusz, now 23, had a fun-filled childhood. Growing up, my friends treated my mum like their own – and she was popular with other ladies in our town. However, when I turned 15, life at home wasn’t the way that it had been in the past. With Mum and Dad revealing that they were getting a…

Dishing up a side of tasty mozzarella dippers, they would go with the pile of creamy pasta and breadsticks waiting for me to tuck in to. Exhausted after a busy day at work, I paid no mind to my portion sizes as I piled up the plate. And tucking in, I didn’t stop eating until I felt stuffed. High carb dishes – from fried cheeses and chicken, to mounds of pasta and potatoes – were my favourites. Washed down with bottles of fizzy pop, I loved a sugar kick, too. And eating out was no exception either. Ordering an appetiser, main course and desert, I’d still be peckish afterwards. I always opted for high calorie, fried meals – from greasy battered chicken to juicy burgers. After dinner, we’d go to…

To help keep an eczema flare-up at bay, you can: • Moisturise using a greasy, non-scented moisturiser at least two to three times a day. Apply the lotion in the direction of your hair growth • Wear non-powdered, non-rubber gloves when doing housework • Wear comfortable, breathable fabrics like cotton or silk • Use a non-bio washing powder and do a double rinse to remove any detergent residue • Try not to scratch your itchy skin Disclaimer: Medical advice provided is for interest only and should never be substituted for seeing a doctor or seeking medical advice. If you have specific medical concerns please seek advice from a qualified medical professional.…

INSTANT appointment With Michael Fatica, consultant osteopath for the Back In Shape Program (backinshapeprogram.com) Got a hunch Q Are there exercises I can do at my desk to improve my posture? Stacey, Cheltenham A Slumped posture can be a breeding ground for lower back issues such as slipped, bulging and degenerative discs. However, the key is to be a fidget wherever you are. Simply reposition yourself in your seat or get up at regular intervals to walk around. A great exercise to incorporate at regular intervals throughout the day is the ‘towel stretch’. Roll up a bath towel tightly to the size of a foam roller and lie on your back with your knees bent. Then engage your core and lift your bottom and back off the floor. Place the…

Buttery soft Up your body care game with these silky smooth lotions, that will leave your skin feeling refreshed and supple. Sanctuary Spa Lily & Rose Melting Pearls Body Butter, £16, Boots Add a touch of luxury to your body care routine with this gorgeous body butter. A rich and creamy blend of shea butter and encapsulated pearls of Moroccan argan oil melts into the skin to intensely moisturise, while the blossoming floral scent of damask rose, white lily and palmarosa relaxes the mind, too. Garnier Body Superfood, £9.99, Superdrug You may have heard of Garnier Hair Superfood, but what about their Body Superfood? With formulas designed to target individual concerns, each works to feed your skin with deep hydration for your healthiest complexion yet. Boots Extracts Mango Body Butter,…

Have you heard of the Cheddar app? It’s a little different to traditional cashback sites, giving you back a percentage of what you spend in shops. Once you’ve connected your card to the app, all you have to do is spend at one of their partner retailers – such as Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Tesco and Co-op – to earn back some moolah. They even offer money back when you purchase gift cards – why not try a supermarket gift card to save a bit of money on the shop? Scanning your loyalty card, too, you can rack up some points as well. Your cashback is kept safe on the app, and as soon as you’re up to £5 it can be withdrawn into your bank account – quid’s in! Please visit:…

Breakfast, lunch or dinner – make mealtimes extra delicious with these scrumptious recipes from EasiYo, everyone’s favourite homemade yoghurt maker. For more recipes and to purchase, visit: uk.easiyo.com Cheesy Beef Empanadas YOU WILL NEED:  EMPANADA FILLING: □ ½ onion, chopped□ 2 garlic cloves, minced□ 250g beef mince□ 1 tsp salt□ 1 tsp oregano□ 1 tsp paprika□ 1 tsp cumin□ ¼ tsp chilli powder□ ½ cup crushed tomatoes□ 1 tbsp tomato paste□ 1 tbsp diced jalapeños□ 1 cup grated cheese□ 1 egg, whisked EMPANADA DOUGH: □ 2 cups self-raising flour□ 1 tsp salt□ 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt□ 1 tbsp olive oil 1 Preheat oven to 180o C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over a medium heat, and cook the onion and…

Foodie finds If you’ve got a sweet tooth, listen up! Nestlé are remixing four of our best-loved brands into nostalgic ice-cream inspired treats. Choose from Neapolitan Aero, Cookie Dough Munchies, Raspberry Ripple Milkybar Buttons and Rowntree’s Randoms Cones. We’re loving their summery makeover! RRP £1.50, available at retailers nationwide Fun day out If April showers have scuppered your plans, head to this fun indoor activity instead. With venues across the UK, Immersive Gamebox is something the whole family will enjoy – a gaming experience that puts players at the heart of the games and in control of their adventures! With games suitable for children from three and up, as well as games designed specifically for those 16 and over, there’s something for everyone – based on films and shows from…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great prize from Addis. This four-piece clip tight storage set is a must-have in your household. They’re great for storing leftovers, packing lunches and making your food supplies last that little bit longer. Nesting for easy storage, you don’t have to worry about making room in your kitchen cupboards either. For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Toastie-riffic! To clean a sandwich toaster after using it, place two damp paper towels inside and press. Then the steam will clean it. Abbie Cairns, Colchester Feed the birds Pre-filled coconut shells for the birds are expensive. I refill them with a mix of seeds, cheese and nuts that have been set in lard or melted suet to keep them…

Waking up in the morning, my face was so sore I couldn’t turn my head. Experiencing a flare-up, it was covered in eczema. With dry, peeling skin and rashes, it was something I’d struggled with my entire life. I’d had it since I was a baby. But while my brothers Jordan, 32, and Jacob, 29, also had eczema as tots, theirs had cleared up in childhood. As a child it was often sore, and my mum Della, 61, would give me diluted bleach baths to try and soothe my skin – something she’d seen online, although it wasn’t recommended by doctors. And while there was some relief while I was in the bath, it would be itchy again as soon as I got out. Going through secondary school, I lost…

Flowers make the perfect gift – but Carrie has taken this one step further with her fully edible cake bouquets, known as bouqcakes. They almost look too good to eat! For more, please follow @surreybouqcakes and visit: surreybouqcakes.com 1. Take us back to the beginning – how did you get into creating bouqcakes? I’ve always been creative – over the years I’ve dipped into photography, looked at floristry courses, and of course cake making. My friends and family have been telling me to set up my own cake business for years but I just didn’t think it was something I could do full time. Then one evening, I randomly stumbled across a floral cake on Pinterest and I set myself the challenge to teach myself. The rest is history! 2.…

Verdict: GENIUS! No stinky feet here! Electric Shoe Dryer, £37.99, Amazon It’s April shower season – which means soggy layers, a wet umbrella and damp, smelly shoes. However, this household gadget could be a lifesaver. With its wall-mounted design, instead of leaving your wet shoes or wellies cluttered in the hallway, place them on this electric drying rack. And when you need to rush back outside you can have perfectly dry tootsies – how toasty?! Every home needs this… Verdict: BONKERS! Under my umbrella… The Umbrella Cover Museum Umbrella covers often lurk at the bottom of a handbag, never to be used again – not in this case! Nancy Hoffman created the Umbrella Cover Museum in Maine, US, with a collection of more than 2,000 covers from 66 countries. She’s got a…

Katie is a Happiness Club Trainer, delivering training to schools, corporate clients and charities to improve the mental health and emotional wellness of their most valuable asset – their people. She is also a hypnotherapist, too. For more information, search 'Katie the happiness coach' online. That man is damn right annoying… Q I hate my sister’s new man. He is arrogant, vain and damn right annoying. He even flirts with me! However, they are getting married. How do I warn her? And quickly… Kiera, Hartlepool A If your sister’s fiancé makes her happy, she might not welcome your thoughts and you might risk a family feud. Ignore his flirting, he might not even think twice about doing it. To you he seems arrogant, vain and annoying – but focus on…

If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate sharing smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

So many of us are guilty of having a junk drawer stuffed full of cables, old chargers and iPods from years gone by. But Recycle Your Electricals has found that your unwanted tech could be a goldmine worth £1,300! But before you decide to sell your unused electricals, you need to make sure your privacy is protected. Tony Sales, co-founder of crime prevention specialists We Fight Fraud, has shared his top tips for getting your devices ready for resale. See: recycleyourelectricals.org.uk 1. Laptops and desktop computers Don’t just delete your home folder and think the job is done. Valuable data can be stored in places you might not think to look – browsers like Google Chrome can store login information for accounts and even your card details. So returning your…

Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I admired the black gown hugging my figure. With a chiffon bow tied at the back and a sexy slit in one leg, the dress was perfect – my favourite so far. Only, as the other bridesmaids teared up, trying on their dresses in the Chicago bridal shop, I felt out of place. Another one to add to the collection, I thought. I’d been there, done that – 11 times over! Although I’d also been maid of honour at three other weddings, too. I still had a few of the bridesmaid dresses hanging in my wardrobe to prove it. The rest were in my childhood bedroom or donated to charity – mainly the ones that looked like prom dresses. Yet it wasn’t just…

Trying to get a quick snooze, we couldn’t help but giggle. ‘Oh my God, she is a proper little snorer,’ both me and my fiancé Nathan, 25, laughed, watching our newborn daughter Ava-Rose in June last year. In fact, unlike our eldest Finlay, now three, Ava certainly loved her sleep. It didn’t matter where she was, she’d fall asleep at the drop of a hat. She was a whole new version of sleepy – any parent’s dream. Especially after we’d experienced a not very glamorous pregnancy. I had bad morning sickness, so it wasn’t a smooth ride. Fin was excited about being a big brother, always wanting to bounce on the pregnancy ball with me. Nathan and I even bought him a doll to practise with. However, flinging it around…

Tesco Clubcard – Tesco’s Clubcard scheme is free to join and offers exclusive Clubcard prices, rewards for shopping and money-off vouchers. Clubcard prices often offer up to 50% off branded products. You’ll receive 1 Clubcard point for every £1 you spend. You can then turn every 150 points into £1.50 in vouchers to spend in-store. You can also convert your points to fun family days out! Co-op Membership – This costs £1 to set up and allows you to earn money back on purchases made in-store. You’ll receive 2p for every £1 you spend on selected products and services, which is added to your account to be spent in-store. My Morrisons – Morrisons relaunched their loyalty scheme in 2021, changing from a points-based system to personalised money-off vouchers and rewards…

Slipping into my floaty sundress, I started getting ready for my romantic dinner date. Applying my lipstick, I pouted in the mirror. I look hot! I thought. Strutting downstairs, I struck a pose in front of my husband Everett, 64. Looking me up and down, he shook his head. ‘No, I think you can do better than that,’ he advised. ‘I’d zhuzh it up a little.’ Grinning cheekily, I headed back upstairs to get changed into something sexier. Choosing a short skirt and a tight-fitting top, I wanted to dress to impress. And walking downstairs, Everett’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh, that’s fantastic,’ he said. But it wasn’t him that I would be going on a date with. Instead, I’d met a lovely gentleman on the online dating site Feeld. ‘Have…

ARIES 21 March–20 April You’re handed the gift of the gab, as yours is the sign that’s most able to talk the rest of the zodiac into doing what they want, when they want. Being on time for appointments is key to building a positive relationship with those you meet for the first time in the week ahead. Games in love seem a good idea, but can be your biggest downfall this weekend. Call: 09058 170 710* LEO 24 July–23 Aug You’re finding it hard to get the time alone you wanted with a certain person. I have to say, my friend, that the way you’re dealing with current problems has somewhat of an immature feel. Take time out to view things from where others stand and you’ll soon work…