Table of contents for September 17, 2015 in Chat

Blow-drying my long, brown locks, I couldn’t stop grinning. It was May last year, and I had a date! I felt giddy with excitement. Single for more than a year, I hadn’t thought about men, except my son Ryan, 19, and my dad Jimmy, 61. That is, until a handsome stranger, Paul Watson, then 43, had asked me out. We’d met briefly a week earlier, when a mutual friend introduced us at his house one afternoon. At first, chatting easily, I’d hoped we’d be mates. Then, a week on, I’d a text from an unknown number. 'Fancy a drink, just us?’ Paul asked. No doubt about it, this was a date! I tried to play it cool, but as we met up in a local pub, my heart was definitely…

Growing gums Q My gums are growing down my teeth, what's wrong? Kelly, 29 A It's called gum hypertrophy and can be a side-effect of drugs, including some for epilepsy and blood pressure. Pregnancy or a gum infection are other possible causes. Brush your teeth well, ask your GP about any drugs you're taking and check with your dentist. Shoulder pain Q My shoulder's been hurting for months, and my physiotherapist has diagnosed impingement syndrome. What on earth's that? Kris, 34 A When you raise your arm away from your body, a tendon slides under the bone at the side of your shoulder. Impingement means this tendon is roughened or inflamed, and grates painfully as it passes the bone. Gentle exercise, steroid injections - or, rarely, surgery - will usually…

POST Chat, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU E-MAIL chat_magazine @timeinc.com FACEBOOK  On Facebook at www.facebook.com/ ChatMagazine We pay £25 for each letter published, and a fiver for each Facebook thought, £25 if we use your Facebook photo on here. • All contributions to Chat must be original, not copies or duplicated to other editors. Subject to these conditions, payment as set out above will be paid for all rights in each letter printed. The Editor reserves the right to shorten or modify any letter or material submitted. Time Inc. (UK) Ltd reserves the right to reuse any submission sent to Letters, Tips, Kids, and Chat to us! columns of Chat magazine, in any format or medium. We regret we cannot answer letters. We cannot take…

Star quality It's obvious that my lovely 11-month-old daughter Tabitha will be a star one day - in the meantime, here she is, perfecting her ‘no photos, please' look! Eleanor Spry, Poole Squeaky clean! Looking like an angel is my boy Blake, 5, just out of the bath! Francesca Smart, Sheffield Cheeky monkey You wouldn’t know it by his expression, but my grandson Dylan, 1, is actually really keen on bananas! Terence Read, Rainham Head down Looks like my daughter Darcy, 2, is an Olympic gymnastic champion in the making! Julie Walters, Birmingham MY CUTE BABY PIC Only 3 months old and my son Oliver has developed quite an impish grin! Katherine Hunt, Exeter Stick ’em up She can't get enough of them - my daughter Tally, 5, is the…

1 Make the change to water gradually over 10 days or so. 2 Offer small, regular sips of water rather than off-putting large amounts to start with. 3 Use a reward chart with a small treat, like a new book or toy, at the end of the week to encourage your kids to drink a few glasses of water a day. 4 Have a jug of water on the table at dinnertime so that everyone can help themselves. Adding lemon or orange slices can add a subtle fruity flavour. 5 Giving your kids repeated tastings of water can help them develop a taste for it, so stick with it even if it's a struggle. It will be worth it! Did You Know? You can check how well hydrated your kids…

If you’d like help with a problem, write to: Ingrid, Chat, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 OSU, or e-mail ask-ingrid@timeinc.com Sorry, Ingrid cannot reply personally. Your boy should fight back, but not with violence Mum wants my boy to battle! Q My son, who's 8, is at a new school. Twice, he's had bleeding knees when I've collected him. He's said he tripped, but I've found out he fell after another boy thumped him. I've spoken to the mum, but she just shrugged and said he'd better learn to fight back or he'll get bullied! He was bullied at his last school and, when I complained, it got worse. How do I protect him? Kayleigh, 25 A That stupid woman is right, up to a point. Your…

How I lost it! In 2011, I was an overweight and unhealthy mum-of-three . Tipping the scales at 20st, I decided I had to make a change , so I started to eat healthily. At first I lost weight steadily, but then I was struggling to shed those last few stone. The most strenuous exercise I ever did was walking, until a friend invited me to a free session with British Military Fitness. Held outside at a local park, a military-trained instructor puts you through your paces - and after just one session, I was completely hook ed! It was a huge challenge , but the instructor and all the other members were really encouraging. Before I knew it, I was attending three classes a week, and I'd reached my…

I’ve enjoyed several lovely holidays in the past two-and-a-half years – soaking up the sun by the sea. Bliss! And it’s all down to my wins at Chat Mag Bingo! In fact, you might remember seeing me in Chat back in 2012 – smiling out of the pages, holding up my two big cheques! Back then, I’d won £408, £3,032 and £6,769 in progressive jackpots playing Round the Clock bingo. That was a total of £10,209 within six weeks of joining! 'I’ve never even won so much as a raffle before, and now all this!’ I’d gasped. To celebrate, I’d used my winnings to whisk my mum and my two best mates Sam and Amy away on a two-week holiday to Bulgaria. Sam and Amy are fab. More than friends,…

Virgo 24 Aug - 23 Sep It’s not against the law to shout ‘Woo-hoo!’ and punch the air when things are going right, or to put your tongue out at people you don’t like. But Virgos tend not to do such things as these. Nonetheless, this week could be quite emotional - and showing how you feel would do you no harm at all. • Call 0905 817 0695* for more Libra 24 Sep - 23 Oct It’s important to go at your own pace. If other people seem to be overtaking you, and telling you that you have to get a move on, or catch up, pay no attention. Let them go. Think of it as like driving in bad weather - slowing down a bit may add a…

1 Fry a sliced red onion and a sliced red pepper in 1tbsp oil for 3 min, then add 250g turkey breast strips and 1½tsp fajita seasoning and stir-fry for 5 min until turkey is cooked through. 2 Meanwhile, warm 4 flour tortillas through, following pack instructions. 3 Spoon meat onto tortillas and wrap up to serve. If you like, before adding the turkey mix, you can also spread the tortillas with your choice of soured cream, salsa and guacamole, and sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese. Serves: 4 Cost per head: 85p LIFE! DEATH! PRIZES!  For more bargains, visit www.lifedeathprizes.com/ and click on ‘best buys’.…

THE CRIME It'd been years since the three of them vanished. And still there were no answers. No-one knew where Wendy Camp, 23, her daughter Cynthia, 6, or her sister-in-law Lisa Kregear, 22, were... THE STORY Police had studied Wendy, Cynthia and Lisa’s last-known movements. On 29 May 1992, at 11.30am, they were picked up from Oklahoma City by Wendy’s mum-in-law Beverly Noe. Wendy was excited. Soon, she’d get to see her young son Jonathan, 4. Cynthia was excited, too. The kids had different fathers, but loved playing together. Lisa, Wendy’s sister-in-law from another marriage, was there for moral support. Because sometimes things can get difficult with extended families. The Camps and the Noes were no exception. See, Wendy wanted her son to live with her and Cynthia, and her…

When my son Olly was born, it wasn’t the smoothest of deliveries… A week before my due date, in November 2013, he stopped moving. Concerned, doctors had to induce me. But, eight hours later, there was still no baby… 'We need to perform a Caesarean,’ doctors said. Terrified, I was wheeled away for the op. 'Everything’s going to be OK,’ my partner, Carl, 29, reassured. Thankfully, doctors managed to deliver Olly safely. 'He’s beautiful,’ I beamed. Then I spotted a bump on his head. 'It’s from where he was stuck,’ doctors said. 'It’s nothing to worry about.’ See, during the op, docs had discovered he’d been trapped in the birth canal. It was just one of those things. But, seven weeks on, I was getting concerned. The left side of…

Veetee Wholegrain Brown Rice & Quinoa, 280g, £1.50 With only 5 per cent quinoa, but a good way to add more wholegrain to your diet. A bit bland, though. Tilda Brown Basmati & Quinoa, 250g, £1.50 A moist rice, and with 7 per cent quinoa, it has a nice nutty flavour. Use instead of white rice with curry, or serve cold as part of a salad - ideal for a lunchbox! Uncle Ben's Wholegrain & Quinoa, 220g, £1.50 This has 12 per cent quinoa, and with onion and garlic flavouring, it has a really good flavour. We loved the fluffy grains - and it's so quick to cook. NEW Minion Ice Cream Lollies, box of six, £2, Asda, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Morrisons If your kids can't get enough of the Minions,…

Settling my 13-month-old son George into bed, I’d an early night planned. My hubby Jon, 37, was working a late shift as a sales consultant, but he’d be home around 10pm. I nodded off before he got in. But soon after, a rushing noise woke me. Must be blowing a gale. Odd – it sounded like it was inside the house… It was 4am – and suddenly I realised Jon wasn’t beside me. Then I heard his voice. 'Get George! The house is on fire!’ Jon yelled from downstairs. We had two smoke detectors but I didn’t hear them. Panicked, I leapt up, pulled on my nightie and darted to George’s room. He was already sitting up in his cot, frightened. I scooped him up, went onto the landing of…

Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 30-40 min 1tbsp butter and 2tbsp caster sugar to line dish 200g blueberries 100g plain flour Pinch salt 75g caster sugar 1 lemon, grated rind only 3 medium eggs 1 egg yolk 1tsp vanilla extract 150ml milk 150ml double cream Sifted icing sugar to decorate 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4 and butter a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with sugar to line, then add blueberries. 2 Mix flour, salt, sugar and lemon rind together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in eggs, egg yolk and vanilla, then gradually whisk in milk and cream until smooth. 3 Pour over blueberries and bake for 30-40 min until golden brown, risen around edges and just set in centre. Dust generously with sifted icing sugar and serve immediately.…

When I first started seeing Matty Shields back in 2008, we hadn’t talked about having kids. But, just two months later, I’d fallen pregnant with our first child. It was a shock. I’d been using the contraceptive injection! But, when Harley arrived in October 2009, we couldn’t have been happier. After Harley, I went back on the jab. We adored our little boy, threw ourselves into being the best possible parents. Only, it wasn’t long before I found out I was pregnant again. 'Contraception really doesn’t work for you!’ Matty joked, stunned. Elissa was born in January 2013, and we were smitten. 'No more kids for a while,’ I grinned to Matty, 27. Months later, in October 2013, I woke in the early hours and nipped to the loo. I…

Swap...slice of quiche Lorraine…486 cal For…slice of veggie pizza…215 cal SAVES 271 CAL! Diet bites Hot snack SlimFast Noodle Boxes, £3.29 With fewer than 100 cal a pot, these ready-to-heat snacks come in Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Tikka Masala and Spicy Thai Noodles. Get refreshed! Life Tonics, £1.49, WHSmith Travel Retail stores, Waitrose These blends of coconut water and fruit extracts are just 90 cal a bottle - choose from Dalandan Orange, Elderberry & Juniper and Coconut & Mint £50 What worked for you? I'll pay a full-fat £50 if I use your weight-loss story. Write to me, enclosing before and after pictures at: Losing It, Chat, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU, or e-mail me: christine.parsons@timeinc.com Not all diets, products or fitness regimes may be…

Ican’t stop raving about the fantastic cashback I’ve pocketed by shopping through Quidco. From mobile phones to maternity wear, there are bargains to be had on so many items. As I’ve been on maternity leave, I’ve had lots of time to bargain hunt. It’s certainly paid off! In fact, just by continuing to shop with Quidco, I’ve actually pocketed £1,300, and that figure is rising! One of my mum’s favourite sayings is, 'Every little counts’. With Quidco, a little can turn into a lot really fast. Want to know how? It’s easy! Last Christmas, I splashed out on clothes from Banana Republic for my mum and mother-in-law. Well, when I say 'splashed out’, it’s really more like spent and scooped back, as I got £60 cashback! Then I got £175…

When it comes to weddings, I’ve never been a fan of traditional big days. 'Let’s do something fun and different,’ my partner Martyn, 37, and I agreed when we got engaged. We’d met at a house party in February 2011, and had been inseparable ever since. But just a few months after we’d got engaged, in March 2013, I found out I was pregnant. 'Best put the wedding plans on hold,’ I said. I didn’t fancy squeezing my blossoming bump into a fitted wedding dress. When our daughter Alice was born in December, we got back into wedding mode. 'It would be great if we could get married outside,’ Martyn suggested one day. We both love the outdoors and being active, so I was well up for that. But we…

Girl’s best friend… You'll be dazzled to know the most expensive diamond is the Graff Pink, a 24.78-carat gem worth an eye-watering £28,757,507! Ultimatebuzz King of the so-called beebearders, Ruan Liangming, from China, achieved the heaviest mantle of bees and the longest duration with head covered in bees - 53 min 34 sec. Hive five, Ruan! Bone fide winner! Rick Genest, aka Zombie Boy, has had 139 bones - nearly 70 per cent of the skeleton - inked onto his bod. The Canadian also has the most insect tattoos - 176 creepy-crawlies!…

As a child I’d always been chunky. By 8 years old, I weighed a staggering 13st. 'Fatty!’ kids teased. 'I hate myself,’ I sobbed to my mum Mary, now 83. 'It’s a family trait,’ she said. But it was little consolation. I wished I could shrink away from the disgusted stares. I tried dieting, but my big belly was hard to shift. And diets left me hungry, so I’d gorge on cake and biscuits. I just got bigger… In time, I met a man and, when we married at 19, I’d lost weight and wasn’t that big. But over the years, I ballooned. As I got bigger, my husband didn’t like to be seen out with me Hiding under baggy clothes, my self-esteem plummeted… If he didn’t love me, who…

Just as I settled down with a cuppa that day in July 2012, my phone rang. It was Terry, my daughter Emily’s dad. We’d split up years previously, but Emily, then 10, often spent weekends with him. Sporty and active, she loved going on long walks with her dad. But the panic in Terry’s voice told me something was very wrong. 'Emily’s passed out,’ he said, choked. 'And her face has drooped on one side.’ Panic rising, I felt the colour drain from my face. 'I’m taking her to hospital. I’ll pick you up on the way,’ said Terry, 50. Minutes later, his car pulled up. Poor Emily was lying limply on the back seat. 'We were getting ready to walk the dog, when she suddenly blacked out,’ Terry explained.…

Emmerdale Poor baby… Baby Johnny is in a critical condition and Vanessa blames herself. Plus Chrissie’s in court over the helicopter crash - can Robert persuade her to plead not guilty? And Debbie takes Sarah for tests when she starts coughing. Coronation Street Bethany confesses… Callum’s demanding money with menaces from Kylie and David. But when his actions put Max’s life in danger, Bethany admits she’s been lying for Callum as he threatened to hurt Bethany’s mum, Sarah. Hollyoaks Any comfort? Freddie bumps into a miserable Mercedes and they go to The Loft and comfort each other. Plus The Tugboat Grill launch is a success for Lockie until Lisa finds out that Wayne has tampered with all the burgers.…

Witch Naturally Clear Witch Hazel Bursting Beads Face Wash, £3.99, Boots Great for helping to tackle zits. Top tip: Focus on the corners of your nose. Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Clearing Facial Wash, £4.49, Superdrug Kind to skin. Top tip: Remove your make-up before washing. Dr. Organic Tea Tree Face Wash, £6.49, Holland & Barrett Packed full of organic ingredients. Top tip: Use exfoliating scrub once a week for a deeper clean. Clearly Youthful AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cream Cleanser, £3.69, Superdrug Great value for money. Top tip: Wash with lukewarm water to avoid irritating skin. Nspa Fruit Extracts Pink Grapefruit Raspberry Face Wash, £3, Asda Infused with fruit extract. Top tip: Moisturise after you've washed and dried your face to lock in moisture.…

SEA OF TREES Aokigahara Forest in Japan, located at the foot of Mount Fuji, has various nicknames – Suicide Forest, Forest of Death, and Sea of Trees. Every year, as many as 100 bodies are found hanging from trees, or as skeletons on the ground. ANCIENT CURSE Freetown State Forest, in Massachusetts, USA, once belonged to the Native American Wampanoag Tribe. The area contains several Indian burial grounds, and they believed the land was sacred. It has been the location of several gruesome murders, crimes, satanic rituals and cult sacrifices. THE SCREAMING WOODS Dering Woods in Kent lies south of Pluckley, the most haunted village in Britain. The Woods are said to be haunted by a highwayman, who was captured by villagers, and a man who fell to his death.…

Waddling down the aisle in a size-28 dress, I looked huge. But my hubby Steve Hicks made me feel gorgeous. Stuffing large portions, I’d been big since my teens. After having two kids, I weighed 21st 10lb. Then, in October 2006, Steve, 36, died from a brain haemorrhage. Alex, then 14, and Georgia, 11, were grief-stricken. Georgia and I comfort ate. In November 2010, I paid £8,000 for a gastric band. In four years, I’d lost 9st. But last September, Georgia, 19, was 20st. She, too, wanted a band, so I dipped into savings again, paying £8,000 for her op Since then, she’s lost 4½st and grown in confidence. Georgia’s 16½st, and still slimming, I’m 10st 10lb. I know Steve would’ve been proud of his girls. Karen Hicks, 44, Borehamwood…

• Quidco has a great price-comparison tool - Quidco Compare. It found me the cheapest car insurance this year. We saved £500 on our renewal price and got paid £35 cashback on top of that! • Join Quidco on Facebook for updates - and get tipped off about bargains and deals. I got paid £150 when I changed broadband supplier - which now only costs me £15 a month! • Put the Quidco app on your phone so you can use it when you're out and about. You can show staff money-off deals on your phone, and use the app to unlock additional cash amounts. These are available when purchasing with a debit or credit card registered on your Quidco account.…

We've teamed up with Lyncroft to offer Chat readers this stylish 18ct gold-plated Sasanami bracelet absolutely FREE. With its delicate links that reflect and catch the light, this classic style is a must-have. To claim, simply complete the coupon and send with a 74p stamped, self-addressed envelope to the address given below. This bracelet is just one part of a stunning collection of matching 18ct gold-plated jewellery. There's a 16in chain for only £5, a 20in necklace for £7, and two pairs of earrings - gold-plated ball studs and hoops - for just £5 for both pairs. The full set costs just £17, and if you order it all, we'll enclose a mystery jewellery gift, too - absolutely free! How to claim your free bracelet Complete the coupon and send…