Pick Me Up! 24-Mar-2016

What A Throwback! If, like me, you get all sentimental about classic 80s TV, search ‘Dallas’ at www.lifedeathprizes.com and reminisce about JR, Miss Ellie and all things Ewing… What A Combo! Coloured bagels, red velvet cake and cream cheese? Together?! Only in America – at The Bagel Store, Brooklyn, New York. (Someone alert me as soon as they ship overseas..!) What A Thrill! The second I heard about personalised Nutella-jar labels, I claimed my free one! Well, it had my name all over it! 30 …days of squatting! A friend who’d taken The 30-Day Squat Challenge told me I’d have a perter bottom and better-toned thighs by the end. I’ll start tomorrow, honest… Ed’s Test Can you unscramble the letters to find the 7-letter product that got Tanya excited this…

Egghead! My son came first in an Easter-hat competition. He was thrilled with his choccy prize! Dee Short, Walsall Cat in the hat I think my 7-year-old puss Carrie looks very pretty in her Easter bonnet, don’t you? Lucy Hill, Halifax A good soak Yes, I was getting a bit wet, but I still loved my trip to the Erawan waterfall in Thailand! Reeve Coulson, Liverpool Razor’s edge Move over, Grandad! Our 5-year-old grandson TJ decided it was time to share the shaving mirror... Tanya Taylor, Rossendale Wedding waves I cherish this photo of me and my husband Richard, just after we got married on the beach on Kos. Lisa Adams, Halesowen The tide is high Not sure why this piano was by the shore of California’s Highway 101, but…

‘I’d heard that Ashley was seeing someone else…’ Double trouble. That’s what everybody used to say about me and my half-sister, Rachael. Four years younger than me, we share the same dad. As a kid, I doted on her, loved having a little sister. We’d make dens, share our secrets... Growing up, we’d swap clothes and gossip about boys. Then when I was 16, I met Ashley Mercer, 17. He lived nearby and I walked his mum’s dogs for a bit of pocket money. ‘Alright, gorgeous,’ he winked when I saw him one day. Full of confidence, he was such a charmer. We were soon a couple and a month later, in March 2005, we moved into our own place. Sure, it was fast. But I knew Ashley and I…

‘How awful! To be betrayed by the two people who you should trust the most is just terrible. What Rachael did was unforgivable. She should’ve spoken to Kelly first about her feelings before acting on them.’ Kelly Imrie, 33, Hurlford ‘There’s an unwritten rule that you don’t go there with a friend’s ex, let alone a sister’s! This is proof of how messy it can get. It’s a shame that the kids are going to miss out on growing up together, but I understand why she doesn’t want anything to do with her sister again.’ Jade Loughrey, 31, Birmingham…

‘Trapped, I thought this was how my life would be forever’ Mum’s new boyfriend always had a smile on his face. Gordon Tidswell, then 29, was a dustbin man, and often popped in for a cuppa after shifts. Charming, with an infectious grin, he was friendly to me and my little brother. I’d never known my own dad, and it was nice seeing Mum happy. ‘Let’s go exploring,’ Gordon often suggested. So, some weekends, my brother, Mum, Gordon and I enjoyed walks in the woods close by, or in the country. Then, one day, in summer 1981, Gordon suggested taking us kids to the woods alone while Mum did housework. Sick excuse ‘Shall we make a bonfire?’ Gordon said. He instructed my brother to fetch some sticks. Excited, my brother…

Pop cooked spinach in a colander, then squeeze it with a potato masher to get rid of excess water and stop it going all soggy! Rachel Kurzfield, South London By attaching little chicks and feathers to this old hat, my wife created this lovely Easter bonnet! Paul Iles, Bristol Stick some twigs in a vase, hang some colourful foil eggs and you have a pretty decoration for Easter. Kim Hochkins, Birmingham Keep your cooking oil in a plastic bag as it stops your cupboards getting all sticky. Jon Connelly, Wishaw Hang your hair appliances on wall hooks next to your mirror so that they’re always handy. Sharon Taylor, Runcorn Do you get cheese bits stuck in the grater? Use a pastry brush to remove them. Judith Cairns, Colchester If your…