Pick Me Up! 16-Apr-2020

Putting my then 10-month-old daughter, Tegan, into her pram, I walked out of the front door. That day, in November 2006, I left my life and my abusive partner behind me. I’d been putting up with emotional and physical abuse for three years and finally, I’d had enough. After that, I slowly started building up my confidence and in May 2009, I decided to help other survivors. So, I set up a Facebook page – SODA Survivors of Domestic Abuse – in the hopes of helping men and women just like me. Over time, the page grew and today, it has over 800 members on it. I run the page completely alone, but it’s a safe haven for survivors to talk and connect. I know from experience just how lonely…

WE’RE LOVING THIS! Looking for a way to enjoy exercise? The brand-new Blaze class at David Lloyd Clubs, is sure to get your heart racing. Combining cardio, weights and even some boxing, the high-intensity interval training is a whole new way to workout. With a heart rate monitor worn throughout the class, you’ll be able to track your progress as you go and also enter yourself into a little friendly competition. You’ll want to make it into the red zone – where class members are working their hardest according to the tracker. Fancy giving it a go? Visit www.davidlloyd.co.uk to find out more. Just what we need right now As summer fast approaches, a refreshing drink is just what we need. And if it comes with a Southern twist, that’s…

Applying my makeup, I was a bag of nerves. ‘He thinks you’re really fit,’ my cousin Allanis, 21, beamed. ‘Oh really?’ I blushed. She had been telling me all about Greg Sutherland, 32. ‘You’ll like him,’ she said. It was July 2015, and we were getting ready for a party that Allanis was hosting, sipping on glasses of wine before all the guests arrived. Allanis had mentioned Greg before, after she met him through a friend. ‘He saw your picture on Facebook and said you’re pretty,’ she said. That evening, when Greg walked into Allanis’ living room, I blushed. ‘Hi, I’m Serena’, I shouted over the music. ‘I know’, he winked. Greg was charming and attentive. He was 10 years older than me and it made him seem very mature.…

Looking for a quick, tasty treat for family and friends to enjoy? Creating these Pink Lady® apple lollipops is a fun activity for all to get involved in, whilst being totally scrumptious! For more recipes visit pinkladyapples.co.uk YOU WILL NEED: □ 1 Pink Lady® apple □ Cocktail sticks or lollipop sticks □ 100g 70% dark chocolate FOR THE TOPPINGS: □ 100g sesame seeds □ 100g chopped hazelnuts □ 100g desiccated coconut □ 100g smashed Oreos □ 100g stem ginger □ 100g orange zest □ 100g pistachios □ 100g meringue & freeze-dried strawberry berry pieces Greaseproof paper per 1 Carefully slice the Pink Lady® apple into eighths. 2 Insert the lollipop sticks into the Pink Lady® apple slices. 3 Melt the chocolate. 4 Dip the apple lollipops into the melted chocolate, aiming for approximately…

Ripping open a packet of Peanut M&Ms, I sat and enjoyed the sweet treat in my university dorm. As I took a bite into a chocolate ball, I heard a loud crack in my jaw. That doesn’t sound good, I thought to myself. Feeling around inside my mouth, I was certain that I’d broken a tooth. But all my teeth were fine. I wasn’t in any pain, and when I checked in the mirror, everything looked fine. It was 2011, and I was 22, coming to the end of my year abroad in Amsterdam. The next few weeks were hectic, and as I moved home to Sydney, I forgot all about the cracking noise. Then one day, I woke up with a pain in my gums. ‘Maybe you should go…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! The under sink storage solution that adjusts to fit the space below your sink (£14.99). Includes 10 adjustable shelves to maximise storage space. Comes complete with assembly instructions, simple and easy to construct and no tools required. For more ways to make your life easier, visit addis.co.uk Love to sew An old piece of candle wax is great for holding pins and needles when I’m sewing. I. Tubby, Norfolk Happy nappy Stinky nappy bin? We stick a cute car freshener in ours and our little one thinks it’s funny to say hi to the owl at changing time! And it smells better, too. Amanda Hadley, Hayseech Save the planet with Splosh Worried about the impact of…