Table of contents for 25-Jan-2018 in Pick Me Up!

What A Lotta Bottle! This beer definitely gave me a very nice pick-me-up when I was on holiday in Dorset recently… 10 …that’s how many dishes my son Oscar managed to pile up at our local sushi restaurant. What A Cutie! Our golden retriever puppy Bobby is such a fun addition to the family. We even forgave him for digging up the lawn! What A Face! This app shows what I’d look like young, as a woman and old(er!). Time will tell! What A Snow-show! Not totally sure that Oscar and his big brother Louis are the best snowman-builders ever……

Judge Sarah Mallet told Thompson, ‘You were aggressive and threatening. You waved the Stanley knife in a slashing motion but you slashed the female complainant. She has a lasting scar to the face that she will always have. The problems are carrying on. The injuries, in my view, are very serious... I accept that you had the Stanley knife because you were having a carpet fitted... I take into account that your age and intelligence levels don’t tally. I accept that you are sorry and I accept that that is genuine.’…

1 Ripen fruit  Rather than w aiting for fruit t o ripen naturally, if you pop it in a c ontainer with a few handfuls of uncooked rice then it’ll soon be ready to eat. Marie Nicholls, Salisbury 2 Soothe aches  Fill a clean sock with uncooked rice and pop it in the microwave with a cup of water for 1 min. Use oven mitts to remove the filled sock, let it c ool until it’s warm – not hot enough t o burn you – and you have a flexible, hot compress to ease aching muscles. Nadia Khan, Leicester 3 Save tech  Rice can dry out a mobile phone dr opped in water. Just pop the phone overnight in a sandwich bag filled with uncooked rice. Martina Wilson, Newcastle…

‘We decided we’d see out our 20s with a bang’ ‘Within seconds, I smacked full-force into the cliff’ Last year was a big one for me and my boyfriend. We were both about to turn 30! ‘Why don’t we write a bucket list?’ I suggested. I wanted to see out our 20s with a bang. ‘Why not?’ Dave laughed. So in January 2017, we visited Iceland to see the Northern Lights. In summer, we visited Walt Disney World, hugged Mickey Mouse. Then on my 30th, Dave booked us a zipwire in Wales. The fastest in the world, apparently. My stomach dropped as I zipped along at 100mph, 500m in the air. ‘Another thing to tick off the list!’ I gasped afterwards. The next day, we went to Rome, too! Then,…

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. Fertility fear Q I’m so worried that I may be infertile. I’m nearly 30 and haven’t had a period for five years, since going on the Pill. Will I still be able to have children despite this? Marianne, Plymouth A Certain forms of the contraceptive Pill do stop your periods altogether, but this doesn’t affect your fertility. If you still don’t have periods after you come off, ask your GP for advice. Diabetes denial Q My mum has diabetes, but refuses to have her annual checkup, saying she’s too busy. She gets cross if I remind her. How can I persuade…

60 minutes …that’s the length of nap that will help improve your alertness by up to 10 hours when you’re not feeling yourself. Q My weak right knee stops me exercising, but being unfit gives me chest tightness. Should I get a knee replacement or stick with pain relief? Barry, St Austell A It sounds as if you have angina, which needs investigating and treating before surgery can be considered. Make an appointment with your GP to get your heart checked out before anything else.…

‘I’ve made so many friends since joining the site…’ The soft, silky fluffiness between my toes felt amazingly good. ‘What a lovely carpet!’ I said to my husband Peter, 64. ‘Very luxurious,’ he agreed. We’d just had our bedroom and lounge re-carpeted. Soft black for upstairs and silky grey for the lounge. Our old carpet was worn and frayed and we’d been thinking about sprucing the place up for a while. Now, thanks to a win on Pick Me Up! Bingo, we’d been able to treat ourselves. You see, I’d won a grand playing Cloud - a 90-ball bingo game. It was last April and I’d put my feet up after clearing the dinner stuff. Peter was busy pottering around, so I settled down in front of the TV with…

1 Co-op Extra Virgin Olive Oil Houmous, 170g This has a really creamy texture, but not enough of the chickpea flavour comes through for us. A good, classic dip, but not our favourite of the selection. 2 Sainsbury’s Houmous, 230g This is thicker, but it’s still a pleasantly smooth dip with a tasty, rich flavour. 3 M&S Houmous with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 300g The olive oil gives this velvety houmous a great, rich flavour – and it’s seasoned to perfection, too.…

iON360 U Camera, £299.99, very.co.uk Snap this case onto the back of your phone to transform it into a 360 camera to take pics and make videos you can stream onto social media. Verdict: GENIUS! The future of smartphone snapping. Abashiri Green Beer, £4.99 per bottle, firebox.com A far cry from your normal pint at the local, this bright-green beer gets its unusual colour from Spirulina, a type of algae. That’s one way to confuse your mates! Verdict: BONKERS! Looks like ale that’s gone stale to us! Upright Go, £79.99, Argos If you slouch at your desk, try this posture-training device. It sits in-between your shoulder blades, just below your neck, and vibrates when you slouch to remind you to sit up straight! Verdict: GENIUS! Good…

Essential Tips For IKEA Virgins 1 Don’t try to take unmarked shortcuts around the store – you will get lost! 2 Make room at home for all the stuff you’ll inevitably buy – and set a budget so you don’t come home with a new kitchen! 3 Flatpack furniture assembly could try the patience of a saint, so take a deep breath and give yourself plenty of time… 4 Take photos of the tags on things you need to pick up from the self-serve area so you can easily locate them. 5 You can’t just 'pop in’, so set aside a morning or afternoon to shop. 6 Avoid weekends, when shopping is chaotic and the queues are long. 7 Eat while you’re there. The food is good and reasonably priced,…

Sitting in McDonald’s, I threw a chip into my handbag. My boyfriend Dale, now 29, shook his head. ‘You did it again, didn’t you?’ he said. Throwing another chip in my bag, I smiled. My little Dolly Daydream was in there, munching away. You see, Dolly is my 4-year-old Chihuahua. I’d always wanted one. They’re tiny, gorgeous dogs. ‘Not a chance,’ Dale told me, back in 2013. He said they were wimpy. I adopted Dolly anyway. We already had Mico and Poppy, a Jack Russell Chihuahua cross. But Dolly’s like my shadow. She comes everywhere with me, even on date nights with Dale in fancy restaurants. ‘So cute!’ people squeal. Dale just sighs. Dolly models my Poopys Boutique dog-clothing range, too. We even wear matching looks and pink nail varnish.…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Somebody will apologise for the pain they’ve caused. However, what’s clear from the stars is that they can’t guarantee they won’t do it again! Do you want to stay on this emotional roundabout, or are you ready to take on life and demand only the best? Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You’re much stronger than you ever believed. Just look back at all you’ve achieved in the past two years. You’ve overcome things you never thought you’d survive. Remember this, and you should be able to see that what’s in front of you now’s child’s play. Take the lead! Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June If you take responsibility for yourself, then you’ll find you develop an appetite to accomplish your…

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Green goddess! Gorgeous! My beautiful mum Susan didn’t hesitate to put on the outfit we bought her to celebrate her 60th in Galway. She’s fab! Rhiannon Thomas, Caernarfon Hoppy to help! Bunny-sitting! My 13-year-old pooch TJ’s got his paws full here! Danielle Seago, Romford Love and laughs Don’t my hubby Ted and I look happy, cutting the cake on our wedding day? That was 24 years ago and we’re still laughing – and eating cake – today! Val Brennan, Sale Techie tots! My 4-year-old daughter Luna is already teaching her baby sister Hera, 6 weeks, how to play on the iPad! Marianne Hawksworth , Sheffield Little champ Chuffed! My son Malacai, 8, was super-proud of getting Man of the Match in his footie game. He plays for Ystradgynlais under-8s. Lisa…

‘Four months pregnant, I was suddenly a widow’ Brandishing a bouquet of flowers, Colin gave a shy smile. It was my 18th birthday and he’d bought me 18 red roses. Right then, I knew Colin was the man I’d marry. Four years later, in May 2002, we wed at our local church. And in January 2005 baby Cameron made us a family. A doting dad, Colin, then 26, made every moment special. But in 2007, he seemed lethargic and developed dark rings under his eyes. Successful op I was worried. In 2000, he’d been diagnosed with a heart murmur and a leaky valve. ‘It’s nothing serious,’ we’d been told. ‘Still,’ I said now. ‘Best get a checkup.’ So Colin went back to the doctor’s and was referred for another scan.…

Back To Bed Head off to juliancharles.co.uk before 24 January to snap up this reversible ‘Fraser’ bedding – prices now start from just £20 for a single (normally £85) and just £48 (normally £200) for a super king. Kind To Skin Sebamed is offering 25% off its women’s bundle, made up of a body lotion, deodorant, face and body wash, lip balm and intimate wash, at sebamed.co.uk until 31 January. All the products are suitable for sensitive skin. Keep An Eye Out Looking after your eyes is extremely important, but tests can be quite pricey. Luckily, though, if you visit a branch of visonexpress.com you can to book an eye test for just £10 before 31 January. Beauty Bargain Simply by using the code PICKMEUP20 at www.yesstyle.com you will be…

1 Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the same as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). 2 Men can get IBS, as well as women. 3 Your diet doesn’t affect IBS. 4 Stress can worsen symptoms of IBS. 1 FALSE Some symptoms relate to IBS and IBD, but they’re different conditions. IBS is a syndrome, whereas IBD is a disease. 2 TRUE A third of all IBS sufferers are men, and doctors have diagnosed it in young children and older adults, too. 3 FALSE Coffee, alcohol, fried foods, red meat and dairy products can trigger symptoms. Identifying a particularly problematic food can help some people. 4 TRUE Stress can play a huge role. It’s not the key trigger, but it can worsen symptoms. While no-one knows what causes IBS, it’s thought anxiety and…

‘I know they’ll be the best of friends as they grow up!’ Seeing those precious two lines on a pregnancy test, my heart swelled with happiness. Baby number five. Married to Steven, 36, since I was 16, we had a beautiful brood - Sharmaine, 17, Chelsea, 14, and Steven Junior, 6. We’d lost a premature baby between Sharmaine and Chelsea, so we desperately wanted another. And in February 2017, after months of trying, our dream was finally coming true. After telling a delighted Steven, I gathered the kids round the kitchen table. ‘You’re going to have another brother or sister,’ I announced. They were all so happy. That night, it was baby mania. Chatter of possible names, volunteers to babysit... Two months passed and my pregnancy was going well. Snuggled…

Things You’ll Remember If You Were Born In The 1950s 1 Horse-drawn milk carts. (Yes – really!) 2 The 'party line’, where you had to share a phone line – often with a neighbour. It meant you sometimes had to wait your turn make a call. 3 The rented telly you paid for by the week at your local Radio Rentals shop. 4 No central heating – brrr! Rooms were heated individually with coal fires or gas heaters. 5 The arrival of tights in the shops. Before they were 'a thing’ (and way before hold-ups were born), women had to wear suspender belts and nylon stockings. Things You’ll Know If You Have A BIG BROTHER… He got the bigger, brighter, better bedroom! He always got prime position at bathtime when…

TRIED & TESTED This week: Mascara Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara I have quite short, straight lashes and was so impressed with how long and thick they looked after just one coat of this mascara. It just goes to show you don’t have to splash out a fortune on expensive make-up to get great results. Collection Lash Surge Mascara A brilliant, everyday mascara at a really good price, this was great for adding volume, especially at the roots, making my lashes look so much thicker. Tanya Burr Cosmetics Selfie Lash Mascara The teeny-tiny bristles on this wand coated every single lash, lengthening them beautifully. It lasted really well, too – I was smudge-free,even after going to the gym. Jess’ Beauty Hero Hask Nourishing Shine Hair Oil, £2.49, Superdrug,…

‘I tried to escape but I was in agony, my legs like jelly’ ‘I was just 10 minutes from home when he pounced’ As my friends got another round in, I called it a night. ‘Sorry guys, I need my bed,’ I laughed. It was December 2015 and I was on a night out with people I worked with. I’d had a rotten cold all week. But I wasn’t going to let a sniffle stop me having fun. Now, though, at 3am, I’d had enough. I thought about getting a taxi but decided to walk instead. The fresh air will do me good, I thought. Shadowy figure I’d only had a couple of drinks and I’d done the 30 minute walk home plenty of times. On the way, I phoned…

Swiping through Tinder, someone caught my eye. He was an IT consultant called Jonny. And he was gorgeous! Better still, we matched. After texting for a few days, we met for our first date. And the rest is history! Me and Jonny, now 38, soon moved in together in Newcastle. And in August 2017, we flew to the Dominican Republic to get married. We wanted white sands and sunny skies. When we got home, we threw a huge wedding party for people who’d not been able to come. Jonny’s best mate Brian Burns, a baker, agreed to make our second cake. ‘I’ll surprise you,’ he winked. On the day, all was revealed. It was a four-tier stottie cake! Stotties are a Northeast tradition. A big, moon-shaped white bread roll, usually…

‘The party was well and truly over,ending on a sour note’ ‘Tears filled my eyes. It was far worse than I’d imagined’ Looking around the flat, I smiled seeing our mates dancing and drinking. It was January 2017, and one of our friends was celebrating her birthday. Stephen Thompson, another pal, had offered to host a party at his place. My boyfriend Damion, 25, had known Stephen for more than 10 years. Damion and I had been dating for a year so I’d got to know Stephen, 27, quite well, too. Laid-back and friendly, he seemed like a good guy. Damion and I arrived about 8pm. For the next few hours, the alcohol and chat were flowing. Everyone was having a great night. But, as the early hours drew in,…

1 Check the rates Do regular checks to see if other accounts would offer you more interest on savings. 2 Take advice Whether you have long-term savings or have recently come into extra cash, seek expert advice to help your money go further. 3 Don’t make snap decisions Do research before making decisions and don’t let headlines scare you into making knee-jerk reactions. 4 Beat inflation Don’t lose out by keeping cash ‘under the mattress’, or inflation will eat away at it. Keep some cash and invest the rest. 5 Be tax efficient Investments can be complicated, so focus on making the most of your ISA allowance, so you have a little put by that’s also accessible. HEAD OF CONSUMER DISTRIBUTION AT ZURICH, WWW.ZURICH.CO.UK PHOTO (POSED BY MODEL): ALAMY…

‘I had never smoked and was still young’ Gasping for air, I pressed my hand against my chest. ‘I can’t breathe properly,’ I cried to my mum Julie, then 39. Just 15, I was constantly short of breath. My GP said I had a chest infection and gave me antibiotics. And when those didn’t work, steroids. But nothing changed. Over the next six years, I was given various antibiotics and steroids but never felt better. My immune system weak, I became prone to pneumonia. I started working but struggled to hold down a job. At 21, I fell pregnant with my son Eli, now 7. He was born 13 weeks early - I was too weak to go full term. After Eli, I couldn’t even climb the stairs. When I…

‘The journey back to the old me has been a hard one’ At age 26, in January 2016, I was happy, had a career as a primary teacher. I’d never had a sick day. But, one Monday morning, I woke up with a severe headache and vomiting. I still lived at home with my parents. ‘Get some rest,’ my mum Rena, now 52, said. She had the day off with my brother Ishan, 25, while my dad Shamit, 55, went to work. Next thing I remember is waking up in hospital two weeks later, with people coming and going before me in a haze. Mum, Dad, Ishan... And all I could do was blink and smile at people. ‘What’s happened to me?’ I wanted to say. But no words came…

‘I started bleeding during and after sex. It hurt, too’ Flying around the venue, I looked out into the cheering crowd. Wow, what a job! I thought. I’d been working as an acrobat in Cancun, Mexico, for the past five years. And I loved it. I’d trained as a dancer, and I’d always known I wanted to become a professional performer. Now, in 2014, I was living the dream. Enjoying the sunny weather and the culture by day, working hard at night. It was exhilarating. In December 2014, I flew home for Christmas. ‘Welcome home,’ my mum Jo, then 57, smiled as I arrived back in the UK. It was great to catch up with friends and family. I was due a routine smear test, too, so I booked an…

Coffee & Banana Loaf Serves: 10 Prep: 20 min Cook: 50 min ◻ 2 coffee bags or 2tsp ground coffee ◻ 100ml milk ◻ 150g self-raising flour ◻ 150g wholemeal self-raising flour ◻ 125g demerara sugar ◻ Pinch of salt ◻ 40g pecan nuts, chopped ◻ 2 large ripe bananas, mashed ◻ 1 egg ◻ ½tsp vanilla extract ◻ 1tbsp oil For the icing: ◻ 100g icing sugar, sifted ◻ Reserved coffee from loaf recipe ◻ Dried banana chips, to decorate 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line a large loaf tin with non-stick baking paper. 2 Pour 175ml freshly boiled water into a measuring jug. Add coffee bags or granules, stir well then, if using bags, leave to brew for 4 min. Remove bags, squeezing out last of…

‘Meeting other people like me gave me a real boost’ Walking into my new school, I took a deep breath. ‘You’re beautiful,’ my mum whispered in my ear. But with angry scars covering my legs, I felt self-conscious. It was 2003, I was 11 and starting secondary school. What if people made fun of my scars? I’d had them since I was a baby... Fight for life In 1993, when I was a year old, I had an accident with hot water. I don’t remember the details of what happened but I was left with fourth-degree burns from my toes to my navel. Doctors thought I’d die. And, even if I did survive, they said I’d never walk. ‘We’ll have to amputate her toes,’ my parents were told. My feet…

‘Whisked to London for his first shoot, he looked so dapper’ Falling pregnant at 42 was a shock, to say the least. Me and my hubby Suky, now 45, had been married 12 years. Countless rounds of IVF had failed. So in 2006 we’d adopted our daughter Ruby, then 1. And when I missed a period, I thought it was the menopause. But I did a pregnancy test, just to be safe. Positive! Suky and I were overjoyed. We dreamed of his first day at uni, his wedding, kids... My pregnancy was great, until 34 weeks. ‘Your placenta has stopped working,’ doctors at Halifax Royal Infirmary said. It meant our baby wasn’t getting enough nutrients. His heartbeat was erratic too. I was given steroids and, after a week in hospital,…

“Imadethe changes overnight, threw out the junk food” Standing in the kitchen at work, I was happily munching on a custard cream when a colleague let out a high-pitched squeal. ‘How exciting, you’re pregnant!’ she gasped. ‘When are you due?’ Temptation Exciting? Yes, if it’d been true. But the only ‘baby’ I was carrying was a tum full of sugary treats! She wasn’t the first person who’d asked. Over the last year, a few people had made the same mistake. Everything had changed when I’d swapped my job at a bingo hall - where I spent all day on my feet - to a desk job. Every day, people would bring in snacks. I couldn’t resist! Having two croissants before lunch, then a supermarket meal deal (triple sandwich, massive packet…