Pick Me Up! 21-May-2020

This week, we’re here to say thank you to our wonderful NHS staff and key workers. On 29 January, the first two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the UK. Since then, our remarkable NHS staff have been working tirelessly to care for patients and save lives. Working long hours and putting their own lives at risk, the NHS have been doing what they can each and every day. If it weren’t for them, thousands more precious lives would have sadly been lost. And it’s not just the NHS. Millions of key workers up and down the country have been heading to work, to ensure we have what we need. From delivery drivers to supermarket assistants, we’d be lost without them. Here at Pick Me Up! the team have been…

How great is this? In Cetraben’s newest campaign, This Is My Skin, they aim to break the eczema and psoriasis taboo. Approved by the British Skin Foundation, Cetraben have partnered with photographer Emma Croman to provide the most honest portrayal of eczema we’ve seen to date. Not only are they honest, but they’re also uplifting and positive, showing the beauty and hope of all individuals who took part. The eczema isn’t immediately identifiable, but if you look closer, it’s just a natural part of the shot. As a part of the campaign, the brand has pledged to only use models with eczema, psoriasis and dry skin conditions in its advertising, and we’re fully on board! GET IN TOUCH Send us your stories and photos, including all names and ages, a…

If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate sharing smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

Dear Mark, From the first moment I met you, I knew you were a superhero. Out with my mates at a bar back in 2009, you’d swooped in with your dashing good looks and offered to buy me a drink. A single mum to two kids – Elise, then nine, and Harley, two – I wasn’t really looking for a relationship. Still, your charm made me wobble at the knees. I didn’t think I’d see you after that, but it seemed you were determined to see me again. You found me on Facebook, and I have to admit, I was blushing when your message popped up. How are you? you’d asked. We continued to chat from then on – and we just clicked. I told you all about the kids,…

The Moving Mountains range of tasty plant-based products are perfect for creating new and delicious recipes. Their meat free products can be found in the frozen aisle at Sainsbury’s. (movingmountainsfoods.com) FOR THE BURGER: 2 Moving Mountains Sausage Burgers1 sliced pineapple, peeled and cored1 tbsp rapeseed oil2 slices smokedcheddar / Vegancheddar cheese2 burger buns FOR THE COLESLAW: ¼ red cabbage, approx. 50g1 small carrot, peeled and julienned20g salted peanuts, crushed1 tbsp olive oilSalt & pepper to taste FOR THE SWEET CHILLI SAUCE: 1 tsp maple syrup1 tsp tomato puree1 tbsp cider vinegar½ red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped 1 Heat a griddle pan at medium heat. Add the pineapple slices and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping over halfway through and make sure they are not sticking. After the first 5…

Peering at a faint blue line on a plastic stick, my heart skipped a beat. It was April 2019, and after realising I’d missed my period, I’d decided to take a pregnancy test. Heading out to my local Tesco to buy one, I couldn’t wait to get home, so I’d nipped into the store’s toilets. ‘Well, what does it say?’ my partner Shaun, 44, asked, eagerly waiting outside the ladies’ room. ‘I’m pregnant,’ I said. ‘I can’t believe it,’ Shaun grinned. ‘We’re having another baby!’ I already had two kids from a previous relationship – Cory, 19, and John, 11 – and after Shaun and I got together in 2015, we’d had our daughter Aalish, now three. I knew our ever-growing brood would be a handful, but I was made…