Table of contents for 28-Sep-2017 in Pick Me Up!

Welcome To Your Thursday What A Baby! I’m obsessed with hippos, so it was love at first sight when I saw a video of baby calf Fiona. See her in action at lifedeathprizes.com/ baby-hippo What A Chump! Apparently, firstborns are the brainiest – but I’m not convinced. My younger brother has a degree in Maths, but I can barely add two and two together! 7 That’s how many years my friends Calum and Alice took to tie the knot. It was a beautiful day, and we danced the night away to our fave 90s songs! What A Bonus! I might be 25, but I still love a trip to the zoo! This time, we got the chance to help feed the giraffes and elephants. You’re never too old to be a…

He took out his anger on my poor innocent sister Continued from previous page We held Louisa’s funeral months on, sobbed as her daughter Ebony stood to speak beautifully about her mum. It still seemed so unreal. As we waited for Ludlow’s trial and answers about Louisa’s death, Kayleigh’s illness progressed. But she was more determined than ever to stay around as long as she could for her family. Twice, she ended up in a hospice, and each time she made it home. Her strength kept us all going. ‘You’re my inspiration,’ I said. Slipping away In August 2011, Kayleigh was admitted a third time. I went to visit her, did her hair and make-up, pushed her around the hospice gardens in her wheelchair. Back in her room, Kayleigh gave…

OFFER OF THE WEEK Pet Care Argos Pet Insurance is offering new customers £25 to spend in Argos when they enter the code Card12 on application before February 2018. A healthy pet is a happy pet! OURTOP TIP Family fun Log on to vouchercodespro. co.uk and save 30% on tickets to Legoland Windsor when you book before 10 March 2018. That’s a huge discount when you’re buying tickets for all the family! Health Kick Vivid Matcha Green Tea Powder Single Serve Sachets are now half price at £2.98 (normally £5.95) at Tesco until 30 September. Mix with water to gain its antioxidant properties. Getting On Your Wick Buy a fun slogan candle from soyandjoy.co.uk and receive 10% off your first order when you enter the code HELLO10 at the checkout. We…

Real-Life PLUS Trends, Info and Advice Sam Heathcock, 37, Stourbridge Just an ordinary trip to the salon... I was chatting with Stacey, my hairdresser, on 23 June 2012, when I noticed something strange after she clipped my hair back so it covered my left eye. Only able to see out of my right eye, my vision was blurry, and I could see a black shadow through my line of sight. I’ve worn glasses since I was 18, and recently my sight had been getting blurrier, but I’d never seen this shadow before. Hours before my hair appointment, I’d been to the optician’s – but he didn’t find anything, apart from floaters. He told me to come back straight away if it got worse. After my trim I raced back to…

Lisa Parsley, 36, Esher, Surrey i already had two kids, and my 12-week scan for our third had gone really well. So I’d wandered along to my 20-week scan without a care in the world. Only… ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked the sonographer as her face dropped. ‘There’s a problem with your baby’s heart,’ she said. Upset, I called my husband Jon, 40, to give him the news. Meanwhile, we were transferred to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, where doctors diagnosed our unborn baby with transposition of the great arteries (TGA). The two main blood vessels from the baby’s heart were switched, preventing oxygen getting to the right places in the body at the right time. Jon and I were devastated. ‘What if we lose our baby?’ I sobbed on his…

Ginger & Custard Crumble Cake Serves: 12 Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 1hr ■125g unsalted butter or vegetable margarine ■■125g light brown sugar ■90g black treacle ■80g maple syrup ■50g ginger cordial ■250g self-raising flour ■50g plain flour ■1tsp ground ginger ■½tsp bicarbonate of soda ■170g apple sauce ■3 balls stem ginger, finely chopped icing: ■125ml double cream ■1tbsp icing sugar ■100ml fresh custard ■2 ginger nut biscuits, roughly crushed 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4, and lightly oil and base-line a 900g loaf tin. 2 Put butter, sugar, treacle, syrup and cordial in a pan and heat gently. Stir until butter has melted. 3 Sift flours, ginger and bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl. Add syrup mixture, apple sauce and stem ginger and mix well.…

With a big birthday approaching, Emma was on a mission... Emma Clement, 33, Port Talbot Although I was quite an active child, taking part in dance, gymnastics and swimming, I was naturally bigger than most. In secondary school, that left me open to cruel comments. ‘Look out, the ground’s shaking!’ kids would taunt as I walked by. If I leaned on a table, someone would quip, ‘Careful, you’ll break it!’ Hurt by the bullying, I turned to food for comfort. Between meals, I’d gorge on chips, baguettes and crisps. Food is my friend, food never makes fun of me, I thought. Getting bigger As my confidence shrank, my waistline grew. It was a vicious cycle – and, by the time I left school at 16, I was wearing a size-18.…

USA BELGIUM CHINA USA: A STOLEN YOUTH On 10 June 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard was walking outside her home in South Lake Tahoe, California. Suddenly, she was snatched and bundled into a car. Jaycee’s stepdad attempted to chase the car on his mountain bike, but couldn’t catch up. PHILLIP & NANCY GARRIDO No trace Police tried to track down the kidnapper, but their search was fruitless. For 18 years, Jaycee’s mother Terry lived in purgatory, not knowing if her daughter was dead or alive. But in 2009, convicted sex offender Phillip Garrido visited the University of California to enquire about holding a religious event. He was accompanied by two girls. The unusual behaviour of the trio led officers to investigate, and he was ordered to take the two girls to…

After training, I smashed a 5k run in 27 minutes Fighting my way into a swimming costume, I was sweating. Then I covered up with a big T-shirt and stretchy shorts. It was May 2014, and I was in beautiful St Lucia. Yet I felt disgusting. My back hurt, my ankles were swollen, knees in agony... I’d been this way since my 20s. Fat and unhappy. Now, age 37, I was 24st. The holiday pictures made me feel even worse. My face was the colour of beetroot and my size-28 clothes looked tight. By January 2015, I’d had enough. 'I need to change,' I puffed to my mum Gillian, 66. I started counting calories, swapped cooked breakfasts for healthy fruit, takeaways for salads. Then... ‘Why not try Zumba?’ a friend suggested.…

21-27 September 2017 ARIES 21 March–20 April this week you realise that communication is one of your most important life skills. You did a very good job of distancing yourself from what needed to face. You should use Friday and Wednesday as your power days. You’ll be able to right several wrongs if you do. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You’re leading the way for change – even though close ones are going to resist at first. but confidence is your key to convincing others. remember to believe in yourself and then others will, too. an unexpected gift or token of appreciation is headed your way. How nice! Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June You’re not listening to what others are saying to you –…

Rhys Eales, 26, Cantley, Doncaster After a busy morning at work in January 2015, it was time for the best part of the day… Lunch! I had the same as always – my favourite, cheese sarnies. But, taking a bite, something exploded in my mouth. And it wasn’t the flavour! Something had popped. And then I tasted it… Pus! Vile. I ran to the toilet and got there just in time to vomit. What on earth..? Mystery lump Feeling around my mouth with my tongue, I found it – a lump, right at the back of my mouth on the right-hand side. It was nestled behind my bottom set of teeth, so it wasn’t surprising I’d never noticed it before. The mysterious lump leaked into my mouth all day. Getting…

1 Stick to a list Never shop without making a list. Check your cupboards, fridge and freezer to make sure you don’t overbuy – and keep to it! 2 Only take the cash It’s a surefire way to not overspend! Use a basket: You’ll buy less if you don’t wheel around an enormous trolley. 3 Wear headphones Slow music played in store makes you move slower, so you spend more time browsing. Pick a pumped playlist to keep you moving through the aisles without stopping. 4 Eat first Shopping when you’re hungry increases the amount of food you want to buy. 5 Shop online You can keep track of exactly how much you’re spending.…

dr Arabella onslow has been a Gp for 11 years and was rosemary Conley’s health professional Slimmer of the year in 2012 after losing 10st. Skin deep Q My daughter was born eight days late, and her skin is dry and peeling. Should i avoid washing her, moisturise often or leave it? What’s the best thing to do? Mindy, Castleford A Peeling skin is normal in late babies because they have reduced vermix – the waxy grease that protects them from amniotic fluid. Over two to three weeks, the skin will shed, and no special care is needed unless it looks red or cracked. early menopause Q i’m 36 and my periods are intermittent. My mum had early menopause and i assume i’m the same. it’s fine because i don’t…

In 1994, Joseph Roy Metheny was working long hours as a truck driver. He was an adoring dad to his 6-year-old son, and was doing his best to provide for himself and his wife. Only, after an overtime stint, his world fell apart. Switching on the light in their apartment, he found the place empty. His wife, who he says was addicted to crack cocaine, had taken everything – including his son – and fled. Joseph was desperate to get his son back. But, with his criminal record, he knew he’d no chance of winning custody. Morbidly obese and wanting revenge, Metheny spiralled into despair. He’d heard on the grapevine that his wife had been getting high under a bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. So he went looking for her with…

Pick Me Up! Bingo THIS BIG WIN CAME AS A REAL SURPRISE Ashleigh Whitelaw, 29, Livingston putting my children, then aged 5 and 3, to bed, I quietly tiptoed down the stairs. ‘They’re out for the count,’ I told my partner Paul, 30. I snuggled up next to him on the sofa. Feeling chilly, I pulled a blanket over me. ‘Is the heating on?’ I said. Paul got up to check. He came back and said the boiler was on the blink and would need fixing. In the meantime, I put extra blankets over the kids’ beds and turned electric heaters on to keep warm. Next day, I had a day off. The kids were watching TV and playing with toys. So I decided to have a few games of…

Hair-raising feat Benny Harlem’s impressive barnet means he scooped tallest high-top fade at 52cm. Talk about a cut above the rest! Into the future! Step aside Marty McFly. Franky Zapata achieved his world record by travelling 2,252.4m by hoverboard. That’s one flight-y achievement! Tat’s amazing! In 2016, Frenchman JL Gonzal created the first prosthetic tattoo-gun arm. And now, it’s inked into Guinness World Records history! Blinking brilliant! You Jianxia's lustrous eyelashes take some batting! She officially has the longest eyelash, measuring 4.88in, on her upper-left lid! The cherry on top! Japanese Cherry Yoshitake holds a number of bizarre records – including the most apples bobbed in one minute, an impressive 37. Roll with it John Fischer got himself out of a sticky situation when he won the record for the…

35p per serving While we try to ensure all recipes work, we cannot take responsibility for their success. Photos Alamy Cheap as chips! Mixed Bean Picadillo Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 40 min ■■2tbsp vegetable oil ■1 onion, diced ■2 cloves garlic, finely diced ■Salt and pepper ■1 green or red chilli, finely diced ■1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes ■300ml water ■1tbsp tomato purée ■1tsp chilli powder ■1 x 400g can mixed beans ■1x 400g can kidney beans ■1 x 326g can sweetcorn ■300g cooked white rice ■A large handful of coriander 1 In a large saucepan, warm oil, add onion and garlic, and cook until softened, about 4-5 min. 2 Add salt, pepper, chilli, chopped tomatoes, water, tomato purée and chilli powder and cook gently…

TRIED & TESTED This week: Loose setting powder 1 Lottie London Ready Set! Go Matte Translucent Finishing Powder, £5.45, Superdrug This super-fine powder is great for everyday use and helped my foundation stay put all day. It’s perfect for using under blusher and bronzer too, without creating any clumps. 2 GOSH Prime ‘N Set Setting Powder in Banana, £9.99, Superdrug I was a little nervous about the yellow colour of this, but it blended seamlessly into my skin for a very natural look. This was great for dulling down redness too, so I’d recommend it for anyone who suffers from spots. 3 Barry M Ready Set Smooth Loose Setting Powder, £5.99, Boots I always swear by translucent powders, as they keep shine at bay without caking. I used this one…

Puzzle 1 Ed’s Test p3 Final answer Puzzle 2 Follow It! p16 Final answer Puzzle 3 Cross It! p28 Final answer Puzzle 4 Sudoku! p28 Final answer Puzzle 5 Crack It! p30 Final answer Puzzle 6 Bitesize! p31 Final answer Puzzle 7 Strike It! p44 Final answer Puzzle 8 Number Fit! p44 Final answer GOOD LUCK TO ALL OUR READERS! Full Name _____________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________ E-mail Address ________________________________________________________________ Postcode _____________________________________________________________________ Daytime Tel ___________________________________________________________________ Pick Me Up!, published by Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, will collect your personal information solely to process your competition entry. We will not be using this issue’s competition entries to send you special offers or to pass on to third parties. 4 WAYS TO ENTER EASY TO ENTER ONLINE! ONliNE It’s free and only takes a moment to enter from your smartphone or on your…

Becky Wilson, 24, Birkenhead Staring at the two blue lines, my heart thumped. ‘Babe, will you come upstairs?’ I shouted to my partner Nathan Cooper, 25. ‘What’s up?’ he smiled, bounding into the bathroom. Shaking, I showed him the positive pregnancy test. ‘We’re having another baby,’ I told him. It was December last year, and me and Nathan – nicknamed Beano – already had three kids under 4. I’d fallen pregnant with Kaiden, 3, just weeks after we’d met at a house party. Freya, 2, had quickly followed, then Nathan Junior, 1, in August 2015. I loved our big, happy family, but I had my hands full. ‘How will we cope?’ I asked Beano, panicking. But Beano broke into a grin. ‘Well, I always wanted to have a football team,’…

1 This is a cancer of the bowel. □ true □ False 2 Bone pain is a symptom. □ true □ False 3 Medication is the only treatment. □ true □ False 4CML is lifethreatening. □ true □ False 1 FALSE CMl is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells. It occurs when the bone marrow produces too many underdeveloped white blood cells. 2 TRUE Bone pain is a symptom. Others include fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, fever, shortness of breath, frequent infections, easy bruising, and tummy swelling on the left side. 3 FALSE The main treatments are medications called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but some cases can be cured through a stem-cell transplant. 4 TRUE The condition is serious and life-threatening, but thanks to medical advances, the outlook…

CRY BABY Shannen Harrison, 23, Hull My second pregnancy was textbook. With my first baby Morgan I’d had pre-eclampsia. But, this time... ‘I’ve never felt better,’ I said to my fiance Jay, 25. I’d no cravings, no pain, no sickness. We couldn’t wait for baby number two. And, a week before my due date, on 23 July 2015, I delivered our healthy 6lb 7oz baby girl at Hull Royal Infirmary. ‘Hello, little Charleen,’ I cooed to my perfect baby. Suddenly, she started crying – and she just wouldn’t stop. ‘This one’s going to be difficult,’ Jay laughed after a few hours. I’d not had this problem with Morgan. And, after feeds, nappy changes and plenty of cuddles, Charleen still cried. I didn’t sleep a wink that night. Instead, I spent…

Pick Me Up! Bingo Gillian Williams, 66, Plymouth reading the messages on my computer, I couldn’t help giggling to myself. ‘What’s so funny?’ my husband Roger, 68, asked. ‘The roomies are at it again,’ I laughed I’d been a member of Pick Me Up! Bingo since January 2015. And I loved chatting to people in the chat rooms. The ‘roomies’, as they’re known, often had me in stitches with their amusing comments. I loved playing the different bingo games, too. Sapphire and Emerald – 90-ball bingo games – were my favourites, though I often played a few slot games as well. The variety on the site is really brilliant. I’d had a few small wins here and there over the years. I just played for fun, though, and winning was…

We put some truly original products to the testÉ Emotive Poop Mug, £6.99, prezzybox.com This mug is the perfect way to let your colleagues know exactly what you think about their turn on the tea run! It comes with a handy lid too, to keep your cuppa hot for longer. Verdict: BONKERS! Crazy, but not totally cr*p. Squat Magic, £69.99, highstreettv.com Perform textbook squats every time with this clever machine. It helps to guide you on the way down and assists you on the way up, so you can maximise your workout without putting too much pressure on your knees. Verdict: GENIUS! We think this idea has legs. Blaq Meteor Shower Scrub, £19.95, blaq.co Make your next shower out of this world by scrubbing your body with actual dust from…

PUNTASTIC TRIBUTE We love these marvellous monikers to honour the performers they love… oasish Coldplace Kaiser Thiefs Motörheadache Faux Fighters Slack Babbath I DO! Fancy getting married somewhere a bit dif ferent? Try donning your veil at one of these kooky spots… In a gold mine eldorado ghost town is a deserted gold-rush town in nevada, where ceremonies can take place inside the existing gold mine. Inside a cave Deep down under a hotel in Dubrovnik, Croatia, marine-loving couples can tie the knot in a cave, which has a glass floor overlooking the ocean. On a roller coaster How about getting hitched on the ride that zooms around the new York-new York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas? Hurtling along at 67mph, thrill-seekers say ‘I do’ in a nYC taxi-style…

Flattering Fashion Not only does this jumper show off shapely shoulders, the long line of it is SO forgiving. PickMeUp!FOR LESS Get Moving It’s free, easy and good for you. here’s how to walk more • Get a dog! dog owners on average walk 22 minutes more per day compared to those who don’t own one. • Go old school: instead of emailing or instant messaging your colleagues, walk over and speak to them. • Get fit with a friend: you could start going for a morning power walk, or if you have more time, help motivate each other at the gym. • Remind yourself to move: set an alarm to make sure you have a brief walk around every hour or so. • Stick with the stairs: at home,…