Indholdsfortegnelse for Festive Special 2024 i Pick Me Up! Special

Sitting pretty My cat Mitzy loves this time of year. The Christmas tree is her favourite place for a snooze. Paige, St Albans Perfect present The only gift I need under my tree – my sweet little woofer Grace. Gabby, Gloucester Dressed to impress How cute does my boy Sammy look in his sparkly bow tie? He’s ready to meet Santa Paws! Joanna, Devon Rip it open! My pup Toby adores Xmas and he’s always very spoiled by the whole family – unwrapping presents is his favourite thing to do! Caitlin, Carlisle…

Scooping slices of juicy turkey and roast potatoes, I spent hours making Christmas dinner in 2020. Plating up, I served lunch for my partner Jonathan, now 37, and our boys Hugo, now nine, and Heston, now eight. Personally, I was never a massive fan of a roast dinner, but Jonathan loved it. Only as the kids tucked in, I watched him push his food around the plate. Having tested positive for Covid, I knew he wasn’t feeling well. But his symptoms were being exacerbated by one thing in particular – his weight. Wearing a 6XL in clothes, I wasn’t sure exactly how much Jonathan weighed, but I knew he wasn’t healthy. And this Christmas, it seemed worse than ever. The excess pounds made Jonathan tired all the time – he…

This month… OH, CHRISTMAS TREE Do you know what Xmas tree is best for your home? Experts at Forestry England have shared their hacks for finding your merry match – and hints at how you can really make them last… • To see more, visit: forestryengland.uk 1 Norway Spruce This is a wonderfully shaped tree with an abundance of branches that are great for hanging lots of decorations. It gives a lovely scent that fills any room with festive cheer. However, it is a little sharp to touch, so not advised with small children or pets. Top tip: It’s best to buy your Norway spruce nearer to Christmas, as it can lose its needles quite quickly. 2 Nordmann Fir This is the most popular Christmas tree in Europe. It gives an even…

Carefully bending the twigs into place, my creation came to life. Dotted with a few artificial flowers, I started creating Christmas wreaths with foliage me and my hubby Ryan, 31, had found on our daily walk during the December 2020 lockdown. Watching Love Actually and The Snowman as I spent an hour on each wreath, my craft filled me with festive cheer. I even made wreaths for my friends and family, too. ‘Why don’t you make an Etsy shop?’ they told me. I didn’t think they were good! I thought to myself. But my love for crafting had been there all along. When I was little, I baked Christmas salt cookies with my mum Caren, now 68. We looped ribbon around them and hung them on our Christmas tree –…

Christmas is a time to cherish with your family and friends. Making traditions, planning activities and forgetting feuds. For nine-year-old Charlise Mutten, it was actually a time where she would reconnect with her mother Kallista. After spending three years in jail due to a driving incident, Kallista had learnt from her mistakes. In 2021, she was eager to be the mum that Charlise needed. Especially as Kallista had also met a partner, Justin Stein, through a prison program, too. For animal-loving Charlise, this Christmas was going to be a little bit different. She wasn’t spending it with her grandparents like usual. She had a family unit and a father-figure to look up to instead. During the holidays, they spent time in Mount Wilson, Australia, where they also travelled to a…

Scoff a mince pie and hunker down in your festive PJs – that’s what Christmas is all about!…

Raise a glass? Q I've recently given birth and I'm breastfeeding – can I still enjoy a tipple over the festive period, or should I avoid it completely? Eve, Amersham A Around 2 to 5% of alcohol consumed by a breastfeeding mother passes into the breast milk. One occasional alcoholic drink is very unlikely to harm the baby, but regularly drinking alcohol above the recommended limit of 14 units per week can do so. If you have a drink, ideally wait two to three hours before breastfeeding. It’s also best to wait until the baby is at least six weeks old and feeding patterns have become established. Alcohol can reduce the amount of breast milk by 20%. It can also interrupt a baby’s sleeping patterns, causing them to sleep more often…

Gently placing a very special bauble onto a branch, I felt a twinge of sadness. I was getting ready for my wedding, overseeing the last finishing touches of the venue – tying the knot in December 2022, I went all out with the Christmas theme. After all, it was the most wonderful time of the year. And my wedding day would be the best day of my life. But there would be one very important person missing from my nuptials – my dad, Philip. He had passed away when I was just 11, so I’d always known he’d never be there to see me as a bride or walk me down the aisle. But I was determined to make Dad part of my day. I loved Christmas – something I…

Take a glance at Itaberli Lozano’s social media and you would find a vivacious, fun-loving teenager – splattered in colourful powder paint and checking out musicians at gigs with his mates. And in the sunny region of Cravinhos, São Paulo, 17-year-old Itaberli was studying at EE Prof. Fernando Campos Rosas in 2016. He was hard-working with a part-time job at Supermercados Mialich – a local supermarket. Itaberli was described by his friends as outgoing, cheerful, intelligent and polite – he really was a credit to his family. A budding photographer, the teenager would snap anything from portraits of models to selfies with his friends and baby brother, whom he really adored. He was the dream son – a respectful and bright young man who was full of ambition. Only his…

Hide and seek page 3 Answer: page 18 Riddle me this page 24 Answer: POTATO Spot it page 24 Follow it page 26 Answer: JOKE AND GIFT Spiral crossword page 40 Answer: SANTA’S GROTTO Word search page 48 Answer: SHORTCAKE The biggie page 16 Answer: PINK QUARTZ CRYSTALS Sudoku page 40 Answer 1: 3,4,5 Answer 2: 2,3,2 Three in a row page 26 Answer: AUSTRIA Number fit page 40 Answer: 339 Strike it page 40 Answer: EMPLOYING (Cross out: 8, 11, 26, 32, 58, 78, 81) Word jumble page 48 Answer: RUSSIA Cross it page 51 Answer: INVITE Cake or fake? page 62 1) A 2) B 3) B 4) A…

Festive special Isn’t there just something so special about the festive season? Wrapping up warm, hot toddies, spending time with family… it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. For most of us, Chrimbo is all about the grub – warming mulled wine, sweet mince pies, decorated gingerbread and of course, the cheeseboard! If you want to get your festive food prepped and planned with time to spare, check out our guide to the ultimate Christmas dinner (pg8). Someone who knows a thing or two about prepping in advance is Lia (pg30). Living with her hubby in deepest, darkest Alaska, every year is a white Christmas. But everything has to be planned to a tee – supplies need to be stocked up and presents need to be sent…

Hissing and booing in unison with the crowd, the theatre was full of festive fun. Every single year, I’d take my daughter Jordan to the panto on Christmas Eve at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth. We’d scoff loads of food and then come home to snuggle up and watch a movie on the sofa before the big day. It was our annual tradition when she was little. Then, without fail, we’d sing along to The Wizard of Oz on Christmas morning before enjoying the rest of the day with family. With such a vibrant personality, Jordan loved Christmas. She’d belt out Mariah Carey at the top of her lungs. And her birthday was on Boxing Day – so there was always a celebration to be had during December. With both of…

Waste not, want not Instead of discarding the stalks on my broccoli, I cut them into small cubes and cook them. It’s not a waste and when making soup, nobody can tell the difference. Rhianna, Hull Pretty presents Not sure what to get someone you’re not that close to? Gifts always look better when you stick to the same colour theme. It looks like you’ve made a real effort when it’s not that hard at all. Bethan, Yate Oh, what fun?! I struggled to wrap my grandma’s present, so I made it into a cracker. It works for all the tricky shapes! Charlie, Reading Christmas carton Reuse empty egg boxes to hold fragile ornaments or baubles for the next year. Fingers crossed, they won’t break when you shove them in the…

Go big or go home! My next door neighbour has the most obnoxious light display at Christmas, it’s loud and bright late into the night. The worst part is people actually come to see the ‘display’ every year so we constantly have people outside taking pictures and it feels like an invasion of privacy, can I say something? Emilie, Hartlepool YES Pick Me Up! reader Cindy from Norwich says: You can say something, but I’m not sure it will go down well. You’ll be known as the local Scrooge! However, are you the only one in the neighbourhood who hates it? It could be worth speaking up about it to the other neighbours to sense their thoughts on it all. If there are a few of you that are fuming about…

Dressed to the nines in PPE, I scanned the empty room. I was bored. In March 2022, I was working in a Covid testing centre and as we were heading towards the end of restrictions, most people had already had their vaccine. And while it wasn’t the most exciting job, it was a welcome break from my previous one. You see, I’d spent the past six years working as an EMT. And by the end of Covid, I was really unhappy. Working long, stressful hours, I barely got to see my wife Emily, now 29, who was also an EMT. Sometimes we’d go six days without seeing each other. Day in, day out, watching and dealing with extreme trauma, the job really did take its toll on my mental health.…

LIMITED-EDITION BUYS The spicy aroma of mulled wine and fresh pine – Xmas is brimming with luscious scents. Celebrate with these hand-picked limited-edition smellies… Merry spritz-mas This Christmas, M&S have released two new scents in their Discover range. With Warm Fig and Frosted Vanilla, £10 each, making an appearance, you’ll be enveloped in a festive bubble. Warm Fig has notes of sweet fig and sharp cassis, whereas Frosted Vanilla smells like fresh vanilla and pear. Spray for all-day wear. Berry and Bright Everyone loves a Soap & Glory gift from Boots. Feel fresh with the Soap & Glory Fig and Beautiful Three-Piece Body Gift Set, £25. And if that wasn’t enough, the Be Berry & Bright Set, £12.50, is back. You can enjoy moments of stardom while relaxing in the…

FILM AND TV 1 In Mean Girls, what song do The Plastics perform in front of their school? a Last Christmas b Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree c Jingle Bell Rock 2 Who proposes to who in the 2008 Gavin and Stacey Christmas special? a Nessa proposes to Smithy b Dave proposes to Nessa c Gavin proposes to Stacey 3 What is the name of the little girl who befriends the Grinch in the 2000 film? a Martha May b Cindy Lou c Betty Lou 4 Which Christmas film caused our UK Prime Minister at the time to release a public statement in defence as the film was so realistic? a Love Actually b The Holiday c Last Christmas 5 How many roles does Tom Hanks play in Polar Express? a…

Sprinkle some magic We took the kids to Disneyland Paris and they were thrilled to see Father Christmas join Mickey and Minnie. Charlie, York What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Tinsel-itis! How funny! All wrapped up I asked our son to take a picture of us in this festive frame – but I couldn’t keep a straight face. Lisa, Winchester Nativity time We love fancy dress and we took this seriously – dressing up as the nativity! I think my mum makes a great donkey. Georgia, Yeovil Seasonal bakes I baked a cake in the shape of a tree and let the grandkids go wild. I think they’ve done a fab job. It tasted delicious, too. Angela, Nottingham Making a list My daughter was keen to make sure she sent…

Decorate your home with some hand-made gonks this season. They can take pride of place on your mantlepiece… YOU WILL NEED: □ White air-drying clay□ Acrylic paint – green, red, white and skin tone of your choice METHOD: 1. Cut away a third of the block of clay. Roll the clay into a ball, then squeeze the top to form a wide pear shape. This is your body. 2. Cut away another third of your clay to make the hat. Form it into a cone shape that is wide enough to cover the top of the body. Squeeze and then roll the clay to get an even shape. 3. Now add a blob of clay glue, made by wetting a small amount of clay to make a paste, to the…

What does pop star and designer Victoria Beckham say she insists on carrying at her catwalk shows for good luck? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the answer. ACROSS 11 Seemingly non-functional part of the gut, often removed (8) 12 Beijing’s land (5) 13 Electric cables around a house (6) 14 Leg joint (4) 15 Flow of water (7) 16 Aussie jumper (8) 17 Three score and ten (7) 18 Argument (7) 19 3,600 seconds (4) 21 Observe closely (5) 23 Small changing room (7) 24 Rules of language (7) 28 Agricultural area (4) 29 Wise bird (3) 30 Deep river gorge (6) 33 Cooked in the oven (7) 35 Tin container (3) 36 Large urban settlement (4) 38…

Tear and Share Mincemeat Swirls Serves 12 Time: 30 mins YOU WILL NEED: □ 100g glacé cherries□ 100g golden marzipan□ 250g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting□ 2 tsps baking powder□ 50g lightly salted butter, softened□ 150ml whole milk, plus 1 extra tbsp□ 250g mincemeat□ 65g icing sugar□ 1 tbsp shelled pistachios, chopped HOW TO: 1. Preheat oven to 200o C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Chop 75g cherries and halve the rest. Grate 75g marzipan. Set aside. 2. Put flour and baking powder in a bowl and rub in butter. Stir in 150ml milk to a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth, then roll into a 25 x 32cm rectangle. 3. Spread mincemeat over dough, leaving a 1cm…

Don’t let your health dampen the festive fun! Phil Day, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmacy 2U, is here to offer solutions to Xmas time ailments. These will help to keep spirits bright! • For more, please visit: pharmacy2u.co.uk 1. Cystitis and UTIs Colder temperatures can make cystitis or UTIs more likely by reducing circulation. Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water daily is key to prevention. Cranberry juice is often suggested, while cystitis relief sachets can help ease discomfort. 2. Winter sniffles or a sore throat Cold weather and close festive gatherings can contribute to winter colds and sore throats. A mixture of honey and lemon in warm water is a time-tested remedy that can soothe a sore throat, while throat lozenges and sprays can relieve discomfort. If congestion…

Hanging the Pokémon bauble on the tree on Christmas Eve last year, the decs were complete. For the past three years, myself and my husband Ricky, now 33, had chosen a special bauble to put on the tree. But just a day before, the Pokémon bauble had been hanging on a small electronic tree in King’s College Hospital, London. And we weren’t sure it would make it home… Back in July 2022, I’d noticed Ricky was a bit under the weather. ‘I feel tired all the time,’ he told me. He had bruising and night sweats, too. Renovating our house, we assumed this was down to stress and building work. But one afternoon, working on the house, Ricky nearly passed out. As we’d just moved, Ricky wasn’t registered with a…

Get your glam-rags on – it’s party time! With jewels, sequins and silver bells to inspire you, twinkle like a Christmas star……