Table of contents for 10-Dec-2020 in Pick Me Up!

Working in the animal welfare industry, I’ve always had a passion for our furry friends. I knew early on that Dogs Trust was the charity I wanted to work for. Coming in as an assistant manager at the age of 21, I slowly worked my way up the company, until eventually, becoming a manager of my own Glasgow branch. Making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible, our rescue dogs are at the heart of everything we do. We’re busy all year, but Christmas is the hardest. With families caught up in the festivities and getting stressed out organising the big day, their dogs often get the short straw. Receiving a call on Christmas Eve because the dog has eaten the turkey or knocked down the tree, they’re often placed…

Sipping on my drink, I watched as a small group of lads walked over to our table. ‘Alright if we sit?’ one of them asked, pulling up some spare chairs next me and the girls. Living in a small town, we knew a few of them, and the girls were more than happy for a bit of male company. Having all recently turned 18, we loved spending our Friday and Saturday nights down at the local pub. Just like this particular night, in December 2015, we were always bumping into people we knew. ‘Hi, I’m James,’ the guy who had perched next to me said. ‘Emma,’ I smiled politely. Almost instantly, he started flirting with me, but he wasn’t my type. ‘So, what is your type?’ he asked, clearly sensing…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! This week they are key pieces to create calm and order to your bathroom. The twopiece Stack & Store containers (labels not provided) and a non-marking Invisifix container. No tools required! For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk Festive fire I save citrus peel over the Christmas period and throw them in the wood burner to create a beautiful festive smell that lingers for ages. Carole Gasan, Stroud Gorgeous gifts Instead of throwing away old Christmas cards, cut them into shapes and add some ribbon to make gorgeous gift tags. Julie Surtees, Tyne and Wear Tip of the week Beautiful bouquet gift for my mum – I don’t like the plastic wrapping they…

Top tip Share your style with Share your style with @laredoute_uk on Instagram! on Instagram! Top tip Add a touch of French chic with a beret! Top tip A midi skirt is a must-have this season. Get the look - Emily in Paris The binge-worthy series that everyone is talking about! Netflix’s Emily in Paris follows Emily (Lily Collins) as she moves from Chicago to Paris for a new job role. Whilst Emily fell in love with French culture, viewers fell in love with her wardrobe! Get Emily’s look for less with these dupes from the high street. Trés chic!…

HOT TOPIC In a world where nips, tucks and lifts are growing in popularity, women are finding more ways to cosmetically enhance their bodies. And the vulva and vagina certainly aren’t off limits. With the desire to ‘tighten’ and ‘smooth’ the labia, designer vaginas are in high demand. Vaginoplasty surgery is designed to reduce the size of the actual vaginal hole, usually to make it tighter. And the most popular is labiaplasty surgery – designed to reduce the size of the labia minora (the flaps of skin either side of the vaginal opening). According to the NHS, a labiaplasty costs about £2,000 to £4,000. Vaginal surgeries have increased five over the last decade. There are many medical reasons to perform labiaplasty: to reduce the size of the labia minora because…

DON’T MISS Jamie: Keep Cooking At Christmas, Channel 4 Jamie Oliver and his family invite us to get into the Christmas spirit as they prepare for their own family celebrations, offering us a helpful guide to the whole festive season. From creating edible presents for those who we can’t meet in person and ideas for a gorgeous Christmas dinner with our more immediate family, to ways of reinventing leftovers, Jamie has lots of handy hints and tips for a bespoke Christmas 2020 as we navigate such unprecedented times. However we get to celebrate this year, we can still enjoy deliciously festive food. The Great British Christmas Menu, BBC Two The yuletide version of the series returns and features a mixture of past winners and GBM veterans, competing to cook a…

There are so many benefits to cutting down on excess sugar, including weight loss, increased energy levels, clearer skin and better sleep. Leisa Cockayne is a qualified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who offers tips across TTher social media on how to reduce your sugar intake along with delicious sugar free recipes. There is also Leisa’s widely popular 21 Day Sugar Detox plan to break a sugar addiction cycle. Find out more at www.makemesugarfree.com Upside down spiced pear & almond cake Leisa says: The use of spices is something that’ll always feature in my cooking, but even more so in the winter months. Aside from all the beautiful flavour they add, spices are fortifying, immune boosting & warming too. Makes: 10 ₹ 200g butter (plus 20g to melt in the pan)₹ 5 pears,…

Get involved This year, the Duchess of Cambridge launched her Hold Still campaign, to capture the purest moments during the coronavirus pandemic. And it appears she’s not the only one to believe in the power of photography… Photo printing company CEWE have now announced the winners of their lockdown competition – On My Doorstep. The competition invited entrants to share the unusual and surreal moments they’ve captured throughout lockdown. From scenic walks to precious family moments, the photos submitted capture the best moments that photographers experienced on their doorstep this year. The five winners include: 1. Newborn in Lockdown – By Sarah King, in Knutsford 2. Heaven on Earth – By John Cuthbert, in Falkirk 3. Empty Punts – By Sally Jex, Cambridge 4. Golden Fields – By Dyfed Roberts, in…

Although I was only 21 at the time, I was absolutely ecstatic by the news. However, James made it clear he was not ready for such a big step. ‘You need to get a termination,’ he told me Already at 20-weeks, I knew that wasn’t an option. ‘No,’ I told him. ‘Then you’ll raise it on your own,’ he snapped. I knew being a father would be a huge step for James, but I hoped he’d come around. As I eagerly awaited the birth, me and James moved into our own place. He still wasn’t keen on being a dad, but I hoped things would get better. Our wonderful daughter Chloe* arrived in March 2019 and she was perfect. I felt an instant rush of love, and James posted all…

ACROSS 6 Major artery (5) 7 K2, say (8) 10 Distribute (4,3) 11 Tradesman (7) 12 Let out of prison (7) 13 Vintage (7) 14 Disgusting person or thing (11) 19 Savings (4,3) 21 Uma _, played the supervillain Poison Ivy in 1997’s Batman & Robin (7) 23 See 4 Down. 25 Repel (7) 26 Marsupial (8) 27 Stair part (5) DOWN 1 John _, starred as disco dancer Tony in Saturday Night Fever (8) 2 Tiered temple, common in East Asia (6) 3 Small amount (10) 4 & 23 Ac. 1994 crime film starring 21 Across, 1 Down and 9 Down (4) 5 Heavy dark cloud (6) 6 Enrages (6) 8 Large destructive sea wave (7) 9 _ Willis, starred in 1998 disaster movie Armageddon (5) 13 Talkative person…

With another headache flaring up, I knew something wasn’t quite right. It was May 2019, and for the past few weeks, I’d suffered from terrible headaches? even seeing flashing lights whilst at my job as a chef in a care home. ‘I’m going to see the doctor again,’ I said to my mum, Jennifer, 64. Back and forth to the GP and out of hours doctor around nine times, I was told I was likely suffering from migraines. ‘But I’ve got pains down my leg, too,’ I explained. ‘It could be sciatica,’ the doctor told me. I wasn’t convinced. In so much pain and discomfort, I had to get to the bottom of it. Enough’s enough, I said to myself and booked in for an eye test. And once there,…

The 2021 calender you need! More than just a calendar, Haute Dogs is a lifeline for pooches in need! Now in its third year, the 2021 project is working with Wild at Heart Foundation (WAHF) to reach more people than ever before, and raise some much-needed funds for dogs. Haute Dogs is a beautiful calendar that features a gorgeous WAHF rescue dog each month, wearing a one-of-a-kind hat by an all-star milliner, Awon Golding. This work of art is sure to brighten up your home and fill your year with 12 wonder months of WAHF. Plus, 100% of proceeds raised will be donated to the charity! Share your love for dogs with 2021. Available for £15 on wildatheartfoundation.org PET NEWS Listen in! Back by pawpaw-pular demand, Blue Cross has launched…

Peering my head round the bedroom door, I could see my husband was still fast asleep ‘Must have been a late one,’ I thought to myself, as I left him to it. Steve, then 36, was an avid gamer and had been since we’d got together as teenagers. And that morning, in January 2019, I assumed he was just feeling the effects of another late night sat down at his computer. Deciding to leave him to get some rest, I headed off on the school run with our daughter, Sophie, 11. By the time I washome, Steve was only just stirring. But as he emerged from the bedroom, something was up. ‘I don’t feel right,’ he said, pausing in the hallway. ‘You’re probably just tired,’ I told him, thinking he…

Making of a MONSTER Over would a decade would pass, but Michael would pay for his crime It didn’t matter whether they were a loved one or not, Renee Pagel put her hand up to help anyone who was struggling. In 2006, Renee, 41, was working as a nurse practitioner and she also taught as a health instructor for an education centre. Before starting a family, Renee had travelled aboard on medical missions. No one was surprised that she’d followed a career that called for compassion – it was what also made her an attentive mum. Renee had seven-year-old twins, a girl and a boy, and a three-year-old daughter. They were her world. Renee had split from her husband Michael and was in the middle of a divorce. Michael had…

As the door swung open, I looked up to the man who had kindly held it for me and had a thunderbolt moment. ‘Thanks,’ I said with a smile, realising just how handsome he was. It really was love at first sight, and the rest is history. My husband Mark, now 57, and I met when we were both working for the RAF and the connection was instant. When we got together, Mark already had two daughters, May, now 28, and Evie, 26. I wanted to be a mum, but there was only one problem – Mark had a vasectomy. Following our doctor’s advice, in 2001, I started Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – a type of fertility treatment that involves a sperm donor. Only, soon after, I noticed blood in my…

Coffee conundrums In the UK, 70 million cups of coffee are drunk per day. So, it’s vital to ask, is it good for us? The answer could be downn to your genetic makeup. If you can sleep not long after a coffee, then it’s likely your genetics contain an enzyme which breaks down the caffeine quickly. This means caffeine may be beneficial to your health. But, if you’re usually buzzing all day from one coffee in the morning – it’s likely caffeine will interfere with your cardiovascular system, and age your skin. For more information about your genetics visit revivme.com. Which reaction does have? your body 1 in 6… That’s how common mental health problems are amongst children. Cases have risen by 50% since the pandemic hit. Have you tried……

Lying in bed, I could barely lift my head off the pillow. At five months pregnant, I’d come down with a nasty cold, so I knew I needed to take it easy. At the beginning, I’d had the perfect pregnancy, but this cold had knocked me for six. Constantly tired and dizzy, I knew I was in for a rough ride. I feel awful, I text my fiancé, Derek, 32, who was at work. Why don’t you ring the doctor? he quickly replied, worried as always. Drifting in and out of sleep and with a pounding headache, I decided to take his advice. Booking myself in for a doctor’s appointment, I dragged myself and my growing bump down to the surgery later that day. ‘I think we should send you…

As my phone started buzzing on my desk at home, I immediately recognised the phone number ‘It’s the nursery calling,’ I told my colleagues, as we had our virtual morning meeting in July this year. ‘I’d better take this.’ Just a few hours earlier, I’d dropped my youngest son Harris, then one, to nursery. And as I handed him over, he seemed as content as ever. But now, the nursery assistant seemed a little bit concerned about him. ‘Harris has blood in his nappy,’ she told me. ‘You should probably come and get him.’ Not one to panic, I wondered if Harris had maybe cut himself or was suffering from a urine infection. ‘Can you send over a photo?’ I asked. But once I saw his nappy, I couldn’t hide…

NEW NEUTRADOL ONE Thanks to Neutradol One virus killer spray, you could win this 4 star holiday to sun drenched Rhodes. Rhodes is the largest of the Greek islands and the perfect destination for enjoying some downtime and beach life. Overlooking the sea, one lucky winner and their partner will be enjoying a week of pampering at the Blue Horizon Hotel in Ialyssos. Why not try your hand at tennis, table tennis, volleyball, basketball or windsurfing or lie back and enjoy a massage before grabbing a cocktail at the Blue Moon Bar. Make sure you take a reviving splash in the crystal clear pool before returning home refreshed. A reviving holiday is just what everyone wants right now and this relaxing holiday could be yours. To help speed up the…

Chicago Town’s Stuffed Crust Takeaway Sweet Honey BBQ Salami Pizza, £4.49, all major supermarkets. This new pizza features Chicago Town’s unique rising takeaway dough, which forms a tomato sauce filled crust and is topped with sweet honey BBQ sauce, mozzarella, red cheddar, salami and red onions. Walkers ‘The Power of Sausage Roll’ flavour crisps, single pack 69p, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Co-op. Walkers have launched new limited-edition sausage roll flavour crisps just in time for the festive season. 5p from every pack sold will be donated to The Trussell Trust, which supports a network of food banks across the UK. Apricot & Peach Bellini Panettone, £ 10, Waitrose & Partners. Offering a sparkling twist on the traditional Italian bake, this apricot and peach bellini panettone reimagines the classic cocktail, with candied…

Digging into my steak, I smiled at my date sitting opposite me. ‘This food is so good!’ I said to Walter, now 27. It was 2015, and we were on our first date together. After meeting through mutual friends, Walter Marano had messaged me on Facebook, asking me out. And ever since that evening in the steak restaurant five years ago, Walter and I have been inseparable. All our favourite dates still revolve around food – we are such foodies! Walter is Italian and I am half-Italian, so it’s no surprise we love pizza. Earlier this year, we were booking our first trip to the AmalfiCoast in Italy. I couldn’t wait for the dreamy sunsets and delicious food and drinks. And I had a sneaky little suspicion that Walter might…