Table of contents for 28-Jun-2018 in Pick Me Up!

I’d like to show my older sister Sylvia how much she means to me with a bouquet of flowers. Growing up, we were very close, despite there being a nine-year age gap. I was the youngest of four and she was the oldest sister and the one who I’d always turn to. It was also her wardrobe and make-up bag that I raided the most! But that has never stopped us becoming the best of friends. Since we’ve grown up, we moved almost three hours from one another - me living in Colchester and Sylvia in Chadlington - but we still talk nearly every day. She’s been through a very tough time recently and deserves a pick-me-up. Despite everything that she’s gone through, Sylvia has always remained her strong, determined…

As I clung to my little sister Leanna, 19, a tear rolled down my cheek. It was May 2015 and we were supposed to be celebrating my mum Verity’s 50th birthday. Instead, we’d just held her funeral. Everything had been so sudden. I’d got a knock on the door one morning two weeks earlier from Mum’s boyfriend. ‘It’s your mum,’ he’d said, sounding panicked. As Leanna and I rushed round to the house, paramedics told us Mum had suffered a heart attack, died almost immediately. A single mum, she was the only family we’d had. With only each other to lean on, Leanna and I struggled to come to terms with her death. An inquest had found that Mum had died from previously undetected ischaemic heart disease. ‘I’m afraid this…

Egg reaction Q My daughter is due to have her vaccines but she gets a rash if she eats eggs. I’ve heard that vaccines can have egg in them. Will she have a reaction to the jab? Caroline, Liverpool A No, there is a negligible amount of egg protein in some vaccines, so they won’t cause any reaction - especially if the allergy is mild and simply causes a rash. Pregnancy scare Q I had unprotected sex by mistake because my doctor said I was too overweight for the Pill. But now I’m terrified of getting pregnant again. What are my options? Sarah-Jane, London A Hormonal contraception and emergency contraception are slightly less effective if you’re overweight, but the copper coil can be inserted up to four days after ovulation…

Squidger, £4.99, prezzybox.com Save the planet and money at the same time with this waste-not-want-not gadget. Push it on to a nearly empty tube of toothpaste or any other cosmetic to help you get every last dollop out. Verdict: GENIUS! So clever. Natures Plus Keto Living Sugar Control Capsules, £29.95, naturesplus.co.uk Perfect for when those mid-afternoon snack cravings hit, this supplement helps to keep your blood-sugar levels stable, so you’re not reaching for the biscuit tin like you normally would. Verdict: GENIUS! Great for anyone dieting. Pug Cubes, £8.99, firebox.com One for collectors, order a Pug Cube from firebox.com and you’ll receive any one of these six squashed little canine faces at random. Verdict: BONKERS! Completely mad!…

No matter where I am - in the supermarket or stuck on hold on the phone - as soon as I hear music, my toes start to tap. I’ve always been the same. As a little girl, you couldn’t stop me dancing. I begged for dance classes at 6 years old! Luckily, I was a natural. And determined, too. Whenever I wasn’t in school, I’d be practising my ballet, tap and jazz moves. But while some girls grow out of dance classes the minute they discover boys, it stayed my number-one love. By my 20s I was working in an office by day and as a dancer by night - for an amateur dramatics group in Bradford. Then, one day in August 1993, I noticed a small mole, just below…

The house was chaos in November 2017. Being a mum of two kids, Charlotte, 13, and Harry, 10, was madness and I had just as many dogs. To relax, I like to play Pick Me Up! Bingo. I’d been a member for over three years and I’d had some small wins. A win in November 2016 on 90-ball bingo in the Emerald Bingo room went to buy my West Highland terrier, Charlie. That night, I’d bought 38 10p tickets for the Link game in the Emerald room. I’d gone to bed, leaving the game running. The next morning, I checked what had happened overnight. I’d won the Link Full House of £1,000! I was a winner! I quickly snapped a picture of my account, and sent it to my partner…

All of my children, born between 1999 and 2015, had their MMR vaccinations. My main concerns for each were the links with autism. However, after much thought, the pros far outweighed the cons for me. Personally, I couldn’t live with myself if I refused the jabs and my children became fatally ill. Gemma Davies, Gloucester My kids – all born from 1995 onwards – were all vaccinated. I read the papers back then, but chose to go ahead as I’d heard measles could be fatal. I just wanted to give my babies the extra protection offered. I don’t regret my decision – none of my kids ever caught it – and, thankfully, I have no personal experience of the jab causing my children issues. Jill Barlow, Eastbourne My eldest child…

After five years of dating, my boyfriend finally popped the question while on holiday in Majorca. It was perfect. Lara Payne, Dursley Our three children made a new friend on a visit to the New Forest. I told them he couldn’t come home, though! Karen Wells, Gravesend My son Joel was loving his first candyfloss. Just look at that cheeky face. Ginalea Price, Lancashire Hill I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this. Now even pooches can get in on the sweet summer treats! T Griffin, Warmley Murray’s favourite subject at school is history, so a day out at the Viking festival was just the thing for him. Kelly Imrie, Hurlford My friends and I taking full advantage of the sunshine for a picnic at Leeds Castle. Natasha Douglas,…

1 IBS is acommon condition that affects the digestive system. 2 It is usuallya lifelong problem. 3 There’s no cure for IBS. 4 It is always caused bygenetics. 1 TRUE It can cause stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. 2 TRUE Symptoms tend to come and go over time and can last for days, weeks or months at a time. 3 TRUE But you can ease symptoms by making changes to your diet and taking certain medicines. 4 FALSE The exact cause is unknown, but it has been linked to things such as oversensitive nerves in the gut and stress, as well as a family history of IBS. 32% That’s how many Brits can’t exercise without music, according to a survey of 7,000 people by music technology company JBL.…

Stuffing a custard cream into my mouth, I licked my lips - it tasted so-ooo good! But I didn’t stop there. My cravings got the better of me - and, before I knew it, I’d finished the packet. ‘Slow down, it’s not a race,’ said my then-partner. But I was addicted - I just loved my food. I’d grown up a size-12, eating well, occasionally exercising. But in August 2009 I was made redundant from my job as a marketing executive and struggled to find work. With no monthly income, I found healthy eating expensive. And living above a corner shop didn’t help. They sold swiss rolls and multi-packs of biscuits for £1. The more I struggled to find work, the more depressed I became, and the more I ate…

NOT A MEMBER YET? Get 200 Free Bingo Tickets when you play £10* 7 1 Go to pickmeupbingo.com 2 Register with promo code PMUK26 *18+ UK only. New members only, registration and opt in required. Min £10 deposit and wager. Bingo game restrictions apply – £50 value on 25p tickets. 30 days expiry from opt in. Rules apply. Offer in this issue ends 28 June 2018. See full T&Cs at pickmeupbingo.com . Pick Me Up! Bingo is part of the Jackpotjoy.com  network. For 24-hour support, freephone 0800 458 0770. Please play responsibly. BeGambleAware.org.…

Yorkie Bruno, rocking the boho bow-wow look. Anita Saunders, Pentrebach Todd the hamster loves striking a pose next to his favourite toy. Nicole Scarratt, Stoke-on-Trent Aww! These two are BFBFs – that’s Best Fluffy Buddies Forever! Sacha Borrie, Wakefield It’s the Cats-Only Cuddle Club! My two are founder members! Phyllis Brown, Markethill Here’s Hetty the hedgehog in her handsome hat! Erin Robinson, Brampton My gecko loves to practice his Jurassic Parkmoves… Laura Jackman, via e-mail…

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Tears streaming down my cheeks, I felt utterly crushed. It was September 2016, and I’d just had a miscarriage. My husband Kevin, 33, was devastated,too. ‘We’ll try again,’ he soothed. We’d been desperately trying for a baby for six years. Tests showed we were both fertile. So in the end we opted for ICSI treatment through the NHS. Similar to IVF, it involves injecting sperm directly into the egg. I went from my third ICSI attempt at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow in February 2017. And in early March, a pregnancy test came back positive. ‘Here we go again!’ I smiled nervously to Kevin. Happily, after a 17-hour labour, little Aoife arrived on 2 November, weighing 7lb 10oz. ‘She’s really here!’ I sobbed. But the next day, our joy turned…

BIRMINGHAM Derrol Flynn, 45, Kitts Green Con woman Derrol Flynn, who tricked elderly people into believing she was a police inspector in order to gain entry to their homes, is back behind bars. Flynn was jailed for eight years in January 2013 for multiple burglaries that saw her steal around £20,000 from vulnerable people. The 45-year-old was released from prison in January 2017 on licence - but within just a few months, was preying on elderly residents again. Flynn made a fake police ID badge and used it to fool folk into believing that she was an investigator. At the home of a 98-year-old woman and her bedridden, 105-year-old husband, Flynn swiped five envelopes containing cash for each of their grandchildren – spending money for a trip to Disneyland Paris.…

One day last October, I was due at work in a few hours. ‘Come and get breakfast!’ I shouted to my 3-year-old lad. He was a handful, but so much fun. I loved being a mum and couldn’t wait for my second baby in January 2018. We were expecting a girl. One of each! Patting my bump, I started up the laptop. I’d only signed up to Pick Me Up! Bingo a day earlier. So far, it was great fun. I started with a few games here and there. Some I even won a fiver or a tenner on! Then I saw Round the Clock Bingo. Opening up the game, I did a double-take – I’d hit the jackpot! You bought numbered tickets, like in a bingo hall, except this…

Mediterranean Tarts Serves 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 35 min ◻ 400g Mediterranean vegetables, cut into 3cm chunks ◻ ½tbsp vegetable oil ◻ 2 sheets filo pastry ◻ 1 egg white, beaten ◻ 4tbsp half fat crème fraîche ◻ 1 egg ◻ 3tbsp Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives ◻ 20g Cheddar cheese, grated 1 Preheat oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Toss veg with oil on a shallow baking tray, season, roast for 20 min, then cool. 2 Reduce heat to 180C/ Gas 4. Brush half a filo sheet with egg white, fold in half and cut into 4 equal squares. Brush each with egg white, layer 2 together, corners offset, and repeat with other 2 squares. Repeat with other sheet of filo to make 4 tarts. Place in…

ARIES 21 March–20 April If you play games in love, you’ll get your fingers burnt. You’ve had a lot to cope with – but you’ve allowed stress to affect other areas of your life. An encounter gives you the opportunity to take a chance on something or someone that you’d have shied away from previously. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May This week sees you playing hard and working hard. You seem more open-minded than this time last month. Which is due to the fact that close ones have gone through major transitions. This week sees you impress with your skills and regain control of your career. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Are you willing to forgive or forget or has too much gone on…