Innholdsfortegnelse for Best Of 3 2018 i Pick Me Up! Special

We love the unexpected and there’s plenty this month. When Donna (pg18) got tired of the stresses of life, no one could have predicted what she and her family did next! Caroline (pg26) and her husband were victims of an arson attack, but when they found out that it was done by someone they’d always shown kindness to, they were shocked. Dog lover Debby (pg64) took on a big task when she welcomed Alsatian Malachi into her home. But her devotion to him has never wavered and insists every animal deserves a good quality of life. On the flip side, superdog Diesel is devoted to saving our lives! (pg10) Sometimes babies are too keen to come into the world and Kelli (pg23) was terrified when her twins were born at…

As I waited for Simon to turn up, nerves were swirling in my stomach. It was our first date, and at 37, Simon was 13 years older than me. I’d never had a boyfriend before and I was flattered by the attention he showed me. As we strolled together, Simon grabbed hold of my hand. He was very forward and we soon became a couple. Within a few months, Simon and I moved into a place of our own. At first, he was funny, charming and attentive. An animal lover, I was desperate to get a dog, and I fell in love with a King Charles spaniel puppy. I brought her home and named her Star. I showered Star with cuddles, but it became clear that Simon was jealous of…

Rushing around the crammed aisles, I grabbed ribbons, banners and garish decorations, shoving them into my basket and dashing for the till. I was on a lunch time mission to decorate my boyfriend Dan’s flat before his birthday the next day. Usually I’d be cool, calm and collected about something like this, but I had no time after work as I was off to a doctor’s appointment. ‘It’ll be fine,’ I’d told my mum, Cathy, 52. ‘All the doctors have said I’m far too young to have cancer!’ A few weeks before, I’d found a lump in my breast while I was showering. Dan, 28, insisted I get it checked out, so I dutifully went along to my GP. It was really reassuring, as at 23, the doctor was certain…

I watched the boys quickly scoff down their last mouthful of cereal before I bundled them all into the car and took them over to my mum’s. My husband, Gareth, 35, and I already had sons, Ryan, 15, and Tyler, 13, but the older they got, the more I missed the days of cooing over a newborn baby with sleepless nights and dirty nappies. ‘Let’s have another one,’ I said to Gareth one day. ‘Go on, then,’ he grinned. ‘It would be nice to have another boy!’ Before we knew it, I found out I was expecting again. Gareth and I were so happy. The next day, we sat the boys down to tell them. ‘You’re going to have a little brother or sister!’ I smiled. Ryan’s eyes lit up.…

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Silentnight’s sleep and wellbeing expert ( www.silentnight.co.uk )answers your questions. So drained Q I wake up in the morning feeling exhausted. Even after eight hours of sleep. What am I doing wrong? Ally, London A While it's important to get enough sleep, there is far too much significance placed on the holy grail of 8 hours. Everyone's sleep requirements are different and it's unhelpful to focus on a set amount. Sleep is only one way of getting energy - what we eat and drink has a significant impact on how we feel, but there are many other ways we can nourish or drain our energy - physically, emotionally and mentally. Make sure you eat enough protein, fat and carbohydrate for breakfast - this…

Scientists have discovered veggies like cabbage, broccoli and kale can reduce the risk of bowel cancer. Professor Tim Key from Cancer Research UK explained that the surface of the bowel is constantly being regenerated, sometimes leading to gut inflammation. ‘A chemical called indole-3-carbinol, produced by chewing such vegetables, is modified by stomach acid as it moves through the digestive system, and in the lower bowel, it changes the behaviour of stem cells, stopping them from dividing uncontrollably and growing into a cancerous tumour,' he said. ‘It's a good reason for us to be eating more vegetables.'…

Pouring the liquid into the test tube, the crystals turned blue, making my daughters’ eyes light up with excitement. ‘Wow!’ cried Autumn, eight, watching in awe. ‘How did you do that?’ asked my older daughter, Alisha, 13. I loved teaching them about potions and lotions, making bath bombs with eucalyptus oils. Raising them on my own, I wasn’t that good with makeup advice, but I was a dab hand at making homemade soap! I’ve always loved science, and was doing a degree in chemistry and biology. In my spare time, I made soap in my shed with the girls. Sadly, I suffered with borderline personality disorder, meaning I had to have regular checkups with the authorities and health professionals. In April this year, two police officers dropped by. After explaining…

Sarah C won £1,454 on Emerald Playing my Emerald tickets, I only had a couple of games left, so was pleased when I won £4.50 on two lines. Then out came my numbers for the house. I won the Emerald Progressive Jackpot of £1,454. I couldn’t believe it! My mum won £8,888 a few weeks earlier on the Round The Clock game. I’ve done up my house, treated my family to days out and bought my children bunk beds. The rest will go on more for my home and on a deposit towards a holiday. Janette L won £39,588 on Sapphire My amazing Progressive jackpot win was in the Sapphire Room and I saw my balance change to over £39K ! The money will be used for a holiday and…

Peeking over the cot, my heart just melted. ‘He’s so perfect,’ I said, stroking my little boy. I couldn’t believe my son, Taylor, was eight months old. ‘He’s growing up so fast,’ my mum, Kate, smiled. I leaned in closer and gave him a big kiss, just in time to catch his tiny, toothy grin. Taylor had always been such a happy, cheeky little boy. It was a surprise to find out at 21 that I was pregnant with him. But now I couldn’t be happier. The next evening, I woke up to the sounds of him stirring from down the hall. Bleary-eyed, I wandered to his bedroom to find out what was wrong. ‘Mummy’s here,’ I cooed, leaning to pick him up. Giving him a cuddle, I instantly noticed…

Giving the cuppa a stir, I grinned at my friend Louise, 28. It was last October, and she'd popped over to visit me, my daughter Mollie, two, and nine-month-old son Freddie. I was looking forward to a gossip, but as I went to hand over her tea, a stabbing pain shot through my right side. ‘You OK?' Louise asked. I smiled weakly. ‘It's just a tummy ache,' I said. When Louise went home an hour later, the pain was getting worse, but I tried to ignore it. ‘Mollie, what would you like for lunch?' I said, walking into the living room where she was playing with her little brother. But before she had a chance to reply, I felt myself falling… Floating in and out of consciousness on the floor,…

Trudging through the front door in the early hours, I checked on my sleeping daughters before collapsing into bed. It was January last year, and as a paediatric nursing student, I was working endless long night shifts. Usually opposite shifts to my husband Chris, 35, who worked as a paramedic. Not only were we constantly exhausted, we rarely saw each other – or our kids. While one of us was at work, the other would look after Ellie, then seven, and Miley, then six. Sometimes we’d have shifts at the same time – then we left the girls with their grandparents. It hadn’t always been like that. We were a close family, and loved road trips together. The girls were born travellers. But now we were like strangers in our…

Walking down the high street in my home town of Totnes, Devon, people stared and pointed at me. But, dressed in a white silk kimono dress and wooden shoes, with white powder makeup and a black wig, the stares didn’t come as much of a surprise. After all, I was dressed up as a real life geisha! I’d been obsessed with the Japanese performing artists for years, and now I was embracing it! ‘Aren’t you afraid of what people will say?’ my husband Steve, 52, said as I fastened my wig. ‘I feel fear every day,’ I reasoned. When I was eight, I fell and split my head on a granite rock. As a result, I’d suffered from epilepsy, having two or three seizures a week since the accident. The…

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Soak up the sun My cat Rodney loves lying on my bed and soaking up the morning sun. He’s so adorable! Georgie, Hackney Watcah doin? I don’t think my dogs are too impressed with me. Rosco can’t seem to figure out why I’m pointing the camera at him and Rainey just looks annoyed. Love them! Andrea, Trowbridge New arrival My new pup Ruby is adorable and I love her to bits! She’s very naughty and still needs a bit of training, but I’m sure we’ll all spoil her! Emilia, Hampshire…

1 Make books part of family life Always have books around at home. That way you and your children are ready to get reading, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. 2 Join your local library Get your child a library card. They’ll be able to get their hands on hundreds of books. Let them choose what they want to read to help them develop their own interests. 3 Read about something that interests them Help your child find the right book for them. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction, nonfiction or even comic books. 4 All reading is good Don’t rule out non-fiction, comics, graphic novels, or magazines. Reading is reading and it’s all worthwhile. 5 Get comfortable Snuggle up somewhere warm and cosy together for reading time, and…

Shall I tell her before the wedding? I know that my older sister has a different dad from me – but she doesn’t. Mum confessed to me that she had an affair. My sister is about to get married and can’t wait for ‘our dad’ to walk her down the aisle. Should I tell her? Sophie, London YES  Pick Me Up! reader Jessica from Kent says: There’s a chance one day that your sister will discover that you knew about this before the wedding. She might not be happy that you didn’t give her the chance to make her own decisions about it. Tell your mum that if she doesn’t tell her, you will. Secrets in a family are so harmful. It’s time to make sure everyone is being honest.…

With her dazzling smile, stunning looks and big heart, it wasn’t surprising that California born Linda Sobek, 27, was on the brink of making it big. She’d fought for and won a coveted place on the famous LA Raiders’ cheerleader team, and being a ‘Raiderette’ had been the springboard she’d needed to achieve her other dreams. By 1995, Linda was a popular model. She’d done calendars and plenty of catalogue work, car magazines and swimwear shoots, but her real passion was to get into acting. Linda had just been given a small part on the US sitcom Married… with Children , and she couldn’t have been more excited about it. On her journey to find success, Linda had done ‘pin-up’ type work, but she longed to be taken seriously and…

Running across the football pitch, chasing the ball, I suddenly lost my footing and fell with a thud. ‘Ouch!’ I yelled, grabbing my right hip in agony. It was May 2010. I was 19 and playing football for my college women’s football team The West Suffolk Football Academy. I was used to tough tackles and falls, but nothing like this. As I limped off the pitch, my coach checked I was OK. ‘It’s nothing,’ I said. The pain got worse, but an X-ray didn’t show anything. ‘I probably just fell funny,’ I reasoned to my identical twin sister, Louise. I tried to rest up for a while. But the pain in my hip was excruciating and it was spreading to my lower back. As the weeks went by, I went…

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Packing up the apartment she shared with her husband Mark, optimistic Lori Hacking was excited about her future. It was 2004, and Lori, 27, had just found out she was around five weeks pregnant. She’d tentatively told a few close loved ones. The baby would be her and Mark’s first child, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Lori and Mark were about to move from Utah to North Carolina for a new beginning. Mark, 28, had made Lori and his family proud when he’d announced his graduation from the University of Utah. Now he’d revealed he’d been accepted into medical school. As always, Lori supported her husband of five years. She’d handed in her notice at the finance company where she worked, and was boxing up their belongings ready…

Laura McDonald enjoyed her job as an NHS nurse, but the long stressful days were having a serious impact on her health. Laura lost two stone in the first year on the job and six years into her career, she was close to burnout. On a night out, she met Polly McGillivray, who worked as a Learning Operations Manager for Southern Rail. That chance encounter turned into a friendship – and changed Laura's life. Polly suggested that Laura apply to be a train driver. At first she dismissed the suggestion, but she couldn't get the idea out of her head. Laura's always been interested in trains and has treasured childhood memories of standing on bridges and waving at drivers as they went under, in the hope that they'd give her…

Walking through the front door one afternoon, my son Lincoln, 11, was covered from head to toe in luminous pink and green paint. ‘What on earth has happened to you?' I cried. But I didn't need to wait long for an answer. Is Lincoln covered in paint, too? Luca looks a right mess! my friend Hayley, 43, texted. I had to laugh. It was the boys to a tee. Lincoln and Luca had been the best of friends since meeting in primary school when they were just four-years-old. And they were a right pair of clowns, always playing silly pranks on each other. We joked that they were like Lloyd and Harry from the 90s comedy Dumb and Dumber, and when we let them watch the film, aged nine, they…