Pick Me Up! 23-Mar-2017

What A Sight! I heartily recommend a stroll through Kew Gardens – and don’t forget to have a nosy at the art installation The Hive. We left buzzin’! 1 Happy New Year! For the ancient Romans, 1 March was New Year’s Day! Given the weather, I wish we didn’t have to bother with January or February, either! What A Surprise! While away for a joint birthday treat in the Cotswolds, my man Stephen sprang a proposal. As you can see, he was really pleased I said yes! What A Bite! Out for a family lunch, I bought a giant eclair to share with my mum. Turned out we’d bitten off way more than we could chew, though! What A Frock! As I’m getting hitched, naturally I wanted advice on how…

Best buds Doesn’t my daughter Eden, 2, look pleased to meet her baby sister Neve?! Ellie Smith, Whiteley OAP-ussy Even though she’s a ripe 18 years old, my cat Star seems to be ageing gracefully. Jessica Viljakainen, Kendal It’s a trap! When my poor hubby Chris got stuck in the wall of an outhouse at a local folk park cottage, I had to leave him there! Joanne Campbell, Whitehead All aboard! My 5-year-old daughter Grace looks wheely cheeky on her very own big red bus! J Davenport, Radcliffe Can I have some? Doug the pug must be barking mad to think I’d let him eat my cake... Karen Wells, Gravesend Iguana drink! I hung out with this guy while I was on holiday. Not much of a talker, though! Alan…

‘ Doctors warned us that we’d reached the end... ’ ‘ um, I’m bleeding,’ M yelled my daughter Michelle from the bathroom. She’d just turned 11 and was growing up fast. ‘Don’t worry, darling,’ I soothed, digging out some pads. ‘You’re just starting your period.’ We’d already had the talk. Michelle was about to go on holiday with her dad Mark, so I called him to tip him off. We’d split when Michelle was little but had stayed friends. He doted on his daughter. Michelle had a great time on holiday in Turkey but when she came back, she was still spotting. And she was still bleeding a month on. I took her to the GP, who prescribed a contraceptive Pill to regulate her cycle, but that didn’t help. ‘Mum,…

‘ He was looming over me – pushed a pillow over my face ’ To anyone looking in, I had it all. Gorgeous children, a loving partner and a nice house... If only they knew, I’d think. Life with my boyfriend Lee Coleman wasn’t easy. A heavy drinker, he was controlling and possessive. We’d first met in a bar in January 2004. He was big built and strong, I felt safe with him. I was a single mum to two kids, then 8 and 2, and Lee looked after us. In February 2005, I gave birth to our son. But, as time went on, Lee’s true colours began to show. If I met up with friends, he’d bombard me with calls. ‘Who are you with? How long will you be?’…

Mix chopped lemon peel, half a cup of sugar and some olive oil into a paste to make a natural, exfoliating scrub for those rough areas on your feet. Carla Johnson, Harold Hill Instead of just using a standard carrier bag for wine, I grabbed a bread-roll bag from the bakery and elegantly decorated a bottle of wine that I’d gotten my mum for her birthday. She thought that I’d actually bought it like that! Neely Simons, Leicester When boiling an egg, put a drop of vinegar in the water. It’ll act as a sealant, in case the shell cracks. Linda Keen, Sheffield Use an empty toilet roll to store your hair accessories so they’ll be easy to access. Angela Clifton, Felixstowe To make some home-made, cheap flower fertiliser, just…

1 Floss Is Boss When sewing on buttons, use dental flos s as it’s strong, threads easily and will last longer than weak cotton. Caroline Janney, Louth 2 Game On If you’ve lost any playing pieces or counters for your favourite board games, buttons work perfectly as replacements. Beth Cooper, Middlesbrough 3 Cooler Clothes Give a plain-white kid’s T-shirt a makeover by sewing on some colourful buttons in a pretty pattern. It looks adorable on a little one’s sleepsuit, too! Evelyn Stanford, Brecon 4 Brilliant For Bookworms Make a cute bookmark by gluing a paperclip to the back of a button, then use felt for a smooth finish and to seal the glue. Penny Fanning, Motherwell…