Table of contents for 05-Jan-2017 in Pick Me Up!

What A Fun Discovery! Not only can you add balloons and fireworks as a backdrop to your messages, but you can now send texts in ‘invisible ink’. Just tap the speech bubble to decipher it! Too much fun for big kids like me. Sorry, folks, it’s just for us iPhone addicts! What A Flash! Ever wondered what your undies say about you? Well, wonder no more with our fun quiz that reveals all… See www.lifedeathprizes.   com/pants-quiz 12 With every year comes a whole host of resolutions. So far, I’ve listed 12. Maybe the 13th will be breaking all of them before the month’s out. That I can definitely do! What A Change! So, on 20 January, Donald Trump will be inaugurated into the White House… What A…

‘My stomach flipped as I stepped back to let him in’ Watching my boyfriend hang a picture on the living-room wall, I grinned. ‘Looks gorgeous,’ I said. We’d been living in the semi-detached house for four months, and it was starting to feel like home. We’d been together for 18 months, and he was great with my three children. But soon, cracks started to appear, and I realised I didn’t love him any more. ‘I think we should separate,’ I told him in March 2015. He was upset, but agreed it was for the best. Within a month, we both moved out. We still had the tenancy for another two weeks, though, so I kept the keys to do a final clean. Meanwhile, I rented another house nearby with my…

‘I was vomiting blood and covered in a red rash…’ With trembling hands, I ran my fingers through the folds of thick white satin... It was October 2014, and I’d found my dream wedding dress - in the first shop I’d gone to. ‘You look beautiful,’ my maid of honour Charlotte, 29, told me tearfully. My fiance Scott, 26, had proposed two months earlier, dressing our 4-month-old Evie-Mae in a sleepsuit emblazoned with the words: Mummy, will you marry my daddy? So sweet! Organised as ever, I’d soon chosen nine bridesmaids and booked a wedding for 70 guests at our local Holiday Inn. Now I’d found the perfect dress in which to walk down the aisle. Over the next 18 months, I juggled wedding plans with motherhood and my job…

Pessary problem Q For a few years, I’ve used a pessary for my prolapsed womb. I wasn’t in a relationship then, but now I’ve met someone, what should I do about sex? Anne, Portsmouth A You can have intercourse with a pessary, or there are types you can remove and reinsert. By treating the prolapse, intercourse is usually improved, so continue with it. Normal side-effect? QI’ve just started taking medicine to combat depression. I used to get palpitations from anxiety and I was expecting them to reduce, but they’re getting worse. Is this normal? Michelle, Leeds A Some anti-depressants can cause a racing heart, which, if associated with a high temperature and feeling unwell, can be serious, so speak to your GP urgently. Risk reducers Q There’s an outbreak of…

‘His people would hang on his every word’ ‘He said God had spoken to him and ordered the killings’ The end was near for convict Jeffrey Lundgren. After 16 years spent incarcerated on death row, the 56-year-old’s time was up. On 24 October 2006, he was led to the execution chamber, much like his innocent victims were led to their deaths... ‘I want to profess my love for God, my family, my children...’ he said just before his execution, then, quoting a South African proverb, ‘I am because you are.’ Minutes later, after a lethal injection was administered, he was pronounced dead. In cold blood Lundgren’s death was a lot gentler than those of his victims. Seventeen years earlier, the self-proclaimed prophet had murdered five of his cult followers. Dennis…

1 Sainsbury’s Italian Vegetable Lasagne, 430g With generous amounts of cheese and tomato sauces, plus tasty veg, this makes a satisfying meal for one. 2 Asda Italian Vegetable Lasagne, 400g This had a great flavour, thanks to nice, big chunks of red pepper, aubergine and grilled courgette. 3 Tesco Italian Kitchen Vegetable Lasagne, 450g Topped with crunchy ciabatta breadcrumbs, this perfectly cooked lasagne is delicious!…

‘My husband Paul thought I was joking at first’ Beverley treated her family with her THREE bingo wins... Beverley Clark, 42, Nottingham Iwon’t lie, I was new to bingo and playing bingo online. But in April 2012, a friend told me Pick Me Up! Bingo was a lot of fun. Days later, I saw the mag was offering a £30 Welcome Bonus for a £10 deposit. ‘Why not?’ I said to my husband Paul, 47. So I signed up. I soon found my favourite, Sapphire, a 90-ball bingo game, where your numbers are automatically dabbed off. I had a few small wins, but really I just played for fun. Then last October, I bought a few tickets in Sapphire and let the games play, but minutes later, when I looked…

CouchCoaster, £19.99, www.couchcoaster.com Created after its inventor thought there must be an easier way to relax on the sofa with a beer, this slips over the arm of your settee so you can rest your drink with no risk of spillage! Verdict: GENIUS! Great for kids’ drinks, too. FitBark Dog Activity Monitor, £5.95, www.amazon.co.uk Track your pooch’s activity and sleep patterns with this tiny collar-mounted monitor that links to your phone. It can help detect separation anxiety or signs of illness, too. Verdict: GENIUS! A bit barking, but brilliant! Hot Heads, £14.99 each, www.firebox.com Microwaveable bags that do the same job as a hot-water bottle, only personalised. Just upload a pic to the website… Verdict: BONKERS! Too weird for words.…

Bizarre, But Tasty What do you get if you cross one delicious pastry with another? A sweet-tooth’s dream! CRONUT: Part-croissant, part-doughnut. TOWNIE: Half-tart, half-brownie pastry. BRUFFIN: A muffin/ brioche hybrid. WONUT: This beast is half-waffle, half-doughnut. REMEMBER THESE 90 TOYS? GAME BOY Gaming at its finest. With a 3in screen, you could play Tetris whenever and, indeed, wherever you wanted. POLLY POCKET There was no other doll in the world that was so adorably small. TAMAGOTCHI We went crazy for these egg-sized digital pets that needed your undivided attention. How Well Do You Know Father Ted? 1. What was Father Jack’s pet? 2. What does Dougal try to give up for Lent? 3. What beauty pageant was hosted by Ted? 4. What did Father Jack drink to make him hallucinate?…

In summer 2014, I saw an advert online for a kitten. Wanting a new cat, I drove to the address, and found a 7-week-old kitten all alone in the back garden. I couldn’t see her colouring, as she was covered in mud. Instinct kicked in. I didn’t ask questions, just paid up and took her straight home. ‘You’re safe now,’ I said. Cleaning her up, I noticed a strange marking under her nose. ‘Looks like a moustache,’ said my son Mitchell, then 19. ‘She looks like one of the Muppets,’ I chuckled - and the name stuck! In March 2015, we moved back to Canada, where I’m from, taking Muppet with us. Mitchell suggested starting an Instagram account for our moustachioed moggy - and now she has over 37,000 followers!…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Romance is strong in your chart, and you find it possible to wear your heart on your sleeve without fear of being embarrassed. This week, you can clearly see what makes you happy, and what you need to stay away from. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May There’s a great deal of emphasis on finances in the days ahead, and you start to feel more confident about making monetary decisions. Energy you spend on paperwork will be well worthwhile, and make sure to go over sums more than once. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Games are being played by many of the signs this week, which leaves you in two minds as to whether you should make any important decisions or…

‘Now I was worried John still had feelings for me…’ Holly, 25 Unscrewing the bottle of white wine, I poured myself a large glass. ‘I need this,’ I sighed to my mate Kerry. It was last July, and I’d had the worst day. I’d bumped into my ex while out shopping in town. We’d broken up months ago, and things had ended on a sour note. Seeing him had brought everything flooding back. Down and miserable, I’d needed cheering up. So Kerry had popped over with a bottle of wine. We were so busy chatting and gossiping, we forgot all about having dinner. ‘I’m starving,’ I told Kerry at around 9pm. She texted our mate John Amos, 27, and asked if he’d bring us a takeaway. And, an hour later,…

‘I had a benign tumour on my pituitary gland’ A year after having my son Sammi, in January 2004, my periods still hadn’t returned. ‘Your prolactin levels are very high,’ my GP said, looking at my blood-test results. ‘Too much of this hormone can suggest problems.’ Referred for an MRI, I never expected to hear what doctors told me. I had macroprolactinoma adenoma, a benign tumour on my pituitary gland, at the base of my brain. Though I was shocked, I tried to stay positive. ‘At least it’s not cancerous,’ I smiled to my now ex-husband. As surgery to have the tumour removed was too risky, I was put on medication to keep it small and benign. I was told I’d have to be on them until the menopause. But…

1 Vitiligo is a viral infection. 2 It can affect the inside of your mouth. 3 It can lead to complications. 4 Vitiligo is curable. 1 FALSE This long-term skin condition is caused by a lack of melanin, a pigment in the skin, which leads to the development of pale, white patches. 2 TRUE Along with the inside of your mouth, areas most commonly affected by this condition include fingers, wrists, armpits, groin, genitals and the skin around your mouth and eyes. 3 TRUE The lack of melanin causes your skin to be more vulnerable to the sun. It can also lead to inflammation of the eyes known as iritis, and partial hearing loss. 4 FALSE The white patches are usually permanent, but treatments like phototherapy, medication and camouflage cream…

‘The scariest thing is if they wee on you!’ Some blokes measure their snakes in inches. But my Lewis measures one of his in feet... 15ft to be precise. Her name is Sunshine. She’s an albino Burmese python. Lewis loves her to bits. And she’s not his only one... Me and Lewis met four years ago. A mutual friend introduced us. ‘You two would really get on,’ he’d said. See, back then, I had a small corn snake called Amy. I kept her in a specially heated tank and fed her dead mice I got from the pet shop. Whereas Lewis fed Sunshine dead rabbits! Plus he had three other snakes. All pythons. Even as a snake lover, I was nervous when I first met them. But when I held…

ASK JESS Q My lip balms keep snapping when I’m half-way through, so I can’t use the rest. Can you recommend a better one? Ciara Parker, 27, Bath A Try the new Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Flip Balm, £4.99, from Superdrug. The balm is in a ball-shaped pot, making it impossible to break, and the flip lid means it won’t open in your bag! Pick me up! FOR LESS Spend £10 on GOSH products at Superdrug before 3/01/16 and get a free eyeshadow palette. READER’STIP As well as moisturiser for your face, use body oil in the winter to keep your skin soft and nourished, top to toe. Jade Lewis, 53, Luton Want the perfect... HAIR MASK? Try one of these… Restore: Tresemme Oleo Radiance Creamy Moisturiser Mask Great for…

‘The Sunday school teacher was arrested’ USA: TRAILER-PARK TERROR On 27 March 2009, 8-year-old Sandra Cantu vanished from the trailer park where she lived with her family in Tracy, California. Two weeks later, her body was found stuffed in a suitcase, at the bottom of a pond. Sunday school teacher and mum-of-one Melissa Huckaby was arrested, after being linked to the suitcase. Huckaby, 29, lived with her daughter in the same trailer park. She stood accused of poisoning, sexually assaulting and killing Sandra. In June 2010, Huckaby pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and kidnap ‘with enhancements’ to avoid the death penalty. The sexual-assault charge was dropped as part of a plea deal, despite a pathologist report supplying evidence. In court, CCTV footage from the trailer park showed Sandra skipping home…

‘Lucy went into remission, she started school and loved it’ Stretching out my arms, I cheered as my 13-month-old daughter Lucy took her first, wobbly steps. She had a big grin on her face - she’d always been a real smiler. So it was unusual, just two days later, when she seemed unhappy. She was pale, weak, and wanted endless cuddles. When she started being sick, I took her to see our doctor. ‘It’s a virus,’ he said. ‘She’ll soon be better.’ But she wasn’t. Days on, a second doctor suggested meningitis, so we rushed to Burton Hospital, where Lucy was incubated and sent to Leicester Royal Infirmary. There, after she’d had tests, we got a different - but just as terrifying - diagnosis. ‘I’m afraid Lucy has leukaemia,’ the…

1 Be in control  You can save £85 a year for each degree the thermostat is turned down. Smart thermostats let you control the temperature remotely, and show the cost of your heating. 2 Kitchen aids  Wash clothes at 30C; use a bowl to wash up; only fill the kettle with the water you need – and you could save around £43 a year. 3 Don’t lose it!  Close the curtains, or fit insulating blinds like Duette to reduce heat loss and save up to £150 a year. 4 On reflection…  You lose 95% of heat through the wall, so install radiator reflectors. 5 Turn it off  Switching off TVs, laptops and set top boxes can save up to £80…

An ingrown toenail develops when the sides of a toenail begin to grow into the surrounding skin, usually affecting the big toe. They’re caused by badly cut toenails, sweaty feet, injury or wearing tight shoes, sock or tights. They’re easily treated early on but, if left, infections set in and make surgery necessary. Depending on the severity, part of the toenail may have to be removed during treatment. Give Yourself A Lift Curries containing spices like cayenne pepper, chilli, turmeric and garlic have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. They also help boost the immune system.…

‘I lost all feeling in the left side of my body’ As my mum drove me to the appointment with my neurologist, last February, I steadied my nerves. Weeks earlier, I’d had a tickly sore throat I couldn’t shift. Nothing seemed to work. Then I’d started getting excruciating headaches. The first time it happened, I spent all day in bed, vomiting. It got so bad that Mum called an ambulance. Back and forth to A&E, I was told they were migraines. Finally, my GP referred me to a neurologist, hoping to get some answers. But as we drove, I suddenly lost all feeling in the left side of my body. My lip dropped and I started dribbling. Then I was violently sick. Terrified, Mum thought I was having a stroke.…

Almond Torte With Clementine Glaze Serves 8 Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 35 min 73p per serving To decorate: 1 Preheat oven to 170C/Gas 3 and lightly grease a 23cm round cake tin. 2 Beat egg yolks with sugars until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and stir through with a large spoon until mixture is even. 3 In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff, then fold in a spoonful of egg whites to spiced almond mixture to loosen it before folding in remaining egg whites. Be careful not to over-fold – mixture should be mousse-like. 4 Scoop batter into tin and bake on centre shelf for 30–35 min, until cake has risen,…

‘I hated the way I looked, became so selfconscious’ A large kebab, with cheesy chips and garlic mayo... finished off with half a litre tub of ice cream. My Saturday night, sorted. It was the same story every week. My partner Chris, 33, and I would snuggle up and scoff a takeaway. Chris could eat what he liked, not put on a pound, lucky thing! Me, however - I only had to look at a chocolate biscuit and it’d go straight to my bum! A size-24, I knew I was overweight, but takeaways were my weakness! And, after having my son Corby, now 4, I seemed to live on them. Running around after a littl’un meant I rarely had time to cook, so the easy option was the chippie or…

We spend nearly two hours a day browsing the web How do you feel when you forget your mobile phone? Or it breaks, runs out of battery, credit, signal, or worse, you lose it? Would your describe yourself as being anxious? Stressed? Fearful? Or is your stomach churning in panic? If you experience any of these, then you could be suffering from nomophobia - the overwhelming fear of being without your mobile phone. The term is an abbreviation for ‘no-mobile-phone phobia’, which was coined during a YouGov study commissioned by the Post Office. Panic attacks Figures show nearly 53 per cent of mobile users have experienced nomophobia, while an extra 9 per cent felt stressed when their mobile phones were switched off. This is extremely alarming, especially when you take…

Try this…. Asda High Protein Low Fat ready meals, £1.87 each A range of tasty, calorie-counted, high-protein meals designed to help you feel full for longer. We love the Salmon Laksa Noodles, with chunks of salmon and pollock in a rich tomato and coconut sauce – and only 300 calories. Yazoo No added Sugar drinks, 200ml x 4, £1.60, Tesco, Co-Op, Morrisons Three flavoured milk drinks with absolutely no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. With 92 cal in each 200ml serving, choose from Banana, Toffee and Strawberry. Pick Me Up! FOR LESS £1.50 Special pack in Asda, Tesco, Morrisons until mid-Jan. If you don’t like it, get your money back! Get Moving! Go for a winter run According to a new survey, running is easier in the winter, as the…

‘I had to make an outfit entirely of recycled materials’ I’m entering Miss Kent 2016,’ I told my mum Funda, 53, and nan Priscilla, 71. I’d always fancied competing in a beauty pageant. Making the final five for the semi-finals in June, there was an ‘Eco-Wear’ category, where you had to make an outfit entirely out of recycled materials. Nan had an idea... ‘I have some old curtains you could use,’ she offered. I imagined moth-eaten cloth, but, to my surprise, they were lovely, lacy nets. ‘Perfect!’ I said. The theme was ‘English fashion through the ages’, and I took my inspiration from Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. I wrapped Nan’s curtains around an old white dress, and the lace looked stunning. Next, I scoured the charity shops and…

You may remember me from last January, when I was pictured smiling up from the pages of Pick Me Up! , cradling my baby James. James was a miracle for me and my partner James Schofield, 37. We’d been left grief-stricken in April 2005 when our baby girl Emon died of septicaemia at just 1 month old. She’d been very premature, born at 24 weeks, and she passed away in my arms. A year on, I was diagnosed with PCOS and had an op. James and I had tried IVF and suffered endless devastating miscarriages. But, after 13 harrowing years, I’d conceived naturally and, in June 2015, James was born by emergency Caesarean, but thankfully healthy. James was a gorgeous, cheeky boy, and we were so happy,…

Relationships are always a focus of concern in our lives. Are you seeking a romantic partner? Are you experiencing difficulties in your current relationship? Are you both compatible? Our team of specially selected love psychics can help you find the answers you’re looking for on all matters of the heart. Using the ancient art of the tarot, your psychic reader will provide revealing answers. LIVE PSYCHICS & MEDIUMS! Call our live Psychics and Mediums now! Pay by your phone bill… Love Psychics 0906 174 1693 (£1.50/min)** Live Mediums 0906 174 1777 (£1.50/min)** Call Freephone 0800 063 0687 Book your reading with our friendly advisors Enjoy your consultation Or simply text LOVET (Space) plus your question to 82229 (Texts £1.50 per msg x 2)***…

‘I could tell my unborn baby was stressed – big time!’ ‘Now she’s one – and loved every minute of her birthday!’ The first thing I thought of was our baby. It was 20 September 2015, and me and my fiance Scott, 31, had just pulled up at some lights on our way home from Morrisons. He was driving, I was seven months pregnant and in the passenger seat. There was a car in front - but then it started to reverse... backing straight towards us. With traffic behind us, there was nowhere for us to go. So... CRASH! It wasn’t a huge collision. But the impact as the car hit our bumper caused us to jolt and the seatbelt tightened sharply across my bump. ‘The baby!’ I cried as…