Pick Me Up! 25-Jul-2019

Studying for my master’s in sustainable design, I embarked on a passionate journey. I was researching vegetable ivory when I discovered how similar it is to elephant ivory. I’ve always loved wildlife and conservation, so when I discovered the similarities, I decided to pursue it. I researched everything I needed to know about elephant poaching, and decided to start my charity, How Many Elephants. I wanted to raise as much money as possible for anti-poaching initiatives. I was shocked when I discovered the truth about anti-poaching, and I wanted to use my art to raise awareness. For my final masters piece, I created a necklace with 96 wooden carved elephants. This represents the daily poaching rate in Africa. I decided early on that I didn’t want to show gruesome images,…

UNUSUAL BUY Pimp up your fizz this season with Smith & Sinclair’s dissolvable tablets. Watch as the colour and taste transform your fizz into a delicious cocktail. At just £6, you can create easy and fancy drinks in the comfort of your home without splashing the cash. Equally, drop into your non-alcoholic drink to glam things up. You’ll certainly impress your friends! Available in three delicious flavours: Elderflower Spritz, Tropical Passion Fruit and Rhubarb Mimosa. www.smithandsinclair.com Get involved With the help of the nation’s sweetheart David Attenborough, we’ve become much more conscious of our plastic usage. In 2018, Attenborough released Planet Earth Two and showed us the devastating effects plastic is having on our planet. And we listened. Most of us are ditching plastic carrier bags and bringing our own…

My boyfriend and I sent his sister this good luck cookie for her exams! It went down a treat. Taylor Klein, Bristol My nephew is a bit of a troublemaker and decided that playing in and eating the mud was a much better use of time than playing in the park. Astrid Hall, Bristol My two-year-old daughter Ona fell in love with a toy unicorn at a fairy party. Gemma Fenly, Plymouth On a lovely walk with my mum! Had to stop under this beautiful tree to get a snap. Jasmine Bunch, Kent Me and my sister when we went on a family trip to Edinburgh! We visited the zoo and the castle, it was a lush weekend. Danielle Milsom, Reading If your letter makes Star Letter of the week,…

Pulling me into the kitchen, my mum smiled at me. ‘He’s quite a catch,’ she whispered, nodding towards my boyfriend *Brandon, who was happily chatting away with my dad in the living room. It was 2015, and I’d brought Brandon over to meet my parents for the first time one Sunday afternoon. Brandon had shown up with a big bunch of flowers for Mum, and a firm handshake for Dad, winning them over right away. And, after he’d complimented her on her delicious roast dinner, Mum was smitten. We’d only been together for about eight months, but to be honest, I was smitten, too. ‘You did great, babe,’ I smiled at him as we got into the car. ‘They love you.’ ‘Really?’ he blushed. ‘I was so nervous!’ Brandon was…

I thought Siobhan would never stop, until... ‘Get off her!’ Aaron cried, running down the stairs. He’d heard my screams and had rushed out. He managed to push Siobhan off of me, and with that, she ran out, without saying a word. ‘I’m so sorry,’ Aaron said, helping me to my feet. ‘I thought you were just chatting to the delivery man.’ ‘My baby,’ I cried, clutching my belly. I ran straight to the bathroom while Aaron called the police. Looking in the mirror, I could see that my face was swollen from Siobhan’s punches. I held my breath for the sound of a heartbeat A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived and took me to Peterborough City Hospital. Doctors were shocked when they saw the state of me. ‘Please,…

Grabbing two chocolate bars out of the snack cupboard, I ran into the living room to break up a fight between my two sons, Harrison, three and Freddie, two. I know it’s not the best solution, but when you have two kids under five, you’ll do anything for a bit of peace and quiet. As much as it’s a daily occurrence, I don’t mind, in fact, I am thankful for every single second I have with them. After all, a year ago, I wasn’t sure I’d get to watch them grow up. It was July 2018, and I’d been married to my amazing husband AJ, for three-and-a-half months. Not only that, I’d spent the past year losing 7st 6lbs with Slimming World. We had two beautiful children together, and finally,…