Table of contents for 06-Jul-2017 in Pick Me Up!

Sharon Gailer Senior Sub Editor What A Ceremony! ‘Here comes the bride…’ June is officially the most popular month to get married, and apparently this stems from the fact that the month derives its name from Juno, the Roman Goddess of marriage. What A Bloom! If you’re after some wedding flowers or want to brighten up your home, you can’t go wrong with gorgeous gerberas, which are in season right now… What A Memory! It’s the time of year for icy treats and regular lollies are fine, but I loved Jubblies! They were a totally ridiculous pyramid shape, but we still managed to slurp away on them! What A Tune! Have been watching Ed Sheeran’s brilliant performance at Glastonbury on BBC iPlayer over and over again. He’s amazing! What A…

Eirian Cohen, 35, Leeds I was giggling so much I could hardly speak. ‘What do you look like?’ I laughed at my new hubby James. Earlier that day, we’d tied the knot on a beautiful white-sand beach in sunny Jamaica. Now alone, back in our room, James had slipped into my wedding gown for a joke. He was a real blokey bloke and I was more used to seeing him in his electrician’s overalls, or jeans and trainers. So we were both in fits as he strutted around in my strappy silk dress. Skinny, it fit him OK, even if his hairy chest poked out of the top! ‘Does it suit me?’ James asked. And it set us off again. I remember thinking that laughter was the perfect start to married…

1 Insured..? Check you’re insured for driving/car hire in France, and take your full UK driver’s licence. 2 Don’t speed Speed limits are strictly implemented. Speed-detecting devices are illegal so switch off sat-nav camera alerts. 3 No boozing Don’t drink and drive. French laws are stricter than in the UK. You also need to carry a breathalyser, or you could be fined £8. 4 Wheel careful It’s illegal to eat, apply make-up, read a map or listen to loud music at the wheel. Plus, headphones and earpieces are banned. 5 Be seen… In France, you must have a hi-vis waistcoat in the car (not the boot). And you must carry a warning triangle.…

Real-Life PLUS Trends, Info and Advice Michelle Green, 33, Liverpool W hen my daughter Sophia was born this January, she was perfect – all 7lb 7½oz of her – and me and my partner Steven Wicksted, 32, were besotted. But when she was a few days old, I noticed a little red mark at the top of her nose. ‘It’s just a stork mark,’ my health visitor reassured me. But over the weeks, the little mark got bigger and redder and it was raised a little, too. When I uploaded a photo of Sophia to Facebook, a friend who’s a nurse got in touch. That mark looks like a haemangioma, she messaged. I looked it up and learned it was a type of birthmark, so I took Sophia to our GP.…

Ale Be Blowed! are you a Clever Fox or a leaky Queen? Find out using our handy pub-name generator! Choose your first name initial A Royal B Rich C Wet D Wonky E Beautiful F sneaky G Friendly H Dizzy I pesky J salty K Clever L Tipsy M stern N leaky O misty P Floppy Q Terrible R Wrinkly S Randy T stubborn U Drunk V nifty W Frisky X Wild Y jolly Z Drowsy Choose your surname initial A Witch B Fox C pirate D lion E Cake F sailor G surgeon H Wench I Fella J zebra K Dragon L moon M Bear N plumber O undertaker P ghost Q Friar R egg S Dolphin T Crown U Bull V ship W Queen X unicorn Y serpent…

Helen Williams, 37, Llanelli, South Wales One day an athletic guy made a beeline for me in the gym S itting at the dining table, my tummy was rumbling. Having Sunday dinner at my mum’s was a family tradition, even long after me and my sister Alison, now 36, had left home. ‘I’ve been looking forward to this all week,’ I said. ‘Me, too, can’t beat Mum’s roast,’ Alison agreed. But when dinner was served, I paused. Looking down at mine and my sister’s plates, it was hard not to notice the difference. Hers had a couple of slices of lean meat and one potato, with piles of healthy veg. Meanwhile, mine didn’t have a single green bean on it. Instead, I had a mountain of greasy roasties and loads of…

We put some truly original products to the testÉ Pack’d Frozen Smoothie Kits, £3.50, Sainsbury’s Getting your 5-a-day has never been easier thanks to these. They contain all you need for a delicious smoothie in seconds without the hassle of chopping or slicing! Real Ale Bathing Gel, £9.99, www.prezzybox.com We can’t quite think of anything worse than taking a dip in a tub filled with ale – but for diehard ale drinkers this boozy scented bath gel must be the dream! Oaxis WatchPhone, around £100, www.oaxis.com If your kids aren’t old enough for a phone, this smart watch is a great alternative. It works with a micro SIM on all UK networks to let them text and call you and their friends. It even includes a GPS tracker so you…

FLATTERING FASHION Create a stunning, hour-glass figure in this flamenco-style, frill-edged skirt in must-have gingham check. Team with a red, off-the-shoulder top and become a real senorita! Try this…. skinnypop, 85p, co-op peckish? Made with just a smidge of salt and sugar, this singleserving pack of popcorn that’s as light as air contains just 98 cal – a snack lover’s dream! Weight Watchers Vegetable Masala, £2.50, asda, Nisa, spar, ocado Whether you’re a vegetarian or have meat-free Mondays, this curry combo of tomato, onion, chickpeas, sweet potato and kale on tasty pilau rice has just 308 cal. Get Moving! research from sure found that 52 per cent of women don’t have time to work out at lunch time. so, with blogger faya Nilsson, they’ve created a lunch workout. With warm-up…

Monica Slinn, 38, Bristol L uke and I had been chatting online for a year before we met face to face. ‘You’re beautiful,’ he said. But I didn't feel it. A messy break-up had seen me balloon to a size-16, weighing over 13st. I comfort ate. I’d tried every diet going, but never stuck with them. Still, when we became a couple, Luke made me so happy. In 2014, he proposed. But if being sad made me eat, being settled made things worse. I ate because I was comfortable, and was soon a size-22, 16st 8lb. I had to buy my wedding dress on Ebay, as they didn’t have my size in the shop. I was too selfconscious to have a photographer on the big day, but looking at family photos after…

Caitlin Tattersall, 27, Blackpool E very mum thinks their child is gorgeous, but my Kaden really was. With his blue eyes, blond hair and cute smile, we couldn’t go anywhere without people stopping to coo over him. A single mum to him and my daughter Taylor, we were incredibly close. Kaden loved Ferrari cars and computer games. He was always on the go. But, one morning two years ago, in September 2015, he woke in pain. ‘I can’t stand up, Mum!’ Kaden winced. ‘Your right ankle’s swollen,’ I noticed, concerned. Then 4, he’d just started school, and never usually made a fuss. At the local walk-in centre, an X-ray came up clear. ‘Probably just a sprain,’ the doctor said. Thankfully, the swelling had gone down, the pain subsided. Only, a week…

Michelle De Feo, 25, Colchester P opping two paracetamol, I sat back and let them get to work. But an hour on, my head was still pounding. And when I got up to get some fresh air outside, I came over dizzy. ‘I feel a bit fuzzy,’ I told my mum Viv, 49. When the symptoms persisted, I knew it was time to see my GP. He did some blood tests, but they came back clear. ‘I think you’re suffering from depression,’ he said, prescribing anti-depressants. I did feel a bit low, but so would anyone feeling as rotten as I did. Still, I gave the antidepressants a try. But as time went on I started to develop a pain in my neck. On top of all that, my headaches and…

Serves: 16 Prep Time: 40 min + cooling and setting Cook Time: 55 min Brownie layer: ■150g dark cooking chocolate ■100g unsalted butter, softened ■100g dark brown sugar ■2 medium eggs, beaten ■100g gluten-free plain flour Blondie layer: ■150g white cooking chocolate ■100g lightly salted butter ■100g caster sugar ■2 medium eggs, beaten ■½tsp caramel flavouring ■100g gluten-free plain flour Topping: ■1 sachet Dr Oetker salted caramel easy fill cake centre ■25g lightly salted popcorn 1 Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin. 2 For brownies, gently heat 100g dark choc in a saucepan with butter and sugar. Leave to cool for 10 min. 3 Whisk eggs into mixture, sift flour and mix in. Pour into prepared tin, level, and chill in fridge for 1 hr. 4 Preheat oven…

w hat do you imagine when you think about cannabis? An aging stoner puffing on a joint? Teenagers passing round a spliff? Street dealers pushing their weed, skunk, hash? You probably wouldn’t think about a child. A little girl so racked with seizures she can never have a birthday party. Or an elderly gentleman desperate to stop the uncontrollable tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease, or a mum with breast cancer, battling the nausea of chemotherapy to cook her kids’ tea. Cannabis is a class B drug in the UK, but there have long been calls to legalise it. And evidence is stacking up that medicinal forms of marijuana can help treat symptoms of many health conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, chemo side-effects, chronic pain, epilepsy, cancer and AIDS. Leading the…

Shirley Davis, 59, Bedford The site was fun with lots of games to choose fromÉ Ilistened as my mum Rose, 80, told me how she’d won a few quid at the bingo hall. I play bingo, too, online in the comfort of my own home. A friend had told me about Pick Me Up! Bingo in June 2013, and I’d joined the site. It was fun with lots of games – I liked Tiki and Sapphire. In my first month of joining, I won £1,100 playing Tiki. Then, last August, I had a bit of me time…cuppa and Pick Me Up! Bingo. I bought a few 1p tickets for Tiki and, as the games played out, I watched the telly. I checked later and needed two numbers to win the…

Jemma Smedley, 38, Ilkeston, Derbyshire M y son William was 9 months old when strange things started to happen. When I picked him up, his whole body would stiffen. His eyes flickered, and he couldn’t sit up or smile. ‘Something’s not right,’ I said to my hubby Richard, 42. Our GP referred us to an epilepsy specialist at Derby Children’s Hospital. We were admitted, and the next day he was hooked up to an EEG machine. Within half an hour, he had 17 seizures. Tests revealed William had epilepsy. ‘It will slow down his development,’ we were warned. William didn’t start toddling until he was 2, and mumbling at 4, not forming proper words but we came to understand him. At 5, he was diagnosed with learning difficulties and autism. Still…

Jodie Broadley, 26, Sheffield C lick! Click! The camera on my phone flashed as I took another selfie. I looked at it intently, checking my make-up, studying my face, scrutinising my body. But was I just another young woman taking a quick snap before a night out..? No. This was part of a ritual that was driving me to the point of suicide. I’d take up to 100 selfies in one go, praying one would make me feel OK about myself. But they never did. I hated my body. Just 21, people said I looked like actress Sheridan Smith. But, when I looked in the mirror, all I saw was deformity. Staring at my stomach and face – the two things that bothered me most – I’d see a huge nose,…

Jealous ex refused to move on Stabbed new boyfriend 10 times Helping the scars to heal... Demi Dettmer, 20, Consett, Co Durham It wasn’t long before the greeneyed monster returned T he moment I met him, I was hooked. I’d got chatting to Graham Clarke at a party. Five years older than me, he wasn’t like lads my age. We became an item in 2012 and, getting serious, moved in together the next year. Graham worked on a factory production line, while I was at college studying Hairdressing. Life was good. Too good to be true, in fact… Gradually, Graham became very controlling, with a jealous streak. He’d ban me from going out with my friends, accuse me of cheating whenever I spoke to his mates. His temper would explode out…

save as You Lose Weight Watchers Crustless Bacon & Leek Quiche is now just £1 (normally £1.36) at Asda until 9 July. Each one only contains 248kcal and they’re a great source of protein. summer shoes These flip-flops by Board Angels are fab and only £1.99 a pair at mandmdirect.com. Make sure you snap up a pair while stocks last! Beauty Bargain Amirose.com is offering PMU readers the chance to buy its Fine Silicon Exfoliating Cleansing Brushes at two for the price of one until 31 July. Enter the code PMU27 at the checkout or quote it over the phone to receive two brushes for just £4.99. The great outdoors Whether you’re going to a festival or off on a camping holiday, save big at Halfords this summer! They’ve got…

J ack Unterweger couldn’t be a serial killer. It was impossible. He was a narcissist. And if he’d really strangled 11 – or possibly more – prostitutes to death, he wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet. He’d have shown off. Or so the lawyer at his 1992 trial argued. For jurors, it wasn’t hard to see Unterweger as a man who loved himself. He’d arranged his hair carefully, stylishly. He wore an expensive designer suit. And before the trial began, he’d posed for photographers outside court and smiled for them. It was almost as if Unterweger enjoyed the attention. He wore a designer suit, posed for photos outside court Early years Jack was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1950. And, from a young age, those closest to him failed to…

WIN PUZZLE 4 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. Enter on page 49. 3 letters AND ELF HOE REX TAB 4 letters CASE MIDI SCAB STUB THOU 5 letters ELAND SMART STOAT UDDER 6 letters ADROIT ATTIRE ElAPSE EXODUS INCOME 7 letters FOREMAN INDULGE LAMBADA RECTIFY 8 letters APPLIQUE CASHMERE POISONER TEARDROP WIN PUZZLE 5 £25! Sudoku! To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 2 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 6. Solve the puzzle, then read down the numbers in the highlighted squares for the prize answer. Enter on page 49.…

This week: Sun Protection 1 Lacura Suncare Refreshing Sun Spray SPF 30, £3.29, Aldi Don’t be put off by the price – this has a 5* UVA rating to help keep you protected on a budget. I really liked that this was transparent, so that I didn’t end up with any white marks on my cossie. 2 Riemann P20 Once A Day Sun Protection SPF 30, £24.49, Superdrug The really brilliant thing about P20 is that just one application is enough to last you all day long. I found its pouring lotions a little tricky to use, but this spray gives just the right amount of product. 3 Piz Buin Protect & Cool Refreshing Sun Mousse, £8.50, Boots This instantly cooled my skin as soon as I applied it, and…

Nikki Elliott, 27, Eastbourne H owling with laughter, my sides ached. ‘Stop… I can’t breathe!’ I cackled to Oliver Whiting, my boss at the local restaurant where I waitressed. Other waitresses thought he was creepy, but Olly’s dark sense of humour tickled me. He’d hired me in February 2012, and was a great boss. He clearly fancies you,’ my bloke Dan Taylor, 27, muttered. ‘No, he doesn’t,’ I laughed. Dan had nothing to worry about. A strapping builder, he was my dream man. In May 2013, I gave birth to our little girl Olivia. Olly texted and Facebook-messaged a few times while I was on maternity leave – but, as a busy mum, I didn’t take much notice. I went back to work part-time in April 2014, and it was like…

29 June – 5 July 2017 In next week’s Pick Me Up! HEADBUTTED AS I HELD MY KIDS Paralysed BUT I HAD A BABY Hostage to a SERIAL KILLER On Sale Thursday 6 July ARIES 21 March–20 April the relationship sector of your chart is highlighted, and you begin to be more honest with yourself about what’s working and what’s not. Don’t be frightened, Aries – this is the beginning of a brand-new you. Happy times will be ahead when you have an honest heart. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Setbacks in home affairs can turn out to be a bonus, as you discover just what’s really been going on behind stubborn words and strange moods. Do be nice to new faces the family introduce you to,…