Innehållsförteckning för 1 August 2024 från Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… My beagle Daphne is a real food hound – we can't eat a meal without her giving us the puppy dog eyes. It's a miracle that, so far, we've only had one emergency dash to the vet after she got into some chocolate. So when I read what Holly's bichon frise, Charlie, scoffed I felt very lucky indeed (p30). Why not have a read and let us know the weirdest thing your pooch has ever eaten? Us greedy-dog owners need to stick together! Have a great week,…

Butterflies fluttered in my tummy, as I gazed at the lad in my garden. ‘You like Daniel, don't you?’ Mum, then 32, teased. ‘He thinks I'm pretty,’ I grinned, blushing. It was 2005, and age 10, the crush on our family friend Daniel, then 16, was a distraction from the chaos at home. Police raids, drug dealers banging on the door. I was in and out of care. My mum and stepdad were addicts. Little wonder I got lost in daydreams, like my crush on Daniel. He'd often babysit while my parents went out. He would do odd jobs, while showering me with compliments. ‘That dress looks nice on you,’ he said. I craved attention. With Mum focused on her next drink or fix, I felt ignored. A burden. Even…

WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 What inspired tennis champion Roger Federer to take an interest in fashion and design? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Small river (6) 12 Metal (9) 13 Dutch cheese (4) 14 Watchful, on alert (8) 15 Sophia _, Italian actor (5) 16 Living room (6) 17 Estimates (7) 18 Novel by Charles Dickens (6,5) 20 Material used for jeans (5) 22 English city (9) 24 Large Greek island (5) 28 TV station (7) 29 One who delivers letters (7) 32 Stranger Things actor, _ Ryder (6) 34 Chinese city (8) 36 2000 film, The _ Mr. Ripley (8) 37 Hypnotic state (6) 39 Old soldier (7) 40 Pillow (7) 45 Every 24 hours (5) 47 Shapes with three sides (9) 48 Elephant tusk material (5) 51 Country singer whose hits include Jolene (5,6) 53 Eastern European country (7) 55…

My boobs are hairy Q I'm a 36-year-old woman and I always get hair on my areola. Is this normal and is there anything I can do? Charlie, Wrexham A Having nipple hair is quite common and usually nothing to worry about. Many women experience this due to hormonal fluctuations, genetics or certain medical conditions. There are several methods to manage it if it bothers you. Tweezing is a simple and effective way to remove individual hairs, while shaving is quick and easy but needs to be done carefully to avoid irritation. Waxing provides longer-lasting results but can be painful, and laser hair removal offers a more permanent solution but requires multiple sessions and can be costly. Depilatory creams dissolve hair but can sometimes irritate sensitive skin. If you notice…

Naguib Mahfouz, the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature to write in Arabic, came from which country? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Became older (4) 5 Team running race (5) 7 Destiny (4) DOWN 2 _ Gadot, actor (3) 3 Independence _, 1996 film (3) 4 Steffi _, former tennis player (4) 6 Gorilla, for example (3) WIN 4x £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Neighbours drive me mad Q I'm disabled and hold a blue badge which allows me to park my car in the spot outside my house. But my neighbours keep parking there, making it hard for me to find an accessible spot. I approached them to ask them politely not to park there but they insisted that as their cars are taxed they can park where they like. It makes me so cross. What can I do? Claudia, 58 A Annoyingly, your neighbours are right here, pet. They can park there whenever they want, unless it's a marked disabled bay and they don't have a blue badge. The issue here is that they are being downright inconsiderate. What a shame they couldn't do the decent thing. Next step is to go…

3 ways to… save by recycling Can you save money and even earn some cash by recycling with these tips? Absolutely! 1 Reap rewards Some retailers offer discounts on your shopping if you use their recycling scheme. For example, with John Lewis & Partners’ BeautyCycle scheme, just take five or more clean, empty beauty product containers to one of its beauty counters and you'll get £5 off when you spend £20 or more on beauty that day, too. You'll need to join the free My John Lewis loyalty scheme to get this offer. For more information and T&Cs, visit johnlewis.com. With River Island's Take Back Scheme, when you donate at least three pre-loved clothing items from any brand, you'll get a £5 gift voucher to redeem off a £40 shop at…

Cooking With the Stars ITV1 ● Emma Willis and Tom Allen return to host a fourth series of the celebrity cooking competition as eight famous faces are paired up with professional chefs who will mentor them ahead of some intense cooking battles. The losers of each battle will have to compete in a cook-off which is judged blind by all the chefs, which means they could end up being booted out of the contest by their own mentors! This year's line-up features model Abbey Clancy, presenter Carol Vorderman, Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds, comedian Katherine Ryan, Strictly‘s Pasha Kovalev, Olympic gold-winning sprinter Linford Christie, TV legend Christopher Biggins and YouTuber Harry Pinero. Who will win the coveted golden frying pan? DON'T MISS DON'T MISS Totally Completely Fine ITVX ● In this…

She was a happy, loving 5-year-old who gave hugs to everyone she met. Renezmae Calzada adored her little brother and longed for hair like Elsa from Frozen. Known as Mae Mae to friends and family, she loved to dance while mum Victoria Maestas cooked her favourite steak and mushrooms. But on the morning of 8 September 2019, little Mae Mae went missing. Victoria, then 28, was at work when she found out her daughter had vanished. Mae Mae's grandparents had called, said the little girl was nowhere to be found and hadn't been seen since 9.30am. She'd arrived as expected at her stepdad Malcolm's house with her 18-monthold half-brother, Malcolm and Victoria's son. Malcolm was meant to watch over the kids while their mum was at work, but by now…

Natasha Deffley, Rowley Regis Lynda Jones, Lake Vyrnwy Veronica Thomas, Newport We pay £25 for any photos that we use on Chat To Us! Clare Hurst, Heckmondwike Amy Robbins, Sale Teresa Lloyd, London Get in touch! EMAIL chat_magazine@futurenet.com POST Chat, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR Find us online at facebook.com/ChatMagazine…

YOU'RE THE JUDGE! Umar Zameer buckled his 2-year-old son into his car seat while his heavily pregnant wife, Aaida, sat in the passenger seat with a sigh of relief. It was just after midnight on 2 July 2021, and the family had been to the local celebrations of Canada Day near their Toronto home. They'd had fun, especially Umar's little boy who was still clinging to his Canadian flag pinwheel. Only, moments before, the evening had ended on a sour note when the young family passed a shirtless, bleeding man as they headed back to their car. Now, Umar and his wife Aaida Shaikh, just wanted to be home safe with their little boy. The then 31-year-old accountant locked the car doors and was about to drive out of the…

Altars to ‘taraxippoi’, mischievous spirits thought to cause dangerous accidents, were commonly erected in what type of structures in Ancient Greece? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Hut = SACK + H = SHACK. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down the added letters to spell out the prize answer. WIN 2x £25 Puzzle 9 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

‘Someone has done a poo in the pool.’ Spanish: ‘Alguien ha hecho caca en la piscina.’ French: ‘Quelqu'un a fait caca dans la piscine.’ Italian: ‘Qualcuno ha fatto la cacca in piscina. Portuguese: ‘Alguém fez cocô na piscina.’ Turkish: ‘Birisi havuza kaka yapmış.’ ‘Wow! These cocktails are stronger than they taste!’ Spanish: ‘¡Vaya! Estos cócteles son más fuertes de lo que parecen!’ French: ‘Waouh! Ces cocktails sont plus forts qu'ils en ont l'air!’ Italian: ‘Wow! Questi cocktail sono più forti di quanto sembrino!’ Portuguese: ‘Uau! Esses coquetéis são mais fortes do que parecem!’ Turkish: ‘Vay be! Bu kokteyller tadından daha güçlü!’ ‘It's happy hour all day, every day!’ Spanish: ‘¡Es hora feliz todo el día, todos los días!’ French: ‘C'est l'heure de l'apéro toute la journée, tous les jours.’ Italian:…

Stepping into the lounge I felt a gooey, crunchy mess beneath my bare feet. ‘Oh Charlie!’ I groaned, seeing the salivacovered sweet wrappers, a chewed-up plastic tub lid and a carpet covered in dribbles. It was December 2023, and our bichon frise had been at it again. Most of the wrappers had the familiar blue-and-white logo of Charlie's favourite treats to pinch. What a greedy guts. His raids were a worry, especially as some treats, like chocolate, are toxic for dogs and can even be fatal. Always made him sick. But I could never stay mad at him for long. After watching me clean up, Charlie, then 14, stared up at me with his pleading shiny black eyes and I scooped him up in my arms. Burying my nose into…

Scooping up a wriggling ball of beige fluff, my wife Raquel grinned. She adored her Nalani, a chihuahua cross adopted from an animal rescue. The best mum to our daughter Melody, then 19, her kindness spread beyond our family home. Raquel loved helping people, offering advice, a shoulder to cry on. She'd been this way since we'd met in a park as teens. Now, almost three decades later, in June 2021, we were still a perfect match. Spent our weekends on camper-van adventures, going on hikes. We loved festivals and gigs. In March 2022, Raquel got a promotion, stepping up as dental practice manager. ‘Let's celebrate,’ I grinned, booking a last-minute getaway to Las Vegas, while Melody looked after Nalani. Wandering around on day three of our break, Raquel turned…

Hawaiian Tropic Mineral Sun Protection Powder Brush SPF30, £10.90, Boots Top up your protection throughout the day with this sunscreen powder. It pares down shine with oil-absorbing sea minerals, providing a velvety finish and SPF30 protection in a brush-on format. Sanctuary Spa Signature Rich Hand Cream, £8.50, Sainsbury's Soften and soothe tired, worn-out hands with this buttery moisturiser, made with nourishing natural oils and brightening niacinamide. Skin looks smoother within seconds. The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm, £8.50, theordinary.com Lips can get a bit dry and craggy in summer, so it's a good idea to upgrade your lip balm. This one contains fancy amino acids and squalane that team up to provide longlasting hydration. Clairol Root Touch-Up Extra Lift, £6.99, Boots If you want to brighten up your…

What's your favourite biscuit? McVitie's Ginger Nut without question! Do you have any interesting hobbies? I love to collect autographs from anyone famous that I meet. And I'm obsessed with my Duolingo app – I'm currently learning Spanish. Tell us about your pets (if you have any) Daisy the dog. My 2-year-old golden girl is extra special. She has suffered three major illnesses so far and we're so lucky she's still with us. What was the last good deed someone did for you? I had no loose change for the parking meter and a guy I didn't know rushed up and paid for me. It was so kind of him. WE PAY £50 to everyone we feature on this page! If you could live anywhere in the world, where would…

Which Olivia Rodrigo song is said to be about her ex, actor Joshua Bassett? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares will spell out the one-word prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 2 Your answer: 1 Game played with a shuttlecock (9) 2 Australian soap opera (10) 3 University term (8) 4 Home heating device (8) 5 Dried grape (6) 6 Basketball-like game (7) 7 Large spotted wild feline (7) 8 Italian mountain range (9) 9 _ Brides for _ Brothers, musical film (5) 10 Stinging plant (6) 11 South American country; capital Quito (7) 12 Purplish vegetable eaten at Christmas (3,7) 13 Keen (5) 14 Boat race meeting (7) 15 Bryan _, Canadian singer (5) 16 Ringed planet (6)…

SARONG STYLE TIP Tie around your waist to cover your tummy area or cross the ends of the sarong to create a halterneck top or dress. KAFTAN DRESS STYLE TIP Go from day to night in a flowy kaftan by simply adding heeled sandals and statement jewellery. BEACH MINI STYLE TIP Sundresses are a holiday essential – great for a day of sightseeing and they'll take you from the beach to lunching out al fresco. SHIRT FROM £8 STYLE TIP Wear with your favourite denim shorts and a basket bag for an effortlessly chic holiday style.…

My alarm buzzed and I quickly hit snooze, rolling over with a groan. ‘Didn't sleep again?’ my husband, Jason, then 51, frowned. ‘No,’ I sighed wearily. It was February 2020 and I was battling insomnia caused by fibromyalgia. The pain in my legs and across my shoulders made sleep nearly impossible. Most nights, I'd be out for half an hour to an hour at a time, then be awake for hours. On good days, I would get four hours of broken slumber. Fibromyalgia affected everything, not just sleep. Before my diagnosis in 2018, I used to walk everywhere, now, 10 minutes was too much. Lacking energy, I had reduced my hours at my bookkeeping job, which I did from home. I often dozed off in the afternoon and rarely ever…

Early one morning, I was making a cuppa in the staffroom, when a teaching colleague sidled up. ‘Hey Taslimah,’ she whispered. ‘Your blouse is inside out.’ I felt my cheeks burn. ‘Thanks,’ I muttered, shuffling off to the toilet to change. I knew exactly how I'd managed to make the wardrobe malfunction. What else did I expect, getting dressed in the dark? But even as I whipped my blouse off to turn it the right way round, I knew I'd do the same thing again the next morning. Turning on the light to get ready would mean looking at myself in the mirror. And that meant confronting the truth. It was January 2012, I was a computer science teacher in a school, and in deep denial about my size 22…

BUDGET BUY SUPER CUTE SPLATTER STYLE COMPILED BY: ESME CLEMO…

Top tip Swap the blueberries for strawberries or raspberries or a mixture of both. Fruity Victoria sponge It's the perfect cake for every occasion! SERVES 8 PREP 20 MINS COOK 20 MINS ● 185g Stork baking block ● 185g caster sugar ● 4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten ● 1tsp vanilla extract ● 185g self-raising flour, sifted ● 4tbsp almond milk ● For the filling: ● 100g pure soya spread ● 100g icing sugar, plus 1tsp to dust ● 1tsp vanilla extract ● 75g blueberries You will need: ● 2 x 20cm round cake tins, lined with baking paper 1 Heat the oven to 160C Fan/ Gas 4. Beat the Stork and the caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. 2 Gradually add the eggs and vanilla a little at a time,…

Aries 21 March-20 April The North Node moving through your sign this year helps you travel towards new horizons and, this week, also encourages you to act in line with your vision. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Uranus has been in Taurus for some time, encouraging you to try fresh things. While change doesn't come easily to you, embrace these beginnings. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June The Moon, Mars and Jupiter are all in Gemini at the end of the week, helping you to know what is best for you. Follow your heart and be brave. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Spend more time doing what you truly love. It can be…

Q How can I stop an oily, sweaty face in the summer? Natalie White, 58, Swansea A We've all been there – leave the house perfectly polished, get to work and it's panda eyes, disappearing blush and streaky foundation. The first rule of no-melt make-up is to look for oil-free formulas, including your day cream. We rate Bubble Cloud Surf Water Cream Moisturiser, £16, Boots. Layer a mattifying primer like Collection Shine Control Serum Primer, £5.99, Superdrug, on top to mop up any excess oil and sweat. Apply any subsequent make-up in light layers – heavy foundation is more likely to slide off. BB creams and tinted moisturisers are perfect for summer. Natural Collection Skin Tint, £5, Boots, gives light coverage to subtly enhance and even out skin. And if…

Chat winners issue 18 (2 May 2024) £1,001 CASH Y Trotman, Devon £500 CASH S Harris, Northampton Y Clark, Bridgend £250 CASH M Stone, Stamford J Jarvis, Pontefract £200 CASH J Bullough, Isle of Man £100 CASH L Blythe, Carlisle G Buckley, Wigan B Badger, Sheffield £50 CASH L Lewis, Market Drayton A Horth, Lowestoft G White, Colchester C McGuigan, Enniskillen L Wheatstone, Cwmbran A Finnegan, Oldbury £40 CASH L Carrington, Woodbridge £30 CASH V Pearson, Lymington M Horton, Weymouth CASH I McLean, Cheltenham K Taylor, Witney £20 CASH J Saville, Burnley T Pickett, Peterborough R John, Marlborough B Rose, Altrincham C McBean, Newcastle upon Tyne J Hughes, Bristol C Eadson, Mansfield S Allatt, Ossett D Draper, Burton on Trent E Davies, Cardiff C Wallis, Leeds J Mitchell, Worthing C Lewthwaite, Workington M Laister, Grimsby P Harper, Driffield N Evans, St Neots C Acar, Lowestoft M Taylor, Forres D Hall, Normanton J Hughes, Wisbech R Ireson, Stourport-on-Severn E Harris, Wingate I Wilkinson, Rayleigh L Sturton, Aberdeen Anyone from your town in the list this week..? ● Any material submitted to Chat must be original, not…

Dear Jude, Me and your dad Mikey had longed for you. We'd known we wanted a baby soon after our first date in November 2020. Started trying the following year. Time ticked on but there was no sign of you! By November 2022, I started to worry. But soon after… ‘Look!’ I cried at Dad, clutching a positive pregnancy test. Only, a week later, at my teaching job, I started to bleed. Panicked, I raced to hospital, where your worried dad, then 29, met me. An ultrasound showed you were OK. But the docs saw something else. ‘There's a shadow on your bladder. You should get it checked,’ the sonographer told me. Nodding, but so happy you were still safe and sound, I forgot all about it. Until two weeks…