Table of contents for 4 January 2024 in Chat

Phew! That's another Christmas done and dusted! Hope you had a brill one and Santa brought you everything you wanted. While we're still in the Chrimbo-limbo zone, we've got another great mag for you as you finish off those festive chocs. It's full of real-life, true crime, food, fashion, tips and more – including inspo from around the globe on how to celebrate New Year (p27). Get your red pants at the ready! PS If you're entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Emmie Dalton, 29, Sheffield D ipping my finger in red paint,I whooshed it across the paper. ‘Are you painting a flower, Mummy?’ my son Archie, then 6, asked. It was spring 2020, and me, Archie and his little sister Jessica, then 1, had found a slice of happiness amid the chaos of COVID-19. Spent our days doing arts and crafts and going for family walks. Lately I had another reason to smile — my boyfriend Johnny, then 30, had just moved in. We'd only recently matched on a dating app, and the pandemic had sped up our romance. He was a natural with the kids, especially Archie, who had autism and ADHD. ‘It feels meant to be,’ I told Johnny one morning, as he whipped up a batch of his…

Natasha Ogden, 24, Oldham Strolling into the living room, our cat, Millie, made a beeline for her best pal. ‘Cat,’ my son, Kane, then 15 months, said, reaching out to stroke her soft fur. His first word! ‘That's right, cat,’ I grinned, proudly. It was June 2021, and hearing Kane speak filled my heart with joy. Especially as it was a moment we'd never experience with my older son, Calum Jr, then 2. Shortly after his second birthday, me and my partner Calum, had been told Calum Jr had non-verbal autism. When Kane came along, we saw him meet milestones that Calum Jr had missed. Now, despite the challenges that came with having a little boy with additional needs, life with our two boys and Millie was wonderful. ‘We can…

1 Use sun-proof moisturiser In the UK, melanoma skin cancer cases have increased by 32% in a decade, so using sunscreen in winter is essential. Forget to apply it? Try swapping your usual moisturiser for one containing SPF – that way you won't need to apply two products. Protecting your skin from the sun's UV rays will keep you looking younger, too. 2 Stack up your habits This nifty trick helps any new routine stick. ‘Stack your habit on to an existing one,’ says Dr Bryony Henderson, a GP and associate medical director at Livi. ‘Start a new habit by adding it to something you do every day – for example, while brushing your teeth add three minutes of squats.’ 3 Limit late-night scrolling Fed up of lying awake into…

TRUE-LIFE Soleil Kohl, 25 Wandering around the classroom, I watched the kids scribble and doodle. ‘That looks brilliant,’ I said, encouraging a student proudly showing me his drawing of his family. Then, once they'd tidied away their crayons and pencils, I let them run free across the playground. It was 2020, and I loved learning and working at a preschool for little ones aged 1-4. Sure, it brought in some cash while I studied for my masters degree in early childhood education. But I simply adored working with kids. Now, I was fascinated as I watched them play and interact, exploring the world around them. There was so much imagination, so many silly games. It's a shame we lose all that as adults, I thought. Not for the first time.…

Farrah McNutt, 29, East Midlands Striding into the shop, I grabbed a pair of smart black trousers. Swished the fitting-room curtain shut. Discarding my old school trousers, I pulled the new ones on. A perfect fit, I thought. Only, instead of taking them to the till, I hung my tatty old trousers on the hanger. Left the changing rooms and put them on the rack right under the shop assistant's nose. All before sauntering out the door without paying. Heart racing, I scurried around the corner before taking a breath. ‘Easier than I thought,’ I told myself, adrenaline buzzing through me. It was 2007 and at 13 it was my first time shoplifting. I'd seen it as a necessity, though. The day before, my school trousers had ripped, but Mum…

When Alin's friends and family were first introduced to Maria, they were shocked by his choice of girlfriend. ‘I thought he was doing it for attention,’ one confessed. ‘How can you even be with her?’ a good friend asked him. And what provoked such a stunned reaction? Maria's size. A proud plus-size woman, she's around 15st heavier than Alin, and his family didn't believe that he could fall for a woman as heavy as she is. Maria first met Alin, 21, when he commented on her TikTok videos. Yet it was a message he sent her on Instagram that got them chatting. ‘I answered one of Alin's Instagram messages because he asked about music, and that's how it started. ‘I never really had any problems dating. ‘I think I just…

Whether it's flirty banter in the tea room or stolen glances while stocking shelves, it's not unusual to meet your other half at work. According to a YouGov poll, 18% of us have had a workplace romance. But what if you work in a prison? Recently, a spate of female prison officers engaging in romantic relationships with inmates have hit the headlines. At one prison, HMP Berwyn in North Wales, 18 female members of staff were dismissed this year for inappropriate relationships with prisoners, with three of them jailed for misconduct in public office. But what would make a woman risk everything for these illicit romances? Some experts argue they're likely vulnerable, often lonely outside work. They suspect that some female officers are even sought out by ‘seasoned’ prisoners to exploit…

29 Dec 2023-4 Jan 2024 Aries 21 March-20 April December brings fiery ambition and career success, but restlessness in your relationships too. Embrace assertiveness with harmony as the year closes. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May This month unfolds with a focus on finance, so budget and plan your financial goals for the new year. Venus brings harmony and maybe new love for singles. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June The Full Moon in your sign last month sets the scene for December, heralding social excitement and the chance to network. Try to balance work with play. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July With the Full Moon in your sign late December, family bonds strengthen.…

QMy hands are looking old – I've got wrinkles and age spots. What can I use to help? Judy Williams, Chester LETTER of the week! A Our hands are one of the first areas to show signs of ageing. The skin here is constantly exposed to the sun, causing dark spots. Couple this with frequent hand-washing, harsh cleaning chemicals and cold weather and you've a recipe for dry, wrinkled, sore skin. In winter, wear gloves as an extra protective layer against the elements. Apply SPF every day, just as you would do on your face. Hello Sunday The One for your Hands SPF30 Hand Cream, £9, spacenk.com, absorbs quickly. Pigmentation is notoriously difficult to get rid of but you can improve the look of brown spots by using The Body…

Solutions to Chat issue 47 (23 November 2023) Puzzle 2 Hour Puzzle 3 Vernal Puzzle 4 A black turtleneck Puzzle 5 1C,2C,3A,3B,4C Puzzle 6 Fill Puzzle 7 Sundial Puzzle 8 Patrick Stewart Puzzle 9 Love letters Puzzle 10 Gladiator Puzzle 13 Ascot Puzzle 14 Oriole Puzzle 15 Gable Puzzle 16 Ana Cruz Kayne Puzzle 17 Orange Puzzle 18 Quebec WE WON! Chat winners issue 38 (21 Sept 2023) £1,001 CASH I Lill, Sheffield £500 CASH S Whitfield, Northwich I Harris, Chesterfield £250 CASH S Parkes, Chipping Campden E Allen, Chelmsford £200 CASH S Hitchcott, Taunton £100 CASH F Watston, Westbury L Halsey, Leighton Buzzard P Clayton, Ilkley £75 CASH C De Asha, Liverpool £50 CASH A Delaney, Thornton Heath S Smith, Driffield D Bird, Exeter P Hollands, Walsall J Williams,…

Dear Sam, Once, I thought falling in love was out of reach for me. Just another thing in life that others would experience but I'd be denied. As well as romance, I thought I'd never get a good job, trave… All because of my rare condition. Deaf since I was tiny, I went to specialist school but with my hearing aid and later an implant, I lived a normal life. Loved horse riding, hanging out with friends. But when I turned 17, in September 2017, I was doing my A-levels when I struggled to see the whiteboard at school. Within weeks my eyesight got worse, my vision blurry. An eye test delivered a heartbreaking diagnosis. Usher syndrome. It severely affected people's hearing and vision. Mum and Dad burst into tears…

STYLE TIP Stay cosy and chic in a grey cashmere-blend tracksuit. Team with on-trend platform suede boots and an oversized denim jacket. STYLE TIP These side-stripe trousers put a stylish twist on a classic sports tracksuit. Say hello to your new favourite co-ord. STYLE TIP Elevate your casual wardrobe with faux-leather joggers. Wear with a classic stripe jumper for a timeless look. STYLE TIP Keep things tonal. Pair cream wide-leg joggers with a slogan top and finish with a longer-length gilet to keep warm.…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p4. There's £20 for every one we use! This week's puzzle was compiled by Byron Saunders, Port Talbot WIN 5 x £20 Puzzle 6 ACROSS 1 Pole on a ship 2 Dull pain 3 Girl's name 4 Christian period before Easter DOWN 1 Delivered letters 2 Measurement of land 3 Front of lower leg 4 Try out Your answer: CHAIN WORDS Martin Behaim's Erdapfel, made in the 1490s, is thought to be the oldest surviving example of what object? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg, MAY + OR, OR +… you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you the…

Out with the old In parts of Italy, people take the idea of starting anew to extremes. Some residents throw unwanted furniture off balconies, symbolising starting afresh. It's not the safest idea, so people tend to stick to smaller objects these days. No one wants to enter the new year being squashed by a falling armchair. Feeling grapeful In Spain, the countdown to New Year comes with a special challenge – to eat 12 grapes, one for every chime of the bell in the countdown to midnight. It's hoped to signal good luck for the year ahead, ensuring you have a grape time for the next 12 months. Just don't get indigestion. Punch drunk In Peru, an annual festival ensures the new year starts with a bang – probably to…

WIN £100 Puzzle 14 ‘To thine own self be true’ and ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’ are now proverbial pieces of advice first given to which Shakespearean character by his father? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. Your answer: FILL ME IN CIRCLE TIME Divitiacus is said to be the only ancient example of what class of person whose name is recorded in historical accounts? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters OAF OAK OAR OAT OIL OUR ROD ROE ROT 4 letters AFAR APSE AREA DEAR SLOE SOOT 5 letters DWELT TASTE TITAN TOKEN 6 letters FALCON FALLEN FAVOUR FEDORA 7 letters RESTORE RETREAT Your answer: WIN £100 Puzzle 15 TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for…

Top tip Use excess pastry to make decorations for the top. Turkey and parsnip one-pot pie Warming, hearty and keeps the Christmas indulgence coming! SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS COOK 45 MINS ● 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry ● 100g smoked bacon, chopped ● 1 large leek, sliced ● ½ savoy cabbage, shredded ● 1tbsp cornflour ● 1tbsp Dijon mustard ● 200ml white wine ● 200g button mushrooms, halved ● 3 parsnips, chopped ● 400g cooked turkey, cut into chunks ● 1 egg, beaten You will need: ● 20cm ovenproof casserole dish 1 Cut a piece of pastry the size of the casserole dish, put the cut pastry in the fridge. Heat the oven to 170C Fan/Gas 5. 2 In the casserole dish, cook the bacon until golden. Remove the meat,…

Bristows Volume & Body Hair Mousse, £1.49, B&M Big, bouncy blow-dries are back in fashion, making mousse an essential product in your hair arsenal. Some oldfashioned formulas can leave hair feeling stiff but this one melts into the hair, injecting lift, body and bounce without turning the lengths hard and crispy. Make Up Gallery X Oh My Glaze Lip Oil, £2.50, Poundland Lip oils are brilliant at this time of year, combining the colour of a lip gloss and the care of a balm. This one adds soft, sheer colour and megawatt shine, as well as nourishing dry, cracked mouths with hyaluronic acid –a moisturising ingredient that binds and attracts water.…

Kim Coopey, 33, from Cardiff Fave biscuit to have with a cuppa? I can't resist a chocolate Bourbon. The combination of the chocolate flavour with the tea is delicious, but I'm careful not to dunk it for too long – I don't want a cup full of soggy crumbs! Early bird or night owl? These days I'm an early bird, but it's because my 6-year-old and 1-year-old usually have me up at the crack of dawn! Then I fall asleep around 10pm, providing my kids have successfully gone to bed. Any secret talents? Functioning on very little sleep is certainly my superpower. My little one usually gets me up two to three times per night, but I still make it through work the next day. WE PAY £50 to everyone we…

What does singer Billie Eilish like to do in her free time? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer. WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 THE BIGGIE ACROSS 11 Small yellow songbird (6) 12 Make financial savings (9) 13 Amphibian (4) 14 Oscar-winning actor, _ Moore (8) 15 Leg joints (5) 16 Prone to changing one's mind (6) 17 Edible crustacean (7) 18 Sound judgement (6,5) 20 Monarch's headwear (5) 22 A _ Named Desire, play by Tennessee Williams (9) 24 Aquaman actor, _ Momoa (5) 28 David _, former UK prime minister (7) 29 Seer (7) 32 Creature (6) 34 An ocean (8) 36 Regal (8) 37 Make up one's mind (6) 39 World's highest mountain (7) 40 _ Boys, musical duo (3,4) 45 Halts (5) 47 Popular pizza topping (9) 48 Smallest amount (5) 51 Charming (11) 53 Deer meat (7) 55 Scottish…

Help! I'm eating soap Q I thought food cravings were a joke, but I'm two months pregnant and can't resist nibbling soap. Could it harm my baby? Cleo, Bedford A Pregnancy can make you fancy certain foods or put you off others, and a craving for something that isn't food, known as pica, could affect up to a quarter of pregnant women. Besides soap, mums-to-be might take a shine to soil, chalk, ice, mothballs, toothpaste, cigarette ash and more. It's probably a hormone effect on the brain, though pica can sometimes indicate an iron or vitamin deficiency, which your pregnancy blood tests should spot. Most cravings won't harm you or your baby, though too much soap will make you sick and munching poisonous substances, or eating so much non-food that you…

Miles Charlton, 46, Radcliffe-on-Trent Holding her phone up, my wife Laura, then 43, called me over. ‘Look, she said. ‘An assistant dog changed this boy's life.’ It was October 2018, and Laura had been to a family support group, Autism East Midlands. They'd discussed support dogs and now she was considering applying for our daughter, Betsy, then 5. At 3, Betsy had been diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay. She struggled to communicate verbally, got overwhelmed in public spaces and was hard to soothe during meltdowns. Bedtime was a battle that often ended in tears. She was growing up, too, and didn't want to hold our hands everywhere, yet we couldn't risk her running off. Reading the Support Dogs charity website gave us hope. te The boy in the…

WIN £500 Puzzle 10 Methane gas was first identified by chemist Alessandro Volta in samples collected from the marshes around which lake? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. ARROW WORD Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer. WIN 2 x £30 Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH WIN £40 Puzzle 12 Wedang jahe and adrak chai are southeast Asian beverages flavoured with what? The answer is the one missing from the grid. AGAVE ALOE ANISE DOCK FENNEL FLAX GINGER GINGKO JUNIPER MANDRAKE NETTLE POPPY SENNA TEA TREE TURMERIC Your answer: TO…

Help! He's a teen terror Q My son used to be such a sweet and kind boy but now he stomps around the house, gets into fights at school and has even been suspended for vaping. I've tried disciplining him, talking to him nicely, getting him to a therapist but nothing's worked. I just don't want him to end up an angry man with no prospects. Tracey, 40 A You're right to call your child out on their behaviour, pet. But sometimes no matter what we do or what boundaries we set we can lose control of our kids. His violence is a huge red flag though, love. Can you pinpoint exactly when this started? Is there something else going on with him – bullying or even substance abuse? Talk…

Heart of Britain Celebrating women like you! 3 ways to… BOOST YOUR CAREER Make the most of work opportunities in 2024… 1 Get stuck in Make learning new skills or honing existing ones your priority. Are there training opportunities at work you can take advantage of? Or can you find a free online course at nationalcareers.service.gov.uk? And consider volunteering in your spare time, advises career coach Victoria McLean of City CV (CityCV.com). You may develop transferable skills such as communication, collaboration and problem-solving. Plus, it demonstrates commitment. 2 Be on the ball If you're looking for a new job, sign up to job alerts and connect with recruiters in your industry. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and use it as a tool to network with people in your industry – this…

Nailner Ultimate Strength, £6.49, amazon.co.uk If your nails break at the sight of a ring pull, apply this to bare nails once or twice a week. It's formulated with vitamins and minerals to strengthen weak and brittle nails in just a few weeks. Q+A Retinol Facial Serum, £12, qanda skin.com Retinol is a superstar anti-ageing ingredient. It speeds up cell renewal and boosts collagen production, but its potency can cause irritation. This skin-smoothing serum is made with a 0.2% retinoid, a gentle introduction to it. Ghost Mystical Dream Eau de Parfum, £29 for 30ml, theperfumeshop.com Treat yourself to a new fragrance as we head into 2024. This one is fruity and floral with notes of blackcurrant, jasmine, orange flower and vanilla. A great scent with staying power. Face Facts Wonder Cream,…