Table of contents for 30-Sep-2021 in Pick Me Up!

Walking up to his cot, I could see George was already awake. ‘Hello gorgeous,’ I cooed at him as he stretched out his arms to be lifted up. He was born on 22 August 2020 and was only five weeks old. Apart from some severe morning sickness, the pregnancy and birth had gone smoothly, and now we were settling him into home life. I had two other sons, Joshua, 14, and Zac, 10, and they loved their new baby brother, too. As I picked him up, my hand brushed against his head, and I could feel something hard underneath his hair. Over the past few weeks, I had noticed a ridge going from the back to the front of George’s head, where the soft spot should be. He had such…

LET YOUR METALLICS SHINE This autumn, it looks like metallics are in ― so if you’ve got a shiny blouse you’ve always been afraid to wear, now’s the time to get it out! To add a pop to your outfit, pair some plain jeans with a rustic, metallic top and a simple jacket to help balance it all out. Silver and bronze metallics are an easy way to try the trend out. DON’T JUST STICK TO BROWNS When we think of autumn, three colours often come to mind – brown, red and orange, like falling leaves. If you don’t want to fall into the usual pattern, try some other autumn colours as well. Dark greens, warm peachy tones and even denim are amazing alternatives to the usual autumnal hues! Don’t…

Friendships can be some of the most important relationships in our lives they say friends are family you choose for yourself. Our friends are our cheerleaders, sounding boards and people we can always rely on – and in return, we’re that for them, too. But what happens when friends become ‘frenemies’, and friendships turn sour? Dr Audrey Tang, a chartered psychologist, mental health and wellness expert and author of The Leader’s Guide to Resilience, shares the signs we need to look out for… HOW DO TOXIC FRIENDSHIPS START? ‘We might not know we are involved in a toxic friendship until we begin to feel that something isn’t right,’ says Audrey. ‘A toxic friendship will start in the same way as any friendship – two people simply connect and start spending…

Good to know Change is here, and it tastes fantastic. Everyone’s favourite Fairtrade chocolate bar, Divine, has had a rebrand! To celebrate their vibrant new packaging, Divine, the only Fairtrade chocolate company to be co-owned by cocoa farmers, is launching three delicious new flavours – smooth milk chocolate with orange crisp, smooth dark chocolate with pretzel and caramel, and smooth milk chocolate with almond and salted caramel, too. All the new flavours are palm oil free with natural ingredients and plastic free packaging, and they’re all Fairtrade certified. • Available from Ocado Good deed of the week Join Shirley Ballas, Fearne Cotton and Alison Hammond, to raise a mug for this year’s Macmillan Coffee Morning. Partnered with M&S Food, the official date is 24 September, but you can hold your coffee…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! With a slotted design, this handy spatula has a high-grade Nylon anti-scratch Be a winner! head to prevent your pans from getting marked or damaged. There is also a serrated edge for cutting and separating. As well as being durable and easy to clean, it’s dishwasher safe. For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk In the bag! Tip of the week To stop children putting carrier bags over their heads, always tie them in a knot before storing. Judith Cairns, Essex Scratch that Toothpaste is a great treatment to help fight the annoying itch that possesses you after a mosquito bite. It acts as a cooling agent on the bites. Amanda Hadley, Cradley…

INSTANT appointment With Dr Harriet Bradley, from the digital healthcare provider Livi (livi.co.uk) Tingly face Q Whenever I eat cake or rich foods, my face feels really tingly while I’m eating, and for a few minutes after. Why is this happening? Monica, Carlisle A A tingling sensation in the face after consuming a certain food group could mean that you have an allergy. Food allergies happen when the immune system mistakenly treats proteins found in food as a threat. As a result, a number of chemicals are released that cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Keeping a food diary could help you to identify the common ingredient that is provoking your reaction. Once you have identified the food, you can eliminate it from your diet. Though symptoms of a…

I woof you If you’re a dog lover and are soon to be wed, there’s no doubt that your four-legged family member will be playing a leading role on the big day. But what’s the best way to make your wedding as dog friendly as possible? Leading pet care brand, Bob Martin, shares their top tips on how to get your furry friend picture perfect for your special day. 1. Get your doggy looking dapper by booking a pre-wedding trip to the groomer for a fresh trim. 2. Walk your pooch before the ceremony to keep any potential toilet troubles at bay. 3. Keep coats in tip-top condition using fur oil to keep it nourished. 4. Find a doggy tux or dress for your best man or flower girl. 5.…

Unpacking the last of the boxes, I put a hand on my aching back and let out sigh. At last everything was in its place. We’d moved into our new home and life felt really good. My partner Joe, 36, and I were expecting our first baby together. I already had a son, Freddie, eight, who lived with us, and Joe had a daughter and son aged eight and five who came every other weekend. We hadn’t planned on extending our family, but during lockdown and weekends together there hadn’t been a lot to do… now I was expecting! As the pregnancy progressed, I bought clothes, toys and things for the nursery. But the TV news worried me massively. Dads banned from birthing suites… Covid rules mean mums give birth…

TIME TO SPARKLE Meet the most nostalgic beauty launch yet! Lottie London x My Little Pony is encouraging you to unlock your sparkle. Available from Look Fantastic. 1. Find Your Sparkle Hand Mirror, £6.95 The Sunny hand-held mirror is the ultimate collectable piece, reminding you everyday to celebrate your uniqueness and that you sparkle most from within. 2. Future Pop Star Sweet Lips, £6.95 Every superstar needs their beauty sleep, so why not let this overnight lip mask treat your pout to the ultimate hydration as you enter dream land. Infused with nourishing jojoba oil and moisturising shea butter, this hybrid balm is the ultimate lip rejuvenator. 3. Lottie London x My Little Pony Palette, £5.95 Lottie London’s best-selling Lottie Palettes are back with two irresistible, limited-edition colour combos for…

Answer on page 47. 3 letters Ant Art Awn Try Tug 4 letters Maid Mars Meal Mend Moat 5 letters Earth Pearl Shirt Venus 6 letters Arrest Enigma Recoup Saturn Splint Upshot Uranus 7 letters Jupiter Neptune Statute 8 letters Adjusted Adoption Attained Downturn Sudoku! To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle, then read down the numbers in the highlighted squares for the answer. Answer on page 47.…

Directing traffic away from a car accident in my job as a police officer, I glanced over and spotted a gorgeous woman working as a security guard on the scene. She’s so hot… I thought to myself, feeling my heart flutter. I didn’t see if she’d noticed me and I couldn’t build up the courage to go over to her, so instead I walked away and immediately regretted it once I got home. Six months later, in September 2016, fate brought us together again at a break-in we had both been called to near where I live in Sydney, Australia. I got sent the security footage of the incident which was signed by someone called ‘Ashlee’. That must be her, I thought, knowing it was unlikely any other females worked…

Clue: Hardwood. Answer on page 47. ACROSS 1 Capricious (6) 4 Naval commanders (8) 10 Talk about the past (9) 11 A play (5) 12 _ of Man, 2021 heist film directed by 20 Down and starring 16 Across, 21 Across, 26 Across & 29 Across (5) 13 Citrus spread (5,4) 14 Rues (7) 16 _ Malone, ‘Rockstar’ rapper (4) 19 Wound mark (4) 21 Jason _, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw actor (7) 24 Rules of acceptable behaviour (9) 25 Not drunk (5) 26 _ Eastwood, The Outpost star and son of fellow actor Clint (5) 27 Bad luck, informally (4,5) 28 Soldier who runs away (8) 29 Eddie _, actor whose film credits include Vice, Atomic Blonde and The World’s End (6) DOWN 1 Roman candle, say…

BIG health story Blinking my eyes open, I frowned. There was a searing pain in the left side of my face. It felt like a knife dragging through my flesh. Getting up, I rushed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. But as I saw my reflection, I gasped. What’s wrong with me? I thought. The left side of my face had completely drooped, but the right side was untouched. It looked like I was melting. At first I panicked, thinking I was having a stroke. But I could still move my arms, so I knew it wasn’t that. Then I was worried it might be a tumour. Upset and frightened, I rang my GP and made an appointment. He gave me some sterioids to help with the drooping…

Pulling up to the house, I leapt out of my driving instructor’s car and headed inside. ‘I passed!’ I squealed with excitement. I’d always loved cars, and as soon as I turned 17, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel. And with my driving license in hand, I sent out a message. ‘Anyone fancy a drive-thru?’ I asked my friends. I couldn’t wait to scoff a McDonald’s burger and chips. I’d always loved fast food, and after getting my car, my habits became all the worse. No longer needing to walk everywhere, I was getting zero exercise. And with regular trips to the drive-thru, the pounds began to pile on. I’d never exactly been small, and my diet had always been pretty bad. But the older I got, the…

Looking over my travel plans, I knew that this was the right next step for my life. I’d start by trekking through South America, then swing round to East Asia. South America was the one continent I hadn’t touched yet, and at 32, I was ready to try something new. When my divorce was finalised in 2015, I threw myself into the one thing I was good at, my work, and I quickly burnt myself out. I need a career break, I thought in early 2016. I’d spent 10 years as a luxury travel agent. I loved my job, and my career took me to amazing places across the globe. But those trips would be filled with meetings day after day, with very little time for my own adventures. I…

Just because we have darker evenings now, doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your outside space ― the gardening experts at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have revealed their favourite lighting tips for creating ambience long after the sun has set. CLEAN YOUR GARDEN FURNITURE Your outdoor furniture has endured all kinds of weather this year, from unusually hot heat to heavy downfalls, and it’s time to give it a good clean and prep for the change of seasons. The experts at VonHaus (vonhaus.com), who have a wide range of garden furniture, have put together a guide to keeping it looking as good as new for next summer. WOOD It’s easy to overthink wood care, but as a natural material, it’s built to be durable and far more hardwearing than we give it credit…

Featuring 70 delicious recipes from 16 incredible British chefs, Around The Table includes dishes for every hosting occasion, with chapters covering everything from one pots to make-ahead desserts! You're bound to find something that takes your fancy… Around The Table by Great British Chefs is available now at shop.greatbritishchefs.com Sausage and fennel lasagne with chilli garlic bread Serves: 6 Of all the dishes in the world, few bring a family together quite like a lasagne. You can make both the ragù and bechamel sauce a day in advance if needed. RAGÙ: □ 3 tbsp olive oil□ 1 tbsp fennel seeds□ 1 tsp chilli flakes□ 1 onion, finely chopped□ 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced□ ½ fennel bulb, finely diced□ 10 pork and fennel sausages□ 250ml white wine□ 2 tins (800g) chopped □…

It can be tough juggling your personal life with your work life, and it’s easy to let one slip when you’re trying to keep on top of too many things. Serial entrepreneur, business mentor and mum-of-one Silja Thor shares her top tips for striking the right balance… Design your life Create your lifestyle design, and be clear on why it’s important for you to have that balance. Reverse engineer it – what is truly important to you in your life, and why? Think of it from the perspective of your death bed. Have you focused on what truly matters? Make sure to prioritise those things in your life. Set a routine Have a morning or evening routine, or both! Have this space for yourself to reflect and grow as an…

Pukka pastry range, from £1.50, ASDA The nation’s favourite pie brand has unveiled a showstopping new savoury pastry range. Choose from the Steak Slice, Chicken & Bacon Slice, Cheese, Leek & Potato Slice, Pork Sausage Roll, Vegan Sausage Roll or a humble Beef Pasty. Camden Marmite Ale, £8 for four, Tesco For the Marmite lovers, these Marmite beers are a can of heaven. This limited-edition beer offers a delicious punchy taste with rich, smoky flavours which your tastebuds will remember forever. Green Chef recipe box, from £4.70 per portion, chef.greenchef.com Eating healthily has never been so easy with Green Chef’s recipe boxes which can be tailored to be vegan, veggie, lower carb or fully keto diets. All the ingredients you need to make simple, healthy dinners are delivered straight to…

22 – 29 September www.clairepetulengro.tv ARIES 21 March–20 April There is a new air of positivity about you, which can help you make up for lost time in June. The Full Moon in Pisces on Thursday rips the plaster off of what you’ve been keeping in your subconscious. You see what you could not before. Plan your next actions to avoid looking like you’re forcing others’ hands. Make the most of your dramatic week. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You want to help your close ones, but this week’s Full Moon could see them accusing you of trying to trip them up. Go slow and add tact to anything you do that involves others. It’s the key to you feeling like the good person in all that…