Table of contents for 24-Oct-2024 in Pick Me Up!

Putting on my T-shirt, it had a very special image on the back. A picture of a close friend – Bradley. Growing up, Bradley had been a close family friend and best friends with my brother Sam, 25. Our mums would often plan fun days out and activities and as a result, we were all close. Only, Bradley had cystic fibrosis. Doctors hadn’t expected him to live to adulthood, and he spent a lot of time in and out of hospital. Every Thursday we’d go to visit, always bringing him a McDonald’s and a Lucozade. And Bradley was always ready with jokes to keep us entertained – he was a very cheeky chap. My mum Sally, 54, had always told us that Bradley may not be with us forever. But…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a brilliant and handy prize from Addis. With this fold flat laundry basket, you can store all your clothes and bed linen efficiently, no matter how much space you have in your home. Perfect for storing between your washing machine or in one of your cupboards, it easily folds away, making it a handy, space-saving design. For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Storage solution I bought this pretty magazine holder in the sale and found it was ideal for storing all of my saucepan lids inside. Carole Gasan, Dundee Minty fresh! Spiders love coming indoors, so to deter them, I fill an empty diffuser bottle with a mix of water and drops of peppermint oil. It keeps…

Loading up the car with the last lot of bags, we were heading to Glen Affric for a mini break in the Scottish Highlands. My mum Moira and dad Trevor, as well as me, my husband David, 45, and our girls Bella, now 17, and Sienna, 15, all crammed into a cosy lodge. But whilst walking to a waterfall back in July 2020, I noticed Mum was getting out of breath. ‘Are you OK Mum?’ I asked. ‘No, not really,’ she replied. ‘I’ve been feeling more tired than usual, and a bit achy.’ She normally just brushed things under the carpet – but at home, Mum finally got a doctor’s appointment and was prescribed iron tablets. But Mum soon became violently sick, and she was rushed to Ninewells Hospital in…

Verdict: GENIUS! Don’t spill the beans! Coffee Stopper, £16.30, available from Etsy There’s nothing worse than getting a fresh pumpkin spiced latte, and it spills out of the lid. Even more when it’s plonked in the cup holder of your car. Those splash sticks don’t help either. But this product will. The Coffee Stopper is made from silicone and fits tightly to avoid any spills when you’re on the run. It’s reusable, so you can stick it in your bag ready for when you next buy a fresh brew. It would make a great stocking filler for any coffee lover – think ahead. Verdict: BONKERS! Hot stuff Don’t try this one at home! When you get your mouth around a hot drink after pining for one all day, how long does…

As everyone fell silent at my 23rd birthday bash, I had no idea what was happening. Especially as my friends all had their phones pointing in my direction. However, with my boyfriend Ryan, then 28, taking my hand on 26 June 2021, the penny quickly dropped. Oh my God, is this real? ‘You make me complete. Will you marry me?’ he grinned, baring a ring. I couldn’t believe my luck. Growing up with a disability, I always assumed that nobody would ever want to be with me – let alone marry me. But then, there was this guy that came along and made all of my dreams come true. Meeting Ryan, who was also in a wheelchair, through powerchair football in 2016, we became friends off and on the pitch.…

Blinking my eyes open, I adjusted to the morning light as I leant over to turn off my alarm clock. But feeling something wet between my legs, my stomach suddenly dropped. Not again… I thought. Peeling back the covers, it looked like a scene out of CSI. Thick, congealed blood had spread across the sheets. It was like a gruesome murder had taken place in my bed. But it was all my own blood. Since having my eldest daughter Eloise back in 2011, I’d suffered with debilitating heavy periods. They’d been heavy through my teen years – but after giving birth, they became something else completely. And despite trips back and forth to the doctors, no one seemed to know why it was happening to me. ‘Periods can change and…

Watching as my mum pulled a tray of freshly-baked cupcakes from the oven, I grinned. ‘You can’t decorate them just yet,’ she chuckled. ‘They need to cool down first.’ It was a typical afternoon for me and my mum Tami. With my dad Brad working away a lot, it was often just the two of us – and as a result, we were super close. Her cakes were legendary – and I was the chief taster and decorator. As I got older, we loved going out shopping together or cosying up on the coach to watch movies on the Lifetime channel. Mum would wave me off to school in the mornings and was there when I got back to our home in South Dakota, USA. I always thought my parents…

Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Type of insect. Answer on page 44. ACROSS 1, 25Ac, 9Dn & 25Dn. 2024 fantasy comedy film sequel starring 29 Across and 8 Across and directed by 22 Down (11,11) 4 Take out (8) 10 Meddle (9) 11 Desperately Seeking __, 1985 comedy film starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna (5) 12 George __, creator of Star Wars (5) 13 Custom (9) 14 Tequila __, 1998 Cypress Hill single (7) 16 Contract (4) 19 Fifth book of the New Testament (4) 21 __ in Love, 1986 Level 42 single (7) 24 Carrie __, 2005 American Idol winner (9) 25 See 1 Across 26 Clan (5) 27 My Fellow __, 1996 US political comedy film starring Jack…

Peeking over the edge, there was a 50ft drop below me. Feeling my legs turn to jelly, I just wanted to turn around and go home – and get my feet firmly on steady ground. My brain may have understood I was wearing a harness, but my body had frozen with fear. But I couldn’t chicken out now. Highlining for the first ever time, I would be sitting on an inch of webbing, no thicker than a rope, 50ft up in the air. It was beside a beautiful waterfall in the forest, and it wasn’t super high. But seeing people splashing around in the water below, the ground felt so far away. Gingerly shuffling my bum onto the line, it was horrible. With the line swaying from side to side,…

Scrolling through UberEats, my belly rumbled with hunger as I looked through the different options. Pizza…Chinese… Indian… Saturday night takeaways were a regular occurrence in our house. Living with my parents Gail, 65, and Peter, 68, we loved nothing more than a cosy night in with yummy food. ‘Let’s go for pizza tonight,’ I declared after looking through the tasty choices. It wasn’t just Saturday nights though – I’d grab a takeaway for dinner four to five nights a week. I loved junk food, I was an addict I’d always struggled with my weight, and I was the first to admit I had a big appetite. Vegetables weren’t my thing – I just loved junk food. I was an addict. But tipping the scales at 25st 1lb, it was becoming…

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out – Bristol and the Cotswolds, Channel 5 In this episode, comedian Susan Calman takes her trusty camper Helen Mirren for a mosey around Bristol and the Cotswolds – with its diverse history, quirky traditions and wonderful wildlife, there’s a lot to explore. Susan visits the biggest hot air balloon company in the world, gets involved with rehearsals for the local carnival in St Paul’s and has a gander at the world’s rarest goose, before ticking off a bucket list item with a visit to Blenheim Palace. Venom: The Last Dance, in cinemas 25 October Following on from Venom: Let There Be Carnage back in 2021, catch the third installment in the Marvel Venom series just in time for Halloween. Tom Hardy reprises the role of…

Moving to Chicago, US, from Ecuador back in 2021, Sarai Llanos Gomez was determined to provide for her family. The mother of two had left her children behind for a waitressing position that she had been offered in Atlanta. It was her plan to work non-stop so she could send all of her earnings home. That way her children and her mother, Gardenia, who she had a close relationship with, could enjoy a much better life. Sarai, 19, was used to travelling the world. Throughout her teens, she was a talented dancer. Entering global competitions, she would win gold on a regular basis. As a mother, she spent the weekend taking her small children to Sunday school. She was completely devoted to her little ‘treasures’. Even if that meant leaving…

Know the signs You might think seasonal depression is a bit of a myth – but actually, people really can feel more blue in the winter months. GP Dr Alexis Missick, who works with UK Meds, shares her top tips for beating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)… What is SAD? Why does it affect people? SAD is the experience of depression or ‘very low mood’ that occurs during the autumn-winter to spring-summer periods. It’s usually experienced at the same time every year in a recurrent pattern. Symptoms vary in terms of what they are and also their severity. It is not clear why some people are affected more than others – but studies show women are more affected than men, younger persons more so than older persons and those living further…

Hearing the shuffle of footsteps getting closer, an unsettling feeling rose in my stomach. Closely followed by a flurry of excitement. ‘The house is still active,’ I whispered to my crew who had spaced themselves out in the room around me. With the lights flickering and jet-black water streaming from the taps, I knew that an entity was nearby. ‘You’ve been scratched,’ I said to the camera man who hurried downstairs. He had a fresh 2 inch mark on his neck. ‘The house is attacking,’ the owner started panicking. ‘It’s not supposed to be haunted.’ An overwhelming amount of energy had surged into the room. Only, just when I felt as if something was luring over my shoulder, everything stopped. The Black Forest Tavern in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, had returned to…

Take inspiration from the rich burgundy of your favourite Bordeaux wine – this colour palette is autumn’s finest! Pair burgundy tones with deep denims and metallic accessories to really make the colour pop…

Loading up all the devices I could, I prayed that the Wi-Fi wouldn’t let me down. Come on, I thought, keeping my fingers crossed. And watching as the page refreshed, I held my breath. You got the tickets! Taylor Swift The Eras Tour. June 2024. I couldn’t contain my excitement. I’d been a fan of Taylor’s music since I was 13. However, her latest album release, The Tortured Poets Department, was my all-time favourite. And getting the chance to see her in concert in the UK was a real rarity. I’d saved £665 for the ticket. On 14 June this year, I was raring to go with my little sister and friends in tow. Spraying glitter in my hair, I applied a load of highlighter and dressed for the occasion. Getting…

Bitesize! pg 3 Stag Strike it! pg 11 Butterfly  (Cross out: 1, 19, 21, 38, 44, 55, 66, 79, 83) Cross it! pg 36 Ladybird Fill it! pg 11 Whirligig Starry Eyes! pg 38 (Lisa Kudrow, Peter Andre, Claudia Winkleman, Bear Grylls, Jodie Foster) Crack it! pg 23 Bumblebees Number fit! pg 11 8686 Sudoku pg 36 4,2,1 Follow it! pg 6 Antennae 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.…