Table of contents for 07-Feb-2019 in Pick Me Up!

Grabbing a cupcake from the cupboard I giggled as I placed it in the oven. ‘Let’s see how long it takes Mum to figure this out,’ I smirked at my fiance Matt, 27. It was October 2017 and I’d just discovered I was pregnant and the first person I couldn’t wait to tell was Mum. Walking into her kitchen I directed her to the oven. My dad, Kim, 60, got the joke straightaway...but Mum took a fraction longer. ‘Why is there a cake in the oven?’ she asked, but then it clicked. Tears sprung to her eyes and she got excited just like I knew that she would. This wouldn’t be her first grandchild, but it was going to be my first born. Mum was on hand for checkups, Baby-gro…

Running as fast as I could, I tried to block out the shouts of ‘weirdo’ echoing across the playground. I was desperate to escape the cruel jibes of the school bullies. But, in truth, the bully I really wanted to escape was the one inside my head. The one that hated me. Thought I wasn’t good enough. The one that told me I was unloveable. I was just 10 years old, a shy and confused little girl called Debbie. I’d never been close to my mother and she left my father when I was a baby. I often wondered how anyone could ever love me. The bullies at school preyed on my insecurity and only intensified my sense of self-loathing. I felt useless. Like I didn’t belong anywhere. Then when…

Chips ahoy! The McCain Lighter Home Chips are 30% lower in fat than the originals, but have the same satisfying crisp outside and fluffy interior. Making simple swaps like this can help you transition to a more healthy and balanced diet, while still enjoying your fave foods! Just £1.50 at Morrison’s (usually £1.95) until 18 February. Take the biscuits… Belvita Breakfast Soft Bakes Filled are a great way to begin the day. They’re the only breakfast biscuit proven to give slow-release energy over four hours, and are available in delicious Choco Hazelnut Flavour. Just £1.50 in Asda (usually £2.79) until 17 March. Add style & save The final savings are on at harveys furniture.co.uk with items up to half price. Plus there’s an additional 10% off everything. Valid until 5…

Pregnancy ankles Q I’m a few weeks off giving birth and have had an OK pregnancy, but suddenly my ankles have started to swell. My friend says that’s normal in pregnancy. Is it OK to wait until my next midwife appointment in two weeks’ time..? Kelly, Liverpool A Sudden water retention can be a sign of rising blood pressure and a risk of pre-eclampsia, which can be serious. Ask your doctor for a blood-pressure check as soon as possible. Penis problem Q I have a rough patch of skin on the shaft of my penis. It isn’t itchy or painful but it’s not getting better with cream. What else can I try? John, Moorgate A Any change in the texture of the skin over the penis needs checking out to ensure…

What’s normal, what’s not? Athlete’s foot This is an unpleasant but common fungal foot infection that causes skin to crack, itch, flake and bleed. Over-the-counter antifungal creams, sprays and powders can help. Keep your feet dry, wear clean socks and use a separate towel for your feet. If it doesn’t clear in a few weeks – or you have diabetes (and therefore a weakened immune system), see your GP. Have you tried... the Happify app? The weather is still miserable and spring seems a million miles away, but this app (free on iOS and Android) aims to help you reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. With science-based games, you can overcome negative thoughts, and it will give you a well-needed happiness boost any time, any place. 25% That’s…

Diamond Ring Hip Flask, £14, Paperchase Is a mate getting married? Pack the perfect hen-party gift with this diamond-ring shaped flask that’s perfectly disguised as a bangle. Fill it with your favourite tipple and you’re good to go. Verdict: BONKERS! But it’ll make a gem of a gift! Pop It Pal, £19.99, firebox.com We’ve seen some strange products in this column, but this might just be the weirdest yet! This slab is filled with fake pus to give you the satisfaction of popping a zit without any pain after you’ve done it. Verdict: BONKERS! Even comes with a refill of pus – gross! Redken Dry Shampoo Paste, £19.55, lookfantastic.com Wave goodbye to white streaks and crunchy residue thanks to this clever dry shampoo paste. Apply to…

Carefully tucking a piece of potato under my sleeve, I rested my hand in my lap, which was already heavy with a small pile of vegetables that I’d stashed into a sandwich bag. Glancing over to my mum Catherine, 30, I realised that she hadn’t noticed. But my little brother Reece, shot me a weird look. ‘Shhh!’ I mouthed, putting my finger to my lips. It was May 2007 - and for months, I’d been carefully squirrelling away food, hiding pieces up my sleeve, or feeding it to our dog Winston. He’d always sit, eagerly waiting, under the table. Right after dinner, I’d always shoot straight up the stairs and stare at myself in my bedroom mirror, grabbing at pieces of flesh from my stomach and hips. I’m enormous! I’d…

Men who harass girls or women sexually in public should absolutely be prosecuted. Yes, some females might like wolf-whistling and argue that it’s just a bit of fun. But a bit of fun to one might be traumatic or downright offensive to another. So men should err on the side of caution and keep their comments, whistles and hands to themselves. Jackie Wilson, 35, Basingstoke, Hampshire It’s become silly now when a simple wolf-whistle is classed as sexual harassment. I totally get that not all women see it like that, and we don’t know their past. But I think physical or verbal abuse is in a different league and men should be fined, and perhaps have to attend some kind of educational class. Ruth Carter, 54, Monkston, Milton Keynes It…

ARIES 21 March–20 April I know how hard life’s been and I see how much you feel you’ve wasted time on those who didn’t appreciate it. That changes this week as you cross paths with faces who understand and value all of the sacrifices you made. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Somebody you would like to see appears to be evading you for some reason. However, it does seem from the stars to be down to the fact that they currently have a lot more on than you. Patience really is a virtue this week, so do give others the benefit of the doubt, please. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Patience in official matters is essential if you’re going to come out on top…

Suddenly, I realised I wasn’t transgender. I’d never felt like a man, never wanted to be a man. Back in 2002, when I’d decided to transition, I’d just not wanted to be Debbie any more. I wanted to erase the past - the bullies, the abuse, the life of misery. Erase me. I’d thought I could do that by changing gender. But now, as a man, I still hated myself and had even less confidence than when I was a woman. ‘What have I done?’ I cried to Alan. He’d always been my rock, and I could see the shock on his face as he took it in. But his love and support didn’t waiver. ‘Oh, love,’ he said, hugging me. I was soon diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress…

1 Breathe in… through your left nostril According to ancient yogic traditions, breathing through the right nostril makes us feel energised and motivated, while breathing through the left is calming. So before bed, take a moment to breathe long and deeply through the left side of your nose. 2 Have some tech time out Make your bedroom a screen-free zone or, if that’s not possible, try using your smartphone’s airplane mode to block incoming e-mails and social updates that can distract at bedtime. 3 Declutter your sleep space Too much junk in the bedroom can lead to an unquiet mind, and clutter is the enemy of a good night’s sleep. It’s important to keep the bedroom for sleeping and disconnecting from the distractions of the day.…

1 Hypothermia is a dangerousdrop in body temperature below 35C. ■ True ■ False 2 Symptoms include shivering; cold, pale skin, slurred speech. ■ True ■ False 3 First aid should be given if someone is presenting symptoms. Call 999 at once. ■ True ■ False 4 A hot bath and an alcoholic drink can ease symptoms. ■ True ■ False 1 TRUE Normal body temperature should be around 37C. 2 TRUE As well as fast breathing, tiredness, confusion – and perhaps loss of consciousness. 3 FALSE Move the sufferer indoors, remove cold/wet clothing, wrap them in blankets, give a hot drink and sugary food. 4 FALSE A hot bath, alcoholic drink, massage or a heating lamp can all cause the heart to stop suddenly.…

PHILIPPINES – DEADLY DISCOVERY When Jennifer Laude, 26, met her friend Barbie at a bar in the Filipino town of Olongapo, they were joined by a US marine, Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, 19. Later they all went back to the Celzone Lodge hotel. The friends, both transgender, grew concerned about how he would react when he found out. Barbie left the hotel room, heading to another room to meet someone else, but Jennifer stayed. Some time later, hotel staff tracked down Barbie, telling her the man had left - and Jennifer was dead. Half-naked in the bathroom, wrapped in a sheet, and with strangulation marks on her neck, Jennifer was found slumped over the toilet. An autopsy revealed death by asphyxiation. Jennifer had been strangled and drowned. The…

Bleary-eyed, I showed my ticket to the flight attendant in EasyJet’s blinding orange shirt. ‘Have a good flight,’ she grinned far too cheerily for a 7am flight. It was September 2015 and I was travelling home to Israel from the UK with my brother Dori, 26. I’d spent the last month in London on an Editing course and visiting family. ‘Shame, we’re not sitting together,’ Dori sighed. ‘Could have done with a shoulder to sleep on.’ ‘At least we both have a view,’ I pointed out. I told him bluntly that he was sitting in my seat! We’d managed to score two window seats at opposite ends of the same row. It was my favourite place to sit on the plane, helped kill the five-hour flight time. Squeezing down the…

Creamy pork and lemon pasta Serves 4 Prep: 5 min Cook: 15 min ◻ 350g dried pasta, such as tagliatelle or fettucine ◻ 200g frozen peas ◻ 1tbsp vegetable oil ◻ 4 pork loin medallions or 6 pork fillet medallions, sliced into thin strips ◻ Zest and juice of 1 small lemon ◻ 200ml low-fat crème fraîche ◻ Freshly grated Parmesan ◻ Fresh basil leaves ◻ Ground black pepper 1 Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water for about 10 min, or according to the packet instructions, until just tender (al dente). During the last 3-4 min, add the peas. Drain, keeping a little of the cooking water aside. Put a lid on the pan to keep the pasta and peas warm. 2 Meanwhile, heat the vegetable…

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When me and my partner Samuel, 29, arrived back home with our new baby in tow, I couldn’t have been happier. I’d gone into labour two days earlier, at 37 weeks, and the birth had been difficult. While my heart rate was sky high, my baby’s kept dropping. But when Sophia arrived, weighing 6lb 6oz, she seemed happy and healthy. That is, until she woke up screaming an hour after we’d got her home. She was pale and lethargic, and her skin felt cold. I tried to feed her but our poor girl wasn’t having it. We tried not to panic. ‘Maybe she needs changing,’ suggested Samuel. But as he picked her up, Sophia went completely floppy. We could see her ribcage jutting out of her skin as she fought…

1 Try to reduce scratching wheneverpossible. You could try gently rubbing your skin with yourfingers instead, asscratching can cause bleeding, scarring or infection. 2 Keep your fingernails short and clean to minimise damage to the skin from unintentional scratching. 3 Keep yourskin covered with light clothing to reduce damage from habitual scratching. 4 Stickto soft, fine-weave clothing or natural materials such as cotton as they will cause less irritation. 5 Keep the rooms in your home cool, especially the bedroom. 6 Avoid using strong soaps or detergents that may affectyour skin. SEE YOUR GP... if you are experiencing any eczema symptoms, as he/she can prescribe creams to help, or can recommend any dietary/lifestyle changes you can make to help reduce symptoms.…

Flicking through summer holiday brochures showing off sun-kissed beaches, I couldn’t wait to book a trip. It would be our first family holiday abroad. My partner Carl, 43, and I own our own window-cleaning business, so we’d been working hard, and now we were looking forward to going away together. I dreamily wondered where. Spain? Greece? France? A bit different from the rainy weekends we’d spent camping in England. Back in February last year, it was cold and gloomy. Around that time, I was catching up with a pal when she reminded me how much we’d liked playing Pick Me Up! Bingo. ‘It’s still so much fun and there are even more games to choose from!’ she exclaimed. I thought I’d enjoy playing a few games again. It had such…

Revlon Kiss Cushion Lip Tint, £7.99 With a plush cushion applicator and creamy formula, this is the comfy lounge sweats of the lipstick world. Twist the top of the pen, then swipe the cushion across your lips for a wash of colour. George Satin Lipstick, £3, Asda Generally speaking, if you’re looking for a moisturising lipstick, avoid the word ‘matte’ and look for satin and gloss finishes instead. This one gives great colour pay off! Primark Pure Gloss Lipstick, £2 This lippy marries the high shine finish of a gloss with the creamy, second skin texture of a lipstick. Encased in a chic hexagonal tube, it looks and feels way more expensive than it is! Elf Moisturising Lipstick, £4.50, Superdrug Give your pout a winter MOT with vitamins A, C…

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Jason Driver, 39, Cambridge A family squabble turned ugly when a man bit his relative’s nose after arguing about a food shop last May. Cambridge Crown Court heard the row was over items missing from a shopping list. When the victim, a woman in her 50s, went outside to let Driver calm down, he followed her, shouting, and bit her nose three times, causing minor injuries. After pleading guilty to causing actual bodily harm, Driver was handed a 15-month sentence and given a five-year restraining order against his victim. GREATER MANCHESTER Eileen McBrien, 62, Manchester This woman has been sentenced to six years in prison after forcing a girl under the age of 10 to perform a sexual act on her. Some time after the abuse took place –…