Table of contents for 16-Nov-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Walking into the restaurant, I noticed that my date already had company – three other men surrounding her in fact. ‘Oh, you’ll be fine, Ariana. You’ll like him,’ they laughed. As the random men turned out to be my friends – they’d been there to support Ariana, then 26, in case she needed to make a getaway. However, realising that it was me, they left us to it. Going to the same school in Easton, Massachusetts, me and Ariana hadn’t known one during that time. It wasn’t until Ariana reached out to me on Facebook years later, that we were sat together on our first date in 19 Restaurant, 11 years ago. Ariana was open, outgoing and family orientated, too. Which was something that I really admired and wanted in…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great prize from Addis. This three tier airer with four integrated hanger bars is perfect for drying longer items of laundry. With 16m of drying space, an easy-to-assemble auto locking device, fold out corner hooks and a fold away design, what more could you want? For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Pump it up! Heading off for a camping trip with limited suitcase space? Don’t pack an inflatable bed and an air pump – just grab a blow-up pool float. It’ll serve as a bed and a pool accessory! Becky Jacobs, Birmingham Soapy solution Add liquid soap to paint before doing your hand or footprints during crafts and it will wash off easier. Judith Cairns, Colchester…

INSTANT appointment With GP and advisor Dr Gill Jenkins at Excilor (excilor.com) Nail nuisance Q I’m suffering from ongoing nail infections that I get several times a year. How can I prevent and treat this? Julia, Southampton A Fungal nail infections are incredibly common with 25% of the population suffering from them, according to a new report from Excilor. To prevent nail infections, keep your feet clean and make sure you treat it instantly. There are a variety of options you can try, but I would recommend the clinically proven Excilor range including the Nail Fungus Treatment Solution, Nail Fungus Treatment Solution Ultra for a stronger solution or the convenient pen formulation, Excilor Nail Fungus Treatment Pen – all easy to use. You’ll see visible results from two weeks onwards.…

Sitting on the bedroom floor, I slotted the train tracks together. My son Teddy, then three, was obsessed with trains – playing with his little Brio train set was his favourite hobby. ‘Wow! Look at this tank engine!’ I exclaimed, driving a train down the tracks. ‘No Mummy, that’s a tender engine,’ Teddy corrected me. I laughed – watching his passion grow was so heartwarming and as parents, my husband Alastair, 34, and I only encouraged it. Taking our local line train into town and visiting Brighton so Teddy could ride Volk’s Electric Railway on the seafront, I loved seeing him wave at the passing carriages. But when he was struck down by a bout of infections in June 2022, putting our train trips on hold, I didn’t think anything…

Laura Butler is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and specialises in baby loss, infertility, anxiety and depression. Laura is also Mental Health Clinical Quality Lead for IPRS Health (www.iprshealth.com). To find out more about counselling visit: www.bacp.co.uk or see Laura by searching: laurabutler.co.uk I’m over the moon but fearing the worst… Q I’ve just fallen pregnant with my rainbow baby. I lost my son at 27-weeks pregnant and it’s been a really tough time. I’m elated that we are expecting again, but it’s really hard to stay strong – I want to enjoy being pregnant but I’m constantly living in fear – will this ever get better? Lottie, Plymouth A Gentle congratulations, and I'm sorry for the loss of your son. The term 'rainbow…

EXTREME CRIME Looking at a property, run-down and unloved, it takes a savvy businessperson to see its potential. And that’s exactly what Zombie House Flippers – a popular reality TV show set in Florida – did. Seeking out ‘zombie houses’ the team would do up the buildings, restoring the neighbourhoods and watching the profits roll in. Easy, right? Well, it definitely set pulses racing for David Tronnes, 55, and his young wife Shanti Cooper Tronnes, 39. You see, David fancied himself a bit of a renovator. And with the couple having only been married for a year, they had already thrown themselves into their first renovation project. Purchasing a Victorian style home in Florida, measuring 4,000 sq ft and including a swimming pool and garage apartment, David had big dreams…

What’s trending If you thought the air fryer trend was going to pass, think again! Here to stay, they’re still all the rage – and they can do so much more than just chips! Give your mealtimes a makeover with this new cookbook from the makers of Woman & Home – with everything from snacks, sides, delicious mains and sweet treats, you can do it all in your trusty air fryer. We can’t wait to try the ham & Manchego croquettes and the indulgent melting chocolate pot – the perfect dishes to impress guests at your next dinner party! So if you haven’t discovered the air fryer hype yet, what are you waiting for? It really is a musthave kitchen essential. • Quick & Simple Air Fryer Cookbook, £15, available…

Unable to open the door fully, the first thing that I saw was a handwritten note on the bed. And then looking down at the floor, that’s when I noticed my gun – which should have been locked up safely. Able to move around the door, I peered behind, knowing in my gut I had been right about what I was going to find in there. Ariana. From all my years of training, taking one quick look, I knew that there was nothing I could do – my wife was gone. Feeling my legs give out from beneath me, I fell backwards, having to use all of my energy to crawl downstairs, needing to get help. Calling 911, I then made sure to tell close family before telling the special…

MS affects 130,000 people in the UK, with an estimated 130 new diagnoses each week. But it’s fair to say, not many of us really understand what MS is. The MS Trust is calling for increased support services for people living with MS. For those with MS, the immune system attacks the central nervous system. When the attack happens, the immune system targets the protective covering around your nerves – called myelin. When myelin is damaged, messages don’t pass along the nerves as efficiently as they used to, so messages can be delayed or sometimes may not get through at all. These areas of damage are called lesions and they cause the symptoms you experience. MS is thought to be an autoimmune and neurodegenerative condition. Autoimmune because the body is…

Slipping into my long satin dress, I was dolled up for another late-night shift. With my hair blow-dried, nails manicured and sporting a fresh spray tan, I needed to look good under the strip club spotlights. While I’d relished my shifts dancing at the club since starting in 2006, I just wasn’t feeling it. Hugging my knees while sat on the floor backstage, I was exhausted. Taking a moment to myself, I needed to gear myself up for the long night ahead. Only, my peace and quiet was disturbed. ‘Can I sit here?’ a girl asked. Instantly I recognised her – she was another dancer at the club, although I’d never spoken to her before. She was glammed up to the nines – only, her mascara was streaming down her…

As the leaves have fallen, there is a crisp feeling in the air and plenty to do this November. Whether you’re heading on a woodland walk, planning a brunch date with the girls or heading to your nearest pub for a Sunday lunch, here are some outfit ideas to get you in the perfect mood… WOODLAND WALK SUNDAY LUNCH PU leggings are an essential. Use a dusting of talcum powder inside to stop chafing! RUNNING ERRANDS FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER BRUNCH WITH THE GIRLS Accessorising is the best way to complete your fit, taking it from basic to luxe in no time at all!…

The countdown to Christmas is on. Get ahead to secure our favourite beauty calendars on the market. Do you need beauty advice? Write to hello@pickmeupmag.co.uk and we’ll try and help!…

Touching down with the hot Caribbean sun hitting my face, it was time for a fun-filled family holiday. Wanting to experience the vibrant culture of Jamaica, and also wanting to see where Reggae legend himself Bob Marley had spent his days, it was the trip of a lifetime. Something that my partner Peter, 67, daughter Charlotte, 35, and my two grandkids felt, too – after we had all finally decided to fly out in May 2019, for two long, glorious weeks. With a number of excursions booked, visiting tourist sights and even a trip to a beautiful blue lagoon on the cards, there was plenty to look forward to. With our hotel just a stone’s throw away from the beach, we spent our time in the water, sunbathing and having…

Catch Claire live on Facebook ARIES 21 March–20 April As the sun meets Mars in Scorpio, you’re ready to dig deeper to get the answers you could not as you entered this month. Family in your life cost you financially and emotionally and you need to learn when to save yourself in order to save them from destroying you. Time you make for faces from your past can see you feel more like the real you again. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Work takes on a more serious feel. You begin to explore just what you want to happen as you go forward in your career. You find yourself more respected by those you used to feel underneath, but who you will soon feel and see are…

Winter Fair, The South of England Showground, Sussex From 18 to 19 November, you should head to Ardingly and check out the vast amount of festive food available. With homemade jams and chutney, and an array of local cheeses, chocolates and artisan spirits and liquors, you will be spoilt for choice. And if you find yourself feeling chilly walking around, check out the street markets full of hot grub to put the fire in your belly. What’s more, there are plenty of other shops available, as well as a wreath making workshop and a chocolate making workshop. • Admission is £7.88 and under 16s go free, visit: seas.org.uk Durham Farmers’ Market, Durham If you’re looking for fresh, regional ingredients, then look no further. On the third Thursday of every month,…

Slipping on my shoes, I had a strange sensation in my feet. I felt like I had something on the bottom of my foot, or in my shoe – like lumpy cotton wool. Taking my shoes off, the sensation was still there. And with the feeling not going away, I put up with a tingling sensation in my feet for a few weeks. ‘I’m going to go to the GP,’ I told my husband Hugh, 70, when the feeling didn’t subside. ‘It’s nothing to worry about,’ the GP had reassured me, back in 2009. But I wasn’t convinced, going back and forth for a few weeks. I was passed on to a podiatrist who gave me uncomfortable insoles and they believed the arches of my feet had dropped. But that…

Strolling along your local beach or woodlands, you might come across the odd misplaced item or lost valuable. From wedding rings to loose change, who knows what you might find when exploring the great outdoors? Who does this belong to? you might wonder, before taking to your local Facebook group to find its long-lost owner. But, if you’re lucky, you might also stumble across a much older buried relic. As you can uncover the history of the land beneath your feet – and it’s all made easier with a little help from a metal detector. Picking up a metal detector, you can use it to scan the earth – as soon as it detects a metal item, it will start beeping. ‘The most common items to find are items of…

Fish finger wraps PRICE PER SERVING: £1.29 YOU WILL NEED: □ 16 Asda Omega 3 Fish Fingers□ 85g Lighter than Light Mayonnaise□ 3 spring onions, 1 roughly chopped□ ½ lemon, zested and juiced□ 20g capers, rinsed well□ 1 cucumber□ ½ Asda Iceberg Lettuce□ 8 wholemeal wraps HOW TO: 1 Cook the fish fingers under the grill following pack instructions, or in an air fryer for eight minutes at 180°C. 2 For the tartare sauce, pulse together the mayonnaise, chopped spring onions, lemon zest and juice, capers and one tbsp water in a mini food processor or with a stick blender. Or, finely chop the spring onions and capers and mix by hand. 3 Use a vegetable peeler to peel the cucumber into long ribbons, discarding the seeded, watery middle bit.…

Slipping on my gold sequin top and jeans, I was ready for a groovy night out on the town. Crawling from bar to bar on 19 November last year, my friend Laura had a suggestion. ‘Let’s go to Rubix!’ Laura exclaimed excitedly. Already hearing its ‘80s and ‘90s tracks pumping in my head, I hastily agreed. Walking inside our local club, the multi-coloured spotlights searched across the empty dancefloor. Then, they highlighted the face of a stranger. Only, he wasn’t a stranger to Laura. ‘Oh, it’s Giles!’ Laura said, walking over to him. ‘Giles, meet Wendy.’ Blushing, I smiled a hello, taking in his appearance. While bald men weren’t usually my type, I could look past it with Giles, 55. At 6ft1 he leaned over me and his blue eyes…