Table of contents for 15-Jul-2021 in Pick Me Up!

In a bid to be sustainable, I have always bought the majority of my clothes and furniture from charity shops. However, it hasn’t always been easy. Some days, I would wander from shop to shop, unable to find anything at all. By 2015, I was growing frustrated. As the world was moving online, I couldn’t understand why charity shops weren’t also. And that’s when I had the idea of Thriftify. I wanted to create an online space where consumers could buy everything they needed from charity shops. So, in 2018, from the comfort of my second-hand couch, I launched the site. At the time, I only had one charity on board, but it was enough to get me started. The idea was simple. It was an online marketplace where consumers…

Walking through the school, my friend nudged me as a handsome boy strolled past. He was staring right at me. ‘You know he likes you,’ my pal said. ‘I know, everyone keeps telling me,’ I giggled. Despite going to the same school, I’d only known Darren Pountney for a few weeks and from the get-go, my friends insisted he had a thing for me. Eventually, I took the plunge and decided to give it a go. Despite the fact Darren was naturally quite shy, the two of us hit it off straight away. With dark brown hair and friendly warm eyes, he was just my type. We were both only 15 at the time, but we fell for each other very quickly. We understood each other – we could talk…

This week, our tip of the week will receive some amazing products from Addis! Creating a clean and neat space can help makeover a room with minimal cost with maximum impact. This ultimate utility duo includes an over door airer and a collapsible basket to make laundry days a breeze. To embrace and love your space visit addis.co.uk So cool! Chilling my rolling pin in the freezer when I am making pastry means that when I roll the pastry out it stays very cold and is easier to roll out smoothly. Colleen Brunton, Enfield Pretty and practical Instead of buying a bigger jewellery box, I decided to use expanding willow I usually use for my plants. Tina Williams, Blaenau Gwent Salon standard Get rid of sticky hair product gunk on…

Sitting in the garden, soaking up the sun, I cracked open another can of beer. I took a sip of the cold, fizzy booze and planned the family BBQ we’d be tucking into later. It was March 2020, and I had just stopped working amid the global pandemic. At first, I enjoyed pottering about in the garden leisurely. It meant that I was spending more time with my wife Zara, 35, and children, Brandon, 17, Summa, 13, Learna, 12, and Talia, six. But with no work on, my life revolved around food. I had always been overweight, at around 25 stone, and my friends always called me ‘Big Buffy’. I loved huge portion sizes. ‘Wasting food is a sin!’ I’d tell Zara, swooping on the kids’ leftovers at dinner. I…

Switching on the telly at around 10.30am, it was a cosy Sunday morning before Christmas, on 6 December 2020. I was with my daughter, Ellie, then six. My husband Patrick, 32, and our eldest daughter, Isabella, then nine, were upstairs doing some tutoring online. It was a pyjama day, and Ellie was munching on her peanut M&M’s – Patrick buys the kids a pack of sweets to have on the weekends as a treat. ‘Do you want a drink of anything?’ I asked her. Ellie shook her head and flashed me a smile. Walking into the kitchen, I bumbled around and tidied while I could hear Ellie giggling away at the telly. The kitchen is connected to the front room and as I continued to potter about, I suddenly spotted…

When we think of beauty pageants, sparkling crowns, glittery heels and statement sashes spring to mind. We’ve watched Toddlers in Tiaras, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Drop Dead Gorgeous – all full of extravagant gowns, bejewelled bikinis and child-sized tiaras. From the outside, pageants have always been about the glitz and glam. And it’s no secret that they have long been a contested part of our culture. Pageants have been criticised for promoting unrealistic beauty standards, exploiting children and encouraging sexism. But what does modern-day pageantry look like? Have times changed? Behind the voluminous hair extensions and picture-perfect makeup, is there more than meets the eye? Like many of us, Michelle Gordon, 40, had many preconceived perceptions about pageants. Then a year ago, everything suddenly changed… ‘When my 15-year-old…

LIKE THE 90s! It’s back and better than ever! e.l.f’s Jelly Pop Collection arrives back in stores this month to give you the ultimate dewy look this summer. This watermelon-infused, jelly-textured makeup collection is a 90s child’s dream with its pink packaging, high-shine finishes and fruity scent. The Jelly Pop 3.0 is the ultimate toolkit to achieving a dewy, glossy makeup look while channelling summer vibes. Available from Superdrug. MEET THE COLLECTION: 1. Jelly Pop Dew Primer, £10 This gel texture primer multitasks to keep your makeup in place while moisturising your skin. It glides on silky smooth without that sticky feel and is bursting with skin-happy vitamins and antioxidants. 2. Jelly Pop Watermelon Jelly Cleanser, £8 Give your face the ultimate cleanse. This watermelon-infused gel cleanser gently melts away…

Loved up couples looking to wed post-pandemic are being offered top tips on saving for the day of their dreams. The penny-pinching experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed the best ways to cut the costs without compromising on your ideal components. 1 Hire planning help Although wedding planners in themselves are an expense, they can help couples source the cheapest deals from vendors and stick to the budget they have allocated. Those unable to stretch to a human planner can use apps and journals to build guest lists, table plans, budgets and checklists. A paper planner will also allow brides and grooms to have all receipts, expenses and ideas in one easy place. 2 All in the date The best way to save on venue costs is by picking a less…

Ever yone’s talking about… To celebrate the recent launch of one of the most fashionable films of 2021, George at ASDA have just launched their new G21 x Cruella women’s collection. In homage to some of Emma Stone’s most iconic moments, the range includes monochromatic moments, flashes of the signature Cruella red and on-trend graphic tees, modelled by the gorgeous influencer Misha Grimes. To shop the range, head to your local ASDA store, or visit direct.asda.com/George. And if you haven’t watched Disney’s Cruella yet, get booking your cinema ticket! GET IN TOUCH 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…

Sure enough, a day later, Darren began posting on Facebook and updated his profile to say the two of us were engaged. I knew he was trying to get to me, and a few days later, he sent me a message. Gemma, if you are not in my life, how am I going to live? he texted. I ignored him, but he kept bombarding me, making new Facebook profiles and getting new phones so he could call and message me. In July 2020, he was jailed for four weeks when he breached his restraining order on two occasions, but as soon as he got out, he continued his reign of terror. Every day I lived in fear – glancing behind me everywhere I went. In October 2020, he came to…

ACROSS 1 The _, 2020 film starring 11 Across, 15 Across, 21 Across, 23 Down & 25 Down (6) 4 Secret or confidential (4-4) 10 Commemorative inscription on a tomb (7) 11 Anthony _, Welsh actor with two Oscars to his name (7) 12 Second Greek letter (4) 13 Happening from time to time (10) 15 Olivia _, actor who rose to fame as Sophie in the sitcom Peep Show (6) 16 Luggage (7) 20 Makes very angry (7) 21 Mark _, co-creator of the BBC series Sherlock, in which he also played Mycroft Holmes (6) 24 Suited for both land and water (10) 26 Too (4) 28 Person stationed to keep watch (7) 29 Ungroomed or slovenly (7) 30 Fought back (8) 31 Leeds _, football team (6) DOWN…

Q My scalp always seems to burn – even in the slightest bit of sun. Why is it so prone to this? Clive, Essex A We all tend to slather sun cream on our face and bodies when we’re out in the sun, often forgetting to protect the scalp. Hair does help shield the scalp from some of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. However, you need more protection than that when out in the sun as your scalp is still able to burn. Those with thinner hair and exposed areas of the scalp are more at risk as you will have very little defence against the sun from the neck up. If you’ve suffered from a sunburnt scalp on several occasions, then you can also damage your skin over time, making…

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted: Peru’s Sacred Valley, Channel 4 Gordon Ramsay journeys to some of the most incredible and remote locations on Earth in search of culinary inspiration, epic adventures, and cultural experiences he will never forget. In the first episode, he embarks on a motorcycle to the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru to learn the secrets of high-altitude cooking. Can I Improve My Memory, Channel 4 Hosted by Sandi Toksvig, this four-part series will see a group of celebrities pitted against each other and challenged to learn as much as possible about a new topic they know nothing about. Their memory of this new topic will then be tested by Sandi at Memory HQ, with experts offering the celebrities memory tips and tricks to help change the way…

Television chef Valentine Warner and Allinson’s have teamed up to create some amazing recipes with bread – to help you make an ordinary lunch, extraordinary. All of these tasty recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less! Caramel, black pepper crunch with raspberries Serves: 2 □ 1 slice of Allinson’s Scandalous Seeds Bread□ 20g butter□ 4 tbsp caster sugar□ Water□ 300g of raspberries□ Good grind of black pepper□ 150ml double cream□ 2 limes□ 1 ½ tbsp runny honey 1 Put one slice of the Scandalous Seeds bread into a small food processor and whizz until semi fine crumbs are formed. 2 Pour the crumbs into a frying pan, adding 20g butter over a low heat. 3 Stir the crumbs around until dry and crisp but not burnt (approximately five…

Orange Daim Mini Chocolate Bag, £2.99, B&M. These limited edition mini Daim bars have a crunchy almond caramel centre surrounded by delicious orange flavoured milk chocolate. Birds Eye Green Cuisine Fishless Fingers, £2.50, Sainsbury’s. With over two thirds of Brits crowning Birds Eye’s fish fingers the best on the market, the new fishless version has been carefully crafted to live up to their high standards! The Mighty Mushrooms Co. Burgers and Cumberland Sausages, from £2.50, Meat-Free Mince, £2.99, Amazon Fresh. Proving plant-based doesn’t need to be boring, the new range from The Mighty Mushroom Co. are packed full of flavour and made with up to 85% mushrooms. TGI Fridays Ice Cream Cake, £3, Iceland. Exclusive to Iceland, TGI Fridays Ice Cream Cake combines two dessert favourites, cake and ice cream,…

Walking into the school changing rooms, my heart sank. ‘Right, time to get in your P.E. kits, girls,’ my teacher said. Every time the lesson came up on my school timetable, I felt full of dread. I should have been enjoying exercising with my friends, but the thought of changing in front of my peers horrified me. When I first started high school, none of the girls needed bras as we hadn’t begun to develop yet – but as the months passed, more of my friends began wearing bralettes to support their growing chests. It seemed as though we were all going through it together. Until I noticed I had one breast much larger than the other. Shopping with my friends, I picked out bras to fit the smaller boob…

Checking my breasts, as I did quite often, I noticed a lump at the top of one of my boobs. ‘That’s weird,’ I thought. Up by my breastbone, I thought it was a strange place to find a lump. Brushing it off, I mentioned it to my partner, Stewart, 48, later that day. ‘It’s probably nothing,’ I said to him, one Sunday morning in October 2020. ‘Make an appointment with the GP just to be on the safe side,’ he encouraged. And when I called the GP practise the next morning, I was seen the same day. ‘I’d say it was just a cyst,’ my doctor reassured. ‘But I’ll refer you just in case.’ With my GP convinced there was very little to worry about, my mind was put at…

1 It’s a type of rash. ■ True ■ False 2 It’s easily diagnosed. ■ True ■ False 3 A lump is the only symptom. ■ True ■ False 4 There are several possible causes. ■ True ■ False 5 There are two main types of goitre. ■ True ■ False 1 FALSE It has nothing to do with rashes, or the skin. A goitre is the swelling of a thyroid gland in the front of the neck which causes a lump which moves up and down when you swallow. 2 TRUE If you think you have goitre, visit your GP and they will be able to diagnose it with a simple neck examination. They may then carry out a thyroid function test. 3 FALSE In more severe cases due…

Look chic and stand out every single day with Kaleidoscope’s essential fashion selection. Discover must-have dresses or mix and match your outfits with fashion-forward tops. Go to www.kaleidoscope.co.uk now to shop the latest summer collection. Find out more about our commitment to REAL woman womanandhome.com/real…

After a loyal military career, US service personnel have access to a government run Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, that includes over 170 medical centres located across America. One of those, is the Louis A Johnson Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. It provides care for over 70,000 veterans. Many are elderly heroes who had fought in conflicts and who better to understand devotion to the armed forces, than a nurse who had also served her country. Reta Mays, was an ex-Army National Guard and had completed non-combat roles in Iraq and Afghanistan. When Reta retired, she worked as a correctional officer at a jail and a carer for adults with disabilities. Then in 2015, Reta was employed by the VA hospital as a nursing aide. As an assistant,…

Love a cold coffee on a hot summer’s day? Well, the nation’s favourite coffee shop, Costa Coffee, has you covered with the launch of its seasonal drinks’ menu. In addition to handcrafted iced coffee classics like iced latte, ice flat white, iced cappuccino, iced mocha and cold brew on the menu, Costa Coffee has some sweet surprises to get you through the hot summer days. Why not cool down with a Golden Caramel Iced Cappuccino or Golden Caramel Iced Latte from the new Golden Caramel Range? Back by popular demand, the popular Lemonade and Strawberry Lemonade have returned. And that’s not all, there’s even the Peach Iced Tea and Strawberry Iced Infusion to try. There’s lots for you to get your lips around this summer from Costa Coffee. Available now…

Heading up to Scotland, I was looking forward to a few days away. It was December 2017, and my partner Christian, 39, and I, had gone to visit some friends who own a sheep farm. Running our own riding school and equine therapy centre, we loved spending time with animals and had a particular soft spot for sheep. Back at our stables, we had a 13-year-old therapy sheep named Lily, but she was getting on a bit. ‘If you ever need us to take one off your hands, you know where we are,’ I told our friends over dinner. I didn’t think too much of it, but just a few months later, on another visit to Scotland, something rather unexpected happened to us. ‘Our sheep Frendy escaped from the truck,’…