Innehållsförteckning för August 2015 från Pick Me Up!

What A Cat-astrope! I just adore this moggy’s reaction to a humble cucumber… Have a look at tinyurl.com/ovhz3aa What A Sweetie! I LOVE sugar, but I have too much – four sachets in my morning coffee! Until a week ago, when I went cold turkey and ditched the sweet stuff. NOT the caffeine, mind! What A Legend! Everything really was alright after I rubbed shoulders with furry superstar Jackson, from the Three mobile ads. As you can see, I couldn’t have been more excited! What’s The Word? Grease, of course – my favourite musical! Test your knowledge of the classic film in this fun quiz… Check out www.lifedeathprizes. com  and search ‘Grease’. 24  …that’s the number of black bin bags filled with book s, clothes, shoes and…

In April last year, I was bent over doing my housework, when I saw blood dripping onto the floor. Nosebleed , I thought, grabbing a tissue. But soon, blood was gushing out everywhere. Thankfully, my daughter, Leylah, then 2, was at nursery as I frantically tried to stop it. It took hours... But then, a few days later, I got another nosebleed. I went to my GP. ‘It’s probably hay fever,’ he reassured me. Soon, I was having terrible nosebleeds a few times a week. I was starting to feel really unwell, and was losing weight, too. A couple of months later, I was in town when blood started gushing out of my nose again. At Broomfield Hospital, Essex, doctors cauterised it twice before they managed to stop the bleeding.…

SOFI’S DAILY DIET Breakfast Large bowl of porridge Lunch Jacket potato piled with cheese and butter Snacks Biscuits, crisps, chocolate bars, cakes and bacon butties Dinner A family-sized lasagne plus chips or a large pizza with added cheese Total 5,430 cal Heading towards the cash machine on the high street, I spotted a group of teenagers staring at me. Bracing myself for abuse, I took a deep breath. ‘Have a burger,’ one of them cruelly sneered. Then I felt something hit the back of my head. Ketchup dripped in my hair. They just threw a bit of takeaway at me, I realised. Just as I turned around, another piece hit me. ‘Eat it, you need it!’ they cackled nastily. Tears stung in my eyes as I quickly walked away. By…

1 Down’s syndrome is a genetic condition. 2 Down’s doesn’t cause developmental delay. 3 Heart problems are linked to Down’s. 4 The age of the mother has nothing to do with the condition. 1 TRUE It is a genetic syndrome that causes physical features, such as eyes that slant upwards and outwards and reduced muscle tone. The syndrome occurs due to an extra chromosome. 2 FALSE All children with Down’s have some degree of learning disability, but it varies from child to child. 3 TRUE Around half of children with Down’s are born with a congenital heart defect. The most common is a septal defect, often called a ‘hole in the heart’. 4 FALSE Babies with Down’s are born to mothers of all ages. However, in mothers aged 45 there…

1 Co-Op Loved By Us Thin & Crispy Feta, Olive & Chargrilled Veg, 402g It’s the little cubes of feta that make this pizza a real treat…along with a very thin base and a good, rich tomato and vegetable topping. 2 Tesco Thin & Tasty Mighty Vegetable Stone-baked Pizza, 356g The super-thin, stone-baked base gives this a great flavour. It’s loaded with tasty tomato sauce, lots of cheese and five veg, including big slices of courgette. 3 Morrisons Prepared In Store Thin & Crispy Vegetable Supreme, 350g (two for £4) This pizza has the winning combo of a thin, crispy base, piled with herb and tomato sauce, red peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn and red onions for a deep, squidgy topping. Nigh on perfect!…

Though I was one of six, I was closest to my little brother, Anthony. With only 18 months between us, we were thick as thieves. He was a free spirit, funny, dramatic and a real gent. ‘I’m going to move to London and become a basketball-playing lawyer,’ he always said. When he wasn’t building pipe dreams, he was dancing round his room! I missed him so much when, in early 2005, I moved out with my partner and our little girl. Over the next months, Anthony often came for a visit. But our lives weren’t all plain sailing... Sadly, we’d been victims of racism, and I knew Anthony still was, at school sometimes. Still, that July in 2005, our family was planning a trip to Miami. ‘I’m coming over to…

A mother’s love. It’s the most natural thing in the world. But for some women, even ending the lives of their own precious flesh and blood isn’t off limits... A CRIME OF REVENGE? AUSTRALIA Dear Mum, the letter said. I love you because your funny, your butifull and I like the way you are… Little Matthew Fitchett, 9, clearly adored his mother Donna. The sweet note was left on his parents’ bedside table, by a photo of him and his big brother, Thomas, 11. It made the events of September 2005 even more impossible to understand. The following day, while Donna’s husband, David, was at work, she told her sons they were going on a trip and needed to take some travel medicine. A qualified nurse, she gave her boys…

How many friends do you have? No, I don’t mean on Facebook! Long before social media launched, I’d dozens of chums worldwide, using good old pen and paper. It all started in July 1994, through a magazine offering to find pen pals for people. Intrigued, I dashed off a note about myself. Soon after, I was thrilled when a reply came from a girl my age and with similar interests in sci-fi. Hooked, I wrote to three more people , and asked if they knew others who’d like to write to me. Now I write to 23 pals in 15 countries, including the UK, Finland, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, the USA and Norway! As a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest, my goal is to have a pen friend in…

In April 2011, my life nearly came to a screeching halt. My mate had been driving me home after an afternoon spent catching up with friends. But, as we neared my house, he accidentally misjudged a corner and swerved. ‘Stop!’ I screamed as we hurtled towards a tree at 60mph. It all happened so quickly, then everything went black. Eventually, I came round. My mate’s Renault Clio was crushed against the tree. Amazingly, we were both still alive. Looking down, though, my stomach turned. ‘My feet!’ I gasped. They were unrecognisable, a mess of mangled bones and blood. I couldn’t feel them at all. Someone must’ve phoned an ambulance, because minutes later, paramedics arrived. They put me on a stretcher, raced me to Royal Stoke University Hospital. By now, my…

On a snowy January night earlier this year, my daughter, Mia, now 13, woke up in the early hours frozen stiff in her bed. ‘I can’t move!’ she yelled. She could speak, but couldn’t feel her limbs. And she was starting to panic. I tried to keep her calm. But I was a health-care assistant, knew this wasn’t right. When I pricked Mia’s fingers with a pin, she didn’t even flinch. I called an ambulance and once at Barnsley Hospital, I raced to see the doctor. ‘Check her blood for potassium,’ I begged. I’d heard of a condition that ran in the family, hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HPP), an extremely rare illness caused by low potassium levels. After she was tested, Mia was diagnosed with HPP. Her potassium levels were dangerously…

Panting and shaking with adrenaline, I couldn’t believe it...I’d done it! It was 12 June last year and I’d done my first skydive. And made £4,000 for the Freeman Hospital’s Heart Unit in the process. My way of saying thank you. For everything they’d done for my little boy, Spencer, 4. Back in October 2012, he’d had a bad chest infection, so my husband, Malcolm, 39, and I took him to the GP. But, checking him over, the doctor found something more. ‘He has a heart murmur,’ he said, referring us to the Freeman in Newcastle upon Tyne. I was terrified. I’d been born with a congenital heart defect myself, a VSD, also known as a hole in the heart. Years on, it still prevented me from doing a lot…

December 2011 Auntie Nicole, that’s me. Another one of my mates has had a baby, and I love spoiling them But it’s hard, too, knowing I’ll never be a mum myself. Aged 7, I was diagnosed with Turner syndrome - a chromosomal disorder that meant I’d never go through puberty like other girls. At 12, I had to have my ovaries removed. Then I needed hormone injections to help me grow to 5ft 3in tall. I even had a boob job at 17, as I hadn’t developed breasts and never would. Now, the chances are I’ll never carry a baby. Even fertility treatment is a long shot. Instead, I make a fuss of friends’ babies and surround myself with kids. I used to be a nanny and now I’m a…

We’ve teamed up with new online fashion brand, Lavitta, to offer eight Pick Me Up! readers the chance to win £100 to spend at online at Lavitta.co.uk Lavitta presents a range of statement dresses and separates in sizes 12-24, designed to flatter and fit real women, and offers premium quality at prices ranging from just £10-£40. With a stunning new Autumn/Winter collection, incorporating this season’s hottest trends, you can afford to look and feel fabulous for less! To celebrate Lavitta’s launch, all readers can get 20 per cent off online purchases by entering code PMU20OFF at the checkout. So, for your chance to win £100 to spend at Lavitta.co.uk , it’s time to get puzzling! T&Cs apply. Prize vouchers must be used by 31 December…

We stood there looking at each other, not saying a word. We didn’t have to. I loved him. He loved me. That was all that mattered. It was July 2005. And I’d just met the love of my life at Stansted Airport. ‘Hello,’ I managed eventually. He smiled back, and threw his arms around me in the best hug I’d ever had. Adam and I had been chatting online for five months. We’d met on MSN through a mutual friend, bonded over our shared love of horror films. Within a few days, we’d started talking on the phone. For hours! He told me he was 22, lived in Perranporth, Cornwall and worked in a hotel. And I told him I was 17, living in Stevenage and doing an Animal Care…

Mifold Booster Seat, £34.99, www. mifold. com It’s a legal requirement for children under 12 to use a car seat, so impromptu journeys can be impossible without a booster seat. This one is 10 times smaller than a regular booster seat, so you can carry it around with you and store it easily. Verdict: GENIUS! A great solution to a common problem. Kinetic Sand, from £17.99, www. firebox.com This sand is incredible! It feels like liquid, but is dry and sticks to itself! Kids over 3 (and you, of course!) can make cool designs with it! Verdict: GENIUS! It’ll blow your mind! Building Block Watch Kit, £13.99, www.prezzybox.com If you change your mind a lot, along with your…

My daughter, Bethan, 12, has always been strong. She’s had to be. See, I’m severely epileptic so, at age 5, she became my young carer. And as I can never be left alone, my hubby, Garry, 52, had to quit his truck-driver job to care for me. It’s tough on them both. Garry’s a black belt in karate, and when Bethan turned 7, I’d an idea... ‘Teach her a few moves,’ I suggested. Steadily, Bethan trained from white belt through to brown belt by November last year, achieving her 1st KYU Tab test - meaning she could instruct others. Soon, she was beating her old dad in fights! Bethan enjoys days out with The Association of Carers.Soon her fellow carers wanted to learn karate, too. But many couldn’t afford the…

LONDON ADVENTURE WAX WORKS! Enter the wonders of Madame Tussauds and spend a day in celeb heaven with your family! GO WILD AT THE ZOO! Get back to nature and explore the wildlife with a trip to ZSL London Zoo. With thousands of creatures to see, you won’t leave disappointed! LATEST BLOCKBUSTERS We all know the British summer comes with a bit of rain – so beat the rainy-day blues and have fun with the family at the cinema! Go to Cineworld and catch all the latest, must-see movies. FAB THEME PARKS! Looking for something to get the adrenaline pumping? Well how about treating the kids to a day out at Thorpe Park and enjoy the thrilling rides, attractions and live events! Join quidco.com  for free today and…

Stubborn, independent, but utterly lovable... That’s our Shar Pei, Maximus. He’s also very greedy! Maximus and our two Labradors, Billy and Murphy, are all as bad as each other. We only have to sit down for dinner, and they trot over, rest their chins on our legs, look up at us with big, brown eyes. This particular day, my hubby, Simon, 45, was a soft touch. ‘Just this once,’ he said, as he shared his tea yet again. It was the same on 27 May this year. We’d sat down for a lamb roast, and I could see Simon pushing three pieces of lamb to the side of his plate. Then he put the chunks on a spoon, one at a time, and held them out for each dog in…

In sickness and in health… In November 2010, I beamed as I said my wedding vows. I knew Paddy Hogan would love and protect me. As soon as we’d met, I’d connected with this 6ft 2in Irishman. I told him about my girls, Anna, 20, and Tess, 18, and my painful sciatica plus slipped disc, which sometimes left me using a wheelchair. ‘You need someone to look after you,’ Paddy, 46, had said. So he became my carer, fussing over me, telling me he loved me. Not long after our wedding, Paddy suggested moving from Blackpool to Scarborough. I hated leaving my girls, but Paddy promised we’d visit. So, we left, settling 150 miles away. That’s when Paddy changed. I’d never seen him drink before. Now, he’d down can…

Stuff it Keep a chicken moist by sticking an apple inside before putting in the oven. Florrie Harvey, Stoke on Trent All white When steaming cauliflower, add a little milk to the water It stops it discolouring. Caroline Janney, Louth Sweet spuds Drizzle a little honey over your potatoes before roasting – delish! J Iles, Bristol Egg-cellent When boiling veg, pop a couple of eggs in, to have some hard-boiled for sarnies. Carole Gasan, Tiverton…

Bloating bother Q I’ve got a problem with bloating. I’ve been checked and told there’s nothing wrong, but some days I look pregnant! What’s going on? Abigail, Stourbridge A Gaseous foods such as beans and pulses and cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts are obvious culprits, but frequent gum chewing can also cause swallowing of air and bloating. Tired all the time… Q I've been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, the treatment is working, but I’m exhausted. Is there anything else I can do to help with this? Nina, Southport A Dietary deficiencies can be an issue in Crohn’s patients, especially minerals such as calcium, zinc, and iron, as well as some vitamins, like A, D and B12. Deficiencies can lead to fatigue like you describe. Try asking your specialist for some…

Ricotta Cheesecake Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 10 min + 3 hr chilling 1 Preheat oven to 200C/ Gas 6, and grease and line a 24cm cake tin. 2 Stir biscuits and butter together, and press mixture firmly into the base of the tin. 3 Bake for 10 min, then remove from oven and allow to cool completely. 4 Put 3tbsp lemon juice into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatine over, put the bowl in a small saucepan with 2.5cm simmering water and stir until gelatine is dissolved. 5 Blend sugar and ricotta in a food processor, then add lemon zest, remaining lemon juice and gelatine mixture and blend until smooth. 6 Whisk double cream to soft peaks, then…

After checking on my kids as they slept soundly in their rooms, I gently tiptoed downstairs again. Bethanie, 17, Rylan, 9, and Charlie, 2, were out for the count. With my husband, Lee, 40, working that evening in a factory, I decided to relax on the sofa. We’d recently booked a big family holiday to Great Yarmouth, with a bunch of our relatives. We did it every year. And, with just three months to go, I wanted to research some fun, family activities for us to do. So, settling down, I fired up my laptop. I soon found all of the information I needed on the Internet. I thought I’d have a few games of bingo and catch up with friends as it wasn’t quite bedtime yet. I’d become a…

‘I was expecting Rebecca would find out Adam was a serial killer or a con artist. But I was wrong. This is a happy story! Rebecca and Adam are a living fairytale. And they’ll have a fantastic story to tell their children. I love, love, love the happy ending – except for them, it’s really just the beginning!’ Penny Sofocleous, 42, North London ‘What a lovely story! I think Adam and Rebecca are crazy for deciding where to live so randomly – but why the hell not? I love it! They wanted a new beginning, and that’s what they got. Maybe that’s a lesson we could all learn from. If something feels right, just go for it!’ Jayne Flintoff, 52, Ossett, West Yorkshire…

ASK JESS Q My hair always looks flat and lifeless the day after I’ve washed it – what would you recommend? Natalie Tucker, 31, Kempston A Bouffe Dry Spray, £5.99, Boots, boosts volume and makes hair look thicker. It’s available in six different shades, too. Jess’Beauty Hero Anatomicals Smoother Butts Love Coconuts Coconut and Mango Body Lotion, £3.99, from ASOS, smells amazing – and I love the fun packaging! READER’S TIP Switch your foundation to a BB Cream for lighter summer coverage. Jenny Whiteacre, 46, Stonehouse PickMeUp! FOR LESS 2 for £10 on selected Solait suncare at Superdrug (until 25 Aug) Want the perfect... AFTERSUN? Try one of these… Sensitive: Tesco Soleil Suncare Aftersun Soothing Lotion Contains moisturising shea butter and soothing aloe vera to repair and replenish dehydrated skin.…

Gazing at the sky, my fella, Liam, 31, nudged me. ‘Look, a UFO!’ he said, pointing to a light. Liam’s convinced there’s life ‘out there’. I’ve always loved hearing his alien theories! In 2013, Liam proposed. We couldn’t afford a wedding, so I contacted BBC programme Don’t Tell The Bride - where the groom secretly plans the big day - and we were chosen! It’d be a laugh...and free! We’d be separated for three weeks before our wedding, which was set for 1 June. Liam sent alien face-painting kits to my hen do as a clue. Then, on the big day, a black limo took me, Mum and my five bridesmaids to an airfield. A police car escorted us to an underground bunker. Inside, fairy lights surrounded our guests -…

VIRGO 24 Aug–23 Sept You’re far more interested in the mental side of your work this week, and you get a better understanding about what those with power can offer to your current situation. A wedding or engagement invite is definitely worth accepting. Call: 09058 170 715* LIBRA 24 Sept–23 Oct Although Saturn is placing a lot of restraints on you this week, they’re actually to your benefit. Try to view situations as if the glass is half full, and look for opportunity. A forced trip you’ll have to make changes your life for the better. Call: 09058 170 716* SCORPIO 24 Oct–22 Nov There’s a really naughty air about your chart, which can see you bringing out the mischievous side of close ones, too. Many of you could go…