Table of contents for 31-Oct-2024 in Pick Me Up!

As my dog Eddie sat patiently in front of me, I fastened up his special bandana. ‘There,’ I smiled. ‘You’re ready now.’ My five-year-old black Labrador wasn’t just any woofer – he had a special job. Eddie was a Pets as Therapy dog. Ever since he was a pup, I knew he’d be perfect for the role – he was much calmer and gentler than my two other labs, Luther and Albert. So as soon as he was old enough, I signed him up. Taking him to the nursery where I worked, the kids loved him and found stroking him so soothing. “Their faces light up when they see him” But I truly realised the significance of Eddie’s job when my mum Lesley, 79, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in…

Seeing my phone flash, excitement bubbled in my belly.  I’ve thought of a date idea for us, the message read. And scanning the text, it felt like something from a movie. Let me take you to Manhattan on Christmas Eve. We can go and see the Rockefeller Tree. I could tell that Pawel, then 20, was a real romantic. Matching on Tinder in mid-December 2020, I’d only been single for two months. He was a real romantic at heart I wasn’t looking for anything. However, Pawel was stylish, confident, flirty and knew how to keep the conversation flowing. It turned out, he lived a 30-second drive from me in Bergen County, US, too. We did have a few mutual friends, even though he was three years older than me. He…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great prize from Addis.  This spray mop, complete with a refillable bottle, is perfect for when you’re on a time crunch, but you still need to tidy up! It’s ready to use and comes with a removable and machine washable head, too. Its slim design means it won’t take up too much space in the cupboard either. For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Trick-or-treat? I’m having a kids’ Halloween party for my daughter and an easy hack for cute decorations is to take some little jars, draw a pumpkin face on them and then fill them with orange sweets. Lisa Adams, Halesowen An easy fix If the hole you’ve made is too big for the screw,…

INSTANT appointment With Dr Afrah Khattak, GP at private healthcare clinic Pall Mall Medical. Visit: pallmallmedical.co.uk Troublesome reflux Q Every time I eat I suffer with horrendous reflux that makes me sick. What can I do to stop this? Charlie, Bude A Constant reflux after eating can be a real pain — quite literally! A good place to start would be to look at the kinds of foods you’re eating. Things like spicy foods, acidic stuff like tomatoes and citrus, chocolate, caffeine and fatty foods can make reflux worse. Try eating smaller, more frequent meals and stay upright for at least a couple of hours after eating. It can help to prop yourself up when you sleep, too. If that doesn’t work, it’s worth checking in with your doctor. Sometimes…

Verdict: BONKERS! Remember this throwback? What does squirrel taste like? Back in 2009, Walkers launched a competition to find a flavour to replace the nation’s favourite. A member of the public suggested ‘Cajun Squirrel’ after spotting the idea on a restaurant menu. The crisps were orange with specs of green – but no fluffy squirrels were harmed in the making! They were popular, but Builder’s Breakfast nabbed the top spot instead. Verdict: GENIUS! The monster mash! Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo, £2.40, all major supermarkets There’s nothing quite like the crunch of Pickled Onion Monster Munch. And now, they’ve partnered with one of the most-loved condiments – Heinz mayonnaise! Yes, you read that right. It’s a real monster match made in heaven! Slap this new mayo on top of your…

Stripping the pillowcases off the bed, I could feel something hidden underneath the cover. What’s that? I thought, as I pulled out a piece of paper. It looked like my youngest daughter India, then seven, had something stashed away. Only, unravelling the letter, I was met with the most brutal and harrowing words. Your mum’s so fat she’s going to die of a heart attack, it read. I’d gorge myself silly on cake bars A flurry of guilt washed over me. But everything clicked into place like a puzzle. For the week leading up to that moment, India had been coming into my bedroom at the same time in the night. She’d feel my chest, give me a kiss and then say she’d just had a nightmare. I thought it…

Bitesize! pg 3 Bats Strike it! pg 13 Mushroom  (Cross out: 3, 12, 19, 31, 35, 47, 53, 62, 79, 88) Cross it! pg 36 Watercress 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. Fill it! pg 13 Slasher Movie links! pg 34 (Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey, Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Emma Stone) Crack it! pg 23 Exhibition Sudoku pg 36 1,1,4 Number fit! pg 13 5668 Name it p36 Clockwork Orange - Goodfellas - American Beauty Follow it! pg 9 Cauldron…

Foodie finds Stock up for your Halloween party with this spooky grub… “Make sure you’ve got plenty of sweets for trick-treaters!” GET IN TOUCH Send us your stories and photos, including all names and ages, a daytime phone number and full address. E-mail hello@pickmeupmag.co.uk WRITE TO Pick Me Up! Media Centre, Emma-Chris Way, Abbey Wood Park, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7JU PHONE 0117 440 0607 FACEBOOK facebook.com/pickmeupmag SEE OUR WEBSITE lifedeathprizes.com Future Publishing Limited reserves the right to reuse any submission sentto Pick Me Up! magazine, in any format or medium. Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a stampedsae. Letters/photos must not be sent to any other publication. DON’T MISS OUR PICK ME UP! NOVEMBER SPECIAL OUT NOW! Fun day out What was that eight-legged monster scuttling across the floor…? It’s not…

Stepping out into the misty church graveyard, I had my flashlight and ghost box at the ready. ‘You ready, Mum?’ I asked. ‘Ready,’ she agreed. Setting up Facebook Live, my mum Suzanne and I were ready to catch all of Cornwall’s spooky goings on. Picking up some weird orb lights on camera, I got ready to speak to the ghost box. ‘Is anyone here?’ I asked. ‘Yes,’ an ethereal voice crackled through the box. Looking over at Mum, 68, we both had goosebumps. ‘Can you tell me your name?’ I asked. ‘Hello Candice,’ the spooky spirit replied. ‘My name is Nathan Webb.’ Our comment section was filled with people just as intrigued with the paranormal as we were. Of course, there were a few sceptics, but we didn’t let that…

Waltzing into the living room, twirling around in her yellow gown, my beautiful Belle looked like a real princess. ‘Can we read I am Belle, Mummy?’ my daughter Olivia, then four, begged. It was a request I’d heard ever since Olivia could talk. She knew the book inside out. As time went on she got worse Her obsession with Disney’s Belle was real. She loved to dress up and watch the movie, too. And Olivia looked just like her – with her long brown hair and gorgeous smile. At school she loved colouring, writing and being creative. Most of all, Olivia loved to read. Me and Olivia’s dad Peter had split when she was little – so it was just the two of us. We’d go for days out at…

It’s with a heavy heart that we let you know this will be the last issue of Pick Me Up! magazine. As we close the final chapter, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you. This magazine has been a celebration of you – real people, real life, real stories. Together we’ve laughed, cried, inspired, shared joy and raised awareness – and had a lot of fun at the same time. Thank you for being part of the journey and for trusting us to share your stories. You can still get Pick Me Up! monthly specials, plus our weekly sister magazine Chat.…

Treat of the week Serves: 12 Hosting a Halloween get together this year? Get into the scary spirit with these spooky snacks from Aldi – fun to make, fun to eat! • For more inspiration, please visit: aldi.co.uk Pumpkin Pasties YOU WILL NEED ☐ 1 garlic clove☐ ½ red pepper☐ ½ green pepper☐ ½ onion☐ 1 tbsp olive oil☐ 250g minced beef☐ ½ tsp dried chilli flakes☐ ½ tsp paprika ☐ ½ tsp ground cumin☐ Pinch of salt☐ Pinch of pepper☐ 200g chopped tomatoes☐ 2 x 375g ready-rolled puff pastry☐ 1 medium egg 1 Dice the peppers and onion and crushthe garlic. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the minced beef. Cook until starting to brown then add the vegetables.  2 Cook for roughly five minutes, add the…

Catch Claire live on Facebook ARIES 21 March–20 April Saturn direct in Pisces gives us five months of separating the good from the bad. Remember that what you want is important and don’t allow others to talk you out of anything. You’re a sign with individual needs and the ability to face things other signs wouldn’t even contemplate. You’ve got this. Just remember to look through your eyes. Don’t listen to others. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May The Sun in Sagittarius, sextile to Pluto in Aquarius promises the kind of drama your sign loves. Luckily for you, you’ve got your sex appeal back and you’ll be able to talk your way in and out of much. You’ve also got the chance to pick up on something which was…

Here’s my baby daughter Bunnie, three months, her way to trickor-treating. She’s dressed as a ‘titchy witchy’ and loves getting into the Halloween spirit! Gemma Davies, Gloucester My dog Frankie needed a rub down after a wet walk – I think the white towel makes him look like a ghost! Susan, Horncastle My kids adore Halloween – here they are posing as various zombies. Rachel, Keynsham Me and my mates decided to do a group outfit last Halloween – what do you think of our Viking getup? We got some strange looks on the train! Julie, Rye Flying Flowers If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet…

Heading to the aircraft hangar, I felt an impending sense of doom. Come on, Pip, I told myself. You can do this. I was doing a charity skydive – but it wasn’t the thought of jumping out of a plane that scared me. It was the plane itself. Because 25 years ago, my dad Gerry and grandad Larry were killed in a plane crash. Seeing a light aircraft sat in the hangar, prepared for takeoff, I shuddered. I hadn’t even seen one since the accident – and now I was about to step foot on one again. “‘They’ve gone to heaven,’ Mum told me” I’ve never been a confident flier, but flying was Dad’s passion. He and my mum Christine, now 65, ran a business together and were grafters –…

WE’RE LOVING PERFECT FOR SPOOKY SEASON!…

Alison Goolnik is an experienced BACP registered therapist who helps adults manage anxiety, navigate life transitions, improve selfesteem and supports them on their journey to positively change their mental health and emotional well-being. To find out more, please visit: therapyhere.co.uk and bacp.co.uk I’ve ruined everything! Q I've been having an affair for about a year on and off with the same man. I've realised I have feelings for him, but before I was able to tell my husband and leave him, he’s now been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I feel conflicted and I don't think I can bring myself to break his heart. Gemma, Brixton A It is understandable that you feel conflicted. This is a very difficult situation and it is natural that you would want to protect your…