Pick Me Up! 26-May-2022

Untying sticks and pouring a sweet solution into a small vase, I placed my reed diffuser on the side. Now that’s better, I sniffed in delight. Around my living room I had a huge collection of glitzy décor pieces – I loved having them around the house. Only, next to the ornaments were nappies and baby bottles, ruining the showroom feel. After working for the NHS since the age of 18, I had always shown a nurturing side. And when I fell pregnant in 2020, I couldn’t wait to welcome my own family. Yet, with the pandemic taking its toll, I needed to do something for me, especially with free time due to maternity leave. What can I do? I huffed, intrigued by a lot of small businesses that would…

WHAT’S TRENDING Us Brits love a Victoria Sponge. And so does the Queen! That’s why, to celebrate her 70th year on the throne, Morrisons have renamed their classic Victoria Sponge to an Elizabeth Sponge. Each mouth-watering cake is made of three layers of classic sponge, sandwiched between strawberry jam and whipped cream, before a Morrisons Cake Maker completes the job with an arrangement of fresh, delicious strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar. ● The Elizabeth Sponge is available in Morrisons for £4. Fun days out Join Peppa Pig as she heads to Sea Life for an amazing under water adventure! Families will have the chance to meet Peppa and dive into the fun of Sea Life as they meet some incredible creatures and discover how to keep them safe…

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.…

Standing in the queue, I watched as a familiar look came over my six-year-old daughter Khloe’s face. Here it comes… I thought. We’d been in the shop for a while, and I could sense a full-on meltdown was brewing. Her face was turning red, and tears were in her eyes. But just before she let rip, a man approached us. ‘Hey, what’s all this about?’ he said with a smile on his face. He started to calm her down, and I was so grateful. We got chatting, and he told me his name was Reza. I realised I recognised him from a dating site – where I’d palmed him off. But in person he was so sweet and kind, and patient with Khloe, too – plus he was easy on…

Spooning into my husband, I felt his hands stroking the side of my body. Pushing my hips backwards, I could feel him against me. Bringing his hands up to my boobs, he started gently caressing them. ‘Nice?’ Des, 51, whispered. ‘Perfect,’ I moaned. We were both raring to go. Only, this was as far as we’d be going for the night. In fact, this was as far as we’d gone for a while. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to have actual sex, but I just couldn’t do it. You see, like many other women, I’d reached a turning point in my life. Menopause. From the moment it began at the end of 2019, it hit me hard. Hot flushes, irritability – not to mention vaginal dryness and extreme discomfort.…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! You can use the Handi airer outdoors to chase the sun, or indoors when the weather turns. Simply push down to open and pull up to close and store. The free standing airer means there’s no need to secure to the ground. For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Egg-cellent I fill my bird feeders with cut up leftover wool and cat hair. This means the birds in my garden can use both to line their nests in the spring! Colleen Brunton, Enfield Tasty tip! Cook stuffed peppers in a Yorkshire pudding tin. This makes sure that they don’t fall over when they’re in the oven. Abbie Cairns, Essex How chair he?! Fed…