Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Pick Me Up! Special

The last few months have been strange to say the least, and while we may not be able to jet off on fun and exotic holidays just yet, we hope this edition of Pick Me Up! will keep you entertained. Who doesn’t love chocolate? Head to page 36 to discover some of the finest chocolatiers in the world. Your tastebuds will be tingling! Or, if you prefer staying closer to home, why not take a short quiz on page 12 to find out which interior design style you should go for next. We’ve got some lovely home buys on page 40 to help you out. Life is often full of surprises. At her age, Kate (pg42) never expected to receive such a frightening diagnosis. But she stayed strong to fight…

All mums are incredible people, and mine is certainly no different. From helping me deal with teenage hormones, my first boyfriend and exams, to helping organise my wedding and being brutally honest about what childbirth is really like, my mum Heather, 64, has always been there for me. She and I had always been as thick as thieves, and told each other everything, but in 2017, I needed her more than ever. I vowed to be there for Mum And as it turned out, Mum needed my support, too. Back in 2007, Mum had been diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram. Even so, as always, Mum had put others first, never wanting to be a burden. She’d even postponed her treatment by two weeks so that she could…

Kill weeds Use boiling hot water and a pinch of salt to kill weeds on your driveway. Sharon, Gloucestershire Beauty hack You can easily tame eyebrows by applying a small amount of Vaseline to them and brushing through with a brow brush. Barbara, Dorset Bed head I recently purchased a silk pillow. They stop your hair from getting knotted at night and prevent wrinkles in your skin. K. Partridge, Liverpool Smell good If you spray perfume immediately after showering, the humidity of your body will help prolong the fragrance on the skin. Poppy, Saltford Lemon fresh To get all of the lemon juice out of a lemon, use a fork and press sideways whilst squeezing. Georgie, Newcastle Ice ice baby! Flavour ice cubes with berries and mint for fun summer…

This month... KEEP KIDS SAFE AT HOME Fairy Non Bio have partnered with Vogue Williams to share some safety tips on keeping children safe. Here are the 10 most common but lesser known household hazards... 1 Pot and pan When cooking, turn pot and pan handles inwards. 2 Pencils Pencils count as sharp items, so keep them out of reach of little hands. 3 Coin battery and button Coin batteries are a common choking risk. Dispose of straight away. 4 Laundry pod Keep them out of reach of children and close pack securely after use. 5 Curtain cord Keep curtain cords wrapped up high and tight so children cannot play with them. 6 Handbags Keep handbags up high to avoid toddlers putting small items…

Watching my then seven-year-old daughter, Shai, jump in the pool, tears filled my eyes. I was so proud of her – after all, it had taken us a long time to get there. Not that Shai was scared of the water or couldn’t swim, in fact she was great at it. But if she accidentally swallowed any, it could kill her. After Shai was born prematurely at 31-weeks, we were in and out of hospital. Myself and my husband, Richard, were constantly on edge. It was all going into her lungs She suffered with terrible chest infections, including pneumonia, and coughed when she ate or drank. ‘Slowly,’ I’d tell her, whenever she took a gulp of her favourite blackcurrant Fruit Shoot. To begin with, we were told it was down…

As the house fell quiet, I went to check on my baby son who was fast asleep in his cot. Eight-month-old Leo was usually filling the house with noise, giggling away and crashing his walker into the walls. But with him fast asleep, the house suddenly seemed empty. And as I gazed at his little button nose, white blond hair and milky skin I couldn’t help but worry. His complexion was very pale, almost deathly pale. ‘When he sleeps, he looks dead!’ I explained to the health visitor. ‘He goes really white.’ ‘You’re right,’ she agreed. ‘Something isn’t right.’ I’d also noticed his beautiful blue eyes had a habit of flitting from side to side. So a month later, in May 2013, Leo finally had an appointment with an ophthalmologist.…

MOVIE MATCHING From Cameron Diaz rocking out to The Killers in The Holiday, to poor Bridget Jones drowning her sorrows to ‘All By Myself', it's safe to say that wine is the perfect accompaniment to any chick flick! So, we asked the experts at i heart Wines for their top five chick flick and wine pairings and they didn't disappoint… Clueless + Pinot Noir: A 90's classic which must be enjoyed with a glass of wine – after all, you're not a teenager anymore. When it comes to which wine, our recommendation: Pinot Noir. Smooth, elegant, plummy with a hint of spice. The colour even matches our favourite shade of 90's lipstick! Breakfast at Tiffany's + Italian Sparkling Rosé: With the elegant, charming and exquisitely dressed Audrey Hepburn taking the…

Celebrity fashion stylist, Joey Bevan, from BBC's You Are What You Wear, shares his favourite styling tips for the season. 1. Breathe The key to summer dressing is wearing easy, light, breathable fabrics. Cheap polyesters are going to make you sweat and end up looking like you’ve fallen into the sea. Wear natural based materials, such as cotton and linen to keep cool. 2. White trainers at the ready Summer is a perfect excuse to wear your white trainers. You can wear them with everything – throw the heels aside. A lovely summer dress, white trainers and some big shades – it’s a vibe. 3. Capsule is key Get items that work with each other. Then, you can mix and match. Keep colour tones together and this will create a…

To celebrate National Writing Day on 26 June, we’re here to encourage all of you to pick up a pen and get those words out. It doesn’t have to be the next best-selling novel – even just keeping a journal will set your creative side free... Good for the soul Freelance writer and motivation coach Laura Jonson shares why she thinks writing is so good for us... It helps clear your mind We’ve all sometimes felt the need to vent and speak our minds in order to get our point across. Writing can help you do that. Try and write down all of your thoughts, grievances, doubts, fantasies, and pretty much everything else that crosses your mind. Just write, without thinking about what lands on the paper. It may seem…

Logging onto Instagram, I posted a picture of an adorable black and brown German Shepherd puppy. Can’t wait to take him home, I wrote as the caption. ‘He’s not even here yet, and he already has his own Instagram page!’ my dad Alan, 48, laughed when he saw what I was up to. At 17, I was still in high school and living at home with Dad, my mum Christina, 48, and my sister Darcy, 20, in Phoenix, Arizona. I’d grown up with dogs running around, but now, after all of them had passed on, the house was quiet. ‘We need a big protective dog around,’ Dad suggested. Researching online, I found pictures of German Shepherds, and fell in love right away. Dad was smitten, too. In October 2017, we…

Sighing, I looked at my partner Rhys, 28, sheepishly walking through the front door after playing football. ‘What have you done now?’ I asked, glancing at his crippled hand. ‘I just took a tumble,’ he moaned. It was last June, and he’d been playing a five-a-side game when he stumbled backwards, landing awkwardly on his thumb. It was the first time Rhys had taken to the pitch in six years. ‘It bloody hurt,’ he told me. The following morning, he got it checked out at the doctor’s. ‘Turns out my thumb is broken,’ he explained, holding up his hand – all bandaged in a cast. Rhys explained how he’d broken it in three places – which meant he was unable to use his thumb at all. ‘Oh diddums,’ I teased…

Scrolling through my phone on Facebook, I came across some photographs a friend had taken of the cupboard under their stairs. ‘She's turned it into a cute kennel for their pup!' I told my partner Kevan, 53. ‘What a good idea!' he agreed. Kevan was also my next-door neighbour – I was number five, he was number seven. We'd hit it off the moment he'd volunteered to do a few jobs for me round the house. Whilst we still lived apart, he spent most evenings with me and my daughter from a previous relationship, Holly, three. If anyone knew a thing or two about DIY – it was Kevan. Looking through the Facebook photos, a lightbulb went off. The cupboard under my stairs was filled with shoes and coats –…

Will it help to let her know how I feel? After my best friend’s husband cheated, she took him back and I just can’t support her on it. I told her at the time to end it, but after weeks crying on my shoulder, asking for my advice, she did the opposite. Should I tell her how hurt I am? Gilly, Brighton YES  Pick Me Up! reader Julie from Sheffield says: Friendships have to be based on honesty and it’s clear that you’re annoyed that she didn’t take your advice. Not that I think she should have done! She’s a grown woman who needs to make her own mistakes and learn from them. But it’s important that you tell her that you believe she’s done the wrong thing by letting…

Waiting game Q Will it take me ages to get pregnant after being on the pill for years? Emmy, Southampton A This will depend on which pill you have been taking, as each work in separate ways. The birth control pill works by stopping ovulation. As soon as you stop taking the pill, your hormone levels will return to normal usually within a few days. After stopping the combined pill, you may be able to fall pregnant naturally in 1-3 months, however up to a year is common. For women who have been using the mini pill, it may be possible to fall pregnant within days or weeks. It doesn't matter how long you have been taking the pill for, whether it's a few months or a few years, your…

Raiding the kitchen cupboards, I crammed a few chocolate biscuits into my pockets and dashed into my bedroom. Made it , I thought to myself as I shut the door behind me. If Mum had caught me, she would’ve gone mad. I’d already had a big dinner, but like always, I was still hungry. Aged 13, I’d always been the bigger girl at school, and it was mostly down to my snacking. While Mum cooked big dinners, I didn’t help myself with my constant snacking on top. Crisps, chocolate, you name it - whatever I could get my hands on in between meals, I would eat. I was always snacking on junk I knew I had a problem, but I wasn’t interested in doing anything about it any time soon.…

Film and TV 1 Which country banned The Simpsons in 2006? a Japan b Thailand c China 2 David Walliams and Emma Bunton made cameo appearances in which soap? a Home and Away b Neighbours c Coronation Street 3 Who played Jack in Titanic? a Billy Zane b Bill Paxton c Leonardo DiCaprio 4 Who plays the Genie in the 2019 adaptation of Aladdin? a Will Smith b Chris Rock c Idris Elba 5 What planet are Transformers from in the film Transformers? a Cyber Galaxy b Paragram c Cybertron 6 What is the name of Jack Sparrow's ship in Pirates of the Caribbean? a Black Pearl b Jolly Roger c Flying Dutchman Showbiz 7 Who plays Molly in BBC's Our Girl? a Michelle Keegan b Lacey Turner c Amy-Leigh…

Rhys said: ‘I had the cast on one hand and a phone in the other - trying to deliver a baby! ‘I was running around trying to find towels while the woman on the line was trying to give me instructions. ‘I bent down and stuck my hand out and the baby just came out. The ambulance arrived two minutes later and they cut the umbilical cord. I said: ‘It’s alright - I’ve done your job for you!’. ‘It’s funny - Jade was adamant in the run up that she didn’t want me near the business area during the birth. ‘I should have brought my baseball glove - then it would have been fine! But it was quite scary. ‘Jade had no pain relief apart from a couple of paracetamol…

My period was late and I was starting to suspect I might be expecting. ‘Just do it,’ my friend, Missy said, pressing a pregnancy test into my hand and pushing me towards the bathroom. ‘Ok, ok,’ I sighed, reluctantly. I locked the door and sat down on the toilet, peeing on the plastic stick and anxiously waiting for the result. Within a minute, two blue lines appeared on the stick. ‘It’s positive,’ I said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. I was 20 years old, and I had been with my boyfriend, Jay, for three years, but we hadn’t planned on starting a family of our own. It took me three days to pluck up the courage to break my pregnancy news to him. ‘That’s amazing,’ he smiled, when…

For many women, having a child just doesn't seem like a natural choice. Lauren*, 34, explains: ‘When I was in school, the thought of having children always felt like part of some abstract future plan. I thought about it the same way I did marriage and career, assuming I’d feel the desire for children someday. It would just happen. Eventually. Fast forward to my late twenties, and suddenly the pressure was unwavering. The second I got engaged, the baby talk started, mostly from older family members. The more questions I got, the more I started to worry. Why wasn't I yearning for a baby yet? I’d had friends cry in my arms about their fertility struggles, and while my heart ached for them, I couldn’t imagine what it felt like…

When cocktail waitress Shauna Tiaffay returned in the early hours of the morning to her apartment in Las Vegas after a long shift at a casino, she was ready to kick off her shoes and climb into bed. Turning the key in the lock, Shauna had no idea that someone was inside, hiding in her closet waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on her. Once Shauna was inside, her assailant launched a long terrifying attack. He was waiting for her in the closet As Shauna desperately tried to defend herself against the relentless blows of a claw hammer, she begged for her life. ‘Why are you doing this?’ she cried out in despair. Shauna didn’t stand a chance. Prime suspect was her estranged husband George. He’d didn’t want his…

Fresh feeling hair 1. Batiste Dry Shampoo and Hint of Colour, £3.99, Boots and Superdrug Can’t get to the salon? Have no fear, Batiste is here to save the day. Whether you’re in between appointments or just need a little pick me up, the Hint of Colour range has your back. Available in three shades – Blonde, Brunette and Dark – these dry shampoos offer a quick and temporary cover-up to pesky roots, disguise greys or allow you to create a natural balayage finish. As the dry shampoo formula refreshes hair between washes, it’s the ultimate hair hero. 2. Batiste Love is Love Dry Shampoo, £2.99, Superdrug Introducing Love is Love, a limited-edition fragrance, to revive hair and support the LGBT community. Pledging to donate £30,000 to the LGBT Foundation,…

Aries March 21st - April 20th I've noticed a bit of an atmosphere in the home. I also see that you've not done anything to change it. Try not to be so stubborn this month. I know that a certain someone has missed you, and you've missed them. Try to deal with the real issue which is behind this restless mood. Work shows need for reorganisation. Try making the professional changes now, and the personal will soon fall into place. Someone you thought you would not hear from again makes contact. Think before replying and get some structure in the weeks ahead. Taurus April 21st - May 21st This is a month of many firsts for you, Taurus. You're ready to take life head on and you no longer seem…