Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-Mar-2017 i Pick Me Up!

36 That’s the best age to be, according to a recent poll. I haven’t reached my Flirty 30s yet, but I’d say my favourite age so far has to be 25! What’s yours? What A Thriller! I love horror films! If you do, check out our list of best female villains in horror flicks at www.life  deathprizes. com/female-villains What An Escape! I was lucky enough to escape the winter blues and spend a week in the British Virgin Islands. Glorious sunshine, beautiful beaches and fab food. Paradise! What A Joker! My 6-year-old nephew Elliott is turning into a proper little comedian. Here he is doing a very accurate impression of his grandad… He’ll be on-stage before you know it! What A Little Princess! I was thinking of borrowing my…

‘Scarlett was so excited, we had to try to make it happen’ Ten little fingers, ten little toes... That’s what every parent looks for when they first hold their newborn. But when my baby girl Scarlett was placed in my arms, her tiny foot poking through her blanket, I gasped. She’d no toes to count. When I was carrying Scarlett, scans showed that she wasn’t developing properly. Me and my fiance Jonathan Wright, 28, had been out of our minds with worry. At 32 weeks, my doctors decided they could wait no longer, and Scarlett was delivered in January 2013 by emergency Caesarean section, weighing a little over 3lb. I was allowed one quick cuddle before she was whisked away to the Special Care Baby Unit. And it was then…

‘The op involved inserting a laser into my tummy’ Placing my hand over my growing stomach, I couldn’t stop smiling. It was my 12-week scan and the sonographer had just delivered surprising news. ‘Twins! Can you believe it?’ I squealed to my hubby Ben, 32. But at another scan a month later, fear struck. Only one bladder was visible, so we were referred to Birmingham Women’s Hospital. ‘It’s twin to twin transfusion syndrome,’ the doctor told us. As the twins were identical, they shared a placenta. ‘TTTS happens when blood passes unevenly between the two babies,’ the doctor added. With one getting more than the other, it was putting a strain on one of our girls’ hearts, while starving the other of nutrients. A serious condition, it’s potentially fatal. Our…

I took a deep breath, raised my hand to cover the side of my chin, and braced myself. Anything to limit the horrified gasps and hushed whispers from strangers disgusted by my appearance. See, my jaw, ears, chest and back are littered with unsightly keloid scars. I try to cover up as much as possible. But, working as a I have to wear my hair up. It started when I developed acne, aged 11. Prescribed medication, it helped, and by 13 the spots were beginning to die down. ‘Thank God!’ I’d grinned to my mum Nicola, 43. But as the acne faded, scars began to appear in their place. ‘They feel hard and rubbery,’ I cried to Mum. When the smooth, hairless marks kept growing, my GP referred me to…

Good Intentions Gone Bad Vowing to get fit come 1 Jan has since gone to pot. Here’s why… • Jogging makes you pink in the face and causes aching ankles and calves. • Strutting your stuff in a Zumba class is a great way to get in shape – but only if you have rhythm… • Sure, swimming’s one of the best exercises, but getting into the pool is just so hard! • Cycling has its perks – if you’re Bradley Wiggins. If not, your ego will end up as dented as your bike! • Trading sweets for salads is fine in summer, but not so much in the darker days. And not nearly as tasty… Jackpot! Unfortunately for these lottery winners, their fortune only led to great misfortune… 1Brit…

Standing at the bar, I could feel someone’s eyes on me from across the room. Looking up, a gorgeous guy was walking over. ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ he asked. My knees weak, we got chatting, and sparks flew. We barely took our eyes off each other all night. And, when it was time to go, we swapped numbers and reluctantly said goodnight. I worried I’d never hear from him again, but he texted the next day. Hey, it’s Dave from last night. When can I see you again? the message read. So we arranged to have a proper first date a few days on. This time, the connection was even stronger. But then came his bombshell... ‘There’s something I have to tell you,’ he said, leaning across the…

‘I was a size-24, had a serious junk-food habit’ Trainers pounding on the pavement, a sea of bodies, the roar of the crowd... The London Marathon was so thrilling. Even if, like me, you were watching it from the comfort of your sofa at home. It was April 2012 and what with the London Olympics coming up, sport was everywhere. ‘That’s so inspiring,’ I said to my friend as we sat in front of the telly. ‘I’d love to run the London Marathon.’ ‘Well, you’ll never do it, will you?’ she replied. Time to change I was a size-24, had a serious junk-food habit, and the most exercise I ever did was walking the dog. But still, there was no reason to be so blunt! I’ll prove you wrong, I…

‘The letter to Chloe had a familiar, colourful logo…’ Peering over my 7-year-old’s shoulder at her homework, I smiled. Chloe was so bright - her handwriting was better than her dad’s! Her sister Hollie, 5, was the same. They loved their stories and their sums. But Chloe’s favourite hobby was playing on her tablet. She was always solving puzzles, whereas I could barely work my phone! And whenever she spotted her dad Andy, 37, on his work laptop, she’d join him. One day in February, I walked in on them writing a letter. Andy had been telling her about the offices for Internet company Google. ‘Dad says there are go-karts, slides and even robots there, Mum!’ Chloe said. ‘I want to work there when I’m bigger.’ So she was writing…

ARIES 21 March–20 April A clash of personalities is likely in the days ahead, so try to be careful that you don’t show disrespect to those you work for or that you have a responsibility to be civil to. Move on with dignity and show you're the bigger person. Good news linking to the home looms. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Instead of thinking, Why? start thinking, Why not? There’s nothing you want that you can’t achieve, so set to work on your dreams now. Those of you thinking about taking a more independent stance in life, there’s never been a better and more successful time to do so. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Try not to get involved in other people’s problems or…

1 Don’t Waste Food  Freeze staples such as diced onions, grated cheese, veg and bread, then you can take out only what you need. 2 Save Energy  Your freezer uses less energy if it’s stocked up, but don’t over-pack it. Air needs to circulate around the food to keep everything cool. 3 Place It Well  Put the freezer as far away from the cooker or fridge as possible, to help it run at its optimum. 4 Watch The Temperature The FDA states that food that is properly handled and stored in the freezer at 0F (-18C) is safe to eat indefinitely. If you’re unsure, buy a freezer thermometer, place it in an easy-to-read location and check at least once a week. Tips…

Toe no! Q I just started jogging and I love it, but one of my toenails has turned black. Why has this happened, and will it fall off? Clara, Inverness A Micro traumas against your shoe can cause nails to bruise and blacken. It may settle without falling off (don’t cover it with nail varnish, it stops it breathing), but could take weeks. Mystery lump Q I’ve lost weight recently, and noticed a lump in the 'v’ of my rib cage that I couldn’t feel before. It feels quite hard, but isn’t painful. What is it? Jasmine, Tonbridge A This is your xiphisternum, and it’s supposed to be there - it’s attached to your breastbone. Many people don’t notice it, then become overly concerned when they suddenly feel it. Too…

By the age of 16, Marie was ready to break free There was nothing remarkable about the death report. An old woman had died of acute indigestion. Everything was in order. A doctor and a nurse had been present when she’d died in Liege, Belgium. There were no suspicious circumstances. But, as soon as police commissioner Honore Lebrun saw the report on the morning of 3 October 1935, he knew something was wrong. He’d seen the name of the nurse - Marie Becker - before, on another death report, filed just a month earlier... When another old woman had died of acute indigestion. And, just a week before that, he’d seen her name on yet another death report. Three old women dead, all from acute indigestion. Could it be a…

Apple, Cranberry & Pistachio Muffins Makes: 12 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 18 min • 350g self-raising flour • 2tbsp porridge oats • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda • 50g dried cranberries, chopped • 2tsp ground cinnamon, plus ½tsp for topping • 2 red-skinned apples, finely diced • 150g maple syrup, plus 1tsp for the topping • 100g unsweetened apple puree • 3tbsp sunflower oil • 2 medium eggs • 6tbsp semi-skimmed milk • 25g pistachio nuts 1 Heat oven to 190C/ Gas 5 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. 2 Sift flour, oats and bicarb into a bowl. Stir in cranberries, cinnamon and all but 2tbsp of diced apple. 3 In a jug, whisk together maple syrup, apple puree, oil, eggs and milk. Pour into dry…

‘Terrified, I watched them fighting to keep her alive’ As I rushed around to get dinner ready, I heard the front door open. My eldest daughter Georgia, 17, home from work. ‘Hi, love. Hungry?’ I asked. ‘Yep, but I haven’t got long, I promised to take the kids to the park,’ she replied. Georgia was great with children and would often take the younger kids from our street to the park for an hour in the evenings. She wolfed down her spaghetti bolognese and grabbed her coat. ‘Don’t be late - we’re having cake for Connor later,’ I shouted. It was the birthday of my son Connor, who died when he was just 2 weeks old in October 1997, after being born with a rare heart defect. Losing him was…

Verdict: GENIUS! This is a really brilliant idea. Yale Conexis Lock and Handle, £260 including installation, www. anglianhome.co.uk Never worry about forgetting your keys again! Link your handle to an app on your phone and unlock your door just by holding it near the handle. You can also send ‘keys’ to your friends and family that can be disabled easily after use. Verdict: BONKERS! We like the idea of using it before a night out, though! Underwater Disco Light, £7.99, www.firebox.com Bathtime just got a whole lot jazzier thanks to this floating gizmo! Pop it in your tub and enjoy an incredible light show while you scrub – all you need now is music… Verdict: GENIUS! We love this! Muggi, £9.95, muggi.co.uk…

Spying the gem on my nana Denise’s hand, I swooped like a magpie. ‘Can I have it?’ I said in a sing-song voice, aged 4. ‘When you’re old enough,’ she smiled. Nana was my idol. So when she died, sadly, days before my 21st, I was touched when she’d left me the diamond ring. It’d been in the family for four generations. ‘Be careful with it - it cost £10,000!’ my mum Kris, 54, warned. Wearing it, I felt like Nana was watching over me every day. In summer last year, I went to Majorca for a wedding. Slipping into the sea on my last day, I felt my ring come loose, so I started taking it off. But, just then, I was hit by a wave! I could see…

‘She’d realised he wouldn’t change, tried to end it…’ My little sister Hollie was always my best friend, my secret-keeper. A hairdresser, she was outgoing, confident. And a fab aunt to my daughter Ruby. So, in January 2013, we were happy for her when she met Asher Maslin, then 20. ‘I really like him,’ Hollie, then 19, smiled, clearly smitten. She brought Asher to Mum Mandy and Dad Nick’s house. He seemed charming. Only cracks soon began to show. Asher seemed controlling. He’d call and text Hollie, wanting to know where she was. And Hollie’s sparkle faded...she became withdrawn. Then, that May, at a family meal, Asher turned up drunk, 45 minutes late, and we were horrified as he clicked his fingers and was rude to staff. My partner Lucas,…

1 Terrific Tags  Cut old cards into little rectangle s to make gift tags for the next birthday. Danielle Marsden, Ely 2 Pretty Postcards  Snip off the back half of a used card so you can use the front as a postcard! Shelley Burke, Kinross 3 Mat For A Memory Compile your wedding cards into a pretty photo mat to surround a picture from the big day. The well-wishes will mak e the pic even more sentimental. Lily Wright, Brentford 4 Fab Framed Enjoy the beautiful art or motivational text from greetings cards all year round by framing them for your wall. Mo Golding, Hastings…

‘Slowly, Dad lost the ability to read, write, tie his shoes’ Mum and Dad sat us all down around the table. ‘We’ve bad news,’ my mum Mary began. It was 2000, I was 16 - the youngest of five - and we’d known something was up. Then... ‘I have Alzheimer’s disease,’ Dad told us. We all listened, stunned, as they explained about the degenerative brain disease. Dad was only 52, but he’d slowly start to lose his memory, basic skills, eventually his life. ‘How long?’ I asked, bereft. But it was impossible to say. Mum was heartbroken, we all were. Yet Dad took his diagnosis bravely in his stride. When I finished school and headed to uni, Dad retired, and he and Mum moved to the Lake District. ‘We’ll make…

1 EDS is contagious. 2 It can affect the joints. 3 EDS can cause skin problems. 4 The condition can be treated with surgery. 1 FALSE EDS is caused by faults in certain genes that make connective tissue weaker. The faulty gene is generally inherited from one or both parents. 2 TRUE The most common form of EDS causes joints to become painful, easily dislocated and hypermobile. It can also cause fatigue and digestive problems, as well as dizziness. 3 TRUE The condition is known to cause the skin to become stretchy and fragile, making the sufferer prone to breaks and bruises. 4 FALSE There’s no specific treatment for EDS, but depending on the type, symptoms can be managed with physiotherapy, occupational therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and lifestyle changes. Next…

‘Being a jackpot winner feels really fabulous’ Putting my two children, then aged 5 and 3, to bed, I quietly tiptoed down the stairs. ‘They’re out for the count,’ I told my partner Paul, 30. Finally able to relax, I snuggled up to him on the sofa. Feeling a bit chilly, I grabbed a blanket and pulled it over me. But I still felt cold. ‘Is the heating on?’ I frowned. It was last November and the heating was on a timer. ‘It should be,’ Paul replied, getting up to check. But when he came back to the living room, he was shaking his head. ‘The boiler’s on the blink,’ he told me, explaining that we needed to get it fixed. In the meantime, I put extra blankets over the…

1 Aldi Specially Selected Luxury All Butter Stem Ginger Cookies, 200g Not crisp like a biscuit, these chewy cookies are moister and, with both ground ginger and stem ginger, they have a great flavour. 2 Morrisons The Best All Butter Stem Ginger Cookies, 200g Eight big cookies that are more satisfying than a normal biscuit, but not as filling as cake – perfect! We loved the rich flavour and little pieces of stem ginger in these. 3 Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Ginger & Oatflake Cookies, 200g This pack of eight big cookies are chunky and crunchy, and melt in your mouth. They have a rich, buttery, yet excellent ginger flavour. Perfect with a cuppa. Make it yourself... Makes: 30 Prep: 20 min + 2hr chilling Cook: 10min • 125g extra-light…

Jess’Beauty Hero I’ve been using Milani Moisture Lock Grapeseed Oil Infused Lip Treatment, £7.49, www.milani  makeup.co.uk, to inject some moisture back into my pout! TRIED & TESTED This week: Frosted nail polish 1 Collection Long Lasting Nail Effects Polish in White Frost, £2.99, Superdrug It took three coats to get a strong, even colour from this polish but it was well worth the extra few minutes. My nails have never looked shinier! 2 Barry M Frosted Cupcakes Nail Paint in Blue Velvet, £3.99, Superdrug I think of frosted nail polishes as glitter for grown-ups, and this has just the right amount of sparkle to subtly catch the light without blinding anyone! This icy blue is 3 the perfect spring shade. 3 Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail…

‘He and the teenager were found in Bordeaux, France’ UK:INTERNATIONAL MANHUNT One evening in September 2012, Maths teacher Jeremy Forrest, 30, shared a dinner in Lewes, East Sussex, with his new wife. The next day, she got a message from him saying he was going to see a friend for the weekend. I will call you tomorrow, love you, he signed off. But by that time, Forrest was on a ferry bound for Calais - and accompanying him was one of his pupils... Forrest had been sleeping with the girl since soon after her 15th birthday. The relationship was an open secret among pupils at Forrest’s school and he had even received warnings about his close relationship to the teenager. He’d always denied anything inappropriate was happening between them. But,…

It’s not exactly glamorous, but I’ve always loved the bus. I can’t drive, and buses have always got me where I wanted to go – to school when I was a kid, to my insurance job as an adult. Plus, it’s been a part of some of my most important journeys. See, I have polycystic ovaries, so when my husband Christian, 38, and I wanted to start a family, we needed fertility treatment. On the way back from hospital appointments, I’d look longingly as the new mums fussed over buggies, and hoped it would be me one day. And, when the treatment worked and I fell pregnant, I’d sit and stroke my bump as the bus hurried me home. So when my waters broke in August 2013, and Christian went…

‘I felt a ‘pop’ and knew what it was – my waters had broken!’ Dishing up a tuna pasta bake, I called my family to the table. ‘Tuck in!’ I smiled at my hubby Mark, 42, and our kids, Charlotte, 4, and William, 3. It was January this year and I was 38 weeks pregnant with a baby boy. Charlotte had arrived at 37 weeks, and William at 41, so I really could give birth any day. Next to me, Mark sprinkled some pepper onto his dinner. Some must’ve got up my nose as I suddenly felt a tickle. Then... Aitchoo! Only, as I sneezed I felt a ‘pop’. I knew exactly what it was -my waters had broken! ‘Excuse me,’ I said, rushing to the bathroom. There was only…