Table of contents for 16-Feb-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Crouching at the top of the stairs, I heard the familiar sound of my parent’s arguing. And, holding hands with my sister, Gemma, then 13, we made a pact. ‘If we’re ever in a position where we can do make sure kids don’t have to go through the same thing, then let’s promise that we will do something,’ we said. Although it was a strong statement to say, at just 12 and 13, we hadn’t had a conventional childhood, and domestic violence was common in our surroundings. Growing up, domestic violence informed a lot of my decisions. Despite finding myself in difficult relationships, though, I managed to blossom in my career as a professional singer, travelling the world. It sent my mind buzzing into action That is, until 2008. Following…

Standing at the bar, a shot of Sambuca was placed in front of me. ‘I don’t know about this…’ I laughed. ‘Go on, Hannah,’ my mate Cayley, 35, egged me on. ‘You only turn 30 once!’ It was July 2019 and my first night out since having my little boy three months earlier. But I’d dropped him off at his grandparents for my birthday night out, and it was nice to let my hair down. Drinks flowed, and a spot on the karaoke machine opened up. ‘Right, my turn!’ I said excitedly, grabbing the mic and belting out Proud Mary. We were at the village pub, and when the bell rang for last orders at 11pm, I wasn’t ready to call it a night. ‘My mate’s having a house party,’…

Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: European country. ACROSS 1 Hawker (6) 4 Shindig (8) 10 2022 comedy thriller starring 19 Across, 24 Across, 7 Down, and 21 Down (9) 11 Picture puzzle (5) 12 Pungent (5) 13 Beach (9) 14 Ten-sided shape (7) 16 Button (4) 19 Christian __, star of films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (4) 21 The Yellowhammer State (7) 24 __ __ Washington, star of films Tenet and Malcolm & Marie (4,5) 25 Parent’s brother (5) 26 Freight (5) 27 Depose (9) 28 Underlet (8) 29 Attractive (6) DOWN 1 Posters (8) 2 Region (8) 3 Improve (5) 5 Wrestling hold (7) 6 Capital of Catalonia (9) 7 Margot __, actor who played Donna Freedman…

Slotting my fingers into the three holes on a range of different bowling balls, I needed to choose the perfect one – it was my game plan. ‘Oh, come on,’ my partner Jordan, 29, sighed, rolling his eyes in response. Only, moments later, the pins made a tumbling sound, with the last one wobbling over. ‘Ha! Strike,’ I cheered, walking back to my seat with a spring in my step. ‘Beat that!’ With my two children Sofia, six, and Tyas, four, at their dad’s house for the weekend, it was time for me and Jordan to have some fun of our own on 19 November last year. A day at our local bowling centre, before going on to have a victory meal at Bella Italia afterwards – the bowling game…

Fika roughly translates from Swedish as meeting up with family, friends or colleagues for a coffee and a chat, accompanied by a sweet treat. It sounds a little bit like the British tradition of afternoon tea, right? Well, it’s actually a whole lot more than that. Fika is essentially the practice of reconnecting with others by making time in your day to stop, take a breath, and savour your coffee slowly, perhaps while munching on a delicious kanelbullar – a Swedish cinnamon bun. It’s the complete opposite to the British habit of grabbing a coffee on the run, rushing to complete the day’s chores. Fika is essentially the practice of reconnecting with others On the contrary, it’s time to reset and recharge. ‘Switching off can be difficult, especially when the…

Scarlett’s Driving School, BBC Expect drama, tears and plenty of emotionally-fuelled moments as we gear up to see whether Scarlett Moffatt can finally pass her driving test – on the 14th attempt. Viewers will join Scarlett behind the wheel, with cameras capturing every driving disaster or minor scrape in this new 10-part series. Despite countless personal achievements and successes since learning to drive at 17, a driving licence has always evaded Scarlett. Now, she has opened the doors to a unique driving school in Teesside to bag her own licence and help other struggling learner drivers. World’s Most Secret Hotels, Channel 4 From underwater retreats and remote desert lodges to treetop cabins, this series visits the most hidden and remote hotels on the planet. In this episode, we explore some…

SIMPLE SWITCH Trying to be a little more sustainable this year? Why not try Face Halo’s brand new Bamboo Pads? Designed specifically to be used with liquid skincare such as your micellar water, toner and exfoliator, these are an easy switch that you can add to your routine. How to use: Step 1 - wet Dampen a bamboo pad with toner, water or your desired skincare product. Step 2 - apply or remove Apply skincare, or remove products or impurities. Gently pat or swipe across skin. Step 3 - wash and reuse Hand wash with soap and water after use and air dry. Machine wash in provided washbag every one to two weeks. Pucker up Love a matte finish but hate that dry feeling? Who doesn’t? That’s why Avon have…

Stood amongst the bags of feed and pet toys, it was truly love at first sight for me. Scents of damp sawdust lingered around my nostrils, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the fella in front of me. ‘Isn’t he gorgeous?’ I said, to my husband William, 66. ‘Definitely,’ William agreed. Staring at the brown furry face in front of us, I smiled as he blinked back at us. I loved hamsters – they had such cheeky personalities. And he was no different – I couldn’t wait to take him home. Our previous hamster, Renton, had passed away a few months earlier, and now in September 2019, it felt like the right time to move on. And this little chap seemed a perfect addition to the family. But what…

Jonny England shares his top tips on perfecting your fika moment: • Switch off: Take 20 minutes out of your day and use this opportunity to switch off from your technology. Detach yourself from the buzz of work and focus on having a moment to recharge. Fika provides the perfect platform to give a bad day a reset or reflect on a good day. • Good company: The most important part of your fika moment is spending it in good company, exploring what you are feeling and giving you that opportunity to talk to others. This is a moment where you can talk about what is on your mind and get into the important stuff, not necessarily the day-to-day grumbles of work and mundane life in general. • Choose your…

Fancy a twist on your pancakes this Shrove Tuesday? Well it couldn’t be easier with this delicious recipe from Bonne Maman… YOU’LL NEED… □ 125g plain flour□ Pinch of salt□ 1 tbsp caster sugar□ 1 tbsp cocoa powder – optional□ 2 free-range eggs, beaten□ 25g melted butter, plus extra for cooking□ 250ml semi-skimmed milk□ 3 tbsps cold water□ Sugar to dust□ 250g jar Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread (to serve) METHOD: 1) Put the plain flour, salt, cocoa powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Start stirring with a balloon whisk, then slowly whisk in the melted butter, milk and water. Increase your whisking speed until you have a thin batter about the same consistency of single cream. 2)…

‘I’m not eating this,’ declared my seven-year-old Benjamin, when he saw the potato and chive salad that I had made for tea. ‘It’s got grass in it!’ Lucy Travell, Barnwood Like most children, our wee ones were getting fed up with me taking so many photographs of them and with each other. ‘Just one more,’ I said. I guess their message came through loud and clear… Mike Lunn, Beith Our two-year-old Syrian hamster, Toffee, seems to be saying: ‘I’m escaping for the night!’ Trevor Dolling, Clapham My lovely mum is currently having cancer treatment, so she’s not herself at the minute. I would love to put a smile on her face. Shelley Barrett, Sheffield Our cat Eric is just so vain! He is so busy posing for a photo, he hasn’t noticed…

International Executive Coach of the Year and Behavioural Expert, Jo Emerson, is here to answer your dilemmas. To find Jo's confidence course make sure to check out: jo-emerson.com Will I be able to solve this? Q I’ve noticed that my 12-year-old son hasn’t made any friends since starting secondary school. He’s such a fun and bubbly character, and I’d love for him to have a great group of friends. Should I message some parents in the same school year and set something up for him? Ava, Kingston upon Hull A I guess that depends on him and whether he’d like you to do this for him. My teenagers all found their friendship groove at different stages and I’m really glad I didn’t meddle. You see, if you do set something…

Taking inspiration from minimalist Scandinavian design, this style is all things chic, and it’s on the rise. Think crisp oversized shirts, staple denim pieces, and neutral tailored pieces. It’s true that you’ll look put together……

Leaving the house at 8am, heading to the beach was the first thing on my agenda. With the tide out, I’d stretch my legs for half a mile, with absolutely no one in sight – just the occasional seagull. Which could only mean one thing for me… Digging deep, opening my diaphragm and singing at the top of my voice! ‘So, pass it on, spread it around, before you know it, it’s all over town,’ I bellowed into the sound of the waves. With no dog walkers in sight, it was the perfect place to practise my vocal exercises – it also meant that there was no judgement, just me and my lyrics. Something I realised was meant for me during lockdown. After me and my ex came to the…

Why not choose one of these Swedish sweet treats to accompany your coffee? Chokladbollar (chocolate balls) – The humble chocolate ball is simple but beloved. Made of oatmeal, cocoa powder, melted butter, sugar and vanilla, all mixed together before being rolled into small balls and coated with coconut. Bondkakor (small cookies) – Translated as ‘farm cookies’, these simple but delicious cookies bring everything back to basics without losing any flavour. The two most important components are almonds and golden syrup! Mazariner (almond tart) – A shortbread filled with a creamy almond paste, this is a popular Swedish sweet treat. Kladdkaka (sticky chocolate cake) – The country’s most popular cake, and for good reason! To get the perfect gooey-ness, the cake is deliberately under-baked and has no raising agents, helping it…

Bin Freshener, £1.99, B&M When cleaning the kitchen, don’t forget about your bins and food waste caddy – this is where a lot of bacteria harbours and is forgotten about. Fabulosa have a scented bin freshener which absorbs liquid and masks odour – perfect for your bins! Match the scent to your other cleaning products, available in Electrify, Fresh Breeze, and Rainbow Drops. Verdict: GENIUS! Have you tried? Smart Household Waste Bin, £119.95, Amazon We know that emptying the bin is a job that everyone in the household avoids. But have you ever heard of a smart bin? Working like a robot, this caddy can recognise when the contents are getting full, instantly self-tying the bin bag before lining the inside with another! All you have to do is remove the…

Kate Kasten and her boyfriend Richard Darren Emery looked the picture of happiness. Richard, known as Darren, was sweet and loving, and doted on Kate’s children, 10-year-old Jonathan and eight-year-old Zoe, as if they were his own. But life hadn’t been easy for Kate, 39, and her kids. Kate had been married to the love of her life, Kory – but when he was diagnosed with cancer, their world crumbled apart. He battled the disease for six long years, and Kate cared for him. But in April 2017, aged 43, he passed away. Kate, Jonathan and Zoe were heartbroken. Dealing with their dad’s illness for most of their lives, the sweet kids had an adorable bond and helped each other through the tough times – and Kate and Kory had…