Innholdsfortegnelse for 24-Mar-2016 i Pick Me Up!

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…

‘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…

1 Stay chilled  Store hard-boiled eggs in a bowl of cold water in the fridge and they’ll last longer. Jade Kernaghan, Lydney 2 Egg-stra servings  If you clean them thoroughly, the lids from laundry liquid d ispensers make great egg cups. Sue Angus, Penn 3 Shell life  Scatter some crushed eggshells around the base of your plants to stop the slugs eating them. Jo Giles, Chesterfield 4 Eggs-ellent!  Make glam eggs for Easter by sticking on gems. Mae Ford, Exeter…

‘Growing up, I’d had dozens of spells in hospital’ ‘That little girl had died, so I could live…’ My childhood sweetheart Gary, 11, knew all my secrets. Except one... Born four weeks early, I had chronic interstitial nephritis. Essentially, it meant I only had one working kidney. With no cure, I had to take tablets every day to help my kidneys function but, long term, I faced kidney failure one day. Growing up, I’d had dozens of spells in hospital with urine infections. Otherwise, I hid my condition well. Especially on hols to the caravan site in Great Yarmouth, where I’d meet Gary every summer. I was scared he’d reject me if he knew. Then, when I reached 18, my doctor at the Royal Free Hospital, London, dropped the bombshell.…

Chewing-gum worry QI love chewing gum, but my young daughter keeps taking it out of my handbag and swallowing it instead of chewing it. It’s worrying me – will it harm her to swallow gum? Tracey, Tiverton A Gum’s not absorbed but passes through the gut. Odd pieces cause no problems, but if lots of it is swallowed, especially with indigestible food, such as sunflower seeds, the gut can get blocked. Young children don’t understand to chew not swallow, so keep gum away. Boob blues Q My breasts are different sizes and one hangs slightly lower than the other. It looks so weird that I’m ashamed and don’t want anyone else to see them. Amy, Vale of Glamorgan A All women have breasts of different sizes and shapes, so don’t…

‘A girl was found bound and gagged in the basement’ As officers burst through the front door, they threw a flash grenade to surprise, disorientate and stun their assailant. Matthew Hoffman, 30, had been asleep on the sofa, but police pulled him to the ground and arrested him on suspicion of murder. Then police searched the house in Ohio, USA. In the basement was a 13-year-old girl, bound and gagged. She’d been made to sleep on leaves and had on a white plastic bag with leg holes cut out. She’d been kidnapped four days before and sexually assaulted. Throughout the house, officers found odd things... There were leaves all over the living room floors and bagged up in the bathroom. In the freezer were two unskinned squirrels and red ice…

Easter Egg Cake Serves: 10 Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 15 min 1 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4 and grease and line bases of 2 x 20cm cake tins. 2 Put marg and dark chocolate in a small pan to melt over a gentle heat. 3 In a bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt and 1tsp caster sugar until stiff. 4 In another bowl, whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar until pale. Fold in flour and stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in egg whites, divide between tins and bake for 15 min until firm. Cool, then remove from tins. 5 Melt white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Take…

Propping my daughter Kitty, then 12 months, up on her knees, I tried to encourage her to crawl. ‘Come to Mummy,’ I cooed. But Kitty just tumbled to the floor in a heap. ‘She should be crawling by now,’ I sighed to Kitty’s dad Liam. Our daughter Charlotte, then 2, had been on the move at just 8 months. I’d taken Kitty to see our GP but was told she was just a slow learner. I knew there was more to it than that, though. Unlike other babies, Kitty never grabbed her feet, or put them in her mouth. She couldn’t roll over, either. Diagnosis Eventually, in August 2007, when she was 13 months, she was referred for tests. Then... ‘She’s got cerebral palsy,’ a doctor said. He explained it’s…

‘Back in Canada, I Skyped Darren every night’ Dropping me off at Toronto airport, my mum, Elaine, 53, said goodbye to me. ‘Look after yourself,’ she said. We lived in Canada. It was June 2014 and I’d just gone through a break-up. I’d been diagnosed with premature ovarian failure a few years before and it’d caused my relationship to fail. So I was heading to Kenya to work with orphaned children. I hoped helping others would stop me wallowing. I was flying to Heathrow to get my connection. Only the flight was delayed... Putting my headphones on, I listened to music, chatted to Mum on Facebook. Suddenly, I realised the gate was quiet... I went over to two young guys. ‘Do you know anything about the flight to Heathrow?’ I…

Flattering Fashion Even if you’re only working out to a DVD at home, this good-looking pair will help get you in a gym-fit frame of mind! They’re both available at www. peacocks.co.uk Try this…. Alpro Almond Unsweetened, 1 litre, £1.60 At 26 cal per 200ml (compared with 70 cal in skimmed milk), this is low in fat and contains calcium and vitamins B12, D, E and B2. Chilliburner, £28.99, www.chilliburner.co.uk It’s said that chilli peppers will help you burn more energy, so take this combination of chillies and green tea before exercise. Food Swaps The Secret Of My Success NAME: Nicola Cox, 36, from Yatton, Somerset. VITAL STATISTICS: I’d tried everything to weight, but ended up feeling the same – hungry and deprived! At…

I started building Lego with my son Lewis when he was 5, after he’d been given sets for Christmas and his birthday in 2009. As he was so young, I’d help him. ‘Wow!’ he’d say about a building. Lewis loved it, so people bought him loads of boxes of Lego as gifts! He had so much, I got him a play table to store his finished works and arrange them into a little town. In 2011, I thought it made sense to move the table into its own room. Adding more tables, soon our tiny town was a mini metropolis! I’d put together a train track which circled the city, while Lewis built things like a fire station, restaurants, a skate park, airport and even a haunted house. Now 11,…

5 Things You Learn DATING ONLINE 1 People tell lies in their profiles. Look out for baseball hats and sunglasses… 2 You will be sent willy pics by randoms. (Why do men think this is a winner?) 3 Men who are easily old enough to be your dad will hit on you without shame or embarrassment. 4 When you don’t hear back from him after a lovely date, it helps your ego if you pretend he was hit by a bus on the way home. 5 Your nan will always think that all online dating sites are solely populated by pervs and axe murderers. Beard Or No Beard? You Decide… Chick Flick Quote Quiz 1 ‘You had me at “hello”.’ 2 ‘Big mistake. Big. Huge.’ 3 ‘You’re a virgin who…

Relationships are always a focus of concern in our lives. Are you seeking a romantic partner? Are you experiencing difficulties in your current relationship? Are you both compatible? Our team of specially selected love psychics can help you find the answers you’re looking for on all matters of the heart. Using the ancient art of the tarot, your psychic reader will provide revealing answers. LIVEPSYCHICS & MEDIUMS! Call our live Psychics and Mediums now! Pay by your phone bill… Love Psychics 0906 174 1693 (£1.50/min)** Live Mediums 0906 174 1777 (£1.50/min)** Call Freephone 0800 063 0687 Book your reading with our friendly advisors Enjoy your consultation Or simply text LOVET (Space) plus your question to 87776 (Texts £1.50 per msg x 2)***…

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…

‘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…

Better Skin Clean & Clear is so confident that you’ll have clearer skin in three days when you use either of its Advantage and Blackhead Clearing ranges, that if you don’t see results, it’ll give you your money back! The deal runs between now and 30 April and can be claimed until 30 September. TV Time! Go to www.netflix.com to get your first month’s membership for free. You can cancel at any time, with no contract! After that it’s between £5.99 and £8.99 a month, depending on how many screens you watch it on and if you opt for HD. Visit the website for more info. Perfect Smile Pick up Listerine Advanced White Mouthwash from Boots, Superdrug or any major supermarket, and receive a free Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick worth…

‘I’m so glad Ashni’s parents have made this friendship with Gemma and can see the happiness their sacrifice has brought. It’s important to have a donor card, so good can come from a terrible situation.’ Sarah Harvey, Portslade ‘Kalpna and Paresh are so brave. Ashni had 12 years of love, and the love’s ongoing in Gemma and her boys. Organ donation gives people like Gemma a future.’ Glenis Wilkinson, Walsall ‘It’s so sad that Ashni’s parents had to let her go but they’ve given life and gained a connection with Gemma. It just shows something positive can come from the worst situations. Penny Sofocleous, N London…

1 Allergic rhinitis affects the inside of the nose. 2 People only suffer with it in summer. 3 The condition is rare. 4 It can be hard to treat. 1 TRUE This condition is an inflammation of the inside of the nose caused by an allergen, such as pollen, dust or animal dander. Sufferers experience sneezing and a blocked or runny nose. 2 FALSE Though pollen allergies mainly affect people in summer, sufferers of allergic rhinitis can have it all year round, depending on their allergies. For example, dust mite-dropping allergies are worse in winter. 3 FALSE It affects around one in five people in the UK. It’s believed to be caused by an overactive immune system reacting to an allergen as if it was harmful. 4 TRUE Mild cases…

"I was over the moon when I found out I’d won a holiday" Alexandra Won A Holiday And £1,000! Alexandra Malten, 62, Sydenham Relaxing on the sun lounger, I soaked up the afternoon rays. ‘Heaven!’ I said to my friend Steve, 69. It was November last year and we were enjoying an all-expenses-paid trip to Tenerife. We’d spent the week in a luxurious, all-inclusive five-star hotel. It was incredible! We’d had cocktails on the beach, fancy meals, refreshing dips in the pool... ‘Thanks for inviting me,’ Steve smiled. But it was all thanks to Pick Me Up! Bingo really. See, I’d won the trip after playing a few of my favourite games online. I joined Pick Me Up! Bingo in 2012. I knew lots of people who played bingo online…

1 Sainsbury’s Cherry Madeira Cake, £1.30 Moist, with a dense texture and a deep, buttery flavour, and just enough cherries. We’d use this for a trifle – just top with a tin of fruit and custard! 2 Asda Chosen By You Cherry Madeira Cake, £1 This light cake has a great texture and flavour – and loads of cherries. Serve for pud with a dollop of ice cream or hot custard. 3 Morrisons Cherry Cake, £1.07 Stuffed with cherries, this is a really moist and juicy teatime treat. Cut as big or as small a slice as you fancy! Make it yourself... Serves: 8 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 1½ hr 1 Preheat oven to 140C/ Gas 2 and grease and…

‘He taunted Rachelle with Facebook messages’ REVENGE KILLING: AUSTRALIA Ramazan Acar and Rachelle D’Argent had once been in love. Were even engaged at one point. And they had a beautiful 2-year-old daughter Yazmina, known as Mimi. But Ramazan was jealous and violent. By 2010, he’d been convicted of assault against Rachelle, and banned from seeing Mimi. Despite this, Ramazan persistently contacted his ex about gaining access to his daughter. Eventually, Rachelle relented and allowed Ramazan to have Mimi to stay overnight at his parents’ house. The visit went well - as did others that followed. So, in November 2010, when Ramazan asked to surprise Mimi with a trip to a local milk bar, Rachelle agreed. Instead, Ramazan took his daughter to a housing estate in Victoria, where he stabbed her…

Snuffle Dog Beer, from £2.50, www. snuffledogbeer.com If you think your pooch deserves a little tipple after a long week (just the same as their owners!) then you might want to pick them up a bottle of this! It doesn’t actually contain alcohol or fizz, and is made from beef or chicken and malt barley extracts. Albedo100 Reflective Spray in Sparkling Grey, £12.99, Halfords Stay safe in the dark by spraying your clothes and shoes with this clever reflective spray. It looks grey in daylight, but becomes reflective when hit with light in the dark! It can be washed off after use or will wear off after a week. The Original Tansie, £7.50, www.tanguard.co.uk Designed to be worn after you’ve had a spray-tan or…

‘I’ve earned £1,000’ Berenice Northcott, 35 I’ve moved house quite a lot, so I’ve found Quidco brilliant for setting up my broadband and TV. I got £150 cashback for signing up to Sky. All in all, I’ve made more than £1,000, which is incredible! I used some of the cashback I got towards my wedding last year, but have put the rest into savings. Now I recommend Quidco to all my pals - I really can’t think of a reason not to use it! ‘I tell all my friends’ Emma Cullington, 32 When a mate told me about Quidco back in 2010, I wasn’t sure, but she soon won me over. Before long, I was actually telling all my friends that they should use it - and enjoying the cashback…

My favourite novel is Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice . I’ve read it so many times and seen all of the film and telly adaptations. I identify with feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet and absolutely adore the pomp of that era. In 2011, I met teaching assistant Uan Harrison, 34, through work. We became an item, and Uan fell for me and my beloved book! Four years later, while Uan was playing laser quest at Lydiard Park country estate, his mate Ben called to say Uan was hurt. Worried, I raced to the fabulous mansion. As I rushed into the drawing room, I saw no wounded solider… Instead, I came face-to-face with heartthrob Mr Darcy! It was Uan – in a waistcoat, shirt, breeches and riding boots! He…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Play it cool in love if you want to feel in control. You’ve been acting irrationally due to your ruling planet pushing you to ask for more than you actually wanted originally. Thank your lucky stars that, from Thursday, clarity reigns again. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You’ve recently adopted a much more mature view of love and it has really paid off, Taurus. It has, however, made you realise how much better off you are putting distance between you and a certain someone! Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June This week, if you can see potential in every opportunity, then you will feel the rewards that each opportunity brings. The chance to take on someone else’s responsibilities gives you a…

‘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…

1 Free for you..?  You don’t pay if you’re under 16 or over 60; in full-time education and 16-18 years old; pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months; you or your partner receive Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. 2 Try pre-pay  A single prescription is £8.20, but it’s £29.10 for three months. If you have over two items a month, you’ll save money. 3 Cheaper option? Ask the pharmacist before the prescription is filled, as many items are cheaper over-the-counter. 4 Need more?  If you know you may run out, ask your GP for a larger prescription.…

‘He had some groin pain, then he found a lump...’ ‘It’s alright, I’ve just pulled a muscle,’ Ian Palmer, my sports-mad boyfriend insisted in the summer of 2014. He’d been pushing himself really hard, training me for a charity half-marathon, as well as himself for the new football season. So when Ian, 26, started getting groin pains, he thought he was just overdoing it. But a few months later, in September, Ian found a lump on his left testicle and the pain had got worse. ‘Maybe it’s bruising,’ he wondered. ‘You need to get that looked at,’ I told him. His mum Debbie, a nurse, agreed with me, and together we badgered him until he decided to go to Southampton General Hospital in October. Desperately hoping it was nothing, Ian…

‘A lot of people think sufferers are just lazy’ When I was 9 years old, I was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis. ME. I’d been getting migraines and headaches for just over a year. And I felt tired all the time. After my diagnosis, I had to quit school. I was just too ill. My mum Tracey, now 45, got a home-tutor for me when I felt up to it. Gradually, my symptoms became more severe. I threw up everything I ate, needed to be tube-fed. Some days, just having a chat with Mum would knock me for six. When I overexerted myself, I’d black out in agony. And, as if things couldn’t get worse...a year later, when I was 10, the intolerance to light started. It was another symptom of…

Three Weird Recipe Books Weirdest Websites cat-bounce.com Make virtual kitties bounc e over your screen! Check out the 'mak e it rain’ option, too – you won’t be disappointed! shipyourenemiesglitt er.com Send glitter to your friends – or your foes – without having t o get covered yourself ! Genius! nooooooooooooooo .com Feeling stressed? Go to the site…click on the button… Feel better now? snapbubbles.com Here you can pop a virtual v ersion of the oddly c ompelling plas tic that is bubble wrap to your heart’s content. Five Short- Girl Problems 1 We have to learn to walk quickly, just so we’re not trailing behind our long-legged, taller friends. 2 There’s no chance of us wearing a maxi skirt or dress. 3 We always have to be at the…

Bermuda Hand-made kites can be seen flying high in the skies of Bermuda on Good Friday. The colourful kites are made from flat sticks and coloured tissue paper. Bermudians fly them to symbolise Christ’s resurrection. Spain On Maundy Thursday, the Dance Of Death takes place at night near Barcelona. The jig is performed by men dressed as skeletons and represents the judgement of the soul after death. Philippines Christians re-enacting Christ’s suffering on Good Friday attracts thousands of spectators in the Philippines. The volunteers have nails hammered into their hands and feet. The event is widely condemned by the Catholic Church. Slovakia Be grateful you’re not a woman in Slovakia over Easter! Men in traditional dress whip women with willow branches and douse them in cold water. Apparently, the whole…

TRIED&TESTED This week: Gel nail polish 1 Rimmel London Kate Super Gel nail polish in Rock N Roll, £5.99, Boots As with all of these polishes, you need to use it with the required top coat for best results, but you don’t need a UV lamp! I was really impressed at how shiny this one was. 2 Avon Gel Shine Nail Enamel in Fire Cracker, £7, www.avonshop.co.uk This gorgeous polish only needed two thin coats for a strong colour that lasted really well. 3 Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing Nail Paint in Can’t Get You Out Of My Red, £4.99, Boots I liked that even though this was really hard-wearing, it wasn’t at all ASK JESS I love wearing false Q eyelashes when I go out, but I…

‘She has my face on her thigh, just below her bottom!’ I’ve always liked bold make-up, and in October 2012 I saw some of make-up artist Alexandra Godwin’s pics on Instagram. Love your style I told the 31-year-old. We followed each other on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and began exchanging messages. A month on, she asked if I’d help her out by taking part in a make-up fashion show. I agreed. Sadly the event didn’t happen, but we swapped numbers and chatted constantly. Both in Glasgow, we met in a cafe in January 2014 and 12 hours later, we were still out drinking! Luckily, my fella Brian, 35, and hers, Toby, 24, get on, too. Then, last May, as Alexandra was moving to Oxford for a while, we hatched a…

‘When she saw her reflection, her eyes filled with tears’ I watched through the window as my daughter Georgia, then 12, chased our dog, Dude, around the garden. A 9-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, he loved Georgia. Some folk wrongly think of the breed as aggressive. Not our Dude - he’s a big softie! Before I knew it, he was on his back, and Georgia was giving his tummy a tickle. ‘He’ll have you there all day,’ I called out, laughing. Not that Georgia would’ve minded - she loved dogs. Then, in October 2014, Georgia was playing out with friends. Later, she told me she was going to watch TV at a neighbour’s house. Sarah White, 37, lived nearby on the same estate as us, and Georgia regularly hung out at…