Table of contents for 14-Sep-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Here next adventure. is my little Mandy West Wiggles Midlands celebrating his second birthday. He had a woofly day and got spoilt rotten, as you can see! Krissie Cope, Manchester I’ve wondered why my wife Fiona gets so tired. Clearly in her spare time she is none other than Spider-Woman. I’m about to let everyone on the web know! Mike Lunn, North Ayrshire I wanted to put some spare material to good use during the summer by making my own bunting. I refused to take the pieces into a shop to avoid heavy charges. I’m hoping to raise money in the autumn for animal charities, so this is why I got my sewing box out! Teresa Lloyd, London STAR LETTER I just thought this little chap at Woodlands Theme Park in…

Putting my baby into her chair, I went about preparing her food. Sat at home, just the two of us, it was time for lunch, and I had given my daughter Rue, now one, some thinly sliced pieces of apple – the recommended size for her age group. But when Rue went quiet, I knew something was wrong. She wasn’t breathing and her tongue wasn’t moving in her mouth – she was choking! My husband Alex, 34, was at work and we were home alone. It was so scary – as a mum you never want to see your child in distress. Babies can gag a little when trying new food, but this was completely different. I could tell she wasn’t gagging based on how quiet she went. Time slowed…

Thanks to fresh air specialists Neutradol, with a product for every smelly situation, you could be picking up a free holiday to stunning Seville. Seville has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Royal Alcazar, Palace of the Kings and was the Star Wars and Game of Thrones film setting – so there is something to see for everyone. After sightseeing, you and your lucky guest may need a siesta before enjoying Spanish treats at the delicious hotel restaurant or nearby taberna. While staying at the Silken Al-Andalus hotel, enjoy choosing your favourite cocktail in the sun or simply unwind in the crystal clear pool before heading home refreshed. When you get back, you will want your home to have that summer holiday freshness. And since COVID-19, we all want our…

NEW IN Meet the newest launches from Essence Cosmetics. Coming this week, the autumn/winter collection lets you create all the looks you like, for less! Available from 11 September on Justmylook.com 1.Trust Your Intuition Mini Eyeshadow palette, £4.79 From everyday wear to a playful party look, this palette has six gorgeous shadows – in matte and metallic – so you can create the look for you. 2.Bloom Baby, Bloom! Eye & Face Palette, £6.99 A two-in-one, this face and eyeshadow palette has everything you need in one place. With four highly pigmented, natural eyeshadows as well as a gorgeous blush, bronze and highlight, this truly does cover all bases. With a mirror inside, you can glow while on-the-go. 3. Drip Eyeliner Waterproof 24h Long-Lasting, £2.79 The popular Essence dip eyeliner…

Rhiannon Spurgeon is a coach, mentor, author of Grief Without Guilt, and founder of the Totally Awesome Women’s Network, too. (rhiannonspurgeon.com) Child’s play… Q I’m currently 29 weeks pregnant and the relationship with the baby daddy ended before I found out I was expecting. I want to get in the dating game again – but does being pregnant affect that? How can I bring up the subject without men running a mile? Gemma, Portsmouth A Congratulations on your pregnancy. Dating while pregnant may not be the norm, but nor is it unheard of. The main thing is honesty here. If you’re using a dating app, there’s usually a ‘tell us about yourself’ box, and that might be a good place to state that you’re pregnant and what you’re looking for. Some…

With a smile that lit up the page, little Serenity McKinney’s face beamed from a poster. Just four years old, with blonde hair, blue eyes and a cheeky grin, she looked the picture of a happy child. But there was a dark reason Serenity’s picture was being stuck up all over town and handed out to strangers. Because Serenity hadn’t been seen for over a year. Where was the little girl? Serenity was reported missing by her maternal grandfather to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, in February 2022. By that point, she hadn’t been seen since Christmas 2020. Her mother Catherine McKinney, known as Abby, had been dating Dakota Hill. The pair had lived together with Keahna Paige Green and her boyfriend from July to September 2021 – but her…

NEW RECIPE Tasty listen I ntroducing Food Rebels, a new podcast and radio show dedicated to celebrating food challenger brands, food founders and spotlighting personalities who dare to do things differently. The exciting 30-minute show will be packed with intriguing interviews and thought-provoking discussions from the exciting world of challenger brands. Hosted by AJ Sharp, former co-host and presenter of The FoodTalk Show, AJ is an experienced radio presenter, food expert, entrepreneur, broadcaster and food awards judge. With celeb guest presenters, this is set to be a mouth-watering listen. Available on the podcasting platform of your choice. • New episodes are released every Wednesday at 5pm.…

Bitesize! ACROSS 1 Atop (4) 5 Keep (4) 6 Always (4) 7 City in Nevada (4) DOWN 1 Consumer (4) 2 Cover with slabs (4) 3 Cooker (4) 4 Notorious Roman emperor (4) Read down the shaded squares for the answer. Answer on page 47. Follow it! Solve the puzzle to spell out a term related to the picture. The arrows show you where to put your answers. The answer is spelled in the yellow squares. Answers on page 47. Fill it! Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Type of ghost. Answer on page 47. ACROSS 7 __ O’Neil, human character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (5) 8 Suspect something (5,1,3) 10 Rosario __, star of films Trance and Unstoppable (6)…

INSTANT appointment With obstetrician, gynecologist and medical advisor Dr Claudia Pastorelli Mosca (flo.health) Coming or going? Q While my 15-year-old daughter always tracks her period, she has noticed that it often comes at unexpected times – either a week early or a week late. Why is this happening? Stacey, Portsmouth A It’s expected that in the first years after menarche (when periods first start), periods are more irregular than later in a woman’s life. This happens because different organs and hormones command our menstrual cycle. It begins in the brain, which produces hormones that will end up stimulating the ovaries to produce oestrogen and progesterone, the main hormones of the menstrual cycle. This process, called the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, is still immature in young girls, making the production of the menstrual…

Tiger in town! There’s a new arrival at Blackpool Zoo as Rusty the male Amur tiger has become the latest resident of the Big Cat Habitat! Welcomed into the zoo from Longleat Safari Park in Warminster on 29 June, Rusty has spent the past few months settling into his new home. An instant hit with visitors back in Warminster, Blackpool Zoo hopes that now Rusty has settled in, animal enthusiasts from across the UK will be able to come and say hello! Plus, Rusty isn’t the only big cat to stroll around this much bigger enclosure. The Big Cat Habitat is also home to Khari the African lion and Alyona the Amur tiger, too, so there are plenty of paws to see! • Tickets from £16.99. To book, please visit:…

Holding onto an album full of photos, I’d got the family to make a DVD of memories, knowing it would brighten a special someone’s day. And taking it with me to the care home, where I knew I would find my wife Marion, now 90, joining in with that week’s entertainment, I couldn’t wait to have a laugh together – something I looked forward to every single day. It was the furthest we had ever been apart since we tied the knot back in 1953. After living in the same tenant building in Glasgow since birth, Marion, 15-months younger than me, was literally the girl next door. You could tap one side of the wall and hear it in the room next door – that’s exactly how close we were.…

Rounding up the dog for a walk, I thought it would be a good chance to ask a someone to join me. Fancy meeting? I asked my eldest son Ashley, now 43. No, I can’t, he replied. I’m busy, Mum. And it was a response that I had been getting more than most – and at times, especially during 2021, I thought Ashley was avoiding the subject. With Ashley living in his own place, we used to have a regular routine of seeing one another over the weekend when he was in his 30s. Only as we went for walks, there was something I had started to pick up on – Ashley’s eating habits. With every week that passed, I’d noticed that he was piling on the pounds. ‘I’m worried…

ARIES 21 March–20 April You have learnt so much from the dramas others have brought into your life so far this month. You’re in a reflective mood – and although others want your help, the stars tell me you must concentrate on yourself. Don’t be afraid to make you the priority, Aries. Older faces prove demanding and you may need the help of a third party to play translator. Ring now for support. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Be confident with your plans and goals this week. If you can put yourself in the driving seat, instead of allowing others to lead the way, then you will experience your most confidence-building day so far. Those you used to trust are giving you reason to distrust. Don’t say…

We’re loving It might be September, but we can still make the most of those last days of summer! Head down to Creams Café to try out their new nostalgic Ice Cream Floats, in partnership with Dalston’s Soda Company – a truly scrumptious retro delight! The Cherry & Vanilla Ice Cream Float is a tasty mix of cherry soda and vanilla gelato, or if you’re feeling fruity try the Peach & Strawberry Ice Cream Float, a sweet combo of peach soda and strawberry gelato. Both are topped with whipped cream, sprinkled with hundreds and thousands and topped with a cheeky red cherry. Delicious! • From £4.95, available in store and via delivery with Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. • Visit: creamscafe.com GET IN TOUCH Send us your stories and…

Walking with our bare feet in the hot Miami sand, as a family we’d shared so many beautiful moments on the shore. With my husband Patrice and our children Steven, now 23, Michael, now 21, and Jennifer, now 19, always resorting to the beach, Patrice loved the ocean in particular. ‘You know, when we are old and grey, I don’t want to be in a box – we can be cremated together and spread over the water,’ Patrice would joke ever since we tied the knot in 1997. Only, coming together as a family and showing one another the biggest amount of love that we could became of greater importance to us in late 2014. ‘They’ve seen something in the MRI and they think it’s cancer, they are not letting…

Lifesystems Stormproof Matches, £10, RNLI These matches take the meaning of come rain come shine to a whole new level! Trying to light a fire or candle in the rain, wind or a storm is pretty impossible. Well, not now… as these matches can stay alight in all weather conditions. With a flame that burns for up to 20 seconds, as well as being able to stay alight even after being dunked in water, it’s a mystery how these work. Pretty marvellous if you ask us… Verdict: GENIUS! Would you look at that! Can you beat this time?! We all know the pain of putting up a tent – the pegs, the ground sheet and a huge family argument even before you have started! Well did you know that the world…

Cheese Pea Arancini with Garlic Mayo PREP TIME – 5 MINUTES COOKING TIME – 25 MINUTES YOU WILL NEED: ☐ For the arancini:☐ 800g leftover risotto of choice☐ 150g frozen peas, defrosted☐ Juice of ½ lemon☐ 100g mature cheddar grated TO COAT THE ARANCINI: ☐ 200g toasted bread☐ 50g plain flour☐ 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tsp water TO SERVE: ☐ garlic mayo, fresh herbs, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil HOW TO: 1 To make the arancini, mix the leftover risotto with the peas, lemon juice and cheddar, seasoning to taste. 2 Scoop up a golf ball sized amount and roll into a ball. Place the balls on a plate so ready for rolling. 3 To make the crumb, break up the toast a little and add to your…

Bitesize! pg 3 Peer Strike it! pg 13 Liverpool (Cross out: 4, 19, 25, 41, 57, 61, 76, 81, 88) Cross it! pg 45 Éclair Fill it! pg 13 Spectre Crack it! pg 36 Hummingbird Number fit! pg 13 4492 Sudoku pg 45 2,5,9 Follow it! pg 8 Watermelon 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 weekin our sister magazine, Chat.…