Table of contents for 1-Aug-2024 in Pick Me Up!

Have your own American diner moment, by creating this scrumptious milkshake at home. With a dash of Aldi’s Ballycastle Madagascan Vanilla – the perfect Bailey’s dupe – this sweet treat is a real summer pick-me-up. • For more recipe ideas, visit: aldi.co.uk ☐ 100ml Ballycastle Madagascan Vanilla☐ 100ml vanilla ice cream☐ 500ml water☐ 60g cocoa powder☐ Milk chocolate, shaved to garnish☐ Toppings of your choice – here, we’ve used raspberries and blueberries 1. In a small saucepan, boil 250ml of water. Remove from heat and add the cocoa powder. 2. Stir to dissolve and then add the remaining 250ml cup of water. 3. Once cooled, add the Ballycastle Madagascan Vanilla to the mixture and leave to infuse for around 10 minutes. 4. Once successfully infused, mix all the ingredients together in…

Bouncing on my trampoline, I felt just like a kid again. Aged 18, I was jumping in the garden while my parents Carolyn and Chris watched on. But as I stepped off the trampoline, an excruciating pain shot through my legs. What the hell is happening? I panicked. My parents rushed me to A&E at Eastbourne Hospital. To my shock, I’d broken both ankles – 60% of my bones had shattered. ‘This isn’t a normal break,’ doctors said. Even after three reconstructive surgeries, I couldn’t bear weight on them. I was left with no other option but to become a full time wheelchair user. I started grieving my old life and felt daunted by having to re-learn how to interact with the world again. What if I can’t sail again?…

Verdict: GENIUS! Get shredding BBQ Metal Meat Claws, £15, Menkind Unleash your inner Wolverine this BBQ season with these metal claws. Gone are the days where you use two forks to shred your pulled pork. Instead, these claws offer faster and safer shredding. With a heat insulation handle, don’t worry about burning yourself. Made from stainless steel, the claws are durable and easy to clean. Your meat won’t know what’s hit it! Verdict: BONKERS! Food for thought A chain of events Everyone loves a barbecue but what about 8,000m of one? In 2014, the people of Bayombong in the Philippines got together to celebrate the city’s 400th anniversary by hosting the world’s longest barbecue, according to Guinness World Records. The barbeque consisted of 8,000 grills connected, each a meter long. They got…

Fighting over the bedroom mirror, I needed my makeup to look the best. Although it was hard, as my twin sister Molly, now 22, was wanting to get in on a piece of the action. Topping up our prosecco, getting ready on time felt like an impossible mission. Especially as after slipping on my white gown and hearing a car beep outside, it was now or never. My brother James was ready and waiting to give us a lift. Only, we weren’t heading out for a night on the town. We were all dressed up to celebrate one of the most important days of my life. ‘You look beautiful,’ my mum Jenny choked. ‘Don’t forget your flowers.’ As on 4 June 2021, I was getting married to the love of…

Luxe for less Run, don't walk, as Lacura’s latest perfume dupes have officially hit the shelves in Aldi! Fans of the Baccarat Rouge scent will be pleased to know that Lacura’s Cardinal Red Eau de Parfum has been described as a 'spot on' match to its high-end counterpart. And it’s just £5.99! Alongside this signature scent, Aldi is also welcoming the return of two luxurious Parisian-inspired fragrances – Liquid Luxe and Intense Passion. Liquid Luxe has aromatic notes of pink pepper and nutmeg, while Intense Passion encompasses tender notes of orange blossom, honeysuckle and rose. We can't get enough of these dupes. If you want to get your hands on them, be quick, as once they're gone, they're gone! £5.99 each, available from an Aldi near you New in Bristows…

Popping my head around the door, I knew what I’d see. My son Mikey, then 16, chilling in his bedroom before school. ‘Breakfast is served,’ I grinned, passing him a plate. Every morning, I made him a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea. ‘Thanks Mum,’ he smiled. Being my only son, Mikey and I were always close. He wasn’t just my son – he was my best friend. When he was little, we’d have Thorpe Park Thursdays together, going every week during the summer holidays. As soon as we arrived, he’d run into the queue for The Swarm rollercoaster. ‘Let’s go again!’ he’d always say afterwards. I’d treat Mikey to Maccies on the way home – it was our tradition. He thrived taking part in scooter competitions, too. I…

This week, our tip of the week will receive an amazing prize from Addis. This Microfibre Drying Mat is the perfect addition to your kitchen countertop. With a detachable plate rack, you can easily stack and pack away your dishes. The drying mat keeps your countertops dry and protected at all times. And the best part is, you can easily fold it away to keep your kitchen clutter-free! For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk On the road Whether you’re opting to travel by bike or car this summer, here are some budget tips and tricks to get you on the open road safely… Search for free bike rental schemes online to find free rides in your area Sign up By joining Halfords Motoring Club for free,…

Trying not to get myself in a tangle, there were eight eager hounds raring to go at my feet. With the field to ourselves, I had to put my trust in the pups. Please come back, I begged, unclipping their leads. Zooming around the place with waggy tails, it was a good sign. However, that was until one of the dogs caught the scent of something delicious. Running after the Beagle, it wasn’t until I got close that I realised the disastrous moment that had happened. The pup had ransacked a stranger’s picnic. It was mortifying – even more so as the pesky Beagle wasn’t my dog. But it was just another day at the office. Having worked as a barista for seven long years in a department store, I’d…

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT 52-BALL BINGO YET? It’s a bit of a mixture of 90-ball and 75-ball bingo, but using playing cards – hence ‘52’ in the name! For most 52-ball bingo games, you’ll get five cards (instead of bingo tickets) and your goal is to fill your cards as the numbers are called. We have two 52-ball bingo rooms at Pick Me Up! Bingo – Suit Up and Bingo Roulette. MYSTERY JACKPOTS BINGO Love a surprise? Then Mystery Jackpots is the Bingo room for you! Mystery Jackpots are selected at random from a range of prizes displayed in the room. The prize is then revealed 10 seconds before the game begins. Once revealed, the Jackpot becomes ‘fixed’. The game will then start and will follow the rules of the selected Jackpot…

Switch your hardware Although they are standard in most homes, white light switches can be a sight for sore eyes. One simple change, to make your home look more luxe on a budget, is to swap these fixtures for polished chrome ones instead. And it doesn’t stop there. If you’re updating your kitchen cupboards, why not switch the tired, worn-out handles for sparkly new ones? You could choose a more modern design which will make your cupboards look brand-new. The same goes for bathroom taps, the letterbox on your front door and even your door handles. In the spotlight When it comes to renovating, people assume you have to make huge changes to notice a difference. That isn’t always the case. Even changing your bulbs to bright LED ones can…

Keeping an eye on the hot stove, I smiled as my children helped set the table. Up since 5am, I followed a similar routine. And serving up delicious portions of breakfast casserole – egg, ground beef, peppers, tomato, cheese and avocado – I knew I had a happy family with full bellies. And as a tradwife in Oklahoma, maintaining a happy family was very important to me. My day would often start at 5am, where I would get up and see to my youngest children – Max, two, and Lily, one. Changing their nappies for fresh cloth diapers, I’d then breastfeed Lily before putting them back down to sleep. Getting dressed into something floral and feminine, I’d add a swipe of mascara and a splodge of concealer – enhancing my…

What is EDS? Ehlers-Danlos syndromes affect 1 in 5,000 people in the UK The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of 13 genetic connective tissue disorders with symptoms affecting the whole body. Connective tissue lies between other tissues and organs. They hold everything in place in your body and provide support – just like mortar between bricks. However, in those with EDS, a gene mutation causes a certain kind of fragile and stretchy tissue. This results in the person sometimes being double-jointed or hypermobile. EDS is genetic and, in some cases, EDS can be progressive, too. This means that the condition may worsen over time. But what exactly are the symptoms of EDS to begin with? The charity EDS UK advises you to look for: • Fatigue• Chronic pain• Difficulty…

Susan Calman’s Summer by the Sea, Channel 5 Comedian Susan Calman is back for bucket loads of fun in some of Britain’s best-loved seaside resorts – and this week, she’s visiting beautiful Lyme Regis, on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. Starting at the historic harbour, the Cobb, she makes her way along the jetty, bumping into a group preparing for a game of water polo in the sea – and can’t resist a spot of enthusiastic umpiring. After a pitstop in the amusements, Susan meets chef and forager Harriet, who shows her a locally-sourced twist to accompany the seaside classic fish and chips. Then back at the harbour, Susan takes to the water with the local Gig Boat racing team. Olympics: Paris 2024 – Opening Ceremony, BBC1 On your marks, get set…go!…

Siblings are often our first and closest friends. And twin siblings have an extra special bond. That’s exactly how it was for both Arianna and Patience Battelle. But the two young sisters were brought even closer for the most tragic reason. Because the little girls did not have the safe, happy and loving family upbringing that they deserved. Living with their dad Justin Hopper and his girlfriend Jessica Bundren in 2020, the two girls were just six years old – and when the Covid pandemic hit, their lives would change forever. And it all came to a head with a heart-stopping 911 call in October of that year. Calling police in Bryan in Brazos County, Texas, on 27 October at around 9pm, Jessica told them Arianna wasn’t breathing. Rushing to…

Hearing the whooshing of wind in my ears as my hair whipped around my face, my heart was racing. ‘This is amazing,’ I screamed to my husband Mark, now 62. There was nothing like the thrill of a rollercoaster – the Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach was one of our faves. And it held a special place in our hearts. Mark first introduced me to rollercoasters when we started dating back in 1994 – he eased me in with family-friendly rides at Drayton Manor, before working me up to the Big One. It’s one of the UK’s tallest rollercoasters and I was terrified. I very nearly didn’t get on it – but Mark convinced me, and I even found myself enjoying it! From then on, rollercoasters became our thing.…