Table of contents for 2-May-2024 in Pick Me Up!

Presenting at the front of the room, I was on a mission to help spread the word. ‘Symptoms can include heavy periods and pain in your tummy or back,’ I said. After liaising with my workplace, a marketing agency in Brighton, to become an endometriosis-friendly employer, I was delivering a series of talks to my colleagues. Because as an endo ambassador, I wanted people to better understand endometriosis, not just for me but for other women in our workplace, too. ‘I’d never heard of endo before,’ one male colleague said. ‘Thank you for telling us.’ And for me, just one more person who knew about endo, the better. I wanted to normalise talking about it, especially as when I was first diagnosed, I felt like I had no one to…

Hearing the iconic whirl of the TARDIS, I could have resighted the entire theme from memory. Doctor Who was permanently imprinted in my brain, thanks to my very own Time Lord Noah, now 18. ‘You can’t watch that,’ I’d tease, when Noah was just three years old. I thought he’d be scared of it, but that wasn’t the case at all. And somewhere along the lines, Doctor Who became more than just a story – it was a lifestyle. Me and my hubby Nigel were reminded of that daily. Noah’s bedroom was completely covered in all sorts of different memorabilia. Anything from sonic screwdrivers to past Time Lords, too. Only, there was something that Noah had always been pining for. ‘I want a Dalek,’ he’d beg. ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,…

To the tropics Hawaiian Tropic are making it impossible to forget your SPF this summer. With their new Hydrating Protection range, not only will you get the ultimate protection with their first ever SPF50, but your skin will be left dewy and gorgeously illuminated. Plus, with their cult-classic exotic, tropical scent that we all know and love, you won't be able to get enough of this collection. Prices from £13.59, available from Boots 1. Glowing Protection SPF50 Lotion As well as offering high factor 50 UVA and UVB protection, this lotion is enriched with Mica minerals to leave a radiant finish on the skin, plus mango and shea butter extracts to transport you to the tropics. 2. Glowing Protection SPF30 Protective Spray Oil Fans of Hawaiian Tropic’s classic oils will…

Snuggling up on the sofa, I was happy to be at home for a cosy evening in. Watching a re-run of Mastermind on the telly, I didn’t envy my husband Steve, 69, as he pulled on his coat. He was preparing to take our English Pointer Laser and our Border Collie Rosie out for their daily walk. ‘Be good, all of you,’ I smiled, waving them goodbye. And it was a good job he’d chosen now, around 3.30pm on 4 November last year, to take Rosie out. Despite being a happy pup, Rosie hated Mastermind. As soon as the dramatic intro music sounded, she’d scarper and hide behind the sofa. While she wasn’t skittish, only being startled by thunderstorms, we assumed it was just one of her quirks. Especially as…

An increased risk More than 55,000 women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer – it is the most common cancer in the UK. But it’s estimated that almost a quarter of breast cancer cases are preventable – things like your weight, diet and reproductive choices can all play a part in your risk of developing it. Prevent Breast Cancer shares some factors that may increase your risk of breast cancer. Please visit: preventbreastcancer.org.uk Your weight Being overweight can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. The good news is that losing weight helps to reduce this risk. Your family history you have a family history of breast cancer, ask your GP about genetic testing. Speak to your GP if you’re worried about anything If your mum, grandmothers, aunts, cousins…

Unwrapping the purple chocolate bar, I licked my lips. The Dairy Milk bar in my lap was my treat – whenever I’d had a stressful day at work, I’d head to Tesco for one. Popping a square into my mouth, it tasted so dreamy. Although one square soon became two, then three. Then, the entire bar had disappeared. But it didn’t matter – I’d be the only one to know about my chocolate addiction. Snacking in my car after work, my partner Matt, 43, and my son Vinny, nine, had no idea. It was my dirty secret. Throwing the packets in the bin, I got rid of the evidence. Then, I’d cook a healthy meal of chicken and chips at home. But after settling Vinny in bed, I’d go straight…

There are so many fun games to play at Pick Me Up! Bingo! We’ve got 75-ball bingo, where you play in patterns, as well as the more traditional 90-ball bingo, where you can win cash prizes on one line, two lines or a full house. You can even try bingo roulette, a fun combination of two popular games! Whatever your game, you can sit back, join in the fun and let us dab off your numbers for you! Top game pick Ready to try out one of our favourite games? From leading game developers Eyecon, Pick Me Up! Bingo brings you My Bingo Hall – a slot game with a bingo-hall theme! You can win up to 30,000x your original wager – but, even better, it’s got that unbeatable bingo-hall…

Walking around town in the pitch black, it can be hard not to look over your shoulder. It could be innocent, but why do we hold our keys in between our knuckles? And would we really be able to strike back if we were in a dangerous situation? Sadly, it’s a situation that most women have found themselves in. Police figures have exposed a staggering 250,000 street attacks on women have taken place since the murder of Sarah Everard. And it’s high-profile crime cases such as these that have triggered a national interest in self-defence awareness. With groups for both children and women popping up all over the country. As 70% of UK women are not aware of the techniques to use in self-defence, Save the Student reveals. Yet, why…

With the scent of berries wafting in the air, it was yet another typical Sunday. But I wasn’t relaxing in the garden on a sunny day. Instead, my hubby Mike, now 38, was puffing away on his refillable e-cig. Mucking around indoors, it wasn’t the most exciting of days. Just a time to chill out with our two dogs, Luna and Hugo, on 29 October last year. Quite a heavy smoker in the past, Mike had changed to vaping six years ago, always choosing a pink and fruity flavour to use in his pod. I didn’t smoke or vape myself, but it never really bothered me that Mike did. Heading into the kitchen, right next to the living room, Mike went to charge his new vape battery. Sat on my…

Bitesize! pg 3 Fete Strike it! pg 13 Football (Cross out: 2, 11, 18, 27, 34, 42, 55, 61, 63, 83) Cross it! pg 36 Feather Fill it! pg 13 Mayday Movie links! pg 38 (Cross out: Chris Hemsworth – THOR – Natalie Portman – BLACK SWAN – Mila Kunis – BAD MOMS – Kristen Bell – FROZEN – Josh Gad) Crack it! pg 23 Cheesecake Number fit! pg 13 1532 Sudoku pg 36 3,4,3 Follow it! pg 8 Festival PLEASE NOTE Pick Me Up! will still be bringing you great puzzles to pit your wits against, but will no longer be offering prizes. Don’t forget, you can do puzzles for big cash prizes every week in our sister magazine, Chat.…

If you’re planning on making jam with the fruits of your labours this spring, then why not craft these kitsch jam jar toppers by Ana Araujo Please visit: hobbycraft.co.uk at Hobbycraft? ☐ Sewing kit ☐ Hair elastics ☐ Silver midi split rings (5mm) ☐ Wooden tags ☐ Embellishments ☐ Old fabrics, including trims 1 Cut a circle six inches in diameter from your chosenfabric or material. 2 Pin the trim to the edge of the fabric circle and stitch it in place using a regular running stitch. 3 Make jar jewellery out of hair elastics, a jump ring and a wooden tag. Coordinate the colours of the jar jewellery with the fabric and the jam you plan to store. Embellish in any way you wish. 4 Centre the fabric on…

Checking my calendar, it was the first of the month. And this meant one thing – it was time to check my breasts. As I did every month, I ran my hands over my boobs to check for any lumps, bumps and changes. Exhaling a sigh of relief as I finished up, everything felt ship shape. But checking my breasts was very important to me. Working for Prevent Breast Cancer as a fundraising lead, every day I saw the effects cancer had on women and their families. And six years ago, in 2017, my mum Monica, 87, lost her battle to secondary cancer after a 14-year long fight with breast cancer. It was Mum’s memory that had inspired me to go for the job at Prevent Breast Cancer, and it…

2 for 1 Meet the Meerkats experience Here’s your chance to get up close and personal with adorable meerkats at one of our carefully handpicked locations. A perfect treat for any animal lover, you’ll both get to meet, hold and discover the clever personalities of these tame and cute mammals. All our vouchers are fully flexible and can be redeemed against our huge range of experiences. Minimum age is six years but this may vary for each location. All dates are subject to availability. Restrictions may apply and will vary for each location. Treetop Adventure experience for one adult and one child at Go Ape Challenge yourself to Go Ape with this exhilarating treetop adventure. You’ll leap off Tarzan swings, take on rope ladders and tackle a variety of obstacles…

Metallics are big this season – gorgeous gold and bronze tones, pairing perfectly with black, cream and golden sands… If you have pale skin, try coppery golds. If you have a darker complexion, lighter golds work best Neutral base layers will see you through anything – accessories take your fit from day to night…

DON’T MISS The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Sky Atlantic Adapted from the best-selling book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is the story of one man, Lali (Jonah Hauer-King), a Slovakian Jew, who in 1942 is deported to Auschwitz, the concentration camp where over a million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. Shortly after arrival, Lali is made one of the tattooists, charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. One day, he meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) when tattooing her prisoner number, leading to a love that defies the horrors around them. So begins a courageous and unforgettable story. Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, Disney Plus The four-part, all access docuseries chronicles the epic past and uncertain future of one of the most recognisable bands and its front-man Jon Bon…

Trying to find a solution, I scoured the internet for an opportunity. ‘You don’t have to search for self-defence classes, Mum. I don’t need them,’ my teenage daughter shrugged. I knew that she didn’t want to feel defeated, but she’d been attacked on her way home from school at the end of 2022. If I hadn’t had been able to get there in time, who knows what could have happened. I wanted her to feel safe and be able to confidently defend herself if she ever needed to. However, when looking for groups in the local area, I couldn’t find anything. Working closely with the community in the past anyway, I started to ask around to see how people would feel about getting involved. By this point, what started as…