Table of contents for 18-Jan-2018 in Pick Me Up!

What A Mane! This pooch has the best locks in town! The Shih Tzu and Pekingese cross has got 18,500 Instagram followers. See her at Lifedeathprizes. com/instagramdog 20 …that’s how many days I now have left of dry January. I’m missing the vino, but it’ll help when I do the Cancer Research UK Winter Run in February. Then I really do think I’ll need a drink! What A Big Kid! Here’s my older brother and, despite the fact he’s climbing on a massive dinosaur on a mini-golf course, he’s almost 29! What A Bear Hug! How cute is my best friend’s little girl Georgie May, who’s just turned 2? Here she is cuddling up with Big Ted, the bear I used to hug when I was…

‘As time went on, it became harder and harder to hide’ As the ballerinas on the TV twirled elegantly on tiptoe, I tried to mimic the move. I was 4 and watching a performance of The Nutcracker on Blue Peter. ‘What are you up to?’ my mum laughed. ‘I want to be a ballerina,’ I grinned. The pretty tutus had me hooked. I wanted to be just like the graceful dancers on TV. ‘Boys aren’t ballerinas,’ Mum said gently. In that moment, I felt totally crushed. You see, I wasn’t a little girl, I was a boy. From a very young age, I’d gravitated towards stereotypical girls’ toys and pink glitter. And I preferred playing with girls, rather than boys. My childhood was very confusing. When I looked in the…

1 Shop around Compare the cost of loads of airlines, hotels and car hire companies at Kayak.co.uk . You can even add your hold luggage on to avoid hidden costs later on. 2 Change your browsing mode Switch your browser to private. Websites often have cookies to track how many times you’ve looked at flights, then they bump up the price. 3 Be flexible If you can only go away in school hols, the last week in August and first in September tend to be cheapest. 4 Go indirectly Taking an indirect flight with a stopover or a change may be inconvenient, but could save you loads of cash. 5 Avoid charges Budget…

My son Sebastian was 8 weeks old when the problems began. It was September 2014 and our poor little lad was sickly and dehydrated. The GP referred us to Bolton Hospital, where Sebastian spent 12 days having tests. After, my husband Stephen, 33, and I were summoned to the Genetics lab at Manchester Children’s Hospital. There, doctors revealed shocking news... ‘Sebastian has Leigh syndrome,’ we were told. They couldn’t be sure of the cause, but this rare, incurable genetic condition would lead to his nervous system gradually deteriorating. He wouldn’t walk or talk. Worse, our boy might not even make it to 2 years old. ‘Why our son?’ I sobbed. But we had to be strong. He needed constant care. With chronic muscle weakness, Sebastian was drained of energy and…

My family knows all about cruel twists of fate. Three weeks after her first birthday, my daughter Georgina was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Me and my husband Jem, now 53, had been trying for a baby for six years before our first round of IVF gave us our beloved Georgina in 2009. ‘We can’t lose her,’ I wept. But Georgina faced a battle. Both of her kidneys had Wilms’ tumours, a rare form of cancer that develops from cells leftover from the womb. A doctor myself, I knew this was serious. On 15 June 2010, Georgina had surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital to remove both of her kidneys. The surgeon saved part of one kidney by cutting out the cancer. ‘She’ll need a transplant in the future,’ the consultant…

Impossible Rice Puzzle, £19.99, firebox.com If you love cracking codes and solving puzzles, this is for you! Made up of 300 almost identical pieces, the extremely complicated jigsaw creates a picture of a bowl of rice when completed. Tweezerman No Mess Mascara Guard, £12, lookfantastic.com Mascara smudges are set to be a thing of the past with this little tool. Simply hold it under your lashes while applying mascara to protect your foundation. Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 750D, £199, amazon.co.uk Drift off and wake up easier with this clever alarm clock. It mimics the light and colours of a real sunset and sunrise, to help keep your body clock on track.…

‘She started small – munching on our shoes...’ Arriving home one day in September 2014, I let out a horrified gasp. The place had been ransacked. Boots, clothes and food strewn across the floor, cushions slashed, with their stuffing spilling out. We’d been burgled! ‘What kind of sicko..?’ I muttered, reaching for the phone to call my husband Stu, 48. Then I saw her - our 2-month-old labradoodle. Sitting on top of the kitchen counter, she stared with guilty puppy-dog eyes. ‘Cookie!’ I exclaimed. ‘What have you done?!’ I should have known she was the culprit. It wasn’t the first time, after all... We’d got Cookie’s mum, Custard, when she was also a pup. When Custard gave birth to a litter of 10 and we met Cookie, our kids, Devon,…

Surprised With £1,000! Jill Jones, 52 Weston-super-Mare I was nattering away with my pals, in the chatroom of the Pick Me Up! Bingo site. I’d joined 10 years ago after seeing an ad for it online. I’d had a few small wins but, for me, it was about having fun. My favourite games are Double Bubble Jackpot - a slot game - and Tiki Bingo. Last July, I prebought a few tickets for Tiki Bingo. It meant the games would play and I could do errands. I had a busy day and forgot about my games until a day or so later, when I logged on to find £1,000 in my account! Incredible! I had the biggest smile as I phoned my mum. She was speechless. Then I told my…

Why It’s Fab Being 50 -something! 1 You’re treated like a grown-up at the doctor’s surgery/in the bank/that posh shop or restaurant you never used to dare go in. 2 You can proudly say you were alive when England won the World Cup, the UK went decimal and man first walked on the moon. 3 You feel entitled to tell off teenage boys for putting their feet on the seats on trains. 4 You’ve learnt to say 'no, thanks’ without feeling guilty or making excuses. Guess The Movie From The Scene…? 4 EMBARRASSING THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO US ALL TEARING OUR TROUSERS Our skinny jeans are just a little er, snug. But, when we bend down to pick something up...ri-i-p. Awks! UNCOMFORTABLE HELLOS We’re introduced to someone new.…

‘I was terrified. What if we lost her, like her sister?’ The Florida sunshine was beating through the window, but I had goose pimples. Squeaking with excitement, I poked my head around the bathroom door. ‘I’m pregnant!’ I grinned at my husband Neil, 37. It was June 2016 and we were holidaying in Orlando. Something to look forward to after the agony of losing our first-born, Baby T, just four months earlier. She’d been born 12 weeks premature, lived just a few hours. Heartbreaking. But now a new life was growing inside me. Awesome news. But nerve-racking too. After my first pregnancy, doctors had discovered I had a weak cervix. So this time, I’d need a stitch in my cervix to prevent me from having another premature labour. But, as…

With my long blonde hair and high heels, you’d never guess what I did for a living. Don’t let my girly front fool you - I’m on track to be Britain’s next top butcher! I’d started as a Saturday girl while studying Art at college. Cutting up meat felt strangely creative. I loved cooking, too. As for blood and guts, it never bothered me. At 16, I was offered a full-time job in the butcher’s. ‘Are you sure it’s what you want to do?’ my mum Elaine, 55, asked, thinking it would be a big mis-steak! But I was 100 per cent certain. I loved Art, but what job would I get from it? ‘Means I get great meat!’ Dad Kevin, 61, joked. Butchery was hands-on - I’d organise window…

‘The word ‘cancer’ echoed in my head. I couldn’t believe it’ Waking up with an achy head, I cursed myself. ‘This is the hangover from hell,’ I groaned, my temples throbbing. It was May 2013...I’d been on a mad night out with a friend. And, boy, was I paying for it now! The next day, my hangover was still lingering. Plus, I had a sore throat and felt really run down. A week later, I still wasn’t well. Then lumps started to appear on my scalp. My GP diagnosed cellulitis - a bacterial skin infection - and I was given antibiotics. Only, a few days later, when I walked into my office where I worked as a finance advisor, I was out of breath, had sweat dripping down my face.…

Look who I met! Oooh! I bumped into scary movie character the Predator at the local marina – I’m not sure if he sailed in or swam! Celia Salter, Cowplain, Hants We love cake! The perfect birthday cake for my emojiobsessed friend! Louise Milne, Worthing Golden oldie? Phil, my partner, fits in so well with these elderly folk we met on holiday in Kotor, Montenegro! Gillian Smith, Herrington Puppy love Cute alert! Marley and Missy are the best of buds. Don't they look sweet, all cuddled up together? Shelley Barrett, Sheffield Reflected glory Ever since we met in 2002, my wife Rachel has become a dab hand at fishing! Here she is with a mirror carp she recently caught. Jason Robertson, Hanley Daddy's girl Party! My dad Roger and I…

Your Best CARWAX Tips 1 Brush with the dustpan Give your dustpan a quick coat of car wax and any grime will glide off quickly! Eleri Webber, Little Neston 2 Mirror, mirror  Stop the bathroom mirror from fogging up by applying a tiny bit of car wax. Let it dry and then buff with a soft, dry cloth! Sarah Bradley, Cardigan 3 Play it again…  Fix scratched CDs by applying some wax with a soft cloth. Wash with water, let it dry, and it’ll be playable again! Naomi Clifton, Stone 4 Counter-top tip!  Restore the shine to your marble or gr anite worktops by using car wax to help smooth and fill any fine scratches! Lucy Rapace, Madeley Defrost frozen bread faster by placing it on a pan lid while…

‘Doctors warned my parents to prepare for the worst’ Parking the car, I took a deep breath. It was 7 April 2017 and I’d just finished my driving test. It’d been my second attempt so I was a little nervous. But I had a good feeling about this one. It’d been a great route, one I’d practised a few times before. And... ‘I’m happy to say you’ve passed,’ the examiner smiled. Yes! ‘Thank you,’ I said. I was so ecstatic I almost hugged him. I could finally get rid of my L-plates. My mum Gillian, 55, and dad Philip, 45, had already bought me a car - a gorgeous, blue Clio. I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel. Excited for me, my boyfriend Jordan, 18, took me out to…

HEALTH & Happiness With Dr Arabella Onslow Dr Arabella Onslow has been a GP for 11 years and was Rosemary Conley’s Health Professional Slimmer of the Year in 2012 after losing 10st. Dry skin Q My skin gets so dry in the winter. Why is that, and what would help to ease the symptoms? Gabbie, Salcombe A Humidity is lower in winter, so it’s easier for the skin’s moisture to evaporate. Using an oily emollient can trap moisture in, especially if you use it on damp skin as soon as you get out of the shower or bath. Walking aids Q I’m quite unsteady on my feet nowadays and have fallen a couple of times. I should have a stick, but I find them difficult to use. I’m not ready…

5% ...that’s the percentage of cancers linked to diabetes and obesity, says a recent study. Q After an intensive sprint session, I got bum pain, which I thought was hamstring tendonitis. Massage made it worse, and now I can’t run. Robert, Wolverhampton A This sounds more like ischial bursitis. The bursa is a fluid-filled sac and sits under the tendon, enabling it to slip easily over the bone when moving. It needs rest, ice and sometimes a steroid injection.…

Portuguese Almond Cake Makes: 12 Prep Time: 15 min plus chilling Cook Time: 15 min ◻ 100g unsalted butter ◻ 200g caster sugar ◻ 3 eggs, beaten ◻ 100g self-raising flour, sifted ◻ 100g ground almonds ◻ 1tsp almond essence ◻ 1tbsp brandy Buttercream icing: ◻ 100g unsalted butter ◻ 3tsp natural yogurt ◻ 1tsp vanilla paste ◻ 1tsp almond essence ◻ 150g icing sugar ◻ Flaked almonds, toasted, for decoration 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4. With an electric whisk, cream butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. 2 Gradually add eggs, beating well. Fold in flour and ground almonds, and add almond essence and brandy. 3 Pour mixture into a well-greased and floured 20cm cake tin, and bake for 45 min, until…

‘She’d woken up with pains in her side and felt nauseous’ ‘I watched helplessly as they carried her out on a stretcher’ With her dark-blonde hair and big blue eyes, my daughter Abbey was beautiful - inside and out. I was so close to her and her brother Liam, as their dad passed when they were young. Growing up, Abbey did ballroom dancing, and had a natural flair for Art. As a teenager, she studied hard at college and got a job as a legal secretary. Even when she left home and rented a house 13 miles away in Tunstall, we saw each other every week, texted and phoned constantly. ‘Hope you’re resting your back, Mamma Bear,’ she’d say, always worrying about me. In December 2015, her boyfriend, also called…

TRIED & TESTED This week: Lip balm 1 Blistex MedPlus Lip Repair, £2.30, Asda Of all the lip balms I’ve tried over the years, I’ve yet to find anything that works quite as well as this. Instead of slathering it on all day long, just one application before bed is enough to keep my lips nice and soft. 2 Carmex Original Moisturising Lip Balm, £2.69, Boots It’s not for everyone, but I love the super-sticky texture and tingly menthol feel of this balm. It has serious staying power, with one application lasting for hours. 3 Limited Edition Vaseline Lip Therapy Mirror Mirror, £3, Tesco Vaseline’s original balm has been given a fairy-tale makeover with a brand-new tin and formula. I love the wintery, spiced apple scent and faint red tint…

‘O’Neil, and $16,000 from his account, vanished’ MEXICO – DATING-APP TRICK O’Neil McGean shook with grief outside the funeral home. It was April 2010. His ex Brian Betts, 42, who he’d dated for 10 years, was gone. They’d remained close after their break-up, although Brian had moved to Maryland and O’Neil to Mazatlan, Mexico. But then Brian was robbed and shot by a gang of teens who’d set him up by using a dating hotline. His killer was jailed for 40 years, and O’Neil vowed to be wary of online dating. Yet, by October 2016, his caution had faded and he went to a hotel to meet a man he’d met through a dating app. But he, and $16,000 (around £12,000) from his bank account, then vanished. Then O’Neil’s business…

You never forget your childhood sweetheart. Especially not me, I married mine! I met Chris, now 23, at school in 2009. We were both 15 and madly in love. So when he popped the question on my birthday in October 2014, I said yes. I had fond memories of my parents’ wedding in 1998. They weren’t exactly traditional – obvious from the huge pick-up truck they hired to take them to church! I remember being 3 and perching in the driver’s seat, bewildered at the size of it! ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely if we had it too?’ I said to Chris. It took a long time to sway him. So long that when my dad Shawn, now 45, tried to arrange it, he said it was unavailable. ‘It would never…

Sarah C won £1,454 on Emerald Playing my Emerald tickets, I only had a couple of games left, so was pleased when I won £4.50 on two lines. Then out came my numbers for the house. I won the Emerald Progressive Jackpot of £1,454.I couldn’t believe it! My mum won £8,888 a few weeks earlier on the Round The Clock game. I’ve done up my house, treated my family to days out and bought my children bunk beds. The rest will go on more for my home and on a deposit towards a holiday. Janette L won£39,588 on Sapphire My amazing Progressive jackpot win was in the Sapphire Room and I saw my balance change to over £39K ! The money will be used for a holiday and home improvements,…

“Knowing I had to get help, I ran down to the hotel reception” Bringing up five kids on my own, I usually steered clear of men. Fiercely independent, my kids were my world. But, in summer 2017, I started chatting to Russell Mason, 35, at a house party. ‘I’m a bare-knuckle boxer,’ he boasted. That explained his fit body... Giggling, I fancied him from the off. I’d vaguely known him a year, heard good things from friends. But I’d never had a chance to chat, until now. Flirting away at the party, chemistry fizzed. Far from putting me off, his boxing attracted me. A gym bunny myself, I loved that he was into his fitness. Swapping numbers, I could feel the spark between us. And over the next few days…

Get Snacking Tesco has slashed the price of the Food Should Taste Good range of gluten-free tortilla chips to just £1.50 each (normally £2.19) until 18 January. They’re baked, not fried, making them a healthier alternative to your average crisps. Drink Up… If you’re hitting the gym this January, keep energy levels up with the Protein Water Co range of natural protein-infused waters. Now just two for £3 (normally £2.35 each) at Boots until 31 January. Little Bites Great for little fingers, Annabel Karmel Famous Finger Foods in Mighty Meaty Bites or Yummy Chicken & Apple Bites are a brilliant source of protein. Pick up a pack for your littl’un for only £2 (normally £2.30) at Tesco until 30 January. Crunch Time Nomadic Yogurt & Oats Crunchy Clusters Pots are…

1 Cogan’s is more common in older or elderly people. True False 2 It affects the eyes and ears. True False 3 Steroids can treat it. True False 4 It’s caused by a bacterial infection. True False 1 FALSE Anybody of any age can be affected by Cogan’s syndrome, but it is more common in young adults in their 20s and 30s. It affects men and women equally. 2 TRUE This rare disease causes inflammation of the inner ears and eyes. Symptoms include vision difficulties, hearing loss, dizziness, nausea, fever and fatigue. 3 TRUE Most sufferers are given prednisolone and other kinds of steroids. Further treatment with immunosuppressant medication may also be needed for some patients. 4 FALSE The cause of Cogan’s syndrome is currently unknown, though some believe it…

‘His girlfriend provided a false alibi and police let him go’ ‘Despite his jail confession, Hardy pleaded not guilty’ Trevor Joseph Hardy was the baby of the family. Born in June 1945, he was the youngest of three siblings growing up in northeast Manchester. Then, in the summer of 1953, his baby brother Colin was born. It changed everything for Trevor. Deeply jealous of Colin, he felt usurped. And in July 1953, just a month after Colin was born, Trevor Hardy committed his first crime - larceny - or theft, as it’s now known. Hardy was given a conditional discharge, but he’d had a taste of criminality. And liked it. Theft soon turned into housebreaking, shoplifting, and he spent his youth in and out of approved schools and borstals, but…

1 Co-op Tomato & Basil Soup This soup isn’t as thick – and the tomato taste’s not as intense – as some we tested, but a delicious flavour comes through from the basil. 2 Sainsbury’s Tomato & Basil Soup A really nice and chunky soup, with a good, robust flavour that’s balanced and not too sharp. 3 Asda Tomato & Basil Soup Thick and full-bodied, with a really rich tomato flavour, this one is filling and tasty. And very good value!…

‘A red mark – like a fleabite – appeared on my ankle’ ‘They had to scrape away the scab to inject antibiotics’ Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move. A menacing dark shadow scuttling across my bedroom carpet. It could mean only one thing. Spider. ‘Arrrgh!’ I screamed at the top of my lungs. ‘ I was 19 and still lived at home. Growing up, I’d always been scared of spiders. I hated how they came out of nowhere, were always so fast. I was still screaming when my mum Lynn, 46, came bursting in seconds later. ‘What is it?’ she said, finding me trembling on my bed. ‘A massive spider,’ I panted. By now, the monster beast had eight-legged it off somewhere. ‘I’m not sleeping…

Flattering Fashion Sleek, wide-leg jeans in a dark wash, such as these, will skim over your thighs to give the illusion of longer, leaner pins. Try this…. Ape Lightly Salted Crispy Coconut Curls, 99p, Asda Coconuts are packed with vitamin D, – so these crisps will help support your immune system. What a virtuous snack! Atkins Harvest Bars, £1.85 each, Superdrug Available in three delicious flavours – Apricot Almond & Coconut, Mixed Nuts & Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel – these bars are gluten-free and low in carbs. Take3... Tesco Pepperoni Pizza Bakes… 349 cal per bake Tesco Cheese & Onion Bakes… 365 cal per bake Tesco Creamy Chicken Bakes… 403 cal per bake THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS NAME: Emma Davey, 45, Surrey. VITAL STATISTICS: During my…

‘I didn’t show – the audience didn’t suspect a thing’ Peeking inside the empty stadium in June 2011, I felt a rush of nausea. Not nerves - I’d been a dancer since I was 3. Toured worldwide since I was 20! ‘ This time, it was morning sickness. I was around 8 weeks pregnant, and so excited! I was engaged to Steve, now 36, one of the sound engineers. We’d fallen in love in 2008, on the US tour of the of Riverdance, which had become a world-famous entertainment phenomenon. We both worked on eight shows a week, for sometimes nine months at a time. Steve and I got engaged in New York in March 2010, getting married that August. We spent our lives touring America, Canada and Europe. Grew…

ARIES 21 March–20 April If you keep doing things in the same way that you’ve always done them, you’ll never move ahead. You yearn for change, yet you allow others to dictate what you should do. Use the forward-thinking skills Saturn’s giving you this week to take control. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Jealousy seems to be evident in your chart right now – and you’ve really no reason to be! So, instead of fretting, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. There’s so much to be gained by simply going with the flow and trusting others. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June You don’t seem to be feeling as confident about your future as you were at the end of the…