Pick Me Up! 07-Jun-2018

Me and my mum Stella have always been close. Best friends as well as mother and daughter. Every day our relationship goes from strength to strength as we both face new challenges. I remember when I was 21 and told her I was engaged to my husband John, 66, and how excited the two of us were. We spent days planning the wedding and getting excited over all the tiny details. She offered to pay for my wedding dress and, in the beginning, I refused. But, being the kind-hearted and loving person she is she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not only that, but she surprised me and my hubby by paying for our four-day honeymoon in Devon. She does so much for me and I really love spending…

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Sitting at the kitchen table in my grandparents’ house, I worked carefully on my colouring book. ‘That’s very good, Helen,’ my gran smiled. Aged 5, I preferred to play quietly by myself while my brother David, then 7, played with our grandfather. We loved visiting our grandparents. And our Uncle John - Mum’s brother - lived with them, too, so he made a fuss of us. After I’d finished colouring, John, then 21, came over and ruffled my hair. ‘Got you this from the shop,’ he said, handing me a comic. ‘Not fair!’ David sulked, later. ‘John never buys me anything.’ I’d always been Uncle John’s favourite. Whenever we stayed at my grandparents’ house, Gran would let me sleep in John’s room and he’d sleep on the sofa downstairs. But,…

Enjoying a glorious summer’s morning in July 2015, I was outside laying out a few books on a blanket for the kids at nursery. I loved my job as a nursery nurse, caring for the little ones, even though I had my own kids, Mark, 17, Alisha, 10, Freya, 8, and Charlie, 3, at home. I was just finishing up in the garden when... ‘Ouch!’ I cried suddenly, slapping my right arm as I felt the painful prick of an insect bite. I rubbed the small red bump on the inside of my right wrist and went inside to pop some cream on it. ‘There’s loads of mosquitoes about,’ sighed my colleague, Yasmin, 18, looking at my wrist and pulling up her trouser leg, revealing six huge bumps. ‘I know,…

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Let there be light! Illuminate your whole tent by propping a torch against an empty water bottle. It makes a much brighter light for the tent. Sian Walker, Halesowen Frozen fingers Cut off the finger from an old glove and slide on an ice pole. It will keep your little one’s hands warm and free of sticky mess. Anne Jones, Anglesey Bowled over Keep fruit fresher longer by turning an old colander into a fruit bowl. The circulating air slows the rotting process. A Cairns, Colchester, Essex Tan-tastic Never worry about getting fake tan all over your bed sheets again by rubbing talcum powder on your body before bed. Margaret Anderson, Sunderland Off the rack Use an old letter rack to store palettes of make-up. It keeps things neat and…