Table of contents for 21-Mar-2019 in Pick Me Up!

Loading my wheelchair into the back of her car, my daughter Libby grinned ‘Where do you fancy going today?’ she asked. Suffering with arthritis, I couldn’t walk very far. But that didn’t stop Libby taking me out and about. ‘How about shopping?’ I said. All mums and daughters love shopping together. And since her dad - my hubby Stan - passed away in July 2008, Libby had always been there to cheer me up. Taking me out, making me laugh. For years she begged me to leave my home in Cornwall and move in with her, hubby Derek, 73, and their two daughters Lauren and Taryn. ‘I don’t like you living alone,’ she said. At first I protested, didn’t want to trouble her. But I was lonely, and Libby insisted.…

Arriving at my grandparents’ house after school, I was still tearful. It was September 2008 - and, aged 12, I’d had a row with a school friend. Nothing serious, just a silly falling-out, as kids often do. But, at the time, it felt huge. So I went to see my grandad Joseph, 59, just like I always did when I was sad. ‘What’s wrong, girl?’ he asked with open arms. I knew I could count on my grandad. He’d been a constant, reliable presence in my life for as long as I could recall. My dad’s dad Joseph lived with my nan just a few minutes’ walk from our home, so we always saw a lot of them. I loved going on camping trips with him and Gran. He loved…

My libido’s gone! Q Since having my third child, my sex drive has vanished. Is there anything I can do? Tina, London A Loss of libido isn’t uncommon after childbirth. Remember that everyone’s libido varies throughout life. However, if you’re finding your lack of desire for sex distressing or are worried it’s affecting your relationship, call the National Sexual Advice Helpline on 0300 123 7123. Chickenpox fear Q My 7-year-old girl has chickenpox. Should I be worried, and how common is this? Sam, Glasgow A Chickenpox is common and mostly affects young children, although you can get it at any age. To ease itching, use cooling creams or gels from your pharmacy, and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Your daughter will need to stay off school until the…

Give yourself a lift Stop texting! With tablets and smartphones never further than an arm’s reach away from us, digital communication is the norm. But maybe we should be reverting back to the old ways... Research from the University of Virginia found that people feel happier and more connected when purely socialising face to face. 22 That’s how many stones of sugar British children consume before the age of 10, Public Health England reveals. That’s twice the recommended limit, and means a whopping 13 cubes of sugar every day! Have you tried… The Headspace: Guided Meditation relaxation app? t offers various exercises on how to I breathe and meditate to combat anxiety, relieve stress and boost your general wellbeing. It also covers topics such as work, physical health (including mindful…

Starting university, life was exciting. New on campus, I was studying Dance, and couldn’t wait to perform in the upcoming uni shows. Life was full-on, with lessons and dance practice, plus seeing friends and my family, who lived an hour away. It was tiring! I’d gone through a tough patch a couple of years earlier, when I’d felt constantly exhausted. I’d fall asleep everywhere, unable to stay awake, but put it down to student life - studying and partying. My parents Holly and Rick, both 50, had noticed, too. None of us were worried, especially when I returned to my energetic self a few weeks later. But two months after starting uni, in November 2017, I hit an all-time low. Walking around campus in Santa Barbara, California, in a daze,…

‘We home-educated three of our nine kids. Two achieved university degrees, when they might not  have done if they’d stayed in school. If I had my time back, I would not send any of my children to school.’ Marian Green, Herne Bay ‘I thought about home-educating my four girls, but I can’t offer them the wealth of experience that school can. I also  like the structure and routine that school offers. Plus, my partner and I both work full time, so it isn’t practical.’ Debbie Hadden, Stourbridge ‘I chose not to home-educate. I know I’ve made the right decision as my kids are thriving. But I know  people who do home-educate, and their kids are well adjusted and happy, and gain lots of real-life experiences.’ Stephanie Ng, Musselburgh…

Having saved the messages, I told my best friend what had been going on. ‘You need to tell the police,’ she urged me as I sobbed. I’d been ready to, but taking that step was much harder than I thought. Even after all he’d done, he was still my grandad, and I knew that the revelation would tear my family apart. I kept the messages on my phone, but I still couldn’t bring myself to report him. So I did what I’d done before - buried the truth and tried to carry on with my life as normal. Only, now, I refused to go anywhere with my grandad. In 2013, aged 17, I met my partner - and, a year later, I gave birth to our first daughter, followed by…

Measure up Print out conversion charts for measurements and stick them on the inside of a cupboard door to refer to in an instant. Hazel Anderson, Morley Take charge I hate storing batteries in a drawer because I forget which batteries are used and need recycling. Now, I keep the fresh batteries in an old sweet tin which makes life so much easier. Hayley Tomkins, Swansea Party perfect The bowl from my slow cooker filled with ice cold water made the perfect way to keep wine cool for a party and it freed up space in my fridge. Mark Attwood, Basingstoke Eggcellent idea Save your egg shells and crush them to make a deterrent for snails and slugs and sprinkle around the stem of young plants. Kym Yetton, Papworth Automatic…

1 Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol. 2 Increase the fibre intake in your diet – including adding wheat bran, oats or linseed. 3 Go out for a walk or a run. 4 While going to the toilet, rest your feet on a low stool, and raise your knees above your hips. 5 Don’t delay if you feel the urge to go. 6 Speak to a pharmacist if no home remedies are helping. He or she can suggest suitable medication for you. See a GP if you… …are regularly constipated for a long time, have blood in your poo, are always bloated, feel constantly tired or have unexpected weight loss.…

Panic disorder 1 Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder where you regularly have attacks of panic or fear. 2 Most sufferers experience short, sudden panic attacks that last no longer than five minutes. 3 You should visit your GP ifyou are worried you have panic disorder. 4 There are no treatments for panic disorder, other than home remedies. 1 TRUE These feelings can occur at any time and often come on for no apparent reason. 2 FALSE Suffererscan experience panic attacks that last up to an hour, and the number of attacks depends on the severity ofyour condition – it could be one a day or one a month. 3 TRUE Your GPcan carry out a physical examination to rule out other conditions. 4 FALSE Psychological therapies (talking therapies) and…

Poo Head Game, £9.99, Argos Your average game of catch just got a whole lot sillier! The aim of the game is to catch as many flying poo pieces as possible on the Velcro hat – now if that isn’t an icebreaker, we don’t know what is! Verdict: BONKERS! Funny though. Adult Sleeping Bag, £40, slumbersac.co.uk Looking suspiciously like a Babygro, this sleep sac is designed for grown-ups who want to be comfy and cosy. Keep your feet tucked in or poke them through to move around – best of all, you’ll never have to worry about sharing the duvet again. Verdict: BONKERS! What’swrong with pyjamas? Wino Sippo Glasses, £13.99, firebox.com For those days when even sipping from your wine glass feels too much like hard…

While many mums might shudder at the idea, homeschooling has been on the rise in recent years, with many parents opting out of the school run, and turning their kitchen into a classroom. Hard work, yes. But what could be more rewarding than helping your children reach their full potential? Celebrities like Stacey Solomon and EastEnders’ Patsy Palmer believe homeschooling is the way forward and have publicly spoken about why they have chosen to take their kids out of the education system. But home-education isn’t just limited to the rich and famous. In the academic year of 2014/15, 34,000 children in the UK were being educated at home. And by 2016/17, the total had increased by 40 percent, to 48,000. Why such a sharp increase? Among the most common reasons…

All Star Musicals, ITV John Barrowman hosts the new series of the show which sees celebrities being mentored to each perform a number from a hit musical in a one-night-only spectacular at The London Palladium. Money guru Martin Lewis, gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh and actresses Amy Walsh and Tessa Peake-Jones (all pictured right) are among the stars hoping to impress the audience and the expert panel, which features West End legend Elaine Paige (right) and Strictly dancer Kevin Clifton. Harry’s Heroes: The Full English, ITV Eleven former England footballers who aren’t as pitch ready as they used to be take on the challenge of getting back into shape for a special match against a team of 1990s international rivals. I’m a Celebrity… winner Harry Redknapp will manage the likes of…

Sweet potato puff pies  Serves: 4 Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min ◻ 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ◻ 3 red onions, roughly chopped ◻ 2 courgettes, diced ◻ 3 carrots, peeled and diced ◻ Low-calorie cooking spray ◻ 200ml boiling vegetable stock ◻ 2 garlic cloves, crushed ◻ 1tsp dried mixed herbs ◻ 1tsp mustard powder ◻ 200g quark ◻ A small handful of chopped fresh chives ◻ 80g ready-rolled light puff pastry ◻ 1 egg, beaten ◻ Sugar snap peas, to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Put the sweet potatoes, onions, courgettes and carrots into two large roasting tins and spray lightly with low-calorie cooking spray. Roast for 20 min or until soft and nicely coloured, turning occasionally. When the vegetables are nearly done,…

ARIES 21 March–20 April It’s OK to stop doing and to just be, Aries. In fact that’s what’s required for the coming week. Taking in all that others are doing and offering at this time can help you to work out who you can rely on and who you need to distance yourself from. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Things don’t happen. They are made to happen! You knew what you wanted out of life, but you changed your plans earlier in the year to suit others’ needs. Take time out this week to go back and look at your original plan. It can be a good one, with only a few minor changes needed. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Try not to live…

E-mail pickmeup@ti-media.com CALL 020 3148 6460 WRITE TO Pick Me Up!, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP FACEBOOK facebook.com/pickmeupmag SEE OUR WEBSITE lifedeathprizes.com TI Media 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.…

Picking up another biscuit, I realised it was my third one of the day. And it was still early afternoon. It was 2010 - and, aged 17, I’d not long left school. But the legacy of those awful years was still with me. I’d had a little puppy fat in my early teens. Nothing major, but enough for the bullies to single me out, calling me chubby. While some kids might have starved themselves in response, I went the other way, comfort eating to block out the pain. But pain was never far away. In my bedroom, I’d stand in front of the mirror, pulling and prodding at bits of my skin. ‘I’m disgusting,’ I’d grumble to myself. Only the taste of something sweet could make me feel better. Until…

One last push, and out she came. I’d been in labour for only two hours. It was 12 June 2014, and I’d just given birth to my second child, Imogen. I already had a 9-year-old son, Jacob. ‘That was quick!’ smiled my husband Dale, 33. But something in the midwife’s face made me uneasy. ‘Look at her hand,’ she said. As I gazed down at my little girl in my arms, I noticed the fingers on her right hand were webbed. The whole hand was also much tinier than her left. ‘What’s wrong with my baby?’ I demanded, still dazed from the birth. As nurses took Imogen for tests, Dale and I struggled to make sense of what we’d seen. ‘We’ll love her no matter what,’ I told him. Other…

Do you believe in miracles? I never used to. But in March 2008, I had no choice but to believe. Because I was looking right at one, on the screen before me. ‘I’m having a baby?’ I said. ‘How is that even possible?’ The question wasn’t as daft as it sounded. You see, I’d never had penetrative sex! I’d been born with lots of organ problems, including two vaginas - one beside the other. Two wombs, as well. It meant that penetrative sex was impossible for me - my vaginas were way too small. Me and my partner Ciaran, 22, found our own ways to be intimate. Though it’s fair to say, neither of us was expecting this as a result! I wanted to give our child every possible chance…

I said ‘I DO’ ALL OVER AGAIN! Annemarie Minnikin, 33, from Durham, spent her big win on a special day… Having some me-time is so important and, recently, I’d found a fun new way to enjoy it -I’d joined Pick Me Up! Bingo. It was especially great because I could play on my phone. I’d only joined three days before and was surprised when I’d won £15. It was brilliant fun discovering new games and joining in the chatrooms. One night I decided to play Tiki Bingo, which had an 8pm Link game. I spent £1.80 on 18 tickets. Suddenly the game showed I needed just two numbers and then, a message flashed up - it was a congratulations banner. I couldn’t believe it! I had won £1,000! My husband…

St Tropez Gradual Tan Tinted, £15, Boots If you’re impatient and need a tan, like now, then this lotion gives an instant hit of bronze, while gradually building a healthy sun-kissed glow. Pop this on for instant illumination and to cover up any niggling imperfections. Solait Overnight Tan Mask £4.99, Superdrug Tan while you sleep! This mask contains skin-loving ingredients, such as aloe vera and vitamin E. Be careful though as it can linger around dry patches, so we recommend exfoliating prior to use. It’s ideal for maintaining a facial glow. Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk, £11.99, Superdrug This hydrating milk is enriched with aloe vera and vitamin E so skin is fully moisturised as well as drenched in an even-looking, deep tan. Autograph Gradual Tan, £8.50, M&S Whatever…

DORSET Jonathan Deal, 39 Stalker Jonathan Deal was jailed after becoming obsessed with a former Miss Dorset. Deal contacted the beauty queen last June, via a Facebook request, but his behaviour spiralled out of control. Deal, from Bournemouth, started attending events just to see her, bought her a necklace, and waited hours to catch a glimpse of her and speak to her. At the Miss England finals in September, Deal attempted to grab his victim and kiss her as she left the stage. When he approached her on her walk to work 10 days later, she called the police. At Poole Magistrates Court, Deal admitted stalking and was sentenced to six months imprisonment and issued an indefinite restraining order. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE James Tilbury, 25 When James Tilbury was owed money from…

Don’t be fooled by that angelic little face. When I say my little boy was born to be cheeky, I’m not kidding! Put it this way, he wasn’t named ‘Rudy’ for nothing... I’d discovered I was pregnant on New Year’s Day last year. A cracking start to 2018! Me and my partner Craig, 36, had been trying for a baby for eight months, and now it was really happening! ‘I’m so excited,’ I grinned. I had no idea what to expect, though. I mean, I thought there might be morning sickness, weird cravings... ‘No-one warned me my baby would be so energetic,’ I said to my mum Heidi, 51, when I was 18 weeks gone. Whenever I was resting or just about to fall asleep, my baby thought it was…