Table of contents for 27-Sep-2018 in Chat

Save your board  Rather than use your chopping board for smelly onions and garlic, use an old table mat instead. It's easier to clean and if it does get smelly, it's not the end of the world. Christine Alexander, Haywards Heath Tea towel tidy I didn't want my tea towels taking up drawer space in my new kitchen, so attached some Velcro strips to the corners and the back of the door. Perfect! Amanda Hadley, Cradley Heath Key lip tip  Annoyingly, I'm forever losing my lip balm. So, I made a hole in the bottom of the tube, then attached it to a keyring. Now I always know where it is. Jenni Greenow, Bristol Fresh bread  Store your bread in a cool bag with an ice pack to keep it…

In November 2002, Adriana Vasco was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Carolyn Oppy-Stahl, and of the second-degree murder of Kenneth Stahl. The jury also found Vasco guilty of two special-circumstances charges – lying in wait and multiple murder – and rejected a third, murder for financial gain. In January 2003, Vasco was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders. The following June, Dennis Godley – who pleaded guilty to killing the couple – was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Dennis Godley’s lawyer said at the time of his sentencing, ‘He recognised he committed this crime, and he’s really remorseful for his part.’…

Cystitis...help! Q Can you get cystitis by masturbating? I haven't had sex for months, but I have cystitis after sex with myself. Sally, Fulham A Anything that could introduce bacteria into your urethra, the tube you pee through, might lead to infection and cystitis symptoms. Drink plenty and see your GP or chemist. Wrinkly boobs Q Having two children has left me with deep wrinkles over my breasts. Can I get rid of them? Tina, Liverpool A Breast wrinkles can follow breastfeeding, weight loss, too much sun, or repeated movement. Stop smoking, cover up in the sun, wear a supportive bra, apply moisturiser and they should improve. However, a private op might be the only fix for very deep wrinkles.…

Waitrose Mini Poppadoms, 70g, £1.13  These mini poppadoms have great crunch and had the best flavour of all the brands we tried! They’re great as a sharing snack or served with a curry meal. Asda Plain Poppadoms, 64g, 94p  These classic, larger sized poppadoms have great texture and a more authentic flavour than some shop-bought versions. Tesco Plain Pappadums, 64g, £1.40  These had good flavour and a nice crunch – a pretty good option for an at-home curry night.…

NAILED IT! Shridhar Chillal, the man with the world's longest nails, has had them cut off for the first time since 1952. The 82-year-old from Pune, India, held the Guinness World Record, with his nails measuring a combined total of 358in. Shridhar stopped cutting his fingernails after accidentally breaking a teacher's nail while messing around with a friend. He was told he'd ‘never understand' how to look after long nails. Shridhar took on the challenge - definitely proving his teacher wrong! SUMMERTIME SEX Residents of Santa Marta in Colombia were warned to abstain from sex during the summer heat. Health Secretary Julio Salas' advice for coping in the 40-degree sunshine was to wear loose clothing, keep hydrated and treat sex like it was strenuous exercise! If abstaining was too difficult,…

Jayne Mahgagahbow, 53, Thornaby Gathering my belongings together, I waved goodbye to the little boy next door. It was summer 1974 – and all afternoon, I’d been playing hide and seek with Simon in his garden. It was getting late now, and I knew Mum would want me home. After all, I was only 8. But, as Simon ran inside for his dinner, his dad, Vernon, 43, appeared at the back door. ‘I’ve got something to show you,’ he said to me. The family had a cuckoo clock in their hallway and I loved watching the little bird pop out from behind a set of wooden doors. Vernon sometimes picked me up so I could take a closer look. But, instead of taking me into the house, Vernon showed me…

There are many great reasons to join our Chat Mag Bingo site and one is the great welcome offer for new members. When you register and make your first deposit, as soon as you play £10 on any of our games you’ll receive 200 FREE BINGO tickets to spend on most of the Bingo games on our site. The tickets are worth up to a whopping £50* depending which games and ticket prices you choose. Whatever games you choose, there will be all the bingo entertainment and excitement you expect from a top bingo site. There’s also huge progressive jackpots, Link games, value games and lively chat rooms for you to enjoy. We look forward to giving you the warmest welcome.…

Pro:voke Liquid Blonde Colour Care Shampoo, £3.99. A great budget product, this protects against environmental factors that can affect the desired colour. OGX Lavender Platinum Conditioner, £7, Tesco Purple conditioner works wonders to enhance lighter tones in blonde tresses, while dulling down yellow-ness. Clairol Colour Booster In-Shower Conditioner in Caramel, £6.99, Superdrug Leave on for up to 5 minutes after shampooing to revive your colour and neutralise orange tones. Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Xpander Foam, £13.95, feelunique.com  An amazing 2-in-1 product, this tones down brassiness and expands hair density. John Frieda Sheer Blonde Hi-Impact Oil Elixir, £9.99  Use on damp or dry hair to nourish frazzled lengths and ends as well as increasing your hair’s shine.…

A quiet town, full of prosperous, middle-class families, all with perfectly manicured lawns and the latest model of car on the drive... The town of Cary, in North Carolina, must have looked like a haven of happiness. It was home to Brad and Nancy Cooper. And, with their two beautiful children and high-flying careers, they certainly seemed to fit in. Canadians Brad and Nancy met in Alberta, in 1999 when they both worked at a global technology company. Sporty and fun, Nancy also ran her own clothes shop. Quiet and reserved, Brad wasn’t her usual type. Nancy usually went for more outgoing men. But she was ready for kids and the steady life. ‘He feels like a safe bet,’ she told her twin sister Krista Lister. The couple were married…

Dear cancer, ’ll never forget the day you I came into our lives. My daughter Molly, 8, had been complaining of a headache. She was dizzy and her vision blurry, and the results of her CT scan brought my husband Steve and I face to face with you for the first time... Cancer. A tumour wrapped around our little girl’s brain stem. The consultant explained, ‘It’s completely inoperable.’ ‘No!’ I sobbed. You were stealing our daughter from us and nothing I could do would save her. Nothing more than terrible luck had caused it, the doctor explained. Your cruel hand snatching away our girl. Heartbroken, we vowed to stay strong. Not just for Molly, but her little sister Bella, 5. When Bella had arrived in 2005, I’d worried Molly might…

Crystal Triplett, 35 Collapsing into bed, my head hit something hard under my pillow. Rummaging exhaustedly, I just wanted to get off to sleep. But then I pulled out a small, black box – and inside... A dazzling engagement ring! ‘What’s this?’ I squeaked to my partner Joey, 20, who lay in bed beside me. ‘Well, it’s an engagement ring. Marry me?’ he smiled. My jaw dropped as I said yes. Is this really happening? Joey and I met in March 2000 through friends – he loved cars and made me howl with laughter. Our relationship was a slow-burner to begin with – seven months of chasing, two months of dating... but now we were in the fast lane, engaged. I’d been bicurious since 17 – heterosexual yet curious about…

Emma Sharpe, 32, Huddersfield Flicking through the pages of the baby-name book, my eyes lit up. ‘How about Aston?’ I quizzed. ‘I love it!’ beamed my partner Adrian, 36. It was June 2017 and we’d found out the sex of our baby at an early scan – a boy. My pregnancy ticked by normally until… ‘Look at the size of me,’ I said, rubbing my bump. At 4 months along, I already looked ready to drop! ‘Maybe it’s twins,’ Adrian teased. At my 20-week scan we didn’t find another twin, but the sonographer squinted at the screen. Zoomed in on Aston’s lower back. There was a ball-like bump. ‘What’s that?’ I asked her, puzzled. She wasn’t sure, said, ‘It’s probably nothing but we’ll keep an eye on it.’ I was…

Sophie Ward, 24, Preston Waving a British flag, I cheered along with the crowd, swept up in the amazing atmosphere. It was 2008, and I was at the Olympics in Beijing, China. My swim-team friends were competing, and I couldn’t wait to have my turn. I’d been swimming as long as I could remember, and I’d secured a place for the London 2012 Olympic programme. Beijing was a taster of the adventure to come. For the rest of our time, we lapped up the sights. One trip my dad Michael planned was visiting a panda sanctuary. When it was my turn, I walked into the enclosure to see a beautiful bundle of fur eating bamboo in front of me. I snuggled in, posing for a picture but, moments later, my…

Ricky Moate, 34, Sheffield Lying in bed in Sheffield Children’s Hospital, my stomach ached and my head was spinning. It was November 1990 and all I wanted to do was play tag like any other 6-year-old. But sadly, long stretches in hospital were the norm for me. I was born with gastroschisis (my intestines had grown outside my body) and I needed dozens of operations for hernias and the narrowing of my intestine, which meant I was fed through a tube. But today, I saw a new face on the ward. A girl with fiery red hair and bright blue eyes, sat in the bed opposite mine. ‘I’m Ricky,’ I said. ‘I’m Lisa,’ she grinned. I told Lisa, 9, about my condition. She told me about her Crohn’s disease –…

Aimi Veness, 43, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex As I gazed at the TV, my eyes were as wide as saucers. I was only 10, but watching Wonder Woman had become a weekly routine. And I couldn’t help but admire how incredible Lynda Carter looked in her iconic costume. ‘That’s what I want to look like when I grow up ,’ I told my mum, June, 33, pointing to the TV. As a teenager, my obsession with beauty continued. And when I got my first job as a sales assistant after leaving school, I spent my pay packet on new clothes, shoes and make-up. But when I fell pregnant with my son Harry, my priorities changed. Instead of nice new outfits, I was forking out for nappies and jars of baby…

Aries 21 March - 20 April It’s good to be first in the queue - but don’t get too far ahead of yourself. There’s a lot of speculation around now, so wait for the facts before you do anything. A week will make all the difference… Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May A legal procedure you’d been dreading is simpler than you feared. A few forms to fill in, sign at the bottom - done! But even if it’s not scary, it has legal force and can’t easily be undone. So do read it first! Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Your family’s blessing for something you want to do is last-minute. In fact, it comes the day…

Coronation Street Wicked Josh is back on the cobbles! Most of Weatherfield wish Josh Tucker would stay well away - especially the Platt family! He raped David Platt earlier this year after drugging him and sly Josh has never admitted his crime, shrugging it off with a smile! He recently got beaten up when Billy warned another man of the dangers of dating Josh. Josh has recovered from his injuries, is back on the cobbles and horrifies Billy by turning up on his doorstep! He tells the vicar he’s been discharged from hospital and has nowhere else to go… Emmerdale Charity gets to meet her dad… Thanks to Zak, Charity gets the chance to meet up with her dad, but she may regret letting Obadiah back into her life. However,…

Debbie Stewart, 37, Glasgow Tinted windows, huge exhaust and souped-up engine, my first car was a beauty. I felt a thrill just looking at the silver MG in the drive. But as much as I longed to slip behind the wheel and take her for a spin, there was a snag. Dashing to the car, I decided to take a detour... I didn’t have a driving licence! After six failed attempts, I was determined to pass next time. Four months later, in January 2009, I did just that – and boy, was it worth the wait?! Taking to the road in my new car for the first time, I gripped the steering wheel and put my foot down. Zipping along the quiet, beautiful country roads near my home, I’d never…

Mandie Sempey, 36, St Helens Whether we were riding our bikes on the beach, nabbing fruit from the local vicar’s trees or building a den, me, my brother Robbie, 9, and sister Shelly, 6, were always into something. Social Services called us the Three Amigos, and they couldn’t have been more right. Though our dad had done his best to raise us alone, he’d fallen on hard times and so had we. Being passed between foster families and children’s homes wasn’t easy, but I always felt so lucky to have Robbie and Shelly. Robbie called me his ‘little big sis’, for my mature outlook, but if things got tough, it was always Robbie who cheered us up. ‘Hey,’ he’d smile, putting his arms around us, ‘remember the time we were…

Stop the brain freeze! Q Cold drinks and ice cream always give me a sudden agonising pain in my forehead. Is it dangerous, and can I stop it? Moll, King’s Lynn A Ice-cream headache is common, though no-one's sure of the exact cause, it could be that sudden cold in your mouth reduces blood supply to nerves in your face, or chills the air-filled sinuses in your skull. It's harmless and usually only lasts for seconds, but prevention simply means no ice cream! Pain in my shoulder Q My shoulder's been hurting for months and my GP's diagnosed a frozen shoulder. Will it get better? Bridget, Dungannon A The capsule around your shoulder joint has become inflamed and thickened, often the result of a minor injury. At first, the shoulder…

This is a bacterial infection spread by ticks. Many who get it have never seen or felt a tick bite on their body, as they're the size of a pinhead and don't hurt. Symptoms can include headaches, joint and muscle pain. Most people bitten by ticks get a circular red rash between three and 30 days after the bite. However, one in three won't develop the rash instantly, and experience flu-like symptoms instead. Lyme disease can usually be cured if treated immediately, but it can lay dormant in the host for up to 30 years and lead to chronic fatigue later in life. Sadly, there's no cure for cases like this.…

Butternut squash and sweet potato curry Serves: 2 Prep: 10 min Cook: 25 mins Cost per serving: £1.12 £ Ingredients • 1 x 270g pack chopped butternut squash and sweet potato (from Co-op) • 1 small red onion, chopped • 1tbsp vegetable oil • 2tbsp curry paste • 1 x 400ml can coconut milk • 30g lentils • 100ml water • 75g green beans • Handful of fresh coriander • Pitta bread, to serve 1 Fry the butternut squash, sweet potato and red onion in heated oil for 4-5 min. Add the curry paste and fry for 1 min more. 2 Add the can of coconut milk, lentils and water to the pan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 min. 3 Add the green beans…

Despite the bruising and pain, my boobs looked perfect. Afterwards, looking my best was a priority. Even on the school run, I didn’t want to look like a frumpy mum. I had regular Botox and fillers, my nails done and hair highlighted. Even tattooed my eyebrows. Over the next eight years, the costs mounted up. I didn’t keep count, but it probably stretched into the tens of thousands. Then, when I was 35, I met Marc through friends. ‘You’re so beautiful,’ he told me on our first date. It felt good to know that he was attracted to me because of how I looked. All that investment had paid off! A year later, we were married, and I decided to leave dancing behind, got a new job as a PR…

Whether you long to travel the world or buy a dream car - take action now! A study by wealth managers Brewin Dolphin found only 11 per cent of adults with life goals know how they'll achieve them, and a third of Brits said a lack of money stopped them. So what can you do about it? 1 Plan things… If you'd like to celebrate a milestone birthday with a mega holiday, or you want to build a nest egg for your kids but don't have figures in mind, work out exactly what you require. If your ultimate trip is a safari, look online to see how much it costs. If you want to put away cash for your children, decide on a specific amount as your goal. 2 Make…

Winnings went towards my picture-perfect hols! Emma Whiteman, 48, Northampton Booking a holiday to Cornwall with 15 of my nearest and dearest, I couldn't wait! We had so much fun planned for our week, some days with a group, others just me and my hubby Mark, 42. We'd have to leave our beloved cats Angel and Melody with friends, but it was a special hol to Hayle, Cornwall. Mark and I both work really hard, so it's always nice to have a holiday planned. Back in April, I was at home and it was almost 8pm. Mark was pottering and I was on the sofa with the cats. We had a special holiday plus treats for us and the cats ‘I think I'll play a bit of bingo,' I called…

Q Is this something you practised in previous relationships? Debbie Hadden, Stourbridge A No, but I think it's an enjoyment that's always been there. I just didn't know it at the time. Q What’s your favourite item? Karen Hobson, Sheffield A I have some incredible things in my £9,000 collection but my favourite is the viper, a leather strap which I use on the whipping bench. Q If my mum told me she was a dominatrix, I’d feel so awkward! How do you get your daughter on board? Laura Grant, Worksop A Amy has always been very supportive, and her partner has, too. Once, they walked in while a bloke was cleaning my living room. My slave looked humiliated but later said it was exactly the sort of embarrassment he…

Q I read that a mud mask could help my oily skin – what do you think? Sarah Roberts, 45 A Don’t be put off by the idea of slathering mud on your face, it’s a great way to detoxify and give your skin a really good deep cleanse. Working like a magnet, it pulls impurities out from your pores for clearer skin with less build-up. Better skin is just minutes away! Q I’d love to start wearing blusher but I have no idea what would suit me. Help! Anne Whiting, 66 A Blusher is a great way to perk up your complexion and a good one will mimic the natural flush of your skin. Fair skinned ladies should pick soft pastel pinks, olive skin needs orange hues to counteract…