Table of contents for 25-Apr-2024 in Pick Me Up!

Inhaling deeply, the care home residents copied me. Then, as we all exhaled, they burst out laughing. You see, I was leading a laughter yoga class at the local care home in East Kilbride as an activity coordinator. At first, we were all forcing ourselves to chuckle in line with the breathing exercises. But before long, we were all laughing hysterically. I loved spreading joy to the residents from doing something so simple. And it came so naturally to me, too. Originally coming from an entertainment background, working for Haven Holidays, I’d toured schools and care homes across Scotland, putting on pantos and theatre productions, too. Back in 2015, I stepped into the role of Fairy Lily in a production of Mother Goose. As I sang the words to What…

Serves: 2 Ocean Spray have teamed up with The Pink Ribbon Foundation to help beat breast cancer, with 5p from every carton of Pink Cranberry Juice being donated to the charity. So, why not sip on The Pink Crush Cocktail? A cocktail with a purpose… Visit: oceanspray.co.uk YOU WILL NEED: ☐ Juice of three limes☐ 100ml Ocean Spray Pink Cranberry Juice☐ 50ml (two shots) vodka or gin☐ Ginger ale to top 1. Add the lime juice, Pink Cranberry juice and vodka or gin to a shaker with ice. Then, shake well until chilled. 2. Pour the mixture into a tall glass and top with the ginger ale. 3. Add a twist of lime to garnish and enjoy!…

We love the earthy tones and colours!…

Settling down at my laptop, I was ready to help people. Volunteering as a web chat volunteer for Endometriosis UK, I was on hand to help anyone who needed support – whether they had a new diagnosis or were feeling overwhelmed. Write down every symptom, blood flow and dates, I always advise people. It will help you feel more equipped at your doctor’s appointment. And this was a cause close to my heart. In 2003, aged 25, I’d been diagnosed with endometriosis after an operation to remove three ovarian cysts. I’d been hopeful this would help with the painful periods I’d struggled with since I was a teenager. But coming round, the doctor told me she had good news and bad. ‘The good news is we’ve saved your ovaries,’ she…

GET OUTTA MY SWAMP! Onions have layers! And it turns out, so can bathtime. The newest line-up from Lush Cosmetics will turn your pamper evening into a swamp. But don't worry, there’s nothing disgusting about this collection! With a range of self-care goodies, you'll want everyone to get outta your swamp so you can indulge in some serious TLC. Meet the collection: 1. Shrek Swamp Bath Bomb, £8 2. Shrek Pack Mask of Magnaminty Face and Body Mask, from £10 3. Fiona Shower Gel, from £10 4. By Night One Way, By Day Another Body Spray, £35 5. Get Outta My Swamp Shower Slime, from £9 6. Donkey Bath Bomb, £6 7. Gingy Bubble Bar, £7.50 LOVE YOUR SKIN If you're looking to boost your complexion, then you may want…

Gazing out at the stunning panoramic views of the Bavarian Alps, Eva Liu and Kelsey Chang were soaking up their time abroad. Graduating from the University of Illinois in May 2023 with bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, Eva, 21, and Kelsey, 22, had been classmates before becoming best friends. Both talented young women, the two had participated in the University’s esteemed research programs, with Eva even securing a post-graduate job at Microsoft after a successful internship there. But before the two entered the world of work, they wanted to celebrate. And what better way to do that than by touring Europe on the trip of a lifetime? Having stopped off in Spain and Italy, Germany was next on the girls’ bucket list. He guided the girls to…

Bitesize! ACROSS 1 Dull (4) 5 Region (4) 6 Dishonesty (4) 7 Overdue (4) DOWN 1 High (4) 2 Nessun dorma, say (4) 3 Encounter (4) 4 Alleviate (4) Read down the shaded squares for the answer. Answer on page 44. 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 44. Fill it! Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Type of collectables.  Answer on page 44. ACROSS 7 Same (5) 8 An Officer and a __, 1982 romantic drama film starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger (9) 10 & 19 Dn. __ Little __, 2024 black comedy…

Letting out a piercing scream, I ran as fast as I possibly could. My partner Chris, now 35, and children Daniella, now 16, Jenson, now 13, and Poppy, now 10, all had the same idea, too. As picking up an injured bumble bee, my daughter Alyssa, then 13, cupped it up in her bare hands. She wasn’t fazed by insects, even though the rest of us were all petrified. ‘Bumble bees don’t sting you, Mum, it’s wasps you have to be scared of,’ Alyssa chuckled. And ever since she was tiny, she’d always had the same affinity for all animals. Which meant as a family we’d often go to farms and petting zoos, so the kids could hold and cuddle ducks. As well as that, we’d head to Hersham Beach…

Staring at the results on my computer screen, I’d gone and done it. I’d managed to win a £5,000 makeover after entering an online competition in 2010. It was the perfect chance to up my boobs from a cup size C to a favoured DD. Interested in the adult industry and glamour side of modelling, big boobs were the ultimate look at the time and I knew exactly what I wanted. To use the money on silicone breast implants. Even though I may have been only 19 at the time, my mum Angie, now 59, supported me throughout everything. So, going under the knife just months later, with my implants settling in successfully, my boobs were perfect. A fabulous size, in proportion with the rest of my body, they looked…

Taking hold of my daughter’s hand, she marched through the electric doors. And with the smell of hot pastry hitting us long before we joined the queue, I knew she had one thing on her mind. Or maybe two… My daughter Bella, now three, could never decide between a Greggs sausage roll or a steak bake. ‘Could I have a croissant and a coffee, please?’ I asked at the till. ‘And a steak bake for Bella.’ Sat in the cafe, munching away on our treats, this was part of our morning routine. We went to Greggs at least three times a week and had been doing so for the past couple of years. Bella has been Greggs biggest fan since the age of one. Aged one, I’d take her with…

Verdict: GENIUS! Get your coat… Portable Table Bag Holders, £9.99, Amazon If you’re heading out, make sure to carry this clever gadget with you. Instead of having to place your bag on the floor, where it will get dirty and trampled on, you can store your bag on this portable, magnetic hook instead. Simply grip it onto the table and you’ve got yourself a convenient bag hanger. It can be used on a variety of surfaces, like office desks, restaurant tables or in the pub garden, too. Verdict: BONKERS! Up in the air… NASA meets runway A bag made from 99% air – it doesn’t sound real, right? Well it is! The Air Swipe Bag from French fashion house Coperni has been designed using NASA’s silica aerogel nano-material. The material has…

Heading to your local pharmacy, you expect your usual prescription to be there. Having been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it’s a neurological condition which affects your behaviour, with symptoms including a short attention span, fidgeting and acting without thinking first. Yet your medication helps you regulate these symptoms, making it much easier to do your everyday tasks efficiently. Only, you’re told that there is a national shortage of your medication – your local pharmacy cannot fulfil your prescription that month. So, you’re left to panic. Should you ration your tablets? Or try another pharmacy out of town? Unfortunately, this has become the stark reality for many with ADHD since September last year, after the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced a national shortage in a…

Looking out the window on 20 February 2022, the snow had lifted. But me, my partner Jose, 34, and our children Sophia, 15, Khloe, 13, Paul, 10, Alyse, seven, Delilah, five, JJ, three, and Olivia, two, weren’t keen on the cold. So, on an unusually warm, sunny day in Oklahoma, the kids begged to play out in the front yard. ‘Go on then,’ I smiled. Holding Olivia in my arms, I supervised from the front door – with Jose getting ready for work as I prepared lunch. Behind me, I heard Jose getting out of the shower. I’ll get his slippers, I thought. The kids had been on their own for literally a minute, when I heard a horrible noise. It was a deep growling noise. I could hear snarling,…

Buy of the week It’s always a good idea to keep a bottle of wine or three stocked up at home, for when the craving for a crisp glass strikes. But let’s face it, wine bottles are heavy, cumbersome and take up a lot of space. Thankfully, Aldi have come up with a solution – launching the UK’s first supermarket own-brand flat recycled PET wine bottles, which are nearly seven times lighter than glass bottles and completely shatterproof! Perfect for picnics and BBQs, the Chapter & Verse Chardonnay and Shiraz are just £5.25 each and stack easily in the cupboard to maximise storage space – plus they’re fully recyclable, too. We’ll drink to that! Visit: aldi.co.uk Have you heard? Calling all pizza lovers! If you think you’ve got what it…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great prize from Addis. This laundry hamper has 40L capacity to hold all of your dirty washing! It’s perfect for fitting in tighter spaces if you don’t have much room. With carry handles for easy use, handling and carrying, it makes your usual chores a joy instead. For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk Be a winner! Citrus scare To stop spiders coming into the house, I deter them by putting a lime on my window ledge. David Anderson, Sunderland Keep them out! Plant power Before my mum passed away, she painted bottles to be used as watering aids in plants. They work well when standing upside down to deliver water to plants as needed. Maureen Farran,…

Spinning in circles, the moment that I had walked in on was enough to melt my heart. As holding each other in a cute ballroom stance, my girls Lillian, now three, and Evelyn, now two, were dancing along to Disney’s Frozen. And I knew it wasn’t long before they’d erupt into a chorus, too. Let It Go was their favourite song. Yet, as soon as I’d try and get a video to show my partner Taylor, 29, they’d stop. However, he didn’t need to be reminded of just how special our daughters were. That’s something we would see every day – not leaving out Katherine, one, too. With the girls drawing together, playing with their stuffed animals, they’d hug, hold hands and dress up as Elsa and Anna. The pair…

DON’T MISS Mammoth, BBC2 Reeling from some recent news that drops a bombshell on his life, Tony Mammoth (Mike Bubbins) tries to make up for lost time. Despite his best efforts though, things don’t go to plan and he and Theo (Joel Davison) end up in a fight with a stranger. Meanwhile his boss Lucy (Mali Ann Rees) has to fight off the local oddballs looking to donate to help her fertility treatment. Hold the Front Page, Sky Buckle up for series two of Hold the Front Page – where comedians Josh Widdicombe and Nish Kumar leap into the weird and wonderful world of local news journalism. Delving into local mysteries, taking part in unusual events and covering the burning issues of the day, with the odd celeb or two…

Bitesize! pg 3 Mail Strike it! pg 13 Flapjack (Cross out: 2, 11, 22, 27, 39, 47, 62, 77, 81, 85) Cross it! pg 36 Droplet Fill it! pg 13 Stamps Movie links! pg 24 (Jim Carrey – BRUCE ALMIGHTY – Jennifer Aniston – MARLEY & ME – Owen Wilson – ZOOLANDER – Ben Stiller–NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM – Robin Williams) Crack it! pg 23 Flamingo Number fit! pg 13 3562 Sudoku pg 36 7,2,4 Follow it! pg 9 Envelope 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.…

Sinking into the chair, I realised I hadn’t seen my cheeky cat Susie in two days. This realisation would usually send me into a panic – especially with my other cat, Waffles. But not with our Susie. I may not know where she is right now, but I can very easily find out… I thought, logging onto Facebook. And as suspected, I saw Susie – eyes shut and snuggled into the lap of a complete stranger, covering their clothes in her soft tabby fur like the cat who got the cream. It was actually the third home she’d visited that day. You see, my Susie is a bit of a local celebrity. She’s only three, but Susie has a better social life than most people could dream of. She frequents…