Table of contents for 29-Jun-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Unwrapping another Drumstick bar, I couldn’t get enough. With a pile of them scattered beside me, I was craving all sweets, which left me with one question in particular… ‘I think we are having a baby girl,’ I confessed to my partner David, now 41. After finding out we were expecting our third child in June 2021, I secretly hoped that this time around it would be a little princess. I’d been used to mud and sweaty football kits with Harvey, 10, and Dexter, four, ruling the roost for far too long. Only, holding my breath at our 20-week scan, it was clear that I was going to be outnumbered forever. ‘It’s a little boy,’ the sonographer revealed, with David punching the air. Oh damn, I thought. I guess I…

Kate Ashley-Norman is a psychotherapist and public relations strategist who believes that knowledge, communication and education are the foundations of good emotional wellbeing. (kateashleynorman.com) I need some financial help… Q I’m drowning in debt due to my ex not helping with child maintenance. We split and he moved away – he says he will pay when he sees his daughter, but she is 14 and has chosen not to see him. I don’t want to have to go down the legal route but I’m really struggling. What should I do? Gemma, Belfast A I completely understand why you would not want to go the legal route. It can get expensive and unnecessarily painful when you and your daughter want to get on with your lives. However, your ex partner does…

Horses on holiday! Fancy a countryside getaway but don’t want to leave your pet horse behind? Then look no further than The Best of Exmoor! With around 150 self-catering cottages dotted across the picturesque landscapes of Devon and Somerset, many of them are horse friendly. From attached stables housing up to seven horses, green grazing space, paddocks and even hay and straw provided, you needn’t look far to satisfy your neigh-bour! • For more, visit: thebestofexmoor.co.uk Take up the reins! Getting started with horse riding is daunting at first – with so many clubs, instructors and equipment, it can be a confusing world to enter. But Jo Mitchelhill, 47, an experienced horse rider and dressage competitor, is here to share her 20 years’ worth of wisdom for getting into the…

Funky and fun accessories are always a good idea! And KelZo Jewellery produces the cutest handmade polymer clay and acrylic pieces. The small business is also a huge supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, with 10% of profits from their LGBTQ+ Collection going LGBTQ+ charities. • Please visit: kelzojewellery.com…

Mini Digital Ice Cream Maker, £24.99, Lakeland You want a tempting treat for the evening, but when you get to the freezer, it’s time to panic – there’s no ice cream left! If you have some overripe bananas, strawberries and cream in the fridge – all you need is this gadget. Making delicious ice cream in just 25 minutes, the machine is great for making sorbet and frozen yoghurt, too. Plus, you really don’t have to wait too long for the ultimate summer snack! Verdict: GENIUS! What’s the scoop?! SMUGGLERS Ice Cream, £5, available from Waitrose A delicious vanilla ice cream on a blistering summer’s day, with a hint of parsnip – sorry what?! This crazy concept is the brain-child of three dads who know the importance of hidden veg…

Shooting pains Q My husband keeps getting shooting pains in his chest that come and go, he’s convinced it’s nothing but I’m worried. Should he go to the doctor? Tina, Camborne A Chest pain is often nothing serious, however it is always advised that you check with your GP to rule out more major conditions and be safe. Commonly, chest pain can be brought on just after eating, when feeling anxious, or from a muscle sprain or infection. Some conditions such as pericarditis or angina can lead to a sharp, stabbing pain in your chest, which needs medical attention to help treat. Angina can also lead to a heart attack. So while your husband may not be concerned, it is always advised that if someone experiences these symptoms they should…

Stepping out onto the stage, I was full of nerves. But as a performer by trade, it wasn’t the waiting audience making me nervous. Standing just across the stage from me was my date. Well, he was going to be my date. Reece, 30, and I had been talking over text for the last eight months while he worked on a cruise ship. Our first date was penciled in for the next day but as luck would have it, we had been booked to sing the same show. Earlier that day, we had been to see the costume lady. Having to strip down to our pants for the fitting, we could see what the dog had for dinner before we’d even sat down for a dinner date. Maybe it was…

While stocks last Don’t miss Lacura’s latest beauty launches when doing your weekly shop at Aldi this week! With lash growth seemingly high on a lot of our agenda’s, don’t miss theirnew 1. Fabulash Lash Serum (£4.99) that is said to be a dupe for the cult classic from Revitalash! Helping to to support frail and brittle lashes, this is a must for those who want thicker and luxurious lashes. Partner with the double-ended 2. Fabulash Lash Primer & Mascara (£4.99) that will both prime and coat your lashes for truly awakened eyes. With these, plus the all new 3. Luminous Lip Oils (£3.99), 4. Radiant Rust Quad Eyeshadow Palette (£3.99), 5. Sun Kissed Bronzer (£4.99) and the 6. Coral Blusher (£4.99), this range of dupes will have your makeup covered this…

Cross it! Solve the puzzle to find a word. Fit the words back in the grid and the letters in the highlighted squares spell out the answer. We’ve put in one word to help. Answer on page 47. 3 letters Bee Ilk Ink Off One 4 letters Omen Open Oust Seen Smug 5 letters Lawns Mango Merit Mouse 6 letters Equals Manage Muesli Renews Rumour Scruff Simmer 7 letters Enlarge Fixture Observe 8 letters Grasping Greeting Grilling Growling 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.…

Catch Claire live on Facebook 7 days of hope & happiness with Claire Petulengro www.clairepetulengro.tv ARIES 21 March–20 April You want to give close ones the benefit of the doubt but suspicions have been building too long for you to be able to do so with a clear conscience. You know from events that transpired in the last year thatmanyofyour close ones have put their own needs to the fore too many times. By Friday you see with clarity who you can trust and who you need to part ways with. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May The full moon brings the mischievous side of your nature to the fore. Careful you don’t end up accusing close ones of things they may not have done. After clashes, which occurred…

Coming through the front door after school on a Friday afternoon, I could hear voices chattering in the kitchen. ‘Hi, love,’ my mum Elizabeth, now 59, smiled. ‘Say hello to Jay.’ Looking after me and my disabled sister Gail, then 16, all alone, Mum liked to let her hair down and have mates round at the weekends. ‘Hi, Christina,’ Jay smiled. ‘It’s nice to meet you.’ ‘Hello,’ I waved shyly back. I later found out that his real name was Ambrose Thomas Stevenson, but I only ever knew him as Jay. He was nice to me – at 10, while Mum’s friends were always kind, they never paid me much notice. I thought of Jay as a father figure – like family Jay took an interest and took the time…

Looking at the mirror in front of me, I didn’t recognise myself – I had sore, red acne around my jaw and shoulders. In 2020, my husband Alistair, 37, and I were undergoing IVF. Despite being terrified of needles, Alistair was still injecting me with treatment every day. But the influx of different hormones had caused my skin to flare up. It was like being a teenager again, knocking my confidence. ‘It’s probably hormonal,’ the doctor told me when I went to see them. ‘Because of the location of the acne.’ I was prescribed tablets, but looking at the side-effects on the packet I read they could affect fertility. Why have I been prescribed that? I thought in shock. As you can imagine, I stopped taking the pills. But the…

Grabbing the dog lead, zipping up my coat and heading out the door, it was time for another Sunday family walk – one of our favourite things to do! With my partner Nathan, 32, our daughter Ferne, now six, and our fur baby Zizzi, the French Bulldog, happily trotting along ahead, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something missing. Buying my own home at just 20, having a stable job and a loving, secure relationship, I knew that I had a burning desire for something else – the chance to make Ferne a big sister. Only, after starting my period young, at roughly 11 years old, I had suffered from the most painful and heavy periods, needing to take contraception to regulate them over time. And although it…

Calling the local Chinese takeaway for the third time that week, I didn’t need to look at the crumpled menu, as I knew what my order was going to be. Curry, rice and chips for me, then two portions of sweet and sour chicken for my husband Steven, now 62, and my son Max, now 27. That was after skipping breakfast and eating a cheese sandwich with a thick layer of butter slathered on the bread with a few packets of crisps on the side for lunch. Only, that wasn’t it. With my guilty pleasure being anything savoury, I’d find myself gorging on sausage rolls, pasties, anything that was bad for me, topping it off with a slab of any milk chocolate that I could get my hands on. Anything…

Q&A WITH… Debbie Turnbull, Founder and Managing Director of River and Sea Sense. • To learn more and see how you can get involved with Debbie’s water safety courses please visit: riverandseasense.com 1. Tell us why water safety means so much to you… Water safety means everything to me as I lost my son to drowning at age 15 at Capel Curig in North Wales – he fell into a waterfall and was forced back into an underwater cave and got his foot stuck in the roots of a tree. 2. What should I do if I see someone in trouble? If you see someone in trouble by the sea, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard – try to calm them down and see if you can find anything…

The sun is shining and flower gardens are in full bloom. For the green-fingered botanists amongst us, here are the best hot-spots for our favourite flora. Queen Mary’s Garden, London Boasting approximately 12,000 roses, Queen Mary’s Garden is the largest rose garden in London. Situated in Regent’s Park, you will find roses spreading over the entire colour wheel. But that’s not all, you will also find a Mediterranean section and even a jungle. The blooms are at their best in June and July and given that entry is free, don’t hesitate to visit this stunning garden – so peaceful it’s easy to forget you’re in the city. • The garden is open 5am-5pm, visit: royalparks.org.uk Cotswold Lavender, Worcester Hill Barn Farm has been farming lavender since 1999 and now stretches…

Hearing a familiar meow at the back door, I braced myself for what I would find. You see, my daughter Sophia’s cat, Demo, was a bit of a kleptomaniac. Every morning she would announce her finds by proudly meowing on the doorstep. From flowers to gardening gloves and bags of poo, there wasn’t a lot she wouldn’t steal. But she didn’t always have this compulsion. About two years ago, Demo, now three, was hit by a car and suffered a serious head injury. Despite all odds, going blind in one eye and losing a few teeth, she pulled through. After recovery, she began nicking from the village. The first time, she arrived at the door holding a bouquet of red roses. She looked like a funny sight and I couldn’t…