Table of contents for 25-Feb-2021 in Pick Me Up!

ACROSS 1 Situation comedy, informally (6) 4 The cost of something (5,3) 10 Increase in wages or salary (3,4) 11 Amount of money in one go (4,3) 12 Space (4) 13 Fashionable celebrities (10) 15 Tangible and visible thing (6) 16 Keep apart or at a distance (4,3) 20 Curved arch of hair (7) 21 & 8 Dn. The _ _, Netflix series about a female chess player, starring 2 Down & 29 Across (6,6) 24 Major economic slump (10) 26 _ Hayworth, screen idol (4) 28 Type of coarse fern (7) 29 Harry _, played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films (7) 30 Makes bigger (8) 31 Above average ability (6) DOWN 1 Higher in position or rank (8) 2 Anya _-_, actress who starred in 2016 horror…

My family has five generations of girls. My great grandma had two daughters, my grandma had two daughters and my mum had three daughters. Then in 2019, my husband Adam, 32, and I welcome our own little girl into the world, called Evelyn. When I fell pregnant again the following year, we all expected it to be another girl. ‘You’re going to have a baby boy!’ the sonographer told us at our 16-week gender scan. Looking down at my bump, I couldn’t believe it. ‘We’re having a son,’ I smiled tearily to Adam. We were going to be a family of four, one boy and one girl. I felt so blessed. I enjoyed every moment of my pregnancy – our baby boy was very healthy and happy. ‘I don’t know…

In 2020, our beloved jeans were left to gather dust. Instead, we replaced them with sweats, joggers and loungewear. Now, it’s time to get them back out and refresh your denim wardrobe just in time for spring. Springtime is one of denim’s main seasons to shine!…

How many indoor plants do you own? Are you the type who has a succulent or two on your window ledge or is every corner of your home filled with green foliage? It seems more and more of us are leaning towards the latter of the two. According to online plant retailer Patch, in 2020, they saw a 500 per cent increase in their sales. That’s right – 500 per cent! Gone are the days where we let our one succulent wither and die before we eventually dispose of it. No, nowadays, we’re a nation of ‘plant parents.’ We pride ourselves in taking care of our plants – naming them and making sure they get the right amount of TLC. In 2020, Patch saw a 500% rise in sales! According…

It was in the early hours of July 15, 2017 and blue lights lit up the dark Australian night sky. Police and emergency crews were dealing with a traffic accident on the Mitchell Freeway in Perth. Suddenly, officers became aware of a car driving towards them at high speed with the driver sounding the horn. They were on high alert as the car came to a halt, right in front of the crash scene. Gavin Barr, 52, leapt out of the car and started yelling. ‘She’s in the boot!’ he cried out, hysterical. Police cautiously opened the boot of the car and were horrified to find a beaten woman. She was tied up, rolled in carpet, with plastic wrapped around her head. Frantically, they ripped the cling film off her…

4 Cheese Hot Cross Buns & Marmite, £1.65 or 2 packs for £2.50, M&S. M&S is launching a brand new treat in collaboration with Marmite - a squishy, cheesy, Marmite-y hot cross bun! Love it or hate it, you’re going to want to give these a try. Giant Colin Face, £ 1, M&S. No need to wait for a birthday anymore, Colin the Caterpillar’s iconic white chocolate face is now available in its cake-size form! Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo Range,£2.50, Ocado, Amazon Fresh and Asda. Hellmann’s have launched three new plant-based condiments, including a bacon flavoured vegan mayo - baconnaise. Also new to the range of vegan offerings are their Chipotle and Garlic flavours. OUR MUST TRY Skippy Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl, £ 2.65 (340g), Morrisons. America’s famous Skippy Peanut Butter is now available with choc chip pieces…

Tucking into our breakfast on 4 January this year, my five-year-old Brynn stared out of the window at the empty streets. After three days of heavy snowfall, followed by some rain – the ground outside covered in black ice was deadly. The elderly residents along our road hid indoors, away from the bitter cold, and were too nervous to venture out onto the slippery pavements. He had his mini Jeep and his sidekick The week before, me and my partner, Bryan, 37, and the kids, Brynn and Eila, one, were out for a drive when suddenly there was a quickfire of tapping against the car. ‘What’s that?’ Brynn gasped, wide eyed with amazement. ‘It’s a gritter,’ I told him, with excitement in my voice. ‘They have a very important job…

SUPPORT A SMALL BUSINESS Send a hug in the post with a candle from Cutch! New Cheshire-based candle company Cutch has launched a range of natural soy wax, hand poured, luxury scented candles, which ooze sophistication, style, and visual punch. Cutch was born in June 2020 when the simple act of a consoling hug had disappeared overnight. Wanting to send that warmth and comfort during a time when you couldn’t wrap your arms around your loved-ones, Covid-entrepreneurs, Fiona Crownshaw and Sarah Dickinson, started working on their new fragrance range together. The candles are themed around Friendship, Lovers and Self Embrace, and the hand-illustrated packaging is recyclable. • Available to order from £18 on www.cutchcompany.co.uk Good deed of the week Share a Meal began in spring 2020, when Jane, Catherine, Laura…

Sleeping in my bed, in September 2017, my boy Adam, then two years and eight months old, came shuffling into my bedroom to wake me and my husband Guy, 47, up. ‘My legs and belly hurt,’ he told us. ‘Whereabouts in your belly? I asked. Adam rubbed all over his tummy as he winced. ‘Have a lay down and I’ll get you some Calpol,’ I told him, after givinga kiss on the head. It was impossible to do any normal activities He couldn’t sleep and was unable to lay down, it hurt more when he did. It was really out of character, he never usually complains about a thing. He has always been a happy, bubbly kid who gets on with his life, running around dressing up as Spiderman. Adam…

Getting in after a long day at work, I headed straight for the fridge. Pulling out a bottle of wine, I grabbed a glass and filled it up. ‘Just the one,’ I said to myself, taking my first tentative sip. Only I knew that wouldn’t be the case. Working as a veterinary nurse, I often spent my days thinking about getting home and having my first glass of wine. And by the start of 2020, I knew I had a problem. In fact, I’d known for a while now. Having started drinking in my teens, I used it as a way to gain confidence. I’d hit a real low point Into my twenties, I just thought I was drinking like anyone else. But as the years went on, I realised…

Mother, daughter, granddaughter, wife, football coach, nail artist, director, charity fundraiser and karaoke singer. I am all of those things, and I am a cancer survivor. I work closely with breast cancer charities, in honour of my mum’s cancer battle, my battle and my daughters’ possible future battles. Here is my story… In February 2018, my mum Meena, 69, went for her regular annual mammogram. ‘They’ve found something and want to do a biopsy,’ she told me. I offered to go with her, but Mum is incredibly independent and wanted to go to the biopsy alone. When she was due to find out her results, I was in a work meeting. I remember constantly checking my mobile phone with worry. Two of us couldn’t be ill at the same time…

Stand Up and Deliver, Channel 4 Five lucky celebrities are set to be thrust into the tough world of stand-up comedy in an entertaining two-part series in support of Stand Up To Cancer. Each celeb will be paired up with an established comic who’ll mentor them in their attempt to master the art of being funny. David Baddiel will coach Reverend Richard Coles, Jason Manford will be tasked with shepherding Happy Mondays front man Shaun Ryder, Nick Helm will guide Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Judi Love will be in charge of Love Island’s Curtis Pritchard and Zoe Lyons will teach Corrie’s Katie McGlynn. The professionals have years to perfect their art, whilst these celebrities have just weeks! Bank Balance, BBC One Chef Gordon Ramsay will be stepping into his first ever…

BLOOMING GARDENS Following the success of the charity’s online events in 2020, the National Garden Scheme is launching a series of informative, gardenrelated on-line talks. Bringing the best of gardens, garden owners and experts together to share their insights and passion for gardens and gardening, the digital events series will continue throughout the year taking us from cool drift s of snowdrops to the fiery colours of high summer. Triumphant tulips – Live online talk with Philippa Burrough at Ulting Wick – Tuesday 30 March 7.00pm Philippa Burrough’s garden at Ulting Wick in Essex has been for many years one of the National Garden Scheme’s most popular destinations. The garden extends to eight acres and includes gentle meadow and waterside plantings. But it is closer to the house that the…

Walking down the aisle in a beautiful red floral dress, I held a bouquet of roses and smiled at my husband-to-be, Jason Cartledge, then 38. As we said our vows and shared our first kiss as husband and wife, I hoped this marriage would be everything that I’d ever wanted. Jason and I had met working in construction in 2013. We became friendly, then started dating and lived in a rented house together. And just one year later, we got married. I had been married previously once before, but it didn’t work out. I hoped my relationship with Jason would be different – we’d be partners forever. Jason was nice, romantic and hard-working. We enjoyed spending nights at home together on the sofa and going out for dinners. Everything seemed…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! Convenient and easy to use, this folding step stool comes complete with a carry handle and non-slip surface. Perfect for when you need a little boost for those hard-to-reach places. It even folds flat for storage. For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk Pretty poisonous Don’t put daffodils in vases with other flowers as their sap will kill the others. Carol Casan, Devon Happy plates To keep both of my children happy and smiling through these tough times I create food art on their plates for mealtimes. Stacy Chapman, West Midlands Tip of the week Playtime Tape your little one’s paper down to save mess and frustration. Amanda Hadley, Cradley Heath Homeschooling hack…

Sitting at the dinner table, I gagged at the sight of my food. Just taste it,’ my dad would say. Only, as I scraped the vegetables around my plate, I wretched at the thought of eating them. It didn’t matter what the vegetables were either – I hated all of them. Thankfully, growing up, my parents were never too pushy about my food. Of course they encouraged me, but seeing the distress it caused, I think they knew it wasn’t worth it. Despite never eating a vegetable, my weight was fairly under control as a child. Even as a teen and in my early 20’s, although I wasn’t the skinniest of the group, I was by no means overweight. Even when I met my partner Darrell, now 58, at the…

Climbing up the final flight of stairs, it was time to stop putting off the decorating. Walking into the room on the third floor, there was stuff everywhere. My now ex-husband Andrew, 47, was moving out the following week and I wanted him to put up the new wallpaper beforehand. He’d dismantled an old Argos shoe rack and a few boxes were scattered around. So, moving them to one side, I set up the ladder and plugged in the steamer. It was October last year and I’d just had a lovely day with my daughter Seren*, seven, but with her playing downstairs, I got stuck in. Steaming away, the paper started to fall down from the walls. I just got into the swing of it when a piercing sound rang…

Lockdown created another three million more gardeners! And with people still spending more time at home, it’s the perfect opportunity to make your garden, no matter what size, look its best. Squire’s Garden Centres tell us some of the key garden trends for 2021 to inspire you. Bright colours Following on from the NHS rainbows that adorned our windows, people want some joy in their gardens. ‘Don’t be afraid of colour,’ says Sarah Squire, Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres. ‘Go for bold, vibrant colours. Retro plants such as chrysanthemums, asters and dahlias are very popular right now.’ Grow your own There’s no greater reward than growing your own fresh fruit and veg, and people are increasingly conscious of where their food is coming from. The most used gardening hashtag on…

Home appliance manufacturer Hisense has united with the Love Food Hate Waste campaign to raise awareness about food wastage. 70% of the food we throw away could be avoided! By shopping and storing food smarter, we can stop the amount we throw away. It couldn’t be easier to start making some changes and Hisense have given us some recipes to help us get started! Leftover chicken pot pie Serves: 4 PIE CRUST: □ 300g flour□ 150g butter□ 1 egg□ Pinch of salt FILLING: □ 40g butter□ 1 onion, chopped□ 80g flour □ 150ml milk□ 1tsp salt□ 1tsp pepper□ 1tsp garlic powder□ 200ml chicken stock □ 100g carrots□ 100g peas□ 400g leftover cooked chicken 1 Pre-heat oven to 180 °C. Slice butter into cubes and begin kneading into the flour. Add the egg and salt and ensure…