Table of contents for 03-Sep-2020 in Pick Me Up!

After polishing off breakfast, I collected the cereal bowls from the table and switched off the TV. ‘Time to get dressed,’ I said, ushering the kids out of the living room. What followed was a chorus of miserable groans from Megan*, nine, Sarah*, eight, Harry*, six, and five-year-old Ellie*. ‘As soon as we’re all dressed, we can go out for a walk,’ I smiled. ‘Listen to your mum, kids,’ my husband Kyle, 27, joked, as he poked his head around the door. It was 7.30am on 5 April, and with the kids out of school because of lockdown, I was keen to get them out of the house for a bit. Still in our pyjamas, we all headed upstairs – Kyle and I to our bedroom, and the kids to…

ACROSS 7 _ Witherspoon, star of TV’s Big Little Lies (5) 8 Clumsy (3,6) 10 Incendiary liquid (6) 11 Miserliness (8) 12 Type of cosmetic (3,5) 13 Football match (4) 15 Middle (7) 17 Ron _, actor whose credits include Hellboy, Pacific Rim and Tangled (7) 20 Plant part (4) 22 Ensnare or enmesh (8) 25 Control (8) 26 Comment (6) 27 Musical instrument (9) 28 Bury (5) DOWN 1 Punishes or handicaps (9) 2 Edible snail (8) 3 Brief view (7) 4 Throttle (8) 5 Charlie _, played Jax Teller in TV’s Sons of Anarchy (6) 6 Chasm (5) 9 Ammunition, informally (4) 14 Way of buying goods by post (4,5) 16 Swimming aids (8) 18 Hidden explosive device (8) 19 Bring to maturity (7) 21 Audrey _, star…

Laying back in my hospital bed, the nurse wheeled me into the Neonatal ICU. I just about caught a glimpse of my four-hour-old baby before suddenly, he stopped breathing and the nurse wheeled me backwards. Flying out of the doors, I watched as doctors and nurses swarmed around my son. ‘What’s wrong with Logan?’ I panicked. ‘They just need to sort him out,’ the nurse comforted me. Needing to know what was happening, my husband, Danny, 29, went back to check on him. Thankfully, Logan was now breathing, but it had been one hell of a day. In fact, I hadn’t had the easiest pregnancy at all. At 20-weeks, we discovered Logan had a heart condition called Pulmonary Atresia and Ventricular Septal Defect. Essentially, it meant he had a hole…

Hit refresh on your wardrobe with Miss Selfridge newness. Make your everyday that bit more stylish with bright colours, vintage-inspired prints and matching sets. Make it fashion Keep your mask on you at all times in the most stylish way possible with Sunny Cords dainty chains. The Dutch-Australian brand was created to protect glasses in an effortlessly trendy way. And now, these versatile statement chains can be adapted to use for masks, so you never have to worry about forgetting one again! All chains offer adjustable attachment pieces that securely fasten to your mask straps to help custom fit to your face. Styles priced at £29 - £35 on www.sunny-cords.co.uk…

YOU WILL NEED: ¼ cup syrup½ cup corn flour1 tbsp cocoa powder1 tsp oilMilk chocolate chunks 1. Measure out the syrup and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. 2. Add the corn flour to the syrup and stir to combine the two, then add the cocoa and mix in. 3. Add the oil and work it into the mixture with your hands to form a dough. If dry, add more oil. 4. Scatter chocolate chunks and mix into the slime to finish. For more craft ideas visit blog.hobbycraft.co.uk TOP TIP: If it loses its elasticity, give it a 10-second blast in the microwave.…

Whatever it took to provide for her family, Alicia Gaston was willing to do it. The mum-of-three lived in Windham, Maine, with her husband Noah and their three young children. Alicia, 34, had chosen to home school their two older children, aged eight and nine. She planned to do the same with their youngest when they were ready. Noah, 33, had just left his job as a chef, and was struggling to find another role, so it was becoming hard to make ends meet. Alicia used her crafting talents to knit scarves and sell them to try and earn some extra cash. She was also the one family went to bake birthday cakes, and she was naturally creative. It was January 2016, and times were hard for the Gaston family.…

Energy supplier E.ON has teamed up with food extraordinaire Laura Jackson to create a series of recipes that can help save up to £146 per year in energy bills. Each element of every recipe, including appliances, methods and ingredients, has been meticulously craft ed to ensure that they’re making a real difference to the amount of power being consumed in the kitchen. Recipes include citrus salmon, slow-cooked lamb, spicy vegan pasta, and a cherry chocolate cake. Try out this delicious onepot pasta to get you started. For more recipes visit www.eonenergy.com SERVES 4 WHAT YOU’LL NEED: □ 300g spaghetti□ 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped□ 2 shallots, finely chopped (approx. 50g)□ ½ tsp chilli flakes□ 450g cherry tomatoes, halved□ 10g thyme□ A glug of extra virgin olive oil□ 975ml freshly boiled…

Most people perceive pigeons to be nuisances. Dirty street pests that scavenge and spread germs. They are not well-loved birds by the general public. My family, however, love pigeons, and see a side to them that not many see. My wife, Vicky, 42, and I breed pigeons for racing – we have over 250 pigeons. Racing pigeons are completely different to the pigeons you’d see in cities. They are as affectionate as dogs or cats, and much more intelligent than most animals. You can teach them tricks, pet them and call them names. My dad Derek, 83, began pigeon racing at the age of 12. Back then, pigeons were used during the war to send messages and provide eggs. Over the years, he competed in pigeon racing – a sport…

Did you know? Who knew these things actually have names? 1.The space between your eyebrows is called the glabella. 2.The way it smells after it rains is called petrichor. 3.That plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet. 4.The day after tomorrow is called overmorrow. 5.That weird cage that holds the cork in a bottle of wine is called an agraffe. 6.The armhole in clothes, where the sleeves are sewn, is called armscye. 7.The condition of finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning is called dysania. 8.The dot over an ‘i’ or a ‘j’ is called a tittle. GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS! Bakedin are getting into the spirit with their new Boozy Cupcake Kits. Each kit comes with all…

Dear Dad, Do you remember when you first met Mum? It was 49 years ago, back in 1971, whilst the two of you were doing amateur dramatics. You introduced yourself as Frank and she as Lynne and you fell in love. You even proposed to her a few years later in a broom cupboard in the school she taught at. You adored each other, but as an Irish Catholic, there was just one problem. Although you’d split from your ex-wife, you legally couldn’t get divorced, so you couldn’t’ marry Mum yet. But that was OK, because in 1979, the two of you welcomed myself and my twin brother Alex into the world, shortly followed by our little sister, Jacqui, now 39. You proposed in a broom cupboard We kind of…

Staring at the blackboard, I carefully copied down what the teacher was writing. Just then, looking out the window, I saw a bird building a nest on a tree. Gazing at the creature as it busied itself with small twigs and leaves, I was mesmerised. Before I knew it, 10 minutes had gone by, and I’d payed no attention to the lesson. The teacher had erased her notes from the board, the information lost to me forever. As a child, I’d always struggled to concentrate in school – I knew I was clever, I just couldn’t seem to focus on anything for very long. Even when given homework, I’d have every intention of doing it, but as soon as I got home, I’d forget all about it. Embarrassed, I ended…

Dogs and face masks Dogs are very good at communicating with us and rely heavily on our facial expressions to do so. For those of us concerned with how our dogs will adapt to face masks, Head Vet at Tails.com, Sean McCormack, offers some advice: ‘It’s really important that dog owners prepare their dogs for the new face covering rules, by starting to introduce the mask indoors at first. Popping your face mask on in the house, not paying them too much attention and rewarding them for calm or inquisitive behaviour is a great start. ‘Talking to them with the face mask on can also help them get used to the new sound of your voice. ‘Introduce the face mask outside slowly with family members, friends or neighbours. Reward your…

Lying on my now husband’s sofa, I was in absolute agony. Me and Robert, 67, had only been together a few weeks, but he was already taking care of my every need. With stomach pains and diarrhoea, I had a suspicion I knew what was wrong. My grandfather and sister had both suffered with Crohn’s disease and now I was showing all the symptoms. Only, at my GP surgery, they insisted there was nothing wrong with me. ‘Don’t you think we should at least test me for Crohn’s?’ I begged them. The doctor carried out a blood test, but he was adamant everything was fine.stomach Only, back on Robert’s sofa, I could barely move. Over the course of the next three days, I built up a fever and felt seriously…

Buy Now Pay Later, it’s definitely an appealing motto, isn’t it? After all, those shoes you’ve just seen online most certainly cannot wait until pay day. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) schemes are becoming more and more popular across the globe. Many of our favourite websites have now adopted schemes such as Klarna, Affirm and AfterPay, which allow customers to buy items and then pay for them later down the line in instalments. It sounds great, doesn’t it? An £100 item broken down into four £25 payments – what’s not to love? You cannot access Buy Now Pay Later schemes until you are 1818 ‘BNPL schemes take the pain away from buying,’ Henrik Rosvall, CEO and founder of money saving website, Dreams, (getdreams.com) says. ‘The pain we experience when buying…

The Diagnosis Detectives, BBC Two In this new four-part series, Michael Mosley assembles 12 of the UK’s leading medical experts to diagnose patients with lifechanging symptoms that have baffled other doctors. Each expert specialises in a different field and each has their own analysis about what might be wrong. By combining their knowledge, and using new cutting-edge technology to test their theories, they’ll try to solve these complex medical mysteries and finally give their patients the answers they desperately need. Two Weeks to Live, Sky One Maisie Williams stars in this dark comedy which is her first major role since Game of Thrones. She plays Kim Noakes, a misfit raised in remote isolation by her survivalist mother Tina (Fleabag’s Sian Clifford) since the mysterious death of her dad. Now all…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! You can use the Handi airer outdoors to chase the sun or use indoors when the weather turns. Simply push down to open and pull up to close and store. The free standing airer means there’s no need to secure to the ground. For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk Fly away Use cupcake or muffin cases to put over your glass. It stops flies and insects getting into your drink. Cheryl Ginn, Kent Beauty hack Stretch mark cream makes an excellent night face cream. Carol Casan, Devon Spudtacular! Whenever I’m cooking jacket potatoes, I always skewer them before cooking. It halves the time and they’re crispy on the outside. Amanda Hadley, Hayseech…

Doubling your risk A new study had found that being obese in your twenties more than doubles your risk of dementia later in life. Researchers at Columbia University revealed that men and women who are obese between the ages of 20 and 49 are 2.5 times as likely to go on to develop dementia. But becoming overweight in mid-life - between the ages of 50 and 69 - had a much smaller effect on their risk. This comes as the latest NHS data revealed two thirds of adults in the UK are overweight or obese. 30 million… That’s the amount of adults in the UK who are at risk of serious health issues because they don’t check their blood pressure. Have you tried… Childs Farm Moisturising Hand Cream 75ml (RRP…

Rubbing my eyes and looking at the clock, it was nearly time for another feed. But at 3 o’clock in the morning, I was knackered. It was like being a new mum again, but instead of a baby I had six French Bulldog puppies to take care off. ‘Up you get,’ I said, waking one of the little ones from their slumber and helping them latch on to their mum, Jasmine. It was April this year, and this was my fourth litter of French bulldog puppies. By now, I had everything down to a fine art. I’d blocked 12 weeks off work from my job as a childcare consultant and from here on out I was dedicated to looking after the pups. In fact, I went above and beyond for…

Every mum knows their children are special, but when it comes to my little girl, I’m dead certain about that. At just two years old, Gigi Violet Hobbs is already destined for stardom. As a single mum, I dote on her and her two older brothers – Rhys, now 13, and Zach, 10. I’ve always enjoyed dressing them up and making sure they look their best. Which is why in June 2018, when Gigi was six months old, I was struggling. ‘I can’t find any clothes I like for her,’ I said to a friend. It seemed all the high street brands were out to make little girls look like mini versions of their mums – with jeans, blouses and denim jackets. I could never find clothes I liked for…

Manchester Drinks Company Bubble Gum Flavour Gin Liqueur, £8, Home Bargains. Sure to take you back in time with every sip, this new gin liqueur perfectly captures the nostalgic taste of bubblegum. The Skinny Food Co’s new Spaghetti Noodles, £1.89, www.theskinnyfood.com A low calorie alternative to pasta, these spaghetti noodles are fat free, gluten free and sugar free, making it easier than ever to enjoy your favourite meals. FLAVA IT marinade seasonings, £1, Tesco and Morrisons. These dry marinades from FLAVA IT are ideal for adding a bit of spice to any BBQ or homecooked meal. Try flavours that include smoky BBQ and a tasty chinese-style marinade. Little Bandits Yoghurts, £1.65, Asda. To make life easier for families living with allergies, Asda has partnered with Little Bandits to provide the…

www.theastrolgyroom.com Catch Claire live on Facebook ARIES 21 March–20 April Your mood starts to lighten and you stop taking life so seriously. You took your time, Aries. I’m glad to see you coming out of hibernation. That was a dark chapter, but also a learned a lot. You’ve discovered new strengths, and you’ve also decided who is and isn’t a priority in your future. Things you are planning are best kept away from others for now. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Awareness is the greatest agent for change. You’ve been watching and waiting for a long time now, Taurus. You had a false start at the beginning of this month, but you are a wiser and better person for it. In fact, I think all the hard…