Table of contents for 01-Sep-2016 in Pick Me Up!

What A Gift! My friend brought me a fig cutting into work the other day – and it was huge! I got a few looks on the train that night… What A Treat! I love peanut butter. I love white chocolate. Now those clever Reese’s people have combined the two. Bliss! What A View! Quite proud of this gorgeous pic of London on a summer’s eve. Mind you, my camera phone did all the hard work. What A Poser! Our cat Moose likes to pose. The only thing she likes better is napping! 20,108 That’s how many photos are on my Cloud photo album. I reckon at least 15,000 have been taken by my 10-year-old daughter Marnie! £25! Can you unscramble this six-letter word to reveal something Lee's cat Moose…

‘Kiah didn’t seem happy – was moody and miserable’ As my daughter Kiah, then 5, tore around the garden on a BMX bike wearing a Spider-Man T-shirt, I sighed. It was 2009, and we were going to a fancy restaurant that night for a family meal. I knew I was going to have a battle on my hands when I tried to dress her up and curl her hair. See, Kiah was such a tomboy. She hated anything pretty and girly. And she refused to grow her hair long or wear it in pretty styles. For as long as I could remember, she always wanted to wear boys’ clothes - she even wore trousers to school. Just a phase... Later that night, I handed her a pink, butterfly top. ‘Put…

1 Bank accounts  Most banks offer students an interest-free overdraft and a debit card, but some also have deals. HSBC is currently offering a £60 Amazon giftcard for first-year students while Santander is giving away a four-year 16-25 railcard, giving a third off rail travel. 2 NUS card  For £12 a year, an NUS Extra card will give over 150 offers and discounts including 25% off Odeon tickets. Students can get discounts in many shops, too. 3 Freshers fairs  Go along to meet new people, pick up freebies and get money-saving tips and discount vouchers. 4 Websites  Visit Student Money Saver or Student Beans for info on everything from finances, to latest offers and discounts. Tips provided by Georgie Frost, presenter of…

Thumb lumps Q I’ve noticed some hard bumps on my thumb knuckles. They don’t hurt and my joints are fine. Could this be arthritis? Shaz, Bradford A These are Heberden’s nodes and can develop as your hands age and joints change with use. Arthritis brings pain and loss of function - without that, these are just age-related changes. Are greens bad for you? QI’m on treatment for an underactive thyroid. A friend told me that eating cabbage or broccoli might be making it worse, Is that true? Andrea, Wirral A There is a small interaction between brassica vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, kale) and thyroxine uptake. However, you’d have to eat large amounts of these veg in raw form for there to be any significant effect. Swimmer’s ear Q Every summer,…

Domestic violence affects one in four women and one in six men. If you’re worried someone is being abused, national charity Women’s Aid has the following advice: Acknowledge that it takes strength to talk and that they’re in a frightening situation. Give them time, and don’t push them. Tell them that nothing justifies their abuser’s behaviour, despite what they’ve been told. Don’t pressure them to end the relationship if they’re not ready. If they’ve suffered physical harm, offer to go with them to a hospital or GP and the police. Tell them about the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247.…

Cup Boiler, £19.99, go-travelproducts.com A smaller alternative to a travel kettle – just insert this heater into a cup filled with water and let it work its magic! It’s great for making hot drinks on the go or warming water to heat a baby’s bottle in. Tree Water, from £2, sibberi.com All three of these tree waters offer different beauty benefits – what more could you want from a drink? Bamboo is said to help with skin and nails, Birch to get rid of toxins and Maple to help bones and tissues. Sound Asleep The Original Speaker Pillow, £14.99, sleepypeople.com If you struggle to nod off, then you might want to invest in one of these clever pillows. It connects to your Smartphone or…

YES, YES, YES! ‘Orgasm’ comes from the Greek orgasmos, meaning to swell with moisture, be excited and eager. Apparently, a woman’s pain threshold increases by up to 107 per cent during climax. At the point of climax, levels of self-control and fear of danger decrease. Orgasms can continue well into your 90s. The world record for masturbation to orgasm is six hours 30 minutes for women and eight hours 30 minutes for men. What Does Your Facebook Profile Say About You? Selfie queen: Self-absorbed and vain. Or you’re insecure and in need of an ego-boost! Intellectual statuses: You’re an open, curious and creative person. Personal achievements: The sign of an attention-seeking narcissist. Sporadic poster: Naturally vigilant, organised and efficient. How Well Do You Know The Shawshank Redemption ? 1…

Imust’ve played Peter Andre’s single Mysterious Girl a thousand times when it first came out in May 1996. Age 12, bedroom plastered with posters, I was smitten. At 14, I badgered my sister, Nikki, 23, to take me to his concert at Plymouth Pavilions and, hooked, I went to every gig I could after that. When I met my now hubby Dan, 37, he knew there was another man in my life. My friends always tease me about my Peter crush. On my hen do in May 2013, the girls even wore Peter masks. And, in May 2016, I saw a competition to meet Peter. Oykos Whip’n’Mix yogurts wanted fans to write why they should win. I dashed off a cheeky message: I’ve certainly whipped myself…

If you don’t have a car but need to buy a load of supplies for a party, take a wheeled suitcase to the supermarket. Then you can just trolley them home. K Brown, Croydon Our marble hearth was quite sharp, so we covered it with pipe-insulating foam from a DIY shop. Now it’s safer for when the grandkids come crawling! Lynne Newton, Spennymoor Lure snails away from your flowers by placing a container of beer in the plant bed. Deborah Johnston, Stevenage Mix a little fabric softener into a jug of water and pour into your iron to make your clothes smell lovely and fresh. Angela Garvin, Romford Turn funky drink cans into herb planters by removing the lid with a can opener and punching a hole at the bottom…

‘I kissed Farrah’s forehead, then went back to work’ As Let it Go from Frozen blared out, my little girl Farrah threw her arms in the air. ‘Gooo!’ she warbled. I chuckled. This was her favourite film. We watched it twice a day. My partner John, now 23, adored our two, Farrah, 17 months, and her big sister Ivy, 2. Ivy was adventurous and loved meeting new people, but Farrah was a mummy’s girl. She loved crawling onto my lap and watching Frozen . The one time she came out of her shell was at dance classes. She’d boogie along, the biggest smile on her face. ‘Do you think the new baby will like Frozen ?’ I asked the girls in February this year, when I was six months…

1 It’s a condition that affects your arteries. 2 Overweight people are at a higher risk. 3 Dizziness is a symptom. 4 Atherosclerosis can be cured. 1 TRUE Atherosclerosis clogs artery walls with fatty substances called plaques, which can restrict blood flow to the body’s vital organs. 2 TRUE A high-fat diet and a lack of exercise increases the risk of atherosclerosis. If you smoke, drink excessive amounts of alcohol or have a family history of the condition, you’re also more likely to be at risk. 3 FALSE Many people do not have any noticeable symptoms and are unaware of the condition until diagnosis. However, if left untreated, it can cause heart attacks and strokes. 4 FALSE There’s no complete cure for the condition. A healthy lifestyle is recommended to…

Berry And Hazelnut Streusel Cake Serves: 10 Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 1hr-1hr 10 min For the topping: For the cake: 1 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4, and oil and line the base of a 23cm springform tin. 2 For the topping, put flour, sugar and butter into a bowl and rub together until it resembles fine crumbs, then stir in chopped hazelnuts. 3 For the cake, grind hazelnuts or chop very finely and set aside. 4 Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then gradually add eggs, alternating with spoonfuls of flour. Stir in remaining flour, baking powder and nuts, and mix until smooth. 5 Spoon mixture into tin, level surface, sprinkle with berries,…

FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY… These things turn 20 in 2016 • Wannabe by the Spice Girls • Toy Story • Jerry Maguire • Dolly, the cloned sheep • DVDs • The Macarena • Take That’s split • Ian Beale’s attempted murder TEEN ROOMS! You’ll find… • Stale pizza • Used tissues • Crusty socks • Porn • A Pringles tube of urine SAY WHAT? These expressions trip off our tongues, but they’re actually quite ridiculous… • Don’t cry over spilt milk. But, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! • Never was anything achieved without danger. Though, be warned, curiosity killed the cat. • Practice makes perfect. However, nobody’s perfect. Can You Rock It? Can you identify the classic rock bands from the clues below? Viagra was…

‘I didn’t expect to win, but it was such a lovely surprise’ ‘Our selfie stick and binoculars came in handy on our hol!’ Reading the messages on my computer, I couldn’t help giggling. ‘What’s so funny?’ my husband Roger, 68, asked. ‘The roomies are at it again,’ I laughed. I’d been a member of Pick Me Up! Bingo since January 2015. And I loved chatting to people in the chat rooms. The ‘roomies’, as they’re known, often had me in stitches with their amusing comments. A friendly bunch, nattering with them was a lot of fun. I loved playing the different bingo games, too. Sapphire and Emerald - 90 ball bingo games were my favourites. Though I often played a few slot games as well. The variety on the site…

Want the perfect… NOSE PORE STRIPS? Try one of these… Soothing: Tea Tree & Witch Hazel 2-Step Nose Pore Strips First, draw dirt out of your pores with the charcoal strip, then use the tea tree oil and witch hazel strip to soothe skin and tighten pores. Protective: T-Zone 6 Charcoal Nose Pore Strips These cleanse deep down to unclog your pores and remove excess oil. They’re also enriched with skin-clearing tea tree to help prevent breakouts. Deep-cleansing: Ultra-Purifying Nose Pore Strips These use volcanic ash as well as charcoal to remove dirt and grime from your pores. Use once a week for best results. Jess’Beauty Hero City Colour Correct & Perfect Palette, £4.99, www.smbeauty.co.uk , contains every shade you could ever need for your complexion! ASK…

‘I was amazed at how brave he was. I’m so proud of my puss’ I watched from the window as my ginger puss Ozzie, 7, charmed my neighbours. There was nothing my cat wouldn’t do for a bit of fuss and a belly tickle. He loved sitting there on my front wall and waiting for people to walk by. Then he’d meow and follow them along until they gave him some attention. Ozzie even had his own Facebook page. ‘He’s got more friends than I have,’ I joked to my mum Susan. Then, in May last year, Ozzie was sitting on the front wall when I heard a loud screech. ‘What the..?’ I spluttered. Rushing outside, I saw a couple with a Staffordshire bull terrier which was barking furiously. ‘What’s…

‘I rushed outside and saw Lewis slumped over...’ ‘Instinct had taken over – I knew what I had to do’ I was sitting at my job as a service-support assistant at Bristol college when I got an e-mail from my boss. Following some recent departures, we need a new first-aider. Is anyone interested in doing the course? I hadn’t done first aid since I was at school. I’d always meant to brush up on my skills, but had never got round to it. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. I’ll do it! I typed back. A few weeks on, I was in a hall with a few other office workers learning about everything from concussion to CPR. It’s hard not to feel silly when you’ve got your lips around the…

VIRGO 24 Aug–23 Sept There’s lots on offer socially, but there’s also work to be done and it could be hard to balance work and play. Make a plan and stick to it, as it seems to be others’ actions and requests leading you astray which are your downfall. Call: 09058 170 715* LIBRA 24 Sept–23 Oct Petty problems are beginning to get on top of you and it’s time to let those who are placing such pressures on you know that you won’t tolerate it any more. Time to plan a break and you know who you need to ask to take one with you! Call: 09058 170 716* SCORPIO 24 Oct–22 Nov Don’t cancel plans, but stick to them, as certain faces will have gone out of their…

‘He was a grownup, and I did as I was told’ Tucking me in beneath my Rainbow Brite bedcovers, my mum kissed my forehead. ‘Goodnight, sweetheart,’ she said, tucking a stray lock of mousy hair behind my ear. ‘Snug as a bug,’ I heard her whisper to my stepdad David, as she closed my door. My mum and dad split up when I was 7, and Mum met David Nicklin one year later. She wasted no time moving him into our home. I didn’t mind. I loved David, pleading with Mum to let me sit next to him whenever we went to the cinema. ‘He’s my best friend!’ I’d say. Then, one night, about a year after he’d moved in, I’d heard Mum run a bath. As she shut the…

Back To School Get your kids ready for the new term at Home Bargains! They’ve got it all from stationery to water bottles at bargain prices. We love this pretty lunchbox for just 99p! See Clearly Pick up a bottle of Prestone Max Visibility Screen Wash at Tesco before 31 August and get 25% extra free. Chocolate Fix Brioche Pasquier Pains au Chocolat are now just £1 for 6 (normally £1.75) until 30 August at Morrisons. They’re the perfect snack or treat for breakfast. Wedding Bells! Enter PICKMU at www.nationalweddingshow.co.uk or quote it on the hotline 0844 874 0486 by the Thursday before each show to get two tickets for the Manchester show for £20 (normally £36) or two tickets for London and Birmingham for £25 (normally £40). Wine Time!…

 My Grace was a born fighter. She had to be. 'Nobody knew how she’d got it, but her blood was infected' Because when I was just 29 weeks pregnant, I was measuring four weeks too small. A scan showed that my baby’s growth was restricted by a slowed flow from the placenta. Further tests revealed that I had pre-eclampsia. If left untreated, the condition can kill. ‘We must deliver the baby asap,’ the doctor said. We were transferred to Bradford Hospital and, three days later, Grace was born at 12.17pm weighing just 1lb 3oz. She was rushed to the Neonatal Unit. ‘She’s in good hands,’ my partner Ben, 23, told me. But Grace’s fight was just beginning. Her stomach began to swell, turned black. She was transferred to Leeds Hospital,…

'I always have a reason to get up in the mornings' What’s happening to me?’ I exclaimed. ‘I don’t know, love,’ my mum Claire, 52, admitted, worried. I was 14, and I’d had pneumonia for months. For a while, I’d started to recover. But then I just got worse again. Standing up, I’d get dizzy and feel sick. I’d nonstop headaches and I felt exhausted. I’d been living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) - a connective-tissue disorder - since birth, so I was fairly used to painful joint dislocation and not being able to walk great distances. But this was something new... Lying down seemed the only way to stop the dizziness. But, as the years passed, I became increasingly frustrated. I had low blood pressure and just couldn’t concentrate in…

1 Sainsbury’s Lemon Curd, 411g Thick and very creamy, use this tangy spread to fill a pastry shell, then top with meringue and flash in a hot oven to brown for a few min, for a quick, easy lemon meringue pie. 2 Asda Chosen By You Lemon Curd, 411g With a good lemon flavour, and a thick, jellylike consistency, this is ideal for spreading on hot, buttered toast. 3 Morrisons Signature Sicilian Lemon Curd, 320g We loved this for the soft, easy-to-spread consistency and the really tangy, fresh lemon flavour. Use it to fill a Victoria sponge cake or to make tarts. Make it yourself... Makes: 2 small jars Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 15 min 1 Put lemon zest and juice, sugar and butter…

'Suddenly, Paul’s mood changed and he lashed out' 'I needed a three-hour operation to rebuild my eye socket' Though he was in the year below me at school, Paul Nolan, then 13, hung out with me and my mates. Not close, after leaving school at 16 in 2002, we’d lost touch. Then, in July last year, he messaged me on Facebook. What a blast from the past! I commented back. As we chatted, it felt so easy. I explained that I was now a busy, single mum, with a mild form of cerebral palsy. There was nothing romantic in it then. I’d never fancied Paul. But, flicking through his profile pics, he was now tall and slim with chiselled features. We stayed in touch. Then... ‘Shall I come round?’ he…

‘No-one was safe from his wit. Even me!’ ‘I’m going to see how many teaspoons I can balance on the end of my nose,’ my son Felix said matter-of-factly in ‘ May 2014. He was bubbly, and always made people laugh. Especially his big sister Talia, now 12, and younger brother Rufus, 7. Sure enough... ‘I can fit 11 on my nose!’ Felix announced a few weeks later. It became his party piece! In December last year, Felix was approaching his 10th birthday and began complaining of a sore leg. He was tired, too. My and my hubby Dylan assumed it was growing pains. But, a few weeks later, Felix got an infection. We went to the GP and got him antibiotics, but the doctor agreed to refer him to…

THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS NAME: Nicky Gibbs, 25, from Ipswich, Suffolk. VITAL STATISTICS: I was always the ‘big girl’ among friends, and though I pretended not to care, I hated being overweight. I was a dress-size 12 when I started university, but the lack of home-cooked meals combined with snacking and wine, meant that three years on, when I graduated, I was a dress-size 18, weighing 13st 12lb. MY MOTIVATION: As my life revolved around food, I couldn’t escape. I was inspired to do something by a friend who has achieved fantastic results. MY ACTION PLAN: In 2013, I signed up to LighterLife’s Total plan and swapped conventional food for four nutritious Foodpacks a day. I attended weekly group sessions where counsellor, Katrina Bates, helped me identify the psychological…

In September 2010, at uni, I met Charlie White, 18, and we clicked instantly. Graduating in July 2013, we moved to London for work, Charlie as a property manager, and me as airline cabin crew. I was travelling - but never seeing the destination. ‘I’d love to fly away and never come back,’ I sighed. We wrote a ‘bucket list’ of places to visit - and soon our list was huge. ‘Let’s quit. Go travelling,’ Charlie suggested. Excited, we started making plans. And, a month on, in March 2015, we quit our jobs, moved in with my parents, Carl 57, and Nicky, 51, in Leek, Staffs. We worked nine jobs between us, day and night, only stopping for sleep. Nine months on, we’d raised a total of £24,000. On 31…