Innehållsförteckning för SUMMER 2 SPECIAL 2020 från Chat Specials

Here at Chat, we love nothing better than putting a smile on your face, and we hope this edition will make your day a bit brighter. With summer in full swing, who doesn’t love a picnic? We’ve got some great tips to get you started on page 18. Why not try a chocolate mousse with a twist on page 43? And if that doesn’t cheer you up, check out a clever way to instantly feel happy on page 66! This month, we’re all about families sticking together through good times and bad. After losing her dad to a cruel disease, Helen (pg16) wasn’t too surprised to learn she had the same thing. It definitely ran in the family, and when her mum was also diagnosed, the pair of them battled…

THE PERFECT PICNIC PICK THE RIGHT SPOT Look for somewhere scenic, lush and grassy, and with plenty of natural shade. Aim to set up under a tree to make sure you can utilise the shade in case it gets too hot, and make sure there’s plenty of empty surrounding space for children to run around. PACK RIGHT Wicker baskets are charming, but not always the most practical option. Try using an insulated tote or bag with compartments and straps to secure your contents, plus padding to cushion soft food or glasses. BRING A SURFACE The point of a picnic is to eat on the ground, so a full-on table kind of defeats the purpose. You do, however, need somewhere flat to rest your plates and food while you eat. An…

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan says: ‘The care, love and commitment of our adoptive and foster families is more vital today than ever before. The impact of coronavirus has placed even more pressure on vulnerable families across the UK, and this may well result in a rise in children needing care. With over 150 years experience of placing children with adoptive families, we know this can be life changing for all involved. We need individuals and couples to help us meet this challenge and urge anyone who is considering becoming an adopter or foster parent to get in touch with Barnardo’s.’ Visit www.barnardos.org.uk.…

Isabel Gordon, 26, London Carefully scanning the calendar, I frowned. ‘Still nothing?’ my husband Joshua, 34, asked. ‘No luck,’ I sighed, feeling frustrated. It was December 2018, and for the fourth month in a row, I’d failed to get my period. While I was glad to be rid of painful abdominal cramps and terrible PMS, not having my regular period wasn’t ideal – Joshua and I really wanted a baby. We’d met 10 years ago while we were both on holiday in Miami. Friends first, we only became a couple about four years later. I’d been on the contraceptive pill ever since I was a teenager, which suited our lifestyle just fine at the time. My periods were always regular, and I didn’t have a worry in the world. A…

Butcher to the royals Donald Russell has partnered up with barbequing guru Christian Stevenson, AKA DJ BBQ, to share their top tips for sizzling success! 1. The easiest way to set up your grill is the half and half technique: putting charcoal on one side and no charcoal on the other. By doing this, you get a good charred colour on your food over the direct heat, but if the heat is too intense, you can move your food to the more indirect side. This is a great way to ensure your meat is cooked all the way through. 2. Before grilling steak, make sure you take it out of the fridge for at least half an hour beforehand so it can get to room temperature. Steaks are a muscle…

Feeling fatigued QI read online that feeling tired all the time can be because of an iron deficiency. Is that true? Sally, Suffolk A Tiredness throughout the day can certainly impact the quality of our waking hours. It can be down to a number of factors and you are spot on that iron deficiency, amongst other forms of anaemia, may be one of them. There are many other factors to think about as well; consider that your sleep pattern, mood, bowel habits, thirst levels, weight, muscle pain, and current medication may also help in exploring what is causing your tiredness. A chat with your local GP, who may recommend a blood test, will investigate these for you. Whilst you are waiting for your appointment, I would ensure that you are…

Hearing loss is a fairly common condition, with 1 in 5 UK adults suffering from it. There are many different types of hearing loss, as one of many parts of the auditory system can be affected. Because each part of your auditory system performs a specific role in hearing and processing sound, specific treatment is needed to assist or repair their function. If you’re experiencing hearing loss, your first step should be to see your GP or an audiologist right away. For more information on hearing loss or to book a free hearing test near you, visit www.hiddenhearing.co.uk.…

New for summer Say hello to these new summer buys! MASQUEBAR HALLYU BLUEBERRY JELLY MASK, £4.99, ASOS Blueberry lovers will find a new skincare obsession in this jelly mask. A blue coloured sheet, infused with anti-oxidant rich blueberry extract to refresh, rejuvenate and revive. This mask will be berry good for your skin! Simply pop it on and relax for 30 minutes, while it does all the hard IMPULSE MALIBU BREEZE + COCONUT CRUSH BODY MIST, £6.99, NATIONWIDE Reminisce some of your favourite holidays and dream of future adventures with one spritz of this sunshine scent. Think gentle ocean waves lapping onto the shore, golden sands as far as the eye can see and swaying coconut palms with this new mist. With a zingy freshness of coconut and cucumber, it…

Stacie Turner, 33, Glasgow. Settling down in bed with just a mattress and a blanket to cover me, I knew I was in for a rough night’s sleep. And I wasn’t wrong, spending the night tossing and turning and trying to get comfy. I’d just moved to a new city to start my university degree and barely had any furniture or kitchen supplies for my new place. ‘Student life, eh?’ my flatmate Emma laughed as I told her about my sleepless night. ‘I’m going to order some bedding now!’ I said, tapping away at my laptop. I found a duvet and pillow set on eBay from a company called -X11 Homeware for £50 and two days later, the package arrived. ‘My new bedding’s here,’ I announced, finally. ‘I’m so sick…

FEET FIRST One of the most common fetishes out there, and one that certainly pays a lot – a foot fetish. Some people are willing to pay mega money for photographs of your bare toes, a foot massage, a pedicure or even to smell your feet. BEE MINE Melissaphiles find the idea of insect stings erotic. Melissaphilia is a sexual attraction to bees, wasps and other stinging insects. Some encourage bees to sting them. This preference is a specific branch of zoophilia, which is a sexual attraction to non-human animals. GREEK GODS Looking at a museum statue might sound boring to you, but to some people, it’s arousing. Agalmatophilia is when an individual is attracted to statues, dolls and mannequins. We’ll never look at a shop window the same! BOGEY…

Salli White, 28, Saffron Walden, Essex As I made my way into the living room, I could hear my boys, Oscar, six, and Toby, four, were up to no good again. Scuffling and laughing together, the pair were play fighting. ‘You’ll end up hurting  someone,’ I warned them, untangling the both of them from each other. With my husband Chris, 28, at work, I was certainly outnumbered by my boys. ‘Why don’t we go and play in the garden?’ I suggested to them both. With more space to run about, there was less chance of anything getting broken. My plan working, I cracked on with some cooking in the kitchen, keeping an eye on them through the window. ‘Go careful,’ I called out to Oscar as he bounced on the…

GOAT’S CHEESE, SPINACH AND HERB MINI MUFFINS (MAKES 12) • 175g self-raising flour • ½ tsp baking powder • 1 large egg, beaten • 40g unsalted butter, melted • 115ml semi-skimmed milk • 20g hard cheese, finely grated • 50g baby spinach, finely chopped • 1½ tbsp chives, finely chopped • 60g soft goat’s cheese 1. Preheat the oven to gas 6 / 200°C / fan 180°C. 2. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except the goat’s cheese, together with a wooden spoon. 3. Once combined well, add 40g of the goat’s cheese and mix again. 4. Divide the mixture between the cases and dot with the remaining goat’s cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until risen, golden…

Katharine Hill, the UK Director of the national charity Care For The Family (cff.org.uk) answers your questions. It’s broken my heart Q My son is 13 and he sees his dad on the weekend. He has done since he was three. Now he says he wants to live with his dad and I’m devastated. I feel like he’s choosing his dad over me. His dad is obviously the ‘fun’ one and now he’s angry because I said no. Carly, Liverpool A I’m sorry to hear how much your son’s request has hurt you. It’s understandable that you will feel this deeply, but try to take a step back to see things from his perspective. The priority has to be your son’s happiness and wellbeing. Does it have to be ‘all…

The myLotus monitor is a hand-held, home-based monitor that measures the LH (Luteinising Hormone) concentration in your urine sample and helps you to see when you will ovulate. Because it measures the actual amount of LH in the urine sample, it works for all women and can help every woman to find the optimal time to fall pregnant. The myLotus system consists of a monitor, LH (ovulation) test sticks and hCG (pregnancy) test sticks. It also comes with a free downloadable app to store the data and visualise your hormonal profile. Visit www.mylotus.com…

Have you noticed more hair in your brush? Does your scalp feel itchier or more sensitive than normal? You may have not made the connection, but stress can have a real impact on your scalp condition. When we are under a lot of pressure or have heightened anxiety, our bodies release high levels of a hormone called cortisol which can cause an increase in the production of sebum and change the scalp environment. Top trichologist Stephanie Sey reveals four ways stress may be ruining your locks without you knowing: 1. HAIR LOSS Increased levels of stress can lead to excessive hair shedding. During stressful periods your hair may be shocked from the growing phase to the resting phase, resulting in shedding a few months later. 2. DANDRUFF Stress can weaken…

What are dreams and why do we have them? We dream for different reasons – to process the information of the day, to make sense of emotional upsets, trauma and stress, and to process our creativity. The dream process helps us to organise memories, consolidate learning, and make sense of life. Every thought, every behaviour, and every choice that we make in the day impacts what happens when our head hits the pillow at night. Energetic vibrations of the day are often carried into your sleep, reverberating within you and keeping you awake or jolting you into sudden heart-thudding wakefulness. I believe that when we sleep, we return to a child-like vulnerable state in which our unconscious mind is given free rein, becoming almost like an out of control computer…

His cold-blooded murder played out in cinemas worldwide... It was an unlikely friendship between a wealthy widow and a mortician that would inspire a Hollywood movie. Elderly Marjorie Nugent thought she’d found a companion in Bernie Tiede after he helped bury her late husband. They lived out Marjorie’s golden years travelling the world together in luxury – until Bernie shot her in the back and stuffed her body in a freezer. By then, he’d already persuaded Marjorie to change her will in his favour. It was gripping tale of greed and cold-blooded murder that would see Bernie incarcerated and his story played out in cinemas worldwide. But even after the credits rolled, there was an unexpected plot twist. A lawyer went to see the film and started to question whether…

A spokesperson for -X11 Homeware said: ‘The customer reached out to us mentioning the problem with one of the four-feather pillows she had ordered from out eBay shop. ‘She received a reply on the same day, confirming that a senior representative will be looking into this matter with top priority, and escalating this with our upstream supplier. ‘The customer was issued a full refund, including postage, two days later. We had already implemented a vigorous investigation, and will ensure that all necessary are taken swiftly.’…

My family stayed by my side the whole time, praying I’d wake up. Amazingly, three days later, I opened my eyes. It was a miracle I survived it. I had a long road ahead, but by some miracle, I hadn’t suffered any brain damage. Doctors initially told me I would have to be hooked up to a ventilator to help monitor my breathing – but I defied the odds by teaching myself to breathe unaided. My recovery was slow, but I was lucky to be alive. Finally, after six long weeks in the hospital, I was out of danger and allowed to go home. Today, I still have no taste – my tongue is just a lump in my mouth. I miss pizza, I miss ordering Chinese, and I miss…

Marianne Whiteway, 33, Lancaster Lifting 100kg weights over my head, I felt the eyes of a bloke nearby on me. ‘Impressive,’ he said. ‘Thanks,’ I panted. ‘I’m training for a competition.’ It was my first bodybuilding contest, so I was putting everything I had into my training. As I squatted with barbells and lifted weights over my head, you wouldn’t believe I was a primary school teacher before all this. I’d always loved running, doing 10km races or hiking around the Lake District. So, I qualified as a personal trainer and quit my job as a teacher – and I never looked back. Soon, my love and buzz for running turned into that for weights. ‘How do I get a perky round bum like yours?’ my ladies would ask. I…

Where’s My Happy Ending by Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson AVAILABLE FOR £14.99 FROM WATERSTONES Maybe you’ve just had a first date with ‘the one’, maybe you’ve been married for ten years. Either way, it’s hard to know if they’re really meant to be by your side until you both wear dentures. Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson set out to discover what it takes to make it to forever. Speaking to a host of people, from all walks of life, the pair are forced to confront their own relationship. Join Anna and Matt on an honest, belly-laugh inducing journey through love and relationships, social media and children, expert advice and everyday exasperation, as they navigate the muddy waters of modern romance. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins…

Eden Garrity, 27, from Manchester Pushing the trolley up and down the aisle, I was completely in the zone. ‘Any food or drink?’ I asked the next row of passengers. ‘Oh, and nice tan!’ I was an air hostess for Thomas Cook and we were flying sun-kissed passengers back from Cuba to Manchester. I absolutely loved my job, jetting off to exotic destinations. We were an hour into the eight-hour stormy flight and the passenger’s seat belt sign had been on for at least 15 minutes. I’d been an air hostess for years and turbulence was normal, so other than stopping hot food, the crew just carried on. It’s just part of the job. Crew are only supposed to take their seats when ordered to by the captain, after we’ve…

Del Monte are passionate about capturing that authentic ‘just picked’ fresh fruit taste experience and with the help of their range, you can create some delicious delights! PEACH THUMBPRINT COOKIES SERVES 6 YOU'LL NEED... • 125g plain flour • 75g butter • 50g caster sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 can (415g) Del Monte® Peach Slices in Juice (drained) • Zest of half a lemon • Icing sugar to serve HOW TO DO IT… 1. Cut the peach slices into small cubes and put in a saucepan with the lemon zest and a tbsp of sugar. Cook over medium heat until it turns into a jam-like texture. Set aside to cool. 2. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. In a bowl or food processor, mix the flour,…

Bladder weakness is a common problem affecting around 7 million people in the UK. It usually occurs when the muscles in the pelvic floor have been damaged or weakened. In women, these muscles can be weakened during pregnancy – by the weight of the baby and by hormonal changes. Childbirth itself can cause further weakness, especially if delivery is prolonged. Pelvic floor exercises, maintaining a healthy weight, and scheduled toilet trips can help alleviate the problem. For more information about INNOVO, visit www.myinnovo.com…

Ollie Krol, 31, Norfolk Chucking down my backpack, I breathed in the humid air and took a seat on the ground next to my girlfriend. ‘Gorgeous evening, isn’t it?’ I smiled, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as we listened to the sound of crickets in the distance. It was January last year, and Rosa, 32, and I had been backpacking in Columbia for the past four months. Working as volunteers and tour guides, it was our chance to see a country many people hadn’t, improve our Spanish, and discover new horizons. I thought that I was going deaf We were based in a remote area over 600 miles away from civilisation, deep in the Amazon rainforest – inaccessible by car – and we were loving every minute. But being…