Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i Pick Me Up! Special

Hello, and welcome to your jam-packed March Pick Me Up! Special. We’ve had a bit of a makeover this month, but all your old favourites are here, along with some fun new features, plenty of puzzles and gritty true crime. Read about our incredible granny detective, Marea (p14), meet Marley, who makes a fortune bossing blokes around (p48), and find out why young Coco needed surgery after a trip to the salon (p28). Prepare to laugh, cry and gasp your way through the pages, picking up some bargain fashion and beauty buys along the way. Enjoy!…

Ellie Thompson, 43, Great Bookham, Surrey Pumpkins lined the street as my little boy dragged me from door to door, swinging a bucket of sweets. ‘One more house, Mum!’ he said, looking up at me in his Ghostbuster costume. It was October 2022 and Billy, then 3, had just added Halloween to the list of things he loved. Obsessed with superheroes and the band Queen, my boy was full of life. Billy and his big sister Maddie, then 5, were my world. It’d taken a round of IVF each for my husband Jamie, then 36, and I to have them. Now, as I watched them, I thanked my lucky stars. But, as early 2023 began, we were back and forth to the GP with Billy. He had tummy aches, headaches…

Respected primary school teacher Fiona Beal had been with her partner Nicholas Billingham, a builder, for 17 years. They shared a terraced house in Northampton, near the school where she worked. The pair seemed happy, kept to themselves. But in October 2021, Fiona, then 47, sat down to write in her diary. Its pages revealed that all was not as it seemed. The mild-mannered teacher had a dark side… On 1 November 2021, Nick, then 42, went to work. Fiona had the day off. She smoked cannabis, hatched a plan. By the time Nick came home, she’d made a decision. She was going to kill Nick. I’d planned it mentally so many times before, she admitted in her diary. Days earlier, she’d bought a utility knife, wrote about how it…

1 GLOW GIVER PS… Revive & Hydrate Sheet Mask, £1, Primark, is bursting with brightening vitamin C to boost your complexion. Save this bargain sheet mask for a special occasion and leave it on for up to 20 minutes the night before. Your skin will look super healthy, deeply nourished and radiant when you wake up next morning. From £1 2 RAPID REVIVAL After healthy-looking skin in an instant? Then stock up on Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Hydrating Sheet Mask, £3.45, Superdrug. Containing the equivalent of a bottle of serum, nothing restores skin health like this. Leave on for as little as 10 minutes for a plumped and nourished complexion. 3 EXFOLIATION STATION Want to shed some of your drab winter skin? Then you need to try Bubble Deep Dive…

A codeword is like A a crossword puzzle but there are no clues! Every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. Just decide which letter is represented by which number. To start you off, we’ve revealed the codes for three letters. Once you’ve filled in these letters throughout the puzzle, you’ll have enough info to guess words and discover other letters. Use the letter checklist and letter grid to keep track of the letters you have found. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ…

Top tip Finely chopped peanuts would make a great alternative topping. Whoopie pies These soft cookies are sandwiched with peanutty icing for a sweet and salty combo that’s hard to resist MAKES 10 PREP 20 MINS, PLUS COOLING COOK 15 MINS ● 100g unsalted butter, softened● 175g light muscovado sugar● 1 medium egg● 35g cocoa powder● 300g plain flour● 1tsp baking powder● 1tsp bicarbonate of soda● 100ml milk FOR THE FILLING: ● 200g light cream cheese● 200g smooth peanut butter● 2tbsp icing sugar FOR THE TOPPING: ● 150g icing sugar● 50g cocoa powder● White chocolate curls (optional) 1 Heat the oven to 160C Fan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth, then beat in the egg and stir in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate…

Sunny weather While many tourists stick to Rome or Venice on the Italian mainland, the island of Sicily has its own prime city break: Palermo. Just a three-hour flight from the UK, the capital is a year-round weekend destination. Winters are mild – even in January, highs can brush 15C – while summers are hot and long with plenty of sunshine. Opulent architecture The city’s buildings reflect the many cultures that have passed through its streets. Moorish domes, Spanish baroque facades and Byzantine mosaics feed the eyes, alongside ancient squares and terracotta buildings. At the far end of the Via Vittorio Emanuele, Palermo Cathedral is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Climb up to the rooftop terrace for city views, with the sea in one direction and mountains in…

Kelly Tyler, 44, Bath, Somerset Another night in, home alone with only my laptop for company. I opened it up and spotted a friend’s Facebook post about a conversation we’d had that day. Men either look great on the outside but lack compassion, or they’re so emotional you end up looking after them. Where is Mr Right? It was November 2014, and I was 34 and single. I didn’t mind that my dating frustrations were now being broadcast to the world. It felt good to share. None of my relationships had worked out. I’d never felt looked after. I had a good job running an agency for motivational speakers, and lots of friends, and I took care of myself. Surely it wasn’t too much to ask to find a nice…

Twice the spice Two are certainly not becoming one with this model. Victoria Beckham’s likeness at the now closed Louis Tussauds House of Wax in Great Yarmouth ended up looking more like old spice than Posh Spice! Palid as a rock When Dwayne Johnson – aka The Rock – saw his waxwork at The Musée Grévin in Paris in 2023, he agreed the muscly model had his bulging biceps and tattoos. Yet the figure had a totally different skin tone. So different, in fact, that he revealed his team would be speaking to the museum about altering the pale skin – which they did. What a melt Reynolds in it sounds pretty perfect – and that’s what Madame Tussauds in New Orleans created with its waxwork of the actor. Even better,…

What do socialite Pippa Matthews and comedian Michael McIntyre have in common? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word answer. ACROSS 1 Part of a flower (5) 4 Large canine (4) 6 Body part (8) 13 Flow of vehicles (7) 14 Type of cocktail (7) 15 Mends with stitches (5) 16 Coloured part of the eye (4) 17 Chewy sweet (6) 18 Robinson _, literary castaway (6) 20 Skinny (4) 21 Actions (5) 22 Burns with hot water (6) 25 Ominous (8) 28 Smother or suppress (6) 30 _ Goulding, Love Me Like You Do singer (5) 32 Christina _, Dirrty singer (8) 34 Period of 10 years (6) 35 Chew, nibble (4) 38 Pencil rubber (6) 39 Searches for prey (5)…

Top tip Whizz the discarded bread to crumbs and freeze for later use, or serve the chilli with jacket potatoes instead. Veggie chilli bread bowl There aren’t many dishes where you can eat the bowl it came in! SERVES 4 PREP 25 MINS COOK 30 MINS ● 2tbsp olive oil● 1 red onion, finely chopped● 2 garlic cloves, chopped● 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped● 1 courgette, diced● 1 red chilli, finely chopped● 1tsp ground coriander● ½tsp cumin seeds● ½tsp hot smoked paprika● 300g Quorn mince● 75g sun-dried tomato paste● 3tbsp tomato purée● 400g tin chopped tomatoes● 400g tin black beans● 500ml hot vegetable stock● 4 x 250g sourdough or cob loaves● Fresh coriander, chopped● 4tbsp half-fat crème fraîche 1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan.…

 Sarah Swann, 44, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire Logging into my banking app, I transferred money into my savings. Just like every payday. It was September 2014, and alongside working full-time in retail, I also did some DJing part-time. I loved hyping up crowds at parties and nightclubs. But away from the decks, I was very sensible when it came to finances. So was my husband Paul, then 38, a landscape gardener. We’d known each other since secondary school, married in June 2014. We’d gone without luxuries like holidays to buy our home together in 2009. And while we had a credit card for emergencies, we rarely used it. Now, as we checked our joint savings account, I felt a flutter of excitement. ‘We’re building up a nice nest egg,’ I…

Kerry Tadgell, 35, Kent My head pounded and the hospital ward was a blur. A fuzzy face came into focus. A doctor. ‘You’ve had a seizure,’ he explained. It was January 2020 and I’d been at my job as a carer when my face had drooped on one side and I was slurring my words. Thankfully, my colleague had nagged me to call 111 and they’d told me to go to Medway Maritime Hospital. Aged 30, this had never happened before. I was terrified. Days later, scans revealed I had a combination of two conditions, hemiplegic migraines and epilepsy. Despite strong medication, my seizures continued, at least one a day, and I was constantly drowsy. As a single mum, I felt so vulnerable. My sister Amy, then 27, had to…

KNITS STYLE TIP Stay warm in stylish knits. Pair with matching bottoms for a chic, tonal look. BAGS STYLE TIP Patent and high-shine looks elevate this berry shade to a luxurious level. SHOES STYLE TIP Stick to sleek, feminine shoes. Gold details complement wine tones beautifully. FROM £14 SKIRTS STYLE TIP Add a pop of texture to your monochromatic look with a midi skirt. It’s a stylish way to break up a solid colour outfit.…

Tested by us so they work for you Tips For a super-speedy finish, stitch your designs directly on to 14-count cream aida instead. This is a functional item that will probably need a good long soak after the washing-up is done, so make sure you choose fabrics and threads that won’t come off or colour-run in the washing machine. YOU WILL NEED ✱ Plain coloured oven mitt✱ Calico fabric✱ 14-count waste or soluble canvas✱ Red and white embroidery thread✱ Embroidery needle✱ Embroidery hoop✱ Scissors 1 Place the waste or soluble canvas over the calico fabric, and secure within the embroidery hoop. 2 Cut a 40cm embroidery thread the length and work cross-stitches, following the cross-stitch chart. Each coloured square on the chart represents one cross-stitch. 3 Once the cross-stitched areas…

Sammi Brown, 50, Bromley, Kent Music blared through the car speakers as I cranked up the volume to Taylor Swift. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, I saw my little girl grinning back at me. ‘I love this song,’ she said. It was April 2024 and Coco, then 14, had been a ‘Swiftie’ for as long as I could remember. Knew all the words to her pop songs. Along with her big sis Tabitha, 17, we’d belt out all her hits on the school run. I loved seeing Coco smile. Diagnosed with autism aged 9, she now attended a school for children with additional needs. Did so well in her favourite subjects, geography, art, PE. Made me and her dad David, 58, so proud. Whenever Coco showed an interest in something,…

Stephanie, 42 As I took the spaghetti off the hob, my boyfriend Lyndon, then 20, came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist. ‘What’s cooking, good looking?’ he said, nuzzling my neck. It was 2007 and we’d met at a local pub, where he was a doorman. Tall, tanned and cheeky, an ex-professional boxer – he was so big and strong and I fancied him like mad. Things had moved quickly between us. Just a few months on, he’d moved in and I was swept up in our romantic whirlwind. Lyndon made me feel so appreciated. Like now, as he complimented the spag bol I’d made and told me how beautiful I was. I’d fallen head over heels for him. After a year together, I fell pregnant, and…

Finding yourself single in later life can feel terribly lonely. And when it comes to finding love again, there are many potential pitfalls – from families having to adjust to a new person and sharing a home right through to worries over inheritance and who has access to the money. While most late-life love stories have happy outcomes, unscrupulous fraudsters are always on the lookout for vulnerable people – especially when there are pension pots and death-in-service payouts to raid. A report from Lloyds Bank found romance scams rose by 22% during 2023 compared to the previous year. Those aged 65 to 74 lose the highest amount of money – £13,123 on average – but men and women aged 55 to 64 are most likely to be targeted by fraudsters.…

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As Marley puts her feet up and relaxes, a man whips round her house, cleaning until it’s spick and span. Occasionally, he pauses to tell her she’s beautiful. But if you think Marley, 30, will be paying her cleaner for his services, you’d be wrong. In fact, he is paying her to allow him to scrub her house and shower her with compliments. That’s because Marley, known as Mistress Marley to her clients, has an unusual occupation. ‘I make six figures a year telling men what to do,’ she reveals. Marley, 30, started her job giving men orders six years ago after leaving college. ‘I took a corporate job but I wasn’t making any money from it, I was having a lot of anxiety,’ she explains. Sparked by her dissatisfaction,…

As 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck straddled his lime-green mountain bike and cycled towards his friend’s house, he waved goodbye to his mum. The town of Richwoods in Missouri, USA, was small and quiet, and Shawn’s parents trusted him to be out on his bike alone. It was 6 October 2002, and as Shawn pedalled along, he felt a shove to the back of his bike. As he pulled to the side of the road, a white truck stopped behind him. Behind the wheel of the vehicle was Michael Devlin, a pizza-shop worker. Devlin pulled a gun, told Shawn to get in the truck. ‘You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,’ Devlin said. And in that moment, Shawn vanished. For Pam Akers, Shawn’s mother, it was the beginning…

Aries 21 March – 19 April Just as you’re moving forwards on some fronts, relationships start throwing you curveballs. Unresolved issues or even exes could surface. It’s time for a rethink. Call 0905 789 4150* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Taurus 20 April – 20 May You may well wonder what’s going on in March. Some run out of motivation, while others change course in a relationship. Regardless, the 23rd provides answers. Call 0905 789 4151* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Gemini 21 May – 20 June There’s a lot going on, but stay focused around the 6th – your best day in months for tackling tasks. Get any important communications sorted before the 15th. Call 0905 789 4152* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates…