Table of contents for 03-Dec-2020 in Pick Me Up!

Back in 2017, I’d just started volunteering for a local charity. I’ve always been charity focused, and donate to as many as I can. But I’ve always wanted to do more, I just wasn’t sure what. That year, as Christmas approached, I realised how suddenly popular advent calendars were. Walking around, it was no longer 24 days of chocolate, but gin, makeup and even beer. However, despite a growing demand for ethical products, there wasn’t anything charity based. And that’s when I had a dawning realisation. I need to do something about this, I thought to myself. It was a simple idea – 24 days for 24 charities. Each day, instead of receiving a gift, you donate some money. ‘This is a great idea,’ people kept telling me. John Lewis…

Taking a seat at the dining room table, my son’s eyes widened. ‘Mum, you’ve really outdone yourself,’ Joe, 25, smiled. In front of him lay a full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings – a glistening turkey, roast carrots and parsnips, pigs in blankets, stuffing, warm Yorkshire puddings and steaming gravy. With Christmas music playing in the background, I’d created a nice festive atmosphere for him. Although he was eating his Christmas dinner alone, he piled his plate as high as he possibly could. ‘Cheers Mum,’ he smiled, lifting up his drink with a cheeky grin. While most people enjoy a scrumptious meal like this on Christmas Day, for Joe, it was two weeks early – on 8 December 2019. Myself, my husband, Michael, 57, and our son, Sam, 30,…

Sitting in a hot tub surrounded by 6ft of snow, we clinked our glasses together. ‘This really is a white Christmas,’ I said to my husband Brett, 37, taking in the beautiful view around us. With are two children, Gabriel, 10 and Grey, two, we were celebrating Christmas like we never had before - in Lapland, Finland! This was already one to remember and it was only Christmas Eve. With my sister and her family joining us from the UK, we’d already been to see Father Christmas and his team of helpful reindeers. It was magical and the fun wasn’t stopping there, with plans to go husky sledding across a beautiful frozen lake in the morning. It was what dreams were made of and as I looked out at the…

It was a cherished visit back to her hometown to see family for university student Mackenzie Lueck, but it was under sad circumstances. Mackenzie, 23, had travelled the 700 miles to El Segundo, California, so she could attend her grandmother’s funeral and was now on a flight back to Salt Lake City, Utah where she attended university. Mackenzie was a popular student at the University of Utah where she was studying pre-nursing and kinesiology, the science of human body movement. It wasn’t surprising that she was following a future in caring for others. Mackenzie was naturally nurturing and was compassionate with animals. She was sporty too – having played water polo at high school and competed on the swim team. With three brothers, Mackenzie was spirited and held her own.…

Getting the suitcase out of storage, I couldn’t wait to start packing our stuff. Me and my husband Mike, now 63, were getting ready for a two-week New Year trip to Egypt. Around a week before we were due to head off in January 2014, I decided to do a quick check of my breasts. As I stood in front of the mirror and ran my hand across my chest, I noticed my left nipple looked indented. Weird, I thought. Running my hand around the area, I couldn’t feel anything different, but it bugged me all the same. ‘Everything OK, love?’ Mike asked, coming to check on me. ‘There’s something wrong with my nipple,’ I said, feeling slightly concerned. I was diagnosed with multiple scoliosis in 2010, so already struggling…

Party season may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to a bit of glamour. Whether it’s your hair, makeup, nails or a gift set you can’t resist, we’ve got you covered. Style it your way Get your hair ready with salon-worthy waves that are perfect for any Christmas celebration. Nicky Clarke’s range of innovative styling tools create the curls you want. From the Frizz Control Hot Air Styler (£29.99), featuring a brush to create bouncy volume, to the Hair Therapy Ceramic Curling Tong (£39.99), which uses a 28mm barrel for a loose wavy look, and the Supershine Steam Tong (£39.99), using steam conditioning to enhance shine, there’s a tool for every style. And, if you’re the spontaneous kind to decide on the…

Frolicking across the sand, Reema, my Golden Retriever, didn’t hesitate for a second as her huge fluffy paws hit the wet sand for the first time. She’d never seen the sea before and was instantly captivated by the sight of its crashing blue waves. As Reema bounded over to the sea front, the salty water touched her legs for the first time, making her skid to a halt. She jumped around trying to bite the droplets that were splashing up into the air and then peacefully submerged herself in the shallow water. ‘Look at her staring out to sea,’ my husband Andy, 58, said. ‘I wonder what Reema is thinking right now?’ ‘She’s thinking she’s found where she belongs. The beach,’ I sighed happily. We’d first met Reema back in…

Heading down to my local Hobbycraft, I was on a mission. This Christmas, I refused to have a chocolate advent calendar. I wanted a cheese one, and that’s what I was going to have. Picking up some bright yellow cardboard, all that was left was the cheese. Walking down the aisles at my local supermarket, I selected a few of my favourites and headed home. Cutting out 24 doors, I created my very own cheese advent calendar. ‘Doesn’t it look good?’ I squealed, showing it to my husband, Michael. ‘Great,’ he laughed. I was so proud of my creation that I wrote a blog post on how to create your own, and posted it on Twitter. Lying in bed, I didn’t think anymore about the tweet – all I could…

We’re loving this! The wonderful David Attenborough has told us repeatedly over the past decade that we need to be kinder to the earth. But when it comes to Christmas, it’s hard to wrap our heads around new ways to do this. We don’t seem to have many options besides the pretty non-recyclable wrapping paper or the alternatives of ugly brown paper or newspapers, which undeniably isn’t to everyone’s tastes. But Curlicue has launched the alternative that we’ve all been looking for. An eco-friendly wrapping paper that actually looks good! Started up in London last year, proud BAME owner of this genius creation is passionate about making it easier for people to live sustainably. If every individual used an eco-friendly option, it would help cut down on 227,000 miles of wrapping…

Afew weeks later, we finally managed to get Joe’s body flown home. It had cost us ?4,500 – more than Joe paid for his cheap surgery. I couldn’t face seeing him in that state, and so we agreed to have him sent off for a post-mortem. Christmas rolled around a few days later, and it was unbearable for all of us. Joe had always loved the Christmas tree, so we’d decided to put it up in his memory, but sat around it, I couldn’t stop crying. ‘It’s not right,’ I sobbed. ‘Joe should be here.’ That day, his friends brought around a hamper of nuts, chocolates and biscuits, with Joe’s name on it. They didn’t want there to be an empty space under the tree where Joe’s gifts should have…

Strolling around a toy store in Chicago in 2012, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Looking up at the shelves, dozens and dozens of dolls were looking back at me, and for the first time ever, there was one that represented my little girl. Being mixed race, my daughter, Lila, then six, never did have a doll that looked just like her. Only as I wandered through the aisles of dolls in the American Girl superstore, the diversity was amazing. ‘Lila would love this,’ I thought to myself. But being in Chicago for business, she wasn’t with me - instead at home with my husband Matthew, now 48, and our son Jacob, now 17. I knew she had to come back with me, and that summer - on a…

Hands on my hips, I stopped still in a bid to try and catch my breath. But huffing and puffing, I knew something wasn’t quite right. Aged 20, and home from university for the summer, I’d decided to go for a run. Only, before I’d even made it to the end of the road, I felt as though I couldn’t breathe. This can’t be normal, I thought to myself. Wheezing my way back to the front door, I finally admitted defeat. And this wasn’t the first time. For the last year or so, even the smallest task could leave me struggling to catch my breath. Walking up a flight of stairs, walking to and from my lectures, it all left me feeling wheezy. I thought I was just unfit, but…

Clutching my husband’s hand, we watched as the sonographer rubbed gel over my bump, and began to scan. ‘Is everything OK?’ I asked. It was early-2014, and I was 12 weeks pregnant. ‘It all looks good to me,’ she said. ‘Listen to the heartbeat.’ Relief flooded over me as I heard the steady rhythm. I looked at my husband Barrie, then 34, and smiled. I was more anxious than most pregnant women. We had been trying for a second baby for eight years. Since having our beautiful daughter, Madison, then 10, we had struggled. I’d had three miscarriages, and each one was completely soul destroying. Then finally, one miracle baby decided to stay. We were over the moon. Only, as soon as I allowed myself to relax and enjoy pregnancy,…

Dear MiMi, You probably don’t remember your first Christmas. You were only four-months-old, but we spent the day with your big brother, Lewis, 18, and sister Kacey-Mae, 13, along with your daddy, Philip, 44. As we watched your siblings open their presents, for a brief moment, all felt like normal. But it wasn’t, was it, MiMi? This wasn’t theChristmas we’d imagined for you. We weren’t at home by a Christmas tree with a turkey in the oven. Instead, we were all in Ward 11 at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. When you were in Mummy’s tummy, just after my 20-week scan, you were diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, as well as unbalanced AVSD. It meant that the left side of your tiny heart hadn’t developed properly. ‘She may not make…

It’s strange how one moment can change the rest of your life. For me, it was lying on the floor, looking up at the worried faces of my family. In that moment, I somehow knew that things would never be the same. Growing up, I’d always been an over-achiever. I was that kid who always got straight A’s, asked for extra homework, and did all that while practising ballet, tap and jazz dance lessons. By May 2010, at 17 years old, I had my whole life planned out – I was going to go to Lancaster University to study English literature, then take a year out to go travelling around the world. After that, I planned to either become a primary school teacher or go on to do a course…

Dear Mum, Do you remember on Christmas Eve when we all used to watch films together? You always bought me and my big sister, Kelly, now 43, new pyjamas to wear and fresh bedding to go to sleep in. Christmas was one of your favourite times of the year and you made sure it was extra special for me and Kelly. No matter how poorly you were, you’d spend days making sure everything was perfect. You were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease before both me and Kelly were born, so we never knew any different. Growing up, we were used to you being in and out of hospital. Having parts of your bowel removed and constantly in pain, we just got used to it. As the younger sibling, I always knew…

Looking at all the gifts stacked under the tree, I tried to get my two-yearold son excited. ‘Archie, it’s time for presents!’ I said, eagerly. But Archie just shook his head, laying down on the sofa. It really wasn’t the kind of Christmas Day we’d expected. It was 2019, and our first Christmas as a family of four. ‘I don’t understand what’s wrong,’ I said worryingly to my husband Andi, 43. I’d imagined Archie ripping open his stocking and helping his little sister Leah, then nine months, open her gifts. It was so unusual to see him like this – he was such a hyper, energetic little boy, that always had a massive smile on his face. He enjoyed playing outside, building train tracks and loved Toy Story and Thomas…

Bonne Maman is one of Britain’s best-loved conserves, famous for its signature gingham lids and high quality, all natural ingredients. You can use the Bonne Maman to create delicious festive delights – and the jars are perfect to present home-cooked gifts! Fruity gingerbread wreath Makes: 25 □ 50g unsalted butter, diced□ 50g Demerara sugar□ 100g golden syrup□ 1 tsp mixed spice□ 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger□ 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda□ 30ml beaten egg□ 250g plain flour□ About 20 tbsp Bonne Maman conserve in many flavours and colours□ 250g white fondant icing□ 250g Royal icing sugar 1 To make the gingerbread dough, put the butter in a large bowl. In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, syrup, spices and ginger and bring to the boil. Add the bicarbonate of…

You would do anything you could to help someone you loved. When I found out that there was something I could do to save my husband’s life, there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind. In 1991, I met Simon, 56, at the local pub. Over a pint and a packet of crisps, we became partners and best friends, and just two years later, we married. I always knew he was the man for me! As the years passed, Simon suffered regularly with water infections, and he also kept falling unwell. In 1996, his doctor sent him for a scan, and that was when we discovered Simon had kidney failure. ‘Your kidneys are only functioning at 26%,’ the doctor explained. We didn’t know the cause, only that his kidneys were…

They were a couple over 5500 miles apart and only able to message or video call, but their romance had got serious, very quickly. William Hargrove was in Albany, Oregon while his girlfriend Anna Repkina was in Moscow, Russia. It was 2016, and Anna, 27, had fallen hard for William, then 26. She had agreed to travel to the US to spend the festive season with William. After splitting from her boyfriend of seven years, caring Anna had been looking for love when she met William online on a social networking site. Anna worked hard in her office job, but she also dreamed of getting married and having a family. William offered her everything shewanted. He even invited her to come and stay with him in Oregon for a few…

This gorgeous jewel tone is perfect for the festive season. Emerald green looks sophisticated and expensive, especially in satin and velvet materials. It was a favourite colour in New York fashion week earlier this year, and now it’s trickled down to our most-loved stores. Try dipping your toe in this rich shade for Christmas… Winter warmers The UK sends 103,000 tonnes of hosiery to landfill every year. Investing in a good pair of tights, and knowing how to take care of them, is beneficial for the environment and your bank balance! Experts at Better tights share their tricks of the trade that will change your tights game… WATCH HOW YOU WASH – Invest in some in-laundry laundry bags and pop your tights inside them on a delicate cycle. Or, to…

ACROSS 7 Plunders (5) 8 Therapy (9) 10 Greek capital (6) 11 Cheater (8) 12 Spanish city (8) 13 Friend (4) 15 Famke _, actor who played Jean Grey in 2000’s X-Men (7) 17 In addition to (2,3,2) 20 Needlecase (4) 22 Killing of a king (8) 25 Sheffield-born actor who played Boromir in The Lord of The Rings trilogy (4,4) 26 High-pitched (6) 27 Advertising (9) 28 African country (5) DOWN 1 Taking place after birth (9) 2 Tries (8) 3 Pierce _, actor who starred in the 2008 muscial film Mamma Mia! (7) 4 Object believed to bring good luck (8) 5 Amongst (6) 6 Picture within another (5) 9 Norway’s capital (4) 14 1995 James Bond film starring 15 Across, 25 Across & 3 Down (9) 16…

It will come as no surprise to most people that Christmas will be far from normal this year. From the rule of six, to local lockdowns, it’s still unclear just how much we’ll be able to celebrate. For many, Christmas will be a very paired down affair, with financial strain and job cuts affecting lots of Brit’s incomes this festive season. But has this very turbulent year actually made us reevaluate what matters to us the most? With less focus on the material things and more emphasis on family, this year might see many of us having a far more family-focused celebration this year. Life coach, Carole-Ann Rice thinks this could be the case. ‘Spending time with family and friends will be more meaningful because of the restrictions and the…

Your Christmas party may be hanging in the balance, but that doesn’t mean you have to shun festive outfits altogether. This Dorothy Perkins leopard print dress is perfect to wear for multiple occasions – from (socially distanced) drinks, or brunch with the girls, to an intimate Christmas Day. Best of all, it’s just £26.99! Award-winning personal stylist Susie Hasler (www.styledbysusie.co.uk) shows you how to wear this must-have dress five ways this December… 1.EVENING DRINKS For a more sophisticated look, pair the dress with a long-line blazer. Slouchy boots have made a comeback this year. They are a great alternative to knee-high boots if you struggle to get boots to fit over your calves. Finish this look off with a matching leopard print headband, red lips and red nails. 2.FESTIVE BRUNCH…

Sitting on the sofa, I helped my two-year-old son play with his new toys. It was Christmas Day 2019, and whilst I was playing with Harley, my husband Luke, 30, and two daughters, Teigen, 11, and Te’arnie, six, were eating their Christmas roast dinner. ‘Won’t be long,’ Luke shouted through as he finished up the last of his turkey. Although it was Christmas Day and I would have loved nothing more than sitting down as a family for dinner, it just wasn’t an option for us. Within a week of giving birth to Harley in January 2017, he developed a nasty cough. As the weeks passed and it didn’t get any better, we were in and out of hospital. ‘He’s got a chest infection,’ doctors told us when he was…

1 When do you start decorating for Christmas? a I start some time during the first couple of weeks of December. b Without a doubt, on the 1st of December. c They usually start appearing around the house in November. d A week or so before Christmas Day. 2 What do you look for in a Christmas cracker? a I’m thinking of doing something alternative, like filling little boxes with a party popper, handwritten joke and a thoughtful gift. b They must have a Christmas party hat inside and a useless tiny gift c I want my crackers to be so covered in glitter that everyone is sparkling by the time they’re done with them. d If I buy them, they’ll just be the first ones I come across. 3…