Table of contents for 13-Jul-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Wiping a cotton wool pad across my face, I felt an anxious knot form in my stomach. As I wiped my makeup off, I just wanted to go to sleep. I’d had a long day, working and looking after my four kids. But my husband Paul, 40, liked me to stay up with him. Unlike a typical husband and wife wanting to spend time together, I was on edge. You see, Paul had a temper – it had always been this way. Meeting him aged 19 in 2004, he was in the navy and at first I thought that he was the bee’s knees. Although I could never call him a gentleman, everything was great at the start and after five months we moved in together. But after a year,…

Putting one foot in front of the other, I jogged along energetically. Exercise had always been an escape for me, keeping me mentally sane as well as physically fit. And in May 2018, I needed the release. You see, I was awaiting biopsy results – doctors had found a tumour on my cervix. My husband Alex, 44, and I were expecting our second baby, too. Our son Freddie, now seven, was two at the time and I was 19 weeks pregnant. Only, I had noticed spotting in my underwear. And after a lot of back and forth with different doctors, I was sent for an MRI followed by a biopsy. The tumour that was revealed on my MRI was 5cm in length and I was hoping it hadn’t spread. At…

Claim your free digital copy of Book of Spells The roots of magic and the spells it has inspired run deep, and our fascination with the seemingly impossible dates back to ancient times, when mystics and witches first began to study the basic laws of the elements and how they could be mastered. In the Book of Spells you will explore this history, meet the men and women who dedicated their lives to the pursuit of the magical and learn how you can cast your own incantations. To get your free digital copy of Book of Spells use this link bit.ly/PMU411 Offer available from 6 July to 6 August 2023 Check out more of our amazing bookazines at www.magazinesdirect.com/guides-and-specials/…

With summer in full swing, now is the perfect time to set sail Won the open sea and get exploring the English coastline. But if diving deep isn’t your thing, we’ve got the perfect alternative for you – stand up paddleboarding (SUP)! With tips and tricks to help you explore from the safety of your board, we’ve got everything you need to get paddling! FIVE QUESTIONS WITH RACHEL BAMBROUGH With over 10 years of experience in stand up paddleboarding and founding SUP4, a specialist school in London, Rachel Bambrough has shared how you can get paddling… • For more information, visit: sup4.co.uk 1. WHY SHOULD SOMEONE START PADDLEBOARDING? If you’re a natural water baby and want to try out a water sport with a lower impact and a slower pace, SUP…

Tulleys Escape Rooms Sussex For one whole hour you will be thrown into a world of wonder – with five different rooms to choose from, can you escape? The hardest room, Nethercott Manor, is a old house entwined with whispers, secrets and hauntings of the past. Will you find your way out or will you remain trapped there? Only time will tell… • Prices from £24 per person. Please visit: tulleyescape.com Wild Escape Alderford Lake, Shropshire Instead of being stuck in a room, unable to escape, experience a day out like never before. And this is not for the faint hearted… With four themed challenges to choose from – Tiki Island, Extinction, The Curse of Camelot and Forbidden Liar, trek through the wilderness to find clues that will lead you…

Sitting our daughter down, we had very special news to deliver. ‘You’re going to have a brother or sister,’ my husband Alex, 29, and I beamed. Esmae, five, was over the moon, but she had one request. ‘Can it be a girl?’ she begged. ‘We can be Elsa and Anna.’ ‘I’ll try my best,’ I giggled. And in October, after our 20-week scan, Alex and I found out we were having a little girl. ‘Congratulations,’ my parents Jane, 52, and Stewart, 54, said, scooping us into a hug. But no-one was happier than Esmae – and her excitement was infectious, singing to my stomach and kissing my belly at every opportunity. Plus, she loved belting out Let it Go – I think she wanted her new sister to know all…

With dermatologist and venereologist Dr Eva Melegh Pop that spot Q I wear SPF every day but it’s giving me really bad acne. How can I combat this? Holly, Swansea A SPFs give more benefits of protecting skin from UV damage than down sides – which can sometimes be acne – so never stop using an SPF for fear of getting spots. However, scrubbing adult skin with harsh anti-bacterial agents to try and get rid of acne can leave skin dry and fragile and actually lead to more spots and inflammation in the long run. A solution to the problem of adult acne caused by wearing regular SPF is to control the bacteria that often sticks to the SPF (which are typically quite thick and greasy creams) and gets into the…

BAA BAA BRILLIANT! Ever found yourself craving a slice of country life? Then look no further than The Big Sheep in Abbotsham, Devon, where you can try your hand at sheep farming! Meet and greet the sheep and get ready for BIG cuddles from all the other farm animals, too, including goats, alpacas, llamas, chickens and ducklings. Check in on the Lambcam to witness the magic of a real-life birth and prepare to bottle-feed those hungry mouths during the Lamb Feeding Show. Make sure you place a bet on one of their six sheep competitors, too, who will race to the finish line for food! At The Big Sheep, you’ll have a woolly good time! • Tickets from £5 online, visit: thebigsheep.co.uk FEELING SHLEEPY? Did you know that Brits living…

My beautiful car, Miz. male Always cockatiel looking Coco, four, for the loves next his toy adventure. drum so much Mandy and Mogg, was so West Midlands excited when I bought him a brand new one again. Here he is being cute, eating his drum! Samantha Browning, Whangārei, New Zealand This is my seven-year-old Ben with his beloved Ginny the guinea pig. Lucy Travell, Gloucester Here I am with my copy of Pick Me Up! Inside is my sashaying story – at 82, I’m Britain’s oldest belly dancer! Tina Hobin, Shropshire This is what happens when you tell your child – don’t go to the arcade and just get the rubbish prizes with your tokens… why not save them up each time we go and save for a bigger prize? Now we…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great prize from Addis. This four-tier shoe rack means that you can show off your collection, keeping it neat and tidy in the meantime. What’s more, when not in use it folds away for storage. The perfect addition to a clean home – no more muddy shoes please! For ways to make your lifer easier, visit: addis.co.uk Give it a scrub! My flip flops were filthy. I found that a scrub with an old toothbrush cleaned them up as good as new. Rose Janes, Monmouth ! Smooth as a… I always leave my razor sitting in baby oil in between uses as it protects it from moisture and prevents rusting. Mary Hadley, Cradley Heath Schools out! School holidays are approaching…

Feeling the tingle of cool jelly on my stomach, I looked up at the screen. ‘Hi baby,’ I cooed. Choosing not to know the gender, my husband Aaron, 32, and I couldn’t wait to see if our daughter Ellie, four, would have a little brother or sister. And after the 12-week scan it was time to tell her. ‘You’re going to have a new brother or sister to play with,’ we said. ‘They’re in Mummy’s belly.’ She was so excited to be a big sister! A little mother hen herself, Ellie started kissing and singing to my bump as it grew. Putting the nursery together, we made it more about Ellie – putting together a ‘big girl’ room for her so the baby could have her old nursery. My pregnancy…

1. What exciting ice cream adventures have you got lined up this summer? We have a jam-packed summer this year. We have lots of football tournaments, local music festivals and school leavers events but we are really looking forward to getting started on our new pitch at The Mall Shopping Centre. We are right next to their new Splash Pad which should be great fun! 2. What made you want to be an ice cream man – and do you still carry on in winter months? I’m Italian and I’m a third-generation ice cream man in Bristol. My grandad arrived from Sicily in the 1960s and the trade of making and selling ice cream has continued in our family. I work all year round and have even been known to…

Conjuring a master plan, I wanted to think of the best way to share our news. For it was a secret we’d been keeping for weeks – I was so excited, I could’ve burst! ‘We could tell everyone at Christmas?’ my husband Fraser, now 36, suggested. ‘That’s it! We could get a personalised babygrow,’ I smiled, figuring out the timing. After finding out that we were expecting our first baby in September 2020 – we hadn’t been planning it, but we were both totally over the moon by our very special surprise. Hanging back on buying anything at first, we wanted to tell our family as we hit 12-weeks before we started prepping the house and going totally baby mad. Only, experiencing light bleeding just before the 12-week scan, I…

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. 3 letters Any Ash Bed Bid End 4 letters Ages Took Town Trim Trio 5 letters Galas Gangs Grain Graph 6 letters Casino Clocks Eighth Iconic Laptop Tandem Wildly 7 letters Highest Lighten Nephews 8 letters Kindness Kitchens Shamrock Sidekick 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. 6, 5, 7…

Up in your grill As soon as the sun comes out, us Brits love nothing more than a good ol’ BBQ. And this year, Hellmann’s are on a mission to raise the steaks this summer. Teaming up with chef, butcher and BBQ expert Richard Turner, he’s here to help you up your grill game… 1. Timings: One thick coat of mayonnaise before cooking will leave you with that golden outer texture on meat or veggies. It’s a great time-saving hack if you need quick results, as it can be used to flash-marinate, too. Massage the mayonnaise into the meat for a few minutes and get grilling! However, for those better at planning amongst us, most meats would benefit from a minimum of 24h in the marinade. I carried out a test…

Catch Claire live on Facebook 7 days of hope & happiness with Claire Petulengro www.clairepetulengro.tv ARIES 21 March–20 April The new moon on Monday helps you to find peace with all that’s occurred. You no longer blame who you did, but you’re ready to open your eyes and admit what you need to lay out on the table for the close one who is really responsible. You’ll be stronger in the broken places for doing so. Finances you save this week give you the freedom you crave. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Beware of saying yes to everyone. There are only so many hours in the day and you’d be better off to make what you know you want to happen next your priority. It’s how you’ll show those…

YOU’VE GOTTA PURR! Waiting by the door as I grabbed the lead, it was walk time. Letting Finn curiously sniff the grass and blooming flowers in our Californian residence, it wasn’t long before we had a lot of attention. Something that we got wherever we went, whether that was in our local town or at the beach, too. ‘Look at that dog,’ people would hush, pointing at Finn. Only, getting close that’s when they noticed… For Finn wasn’t a pooch – he was an orange Maine Coon cat. Measuring in at an enormous 4ft compared to my 5ft 1in body – I like to think that he is my very own tiger! Ever since a young age, I have always had a huge passion for exotic cats. But despite my love of…