Table of contents for 20-Aug-2020 in Pick Me Up!

Working as an administrative manager for Martins Veterinary Centre, I loved spending time with animals. Then, one day, a particularly poorly looking cat was brought in by Cats Protection. Only a few weeks old, he was on the edge of losing his eyesight and was clearly malnourished. As an administrator, I often travel to Cats Protection’s Adoption Centre in Glasgow to do their paperwork. And over the next few weeks, I regularly came into contact with this cat, who I learned was called Cookie. Unfortunately, the vets had been unable to save his eyesight and he was now blind. The poor thing had been ripped from his mother at what they believed to be about two-weeks-old. He was then sold on Gumtree to an elderly lady. Despite her best efforts,…

A wide grin spread across my daughter’s face as she came into the living room. ‘Mum, you know Lloyd,’ she said, introducing me to her new boyfriend. ‘Of course,’ I smiled. They were only 16, but Levi’s grin stretched from ear to ear as she looked at Lloyd. The pair of them had been in the same group of friends since they were 10, often hanging out together at my house. Lloyd Birkby had always been a quiet lad – unassuming and very polite – and Levi had been going out with him for a few weeks now. As a single mum, I had my hands full with Levi, Milo, now 22, Cain, 20, Kyra, 18, and Kady, nine. But I’d always had a special bond with Levi. She was…

With one hand against the bathroom sink, I steadied myself. With the other, I started brushing my teeth, moving the toothbrush back and forth as I looked in the mirror. Two dark circles had made a home under my eyes – I was absolutely exhausted. After a minute or so, even handling a toothbrush had taken it out of me, and I stumbled back to my room, collapsing on my bed. Laying back, my chest tightened, as if an elephant was on top of me, suffocating me. Deep breaths love,’ my mum Karen, now 43, said, rushing in to take my hand. ‘You’re doing great,’ my dad Mike, 44, smiled. Back in 1996, when I was just six weeks old, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis after a routine heel…

Style icon Michelle Keegan has brought out a new summer collection with Very, and we’re loving it! Full of crayon-box brights and floaty shapes, her dresses are beautifully colourful and comfortable. Find lace pieces perfect for the ‘jeans and a nice top’ dress code, and bold hues that will boost your mood wearing them. Go to Very.co.uk to shop these gorgeous looks! Bag it up! Make sustainable fashionable with Kind Bag’s new collection of bags. There are 13 new musthave designs, with a range of fresh colour palettes and patterns to suit a different day of the week. Each Kind Bag recycles six plastic bottles, and donates 10% of profits to Just One Ocean. They’re perfect for all sorts of occasions and can be easily folded up and stowed away…

Scrolling through Instagram, it probably won’t take long before you come across someone sparkling their sink, doing a Zoflora hour or even scrubbing their bog. Once upon a time, we might have turned our noses up at this and thought it was all rather strange. But since 2018, when Sophie Hinchcliffe – AKA Mrs Hinch – came to the scene, across the globe we’ve adored watching people scrub their home clean. For years, we’ve relished in luxury influencers making avocado on toast and doing a handstand on a beach in Fiji, but no more. Today, with more than 3.5m followers, Mrs Hinch proves there’s a new type of influencer in town – the cleanfluencer. But where exactly has this newfound influencer obsession stemmed from? Cleaning has been around for centuries…

Helene, 21, wanted to follow her dreams, but found a nightmare instead… It was an opportunity that Helene Prusynski had moved over 2,000 miles to make the most of. Helene, 21, had been to college in Massachusetts, and when there was a chance to be an intern at KHOW Radio in Colorado, she’d jumped at the chance to make her dreams come true. Talented Helene was passionate about following a career in journalism. In early 1980, she moved to Englewood Colorado and stayed with her aunt and uncle. She’d ride the 11-mile journey to the radio station in Denver every day on the bus, then return on the same route before walking a few blocks back to her aunt’s house. On 16 January, she finished her shift and headed off…

Is it a cake or is it a sandwich? It’s a savoury sandwich layer-cake! Sainsbury’s has created this prawn and asparagus take on the Swedish smörgåstårta savoury cake trend, and it’s as pretty as a picture! WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 300g asparagus300g king prawns450g full-fat cream cheese1 lemon, juiced and zested100g double cream1 tbsp dill, finely chopped2 x wholemeal country loaf½ cucumber, thinly sliced100g smoked salmon slices75g sour cream WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the asparagus and boil for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Remove with tongs and place into ice water to prevent further cooking. Remove and leave to dry. 2 Next, roughly chop 150g prawns and add to a medium bowl with 150g cream cheese, nearly all the lemon juice…

Watching Toddlers and Tiaras when I was a little girl, I always wanted to be up on stage, performing myself. My mum, Sara, 50, was a child performer so showbiz ran in our family. So, when I was a 12, Mum found groups on Facebook promoting beauty pageants for teens and children. Do you want to do it?’ she asked me, and I immediately said yes. ‘Do you want to do it?’ she asked me, and I immediately said yes. At first, I entered into the Natural Pageant where I had to do community work, before moving into the Glitz sections where I had photoshoots and got to play around a bit more with my look. From the start, I loved being in front of the camera. As my dad…

HAVE YOU HE ARD OF… PHONE FAKERS? Have you ever turned to your phone to avoid an awkward situation? According to new research by e2save, 75% of smartphone owners admit to faking it. The top reason why people pretend to be on their phone is to avoid strangers on public transport. They also turn to their devices when approached by salespeople, to avoid awkward conversations at family gatherings, and to avoid an old friend. One fifth of us scroll on our screens to avoid an ex, and almost a tenth reach for their phones during a first date. Speaking about the moment when this tactic went horribly wrong, Lucy from Bristol said: ‘I was set up on a blind date but it wasn’t going well. I pretended to take a…

Later that day, Lloyd was arrested and charged with murder. It turns out, he’d fled the scene when an ambulance arrived – but CCTV footage would later show him lurking around, watching as paramedics worked on Levi. At a court hearing, I learned the awful truth. That night, Lloyd and Levi had got into a row. After some harsh words, Lloyd had thrown his mobile phone at Levi at close range, which struck her in the neck with such force that it knocked her unconscious. The blow had caused her main artery severe damage, causing her brain to haemorrhage, and leaving her fighting for her life. Paramedics had desperately tried to save her as she lay helpless and dying in the street – but it was no good. The haemorrhage…

ACROSS 1 Wilt (6) 4 _ Fishburne, Apocalypse Now actor (8) 10 English city (9) 11 Afterwards (5) 12 Entrance or opening (5) 13 Harmless (9) 14 Habitual way of thinking (7) 16 _ Damon, Elysium actor (4) 19 Strong taste (4) 21 Italian rice dish (7) 24 Improving in health (2,3,4) 25 Mug of tea, informally (5) 26 Stationery item (5) 27 Flannel (4,5) 28 Malcolm _, A Clockwork Orange actor (8) 29 Long narrow flag (6) DOWN 1 Michelle _, Venom actor (8) 2 Insignificant or petty (8) 3 Upright (5) 5 Word formed from initials (7) 6 Moves house (9) 7 Country (6) 8 Exit (6) 9 Rigorous (6) 15 Bird deterrent (9) 17 Resign from a position (4,4) 18 Michelle _, plays Julia Meade in the…

Hedgehog hospital PET NEWS Brits are being urged to ‘rewild’ areas of their garden in an effort to support local wildlife, after a worrying increase in garden strimmer related injuries at hedgehog rescue centres across the UK. If you’d like to help save beloved British animals, here’s a few ways you can rewild your garden with Spike’s Hedgehog Food: 1. HEDGEHOG HIGHWAY Leaving a hole in your fence allows species to easily pass from place to place, finding food and mates. 2. LEAVE OUT FOOD Leave hedgehog food and water in shallow bowls so they can reach over the rim. 3. AVOID PESTICIDES Hedgehogs can die as a result of feeding on slugs which have ingested pesticides. Instead, encourage birds and hedgehogs into your garden to eat the pests. 4. STOP…

As two pairs of curious eyes stared into the cot, they suddenly lit up. ‘Look Mum! He’s smiling!’ my daughter Alivia, now 11, cried. Do you think he knows we’re looking at him?’ my son Olly, 10, asked. Of course he does,’ I replied. At just six weeks old, my baby Billy had just started to smile – and it was the most beautiful smile in the world. As the corners of his mouth curled up, his blue eyes sparkled, lighting up the room. When my husband Danny, now 36, and I welcomed Billy at the University Hospital of North Tees on 25 October 2017, he’d been perfect. From that day, he’d brought nothing but joy into our lives. Alivia and Olly doted on him, so proud of their new…

Derren Brown Mind Control, Channel 4 Derren Brown has been a mainstay on Channel 4 for an unbelievable 20 years, with many of his mind-blowing stunts and tricks being must-see TV moments. Now, the broadcaster is celebrating this two-decade partnership by dedicating a night to him. The two-hour special will feature an all-new live stunt and delves into the stories behind some of his most famous illusions. The public will be involved by choosing between five stunts – Russian Roulette, The Heist, Hero at 30,000ft, Apocalypse and Pushed to the Edge. The Unbelievable Story Of Carl Beech, BBC Two This documentary tells the jaw-dropping story of Carl Beech, taken from police interviews and his blogs. Beech’s allegations that he’d been sexually abused by a group of prominent men in the…

A DELICIOUS PAIR This season, powerhouse cosmetics brand, Morphe, is teaming up with none other than The Coca-Cola Company to offer an iconic collection. Available from: uk.morphe.com 1. The Quench Pack 4-piece beauty sponge collection, £15 Crack open a collection of must-have beauty sponges – in two sizes – that’ll satisfy your thirst for artistry. 2. Lip In The Moment 4-piece lip collection, £19 Speak your mind with four super-shiny, neversticky lippies that are always down for a little adventure. 3. Thirst For Life Artistry Palette, £22 From ice-cold blues and iconic reds to energising neutrals, this palette of powerful shades has a legendary life of its own. 4. Glowing Places loose highlighters, £15 It’s your time to shine with this lightweight, loose sparkler for face and body. 5. Sweep…

When I was 11 years old, my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. ‘A housewife and mum,’ I replied, smiling. Whilst my fellow pupils laughed at me, my teacher looked stunned. ‘You need to do something more!’ she said. Being a housewife was never a career option in school. When my peers dreamed of working in offices, I fantasized having my own home to cook and clean, and my own family to care for. I connected with 1950s housewives and the likes of Doris Day. Only, the outside world made me feel very ashamed of my dreams. So, I squashed them and eventually followed the paths others intended for me. In 2008, I was working unhappily in an office in fulltime marketing. At the…

Fetching the dog lead from the side table, Baloo immediately jumped for joy. ‘Come on then girl,’ I smiled, hooking the lead up to her collar. I was enjoying a caravan holiday down in Exmouth, Devon, with my parents, Nita, 73, and Dave, 72. For the past week, we’d just been relaxing and spending some quality time as a family. It was wonderful and taking Baloo on long walks across the fields and beaches, there’s nothing quite so peaceful. The only thing missing was my husband, Pareemit, 36, who was back at home working. On this particular day, I decided to take Baloo – my 10st Newfoundland – on a walk along the cliffs at Orcombe Point. We’d had her for three years, and she’s our absolute world. She’s super…

Normal people have superglue for ligaments. They can move their joints and muscles, without fear of their bones popping out of place. My joints are more like chewing gum! They click, pop and slip out of their sockets. I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare inherited condition that affects connective tissues. Whilst dislocating bones sounds like a cool party trick, it is actually incredibly painful and difficult to live with. In 1980, I was born with dislocated hip bones. One of the first signs of Ehlers-Danlos – and yet, I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 35 years old. Growing up, I suffered with headaches, popping joints and black outs. My mum Wendy, now 69, and dad Chris, 69, didn’t know what was wrong with me. Even doctors couldn’t help me. It’s…

Carr’s Flour believe that every time you bake or cook, the flour you use should be right for the job. It is their promise to mill the finest flour so bakers at home can create their own great baking moments, every time. They strive to source the best varieties of wheat, working with farmers who share their commitment. They know that when you start with the best, you get the best results. Elderflower and lemon drizzle cake Makes one loaf FOR THE LOAF 175g softened butter175g caster sugar175g Carr’s Self RaisingFlour½ tsp baking powder3 eggs100ml milk FOR THE LOAF 4 tbsp elderflower cordial4 tbsp caster sugarJuice of 1 lemon FOR THE FILLING & ICING Lemon curd55g icing sugarElderflower cordial andlemon juice (just enoughto mix with the icingsugar) 1 Grease and line…

JUST MUST TRY Artisan cheeses, £1.49 each, Aldi. Aldi is helping out British suppliers by taking nearly four tonnes of surplus stock from artisan cheesemakers whose businesses have been affected by Covid-19. The supermarket is offering a range of artisan cheeses including Norfolk Mardler, Cornish Blue and Sussex Charmer. M&M’s Hi Protein Bars, £2, Amazon. The iconic taste of M&M’s has now landed in a protein bar, with two new flavours - peanut and chocolate. Fakeaway’ meal boxes, £8, Asda. Asda’s new ‘fakeaway’ boxes have everything you need to recreate your favourite takeout at home, at a fraction of the price! Naked Zing Smoothie range, from £2.60, Tesco and Co-op. Available in three delicious flavours, strawberry, tropical and mango, these invigorating smoothies are packed with a punchy citrus hit. Kellogg’s…

www.theastrologyroom.com ARIES 21 March–20 April It is extremely important this week that you try to stay in the chapter you’re in and enjoy it while it’s lasting. You’re about to experience new choices, but it’s only by making clear endings this week that your new story will start to unfold as you had hoped. Major changes for a face in the family see you having to juggle your own commitments for the time being. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May The moon makes you more emotional this week. You question decisions you cannot undo. Try to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It is a long way you have travelled this last ten years. What lies before you now is an opportunity to live…