Table of contents for 30-Jun-2022 in Pick Me Up!

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.…

Chucking a frozen lasagna into the microwave, my stomach rumbled with hunger. Waiting for the ‘ding’, I watched impatiently. After moving out of home at the age of 20, I relied on convenience food for ease. I wasn’t particularly bothered about cooking and instead would gorge on ready meals and crisps. Although my mum had always made delicious homecooked meals, my diet had never been amazing. As a teenager, I would snack all day on whatever I could. So now, with my own place, I could eat whatever I wanted. I knew I was no slim chicken, but my weight didn’t really bother me. I ate noodles topped with mayo And when I fell pregnant with my son at 22, I saw it as an opportunity to eat more. Tucking…

Dementia UK Admiral Nurses provide support and guidance for families affected by dementia. Caring for someone is a huge responsibility, and can have a devastating emotional impact. Their new #ILiveWithDementia campaign shines a light on the support available to family carers – and highlights the fact that if you love someone with dementia, you’re living with it, too. Dementia UK Admiral Nurses are vital in supporting family and friends who are worried about someone with dementia, and giving them the confidence. • Please visit: dementiauk.org • Share the hashtag #ILiveWithDementia on socials…

Sitting in hospital, hooked up to dialysis, I felt miserable. Just weeks earlier I’d been living the high life in London. Playing bass guitar in a rock band, I spent my days rehearsing and jamming, and my nights partying. We even had a potential record deal lined up – it was the start of something exciting. In 1971, aged 21, it felt like my life was taking off. After some studio time one day, though, I suddenly started to feel unwell. Heading back to Mum and Dad’s house, I planned to rest for a few days. It’s probably the late nights and unhealthy eating catching up with me, I thought. But when I suffered extreme fatigue and my ankles started to swell up, I decided to get checked out. Mum called…

Staring at the screen of my Nokia phone, I was a little confused. Hello, a random text from an unknown number read. I’d only got my phone the week before, so I figured I might have forgotten to save someone’s number. It was 1998, so technology wasn’t as advanced. Hi, who’s this? I replied. My phone buzzed again. Donavan. Donavan who? I didn’t know a Donavan. Shears, the message pinged back immediately. Probing further, I started chatting with him, intrigued as to why he’d text me. How did you get this number? I typed. It turned out, showing off to his mates, Don thought it would be funny to text a random number. That number happened to be mine. He told me he was 19 and lived in Coventry, 116…

Arriving home from a car boot sale, I sat on the sofa. ‘Let’s ‘Let’s go for a Sunday stroll tomorrow,’ I suggested to my partner David, 57. ‘Good idea,’ he replied. After being diagnosed with cancer a month before, in June 2021, I was scheduled to have my removal surgery that Monday. David and I had been together for six months and he’d come to stay and look after me. However, just before he arrived, I found out the surgery had been postponed and so we decided to enjoy the weekend. Having spent Saturday nosing around a car boot sale, I thought a peaceful Sunday stroll with my Labrador Goose would be nice. And so, the next morning, we headed out. As the sun was shining and we had a…

□ 500g fresh beetroot□ 3 fresh carrots□ 6 spring onions□ Pinch of ground ginger□ Pinch of mild chilli powder□ 150ml low fat natural yoghurt 1 Peel and grate the carrots and spring onions into a bowl. 2 Then grate the fresh beetroot into the same bowl. 3 Add a pinch of each of the chilli powder and ground ginger. 4 Add the yoghurt and stir to the consistency that you want. If you want it a little looser add a little more yoghurt. If you want it firmer, then add some more grated carrot.…

Countdown timer plug, £9.99, Amazon With energy bills rising and households wanting to pay more attention to ways they can save, this idea can help. If you want your appliances to turn off at a certain time, simply set the timer on the plug, saving money as you sleep. Especially good for making sure that your hair straighteners are off when you leave the house! Your fire hazard is eliminated and energy is saved – perfect! Verdict: GENIUS! You need this The Smart Garden, £119.95, clickandgrow.com Your favourite pasta recipe is calling for a bundle of fresh basil – but you’ve run out! What a dream it would be to have fresh herbs and vegetables ready on your kitchen counter. The Smart Garden means that you can. With automatic watering…

With competitive rodeo events and traditional ranch get-togethers happening most weekends in Elko County, families were brought together by the cowboy traditions of Nevada. Like many other teenagers in the community, Gabrielle ‘Britney’ Ujlaky, 16, had grown up with a passion for riding horses. Rather than being interested in the spotlight of the sporting arena, though, she was happiest getting stuck into the daily chores on her local ranch. Known as Britney by everyone, she was a cowgirl who was always the first to jump into the saddle to round up the livestock. But she was also typical teenage girl who loved experimenting with makeup. She’d pick flowers to cheer people up and would always try to make her friends laugh. Britney had spoken to her family about joining the…

Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Fiona Barton returns with her new thriller, Local Gone Missing. With a background in news reporting, Fiona spent her career interviewing people at the heart of criminal activity – from the guilty to their family. Now, she’s created a narrative all of her own. Elise King is a successful and ambitious detective – at least she was until medical leave left her questioning whether she’d ever return. Instead, she now spends her days monitoring the escalating tensions in her small seaside town. Only, when two teens overdose and a man disappears, she discovers a web of lies. • Local Gone Missing, £14.99, Waterstones…

Packing cling-filmed sandwiches into a lunchbox along with crisps, fruit and other snacks, I went to the foot of the stairs. ‘Tom!’ I called up. ‘Come on, it’s time to get up.’ Heading back into the kitchen, I stuck the kettle on. But by the time I’d made my cuppa, Tom still hadn’t got out of bed. Running upstairs and into his bedroom, I gently nudged him as he groaned. ‘Come on, Ben will be here to pick you up soon,’ I said. Tom, 19, had started a roofing apprenticeship six months earlier. He loved it, but he wasn’t a morning person, and he hated the early starts! Tom thundered down the stairs, pulling his coat on, just as his boss Benjamin Norman beeped his horn. Tom didn’t have his…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! If you’re looking for a quick and cost effective way to freshen up your kitchen, then invest in this pair. The deep wire drainer and washing up bowl made from 100% recycled household plastic will be a perfect addition to your home. For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk Wash and dry! Make a lightweight laundry bag from an old pillowcase. Ideal for holding your dirty washing when on holiday. Carol Casan, Tiverton DIY dream Create a space to hang your tools in your workshop with a few nails. Judith Cairns, Essex…

Rhiannon Spurgeon is a coach, mentor, author of Grief Without Guilt, and also founder of Totally Awesome Women’s Network online. (rhiannonspurgeon.com) Wedding woes Q I'm getting married this summer and I don't want to invite my brother’s girlfriend. Although they've been together a year, I don't think they'll last, and I don't want her in all my photos. Am I being unreasonable? Tess, London A What a dilemma! On the one hand, it’s absolutely a day about celebrating you and your fiancé. On the other, in the grand scheme of things, it’s one day in your life. A marriage is so much bigger. Speak to the wedding photographer in advance to ask that she’s on the edge of group photos for easier cropping if they don’t last. But how would…

Nightmare mornings Q No matter how much sleep I get, I struggle to get up in the mornings and I’m constantly tired. What’s wrong with me? Hannah, Chepstow A Constantly feeling run down and tired all the time isn’t normal. Without a consultation it would be difficult to pinpoint the specific cause of your chronic fatigue. I would recommend booking in to see your doctor. During your appointment you can discuss your diet, lifestyle and current medical history. This may highlight areas to investigate further. Some possible explanations include an undiagnosed underlying health condition, a nutrient deficiency, sleep disturbances or a lack of good quality sleep, consuming too much caffeine, dehydration, stress or even that you might be coming down with a cold/flu. Your doctor will work with you to find…

Casualwear is in! But what would you say if you could create a stash of timeless classics you can reach for again and again? Well, by creating a capsule wardrobe you can do exactly that… Top tip Splurging is worth it if you want to reach for items every single season Top tip Colour coordination is key to mastering the art of a perfect outfit! Top tip Experiment with colour and pattern dresses to mix with neutrals! Behind the basics… Having a capsule wardrobe is always a good idea, it means (in theory) that you should never be without something to wear. But where do you start when it comes to building one? Holly Thistleton, stylist at Thread.com, shares the items you actually need for a complete and functional wardrobe……

Pulling open the oven to reveal a batch of… burnt cupcakes?! Opening all of the windows to let out the smell of the cremated toast and not being able to perfect a runny egg… Does this sound like a familiar scene? We might all be able to identify a soggy bottom on our TV screens but being able to follow a recipe really is one of Gordon Ramsay’s nightmares! Only, don’t stress, you aren’t alone. With one in 10 people admitting that they cannot cook in the UK, according to YouGov, and 52% of Brits only able to confidently cook 10 regular dishes, it seems we have a cooking crisis. For many, the idea of cooking a meal with fresh ingredients is seen as a chore, with others stating that…

If you’re looking forward to finally jetting off to sunnier climes this summer, don’t let aches and pains on long-haul flights hold you back. Anna de Sousa, MoreYoga expert instructor, shares her top no-equipment, limited space inflight moves to keep you stretched and supple. 1 Cat-cow Mobilise your spine with a few rounds of seated cat-cow! To begin, move your bum slightly forward in your seat and place your hands on your knees. Take a breath in, open your chest and soften the belly. As you exhale, draw the chin to your chest and round your spine as much as you can. Do five to 10 rounds like this! 2 Neck stretch First, wrap your right arm behind you and hold your right wrist with your left hand. Then slowly…

www.clairepetulengro.tv 23 – 30 June Catch Claire live on Facebook ARIES 21 March–20 April Use the new moon on Tuesday to decide who you’re going to commit to. The indecision you faced last week were the stars showing you all sides of life, so that you don’t feel later that you have missed out. You’re a student of life and proposals you receive dictate where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing in the next twelve months. This is an important time for you. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May With a new moon in Cancer on Tuesday, act as if what you do makes a difference, because it will. You’re more in control of your life now, than you have been all week. You realise you don’t…

Send us your stories and photos, including all names and ages, a daytime phone number and full address. E-mail hello@pickmeupmag.co.uk WRITE TO Pick Me Up! Media Centre, Emma-Chris Way, Abbey Wood Park, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7JU PHONE 01174400607 FACEBOOK facebook.com/pickmeupmag SEE OUR WEBSITE lifedeathprizes.com Future Publishing Limited reserves the right to reuse any submission sent to Pick Me Up! magazine, in any format or medium. Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a stamped sae. Letters/photos must not be sent to any other publication. Fancy yourself as a budding herbologist? There’s no better place to learn than Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse!…

Started by four friends, Sorted Food is on a mission to help people become awesome home cooks, whilst enjoying food, saving money and reducing food waste. With 2.5 million subscribers on YouTube, they’re clearly doing something right. And now, they’ve partnered with Yorkshire’s Sloemotion Distillery to launch their Strawberry Gin Liqueur with Vanilla & Black Pepper. A celebration of the UK’s favourite berry, the team have used strawberry crop with a selection of Sloemotion Distillery botanicals, foraged from the hedgerows on their very own farm. The perfect tipple for your summer afternoons in the garden. • Available for £20, Sloemotion Distillery…

Pick a theme Choosing an aesthetic for your outdoor areas is the perfect start to creating a comfortable space. It allows you to express yourself and create an environment that you can feel relaxed in – which is essential for summer evenings. Add greenery Add different flowers, plants, and herbs for maximum interest – a little or a lot, it’s up to you! Lifting flower pots off the floor by attaching them to fences and balconies works for smaller areas, too. Flooring Giving your patio floor some colour can add vibrance to your outdoor area just as much as the furniture and greenery. Update with outdoor rugs, paint, artificial grass or floor stencils. Paint your garden Don’t be afraid to paint a fence, furniture, shed or plant pots to add…

Pouring icing onto the top of a freshly baked cakes, I licked the rest off my fingers. ‘Shall we bake some cupcakes?’ was my mum’s favourite sentence, and we had a routine of baking cakes together often throughout my childhood. Only, as I hit my teens a new question ran through my head. ‘What am I going to do with my life?’ I muttered. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. At school, I didn’t get the best grades, so a lot of options seemed as if they were closed off. Spending all of my time baking, I would experiment in the kitchen. In the evenings, I would settle down to watch MasterChef, with talents testing food to its limits. Cooking made me feel like I had…

Award-winning designer and landscape architect Joe Perkins has worked with Meta to create The Meta Garden: Growing the Future for the Chelsea Flower Show 2022. So, he sure knows a thing or two about gardening. He is here to share his knowledge by answering some of the most common dilemmas concerning our gardens… Q What are the best tools, flowers, and items to have in your garden shed? A Every shed needs a great pair of secateurs, a reliable garden trowel, and a handy rake to create a perfectly crumbly seedbed. The perfect flower is of course subjective, but geraniums and lavender are brilliant, low-maintenance options for those starting out. For those looking for a pop of colour, Californian poppies are also fairly easy to grow, too. Q What fool…

From clever use of leftovers to getting the most out of more affordable cuts of meat, Budget Keto Kitchen by Monya Kilian Palmer (Kyle Books, £14.99) is packed with ideas to transform budget ingredients into decadent dishes. Monya is a trained chef and an ambassador of the low carb, high fat (ketogenic) lifestyle. She shares all the secrets of how to enjoy the energy-boosting benefits of the low-carb keto lifestyle without breaking the bank… Cheeseburger casserole Serves: 4 □ 2 tsps unsalted butter□ 100g smoked bacon lardons (or smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped)□ ½ onion, finely chopped□ 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped□ 500g minced beef, 20% fat□ 40g full-fat cream cheese□ 25g gherkins or cornichons, finely chopped□ Salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE CHEESE LAYER □ 1 large…

Pimm’s, £15, Sainsbury’s It’s not a British summer without a glass or three of Pimm’s! Chop up some mint, cucumber, orange and strawberries, top with lemonade and enjoy! Corte Molino Prosecco Extra Dry, £8.50, Co-op Hailing from Treviso, Italy, this easy-drinking, straw-yellow fizz is made from an exclusive selection of Glera grapes. The floral, fruity and slightly sweet Prosecco is guaranteed to put a sparkle in your step this summer! Mr Organic’s Italian Organic Ketchup, £2.49, Waitrose No one likes a dry dinner – up your condiment game with this tasty ketchup! Bursting with more than 30 Italian sunripened tomatoes and packed within hours of harvest to retain flavour and freshness, this natural ketchup has won a Great Taste Award! Fibre One 90 Calorie Strawberry & Cream Doughnut, £2.89, Tesco New…

Pulling up at Heathrow, my son, Ben, 44, couldn’t believe it. ‘Are you sure about this, Mum?’ he asked. ‘I’ll be fine!’ I exclaimed, getting out of the car and giving him a kiss on the cheek. I was on my way to India to climb the mighty Himalayas. It was all for a good cause – I was fundraising for my local hospice, ellenor, where I was a volunteer. I’d always craved an adventurous lifestyle, though. Stepping onto the plane back in 2009, I felt a bit out of place. I was surrounded by youngsters dressed head to toe in mountaineering gear, ready to go. But I wasn’t fazed – I was fit for my age and even went to the gym twice a week, too. Although I was…