Table of contents for 29-Jul-2021 in Pick Me Up!

Growing up near the coast, we lived quite near to the lifeboat station. I spent every summer down there and I used to love watching the boats launch. From then on, I always knew it was something I wanted to get involved with. As an adult, I became an Intensive Care Respiratory Physiotherapist, and I absolutely loved my job. In 2012, I moved to Poole and I knew I wanted to enquire with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). I wasn’t entirely sure how it would work around my job in the hospital, but they agreed that I could volunteer out of hours. Living just minutes away from the station, it meant that I could be on the scene almost instantly. I have to carry a pager around with me…

1. BANISH BIN SMELLS Mop the inside of your empty bin with some beautifully scented Zoflora to prevent bin smells. 2. FRESH AIR Open your windows as wide as they can go and let in a breeze to blow away any mould and musty smells. 3. CLEAN MACHINE Put two capfuls of Zoflora into the drum and run a hot cycle to leave your washing machine sparkling clean. 4. GARDEN GREATNESS Get your garden furniture spick and span by spraying clean with some anti-bac and wiping it down. 5. MUDDY PRINTS Mop your floors with a bucket of water and a capful of Zoflora to keep it clean and fragrant all day – goodbye wet dog smell.…

Spot of bother QI have what looks like a spot on my boob. It comes and goes. Should I get it checked out? Sandra, Bristol A The skin on your breast is the same as the skin on the rest of your body. This means common conditions such as eczema or psoriasis can occur on the breast, and these can come and go. Equally, you may develop local skin infections, boils, abscesses, or fungal skin infections. You may also encounter breast problems at a certain age, associated with your milk glands. There may be hard lumps in the breast tissue, where the milk ducts have become blocked. Rarely, a special type of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer affects the skin of the breast. If you have any spots on…

Simple Home Cooking is packed full of tasty recipes that the whole family are sure to enjoy! Start by checking the mini guides to make sure you have all the tools and ingredients you need to make the best home-cooked meals, then learn how to master essential kitchen techniques, from making your own stocks and gravy, to glazing, pickling, smoking, baking, and much more. Recipes include classic dishes and modern twists on family favourites, including constructing the perfect burger to baking the ultimate apple pie. There’s plenty of inspiration for every occasion and with simple, step-bystep guides, you’ll be able to re-create the mouth-watering dishes with ease. To get your free copy of Simple Home Cooking use this link: bit.ly/3olo5Ca Offer available from 22 July to 22 August 2021 Check…

Getting out of the shower, I reached for the moisturiser. Smoothing it over my body, as I ran over my left breast, I suddenly felt something small and hard. What’s that? I worried. On closer inspection, it looked like a mosquito bite, only bigger. Getting dressed, I knew I needed to get it checked out. I didn’t need Google to know it wasn’t a good sign. So, after ringing my boss to let him know I would be late, I took myself straight down to my local hospital. I didn’t want to waste time trying to get an appointment. ‘I’ve found a lump,’ I told the receptionist when I arrived. Somehow, despite knowing it needed medical attention, I wasn’t worried. I was just following the steps I knew I needed…

Floor bored? Make a change and give your wood and concrete flooring the red-carpet treatment with Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Floor Paint. Deck the hall (the lounge, playroom and bedrooms, too) with a low sheen chalk finish in 110 statement colours. Available for £38.99, from The Range. WHAT YOU WILL NEED: □ Rust-Oleum Chalky Floor Paint □ Rust-Oleum Chalky Wall Paint □ Paint brushes □ Pencil □ A printed photo of the stairs □ Paint stirrer STEP 1 Take a picture of the area you wish to paint and print it out. Sketch your design onto the photo, giving you a rough guide to follow for ease. STEP 2 Start by painting the bigger sections first. Apply colour with a large paint brush and tidy up the edges with a finer…

Get your beauty fix from these top picks at Sainsbury’s. Do you need beauty advice? Write to hello@pickmeupmag.co.uk and we’ll try and help!…

Cross it! Solve the puzzle to find a word. Fit the words back in the grid and the letters in the highlighted squares spell out the answer. We’ve put in one word to help. Answer on page 47. 3 letter Bid Bop Bow Hop Inn 4 letter Acid Spin Warm Wife Zinc 5 letter Cable Cease Pixie Pulse 6 letter Decent Eleven Excess Fellow Learns Stanza Vacant 7 letter Absence Decades Opening 8 letter Deposits Searched Sprinkle Strained Cross it! pg 45 Medicine Sudoku! To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle, then read down the numbers in the highlighted squares for the answer. Answer on page 47. Sudoku! pg 45 2,8,6…

Putting down the cat carrier, I waited to see what would happen. We’d just brought a new kitten home, who we named Wilbur, and we thought he might be nervous. But not this kitten. Wilbur strode right out of his little carrier and started sniffing the room. Then he jumped straight up and sat on my lap. We already had a cat, Albert, a British Blue and Wilbur was an exotic shorthair. Albert ignored us most of the time and would disappear. But Wilbur was different straight away. He followed me everywhere I went, like a little lap dog. If I was ever eating cereal or chocolate, he’d jump up and start pawing me for a taste. ‘You’re a strange cat, Wilbur,’ I’d say, nuzzling him as he stole my…

A pooch perfect summer Ready for a fun-filled summer with your dog? It’s important to ensure your dogs are entertained, keeping active, socialising and having fun. Experts at Canine Cottages (www.caninecottages.co.uk) have suggested seven dog-friendly activities to help make this summer paw-fect! MEET WITH FELLOW DOG PEOPLE A meetup is a great way of finding like-minded individuals, and there are many local dog groups you and your pooch can join. These groups are great for meeting new people and to encourage your dog to socialise and make new furry friends. ENJOY A DOG-FRIENDLY LUNCH What’s better than a trip to the pub in the sun? Maybe with your dog, too. Most pubs nowadays are dog-friendly, with some even having their own menu filled with refreshments for your pup. GO GLAMPING…

Cradling my newborn daughter in my arms, I couldn’t seem to settle her. ‘What’s wrong, baby girl?’ I cooed, as I gently rocked little Sofia in my arms. But it was clear to me that something was wrong. For weeks now, since Sofia was born in March 2014, she seemed to be irritable. Barely anything I tried seemed to calm her down. ‘I’ve just got a feeling something’s not quite right,’ I said to my fiancé Daniel, now 35. With Sofia’s eyes swelling up, doctors said it was allergies. But when that didn’t seem to be the answer, they started looking into some other possibilities. After appointments and scans, doctors were still none the wiser. But when she started vomiting, and didn’t seem to stop one afternoon, I quickly rushed…

Online appliances store ao.com shares some delicious summer recipes to get you and the family in the mood for sunny days! For more inspiration visit ao.com/life Beetroot, orange & fennel salad Serves: 2 ■ 3 medium fresh beetroots■ 3 oranges■ 2 medium fennel bulbs■ 1 small bunch of fresh parsley■ 1 lemon, juiced■ 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil■ salt & pepper for seasoning 1 Take the tops off the beetroot, peel them and then finely slice them – either with a knife or a mandolin. Put the slices into a large bowl. 2 Peel the oranges making sure you remove all the pith, then cut the segments out one by one, again removing any pith. Add to the beetroots. 3 Cut the top and bottom off the fennel and discard…

THIS WEEK Eco-friendly cleaning Essential cleaning is nothing to sniff at! Fabulous mother and daughter team and KINN founders Marie Lavabre and Sophie Lavabre-Barrow share their seven magnificent eco-cleaning tips for you to give a try today. Marie says: ‘Our ethos at KINN is cleaner living and better cleaning. To us this means making sure that what you use in your home, breathe in and touch is organic, as non-toxic as possible and works in a healthier way.’ For more information, go to www.kinn-living.co.uk Open the windows All of them! Throw them open and let the fresh air in. You’re going to get hot cleaning anyway so if you need to wear a jumper at first that’s fine, but let that fresh air circulate and get rid of the dry, stuffy air.…

If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate sharing smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

Danielle Barnett is a NLP Master practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, and a life coach. She has a weekly podcast: Real Therapy. (www.daniellebarnett.coach) Hurtful past QI lost my parents in an accident when I was a teenager. I don’t talk about it – my friends say that isn’t healthy. What is the benefit from digging up the past? Karen, Dorset AFirstly, I’m so sorry for your devastating loss. Have you ever dealt with your feelings following this or had counselling? Don’t ever feel pressurised in doing something you don’t want to do. However, understand that ignoring something as painful as this may still linger with you. The problem with not expressing how you feel, is that it is still there in your subconscious and the younger you that experienced this tragedy is…

Lisa Walker, Southend, Essex. I think if I’m being honest, I’d say that I started gambling when I was around eight years old, when my dad and granddad introduced me to cards. Back then it was innocent, betting 10p, 20p and 50p – but things changed when I turned 18 and could go to casinos, where I started going on slot machines and playing poker. After a big win when I was 29, which meant I could afford to gamble more frequently, I was easily gambling about four to five times a week. Over the years I would say I’ve lost upwards of £400,000, re-mortgaging my house not just once but three times to continue to have money to gamble. On top of gambling occupying my mind every second of…

Henry desktop vacuum cleaner, £14.99, Prezzybox.com Henry has returned in miniature to take on the nation’s messy desks. Adorable and practical! Verdict: GENIUS! Suck up those biscuit crumbs Fire catcher jar, £14.99, Firebox.com Charges by day, glows and flickers by night. Solar panels turn the sun’s energy into a fiery light source. Verdict: GENIUS! Burn baby burn! Slow brew sloth tea infuser, £12, RedCandy.co.uk Pop your loose leaf in the centre and let this little sloth chill in your mug. Made from BPA-free silicone. Verdict: BONKERS! Take it nice and slow.…

Kelsie Schelling was petite at just 5ft 4in, but she made a big impact on everyone she met. The 21-year-old was full of life and had a heart as big as her smile. Her mum, Laura Saxton, loved how bubbly and silly her daughter could be – but things were about to get a lot more serious for Kelsie. Since meeting at college, Kelsie had been dating a boy named Donthe Lucas. Donthe was a college basketball player, and the pair made a striking couple. By February 2013, they were living two hours away from each other in Colorado. Kelsie in Denver, and Donthe in Pueblo. But they saw each other regularly and with Kelsie’s news, everything was about to change. Kelsie had discovered she was eight weeks pregnant. Although…

www.clairepetulengro.tv ARIES 21 March–20 April Don’t put off until next week what can be done in this one. You have been following others’ lead, when fire signs can only follow their own heart. Remember who you are and what you wanted, or you could find yourself following plans others have made for you. What seems like a good deal, may be more suited to others than it is to you. Get to the root cause. Call: 09058 170 710* LEO 24 July–23 Aug The Sun enters your sign on Thursday. Can you feel the confidence building? For once you can say what you feel without fear of others objecting. This is due to the fact you don’t care. You’re sure of what has to happen next. Younger faces prove dramatic.…