Pick Me Up! 13-Apr-2017

60 …seems that’s the percentage of adults who’ve lived in the same house for over 15 years. One in 10 of us say we’ve not moved for 31 years or more and, having just done it, I know why! What A Killer! Getting keys cut for my new place, I spotted these rat and mouse traps. But… hang on! That’s a guinea pig and a hamster, surely? What A Swizz! Needed some urgent building work when done I moved in – and the cowboy plumbers insist the pipework’s finished and actually SHOULD knew? I can look giv lik e e you this their . Int erior number design , if you – who like? What A Star! My cat Yoda got so stressed when we shifted house recently, but I…

Matching pair Me and my husband Chris had a great day at the Epsom races on Ladies’ Day! Elizabeth Williams, via email Furry distracting! My hubby Gary tried to get some work done, but his best pal Basil had other plans. Lucy Goodfellow, via email Off to Neverland… Here are my two beautiful boys Kayse, 7, and Jakob, 4, all ready for a Peter Pan party. Don’t they look the part? Jenna Cotterill, Dewsbury New signing? My mum Christine sat in midfielder Samir Nasri’s seat in Manchester City’s changing rooms during a tour of the Etihad Stadium. Abi Cheal, Hyde Little STAR My one-year-old son Brodie tried his very best to read the afternoon-tea menu, but I don’t think he’s quite there yet! Danielle Hopkins, Stockport Sleeping beauties Here are…

‘They were supposed to be my mates, how could they do this?’ ‘I refused to go out, I was too afraid to face people…’ I’d not long moved into my new home with my daughter Payton, now 3, when I decided to have a housewarming party. ‘I’ll look after Payton for you,’ my mum Nicola, 46, offered. So that Saturday afternoon, in June 2015, I invited my sister Sarah, 17, and a few close mates over for drinks. ‘Here’s to your new place!’ Sarah said as we clinked glasses. A bit later, a few male friends turned up. We’d known them for years, so I didn’t mind. We sat around drinking, chatting and laughing... It was still light out when people started leaving. Though a few mates didn’t seem in…

‘He had less than a five per cent chance of surviving’ ‘A flash of my defiant little bro was shining through’ After waking up, I lay in bed lazily scrolling through Facebook on my phone. Frowning, I noticed everyone was sharing the same news story about a house fire in nearby Shildon. A teenager had been pulled from the blaze and rushed to hospital. Only then a comment made me sit bolt upright in bed. It’s Troy MacKinlay, someone had written. My little brother! Panicking, I called one of my other five brothers, Ike, 24. ‘What’s happened?’ I cried. ‘Troy’s been in a bad fire,’ Ike said. Troy had been taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, was in a critical condition. Ike, our mum Vivian, other brothers, Carl, 21, Gary,…

My grandchildren love Nana’s cat biscuits, made using a clean lid from the cat’s treat box as a cutter. They’re also fun for the kids to decorate! Sue Agnes, Penn If you can’t remember what you’ve got in your freezer, just make a list of the contents and place it on your freezer with a fridge magnet! Helen Baldwin, Leeds Make your own pincushion by using a kitchen scouring pad. Lee Hall, Sittingbourne Use Play-Doh to make hoops and balls for a fun table game! Jackie Patrick, Hayling Island Instead of binning old socks, put them on your hands to dust tricky objects like lamps and ornaments. Jayne Marklew, High Pittington Save on waste by storing small items in Nutella jars. They’re great for leftover food, too! Agnes Carmichael, Bellshill…

1 Soothe Your Skin  Dissolve an eggshell in a small jar of apple-cider vinegar and use the solution to soothe minor skin irritations. Janet Wright, Corby 2 Better Less Bitter Make your morning coffee less bitter by adding an eggshell to the filter. Niamh F inch, Stirling 3 Pest Control  Deter slugs and snails away from your garden without pesticide by scattering crushed eggshells around your plants and flowers. Melanie Turner, Bath 4 Clean Drain  Keeping a few crushed eggshells in the kitchen-sink strainer is a great way to keep your drains clean natur ally. Charlott e Mason, Kendal…