Innholdsfortegnelse for 02-Mar-2017 i Pick Me Up!

What An Encounter! It was so exciting to meet pop sensation Peter Schilling in Berlin recently. His song Major Tom has always been one of my favourites. I insist you listen to it on repeat for the rest of the day! 30 That’s the maximum number of grams of sugar an adult should have per day, says NHS Change4Life. With no idea how much sugar I was consuming in a day, I thought it best to step away from the fab cake bouquet (below)… What A Bouquet! We all felt a bit like Marie Antoinette when this bouquet of cakes was delivered to the office. I could’ve eaten it all! But my colleagues might’ve had something to say about it… What A Mystery! Will anyone ever…

Store your duvet sets inside the matching pillowcases. That way, they’ll be kept away neatly for easy access. Mary Hadley, Halesowen Fill a small glass with coffee or coffee beans, pop in a tealight and your home will smell like a coffee shop. Use a vanilla tealight for an even stronger odour. Lee Hall, Sittingbourne Kids will love doing this experiment! Just place some Skittles on a plate and carefully add some warm water to create this beautiful effect. Joanne Davenport, Radcliffe Cut back on your ironing time by slowing down the spin speed to reduce creases, then immediately shake the clothes out once the cycle’s finished. Angela Garvin, Chadwell Heath Cut out magazine recipes, balance them in the prongs of a fork and leave to stand in a glass.…

1 Turn It Down  Most new properties are well insulated, so having the heating on full blast is unnecessary. Try turning the thermostat to 18C for great savings. 2 Snuggle Up  Expecting to feel warm indoors during chilly spring days in shorts and a T-shirt is unrealistic. So dress appropriately to help keep down heating bills. 3 Weather-Proof  Investing in double glazing is costly, so the next best thing is to fix brush door seals and fit self-adhesive weather strips to all door and window frames. 4 Keep Water Warm Insulating your hot water tank will give it greater efficiency and will save on the bills throughout the year. Make sure the tank ‘jacket’ is at least 75mm thick and adheres to…

Maxine Steward, 25, Ipswich It was the worst thing that any mother could hear. I’d just been told my newborn daughter Lydia-Sophie only had a 10 per cent chance of survival. It was February 2016, and I’d just given birth at 24 weeks pregnant. Doctors still don’t know why it’d happened. They’d tried to keep her in my womb longer but, when we both contracted septicaemia, they had no choice. ‘If we don’t deliver now, you’ll both die,’ the doctor said. When Lydia-Sophie arrived by emergency Caesarean, she wasn’t breathing. Weighing 1lb 4oz, she was immediately ventilated, and put in an incubator. Seven hours later, my mum and birthing partner Rachael, 41, came with me to see Lydia-Sophie for the first time. ‘She’s so tiny, I could fit her in…

1 TRUE Kaposi’s sarcoma is a rare cancer caused by a virus, which is believed to be spread through saliva, during sex or from mum to baby during birth. 2 FALSE The most common symptoms are an appearance of small, bruise-like patches on the skin or in the mouth. But internal organs like lymph nodes, lungs and the digestive system may also be affected. 3 FALSE KS is most commonly found in people with severe HIV infections, as well as those with weakened immune systems. It can also be a complication of an organ transplant. 4 TRUE Combinations of treatments can be used. Options include local therapy, radiation therapy, chemo and immunotherapy. Next Week CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE…

Passion Cake Serves: 10 Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 1 hr Frosting: 1 Preheat oven to 170C/ Gas 3 and grease and base line a 20cm round cake tin with parchment. 2 Put Trex, sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange zest into a large mixing bowl. Sift in flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb and cinnamon and beat until smooth and creamy. 3 Add grated carrot, almonds and raisins and fold them in with a large metal spoon. Transfer the mixture to tin, level surface, and bake on middle shelf of oven for 1 hr, or until a fine skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. 4 Cool in tin for 10…

3 steps to… SOFTER HANDS Try one of these… SenSpa Thai Rituals Daily Escape Hand Wash This great-smelling handwash is 97 per cent natural, so is great for keeping skin nourished, as it’s the nasties that strip hands of moisture. Beauty Pro Hand Therapy Collagen Infused Glove Use as a treat to leave hands super-soft. The fingertips are removable so you can paint your nails at the same time or get on with your chores! Weleda Skin Food Packed full of plant extracts and essential oils, this thick, nourishing cream works wonders on dry hands, but can be used anywhere on your body to soothe sore skin. Jess’Beauty Hero Milani Rose Powder Blush in Flora Passion, £8.99, www . milanimakeup.co.uk , might just be the…

USA: SMOTHERED TO DEATH Elijah Nealey was 23 months old. About to begin pre-school, he loved Spider-Man and dinosaurs. His parents had just booked a venue for their little boy’s second birthday party. But, tragically, weeks before the celebration in August 2012, Elijah was dead. He died while in the care of his babysitter Jessica Fraraccio, 22. Fraraccio had been looking after little Elijah on and off for seven months. The tot’s parents Mike and Jennifer liked Jessica and said she seemed quiet and shy. But after leaving Elijah in Fraraccio’s care that summer day in Prince William County, Virginia, they’d never see their son alive again. Fraraccio told Elijah’s parents and police that he’d slipped in the bathtub and hit his head. It was five months before she confessed…

In bed in November 2009, my fella Paul, then 38, sprang a diamond ring on me. ‘Marry me?’ he asked. ‘Yes!’ I agreed instantly. We planned to marry in Jamaica in summer 2010, where our daughter Lucy, then 1, would be a gorgeous flower girl. Only, I’ve Crohn’s disease, and needed urgent surgery to remove part of my bowel, so we had to postpone. Then, in 2014, I had to have a grapefruit-sized, benign tumour removed from my brain, and recovery was tough. Last summer came and went, and our wedding was still on hold. Thinking about how Facebook ‘likes’ can support events, I texted Paul teasingly, asking how many we’d need for us to set a date. I want 2K comments, 4K shares and 3K likes , he…

1 Foil The Oil  Dab an oily stain with powder to absorb the grease before you clean it. Abigail Shaw, Chiselhurst 2 Knotted Necklaces Loosen tangled necklaces with powder, and use a pin to pull the knot apart. Kat Turner, Bishop’s Stortford 3 No More Squeak  Sweep baby powder into the cracks of your creaky hardwood floor and wipe away the excess. Shannon Cartwright, Newton Abbot 4 Foot Care  Put powder in your shoes to keep feet dry and to deter dodgy odours. Isla Howard, Kilmarnock…

‘He used his feet, his fists, even the iron on me’ ‘Eyes red with rage, he punched a hole in a door’ ‘I killed a man,’ he said, wiping away tears. My heart broke as I held him while he cried. It was September 2015. Me and James Barrow, 26, had been seeing each other for a couple of months after meeting on Tinder. He was good-looking, loved a laugh and had brains. A civil engineer, James lived in Stoke, an hour away from mine. He’d come over most weekends. ‘What happened?’ I asked. Back in 2011, James had been driving. Lost concentration. Pulled out on a motorbike... The biker had died, and James received 12 months in prison for causing death by careless driving. ‘I deserved it,’ he cried.…

Kelly Lapping, 37, Hull ‘I know one day I’ll hear her sweet, little voice’ My partner Richard and I couldn’t have been happier to bring our new baby daughter home in 2008. But our joy was short-lived. When Savannah was just 6 weeks old, she was limp and floppy. She’d no strength to lift her arms or kick her legs. She stared blankly at us, not following our movements. Didn’t make a sound. Worried, we took her to the GP, who said our girl was likely just a slow developer. Tests showed poor Savannah was visually impaired, and might never gain her full sight. But, after months of visual therapy, she was able to see. Hope? Except, that was the only improvement. By 2, she still couldn’t handle solid food,…

‘He chose victims at random as they went about their lives’ ‘Vanity meant he’d fix his hair before a police interview’ Time was up. Four years after his first murder, the law finally caught up with 26-year-old Tiago Gomes da Rocha in October 2014. His arrest saw him confess to 39 murders, making him one of the world’s most prolific serial killers. Quiet child What caused the young, handsome Brazilian to be gripped by such evil? Growing up in the city of Goiania, 200 miles from the country’s capital Brasilia, Rocha was known as a quiet boy with few friends. Raised by his mother and grandparents, he grew up with a brother. He never met his father and describes his childhood as quite ordinary. But at the age of 11,…

1 Sainsbury’s Sausage Casserole Cooking Sauce, 500g This tomato-based sauce turns a pack of sausages into a hearty midweek meal. Serve with rice, pasta or lots of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. 2 Aldi Bramwells Sausage Casserole One Pan Cooking Sauce, 500g This slightly sweet sauce had a tasty onion and pepper flavour. Serve with your favourite veg and a pile of creamy mash to complement the rich sauce. 3 Asda Sausage Casserole Cooking Sauce, 500g A good, chunky sauce with onions, haricot beans, carrots, tomatoes and red wine – which all adds up to a really flavourful dish. Just brown your sausages, add the sauce and heat through for half an hour or so. Delicious! Make it yourself... Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 40…

‘If I lost too much blood... It didn’t bear thinking about’ Adele Uden, 26, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire No, the ink didn’t run when this copy of PickMeUp! was printed. That’s how my face actually looks - inky-blue across my cheeks, nose and forehead. Every time I’m out, strangers stare. Some even ask if my boyfriend’s been hitting me. ‘He wouldn’t raise a finger to me,’ I tell them. My boyfriend Chris, 26, has given up so much - including his chef job - to become my carer. He’s my hero. The two of us go way back. We dated as teenagers, growing up in Mansfield. Then, when I was 17, I was offered my dream job at a dog shelter. But there was a snag - it was in Kent. So…

‘Under my new, smaller clothes I was hiding a secret’ Sorting through a load of boxes, I came across a pile of old photographs. It was 2012 and, two years earlier, I’d graduated from my Media, Culture and Communications course at Lincoln University. Now back home, after putting it off for so long, I’d finally got round to sorting out my things. My mum Wendy was helping me out. As I flicked through some old pics, I gasped in horror at one from my graduation. ‘Oh my God, I was huge!’ I gulped, mortified. Junk-food diet My bulging body swamped the entire photograph. ‘I look like a pig!’ I cried. I’d always been a big girl. And at uni, I’d only piled on the pounds more. I’d lived on junk…

100-Calorie Gallery Flattering Fashion Gathered from the shoulder-line, this over-sized shirt is made to be worn loose and flowing. Plus, when summer finally gets here, it’ll also double as the perfect beach cover-up to pull on over your swimsuit. Get Moving! Whatever exercise you do, make your body work a little harder with these simple strap-on wrist or ankle weights. They cost just £2.99 a pair from branches of Home Bargains. Food Swaps Try This…. Marks & Spencer Outdoor Bred Skinny Sausages, 400g, £3.20 With less than 3% fat and a mere 78 calories each, these are just about the healthiest bangers money can buy. Enjoy! Carnation Shoe Deodoriser Pouches, 6.99, firstaidfast. co.uk  and Independent Pharmacies Slip one of these in your trainers. They use bamboo…

‘Dragon Theo chose my business to retweet to 450,000!’ In May 2015, my daughter Hannah, then 9 months, wanted to chew everything in sight - and it was my necklaces that took the brunt! Reluctant to stop wearing them, I researched nontoxic beads online and ordered some from abroad. Made from the same material as a dummy teat, they’re ideal as they can be washed and sterilised. A week on, the prettily coloured beads arrived in bulk. I had enough to make myself four bright, bold necklaces, plus more as gifts for all my mummy pals. ‘They’re fantastic!’ my hubby Graeme, 36, said. They proved popular with Hannah, too, who really loved chewing on them! Enjoying my new project, I ordered more beads, and began selling online. Before I knew…

ARIES 21 March–20 April A problem in the home that you thought would never be solved is given a helping hand by someone who you didn’t even believe was on your side. This should be all the proof you need of how right you were to stand your ground, Aries! Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May There’s unease in your chart, making it hard for you to know who to trust. Take your time, because if you look and listen, you’ll see that nobody is asking you to make any decisions just yet. Watch and gain strength and clarity. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Fear of the unknown is unfounded. Save caution for when it’s needed. A drama from last week is cleared up by…

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. LIVE PSYCHICS & 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 82229 (Texts £1.50 per msg x 2)***…

‘No! I’d just felt a bit tired. How could it be cancer?’ ‘Family, friends and strangers shared my plight online’ ‘This is the best job ever!’ I laughed. At 32, I was a nail technician at a salon owned by my best mate Rebecca, 35, and her sisters Louise, 36, Sammie, 29, and Vicky, 27. We had so many laughs, the days whizzed by. I could even juggle shifts around my kids - Katia, then 11, and LJ 6. Life was perfect. But, gradually, in January 2015, I felt so zapped I could barely stand to cook dinner. I grew forgetful, too, losing my flow mid-sentence. ‘Must be winter blues,’ I said. Then, in the March, fingerprint-sized purple blotches started appearing on my torso, arms and legs. ‘You been pinching…

Potential pregnancy Q I’m really terrified I’m pregnant. I had sex without protection and haven’t had a period for weeks. I’m too scared to tell my mum. What should I do? Tegan, Crawley A Your GP can help - take a friend. Even if you’re underage, the GP can assess you and ensure you’re safe. Unless they have serious concerns about your understanding or safety, the consultation is completely confidential. Irregular periods Q I’m 40 and I’ve always had regular periods, but the last one was longer and heavier, and then the next one came sooner. Could I be going through the menopause? Cathy, Wolverhampton A Regular periods can depend on an egg being released every cycle. As they age, they can miss a cycle, causing irregularity for the next…

‘The massive brain bleed had knocked me out’ ‘Sharing holiday snaps? I can’t bear to look at mine’ Katy Head, 39, Alvaston, Derbyshire ‘Can I do your back?’ my hubby Craig, 38, grinned, holding the sun cream. It was October half-term last year and we were on holiday in Kos with our youngest, Leighton, 8. Our eldest, Bradley, 19, had decided to stay home. The moment we arrived, excited Leighton and Craig pulled on their trunks and jumped straight into the pool. Meanwhile, I got comfy on a lounger, reading... Five chilled-out days later, our lovely break was almost over. Keen not to waste our second to last day, Craig booked a private boat tour of the coast. I’m terrified of the sea as I’ve a phobia of sharks. But,…

1 Which band wants you to 'Listen to Iron Maiden maybe with me’? 2 In whose song will you find the lyrics 'I wanna be great like Elvis, without the tassels?’ 3 Who’s '…waiting, talking Italian’, in the hit 80s girl-band song? 4 In which of her hits does Amy Winehouse (right) sing the line 'You tear men down like Roger Moore’? 5 Which jitterbugging 80s song features the line 'You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day’?…

‘Another two years of trying? Of longing to hold our baby..?’ ‘I’d be lying if I said it was easy – but I love it!’ Melanie Cregan, 32, Greater Manchester Everywhere I looked, it was happening to other people - on TV, on Facebook, in magazines. ‘Why not us?’ I worried to my husband Paul. Since getting together when I was 21, we’d wanted kids. We’d stopped using contraception in June 2010, three months before our wedding, and started trying for a baby. But every month, the pregnancy tests said the same. Negative. Now, after two years, I was losing hope. Would we ever be parents? In September 2012, I was referred for an ultrasound scan. Paul, then 34, was working as a telecommunications engineer when I went back for…

Fetch My Keys Key Finder, £4.95, www. prezzybox. com If you’re forever losing your keys in the house, here’s just the thing! You whistle, and it bleeps and flashes, helping you retrieve them from wherever they’ve ended up this time! (Bottom of your bag’s our guess…) Verdict: GENIUS! Everyone needs one of these. Esthechoc Cambridge Beauty Chocolates, £42.50 for a 21-day supply, www.beautyisskindeep.com These specially formulated chocs are packed with antioxidants to boost skin and help stop the ageing process in its tracks. (Bit pricier than a bar of plain or milk, though!) Verdict: BONKERS! But we’d never say no to chocolate! Beardski, £19.99, www.firebox.com When would anyone who’s hitting the slopes not want to sport this amazing accessory?! Part…

‘It was just 1.55cm in diameter – smaller than a 5p piece!’ My parents Caroline and Phil have always been surrounded by animals. On their smallholding, we keep five horses, three dogs and three cats - not to mention 20 chickens. Since I was 10, I’ve helped clean the animals out and collect the freshly laid eggs. Last June, I headed down to the paddock first thing to start cleaning out the hens. It was too soon to expect eggs from them, as they were all only just a year old. But on the floor among the straw, I spotted something. ‘That’s odd,’ I said aloud. Tiny and almost perfectly round, it looked like a pebble. Picking it up, it was feather-light. Heading indoors, I showed Mum. ‘Fascinating,’ she said.…

WE LOVE DOING ‘THE TEAPOT’ ‘Pole dancing? I pictured myself clinging on for life’ ‘When giggles came from the audience, I felt elated’ With my first dog Mackie, a golden retriever and Border collie-cross, I discovered dog training can be ruff.... But, before long, I’d taught Mackie commands for sit, lie down and roll over. We practised agility training throughout my teens and, leaving school at 17, and animal mad, I decided to become a vet. Studying at Glasgow University, I made new friends. One afternoon, a pal messaged me about a pole-dancing class. Come with me? Pole dancing? I cringed, picturing myself clinging on for dear life surrounded by pros. But I couldn’t let her down. So, grabbing a T-shirt and leggings, I ran to meet her. I expected…