Innehållsförteckning för 22-Sep-2016 från Pick Me Up!

What A Wimp! A friend is so terrified of sharks, he’s trying to overcome his fear... by watching the DreamWorks animation Shark Tale . Good job there aren’t too many sharks here in London! £1,500 I play in a pub quiz where each team gets a raffle ticket. The cash prize now stands at this phenomenal amount! To scoop it would be a huge bonus – especially as our team never actually wins..! What A Rug! I’m thinking I may need to have a re-think about this hairpiece. A few people have told me it doesn’t suit me. I have no idea what they’re on about… What A Memory! Who can forget school trips? For me, memories of mischief spring to mind. Visit www.lifedeathprizes.com/ school-trips…

Sentencing Jamie Mitchell, Recorder Peter Towler said he had to weigh up the ‘extremely serious’ assault on the victim against Mitchell’s difficult upbringing and the progress he’d made in prison. Towler said, ‘I understand you have had a difficult childhood which has caused a number of problems in your life which require treatment. In prison, you have been very keen to take treatment and, in the past, you have shown that you can stay out of trouble and be successful. It’s clear that you’ve made very clear progress in prison and I’m keen for that to continue.’…

‘What a lovely story. They’re so lucky to have met – it wasn’t exactly average circumstances! I’m glad it all worked out so well. After all, you can’t help who you fall in love with.’ Laura Halls, 31, Oxford ‘How romantic! Kirstie acted professionally in how she handled the situation, as they were clearly falling in love. It also highlights the importance of organ donation – everyone should be on the register.’ Glenis Wilkinson, 54, Walsall ‘I understand why she was cautious, but Kirstie acted sensibly. And I do like a story with a happy ending! I recently joined the organ donor register – I’d urge others to do the same!’ Susan Hawksley, 52, Wakefield…

1 Get word-of-mouth recommendations from friends, relatives and neighbours. 2 Get at least three or four quotes, and don’t go on cost alone. 3 Be wary of flyers. Anyone can claim to be a tradesperson. 4 Check membership of a professional body is is legitimate and current. 5 Ask if materials are included in the price. 6 Avoid full advance payment and large deposits. Agree to pay by instalments instead. 7 Draw up an agreement of all details of the job, signed by both parties, before work starts.…

I arrived at my 20-week scan with a big grin on my face. It was June 2014, and my husband Dan, 34, and I were expecting our identical twin boys Sebastian and Henry. We couldn’t have been more excited. But our smiles faded as the doctor suddenly paused, explaining he couldn’t find Henry’s kidneys or bladder. An agonising three-and-a-half hours later, he found Henry’s organs, but said he was far smaller than Sebastian. ‘We’ll have to wait until the next scan to know more,’ the doctor said. Over the next few days, I grew even more concerned when I started getting severe pains in my stomach. Sent for tests at Southampton General Hospital, we got some answers. ‘I’m afraid this is Stage-three twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome,’ the doctor said. We’d been…

1 Rooster’s 4 Cheese & Ham Chicken Kievs, 500g, £1.75 We were disappointed with the lack of cheese-and-ham filling in these – although rather a lot did leak out during cooking, which explains why! However, this is a good-value, family-sized pack. 2 Tesco 2 Cheese & Bacon Chicken Kievs, 305g, £2 With the texture of normal chicken breast, the meat has a good flavour, but the filling is the real star. Loads of rich and creamy, well-flavoured, tasty sauce. 3 Sainsbury’s 2 Cheese & Ham Kievs, 260g, £2 Looks and tastes the most like a whole piece of chicken (but, like all the others, it’s chopped and shaped chicken) and you can actually see ham chunks. Make it yourself... Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 min + chilling Cook Time: 50…

TRIED & TESTED This week: Eyebrow gels Essence Eyebrow Gel Eyebrow gels do two jobs in one – they let you define your brows as well as keep them smooth and under control. I was so impressed with how well this worked and how quickly it dried. Ardell Pro Brow Pomade I love that this contains a brush to tame unruly brows, as well as one with which to apply the gel. It was easy to blend, and the dark brown was the perfect shade for me. MUA Luxe Powerbrow Long-Wear Sculpting Brow Gel This went on really easily, and stayed put all day long. It’s available in six different shades, so you’ll definitely be able to find one that suits you! Pick Me Up! FOR LESS   3 for…

Ooh-er, Missus! Check out these cheeky British places: • Broadbottom, Cheshire • East Breast, Inverclyde • Backside, Aberdeenshire • Dicks Mount, Suffolk • Twatt, Orkney • Bullyhole Bottom, Monmouthshire Caring Kitty After an animal shelter saved his life, grateful Polish puss Radamenes now lends a helping paw comforting other poorly pets as they recover… Need A New Scent? Why not spray on Eau de Stilton, the smell of earthworms or the aroma of a burger grill? These weird perfumes are all for sale online! Can You Guess What These Viking Words Mean? 1. Berserkr 2. Vindauga 3. Hreindyri 4. Uggligr 5. Kaka 6. Alfr Silly Superstitions If you thought avoiding walking under a ladder was a bit barmy, check out these much sillier superstitions… If you hear a knock, but…

Though I lived in a tiny village, my dreams were big. I longed to run my own business. But what? Then it hit me! ‘Why is there no cafe in Mulbarton?’ I mused to my pal Samantha, 46. Researching it, there were no suitable places. Then...ding ding! An idea struck - a vintage bus. Samantha helped me get up and running. I kept hitting brick walls with the council but, last August we finally got consent. Wheels in motion, now we just had to find the right bus! Deciding it’d be called Blakey’s, after a character in the 70s Sitcom On the Buses , Samantha and I went looking. We travelled to Hastings, Exeter and Liverpool, before seeing a bus in Purfleet, Essex. ‘That’s Blakey!’ I exclaimed. He had no…

MURDERED CELEBS… Fame didn’t mean these celebrities were immune to humanity’s darker side... Signs You’ve Had A Past Life... 1Being obsessed with a certain time or place in history. 2Children’s 'out-of-place’ memories, like asking, 'Remember when I was your grandma?’ Spooky! 3Recurring dreams or nightmares that create a lingering impression. 4Inexplicable fears or phobias, such as a fear of a colour, taste or smell. You Ate WHAT? Some of the weirdest things pets have eaten 59 bones were swallowed last year 28 corn-on-the-cobs devoured 11 socks were scoffed 9 dummy teats were wolfed 7 cases involving swallowed kebab sticks and peach stones Can You Name The Landmark And The City It's In? Seem familiar? A man in the US who shot his mum-in-law ‘mistook her for a racoon’!…

‘It was touch-and-go whether she’d survive’ ‘Our little angel had come this far – we couldn’t lose her’ One minute, a cuppa was placed in my hand, the next it was whisked away. ‘We have to deliver your baby tonight,’ the midwife said, handing me a hospital gown. Clutching my bump, I was stunned at the news. I was only 28 weeks pregnant and had come to the hospital for a routine checkup. It was far too soon! But tests showed I had pre-eclampsia - a dangerous condition of pregnancy - and my blood pressure was sky-rocketing. The baby had to come now for my safety and her own. Emergency delivery First, I was given a steroid injection to strengthen the baby’s lungs. Thankfully, my partner Daniel Ward, 27, was…

‘When I saw him, my heart would skip a beat’ As I prepared the equipment ready to start the dialysis, I tried to make small talk. I worked as a healthcare assistant, and always found it helped to keep my patients occupied with something other than the needle in their arm. ‘Are you up to anything nice after your session today?’ I asked Ethan Gabriel, 23. ‘Not much,’ he replied quietly. He was obviously a bit shy. But in the brief second he looked up at me, I couldn’t help noticing his beautiful eyes. ‘Try not to be nervous, the first time is always the hardest,’ I reassured him. Ethan had just found out his kidneys were failing - the cause was unknown - but he’d need dialysis three times…

‘I longed to tell her to get off the plane and come home to me’ ‘I’ll always remember her happy and living life to the full’ Running across the landing in her pyjamas, my daughter Amarna burst into the twins’ bedroom with a huge smile on her face. Do you want to build a snowman? she trilled. Recognising the line from their beloved Frozen, 2-year-old Ada and Lylah giggled with delight. They adored their big sister Amarna, 21, who was always full of fun and pulling goofy faces for the girls, as well as her other sister, my daughter Kyanne, 12. ‘How does someone so beautiful make herself so ugly?’ I’d laugh as Amarna gurned away. And she was beautiful, both inside and out. We’d set up a health and…

Smear fear Q I’ve just received a letter asking me to go for my first smear test and I’m worried about the pain and procedure, especially as I’m a virgin. Will this make things more painful? Sophie, Portsmouth A If you’ve never had sexual contact, you’re extremely unlike to develop cervical cancer, so you may decide not to have a smear. But, if you do, a special virgin speculum can be used to reduce any discomfort. Bruised toenails Q Not long ago, both my big toenails were bruised and came off. Eventually they’ve grown back, but now they’re bruising again. Is there any reason why this could be happening? Anna, Swindon A Excessive exercise can cause trauma to the nail bed, so check your shoes fit properly and that there’s…

‘Tests revealed my fibroid was the size of a grapefruit’ Icouldn’t explain it. My bulging belly just wouldn’t budge. A curvy size-16, I’d recently lost more than a stone in weight. I’d not long gone through a breakup. Miserable, I’d completely gone off my food. The weight had slowly started falling off. But my podgy belly was still as big as ever. Soon, I got my appetite back. And my belly still hung over the waistband on my jeans. ‘You sure you’re not pregnant?’ a friend teased. No chance. I was as single as they come. Yet I did look four months gone..! ‘It’s my food baby,’ I joked back, putting my tum down to being bloated after eating. Months on, in April 2014, I was lying on my bed…

‘People would point and stare at me in the street’ My pencil rolled off my desk and, as I bent down to pick it up, I heard the rumble of laughter behind me. ‘Do you need a hand with that?’ one of the boys in my class giggled. ‘Don’t worry, I’m “armless”.’ My face flushed bright red. Though I should’ve been used to it... I’d been born six weeks early and it was only then that my parents had discovered my right arm hadn’t developed properly. It stopped about three inches below the elbow. Doctors weren’t really sure why. As a little kid, I’d been aware people often stared. But I’d never felt embarrassed. I’d worn a prosthetic arm from the age of 3, so I could do everything anyone…

My hubby Richard, 43, and I got two puppies, a Parson Jack Russell-cross Freddie, and fox terrier Toby, back in 2006. When we had our son William in November 2011, they became best buddies. Gentle Freddie, 10, has always been frightened of loud noises. As we live in a small cottage, there’s often the sound of gunshots from nearby fields. Late last November, Richard rang me as I was finishing my work as a teacher. ‘Freddie’s missing,’ he said. I rushed home and joined Richard searching high and low. Soon it was pitch-black and we couldn’t find Freddie. We figured something must’ve spooked him and he’d bolted over the fence. Next day, we put an appeal on Facebook and Twitter, stuck up posters around the village. ‘Freddie must've gone on…

‘Mum didn’t recognise me at first and Dad wept’ Drinks were flowing at a mate’s house in August last year when I got chatting to a familiar face. ‘You were two years above me at primary school!’ I laughed to Jamie Mitchell, 27. As kids, we’d not been close. Now, cracking jokes, he seemed a nice guy. Living in Yeovil, he told me he was a chef. Impressed, I confided that I’d like to do that, too. ‘I’ll get you a job!’ he said. The restaurant he worked in was recruiting and, a week on, I was a kitchen assistant. And I’d bagged more than a job... Jamie and I became an item. Working together all week, we spent weekends at his place. But I was worried I’d lose my…

I’ve had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) all my life, I just didn’t know it! At birth, my legs were twisted and my feet pointed inwards, but doctors thought this was just a birth defect. The problems were corrected with surgery, and I grew up very active. When I was 19, I had a nasty fall at a festival. From then on, things were never quite right... Qualifying as a carer, I loved my job, but was plagued by aches and pains in my legs. Then, in 2010, when I was 25, I met the love of my life, Seamus. But, around the same time, the pain got worse. ‘You’re limping pretty badly,’ Seamus worried. Referred to hospital, for the next few years, I saw specialists, none of whom could give us…

Mucositis 1 This can be caused by chemotherapy. 2 There are three types. 3 It can lead to sepsis. 4 It can only be treated with surgery. 1 TRUE Chemo and radiotherapy can also damage healthy cells, including the particularly vulnerable mucous membrane cells. The treatments stop these cells regenerating, causing the lining to become damaged. 2 FALSE There are two, oral and gastrointestinal – oral mucositis causes pain, difficulty swallowing and mouth ulcers, while gastrointestinal affects the digestive system, usually causing diarrhoea. 3 TRUE If the mouth ulcer becomes infected with bacteria while your immune system is weak, the infection can spread to the blood and other organs, causing sepsis and in the most serious cases, septic shock. 4 FALSE Treatment consists of good oral hygiene, avoiding alcohol, eating…

Chocolate Gateau Serves: 12 Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 35-40 min Cake: Filling: 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4 and line an 18cm loose-bottomed cake tin with nonstick baking paper. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together all cake ingredients until smooth. Spoon into tin, level surface, and bake for 35-40 min until springy to touch. Cool in tin for 10 min, then remove and leave to cool completely. Slice cake horizontally into three. 3 Put chocolate into a bowl over a pan of hot water, with agave syrup and 1½tbsp water. Stir until melted, then pour chocolate into yogurt and marble with a spoon. 4 Reserve 2tbsp of yogurt mix for top of cake, then…

‘My husband Paul thought I was joking at first’ I’ve Bagged A Mega £3,250! Beverley treated her family with her THREE bingo wins... Beverley Clark, 42, Nottingham I won’t lie, I was new to bingo and playing bingo online. But in April 2012, a friend told me Pick Me Up! Bingo was a lot of fun. Days later, I saw an ad in the mag offering a £30 Welcome Bonus for a £10 deposit. ‘Why not?’ I said to my husband Paul, 47. So I signed up and tried a few games. I soon found my favourite, Sapphire, a 90-ball bingo game, where your numbers are automatically dabbed off. I had few small wins, but really I just played for fun. Then last October, I bought a few tickets in…

Before & After 5 Wine Glass, £19.99, www. getting  personal.co.uk Be prepared for day-to-evening refreshment with this amazing double glass. Fill the mug with your favourite hot drink by day, then flip it over for a glass of vino any time after the clock strikes 5pm! Chef’n Corn Stripper, £6.99, Lakeland Take all the kernels off a corn cob in one quick and easy movement with this brilliant, must-have kitchen gadget. It’s surprisingly simple to use! Cuppanut Coconut Infusion, £4.50 for 15 bags, Holland & Barrett As if the products weren’t unusual enough, these new infusions were created by Pop Idol’s first runner-up Gareth Gates! There’s Coconut, Ginger & Turmeric and Coconut & Cranberry, too. Quite a career change for the heartthrob singer!…

Food Swaps Swap A SCOTCH EGG… 275 cal For A HARDBOILED EGG… 85 cal Get Moving! Learn to swim Not everyone learnt to swim as a child, so if you’ve ever fancied taking the plunge, check out www.swimming.org  for your nearest pool and details of adult classes. Take 3... pot puds 100g creme caramel… 110 cal 100g strawberry trifle… 155 cal 100g chocolate mousse... 313 cal Try This…. Riso Gallo Gluten Free Rice Cakes, £1.15, Ocado Low in fat and salt, choose from Wholegrain Venere Rice and Corn Cakes, and 3 Grain Rice Cakes with Rice, Corn and Buckwheat. Baxters Spicy Slaw Deli Toppers, £1.49 Spicy food is not only more satisfying to eat, but a hit of chilli heat also helps to burn more calories!…

Keli Lane was smart, sociable and an elite water-polo player. But, by 19, Keli had secretly been pregnant twice – and terminated both. Soon, she started a relationship with a rugby player and worked as a PE teacher alongside her passion for water polo. Her dream was to represent Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In 1995, she had a daughter without family, friends, or even her partner knowing, and had the baby adopted. Keli soon fell pregnant again and, in September 1996, had a baby girl, Tegan. Shortly after, Keli was at a wedding with her partner – with no sign of the baby she’d kept secret. The birth hadn’t been registered, Tegan was never seen again. A short time later, Keli’s relationship ended and she fell pregnant for…

‘Tipping the scales at over 14st, I was shocked’ As a kid, I’d practise strutting down an imaginary catwalk. Girly daydreams. A size-18 throughout my teens and 20s, I wasn’t confident. My mum Mareece, 56, and I both love food too much to diet. Plus, my hubby Sean, 42, had always complimented my curves. I work part-time at McDonald’s, and every break I’d devour a Big Mac, fries, cola and a toffee sundae. Soon, my belly stuck out no matter what I wore. Out shopping in summer 2014, I heard two strangers. ‘She’s pregnant,’ one muttered. Feeling horrible, I later confided in Mum. ‘Let’s try Weight Watchers?’ she suggested. Tipping the scales at over 14st, I was shocked. Setting my goal at 10st, a healthy weight for my 5ft 7in…

ARIES 21 March–20 April You were living in the past, but now you see with ease how to put it behind you. A new friend seems to know you better than those who’ve known you for years. You’re finally living life again and about time, too! Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You’re being asked to do things which are above and beyond what others would normally do for you. Make sure those involved realise that such actions should work both ways. Use Tuesday for tests and meetings. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Love and hate seem pretty close at times lately. I can see from your Stars that you need to take some time out, and an unexpected offer of travel and relaxation makes…