Table of contents for 10-May-2018 in Pick Me Up!

There’s over a million reasons why I’m nominating my wonderful mum... She’s been my rock through some difficult times and her strength really is unparalleled. We’re so close, I can talk to her about anything and everything. She’s my best friend! When we lost my dad Barrie in 2013, then my sister Tracey in 2015, both to cancer, most people would crumble. But she didn’t. When everything seemed hopeless, she managed to find a way to brighten each and every day. She’s the glue that keeps our entire family together and she stays strong for all of us. It’s been a tough few years but that doesn’t stop her from fighting every single day. I honestly don’t know where she gets the strength from, but she really does mean the…

Labyrinthitis Labyrinthitis is an 1 inner-ear infection. 2 The main symptom is a ringing in the ears. 3 Labyrinthitis passes in a few days. 4 You can try treating it yourself at home. 1 TRUE The infection causes a structure inside the ear (the labyrinth) to become inflamed. 2 FALSE Main symptoms include the feeling of vertigo and imbalance, nausea and hearing loss. Less-common symptoms are ringing in the ears, mild headaches, ear pain and blurred vision. 3 FALSE Symptoms can pass within weeks. But it can continue for months. 4 TRUE Treatment for the condition involves drinking plenty of fluid and bed rest. However, see your GP if symptoms continue – medication can be prescribed.…

Toast And Jam Sponge and Body Wash, £7.99, prezzybox.com Get in the mood for breakfast while you’re in the shower with a toast-shaped sponge and strawberry -scented body wash. Sage by Heston Blumenthal, The Smoking Gun, £70, ao.com This clever gadget infuses food and drink with smoky flavours. It works on from everything from fish to ice cream, so let your imagination run wild! The Half Pint Glass, £8.99, thefowndry.com This deceptive glass looks like a pint from the front, but is actually the shape and size of a pint glass halved vertically. We’re struggling to imagine a circumstance where this would really come into its own, though……

Cigarette in one hand, a glass of wine in the other, and a good moan with friends about work... That was how my Friday nights rolled back in 2012. Actually, that was how most nights ended up. I was 24 and had a high-pressure office job. It meant early starts, late nights and grabbing junk food on the go. Week in, week out, I worked like crazy Monday to Friday and partied hard at weekends. Never mind that I felt sluggish all the time, that I was stressed out, that my head often thumped... That was just part of being young, right? Only, one day, I met a friend, and she was blunt. ‘You look awful,’ she said. It was true. I had been burning the candle at both ends.…

Unicef Solidarity Soap, £4, L’Occitane All profits from sales of this prettily packaged soap go to help Unicef stop children across the globe going blind due to lack of vitamins. A bath-time treat that smells amazing and helps other people? It’s win-win! Imperial Leather Foamburst Unicorn Marshmallow Body Wash, £3.15, Boots Add a little magic to showers with this limited-edition wash. The gel transforms into a foam in your hands and smells exactly like marshmallows for a fabulous start to the day. Cheer Up Buttercup Bath Bomb, £2.95, Lush Your time in the tub just got a lot more fun thanks to this bath bomb. Pop this fizzing treat into a bath full of warm water and let the zesty scent fill the air – it’s sure to leave you…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Try not to play games in love this week or you’re likely to get your fingers burnt. What you want can be yours with a more honest approach. News from far away sets exciting plans in motion. Be careful not to borrow what you may not need to. Do your research. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You and a close one have grown apart in recent weeks. There’s much that can be done over the coming days to restore your relationship, the only hitch being that you have to be the one to take the first step towards reconciliation. But will you? You should! Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June An air of boredom in your chart tells me you’re not…

I think the bubble bath has overrun… Getting all soapy for charity! Stacey Hill, Torquay I got to feed some of the cutest little lambs! Jessica Evans, Halstead, Essex Getting ready to take on the Trent in my first attempt at kayaking! D Hunt, Beechdale, West Midlands My baby girl Mia climbed to the top of the pyramids – well not literally… Lisa Adams, Halesowen Where did they come from? We got a great surprise at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Rob Cheetham, Mansfield, Notts Lily… You’ve got a little something on your face! Hooray, it’s ice-cream weather! Zoe Yetton, Papworth Everard, Cambs I took my turn at being Mastermind and I’m proud to say I got 14 points! Tina Williams, Beaufort My brother Sean is completely batty sometimes! Hayley Tomkins, Swansea…

As I watched from the living-room window, my son Karl, 7, pedalled furiously after his new friend Anton. Anton lived in the next street to us - and, although he was four years older than Karl, they were joined at the hip. I was glad Karl had found a little mate. Karl was a quiet lad. Anton was, too. But both had a big passion for their bikes and loved being outdoors. It wasn’t long before Anton was tagging along on our camping holidays and days out at the beach in Wales. He became like part of the family. As teenagers, the pair would cycle all around Salford and they had the same group of friends. ‘Here comes Karl’s shadow,’ I joked to my husband Malcolm, 50, in January 2015,…

Pregnant and fat Q I’m overweight and never really bothered to lose weight. But I’m pregnant now and I’m worried that my child might become overweight, too. Penny, London A Yes, there is a chance that your child will be overweight and have associated health issues. Speak to your doctor about safely losing and maintaining weight loss so yours and your child’s health can be better. Transgender scare Q I’m transgender, but daren’t tell anyone. I’m so scared of what people will say and worry that a GP will tell me it is only a phase – or laugh at me. Where can I go for help? Faye, Bristol AGP surgeries that are LGBT aware and ensure a safe space to disclose any aspect of sexual identity will display a…

Standing on the sand, I watched my boyfriend walk out of the waves. It was just like the famous Bond scene where Daniel Craig emerged from the sea in his skimpy swimming trunks. Except, instead of the blue water and golden sand of the Bahamas, Lewis, 31, and I were shivering on the Cornish coast. Lewis especially. His trunks weren’t much bigger than 007’s! ‘Another one done!’ I said, snapping a picture. While some women were golf or footy widows, I was a swimming widow, supporting Lewis on his mad mission to swim at all of the beaches in Cornwall. I’d go along to photograph him after each dip, as he held a bit of paper with the month and location marked on it. Then we’d upload it on to…

Slicking on some lippy, I couldn’t help smiling. It was Good Friday 2017, and I was getting ready to go out for lunch with my son and two daughters. A single mum, my brood still lived with me, despite being young adults. It was their idea to go out for lunch. ‘You deserve it after everything that’s happened,’ they all agreed. You see, I’d had a rotten few months... In December 2016, me and the kids had been woken in the night by a loud bang. A heater in the loft had combusted and caught fire. Luckily, we’d all escaped with no injuries - but upstairs had suffered severe fire, smoke and water damage. Everything, from our clothes to our beds, had been burnt to a crisp. With no insurance…

Paedophile hunters most commonly work on social media and messaging apps to snare potential child groomers. Among Britain’s most-popular vigilante groups are Dark Justice, Guardians of the North and Silent Justice, but there are believed to be dozens more across the UK. It is vital that hunters do not appear to be ‘fishing’ for salacious comments, so they wait until the suspected groomer makes worrying advances on their own. Paedophile hunters often snare their targets by allowing them to arrange a meeting with the ‘child’. It is then that they confront the suspect on camera and show them their messages, sometimes having called the police already.…

The Durrells, ITV As the Corfu drama draws to a close, Spiros’ wife has left him and gone to live with her mother, so could romance be on the cards for him and mum-of-four Louisa (Keeley Hawes)? It looks that way as the couple are thrown together and the chemistry is sizzling! Alexis Georgoulis, who plays Spiros says, ‘They’ve always had a mutual attraction and with his life now empty, Louisa is the right person to fill the empty space. Deep in their hearts they’re very compatible.’ Meanwhile, a circus comes to town and Larry is smitten with Elena, a contortionist, while Margo wants to get in on the act so she starts rehearsing a dangerous routine. What could possibly go wrong..? Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, ITV Former…

Ever get the feeling you’re being watched? My chihuahua puppy keeps an eye on things… K Rodway, Rotherham Poppy and Honey take a quick peck-break from their busy egg-laying schedule. Catherine Milne, Fife Wing commander Ozzie Specklewing loves his reflection. Who’s a pretty boy, then?! Anne Louise Dunlavey, via e-mail Herbie loves his new hat – and it matches my mum’s chair covers. So stylish! Lucy Hill, Halifax Just check out the look I got from these cheeky best buds when I tried to get into bed! Stephanie Jones, via e-mail My bag puss Sky seems to have lost her phone… Lee Hall, Kent…

Reading the message on my phone, I couldn’t help but giggle. I was on a dating app and Lee Blackley, then 27, had just messaged me. Hi Mario, I really miss you. Where have you been hiding? My profile picture was of me at a friend’s fancy-dress party, dressed as Mario from Super Mario Bros. And Lee’s profile pic was of him dressed up as Luigi! His message was a great icebreaker. And his playful cheekiness just set the tone for things to come. After sending a few silly messages, we agreed to meet up for a drink a few weeks on, in February 2015. Lee was just as funny in real life. But he had a genuine and honest side, too... When we got onto the subject of exes,…

Fruity red Hereford Tempranillo Malbec is a richly fruity Argentinian red with flavours of cherries and blackberries that goes well with BBQ meats or spicy tomato-based pasta dishes. It’s only £4.99 at Co-op (usually £6.99) until 22 May. Snack attack Whitworths Shots are perfect on-the-go snack packs for those who want a sweet pick-me-up without the calorific content. Each great-tasting snack pack is under 100 calories, and is made up of carefully selected dried fruit, nuts and seeds, with just a hint of tasty indulgence. You can get 5 packs for £2 (usually 50p each) in Tesco until 22 May. You can crack the code CODE Beautiful was born out of a desire to create problem-solving products that we all crave. You can get 20% off all products online when…

My daughter Tiammi, then 2, stared at the TV screen, a total zombie. She’d also refused to eat her dinner. ‘So unlike her,’ I said to my wife Terri, 30. It was 23 March 2016, and Tiammi was normally lively. When she developed a high fever and started being sick, Terri took her to the GP, who said it was a stomach bug. Only, Tiammi got worse. She was pale, lethargic, and would wake up in the night screaming in agony. After a few days, I went with Tiammi to hospital while Terri stayed with our younger son Jordan, then 10 months. When we reached the children’s ward, Tiammi couldn’t even stand up. Tiammi had many scans, but the results gave no answers. Doctors were baffled . She was put…

The visitors’ room of a prison is not your usual place to fall in love. But it was across a table at Leavenworth Penitentiary, in Kansas, that convict Phillip Garrido first locked eyes with his future wife Nancy. She was there visiting a relative. Garrido was serving a 50-year sentence for the rape and abduction of a waitress. Nancy and Phillip married in the prison in 1981. It’s hard to understand what Nancy, a well-liked nursing assistant and carer, saw in Garrido. Perhaps she believed that he was a changed man... After seven years of being married, Garrido was released early from prison. He and Nancy settled in California. But, before long, he was plotting his next terrifying crime. And it seemed he had his wife as an accomplice... On…

Phyllis Elliot-Tingley, 63, Brighton That evening, back in October 2017, I was about to have a rare night in alone. My hubby David, now 64, was waiting for his taxi to arrive. He was off to watch our local footie team play. ‘I hope you win!’ I cried, as he was tying his shoelaces. What shall I do tonight then? I wondered. ‘Why don’t you play a game of bingo?’ David called out. It was like he read my mind! I’d been a member of Pick Me Up! Bingo for years - since January 2011. I’d won a couple of hundred quid here and there but nothing huge. I mainly played for the friends and chat rooms. At 7pm I bought my tickets for Bingo Lounge; this was one of…

Me and my partner Antony, 41, were so blessed. We had three beautiful children - Ciara, 9, Liam, 6, and Siobhan, 3. And a home filled with love and laughter. That was until last June, when our bubbly Siobhan became lethargic, feverish. She was rarely sick - so, naturally, I was concerned. Days passed and Siobhan wasn’t getting any better. ‘Poorly, Mummy,’ she wailed. I took her to the doctor, where she had blood taken. We’d have to wait at least a week for the results. Next day, on 1 July last year, Siobhan was bright red and her temperature was through the roof. I called my GP and he suggested I go to the local A&E. ‘I’ll phone the hospital to hurry the blood test results along,’ he said.…

‘It’s all very well saying “leave it to the police” but the police are stretched. The hunters investigate, gather evidence and lure abusers to where they can be handed over to police. I support the work they do.’ Samantha Cooper, London ‘Although paedophile hunters are doing a great job, they have no formal training and sometimes evidence isn’t obtained correctly. The police force is extremely stretched and I dare say this puts increased pressure on them and uses resources they don’t have.’ Debbie Hadden, Stourbridge ‘I think police should be able to do their jobs without people potentially hindering investigations. I understand why paedohunters do what they do, but the police are capable of carrying out their work in a professional manner.’ Jackie Wilson, Basingstoke ‘These groups are risking their…

He’d nearly died due to his size. It could have been me, too With my tum pleasantly full, I nuzzled happily against my dad Paul, 49, on the sofa. ‘Another kebab?’ he asked. ‘I shouldn’t,’ I said, but I was already reaching for the chip paper that lay temptingly open on the coffee table. It was Saturday - my favourite night of the week. Because that was when me, Dad, my mum Juliette, 50, and sister Sophie, 24, would get a takeaway and watch the telly. Not the healthiest of habits. Especially when you consider that both me and Dad were pretty chunky. But it was a family ritual, something that made me feel loved, safe and happy. Only, a few days later, in July 2014, I was pottering about…

As the tattooist set the needle whirring, Luke gulped! I watched as the pub erupted into cheers. ‘In a few weeks time we’ll be celebrating on St Patrick’s Day,’ my friend, Luke Hoyle, 34, teased. We were in our local, watching rugby on telly. It was this February and the start of the Six Nations. Ireland were due to play England on 17 March - St Patrick’s Day - and I was getting stick off the regulars. Born in Ireland, I was supporting the Irish -unlike everyone else in the pub. It didn’t stop me having a bit of banter with English fans like Luke, though. ‘You should be so lucky!’ I laughed. I had every confidence in my team - so much so, I had an idea. ‘I want…