Innehållsförteckning för 13 February 2025 från Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… Housework used to get a bad rap but it's become all the rage to have a cupboard full of the latest sprays and cloths, and to post pics online of your home before and after a good scrub. Still, even the most house-proud among you may be challenged by cleaner Faye's intense job (p24). She specialises in cleaning-up crime scenes – a dirty job but someone has to do it! I hope you agree it's a fascinating read. Have a great week, PS If you're entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Ereena Comacho, 36, east London My big sister Shakira, then 21, giggled as we both tugged at the duvet. ‘You'd best not snore,' she laughed. It was January 2009 and we were sleeping top-to-toe after a night out. Though we only shared the same dad, I'd never dream of describing Shakira as my half-sister. She was just my big sis. And my best mate, only 16 months older than me. We shared a love of R&B, were always going to gigs. In 2009, when I went to Birmingham Uni, our lives went in different directions. Me studying hard, Shakira settling down with her boyfriend. She had her first child in March 2010, then another in August 2011. I visited often, and as the years passed we remained as close as…

YOU'RE THE JUDGE! For Ali Abulaban, fame was in touching distance. It was 2021, and on his popular social media profile, he had a perfect life. With a gorgeous wife and a beautiful 5-year-old daughter. But he wanted more. He'd met his wife Ana seven years earlier, while they were both serving in the US Air Force. Ana was originally from the Philippines, but after she fell pregnant, the couple married in 2017 and settled in Virginia. Soon after, Ali started gaining followers on TikTok, posting comedy skits under the username ‘JinnKid'. By 2021, his videos mimicking Scarface villain Tony Montana had helped him amass nearly a million followers. A rising star. As Ali's popularity grew, he convinced Ana they should move to San Diego, California, where he'd have more…

1 Reboot your brain power A nap can give your mind more clarity and help you concentrate. That's because, by letting your brain rest, you're giving it time to replenish its energy. ‘Having a nap in the mid-afternoon has been shown to boost your mental performance for three to four hours,' says sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley. 2 Increase happiness A doze can raise levels of the happy hormone serotonin – when this takes a dive, your mood goes down with it. ‘But no more than 20 minutes, otherwise you'll end up feeling worse,' warns sleep expert Rosey Davidson from justchillbabysleep.co.uk. 3 Harness your hormones Sleep is essential for keeping your hormones in balance and maintaining your nervous system – and if these are all out of whack it will affect…

How to play You're the question master. Read the questions below, then you and your partner answer by guessing what each other's response would be. You have 15 seconds to scribble down the replies to each. When you're done, swap to score each other's answers. A bonus point if you manage not to argue. And the winner gets to choose the loser's forfeit! You will need… • A willing partner • A pen and paper each • A timer • An idea for a prize or forfeit The questions • What's their favourite body part? • If they could choose any superpower, what would it be? • Who is their guilty crush? • What's their worst habit? • Would they choose a starter or a dessert? • What is their…

Crushing on my colleague Q I really like a guy from work. We sit opposite each other and are often really flirty. I want to ask him out, but I'm not sure if he really likes me or is just passing the time. I can't bear the thought of it being awkward between us if he doesn't feel the same. What should I do? Rachel, 28 A Tread carefully, as work crushes can get messy, flower. Before you do anything, think properly about the potential consequences. Rejection, a bad date, an awkward work atmosphere after a break-up… It may be worth it – after all, lots of folk meet their partner at work. If you're OK with all the possible outcomes – and in-office relationships are allowed at your workplace –…

3 Ways to.. mend your money mindset Improve how you think about cash to boost your bank balance 1 Change your attitude If you find you have a negative view about your ability to deal with money, then it's important to tackle this. So if you find a lack of knowledge is holding you back, take time to educate yourself. At open.edu/openlearn/ you'll find free courses such as the ‘Managing My Money' course, which covers topics from budgeting to pensions. And if you tell yourself that you're ‘rubbish with money' because you've made mistakes in the past, then stop. Tell yourself that your past errors don't Go green, save cash Educate your household so that everyone recognises the importance of saving energy, suggests Uswitch. Try turning energy saving into a game for…

Waterloo Road BBC1 ● Another eventful term begins at the Manchester school when the drama begins for a new series with former EastEnders star Lindsey Coulson (aka Walford's Carol Jackson) joining the cast as headteacher Dame Stella Drake. Following the events of the previous term, the school needs someone to bring it back from the brink, so Stella's brought in to restore law and order, but some of the measures she takes prove unpopular with staff, pupils and parents. Meanwhile, trainee teacher Donte (Adam Thomas) locks horns with an unruly student and juggles a new romance following his split from dinner lady Nicky (Kym Marsh). DON'T MISS Unforgotten DON'T MISS ITV1 ● Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar return as DCI Jess James and DI Sunil ‘Sunny' Khan in the sixth…

Amy Thompson, 26, South Shields, Tyne and Wear Clinking our alcopop bottles, me and my friends were all buzzing for a great night ahead. ‘Cheers!' I chimed along with my partner Jamie, then 26. We were gathered in our kitchen with our mates Sarah, 25, Lauren, 23, and Josh, 22. Enjoying some drinks as we waited for a taxi to take us into town. It was July 2024, my first proper night out in years. Since having our little girl, 3, Jamie and I didn't get out much. We both deserved to let our hair down. We'd prebooked tickets months earlier to a gig at a nightclub called Industry. An event called Genesis, with some of my fave MCs from the rave scene. ‘I'm so excited,' I told Jamie as…

BEHIND THE BIG CRIME You couldn't imagine a more normal family than the Doermans. Chad, 32, was a hands-on dad, his wife Laura a stay-at-home mum. Between them, they had three adorable boys, Clayton, 7, Hunter, 4, and Chase, 3, plus Laura's daughter from a previous relationship, Alexis, 12. Chad was the coach of his boys' baseball team. Took his lads fishing, go-karting and swimming. The perfect dad. Pictures showed the three blond boys smiling, happy. Giving the thumbs-up to the camera. Their pretty little home in Monroe Township, near Cincinnati, Ohio, was surrounded by fields. Room for the kids to run and play. A home filled with laughter, hugs and love. Chad worked hard as an insulator, and after an early start on 15 June 2023, he knocked off…

Nichola Martin, 53, Maidstone, Kent L ooking down at the two blue lines, I giggled then called to my husband. ‘Guess what?' As Michael walked into the bathroom, and saw the test in my hand, he laughed too. ‘You're joking?' he said. ‘What's one more baby in the mix?' I smiled. It was March 2010 and our boys Harry, then 17, Jack, 14 and Woody, 4, were ecstatic to have another sibling. I was a bit older this time round at 38. But at our 20-week scan our little surprise baby looked healthy. And the doc had another surprise for us. Our fourth child was our first girl! I rushed out to buy cute little pink dresses and headbands. At the end of July, I was relaxing at home in…

Which English landscape was given equivalent status to a national park by a 1988 Act of Parliament? 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. Your answer: WIN £100 Puzzle 2 1 Harry Potter sport (9) 2 Medical building (8) 3 Area between flights of stairs (7) 4 Garden ornament (5) 5 All and sundry (9) 6 _ Gagarin, cosmonaut (4) 7 Sixth colour of the rainbow (6) 8 Type of sheepdog (3,7) 9 Mouth organ (9) 10 Predecessor, forebear (8) 11 Celebrity floor or pavement covering (3,6) 12 Capital of Japan (5) 13 Grown without chemicals (7) 14 Run after (5) 15 Name of eight British kings (6) 16 Female offspring (8)…

Marrissa Mullans, 45, Manchester True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK The front door opened and my son Alfie came in, looking wiped out. It was 8 June 2023. After all day at college, training to be a barber, Alfie, 18, usually headed for the fridge. But not now. ‘I've got a headache, I'm off to bed,' he groaned. Had he picked up a bug? Fun-loving and thoughtful, Alfie enjoyed rugby and watching Manchester United with his brother Leo, then 24. But all he wanted now was to sleep. I checked on him through the night, gave him paracetamol. Next day, he felt worse and my husband Leni, then 56, saw a faint 10p-sized rash on his chest. He rolled an empty glass over the speckles. ‘That rash isn't going,' he said. We exchanged…

File and dandy When I've finished reading my Chat magazines, I cut out the best stories and place them into pockets in a binder. That way I can look back on my favourite articles whenever I like. Steve Lightfoot, Cannock, Staffordshire Salad days Pop some pieces of kitchen paper in with your salad or spinach in the fridge. The paper will absorb moisture, meaning your leaves stay fresh for longer. Anna Heslop, Dunfermline, Fife Table set and match If you have any leftover balloons, paper plates and disposable cutlery at parties, stick a spoon to the back of the plates to make a handle and play balloon tennis. So much fun! Lorna Ridgway, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Heart of glass £25 For every photo tip that we print Got an empty…

The trigger for the Greco-Persian Wars is often considered to be the unsuccessful siege of which island in 499 BCE, leading as it did to the Ionian Revolt? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Scorched (5) 4 Religious woman (3) 5 Indian state DOWN 1 Sitcom, The Big _ Theory (4) 2 Parts of a ladder (5) 3 Band fronted by Sharleen Spiteri (5) WIN 4 × £20 Puzzle 10 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

As Brandyce gyrates in her skimpy leggings, her girlfriend Paris poses behind, proudly clutching her curvaceous bottom. So far, so sexy. But the couple's YouTube videos have caused an online sensation due to Brandyce and Paris' surprising size difference. At 6ft 1in and 25st, Brandyce towers over petite Paris, who stands at 4ft 11in and 8st 9lb. The couple's videos clock up thousands of views, as well as hundreds of comments. Some are complimentary, applauding the couple's celebration of love in all its forms. Others are cruel. ‘People call me a cradle snatcher,' Brandyce, 31, says. Although there is a nine-year age difference between them, Paris, 22, is a fully consenting adult. ‘They say I'm 11 years old,' Paris scoffs. The comments can be hard to take. ‘Someone wrote, I…

Q My skin is looking so dull at the moment – how can I get a bit of a glow back? Sara White, 59, Nottingham LETTER of the week! WORDS: STEPHANIE MAYLOR. PHOTO: GETTY A Winter is a total glow killer! Cold temperatures and central heating steal moisture from the skin, and cell turnover slows down so dead skin builds up at the surface, causing dullness. First, use a gentle exfoliating acid such as Revolution Skin Glyco Glow Brightening AHA Toner, £9, revolutionbeauty.com, a few times a week to sweep away surface cells that make skin dreary. When skin is hydrated, and cells are plump and juicy, it reflects light better and creates more of a glow, so load on the moisture with Body Stories Revitalise Cream, £2.50, Poundland. Then…

Solutions to Chat issue 3 (16 January 2025) Puzzle 3 France Puzzle 4 Regulate by Warren G Puzzle 5 2C,3A,3C,3D,4B Puzzle 6 Trot Puzzle 7 Triad Puzzle 8 Lucy Bronze Puzzle 9 North Dakota Puzzle 10 Nancy Puzzle 11 Frontier Puzzle 13 Armstrong Puzzle 14 Carbon Puzzle 15 Scarlet Puzzle 16 Baked beans Puzzle 17 Basalt  Puzzle 18 Sopranos WE WON! Chat winners issue 44 (31 October 2024) £1,001 CASH J Smith, Middlesbrough £500 CASH A Hunt, Rotherham M Norris, Alresford £250 CASH P Lockyer, Horsham S Pelkonen, Newbury £200 CASH J Baughan, Birmingham £100 CASH D Pyle, Waterlooville P Nicklin, Bolton F Wilson, Morecambe £50 CASH M Hansen, Gosport E Jacques, Selby M McPhail, Ayr M Venables, Market Drayton E Woods, Midlothian E Harrison Smith, Southampton £40 CASH S Black-Wilson, Dunblane £30 CASH J Youel, Barnsley B Lunn, Macclesfield £25 CASH J Mill, Dundee T Bromwich, Kidderminster Anyone from your town in the…

Joanne Campbell, 51, from Carrickfergus If you could be famous for anything, what would you choose? I'd be a famous artist, as I've loved art since I first scribbled on the walls at home with crayon as a child! I still enjoy painting and visiting exhibitions and encourage my daughters to be creative too. What was the last book you read? David Jason's memoir, A Del of a Life. He's a great comedic actor and was brilliant as Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses. The book was very entertaining and long may he continue! If you could time-travel to any era, when would it be? Back to Renaissance times in Italy, between the 14th and 16th centuries, especially Florence. It's such a beautiful city and I'd love to walk…

KNITS STYLE TIP Stay warm in stylish knits. Pair them 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 S Stick to sleek, feminine shoes. Gold details complement wine hues beautifully. FROM £14 SKIRTS MATCHING CO-ORD SET STYLE TIP Add a pop of texture to your monochromatic look with a midi skirt. It's a stylish way to break up a solidcolour outfit.…

What does actor and comedian Sally Phillips describe as her guilty online pleasure? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the seven-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Mix of red and blue (6) 12 Type of internet connection (9) 13 Cipher (4) 14 Albert _, physicist (8) 15 Remains (5) 16 Round shape (6) 17 Whirlwind (7) 18 Romantic missive (4,7) 20 Offal (5) 22 Completely without money (9) 24 2020 film directed by Christopher Nolan (5) 28 Cautious (7) 29 Very tall animal (7) 32 Whipped dessert (6) 34 Trade (8) 36 Holiday (8) 37 Clans (6) 39 London football club (7) 40 Alien from the Red Planet (7) 45 Former footballer, _ Rooney (5) 47 Vitally important (9) 48 Holy person (5) 51 Part of a house where one relaxes (7,4) 53 Part of the hand (7) 55 Bring in from overseas (6) 56 Blacksmith's block (5) 58…

Major mole moans Q How can I get the mole on my forehead removed? I hate the sight of it. Sally, Edinburgh A First of all, go to see a dermatologist. Since mole removal is considered a cosmetic procedure, it typically needs to be done privately, not through the NHS. Look for a plastic surgeon or dermatologist who specialises in performing it, to ensure the best results with minimal scarring. And always choose a qualified professional to ensure the procedure is done safely and effectively. They'll assess the mole to see that it's not harmful and discuss the best method to get rid of it, which may include surgical excision or laser removal. Before the procedure, the doctor might take a sample to check for any issues. If it's safe…

Faye McCann, 33, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Counting pennies on my kitchen table, I sighed. A feeling of dread crept in. ‘I don't have enough left for nappies,' I wept. It was late 2016, and as a single mum to my son Jett, then 1, it was impossible to make ends meet. After bills, I had almost nothing left. Weeks earlier, I'd even had bailiffs at the door, due to debt I'd racked up. Nightmare. On my own, with no support or childcare, it was a struggle. ‘I'll find a way out,' I vowed in January 2017, once Jett was in funded childcare a few hours a week. Does anyone need their house cleaning? I posted on Facebook. I'd always been a clean freak. Loved pottering around with my sprays and polishes and feather…

All under £10 TO START… Roasted root veg bruschetta with hot honey We've swapped the classic tomato topping for a sweet and spicy root veg medley. SERVES 2 PREP 15 MINS COOK 25 MINS ● 2tbsp honey, warmed ● 1tsp chilli flakes ● 2 small beetroots, peeled and cut into 1cm thick wedges ● ¼ butternut squash, cut into 2cm-thick semicircles ● ½tsp ground coriander ● 1tsp vegetable oil ● 1tsp pumpkin seeds ● 3 × 2cm slices ciabatta loaf, toasted ● 1 garlic clove, halved ● 75g cream cheese ● Handful watercress, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 180C Fan. Mix the honey and chilli flakes, then set aside. 2 In a roasting tin, toss the beetroot and butternut squash with…

Aries 21 March-20 April With Venus currently in Aries, it's time to be brave in your love life and career too! Now is the moment to make that bold move you've been waiting for. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Have faith and keep a positive expectation because there is an exciting beginning on the horizon for you that you can't see yet. Stay open to alternatives. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June You're a busy person with an active mind, so it's important you spend some time home alone or in nature. Quieten your thoughts and listen to your inner guidance. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Mars in your sign all month long…

E45 Repairing Hand Cream, £5.99, Boots Has winter left your hands dry and tight? Slather them in a blanket of moisture. This deeply nourishing cream provides instant relief for sore, cracked hands plus 72-hour hydration. L'Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick, £9.99, Boots These creamy, swipe-on eyeshadows are so easy to use, plus they're smudgeresistant so they won't gather in creases. Draw over your eyelid then blend with your finger or an eyeshadow brush. Faith in Nature Grapefruit & Orange Energising Body Wash, £7.49, faithinnature.co.uk Woken up feeling groggy? Hop into the shower with this energising wash and enjoy the uplifting zesty aroma. It's a treat for skin, too, with organic oat extract to soothe and nourish from top to toe. Lacura Hair Repair Hair Oil, £4.99, Aldi Winter can strip…

Dear Shane, W ho would ever have thought it? That two of the people I see almost every day would end up saving my life. My daughter, Sarah, and maybe more surprisingly, you, my postie. If it hadn't been for you both, I dread to think what would have happened… It was a Thursday in March 2024. And with a day off, I popped next door where Sarah, then 39, lives with her family. With them at work and school I let myself in as usual, taking her cocker spaniel, Bear, out for a walk with mine, Freddie. But first, a familiar face. ‘Morning!' you piped up cheerily, bringing the day's post. You'd been our postie for years, part of the community on our estate. After a five-mile doggy walk, I…