Pick Me Up! 18-Aug-2016

What A Cutie! I want this badge (and that unicorn!). Simple but brilliant, it's from Sugar & Sloth at www.etsy.com 7 Forget three. Seven’s the new magic number, according to 30,000 people out of a poll of 44,000! Brides…deadly sins…dwarves… There must be something in it! What A Follow-Up! Baby Dory from Finding Dory , Disney Pixar’s upcoming sequel to Finding Nemo , should be uber annoying, but she’s sooo adorable… Search 'Baby Dory' on YouTube. What A Pup! Vivian the Dog is my fave Instagram star. Thanks to her owner Mitch Boyer (and the power of Photoshop), the tiny dachshund looks bigger than a Great Dane! What A Place! My mate Kat is a pilot with Virgin…

At the palace My daughter was transfixed when she fulfilled her dream of seeing the Taj Mahal on her 23rd birthday. Jackie Smith, Telford Sister act Uh-oh, double trouble! My daughters Abby, 3, and Jenna, 4, on a camping trip in sunny France. Nessa Smith, Llanferres Look who I met! After they’d filmed Doctor Who, me and my friend Jess met Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman. Leanne Way, Hengoed Family photo Daddy, shhhhh! We’re having our picture taken! Our little girl taking charge in a photo shoot. Stacey Hill, Torquay Wild night Occasionally, my mum Linda and I like to let our hair down… Lee Hall, Sittingbourne Pooch at the peak After walking to the top of Moel Arthur, I took this shot of my dog Cooky with the stunning…

‘He told me it happened to all little girls…’ At 6, I used to follow around my older sister, then 22. ‘You’re my mini shadow!’ she’d chuckle. I’d enjoyed staying weekends at her Edinburgh flat. So, when my mum fell ill that year, I went to stay with her and her boyfriend Billy King Jnr, then 26, for several months. Billy was grumpy, always shouting at me. ‘Sit still!’ he’d bark. Terrified, I obeyed him. One night, I was in bed when I heard the floorboard creaking under his bulky 6ft frame. I pretended to be asleep, scared he’d punish me for being awake. Leaning over my bed, his smoky breath was pungent. He slipped his hand under the covers. I froze as he fondled my privates. Frightened, I rolled…

‘After another negative pregnancy test, I’d had enough’ Sitting on the edge of the bath, I waited for the result to show up on the pregnancy test. I was desperate to become a mum. ‘I really feel like this could be it,’ I said to my husband Matthew. But, when the three minutes was up and I looked down at the test, my heart sank. ‘It’s negative,’ I cried. ‘Again!’ Matthew wiped away my tears. ‘It will happen, we just have to be patient,’ he said. But we’d already been trying for three years. It seemed like everywhere I looked there were happy mums pushing their babies around in fancy prams. Everyone else is having babies, why can’t I? I thought. So, after yet another negative pregnancy test, I’d had…

If your kids’ joggers have holes, cut them off at the knees, sew a hem and you’ve made summer shorts! Emma Parr, Redditch Create a fun children’s jigsaw by cutting a photo into strips and gluing onto lollypop sticks – if you make a few they can be mixed up to make things trickier. Jan Wood, Aylsham Freeze red grapes and add them to your glass of rose wine – keeps it cool without watering it down. Lyndsey Clayton, Swansea I turned a plain lampshade into a vintage-chic one by adding flowers, fabrics and pearls. Katie Houghton, Birmingham Create your own nail art – buy a pack of gold stars, stick on each nail, and then set in place with clear varnish. Karen McGuire, Cleethorpes Clean glasses in warm water…

Time For A Cuppa! Tetley’s Super Tea in Alert, Boost or Immune is now £1 for a box of 20 (normally £1.59) in Morrisons until 28 August. As if we needed any excuse for a good brew… Get Lippy Get a FREE Silicea Cold Sore Lip Gel tube (usually £7.69) with code PMU7 at www. healthy2u.co.uk until 18 August. Pay postage and packaging only. Pet Lovers Pets at Home is running a series of workshops over the summer months to help teach kids how to look after different kinds of pets. Visit petsathome.com/workshops to find your nearest one. Nice And Sweet A great natural alternative to sugar, Total Sweet Xylitol is now £2.16 (normally £2.70) at Tesco until 30 August. Last-minute Break Jurys Inn’s Summer Family Offer provides huge savings…