Table of contents for 7-Apr-2022 in Pick Me Up!

Gazing out of the car window, I couldn’t believe the sights that passed me by. While British, I spent much of my childhood living outside of the UK, where life was different. On a snowy day in Turkey, there were children, about my age, hunting through huge piles of litter. And deep down I promised myself that I would try and do something to help others, like those I had seen. As I continued my education, I had a lucky chance to take a scholarship in the US. This opened a whole range of opportunities, from working in investment banking to attending business school at Stanford University. Learning a tremendous amount, I thrived in the corporate world. But I knew I wanted to have a greater impact to help others.…

Cholesterol qualms Have you ever given your cholesterol much thought? It’s one of those things we know we should think about and get checked, but we never actually get round to doing. Research from Flora ProActiv revealed that a third of Brits have never had a cholesterol test – and one in five Brits have been diagnosed with raised cholesterol. Actress Martine McCutcheon has teamed up with Flora ProActiv and cholesterol charity Heart UK, to help people understand their cholesterol levels and what it means, and take action if needed. ‘I have a family history of raised cholesterol,’ says Martine. ‘My nan had a triple bypass operation on her heart and although this was 15 years ago, and she’s since passed, it’s made me more conscious about raised cholesterol. ‘You…

Poisonous plants With the sun starting to make an appearance, it’s likely we will be venturing into the garden and buying seasonal flowers to decorate our home. One thing that often gets overlooked is the safety of the plants in your home and the dangers they can pose to your furry friends. OnBuy Greenhouses have compiled a list of the top five spring plants that are poisonous to your pets: RHODODENDRONS As pretty as they may look with their colourful flower heads, rhododendrons are deadly to your pet. Just a small few nibbles of any part of this plant can leave your pet seeking emergency medical treatment. YEW The yew plant packs a powerful punch and a small handful of its needles can prove fatal to your furry friend. Yew…

It’s safe to say I’ve always been into gardening. Ever since I started planting alongside my grandad as a child. I’ve always found it peaceful and have got stuck into it in my own back garden with my family. But I never thought gardening was a viable career option, so I decided to study Event Management at Leeds University. After that, I fell into a job doing admin and reception work for a corporate law firm, but it was never something I wanted to do. When I got pregnant, my maternity package was too good to refuse and the job just fit in well with my new family life. But as my children Cameron, four, and Rosa, two, got older it had me rethinking my career. Cameron will be starting…

Working as a phlebotomist at a clinical laboratory meant Julia Enright wasn’t squeamish when it came to blood. Dealing with test samples every day might not have appealed to everyone, but Julia was obsessed with blood, even in her private life. In fact, it was getting disturbingly out of control. In 2018, Julia, then 21, was a phlebotomist by day, and at night, she was a dominatrix who went by the name Mistress Jasmine. Julia was into BDSM, and openly admitted that she enjoyed ‘blood play’ in her sex life. At her home in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, she made art from animal bones and kept animals in jars, known as ‘wet specimens.’ There were also vials of blood. Two years earlier, Julia had been studying at a vocational technical high school.…

We’d all love to impress with delicious, perfectly decorated cookies – but who needs a whole drawer full of cookie cutters in every shape and size that get left to collect dust in the dark corners of your kitchen, never to be used again? This new cookbook, Clever Cookie Cutter by Jen Rich (Pyramid, £8.99), will show you how to create 30 incredible cookie designs using just three simple cookie cutters – a heart, a gingerbread man and a star. From fabulous flamingos to bootylicious bums, from out- of-this-world aliens to magical unicorns, this little book will have you covered. There are also handy tips and techniques, plus basic dough and icing recipes, to make cookie decorating a breeze.…

With the help of Walker’s Meringue Nests, you can make a very quick but delicious dessert! For out more at walkersshortbread.com ◻ Ready to go meringue nests ◻ Bananas ◻ Double cream (whipped) ◻ Caramel or toffee sauce ◻ Crushed choc honeycomb 1 Lay the meringue nests out on a tray ora sheet of baking paper. 2 Fill and spread the nests with caramelor toffee sauce, then add the whipped cream on top. 3 Chop up the bananas into thin slices and place a few ontop of the whipped cream. 4 Crush the chocolate honeycomb and sprinkleon top. 5 Then repeat and load up all the other meringue nests. Serve immediately.…

ACROSS 1 Smells (6) 4 Gradually (3,2,3) 10 Immediately upon seeing (2,5) 11 Security device (7) 12 Clever or smart (4) 13 The _, 2021 BBC historical drama series starring 20 Across, 29 Across, 1 Down & 22 Down (5,5) 15 Very famous person (6) 16 Rain jackets (7) 20 _ Graham, star of the films This Is England and The Irishman (7) 21 Nitpicker (6) 24 Emphasises (10) 26 Brush or comb this (4) 28 Socialist (7) 29 Colin _, star of the films The Lobster and In Bruges (7) 30 Black-liveried Tube line (8) 31 Steeples (6) DOWN 1 Jack _, star of the films Starred Up and Unbroken (8) 2 Assault (9) 3 Shabby clothing (4) 5 Helpless or incapable (8) 6 Outer garment (4,6) 7 Amplify…

A new study by homeware brand Brabantia found that over three quarters of Brits surveyed see an upturn in their mental health and wellbeing when their home is clean and tidy. Psychologist Emma Kenny shares her tips to tackle your spring clean in a manageable way… Tidy house, tidy mind Cleaning has been proven to create a calming state of mind, which is clinically proven to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Take it step by step When it comes to cleaning, break it down into measurable achievements. Don’t forget to take breaks, too. Get everyone involved Chatting as you clean and tidy can help increase bonding – side by side communication has been proven to be excellent for reducing conflict. Turn up the volume Music helps to increase the…

Opening the door to the hairdressers, I was greeted with a huge smile. My daughter Alitsia, 10, hid behind me, trying to escape. She hated having her hair cut and wanted to keep her curly locks as long as possible. ‘I thought it would be good to have a cut before our holiday,’ I suggested, as Alitsia gazed at her reflection in the mirror. It was only a week before we were due to jet off for a funfilled family holiday to Portugal, in May last year. I couldn’t wait, especially after lockdown meant we hadn’t had a proper getaway in a while. Plus, Alitsia had always loved to travel. My partner Rob, 41, and son Maxwell, four, were supposedly busy packing their cases at home. Alitsia was grumpy at…

Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars, BBC One Gordon Ramsay is on the hunt for the UK’s most exciting and innovative new food and drink business and looking for the next generation ‘Food Star’ to invest in. Gordon’s hand-picked 12 of the UK’s best up-and-coming food and drink entrepreneurs, to compete to earn his investment – a whopping £150k of his own cash. But to win, the contenders will need to prove they have the ingredients required to succeed. First, they head to Cornwall to see how they work as a team. They’re tasked with using the finest local produce to run food shacks on a beach. Can they work together to produce high quality food whilst coping with hundreds of hungry tourists? Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, in cinemas…

JUST SMILE Ciaté London are helping you take the time to smile this spring with their brand new eyeshadow palette. Designed to stand out from the crowd, the six-pan palette features beautiful, adaptable shades suited to all moods, and also includes a handy mirror, perfect for touch ups. Partnering with artist André Saraiva, the tie-dye graffiti effect on the packaging is topped with the iconic Smiley to bring a dose of happiness to your day. £29, from ciatelondon.com SCENTOLOGY Meet the new affordable Eau de Parfum collection from Scentology. Delivering perfectly blended fragrances with a minimalist design, these scents do all the talking. From fresh and floral to sophisticated and sexual, this collection has a scent for everyone. Meet the collection. £9 each, available from Boots 1. Vanilla Latte &…

Glancing across the church, I saw him standing there. A super cute, dark-haired boy, strumming on his guitar as he softly sang Why Georgia by John Mayer. Growing up in a musical household, I was instantly drawn to him. I was 16 and on a trip with my church, doing community work in Philadelphia, USA. Chris was 17, and on our bus rides, and while we worked, we really got to know each other. He was so outgoing and I found everything hilarious. My dad Rob, 69, and my brother, Brian, were also on the trip, so they got to know him, too. And by the end of the trip, we were great friends. When we got back home, he started to come over most weeks for Sunday lunches at…

How to register It’s FREE to enter and it’s so easy to do, just visit, comps.lifedeathprizes.com and register by hitting the join button and then you can enter as many competitions as you like. Go on, have fun! Look what you could have won! REGISTER NOW AND NEVER MISS THE OPPORTUNITY OF A WIN! A set of four velvet kitchen chairs* A holiday to sunny Majorca* A Russell Hobbs microwave* An Apple iPad and a subscription to F-Secure TOTAL* A bespoke Cycle More print by Eliza Southwood* A luxury Contactless Payment Bracelet* For website rules of play, visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/rules. T’s&C’s apply, UK only. *These have now closed.…

Scrolling through social media, shopping, and partying – these are the activities we usually associate with young people, but would you ever think they’d be into gardening? Well, it turns out more young people than you’d expect are ditching their phones for rakes and trowels, as gardening is becoming more popular with Gen Z and millennials. Just last year, a survey by Draper Tools found that one in eight 18 – 34-year-olds thought gardening was ‘cool’, with more than half preferring a garden centre to a nightclub. Traditionally associated with an older crowd, it’s now fashionable to have your home filled with houseplants and to grow your very own veg. You just have to go to TikTok to see the trend in action, with hashtags like #PlantTok gaining just over…

Head to your nearest National Trust for an amazing Easter egg-stravaganza in the great outdoors. There’s nothing quite like getting outside in the fresh air with the family – but it’s even better when there’s the promise of a choccy Easter egg at the end! With over 180 Easter trails to choose from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, there’s something for everyone – read on for some of our favourites… DYRHAM PARK, SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE EASTER ADVENTURE IN NATURE TRAIL, 9 – 18 APRIL Dyrham Park was created in the 17th century by civil servant William Blathwayt. The 270-acre ancient breathtaking views towards Bristol and beyond and plenty of space for young explorers to run free and be in nature. This year’s Easter trail includes 10 different activities designed to…

Forget a Friday night takeaway – the fakeaway is where it’s at! Recreate a KFC classic, the Zinger Box Meal, with these smart swaps from Iceland – complete with an impressive dupe of the legendary KFC gravy. No need to put on clothes and trek out to the Drive Thru – stay in your PJs and enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Winner winner, chicken dinner!…

Crouching on the floor, I knelt down to grab a puzzle piece. Me and my wife, Rajvinder, cooed and clapt as our daughter Dayaal, then one, fumbled around on her playmat. Looking up at us, brighteyed, her mouth babbled. ‘Punjab,’ she said, softly. ‘What did you say?’ I asked, thinking we must have just misheard Dayaal’s baby talk. ‘Punjab,’ she repeated, clear as day. She was only a year old and we didn’t even think she would start talking for a few months yet – the whole moment caught us completely off guard. Punjab was where my family originated from in India, so Dayaal must have heard us using the term and recalled it. She hadn’t even said conventional words like ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’ yet, but it wasn’t a fluke.…