Table of contents for April 2024 in Take a Break Monthly

Nanny knows best Here’s my mum Mavis, 90, with her latest great-grandchild Teddy. When she’s not cuddling Teddy, she’s busy doing the puzzles in Take a Break! Christine Charlton, 66, of Kendal, Cumbria Pup pals My dogs Winston and Liylah are the best of friends and even give each other hugs! Emily Davison, 20, of Sunderland, Tyne & Wear Game’s up My pup Elvis loves reading my Take a Break. She’s looking worried, because she knows she shouldn’t be on the bed! Megan Szafran, 29, of Bilton Grange, E Yorks Seeing is believing Looks like my hubby Mark, 38, and I horrified our kids Olivia, 10, Harrison, five, and Avva-Rose, seven, by having a kiss on our wedding day! Lauren Balfe, 32, of Louth, Lincs Con-gradulations! Here I am with…

A scrunched up little face peered up at me and looked so innocent. My cousin Alan had placed his newborn son, Judah, into my arms. As I stroked Judah’s cheek he smiled, and I felt the same surge of love I’d had when my own three children were born. I smiled at Alan. ‘He’s perfect,’ I said. ‘Just look at…’ But then, I was interrupted by his partner Mary. ‘Alan’s asked me to marry him!’ she said. I understood that she wanted to celebrate her good news. But she seemed more excited about the proposal than the birth of her child. Alan was the only family I had nearby, and Mary had fallen pregnant soon after they got together. But she didn’t impress me one bit. She had a foul…

Solve our puzzle to find out who it is. HOW TO ENTER Solve the crossword. Then, from the top, list the letters in the yellow squares to reveal the identity of the chopped-up celebrity. Enter by post, phone, text or online — see page 73. ACROSS 1 The - - -, quiz show hosted by Bradley Walsh (5)6 - - - affairs, topical news (7)10 Rim, border (4)11 Inhale and exhale (7)13 Put money or time into — a business, eg (6)14 Poison — paired with old lace? (7)15 London’s river (6)17 Wide-angled (6)19 Young child that’s learning to walk (7)20 ‘Add insult to - - -’, saying (6)22 Stinging plant used to make tea (6)24 Brilliant success, anagram of CLEAT (5)25 Embarrassment, humiliation (5)28 Hackneyed expression (6)30 Long-bladed tool…

Spring has finally arrived and we’re all dreaming about those long, sunny days and balmy evenings spent relaxing in our gardens and on our balconies. Our outdoor spaces have been so important to us over the last couple of years, so now’s the chance to show yours some love. Crack our competition and you could be getting your green fingers on a cool £1000 to give your garden a magnificent makeover, turning it into the perfect space for you to spend time in the warmer months. With a grand in your pocket, the possibilities are almost endless — so how would you spend all that cash? Just think of all the beautiful plants you could buy. You could fill your beds and pots with colour and texture, not forgetting a…

Time in the tub Packed full of magnesium, jasmine and orange blossom, these calming salts will help to nourish and reboot skin while you’re in the bath. The perfect way to unwind after a busy day. Westlab Balance Bath Salt, £9.99 And… relax! A good night’s sleep can make all the difference to your mood, and this aromatherapy trio will help you switch off faster. The lavender and sandalwood-based pack contains a bath oil, pillow mist and rollerball for your pulse points, which will all ease you into the land of nod. Tisserand Countdown to Sleep Trio Collection, £20 Luxe lotion Show your arms and legs some love now and they’ll be ready for skirt season. This beautifully scented body butter contains teeny pearls of argan oil that will deeply…

It was 6am, and I was making a cuppa. They’ll be crying for their breakfast any moment, I thought. So I went to the door and called: ‘Henry, Eugene, Elliott!’ But there was no answer. Moments later, I found myself looking at an empty back garden. My goats were gone. Five weeks earlier, I’d bought three Pygmy kids for me and my teenage sister, Caitlin. Clad in just my nightgown, I wandered the streets near my home in Bentley, Doncaster. But there was no sign of the boys. Had they been kidnapped? ‘I’m so sorry,’ I told Caitlin, ‘it looks like they’ve been taken.’ Tears filled her eyes. We raised the alarm on social media, contacted the police and local press, and printed missing posters. Then, 12 hours later, I…

Hot cross bun tiramisu Serves: 4-6 Takes: 20min (plus cooling and chilling) ■ 3tbsp instant espresso or coffee powder■ 1tbsp caster sugar, plus 120g extra■ 4 hot cross buns, each cut into bite-size pieces■ 3tbsp coffee liqueur■ 4 egg yolks■ 80ml Marsala■ 475g mascarpone■ 225ml double cream■ Cocoa powder, for dusting 1 Dissolve the espresso or coffee powder and sugar in 500ml boiling water in a bowl. Set aside to cool. 2 Soak half of the hot cross bun pieces in the coffee mixture, holding in the mixture for a few seconds until the buns have soaked up the liquid. Divide between four to six serving glasses (depending how big your glasses are). 3 Using an electric hand-held mixer, whisk the egg yolks, Marsala and extra caster sugar in a…

3 HOLIDAYS MUST BE WON! Looking forward to spring and a chance to relax in the sunshine? We have just the prize for you… We’ve joined with Tranquil Parks to give you the chance to win one of three adults-only, self-catering glamping holidays in the UK. Crack our competition and, if you’re one of our three lucky winners, you and a guest will be enjoying a three-night break staying in a shepherd’s hut or lodge at one of three glamping parks: Old Oaks Touring and Glamping in Somerset, Yr Helyg/The Willows in North Wales, or Longnor Wood in the Peak District. Set in beautiful scenery, the focus of a Tranquil Parks holiday is peace, quiet and total relaxation. All of its independently owned parks are committed to the best customer…

Our HolidaysWin! • Return flights • Seven-night B&B stay • £200 spending money Jet off to the Balearics with this month’s fabulous Star Prize. We’ve teamed up with Neutradol, the fresh air specialists with a solution for every smelly problem, to give you the chance to win a break for two to Majorca. Solve our puzzle and, if you’re our winner, you and a guest will be off to the Garden Holiday Village in Playa de Muro for a week of sun, fun and relaxation. We’ll wave you off with £200 to spend too. When you get back, you’ll want your home to have that same holiday freshness. To get rid of unpleasant smells caused by lingering bacteria, try Neutradol. Neutradol kills the molecules that cause bad odours and keeps…

TAURUS 20 Apr – 20 May Taking two steps forward and one back could feel frustrating, Taurus, but you’re enjoying the slower pace of life. Until the 20th, the stars have you in a laid-back mood. Your caring ruler, Venus, recommends some gentle exercise. Try walking, swimming or yoga, and you’ll soon see and feel the benefit. From the 23rd a new door opens for couples. Single? Letting go of the past works wonders. Help friend add string to their bow GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun Introduce yourself to newcomers, hobnob with top brass, and try chatting to those you don’t think are quite your cup of tea, Gem. Adding more folk to your flock is the task at hand under the New Moon on the 8th. If you…

£1200 WINNER Anita Hubbard, Salisbury, Wilts ‘What a lovely surprise! I’ll treat my daughter and book a break for me and my husband. He was made redundant two years ago and we haven’t been able to afford a holiday since. Thank you for putting a big smile on my face.’ GIBRALTAR HOLIDAY (PRIZE ANSWER: LIMESTONE) V Owens, Shrewsbury. LIVERPOOL BREAK (PRIZE ANSWER: JOKER) G Brindley, Cannock, Staffs. £1200 BIG BONANZA (PRIZE ANSWER: HOLLY) Mrs A Hubbard, Salisbury. £1000 CELEBRITY CROSSWORD (PRIZE ANSWER: FATHERS WERE DENTISTS) Mrs A Jepps, Hitchin, Herts. CITY BREAK (PRIZE ANSWER: AISLE) Ms P Bennett, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts. COOKING BUNDLE (PRIZE ANSWER: SEARED) P Ford, Pontypool, Gwent. Mrs E Foster, Hyde, Cheshire. S Griffiths, Bargoed, Mid Glam. Mrs L Metherell,…

Staring at the doctor’s letter on the table, I tried to hold it together. ‘We’ll just try IVF,’ I said, my voice shaking. ‘And there’s always adoption,’ my husband Oliver added. We’d not long arrived home from a trip to Las Vegas where we’d tied the knot. But this bad news brought us back down to earth with a bump. The letter confirmed what we’d been fearing — that although we wanted to start a family, our chances of conceiving naturally were incredibly slim, After finding a lump a year earlier, Oliver had been diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer, which had spread to his stomach and lungs. He needed surgery to remove one of his testicles, then chemotherapy. Knowing his fertility could be affected by the treatment, we had…

BARGAIN of the month This versatile waistcoat would also look great with your favourite jeans and a T-shirt MATCHING trousers available Wear pink the grownup way by layering chic tailored pieces SUPER MARKET star buy Denim and suede look great with a boho-style frock…

The best health advice for you and your family From Simone Barry, 49, of Comber, County Down I opened my eyes, looked up at the ceiling and gestured to a dusty-looking corner. ‘The cobweb inspector strikes again!’ my husband Stevie muttered. He was right. I was always either nose-to-nose with the carpet, or looking up into hard-to-reach corners. But that was because of what had happened to me two years earlier. I’d been an active mum-of-three who loved going for long walks with my German shepherd Daxx. But one afternoon, Stevie came home to find me collapsed on the floor. In hospital, they couldn’t find anything wrong. And as Stevie and I were about to get married, it was put down to pre-wedding jitters. But my Apple watch showed my…

Leaning in for a kiss, I closed my eyes expecting a romantic moment. But I’d caught my date, Dale, by surprise and now we got tangled in an awkward clash of teeth. ‘Sorry,’ I mumbled, before climbing into my taxi home, mortified. It had been our first date after meeting on Plenty of Fish a few weeks earlier. We were both divorcees looking for a second chance at love — and we were both on the chubby side. I’d struggled with my weight since I was a teenager and had tried every diet under the sun. It turned out Dale had too, so we’d chatted about our efforts at the gym and guilt when we overate. By the time we met for a drink, I wasn’t at all surprised to…

Cheers to spring! Treat yourself to a special cocktail to ring in the spring. Love Gin, from Eden Mill distillery, is a slightly sweet pink gin, with a rhubarb spice, sweet strawberries and vanilla flavour, and is perfect for this Hot Pink cocktail. Simply shake 50ml Love Gin, 20ml lemon juice and 20ml sugar syrup in a shaker with ice, then strain into two glasses filled with extra ice. Top up with rhubarb soda, sit back and enjoy a natter! RRP £25 from edenmill.com Worth the hassel! Baby Hasselbacks from McCain are ideal for midweek meals and a fabulous accompaniment to a spring roast. Using skin-on whole baby potatoes, they are bursting with flavour and are perfectly crisp, and can be oven-cooked in 20 minutes, or microwaved. RRP £3.69/653g from…

Read it! This month’s Book Club read is a twisty domestic thriller about sisterhood and secrets Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth A couple of years ago, Sally read an article about a three-year-old girl who had ‘vanished’ from a foster home. When questioned by police, her foster mother said she’d given the girl to two women in California. Police were unable to track the child, and the case went cold. Twenty years later, after seeing a picture of herself as a child on a TV show about missing people, a woman reported to authorities with a DNA test to prove she was that missing girl. ‘As soon as I heard this story, I knew I had the bones of my next book,’ Sally says. Jessica, Norah and Alicia have been…

Waves lapped at the shore and seagulls swirled above. But my three-year-old grandson Jacob was only interested in one thing. ‘Nanny, look!’ he said, pointing at some kids enjoying donkey rides further up the beach. My hubby David and I took him over there, and soon he too was sitting on one of the beasts as it plodded along the sand. Jacob had been through a difficult year. He desperately missed his great-grandad — my father, John — who’d recently died from sepsis. A few days later, I asked Jacob: ‘If you could have any present at all, what would you ask for?’ I thought he was going to say a puppy, but without hesitation, he replied: ‘A donkey!’ It got me thinking about whether I could make his dream…

Fancy stocking up on a free weekly shop? Enter our brilliant competition and you could win £200 in the supermarket vouchers of your choice! You can take your pick from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, M&S or Iceland. Just think of all the tantalising treats that could be in store — big juicy steaks, delicious ready meals, smoked salmon, Belgian chocs, your favourite wines and beer. And of course you could fill your store cupboard with a host of essentials, from washing powder to tea and coffee. Sounds like a tasty prize? Then grab that pen and get puzzling! 3 LETTERS Cut, Egg, Ice, Jar, Oil, Rye 4 LETTERS Chef, Deal, Edam, Free, Oats, Pack, Pear, Seed, Sole, Used 5 LETTERS Dairy, Empty, Honey, Melon, Pesto, Plain, Sugar 6 LETTERS Aromas, Cheese,…

Shop Watch: Cotton Traders Nail spring style with Cotton Traders’ latest capsule collection. Designed to offer endless wearability and unrivalled comfort, shop a range of timeless yet contemporary pieces in vibrant prints and jolly hues. You’re under a vest! Meet the ultimate spring wardrobe hero that you can wear alone, or layer over a T-shirt or blouse for a chic look. Get them before they go A chunky Seventies-style loafer is bang-on-trend right now. It’s the perfect transitional shoe, so add to any outfit for a smart and stylish edge.…

Strolling along the beach at sunset with my boyfriend Tom, I felt like I was in paradise. Then suddenly Tom dropped to one knee beside me and said: ‘Will you marry me?’ ‘Yes, I will!’ I replied, hugging him. Tom and I had been together for 10 years, and after winning big on a game show, we were on the holiday of a lifetime in Mexico to celebrate. Getting engaged made the whole thing even more perfect. Back home, we set a date and began planning our wedding. We chose Thailand for our honeymoon and booked that too. A year later, surrounded by our friends, Tom and I exchanged vows in a beautiful stately home. The day was everything we’d wanted it to be and a few months later, we…

Turn over for our MONEY SAVING TIPS ❯ The cost of noise in the home £ £ Turns out there is a reason to fear things that go bump in the night. Here, energy expert Stephen Day, explains how the creaks and whistles you hear in your house are hitting your wallet… Materials such as wood and metal contract and expand with temperature fluctuations, which can explain some of the noises you notice at night when the house is quiet. But some of these noises could be a sign that you’re spending more than you need on your energy bills. We asked Stephen Day, from online boiler installation company, iHeat, to explain what the most Googled house noises — from whistling to humming and hissing — could mean, and how…

Raspberry cocktail Serves: 2 Takes: 10min (plus cooling) ■ 150g caster sugar■ 170g fresh or frozen raspberries, plus extra to serve■ 2tbsp cranberry juice■ 2tbsp dry vermouth■ 100ml gin or vodka■ Ice cubes 1 Combine the sugar and raspberries in a saucepan with 185ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5min until the raspberries are softened. Crush the raspberries using the back of a fork, then use a fine sieve to strain the liquid into a jug, scraping the bottom of the sieve as you go. Leave to cool (see Cook’s Tip). 2 Put 2tbsp of the sugar syrup, cranberry juice, vermouth, gin or vodka and a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Shake well until cooled. 3 Add a few raspberries to two cocktail glasses,…

Top table Take your pick of these pretty cake stands. Tuck in These elegant essentials will add the finishing touches to your teatime treats. The perfect setting Gather around the table and catch up with friends and family while enjoying your cuppa. Joy scalloped plates, £12; Tulip teacup, £3.50; Cake stand, £12; Bonnie side plates, £1.50, all Dunelm. Three of the best… teapots And relax… Enjoy the perfect brew in the perfect cup. Roses ½ pint mugs, £50 for two, Emma Bridgewater.…

• Two-night stay for two • Breakfast • £200 spending money Fancy a seaside break? Get puzzling and you could be on your way to bustling Bournemouth for a two-night stay for two with breakfast included. If you’re our lucky winner, you and your guest will be staying at the modern Hilton Bournemouth hotel, just minutes from the beautiful beach and promenade. Unwind in a bright and airy room and enjoy a variety of dining options, ranging from British-inspired dishes in the Schpoons & Forx Restaurant to mouthwatering Caribbean cuisine courtesy of Natty’s. Or soak up the wonderful panoramic sea views, as you sip cocktails on the terrace of LEVEL8IGHT The Sky Bar — we’ll wave you off with £200 to spend for treats too. Want to be a winner…

Taking a deep breath, I blew into the last balloon and tied the end into a knot. ‘Lynn will be so shocked,’ I giggled, as I stood back and admired my handiwork. I’d neatly laid out my daughter’s birthday presents on the table, stuck up banners and prepared some buffet food. To celebrate her 40th birthday, Lynn thought we were having a small family get-together. But because it was a milestone, I’d decided to host a surprise party at my house in Chatham, Kent, and invite all our friends too. Lynn’s partner Steve and son Liam, 20, were in on my plan. Once all the guests had arrived, I gave them the nod to bring her over. Hearing them knock at the door, I told everyone: ‘They’re here!’ Quietly, everyone…