Table of contents for 08-Apr-2021 in Pick Me Up!

Swimming in the pool, I was having the holiday of a lifetime. It was 2011 and my family and I were on a one-week getaway to Egypt At 11-years-old, I was having the time of my life. The day before we were due to leave, I decided to go and get some food from the pool bar. Getting out of the water, I didn’t think anything of it. Only, a wire tripped and I was electrocuted. The shock sent me flying six feet. Thankfully, I was deemed fit to fly home, but things were worse than they seemed. It turned out, I’d completely smashed up my femur and had extensive injuries. I’ve been a constant patient of the NHS ever since. Since that day, I’ve had 10 operations and eventually,…

Making my way towards the cricket club, I could hear all the locals chatting outside. Back in 2015, there was a fun day in our local park and everyone had now congregated for a few drinks. ‘Hey!’ my friends smiled as I joined them. Although I knew most of the locals and often visited the cricket club, there were a few people sat with us who I didn’t recognise. ‘Hi, I’m Patrick,’ one of the guys introduced himself. Tall, with dark hair and a beard, he was definitely an attractive man. And after a few drinks, we hit it off right away. Although there was certainly a bit of flirting going on, Patrick was in a relationship, so it was mostly just friendly banter. Only, after that night, we seemed…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! The Addis Unistore containers boast a large 30L storage capacity! It comes with a lid and is made in the UK. You can never have enough storage and this bundle is offered with three lids and three bases. For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk Scent-sational Put a dab of your favourite essential oil onto the outside of your facemask to make it more comfortable to wear. Beverley Lindfield, Kent Polishing pans Use a ball of rolled up kitchen foil to scrub away any tough stains or residue from the bottom of your pots and pans. Angela Garvin, Essex Artistic upcycle I found an old, rusty cast iron bench back at a car…

Did you know, it’s believed that one in five of us are affected by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at some point during our lives? This leaves many people with painful symptoms such as; stomach cramps, bloating, digestive difficulties and more. This week we want to give you the best tips to help manage IBS and improve your gut health, from leading nutritionists Dr. Marilyn Glenville and Cassandra Barns. 1. JOT IT DOWN Keeping a food diary may enable you to discover which particular foods trigger your IBS symptoms, or whether it’s the time of day which makes them worse. 2. GOOD MORNINGS Don’t rush, take the time to make a proper breakfast and go to the toilet before heading off to work. 3. SILVER LININGS It’s important to strengthen the…

Answer on page 47. ACROSS ACROSS 6 Flashlight (5) 7 Conforming to established views (8) 10 Ceremonial staff (7) 11 Gratifies (7) 12 Having a fast beat (2-5) 13 _ Franciosi, Irish actor who played Lyanna Stark in Game of Thrones (7) 14 Sustenance (11) 19 Shipping hazard (7) 21 Proof of purchase (7) 23 Almost certainly (2,5) 25 Teach (7) 26 Very productive (8) 27 _ Narcissus, BBC miniseries set in an Anglican convent in the Himalayas, starring 13 Across, 1 Down & 17 Down (5) DOWN 1 Gemma _, English actor whose film credits include RocknRolla, The Escape and 2021 spy thriller The King’s Man (8) 2 Regular beat (6) 3 Omen or portent (10) 4 At the summit (4) 5 Japanese dwarf tree (6) 6 Even chance…

Seol + Gold Jewellery is the easiest way to elevate an everyday outfit. Play with shapes, styles and layers to create a unique collection. Go toseolgold.com to shop.…

Personalised face apron, £14.99, Firebox.com Treat a chef or decorator to an apron with your face (or theirs) printed all over! Paint? Ketchup? Bring it on! Verdict: BONKERS! Can’t face the mess? Popcorn selection box, £14.99, Prezzybox.com The gourmet popcorn set includes Rose Chocolate, Caramel Macchiato & Whisky and White Chocolate & Strawberry flavours. A perfect gift for a sweet tooth. Verdict: GENIUS! Sweeten their taste buds! Toast coasters, £10, RedCandy.co.uk The best thing since sliced bread! But try not to spill your drinks – nobody likes soggy bread. Verdict: BONKERS! I propose a toast!…

Life as a military wife is not always easy. Elizabeth Sullivan had two young daughters, aged four and two, and her US Navy husband Matthew was often deployed overseas, leaving Elizabeth on her own for long periods of time. Cracks started to appear in their marriage, and it didn’t help that their relationship had been a whirlwind that had fallen apart as quickly as it had started. Elizabeth, 32, had met US Navy petty officer Matthew in Virginia where she’d grown up. They’d married in 2010 and moved to San Diego when Matthew was stationed at Liberty Station, but by 2012, their marriage was already in trouble. They were sleeping on separate floors in their three-storey Navy housing and Elizabeth had apparently started talking to other men. Tensions were high.…

www.theastrologyroom.com ARIES 21 March–20 April As you enter the month of April you find yourself full of apprehension and not sure of your direction. This all leads up to the new moon on the 11th when a situation finally comes to a head. Control is yours with the line up coming. Use this week to think about what you want and not what others are demanding from you all the time. It will be the making of you! Call: 09058 170 710* LEO 24 July–23 Aug You’re not mixing in the same circles. It wasn’t a conscious decision, it is just something that happened since March. Paperwork you receive before Monday must be dealt with before the weekend is over please, or you could end up tarnishing your reputation and…

SUPPORT A SMALL BUSINESS Imagine greetings cards that actually help the environment! This idea is what inspired a group of friends to create The Seed Card company. Offering an inspirational range of beautifully designed eco-friendly greetings cards and stationery, all of The Seed Card products are made from postconsumer recycled waste, printed with vegan ink and embedded with wildflower seeds. Simply plant their cards and with a little love and attention, they will grow into beautiful blooms. A fantastic way to send some love and do your bit for the planet. The Seed Company has also partnered with Ecologi, and for every order placed, they will plant a tree on your behalf. • Go to www.theseedcardcompany.com to shop the range. We’re loving this! Calling all chocoholics! Hotel Chocolat’s famous Velvetiser is…

Answers on page 47. Timeless colour Dulux is drawing on 90 years of colour expertise to launch its most luxurious range yet! The Heritage collection of 112 colours, has an opulent velvet matt finish and is especially formulated to deliver long-lasting performance. The colours of Heritage are all modern interpretations of classic shades from the history of British architecture and design, brought bang up to date by the talented Dulux colour experts. Find the latest stockist information online at www.duluxheritage.co.uk Follow it! pg 8 Fantasy…

By adopting these healthy habits, you can help lower your cholesterol. Cut down on foods high in saturated fat Meat pies, butter, hard cheese and biscuits are all high in saturated fats which can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. Replace them with small amounts of foods high in unsaturated fats like oily fish or nuts. Reduce the total amount of fat in your diet Instead of roasting or frying foods, consider grilling, steaming, boiling or poaching food. Choose lean cuts of meat and go for lower-fat varieties of dairy products and spreads. Start exercising Doing 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week can improve your cholesterol levels. Moderate activity means you’re working hard enough to raise your heartbeat and break a sweat. If you’re over the…

Huddled up in the stands, the crowd suddenly roared Looking up at Guy, then 27, he was totally ecstatic. The two of us had been dating for a few months and he’d brought me to an FC United football match. As a fan of non-league football, he was a huge supporter of the team. I’d first met Guy a few months earlier in 2004 at a local pub. Before long, we started seeing each other more regularly and I soon fell head over heels for him. So, even though it meant spending Saturday’s down at the club, come rain or shine, I didn’t mind. Although he was a bit of a lad, he was also so caring and funny – he was the best of both. Guy was everything I…

Laying on the examination bed with my knees up, I chatted away to the nurse. It was 2018, and I was having my routine smear test. ‘This may feel a bit strange, but it shouldn’t be painful,’ the nurse said. Within two minutes, it was all over and I didn’t think any more of it. Then I received my smear test results in the post. The sample detected abnormal cells in my cervix. I was advised to book a follow up appointment for six months’ time. ‘But what if it’s serious?’ I worried to my fiancé George, then 27. Anything could happen in six months… I thought. I could sense that something was wrong with my body. So, going with my gut, I pushed to get an urgent appointment at…

In January this year, The Minimalists – Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus – released their new documentary Less is Now. It’s the second instalment of their minimalism series and the duo are well and truly taking the world by storm. And it’s not just them. With minimalism experts such as Marie Kondo, there has been a recent shift in thinking towards consumerism and aesthetics. But what is minimalism? On the extreme end, it may well be about removing everything from your home, so you don’t even have a couch. However, minimalism looks different to everyone. Although the key message may focus on only keeping things in your life that add happiness and value, the process in itself changes from person to person. ‘Minimalism for me is all about surfaces,…

Grenade Energy, £1.99 (330ml cans), Amazon, Spar and Grenade.com Packing the same punch as two espressos, Grenade Energy drinks now come in three new flavours. Try from Cherry Bomb, Sun of a Beach and Berried Alive. Select Farms Vitamin B6 & D Chestnut Mushrooms, £1.20, M&S. In a UK first, M&S have launched a very special mushroom enriched in both Vitamin D and Vitamin B6. Sounds good to us! Knorr Zero Salt Stock Cubes, £1.49, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Knorr have launched the first ever range of zero salt stock cubes, with veggie, beef and chicken options now available in a salt-free version. Birds Eye Lightly Dusted Fish Fillets, £3, Morrisons and Tesco. The newest addition to the Captain Birds Eye premium range offers two lightly dusted, flaky fish fillets, made…

As an engineer and train driver, I have driven many trains in my life. I’ve stopped at hundreds of stations, but there is one station that I will never ever forget! My partner Conor, 43, and I met three years ago when I moved to Ireland, from my home in Barcelona. We were introduced through friends, and I quickly realised that we both had lots in common. We love travelling and being active. Over the years, we have hiked, cycled and watched live acts together – my favourite being a James Blunt concert that we went to last year. Conor has such a big heart and he makes me laugh a lot. On 15 December 2020, I went to work at my usual shift at Irish Rail. I drove my…

Running around after the kids, I picked up their toys and tried to tidy up. In 2018, I was five months pregnant, with a seven-year-old son, Rowan, and a five-year-old daughter, Esmae. I wondered what life was going to be like with a third. ‘It’s already a mad house!’ I chuckled to my husband Richard, then 38. When I was 22-weeks pregnant, we went to our pregnancy scan and found out that we were expecting a boy. At first, everything seemed normal, and then the sonographer called a consultant into the room. ‘Something must be wrong!’ Richard said, worrying. ‘I’m sure it’s fine,’ I said, feeling relaxed on our third time around. The consultant took a look, and commented on the position of the baby. ‘I need to talk to…

Staring out the train window, I tried to focus on the passing streets in front of me. But as I made my way to work, I could feel people staring at me. And I knew why. Suffering from acne and rosacea, I was used to people looking at my skin. Only today seemed different. As the train halted at the next stop, the woman and her teenage son who’d been sitting next to me, started gathering their things. ‘Come on, Mum,’ the boy said, staring in my direction. ‘Let’s get you off before you get infected.’ Immediately, my heart sank. My skin flared up at 19 I knew he was referring to my skin Trying my best not to let it get to me, I held my head high. But…

How to register It’s so easy to do, just visit, comps.lifedeathprizes.com and register by hitting the join button and then you can enter as many competitions as you like. Go on, have fun! Look what you could have won! REGISTER NOW AND NEVER MISS THE OPPORTUNITY OF A WIN! For website rules of play, visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/rules. T’s&C’s apply, UK only. * These have now closed.…

Listening to my doctor, my jaw dropped to the floor. ‘Gastric bypass?!’ I spluttered. ‘It’s one option,’ my GP explained to me. But I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I hadn’t even come to see the doctor about my weight! Only, at 21 stone, I knew I was on the heavy side. My frame had increased over the years after having my four children, but I certainly didn’t think I was in need of weight loss surgery. My doctor certainly seemed to think otherwise. I’d been to see him a few months earlier after suffering from chest pain and a weird tingling feeling up and down my arms. He put it down to anxiety and prescribed me with some antidepressants. Only now, in August 2017, I was still experiencing…

Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic, BBC Two Louis Theroux returns to Oklahoma for this feature length documentary, ten years after filming with Joe Exotic, for America’s Most Dangerous Animals. Joe Exotic, aka Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving a prison sentence for a murder-for-hire plot and multiple animal abuse charges. Louis reflects on hours of unseen footage from his 2011 special. He investigates the last decade and meets old friends, as well as the team trying to get Joe out of prison. Temptation Island, E4 Relationship reality TV is addictive stuff and if you’re missing Love Island, this should keep you happy! There is sun, dating and plenty of drama as a group of couples, who admit their relationships are in trouble, come together on a paradise island, to give their…

Strapping my blonde Barbie into the front seat, I packed her miniature pink camper van with all the essentials. A tiny plastic camera, a hairbrush, a chair and a cutlery set. ‘Time to go on an adventure!’ I grinned. When I was a young girl, I was obsessed with Barbies. I had a tonne of toys – a three-story mansion, a camper van and a fancy car. My parents weren’t especially well off, but they splurged on Barbies for me. It was so worth it – my dolls held a very special place in my heart. And it seems the magic of Barbies never left me… In May 2018, I decided that I wanted to travel the world, solo. At 35 years old, it was completely out of my comfort…

The lighter mornings and longer evenings are the perfect indication that spring has sprung. With flowers starting to bloom, trees growing back their leaves and skies getting brighter – it’s certainly one of the most photogenic times of the year. With this in mind, Clare Moreton, photo expert at CEWE has shared her top five tips to help you capture the beauty of spring. 1. Look for colour in everything you capture. Whether it’s fresh green grass, bright yellow tulips or the crisp blue sky, spring provides many wonderful colours that should be captured. Try and focus on bright colours that complement something a bit subtler, like white or green, as this will make your photos pop and allow the bold spring colours to stand out. 2. Time of day…