Table of contents for 21-Apr-2016 in Pick Me Up!

559 m Is the number of people in the world who speak Spanish, so I’ve been going to lessons. A ‘pick me up’ in Spanish is a tonico estimulante ! What A Sport! Do you know the difference between an Uppie and a Downie? I have family in Cumbria and it’s a game that takes place in Workington in spring. See www.lifedeathprizes.com  and search ‘Cumbria’ for more. What A Cheek! Apparently, your Burlesque stage-name is the name of your first pet, plus the last thing you ate. That would make me Suky Strudel! What’s yours? What A Long Way! In just over a week, I’ll be running the London Marathon. Eek! That's meant a lot of muddy practice runs… Reckon it's time for some new trainers?…

‘Before our trip to Malta, Kerry started to feel ill’ Beaming with excitement, my girlfriend Kerry twirled her new engagement ring around her finger. ‘I love it!’ she smiled. We’d got together through her sister Gemma, 33. I worked with Gemma, and she kept insisting Kerry and I were a perfect match. Eventually, we got chatting on Facebook. Our first date, to the cinema in July 2012, went so well. After, we were never apart. When I popped the question at a family meal, Kerry threw her arms around me. I’d never seen her so happy. We began planning our wedding. ‘I’d like a ceremony in the sun,’ she said. Online, we found a place in Malta. We decided to fly out for a holiday, and book the wedding while…

1 Sale days Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays are days when sites have sales and roll out discount codes. 2 Get social Followers of social media often receive deals, so ‘like’ to be rewarded. 3 The long game If you’re on a site’s database, add an item to your basket but don’t go to checkout. A few days’ later, you may receive an e-mail offering discount. 4 Use credit cards You’ll get refunded quicker on a credit card than a debit card. 5 Click and collect If you can get to the store, it may be cheaper than paying for postage. 6 Loyalty cards Some retailers will add points from your purchase to your loyalty card. So don’t lose out when purchasing online.…

Bad circulation Q I have really bad circulation in my fingers. They often go white, and I even need gloves sometimes in the summer. But I’ve heard the Pill makes the condition worse. Is this likely? Amanda, Warrington A Hormones, especially oestrogen, can have an effect on circulation, so it’s best to avoid it if you have circulatory problems. Try a progesterone-only Pill instead. Blotchy face Q I got acne rosacea at the age of 50. It makes my face blotchy, itchy and red. Cream helps the spots, but I’m getting redder. Is there anything else I could try? June, Stevenage, Herts A Creams often don’t improve the redness, so you could try beta-blockers or a treatment reducing blood vessel activity, like clonidine. But you’ll need to ask your GP…

‘Police nicknamed the man ‘John Doe Duffel Bag’’ ‘Perrone opted to represent himself in court’ Shopkeepers in Brooklyn, New York, were nervous. In the space of five months, three had been shot dead in their own stores - and the killer was still on the loose... The first, Mohammed Gebeli, 65, had been shot in the neck in his fashion store in July 2012. His body was found under a pile of clothes. Police believed money was missing, too. It looked as if Mohammed had been killed during a robbery. The next month, another shopkeeper was killed - Isaac Kadare, 59, was shot in the head in his 99-cent store and had been stabbed repeatedly in the neck. Then, in the November, Rahmatollah Vahidipour, 78, was shot in the head,…

1 Simpsons’s Chocolate Sponge, 300g, £1 A big pud that easily serves three. And, while the sponge doesn’t taste very chocolatey, it comes with lots of thick, custard-like sauce. We served this with extra cream for a special treat! 2 Morrisons Chocolate Sponge Pudding, 115g A single-serve pud you don’t need to keep in the fridge, this looks dark and rich, and tastes it, too. The sponge is fairly heavy, but there’s lots of shiny, dark-chocolate sauce. No custard required. 3 Cadbury Hot Chocolate Pudding, 2 x 110g, £1.67 A very light sponge with milk-chocolate sauce, this satisfies any choccy craving! Keep this fresh, two-serving pack in the fridge until you’re ready to heat and eat. Make it yourself... Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 4 min •…

UK: A MURDEROUS MARRIAGE In 1997, Mikhail Gallatinov was jailed for murder. He’d met his victim through a gay chat line, before luring him to his home and strangling him. Ten years on, Marc Goodwin was jailed for life, ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years, for beating to death a 57-year-old man. Goodwin was reportedly the leader of a gang that roamed the streets of Blackpool looking for homosexuals to attack. His trial heard that he and two friends had agreed to go ‘gay bashing’ when they’d killed the man. Two violent killers, jailed... But, unbelievably, when the pair met each other behind bars, they fell in love. And, in February last year, Gallatinov, then 40, and Goodwin, then 31, married in Full Sutton Prison near York. The…

‘I noticed smoke coming out of the heating vents’ Having kids changes everything. And, since having our son Milo in July last year, our little runabout just wasn’t big enough any more. ‘We need a new car,’ me and my fiance Aaron Hobbins, 23, decided in the December. Aaron started researching online. Then... ‘I’ve found one here with a good safety rating,’ he said. It was a green, five-door, 2003 family car. We went to see it at the owner’s house, and handed over the £525 cash. Then we got it taxed and insured, and off we went! ‘It’s so much easier getting Milo in and out of the back,’ I told Aaron after I’d used it a few times. Taking him to baby groups was a doddle now! And…

Run a marathon in May! The British Heart Foundation is challenging you to run a marathon this May, to help fund life-saving heart research. You don’t have to do it all at once; do the 26.2 miles over 4 hours, 4 days or 4 weeks. Sign up to MyMarathon for free at www.bhf.org.uk/mymarathon Try this…. Go Ahead! Pud Bakes, £1.99, Asda Five cherry bakewell pud bakes at 141 cal each. A treat! Beck’s Blue Lemon, 6 x 275ml, £3.50, Sainsbury’s Alcohol-free beer with a lemon twist, fat free – only 53 cal per bottle. Take 3… Apple puds Flattering Fashion The vertical pattern and dark sides of this dress mean it really slims you, but make sure you buy this bodycon dress to skim, not cling – no-one wants to…

Hitting the pub with my sister Claire one night in August 2010, I met Chris Hanks, 30, an old classmate of Claire’s - they’d been three years above me. We clicked and got together. He’s a project manager at a biogas plant, which converts animal waste into energy. In October 2012, we moved in to one of the plant’s farms. We’d go walking in a quarry, which is where, on 1 June 2013, Chris proposed with a diamond platinum ring he’d designed. ‘Yes!’ I exclaimed. Setting our date, 22 August 2015, we discussed transport. Chris’ dad, William Hanks owns a dairy, and has a lot of old-fashioned milk floats. ‘Use a vintage float!’ my mum Karen, 54, suggested. Nigel, a popular milkman at the dairy, agreed to chauffeur us, and…

‘I mixed myself a laxative drink, hoping for relief’ ‘I looked down between my legs and saw a little face’ I didn’t feel right at all. The niggling pain in my back just wouldn’t go away. I’d hurt it falling over on some slippery ice and landing awkwardly, cutting my knee. Still in pain the next day, I’d gone to my GP. ‘It looks like inflamed muscles,’ he’d said, prescribing anti-inflammatory medication. But it didn’t touch the pain. ‘A hot bath might help,’ I told my boyfriend Daniel Hughes, 25, that night. We’d been together two years and, although we’d not moved in together yet, things were serious. Concerned, after my bath Daniel rubbed some muscle-pain cream into my back. ‘Any better?’ he soothed. Nope! Over the weekend, the agony…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Little things have been building up and they’ve got on top of you. Try to take a break this week, so you can look at the issue from another angle. It could just be the key to finding a solution. News of a pregnancy brings surprise. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May The highlight’s on relationships now and, if you’re not in a happy one, this is the week you’ll be taking steps to free yourself. Changes at home can be successful – if you’re willing to be open-minded and flexible about them. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Try to give close ones the space to make their own decisions – or mistakes, as you predict! It’s the only way you’ll…

“I’d get undressed in the dark so John didn’t have to see me” When I met John back in 2007, I was 17 years old with a size-10 body to be proud of. But fast-forward six years and two kids... After giving birth to our daughter in March 2013, I was an out-of-shape size-18. That summer, we went to a friend’s barbecue. Afterwards, some pictures popped up on Facebook. ‘Oh, my God!’ I gasped to John. ‘Look at the state of me!’ Sitting on a rug, wearing a black vest top and patterned trousers, I looked massive. ‘But you’ve not long had the baby,’ John reassured me. ‘Go easy on yourself.’ ‘It’s no excuse,’ I said. ‘Enough is enough.’ So I started eating healthily, dipped in and out of Slimming…

1 If you’re allergic to peanuts, you’re allergic to tree nuts. 2 Allergic reactions can be life-threatening. 3 Children usually grow out of nut allergies. 4 All major UK supermarkets contain ‘free-from’ lists. 1 FALSE Peanuts are from the same family as beans and peas. They may look and taste similar to tree nuts (eg, almonds, walnuts, cashews), but they contain different proteins. 2 TRUE The majority of reactions are mild, for instance a rash, eczema or vomiting. But reactions can be severe, causing the throat to swell, difficulty breathing and a fall in blood pressure. 3 FALSE Some lucky children do grow out of nut allergies, but four out of five continue to have the allergies in adulthood. Sometimes, the allergy can get worse with age. 4 TRUE This…

‘Our mum didn’t know she was expecting two…’ My mum, Carol, 63, never tired of telling the story. ‘My twin daughters were born in different countries,’ she’d tell everyone. Me and my twin, Jo, would roll our eyes, embarrassed. ‘Heidi was born in Wales, Jo in England...’ she’d carry on. We’d heard it a million times, seen all the newspaper cuttings from when we were born... See, when Mum was pregnant with us, she didn’t know she was expecting twins. Back then, baby scans were a novelty and Mum never had one. In September 1976, she gave birth to me at Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welshpool. At 5lb 4oz, I was healthy. Doctors cut the umbilical cord and handed me to Mum. Then, when a doctor checked on her minutes…

Our Fave Funny Women 1. Lou Sanders 2. Aisling Bea 3. Josie Long 4. Roisin Conaty 5. Francesca Martinez You know you’ve had the builders in when… Everything is covered in a layer of dust The kettle’s always on You’re forever buying biccies – that you don’t get to eat! You look at the quote and the timescale… and double them both! They vanish just before the job’s done Dirty Dancing Mini Quiz 1 What does 17-year-old Frances 'Baby’ Houseman want to do for a living? 2 What’s the name of the hotel where Baby and Johnny perform? 3 To which Otis Redding song does Baby first dance with Johnny? 4 What’s the name of the elderly couple who were stealing from other guests? Real Hot Dogs! Mutts had their…

We put some truly original products to the test… CoverBlubber, £20 for set of 4, www.amazon.co.uk Keep your fruit and veg fresh by covering them in these unique plastic wraps. You can also stretch them over plates and cartons. Verdict: GENIUS! Saves you wasting money on clingfilm! Slam Dunk Toilet Basketball Set, £12.95, www.prezzybox.com If reading a magazine just isn’t enough to keep you occupied – then why not turn your bathroom into a basketball court?! Just a shame there won’t be anyone there to cheer you on! Verdict: BONKERS! A great boys’ toy, though! Pantelligent Smart Frying Pan, £159.99, www.thefowndry.com Designed to take the guesswork out of cooking, this super-clever frying pan connects to an app on your phone to tell you the…

‘I can remember cowering under the kitchen table’ Growing up an only child, I sensed my mum Margo and dad James weren’t happy together. Dad’s family were from Sicily, but we’d lived in Leighton Buzzard all my life. A slim man, Dad was self-obsessed and vain. He was strict, too, ruling the household with an iron fist. Silly things like me accidentally knocking a drink over meant he’d lash out. Illiterate, over the years Dad had various jobs doing building work, maintenance, working in a pig slaughterhouse. Meanwhile, Mum worked long evenings at a tea factory. Didn’t dare say no Though it wasn’t the perfect situation, we bumbled along. But then, one night, when I was about 4, Mum was at work and Dad and I were watching telly together.…

Stick To Your Diet If you’re trying to lose weight and stick to a low-carb diet, make sure you’re not losing on your bank balance by saving 25% on all Atkins products at Boots until 26 April. It’s In The Diary! Save an exclusive 20% offall TOAD diaries at www.toaddiaries.co.uk when you enter the code pickmeup20% at the checkout before 21 April. There’s a great selection of personalised products and you can get them to start and end any time of the year. Wear Protection Take your old suncream to any Lloyds Pharmacy and get 25% off the new Solero range. As well as helping to shield skin from UVA and UVB rays, it also protects against infared-A, which makes up a third of the sun’s damaging rays. Plenty Of…

‘As Jamie hit his milestones, the girls struggled to keep up’ ‘I can’t believe we’re having triplets!’ I beamed. My husband Mark, then 48, and I had just left the hospital with massive grins. It was amazing news. We couldn’t wait to tell everyone. Of course, having three babies at once made us nervous. And we already had our daughter Josie, 1. But we couldn’t wait for our big family. Jamie, Amelia and Phoebe arrived in September 2007. We were so happy, but I couldn’t help feeling the two girls, who were identical, were different to Jamie. When he woke up crying, we’d eventually settle him, like any other baby. But the girls would scream all night. As Jamie met his milestones, the girls struggled to keep up. They weren’t…

I thought it was something poor kids in Charles Dickens novels got. But there I was, 17 years old, living in Tenerife with my mum...and just diagnosed with cholera. We thought I’d got it from a dodgy takeaway meal. I couldn’t keep any food down, spent all my time on the loo, and was so poorly that we had to move back to the UK. My parents marched me straight to the hospital. There, I had to be put in isolation until the cholera cleared up. But then doctors discovered something else. ‘You’re suffering from Crohn’s disease,’ they said. I also had a potentially deadly condition called toxic megacolon, which caused my large intestine to widen. A rare complication of Crohn’s. ‘Why me?’ I cried. ‘We’ll get you through this,…

Yogurt & Poppy Seed Loaf Cake Serves: 12 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 40 min • Butter for greasing • 175g plain flour • 2 tsp baking powder • 75g ground almonds • 175g caster sugar • 150ml natural set yogurt • 75ml corn oil • 3 medium eggs • ½tsp lemon extract • 25g poppy seeds • 75g white chocolate • 150g fresh, mixed berries 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4, and grease and base line a 3lb loaf tin. 2 Mix together flour, baking powder, ground almonds and sugar. 3 In a jug, beat together yogurt, corn oil, eggs and lemon extract. Make a well in dry ingredients, pour in egg mixture and whisk together until smooth. Stir in poppy seeds, then pour mixture into tin…

‘Scared I’d die, I began planning my funeral’ Waking after surgery, I felt a rush of joy. ‘Woo hoo!’ I cheered, still groggy from the anaesthetic. ‘I’ve got new lungs!’ It was 9 July 2006, I’d just had a double-lung transplant, aged 33, and it was the first day of the rest of my life. My health issues had begun in my early 20s when my right lung had collapsed twice within a few weeks. Doctors didn’t know what’d caused it, but I had surgery to try and prevent it happening again. It worked, but left me with chest pain. I assumed it was just something I had to put up with. I worked in sales and management in health clubs. I went to the gym and dance classes, although…

‘I was over the moon when I found out I’d won a holiday’ Just A Bit Of Fun? But Then I Won! Alexandra Malten, 62, Sydenham Relaxing on the sun lounger, I soaked up the afternoon rays. ‘Heaven!’ I said to my friend Steve, 69. It was November last year and we were enjoying an all-expenses-paid trip to Tenerife. We’d spent the week in a luxurious, all-inclusive five-star hotel. It was incredible! We’d had cocktails on the beach, fancy meals, refreshing dips in the pool... ‘Thanks for inviting me,’ Steve smiled. But it was all thanks to Pick Me Up! Bingo really. See, I’d won the trip after playing a few of my favourite games online. I joined Pick Me Up! Bingo in 2012. I knew lots of people who…

TRIED & TESTED This week: Lilac nail polish Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint in Lap of Honour, £3.99, Boots Great for when you’re in a hurry – this is easy to use at speed, thanks to the wide brush, and really does dry in seconds! It lasts well, too. Essence The Gel Nail Polish in A Whisper of Spring, £1.60, Wilko If you want to try the trend without the commitment, this price is great! Gives a lovely gel finish, with no need for a lamp. and the shade is so pretty. Models Own HyperGel Polish in Lilac Sheen, £4.99, Superdrug One coat of some pastels is just not strong enough, but this is packed with pigment for full-on colour. Jess’ Beauty Hero Baylis & Harding Eucalyptus &…

‘The change to my body was totally amazing!’ Joining the Army at 17, I kept a super-fit, size-12 figure. There, I met my hubby, Nikk Cabo, now 35. But after our daughter Abigail, arrived in May 2003, I quit the Army and, stopping exercise, I ballooned to a size-20. I’d devour junk food - my favourite treat was pizza. In February 2009, I worked part-time for an events company, and one night, my team won an award. Later, watching a video of the ceremony, I couldn’t see myself. Who’s that big woman? I thought, then realised it was me! Using quick-fix diets, I shrank to a size-14, then hit a plateau. In about June or July 2014, at 12½st and still a size-14, I wanted to change. Researching online, I…

I adore animals, became a veggie aged just 7. And, despite working as a model since the 80s, I always found time for my pet pooches. I’ve got three Lhasa Apsos, Loui, 13, Sofi, 10, and Harry, 5. Getting them as puppies, I’d no clue about greedy breeders. But I was devastated to learn on Facebook of the abuse many faced in puppy farms. In October 2011, I shared a plea to rehome a Romanian female crossbreed, rescued from squalor. She found a home. But there are three million stray dogs in Romania and TV presenter Anneka Svenska, and a singer-songwriter, Pola Pospieszalska, were also concerned. So, together we founded K-9 Angels charity, in November 2011. To date, we’ve rehomed 800 dogs, neutered 2,500, and provided medical aid, food and…

Slogan Quiz Can You Identify The Following Brands? 1. When you care enough to send the very best. 2. The best a man can get. 3. The happiest place on Earth. 4. Have it your way. 5. Loves the jobs you hate. Why Big Sisters Are The Best! 1 You never had to have those fights with your parents about curfews or clothes – she’d already paved the way for you. 2 You love hanging out with her. It’s a bit like hanging out with yourself, except you’ve got company. 3 If that dress looks less-than-great on you, or your new haircut is weird, you can trust her to let you know, even if no-one else will. 4 She’s always ready to fight your corner – unless the fight is…