Table of contents for 15-Jun-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Checking my emails, an overwhelming feeling rushed over me, especially as photos popped up on my screen. After starting my own Facebook group earlier this year, in an attempt to help with the case of Nicola Bulley, the missing page had quickly reached over 30k members, with strangers coming together to post and spread awareness. Which then spurred me on to start another group in March this year, Missing People – Lost But Loved. Always being very minded towards other people, I’d wanted to start volunteering in the local community, but due to my age it seemed that nobody ever really gave me a chance. Only, studying digital media at college, as well as working part-time in a supermarket, I wanted to fill the rest of my spare time by…

Helen Aitchison has a degree in sociology and criminology, plus a degree in social work and is a domestic abuse and sexual violence advocate, too. Alongside this she has 20 years of experience in the health and social care sector, from frontline support work with victims of domestic abuse to senior management for a national charity supporting homeless and vulnerable young people. (helenaitchisonwrites.com) Am I being selfish? Q My parents have recently come into a large inheritance and they are aware that I’m struggling – is it selfish of me to ask for some money? Florence, Lichfield A Money is always a difficult topic to discuss, even with our parents. I’m certain that your parents wouldn’t want to see their child struggle unnecessarily and it’s definitely not selfish to ask…

Wobbly teeth Q I’m 43 and I’ve recently noticed my teeth often feel wobbly – I’m scared they are going to fall out… Gail, Salford A Wobbly teeth can be a sign of advanced gum disease, which can cause the bone supporting the teeth to break down. It is crucial to see a dentist as soon as possible to determine the cause of the problem and receive appropriate treatment. Your dentist may recommend deep cleaning, periodontal surgery or even tooth extraction in severe cases. It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene practices – such as brushing twice a day, flossing daily and visiting your dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings. Prevention is always better than cure and so it is so important to maintain six-monthly dental check-ups…

Top cat! Find out who the most marvellous moggy of them all is in the Cats Protection’s National Cat of the Year awards 2023. Here are some of our favourite nominees… • Vote for your favourite cat by 30 June. This year’s winner will be announced during a ceremony in London on 17 July • To see all the finalists, please visit: cats.org.uk Henry IXW The resident regal feline at Hampton Court Palace, black and white moggy Henry IX spends his days checking in on the gardeners and hunting for rodents. And during the eight years he’s spent at the Palace, he’s certainly acquired a taste for the finer things in life! ‘He’s very cheeky – he expects me to give him my jumper so he can sleep on it…

Lying on a beach in Cuba, I scrolled through my phone. Let’s see who’s about, I thought, opening up a dating app. Back in November 2019, I’d been single for a little while and I was ready to finally meet someone I really liked. As I swiped through, someone caught my eye. He’s handsome, I thought to myself. There was one obvious stumbling block though. At 53, he was 26 years older than me – and two years older than my mum! But that didn’t bother me. In fact, I usually went for an older man – my last relationship had been with a man 20 years my senior. I found people my own age were often a bit immature and I tended to get along better with older people…

Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution, Channel 4 DON’T MISS There’s a revolution going on in contraception. The pill was a gamechanger but now, over 60 years after it was introduced, women are asking questions about putting synthetic hormones into their bodies. Use of the pill has gone down, while natural family planning methods are growing in popularity instead. On social media, women are speaking out about side effects they’ve put up with for years and saying enough is enough. Following her hugely successful documentaries on menopause, Davina McCall turns her attention to the state of contraception in the UK. Untold: My Big Boobs, Channel 4 British boobs appear to be getting bigger and that’s not good news for everyone. With the NHS struggling and the demand for breast reduction rising, the…

Cross it! Solve the puzzle to find a word. Fit the words back in the grid and the letters in the highlighted squares spell out the answer. We’ve put in one word to help. Answer on page 47. 3 letters Ant Ape Her Hex His 4 letters Abet Afar Ages Ajar Area 5 letters Album Brush Flame Flute 6 letters Angers Angles Enamel  Gazebo Grassy Greats Infest 7 letters  Egotist Realise  Regalia 8 letters Gymnasts Overalls  Overhang  Stylists Sudoku! To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle, then read down the numbers in the highlighted squares for the answer. Answer on page 47.…

Happy noses Having a gorgeous smelling room is always a bonus. But wax melts aren’t always an option for those of us with allergies. That’s why a small business, MAMA’S CASA was founded – so you can have hypoallergenic wax melts and diffusers. MAMA’S CASA uses ethically sourced ingredients that are chemical free. After all, fragrance is the finishing touch to any room. Please visit: mamascasa.co.uk…

Be a winner! This week, our tip of the week will receive a great prize from Addis. This Deluxe Three Tier Airer is a home essential, perfect for everyday laundry. The anti-crease drying bars mean your clothes will be ready to wear after they are dry and you can even hang up your underwear using built-in pegs! It folds for easy storage, too! For ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Scum busting Perfect cuppa To descale my kettle, I put two teaspoons of Citric Acid Powder into the previously boiled kettle and leave for one hour to soak, then rinse. It is a lot cheaper than shop bought brands and the results are amazing. Gloria Wilding, Prescot Easy peasy I scatter pea grit around the top of my…

• The Mysterious Secret of Frankly Woods, £10.99, Amazon 1. What inspired you to write children’s books? I love writing about magical things and I think in that genre, you have more scope. I hope to teach as well as entertain in rip-roaring adventures that kids enjoy and wish that they were right there with Danial, who is the main character in the book. 2. How do you constantly come up with new ideas for a good story? Since a teenager I have been fascinated with myths and legends like the Bermuda Triangle, Stonehenge and King Arthur, so there is a lot of ideas that spring from such legends. I also took a course on the myths and legends of Halloween and Christmas, which was also very insightful for ideas. 3.…

Giving my girl a kiss goodnight, I frowned at her tiny arms covered in bruises. Penny, then two, had suffered from several bouts of tonsilitis and hadn’t seemed to ever fully recover – some of her symptoms just didn’t add up. She seemed more tired than usual and along with frequent nosebleeds, I’d noticed she was bruising easily, too. ‘She’s not right,’ I said to my partner Jack, now 27. So, the following day, I took Penny to the GP, with Jack at work and my eldest Phoebe, now 10, at school. ‘I’m going to refer you to Sheffield Children’s Hospital,’ the GP said. ‘I think Penny could have a low platelet count but she’ll need a blood test to confirm.’ At this point, I was just relieved that the…

Wedding season is here, but have you thought about making your own bouquet? Crafting your own flowers can be both more cost-effective and personal. Stunning floristry company Floetica have shared their top tips for crafting your perfect wedding blooms! Please visit: floetica.com Year-round options When it comes to selecting flowers for your wedding bouquet, it’s essential to make sure you consider seasonal and year-round options. All year round, you can rely on timeless choices like white or cream roses, baby’s breath and orchids, which can be easily purchased in pots, cut and artfully arranged. In the winter months, consider delicate ranunculus. Double tulips are a wonderful option, as they are available year-round. Another highly recommended year-round option is the ruffled varieties of Eustoma called Alissa. Creating a classic bouquet To achieve…

Looking for something a bit different to do this summer? Why not let your creative side loose and give one of these arty days out from Buyagift a go? • Please visit: buyagift.co.uk Pottery Painting Workshop for Two at Manic Ceramix Tunbridge Wells, Kent Unleash your artistic flair with a fun pottery painting class. Using paints, styles and stencils, choose from a selection of different ceramics to put your own unique stamp on during the hour-and-45-minute session. When you’re done, your finished piece will be glazed and fired, ready for you to collect a week later. • £40 for two Two-Hour Graffiti Art Class for Two Merseyside, Liverpool Up your street cred levels and learn the art of outdoor painting! You’ll be taught cutting-edge graffiti and street art styles to…

Catch Claire live on Facebook www.clairepetulengro.tv ARIES 21 March–20 April If you can’t go through a problem, go round it. You’ve been more influenced than you realise by someone who doesn’t even want the same things out of life as you do. Your energy levels have been depleted, but by Wednesday you start to realise that you’ve got your mojo back. You’re determined to prove you are worthy of what you want – and you are! Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Who you thought was a friend now seems to be someone who only ever had their own interests at heart. You take steps to see less of them, but doing so may mean cutting someone you like having in your life. A great week for new…

STAR LETTER 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 by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate sharing smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

Plants are an easy way to breathe life into your home…

Mighty Bright LED Light Seam Ripper, £10, Good Fabric Unpicking a seam or a few wonky stitches can be a tricky task for anyone – especially when the thread is tiny! However, this brilliant seam ripper comes with an LED light and magnifier, so you can get up close and personal with your stitches – a perfect addition to any sewing kit. You’ll be fixing your mistakes in no time. Although it’s genius, its shape is a little bit controversial – we think it looks like something else… Verdict: GENIUS! What do you think? Have you seen the size of this – enormous?! Threading the eye of a needle is a pain – but this one would be pretty easy! Holding the world record for the longest sewing needle in the…

It was business as usual as cars passed over the intersection on a dry July afternoon in Shakopee, Minnesota. As people went about their daily lives, there was nothing out of the ordinary at all. At least not until one woman spotted a car pull up abruptly outside her window. Watching as the doors flung open, a man jumped out and stormed round to the passenger side. What he did next shook the onlooker to her core. With force, he pulled an unconscious body from the car. He dumped it on the side of the pavement while the onlooker waited, frozen. But there was something missing. A head. That was until he flung the head on the ground and sped away from the scene. The onlooker, with her phone in…