Table of contents for 19-Jan-2017 in Pick Me Up!

What A Surprise! We lost so many much-loved faces in 2016, it can sometimes be hard to remember who’s still alive! Take our quiz at www. lifedeathprizes.com/dead-or-alive-quiz What An Escape! My fiance and I went ‘glamping’ recently in the Cotswolds. It was fab to get away, although we did have a few nosy neighbours to contend with… What A Big Step! My friend Kate’s moved to Uganda to volunteer at a school there. She’s working on behalf of Red Earth, a charity that aims to bring better education to children in the area. To find out more, go to www. redeartheducation.co.uk 10 That’s how many years my friends Lauren and Simon have been married. They celebrated their anniversary with a romantic road…

‘She’d rung 999 and explained what’d happened’ It was just a normal girlie Friday night in for me and my daughter Lilly-Mae, 6, in October last year. We were having a great time watching telly, staying up later than usual as it was the weekend. ‘I’ll get your pyjamas,’ I smiled to Lilly-Mae at 9pm, getting up to leave the room. But, as I did, I felt an odd but familiar feeling wash over me. I was light-headed, my muscles contracted, my heart racing. I knew exactly what was happening - I was having an epileptic fit. I had my first seizure aged 9, and had a formal diagnosis of generalised epilepsy at 15. My form of the condition means I don’t have a particular trigger. Anything from stress to…

1 Critter Deterrent Add some peppermint essential oil to used tea bags and place in your cupboards and nooks and crannies to deter mice and spiders. Marie Sweeney, Derby 2 What A Dish  Soak dirty dishes with a few used tea bags. It’ll break up the grease, loosen any stuck food and save you from endles s scrubbing. Catherine Hayes, Kenilworth 3 Soothe Feet  Add used t ea bags to warm water and soak your feet to neutralise foot odours and soften calluses. Lucy Cartwright, St Helens 4 Shine On  Use a weak tea made from pre-brewed bags to polish wooden furniture and clean your hardwood floors. Gwen Bartlett, Bangor…

‘I felt my cheeks flush with shame. Was this my fault?’ ‘Today my kids don’t recognise me in old photos!’ ‘Will you marry me?’ my boyfriend Eddy asked, holding out a sparkling ring. ‘Yes!’ I squealed. Only, there was one problem. In the eight years we’d been together, I’d gone from a slinky size-12 to a wobbly size-18. I’d been too happy to care about my weight. Now faced with the reality of walking down the aisle a fat bride, I vowed to give my lifestyle an MOT. Loss and gain ‘I’m not saying “I do” looking like this,’ I told Eddy as I cleared the cupboards of stodgy snacks. By the time we got married, I felt beautiful in my size-14 gown. Six months later, I fell pregnant. And…

1 Tapeworms are transmitted sexually. 2 Diarrhoea is a symptom. 3 They can be hard to diagnose. 4 Tapeworm infections are untreatable. 1 FALSE Tapeworms are parasites that can infect you after eating raw, contaminated pork, beef or fish. They attach to the wall of the intestines, grow in length and produce eggs. 2 TRUE Symptoms – where present – can include nausea, diarrhoea, sickness, loss of appetite, insomnia, jaundice, dizziness, weight loss and malnutrition. 3 TRUE Tapeworm infection can be mistaken for other illnesses. It’s often first diagnosed after small segments of the worm are found in the patient’s stool. 4 FALSE Most tapeworms are easily treated with medication that attacks or dissolves the parasite. But tapeworm larvae infections may be more difficult to treat, and may require surgery.…

1 Princes Chilli Con Carne, 400g, £1.48 Though the mince in this is very fine, the beef flavour really comes through. Try this spicy, medium-hot thick sauce heaped on baked potatoes. 2 Stagg Classic Chilli Con Carne, 400g, £1.80 With red kidney and pinto beans, not surprisingly, this has a strong bean flavour. However, even with big chunks of minced beef and red and green peppers, this thick, dark sauce has a very mild chilli flavour. 3 Tesco Chilli Con Carne, 400g, £1 This thick sauce is studded with lots of red kidney beans – and be warned, it has a very hot, peppery kick! Serve with long grain rice. Make it yourself... Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 1 hr…

‘We knew what we wanted to spend the winnings on…’ Heaving the rest of the boxes through the front door, I sighed with relief. ‘That’s everything,’ I said to my boyfriend Paul, 35. We’d just bought our first home together and had finished moving all of our stuff in. A two-bedroomed semi, it was just perfect for us. And it was ours, thanks to Pick Me Up! Bingo. See, in January 2014, I hit the jackpot - literally. I was due to finish work, then head to Paul’s parents’ house. We were saving for a deposit for our own place. But when I left work, the roads were too icy for long car journeys. At home, I rang and told Paul, and he was really understanding. ‘I’ll put my feet…

‘One question: if a counsellor claims that a sex offender is now safe around children, would they trust them enough to leave them alone with their own child? If not, then I don’t see how they can be released into society.’ Caroline, Stourbridge ‘Potential paedophiles are worthy of help – and hopefully therapy works for them – but anyone who has acted on their urges is beyond help. I can’t begin to understand what makes people have thoughts about children...’ Michelle, Surrey ‘For people in prison already convicted, I don’t suppose therapy would hurt, as it may even show them the human side of their crimes and the impact their urges have upon a person for the rest of their lives.’ Debbie, Stourbridge…

Drench: Optimum Anti-Dehydration Birch Water Micellar Tonic This clever cleanser contains birch water, which is predicted to be the next big skincare trend, to drench your skin with moisture as well as cleansing and removing make-up. Plump: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleanser Micellar Water Your skin needs all the hydration it can get in the winter, so it’s brilliant to have that boost from your cleanser, as well as a moisturiser. This is especially good for plumping mature skin. Soothe: Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water Made for sensitive skin, this is great for gently removing make-up and grime from your face and neck. Keep it by your bed with a few cotton pads, for those nights when you can’t be bothered to do a full wash-and-rinse before you hit…

USA: RILYA WILSON Four-year-old Rilya Wilson was last seen in December 2000. But, when asked about the child’s whereabouts, her foster mum Geralyn Graham simply said a social worker had picked up Rilya in January 2001 but never returned her. Despite Geralyn’s claims, it wasn’t until April 2002 that the Florida Department of Children and Families realised Rilya was no longer living at the house. Rilya’s caseworker was found guilty of official misconduct for failing to check up on the girl in person and falsifying timesheets. But the question remained: where was Rilya? Authorities suspected Graham was involved in the girl’s disappearance, but she wasn’t charged until 2005, after allegedly confessing to an inmate while serving time for an unrelated offence, that she’d smothered Rilya with a pillow. Locked…

Here’s your new home, Patches,’ I smiled, putting our new kitten on the floor. Our labradoodle Skyler and Lakeland terrier Dolly looked at her warily, then Patches just trotted over and started weaving in between Skyler’s legs. ‘Would you look at that?’ my hubby Steven, 37, smiled. Skyler nuzzled the kitten gently with her nose – so cute! Dolly was smitten, too, gave her a soft lick. I’d spotted Patches online, and hadn’t been able to resist her. We’d been concerned how Skyler, 2, and Dolly, 10, would take to her, but needn’t have worried. That night, Patches curled up next to them in their bed. ‘She seems to favour Skyler,’ I said. She’d snuggled in close to her and Skyler didn’t seem to mind. The pair became practically inseparable.…

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‘We wanted her to run, jump, climb trees...’ ‘So many people told us how beautiful she was’ Before we set off for the hospital, I took a selfie and uploaded it to Facebook. Straightaway, my mates started hitting Like. Fab photo! one wrote. None of them could tell how terrified I was. Because as soon as we’d dropped our little girl Lillie, 5, at nursery, me and my partner Kent, 27, would be making our way to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary. There, I’d be induced. It was 21 July 2014, and although I was 11 days shy of my due date, 1 August, doctors couldn’t risk waiting any longer. Four months earlier, at our 20-week scan, the midwife said we were having a little girl. But there was something wrong…

‘My facial muscles wouldn’t do what I wanted them to’ ‘Smile,’ I heard someone say as I leaned in for a photo with my friends. Taking photos on a night out is part of the fun. But not for me. Because while everyone else was smiling, I couldn’t. Back in late 2006, I started struggling to chew my food. My facial muscles wouldn’t do what I wanted them to. Soon, I couldn’t even lift my cheeks to smile. And I was so tired all the time. My muscles were so weak, I could barely lift up my arms. I used to love going out with my friends. Now I was so exhausted, I couldn’t face our girlie nights on the town. And being unable to smile drained my confidence. ‘You…

I loved my partner Jordan, 19, and daughter Scarlett, 3. But a night alone with just my five month-old baby Lilly-May was a real treat. It was April last year. Jordan was away working, and my mum Kerry had Scarlett. ‘Night-night,’ I smiled at Lilly-May, stroking her soft, downy hair. But at 6am, she was so hot, it woke me up with a start. I rolled her over and felt her forehead. She’s burning up! I realised. I stripped her off, and she took a few sips from her bottle. But, within minutes, a red rash like tiny pinpricks appeared all over her body. Pressing a glass against her skin, the rash didn’t fade... Meningitis? I grabbed my mobile, rang 999. As I held her hot, little body in my…

4 Things You’ll Recall If You Were Ill Off School IN THE 80s 1 Being so bored you watched Pebble Mill At One. 2 Hours of pages from Ceefax. 3 Getting engrossed in Crown Court. 4 Watching Sons and Daughters and not having a clue what was going on. THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW About Blue Eyes… They’re not really blue, it’s just a trick of the light. They’re very rare in the animal kingdom. In Estonia, 99% of people have them. Some traditions see blue eyes as evil. Everyone with blue eyes is related to one common ancestor. HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW Harry Potter? 1 What patronus does Luna Lovegood have? 2 Who was the Quidditch commentator in Harry’s first year at Hogwarts? 3 What was Harry’s first broomstick?…

‘I wanted what normal people had – a career andfamily’ ‘I never fully recovered after Jayden’s birth’ You only get one life, and you have to live it your way. I know that more than most. When I was 2, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). My parents were told that it was a genetic condition that caused my lungs and digestive system to become clogged up with thick mucus, causing problems with breathing. ‘Kim’s health will deteriorate, and her life expectancy will be affected,’ the doctor had explained. Some with the condition die in childhood, others live longer. But, even back then, I wasn’t going down without a fight. I was put on medication, taking up to 50 tablets a day. I also had physiotherapy, targeted at…

‘Session Bingo was new and I loved it!’ Perfect Pressie… Christmas came early for Karen when she hit the jackpot! Karen Chambers, 48, West Wickham You might recognise me... See, I’ve been in Pick Me Up! magazine before. Last February, I scooped the £1,691 jackpot playing on Pick Me Up! Bingo. I’d been playing Take Me Out and won a bit, so I decided to play a few games of SpeedBingo - a 75-ball bingo game. But, as the game played out, my laptop crashed. I restarted and then saw it... Winner!flashed up on screen. I’d won the jackpot! A friend was getting married and for her hen do we were going to Bournemouth, so I’d put my winnings towards that. I also got a new hairdo and an outfit…

Ring Video Doorbell, £159, www. ring.com Great for the security-conscious, this doorbell with built-in camera and intercom links to your smartphone, so you can see who’s at the door, even when you’re not home. Duff Goldman Tie-Dye Premium Cake Mix, £9.99, www.firebox.com Forget a boring white sponge and whip up a colourful treat, instead! This kit contains everything you need to create a magical, groovy masterpiece of your very own with easy-to-follow instructions. Kershaw Kai World’s Finest Toenail Clippers, £79.99, www.thefowndry.com We think that your toenails deserve the very best when it’s time for a trim. So what better than a pair made from surgical stainless steel and created in Japan, the home of super-sharp blades?!…

‘Now I embrace the leg shaving and fake tan!’ They say good things come in small packages, and I certainly believe that. After all, I’m only 4ft 10in - pretty small for a guy. I was born with a genetic birth defect, x-linked spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda, meaning my spine hadn’t developed properly, so my growth was impaired. I was also in a lot of pain. Why am I different? I’d think, as the other kids teased me. Hitting my teens, I was also really skinny. I’m the odd one out the whole time, I thought sadly. I’d see my classmates dating, but nobody ever liked me. Then, when I was 16, I started college. There, my classmates were less judgemental. I started playing badminton and taking care of myself. After…

‘I didn’t realise his abuse was about to turn so dangerous’ ‘He wore me down over time until I believed his lies’ I’d tried everything to sleep. The next morning I was on the early shift. I had to be at the taxi office where I answer the phones by 6am. I needed to be up by 5am, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind was racing, worrying about my boyfriend’s mood. Please don’t come home drunk, I prayed. That afternoon, last July, me and my other half Jamie Bamforth, 27, had gone round to friends for a few drinks, but, knowing I was working the next day, I’d stuck to cola. But Jamie, a driver at the taxi firm, was off the next day, so he was drinking - and,…

1 Get In Gear Driving carefully in as high a gear as possible, while accelerating and braking gently, will help to preventing skidding on icy roads. Pull away in second gear instead of first during winter. 2 Change Route Stick to main roads that are more likely to be gritted, and allow extra time for your journey. 3 Brake Carefully Braking too sharply pulls your car outwards, and if your wheels don’t have a good grip on the road, it may also cause you to spin. So increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front. 4 Check Lights Make sure your lights are working properly and carry a set of spare bulbs in your car.…

Elusive orgasm Q I can only orgasm if I masturbate, never if my boyfriend is on top of me. I keep having to fake it. Is this normal? Holly, Falkirk A It can be harder to orgasm from penetration than it is from self-stimulation. Encourage your partner to masturbate you so he learns what pleases you, and try different sexual positions that stimulate the clitoris. Am I immune? Q Last year, our whole family got norovirus, and it knocked us out for over a week! Now there’s an outbreak at work. But are we all now immune, as we’ve had it before? Louise, Aldershot A Sadly, our immune system can’t keep its immunity to norovirus, so you can get it again. Meticulous hand hygiene and surface-cleaning reduces infectivity. Incubation is…

‘CCTV cameras caught him trawling the streets’ He slept soundly in his police cell, snoring loudly. He cracked jokes with police officers. And, when a psychologist asked him to talk about the families of his victims, he smiled. ‘What am I supposed to feel? Sad?’ he asked. Kang Ho-Sun was 38. And, in January 2009, he’d been brought in for questioning by the police in Ansan, a city just 30km south of the South Korean capital Seoul. Just weeks before, a 21-year-old student had gone missing, disappeared into thin air. But CCTV cameras had caught Ho-Sun at the time of the student’s disappearance, trawling the Ansan streets where she’d last been seen in his car. The police had searched his home, a quiet farm on the outskirts of the city.…

Toffee Apple Cake Serves: 8 Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 25 min Garnish: Filling: 1 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4 and grease and base-line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. 2 Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then gradually add eggs. Sieve in flour, cinnamon and baking powder, add apple, fold in yogurt, then divide mixture between tins and bake for 20-25 min. Place a skewer in middle. If it comes out clean, it’s cooked. Remove cakes and leave to cool on wire racks. 3 For garnish, add caster sugar to a pan and heat until it melts and goes a light golden colour. Immediately add butter and apples, and mix gently. Allow…

‘Spotting our photo, I stopped dead, confused’ Heading towards the queue, I looked over my shoulder to make sure everyone was still behind. ‘C’mon,’ I shouted excitedly, eager to get on the ride. Last August, my boyfriend Lewis, 30, and I had come for a holiday to Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, with my family. There were loads of us. My mum and dad, Diane and Richard, my sister Bex and her daughter Izzy. Plus, my other sister Shreena and her husband Simon, and their three children, Harley, Miley and Casey. There was also my cousin Bryony. A right handful! But despite loving Disney, I hated rollercoaster rides. The stomach-churning highs and dramatic dips far from thrilled me. But I loved Splash Mountain. A step up from It’s a Small…

The NSPCC has warned that as many as one million children in the UK could have been the of an People can apply to be removed from the sex offenders register if they can prove they no longer pose a threat Everybody deserves a second chance... Everybody has the ability to change... But what about sex offenders? Is it really possible for paedophiles, rapists and sex attackers to change and control how they feel? One company believes so. StopSO has a UK-wide network of psychotherapists and counsellors. They’re trained to deal with people who are concerned they might cross the legal line and commit a sexual offence - as well as people who have offended, to stop them doing so again. According to The Ministry of Justice, one in…

READER’S TIP Apply face oil before your usual moisturiser and leave to do its work overnight. Your skin will feel super soft! Gina Bowles, 56, Chester Pick Me Up! FOR LESS Save ⅓ on all Mark Hill shampoos, conditioners and styling products, until 17/01/17 at Boots TRIED & TESTED This week: Brightening primer 1 Collection Illuminating Primer in Warm Apricot, £4.99, Boots Lazy Sunday? Use this instead of foundation. Perks up skin perfectly! 2 Seventeen Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter and Primer, £5.99, Boots A tad too shimmery for me to wear all over, but I loved the sheen for cheeks and brows. 3 Illuminating Make Up Primer, £7.99, New Look I can’t get enough of this just-revamped make-up range, and this is my hero product. Wear the pearly formula…

PEOPLE WHO APPEARED ON BLIND DATE BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS These celebs jump-started their careers after appearing on Cilla’s Saturday night classic. ÔWhat’s your name and where d’ya come from?’ Stars Who’ve Played Real-Life Murderers MEET THE ACTORS WHO’VE CHANNELLED THEIR DARK SIDES FOR THESE KILLER ROLES… (   Maxine Peake as Myra Hindley in See No Evil: The Moors Murders (2006). Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK (1991). Jeremy Renner as Jeffrey Dahmer in Dahmer 2002). Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003). Dominic West as Fred West in Appropriate Adult (2011). Things You’ll Know If You Live With A SNORER… 1 You’re amazed one person can make such a racket. 2 You’re always looking for the next anti-snoring gadget. 3 You get jealous of…

As I watched the tractor trundle along, my fiance Huw waved, our daughter Taylor, 5, sitting on his lap grinning. ‘Sure Rowan doesn’t fancy a ride?’ Huw yelled over to me. It was July 2012, and our lad Rowan was only 3 months old! Huw, 22, had grown up on his parents’ farm, where they had over 100 tractors, new and vintage. He ran a plant-hire company from the farm. The following year, we decided to plan our wedding. We agreed on a vintage theme, my bridesmaids in navy-blue. ‘I’d like to arrive at the church on a tractor,’ Huw announced. ‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’ I teased him, smiling. By now, Rowan was as tractor obsessed as his daddy. I had no problems with that - I even liked…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill with today’s problems, but try to play them down. You’ll find out you have friends in high places in your career. You can, and should, ask for more. Professional and financial aspects become exciting. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You start to look at the past differently, and rather than worrying how things appeared to others, you begin to tune in to how they really felt to you. For some of you Taureans, this could see you calling up those you want back in your life! Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June This is a great week to take on new challenges. You’re finally beginning to understand where your strengths lie. Take no…

‘I’m the cliche of a younger woman dating an older man’ I kicked off my Christian Louboutin shoes, plopped my Chanel handbag on the side, and collapsed onto my bed, exhausted. I’d had a busy day shopping in London before grabbing lunch with friends. And breathe..! I thought to myself, checking the time on my Rolex. Actually, scrap that! I suddenly realised I didn't have long to relax before I had to be out again, on a date with my sugar daddy boyfriend. That’s right, I'm the walking cliche of a younger woman dating a rich, much older man - but I love it! The first time I had an older boyfriend was when I was 20. He was 38. We met through a friend. ‘He’s quite mature,’ I told…