Table of contents for 21-Sep-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Stepping onto the scales, I held my breath nervously. A Saturday for an ice skater like me in the early 2000s meant being weighed to ensure I was still in shape. More importantly, that I’d still fit into the skin-tight costumes we wore each night. Looking down at the number, I sighed with relief – I hadn’t put on any weight. But that didn’t stop my intrusive thoughts. I’m too fat and curvy for this… they chanted. Comparing myself to the skaters around me, I never realised the impact it was having on my mental health. That was until I quit skating in 2004 to become a teacher – I’d always loved supporting those around me. I suffered from intrusive thoughts And while I trained as a performance life coach…

What can you sea? We've all seen turtles on the TV and some of us have even been lucky enough to swim with them… But did you know that you can visit them in-person at SEA LIFE London? Housing some of the world’s most incredible animals, from huge sharks to mysterious stingrays, jellyfish and thousands of tropical fish, too, you can step into an underwater world! From the Ray Lagoon to the Shark Tunnel, there’s something new around every corner… Make sure to give a wave to SEA LIFE’s resident sea turtles, Boris and Dougie, as you go! • Tickets from £29.50. To book, please visit: visitsealife.com Meet the locals! SEA LIFE London Aquarium proudly calls itself home to two green sea turtles, Boris and Dougie! Both turtles were bred at…

Scrolling through Facebook, I came across a group that caught my attention. The Biggies League was advertising rescue dogs and I just had to check it out. After losing my family pup Freddy in 2021, at first, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to replace him. But after a year, I knew I needed a furry companion. The Biggies League is a non-profit dog organisation set up in 2018 to save rescue dogs from Romania, where they are often abandoned on the streets or abused by unloving owners. Hearing some awful stories, I wanted to give just one pup a kind and loving home. And so it was set, I was going to get a rescue dog! Arriving at the kennel, it was clear my options were by no means…

HAIR CARE HEROES 1.JOHN FRIEDA MIRACULOUS RECOVERY DEEP CONDITIONER, £7.99 This gorgeous hair mask, formulated with targeted Anti-Damage Technology and hair-loving ingredients, is on hand to nourish distressed, heat-damaged locks. Used regularly, dehydrated and frizzy hair will be quenched, nourished and conditioned. 2.ONLY CURLS SILK PILLOWCASE, £40 Wake up to gorgeous curls with this silk pillowcase. The smooth silk fabric helps to reduce tangles, breakage and frizz, so you’ll get the ultimate beauty sleep. 3.TANGLE TEEZER ULTIMATE DETANGLER FINE & FRAGILE BRUSH, £14 Struggle with fine, fragile locks? Well it may be time to look at your hairbrush. An important step in every wash routine, this bestselling hairbrush is tough on knots but gentle to sensitive scalps come shower time. Less breaking and pulling, but more TLC. A silk pillowcase…

Be a winner! This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis. Organise your wardrobe with this 20-pack of non-slip, easy-to-use hangers which will keep your clothes in order. They can be used to hang scarves, belts and ties, as well as jumpers, too, without stretching. With these, you’ll have an easy-to-access wardrobe in no time! For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Plant refresh I use a banana skin to clean my house plants and make them shine! They always look better for it and I save on adding to landfill as afterwards, I add them to the compost heap. Gloria Wilding, Prescot Tip of the week Clutter buster Tidy up the house by taking an empty wash basket and filling it…

Getting diagnosed If you have just been diagnosed with colitis or Crohn’s, it can be a daunting experience. Luckily, Crohn’s & Colitis UK have shared their helpful advice for what to do after an IBD diagnosis. • For more information, please visit: crohnsandcolitis.org.uk 1) Look after yourself There’s a lot to get your head around, so take your time. Your mental health and wellbeing may be affected by your diagnosis, so it’s important to take in information at your own pace and practice self-care. 2) Stay informed It is only natural that you will have lots of questions about your condition and how it may affect you. All About Crohn’s and Colitis is a handy guide to help explain what your conditions mean and is available via the Crohn’s & Colitis…

Standing in front of the mirror, gazing at my reflection, I felt a lump in my throat. Oh my God, I thought. This is the one! I’d been out wedding dress shopping with my mum Kate, stepmum Jean, mother-in-law Mary and sister Isabella, and now I was saying yes to the dress – it was the first dress I’d tried on, and as soon as I stepped out of the changing room, everyone was overcome with emotion. With eight layers of floaty tulle and netting and delicate beading, it was the princess dress of my dreams – and seeing myself as a bride made me even more excited to marry the love of my life. Tom, 31, and I had been together since 2019, after matching on Tinder, then discovering…

Attempting to get a good grasp on my whitehead, pain surged through the bump on my hand as I prepared for a splat of pus to pop out. Only, there was nothing… After waking up in the early hours of the morning on 30 March this year, with a sudden pain in my finger, I left my hubby Stephen, 25, asleep, trying not to wake our kids Ethan, eight, Blaze, seven, and Poppy, five, as I staggered to the bathroom. Trying to get a better look in the light, that’s when I saw a spot that had emerged – only no matter how hard I tried, nothing could relieve it. So as the morning rolled around, with the pimple shining on my hand, I thought I’d turn to a slightly…

As the Spice Girls sang, friendship never ends – but it’s something you have to work at and nurture to make those relationships blossom and flourish. So, who better people to turn to for advice than the older generation? Many residents across Sanctuary Care’s homes have been pals for decades – and they’re sharing their sage wisdom on how to maintain those lifelong friendships. • Sanctuary Care homes across England and Scotland provide expert dementia, residential and respite care. • Please visit: sanctuary-care.co.uk • Always look out for each other Best friends of 50 years, Kashiben Patel, 88, and Kamuben Patelare, 89, live at Asra House Residential Care home in Leicester – they grew up together in neighbouring towns in India, before moving to the UK in the 1950s. ‘We’ve…

Question time Baking can be a minefield – but don’t worry, we’ve got Candice Bannister, baking expert and founder of Candy’s Cupcakes, here to bust those myths and answer some of the most frequently asked baking questions. • Please visit: candyscupcakes.co.uk 1. What’s a good egg substitute for baking? Bananas and chickpea water make a great natural ingredient egg replacement when baking. However, most supermarkets now sell egg replacer in a powder form and the brand Oggs offers an egg alternative which is much easier to use. 2. How long will my cupcakes stay fresh for? How long your cupcakes stay fresh for all depends on what icing you have used and if it covers the majority of the sponge. Store cakes at room temperature in an airtight container to…

Sending me a picture, it was clear that a yellow and grey theme was wanted. ‘This is the sort of thing I’d like for his nursery,’ my wife Robyn, then 32, said. After knowing Robyn for half my life, meeting through mutual friends back in 1997 and deciding to tie the knot in July 2013, we knew what we wanted next – a family. And in our first month of trying, we quickly found ourselves at the local store in James Bay Southern Victoria, Canada, buying tests, with a positive reading when we got home. ‘We’re pregnant,’ we excitedly announced to our family and friends weeks later – everyone was over the moon. With a tight group of friends, having a great laugh and so much fun to be around,…

If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate sharing smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

Answer on page 47. ACROSS 6 Orlando __, star of films The Good Doctor and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (5) 7 Thirteenth largest country in Africa (8) 10 Signal in an F1 race to stop due to danger (3,4) 11 Bear witness (7) 12 Remove hair (7) 13 First-year student (7) 14 2023 true-story motorsport film starring 6 Across, 2 Down, 6 Down, and 24 Down; named after a video game (4,7) 19 Merit (7) 21 Graphic representation (7) 23 Engraving (7) 25 On the point of (5,2) 26 Intrinsic (8) 27 Naomi __, star of TV series Small Axe and film Lady Macbeth (5) DOWN 1 Scribbling (8) 2 __ Hartford, star of TV series Men, Women, & Reality and film Nightfall (6)…

Going to the toilet, in between chunks of revision, I was getting ready for my GCSE exams in September 2016. Only when I went to the toilet, I saw blood in my stool. Oh, I must have strained too hard, I thought. It’s nothing that won’t fix itself. Only I began noticing this symptom was worsening every time I went to the loo. And by October, it was getting really bad. Looking at the pools of red in the loo, I felt embarrassed. And my embarrassment was enough to stop me feeling worried about it. I didn’t want to tell anyone, even my parents Sue, 59, and Grant, 60. My embarrassment drove me to believe that everything would be OK – I didn’t want to talk about my bowel movements…

JUST REGISTER AND GO TO INSTANT WINS 1 PRIZE TO BE WON Win a Ring Video Doorbell Win a Ring Video Doorbell Set, the ultimate solution for modern home security and convenience. This sleek and powerful device combines cutting-edge technology with user-friendly features to provide you with peace of mind and seamless control over your front door. 1 PRIZE TO BE WON Win a two night blissful break voucher with Red Letter Days If you or someone you know needs a well-deserved escape from the daily grind, this extraordinary gift voucher offers the perfect getaway experience. You have the freedom to choose from a handpicked selection of idyllic destinations across the country, all designed to provide a tranquil and rejuvenating retreat for you to reset. 1 PRIZE TO BE WON…

CONFIDENCE IS KEY Question time with… John Humphrey, 64, from Brighton – owner of over 100 pairs of colourful dungarees, working alongside iconic all-in-one brand Lucy & Yak… • Please visit: lucy&yak.com 1. Tell us more about how your love for dungarees started… I was interested in dungarees since the ‘70s when denim pairs were all the rage and dungarees had gone from workwear to being a fashion item. But I could never quite find any that fit me, being on the larger side. It wasn’t until the ‘80s that more styles were available – that’s when I found my fit and never looked back! 2. What are your favourite pair in your collection and why? It’s got to be the cotton Easton in the ‘Ringo’ print. They hold special…

Sort Your Life Out, BBC One In episode three, Stacey Solomon and her gang meet the Lloyd family in Nottinghamshire – with the challenge of sorting their life out in just seven days. Stacey, organiser Dilly, carpenter Rob and cleaner Iwan show the family how to transform their messy home through a huge declutter, budget-friendly makeover and super-sized spring clean. Parents Venicia and Elisha, along with their four children and Venicia’s younger brother Samuel, pack away all their possessions as Stacey tasks the family to let go of half of them. There are emotional moments as the family go through their most cherished items while the team work their magic – then it’s time for the big reveal. Secrets of our Universe with Tim Peake, Channel 5 Across three mesmerising…

Known for its historical, picturesque hotspots, white horses and its ham, Wiltshire is full of hidden gems, waiting to be explored. Pack your bags, bring your hiking boots and experience charm like never before… Life is like a box of chocolates In the famous words of Forrest Gump, these have been coined ‘chocolate box villages’ due to their charm, charisma and picture-perfect scenery – an image that would have been displayed on a box of sweets. Home to some of the UK’s best, Wiltshire has plenty to offer… 1. Castle Combe Famously voted as one of the UK’s top tourist hidden gems, Castle Combe offers spectacular walks throughout the Wiltshire countryside combined with quaint cobbles lining 13th century streets. A filming location featured in War House and Stardust, make sure to…