Indice dei contenuti per 7-Sep-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Looking around the room, the sweet smell of baking filled the air. Stopping off in Paris in summer 2016 with my Girlguiding group, we reached the second destination on our worldwide interrailing trip. Smiling, I watched as the girls made their macarons. ‘Look at mine!’ they yelled. Seeing the joy on their faces made all my work with the group, based in the north west of England, worth it. But I wanted to make special adventures such as these accessible for all children, whether they’re in a guiding group or not. After meeting my now husband Jamie, 33, at a World Scout Jamboree in Japan in May 2015, I knew I’d found the right person to do this with. Rik the Bear became a mascot But we’d have to raise…

Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Type of puppet. Answer on page 47. ACROSS 1 2023 fantasy comedy film starring 12 Across, 15 Across, 21 Across, 26 Across, 28 Across, 8 Down, 18 Down, and 27 Down (6) 4 __ Believer, 1967 hit by the Monkees (8) 10 Countless (7) 11 __ and Old Lace, 1944 black comedy starring Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane (7) 12 Michael __, star of films Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Superbad (4) 13 Blowfly (10) 15 Margot __, star of films I, Tonya and Amsterdam (6) 16 __ Owen, WWI poet (7) 20 Evolve (7) 21 __ Greenblatt, star of films Awake and Love and Monsters (6) 24 Ear amplifier (7,3) 26 __ Cena,…

New lease of life Picking up the phone, I was filled with sadness. After our beloved dog Cosmo passed away in 2022, there was a tangible gap left in our house. Only, Cosmo was a rehomed Guide Dog, so I wanted to inform Guide Dogs UK of his passing. He’d slotted into our family since 2016, despite not passing his guide dog training as he was too nervous. I instantly knew that his passing would leave a gaping hole in my heart. But when I told Guide Dogs UK, I was left with an unexpected surprise. ‘When you’re ready, would you consider rehoming another guide dog?’ they asked. Immediately, a seed was planted in my head. And in February this year, the time was right. ‘How about we get another…

DON’T MISS Celebrity MasterChef, BBC One Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace are back as the Semi Finals continue, and the remaining celebrity cooks continue their battle for the Celebrity MasterChef trophy. This week, the contestants are surprised by one of the UK’s hottest young culinary talents–Big Zuu. To make it to the final they must deliver on the techniques, flavours and love in order to impress. With one eliminated, the final six are asked to cook the ultimate airline food. The Lovers, Sky Atlantic Janet (Roisin Gallagher), is a foul-mouthed, hilarious, Belfast supermarket worker who doesn’t care about much at all. Seamus (Johnny Flynn) is a handsome, self-centred, political broadcaster with what looks to be a perfect London life and celebrity girlfriend. So when Seamus unexpectedly drops into Janet’s…

Packing the last of the kitchen essentials into a cardboard box, it was yet another busy Friday night preparing for the big move. ‘Shall we just get a curry?’ my hubby David, then 37, asked in October 2016. Ordering from our favourite Indian, we knew exactly what we were having. And planning to move house in November with our daughter Elise, then one, it was certainly all things go–working, packing, rushing around and repeat. So eating our way through a range of curries, with David ordering a chicken bhuna, we devoured our feast as usual before cracking on. Only, the very next day, it seemed the takeout wasn’t as delicious as we initially thought it was. ‘It must have been the curry,’ David admitted, after vomiting for what seemed like…

Want to enter a world steeped in fascinating history? Then look no further than Oxford, with its historic buildings and family-friendly fun! Take a Footprints Alumni tour around Oxford’s world-renowned university! In their footsteps Are you a fan of the hit BBC TV series Downton Abbey? Then look no further than Bampton in Oxford! Travel by first-class luxury motorcoach from London to Bampton–better known as the Downton Abbey Village. Marvel at the buildings that were home to one of Downton’s leading ladies, Isobel Crawley, and recognise a whole host of other locations from the show, including the fictional watering holes The Grantham Arms and The Dog and Duck! Tickets from £79 per person. Visit: evanevanstours.com Run wild With Blenheim Palace just a 30-minute drive from Oxford city centre, its 18th century…

Staring out at the Mexican sunset, it was a little bit of a bittersweet moment. You see, my daughter, Wynter, 20, was heading off to university soon and travelling was something we had done every year since she was 14. After losing my dear friend, Shannon, we had flown to Mexico in 2016, where I was performing at a music festival and then back packed for around a month afterwards. It became a tradition–every year we would pack up and travel for a month, visiting Mexico three times and Columbia once. Making thousands of special memories, Wynter and I had a bond like no other and every time we embarked on a trip, I never wanted to come home. Travelling became our tradition every year ‘You need to get out…

Pressing play, a montage of happy photos flooded the screen, as my family watched on in awe. With moments of me and my husband Luke, now 34, flashing up from over the years, our wedding song playing over the top, there was an excitement building in my belly. Can’t wait to meet you, the last photo read, showing a baby scan picture. ‘Are you pregnant?’ my mum Debbie, now 63, and my sister Hayley, now 37, mouthed, rushing to give me a hug. After experiencing a miscarriage at 12-weeks, in mid 2020, both me and Luke were shocked that we had fallen pregnant so quickly. And despite being a little anxious, as weeks turned into months, the rest of the pregnancy was smooth sailing–apart from a bad spout of morning…

As we come to the end of the summer holidays, we’ve just about run out of ways to keep the kids entertained–but don’t worry, birdwatching app Birda have got you covered! Using only household items, create a cute hanging birdseed ornament to entice feathered friends into your garden–perfect for keeping little hands busy. • Download Birda now on the App Store or Google Play You will need: • Scrap cardboard box • Colouring pens or crayons/paint/decorations • Shape to cut around, or a cookie cutter • Scissors • Holepunch • String/ribbon • Peanut butter • Child-friendly cutting tool • Flat dish or tin • Birdseed How to: 1. Get a shape to cut around–you can use a heard-shaped tin or an old CD, anything you have lying around 2. Decorate one…

The clock is ticking for us to save our planet, and electric vehicles (EVs) will soon be brought to the forefront of transportation–making fossil fuels a thing of the past. Sounds great, right? But are electric vehicles as good as they say? It’s time to find out, as the government’s 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars fast approaches. Don’t panic–it isn’t the end of gas guzzlers, and you won’t be forced to switch for years to come yet. But EVs are a hot-button issue right now, and if you’re in the market for a new car, they’re definitely something to consider. Many people who look at electric vehicles are often put off but the steep upfront prices. Demand for EVs is currently too low to make prices competitive with…

Verdict: GENIUS! Scrubs up! OXO Flexible Vegetable Brush, £7.99, Lakeland Washing your fruit and veg may seem like a simple task, but how do you know that you’re getting all of the dirt and grime out? This OXO Good Grips brush will become your best friend. Made for scrubbing potatoes, carrots and any other tasty treats clean, it’s dishwasher safe and has a grippy handle, too, meaning you will have sparkly roots in no time at all. Great for when you’re prepping a family roast–you will need this… Verdict: BONKERS! What would Pooh think? Mushroom Honey, £22, honeyheaven.co.uk Now this really is about to get interesting… you may know that there was a huge mushroom trend going around in recent years, with the medicinal value of fungi great for the human body.…

Bitesize! pg 3 Cots Strike it! pg 11 Windmill (Cross out: 2, 14, 20, 28, 34, 49, 57, 74, 88) Cross it! pg 45 Musical Fill it! pg 11 Marionette Crack it! pg 36 Underground Number fit! pg 11 6376 Sudoku pg 45 1, 8, 3 Follow it! pg 6 Strings PLEASE NOTE Pick Me Up! will still be bringing you great puzzles to pit your wits against, but will no longer be offering prizes. Don’t forget, you can do puzzles for big cash prizes every weekin our sister magazine, Chat.…

This is Casper the alpaca who the West alpaca Midlands who leant in for a selfie. He was so photogenic, don’t you think? Zowie Kater, Southampton Every day this friendly squirrel visits our garden for nuts. He is so tame and I just love watching nature! Heather McEwen, Norwich Here’s my partner messing around at the museum–I said he fits right in! However, he thinks he’s going to be the next star of the show in Jurassic Park… Jenny Brain, North Devon My three teenage grandsons thought they’d died and gone to heaven when this hot air balloon passed over as they were sunbathing in the garden recently! Carol Casan, Tiverton If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over…

Be a winner! This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis. Perfect for achieving effortless cleaning at home, this 12-pack of general purpose microfibre cloths will be a staple. And there is no need to use them with any harsh cleaning chemicals–you can simply add water for a streak-free, squeaky clean finish. They are even machine washable, too! For more, please visit: addis.co.uk Tip of the week Rip it out If you get a painful spelk or wooden splinter stuck in your finger and can’t get it out, place some sticky tape over it and give it a tug. It should do the trick! Heather McEwen, Norwich Never soiled When repotting house plants, I place the plastic bags from cereal boxes underneath. It saves me from…

Going through menopause can allow a host of irritating symptoms into your life.But did you know regular exercise can help alleviate these symptoms? Dean Zweck, product development manager at Total Fitness, shares his top tips to keep you thriving. • Please visit: totalfitness.co.uk Mood enhancement Hormonal fluctuations can cause mood swings, anxiety and depression. Thankfully, exercise acts as a natural mood booster, stimulating the release of endorphins—the feel-good chemicals. This flood of endorphins promotes happiness, reduces stress and enhances mental well-being, reducing cortisol levels. Exercises like tai chi, yoga and meditation are fantastic for enhancing your mood. They incorporate gentle movements, stretching, and deep/slow breathing, which are ideal for reducing anxiety and stress. Bone health The decline of oestrogen during menopause poses a risk to bone health, increasing the chances…

If you have blepharitis, it’s important to keep your eyes clean. Here’s how to clean your eyes properly. • For more advice, please visit: nhs.uk 1. Soak a clean flannel or cotton wool in warm water and place it on your closed eyelid for five to 10 minutes. 2. Gently massage your eyelids for around 30 seconds. 3. Clean your eyelids using cotton wool or a cotton bud. It might help to use a small amount of baby shampoo in water. Then gently wipe along the edge of your eyelids to remove any flakes or crusts.…

How to register It’s FREE to enter and it’s so easy to do. Just visit entry2.it/ldp-pd and register by hitting the Create Free Account button and then you can enter as many competitions as you like. Go on, have fun! For website rules of play, go to comps.lifedeathprizes.com/rules. Terms and conditions apply, UK only…

Bianca Neumann is Head of Bereavement at the national bereavement charity Sue Ryder. To find out more and how to get the support that you may need, visit: sueryder.org/copingwithgrief Is my hubby right after all? Q My grandma recently passed away, I’m devastated and finding it hard to cope. However, my husband says that I should be over it by now–how can I get through this when it feels like it’s not going to get better? Joyce, Chester A It is common for other people to encourage you to move on. People may even say that the person you loved would not have wanted you to be grieving. All these comments and some of the expectations and unintentional pressure applied by other people can make you feel as if you…

Hot trend So we’ve all heard of ombré hair and nails, but there’s a new trend taking social media by storm.Ombré undereyes! Raking up millions of views on TikTok, the trend involves a rainbow of concealer to lift and brighten your eyes. Makeup Artist and founder of Pearl Beauty, Elanna Pecherle is here to give us the 411 on how to achieve this gorgeous look. Elanna’s how to 1. Choose a concealer that is two or three shades lighter than your foundation for your inner corner, then choose one a shade lighter than your foundation for the next dot. You can add a third dot of concealer if you need more cover for your undereyes. But for the third and fourth dot, you can apply your blush shades–one lighter and…

The queen of Essex has taken on a brand-new role, and it’s not what you think. Forget the GC, she’s now the G Cheese! The celebrate the launch of Papa Johns’ cheesiest launch ever, Gemma donned a personalised, bedazzled apron and cap to serve members of the public at the Tower Bridge location. The Crispy Cheese Base Pizza adds a delicious thin layer of perfectly crisp premium cheeses to the underside of your favourite Papa Johns’ pizzas, taking the cheese to all new extreme levels. And of course, anything with the GC’s name on it won’t be a disappointment! Papa Johns’ Crispy Cheese base is available on collection and delivery orders now–simply add the Crispy Cheese to your favourite pizza. • Papa Johns Four Cheese Crusted pizza is available from…