Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Pick Me Up! Special

January can feel like a long, gloomy month, can’t it? The Christmas decs are back in the loft, we’re paying for our festive overindulgence and the days are chilly and dark. Fear not – your Pick Me Up! January Special is here to bring you a chink of winter sunshine. We’ve got fab gym wear to inspire that new-year health kick (p12), bargains to jazz up your home (p36), and warming beauty treats (p31). On p24, Jenna shares how a precious friendship helped her through cancer, and on p38 Emma reveals how she risked her life to save her dogs. With plenty of puzzles and fun along the way, this issue will brighten any dreary day, so pop the kettle on and get cosy with your fave mag!…

Nic Orrell, 44, Bury, Greater Manchester From the racks of baby clothes, I picked out a matching set of rompers. One pink, one blue. ‘Perfect,’ I said to my son Declan, then 19. It was May 2019 and he and his partner Alex, 19, were expecting twins. With them already living with me and my husband Andre, then 40, we’d soon have a house full. I couldn’t wait! ‘You’ll need an extra pair of hands,’ I’d told Declan, insisting they stay with us for as long as they needed. The more time for cuddles with my first grandbabies, the better! After raising Declan and his siblings, I knew how tough those early days could be. Now, out shopping, I couldn’t resist spoiling my unborn grandchildren. ‘They’ll want for nothing with…

On a cold, dark night in March 2018, a couple were out driving their car in Glendale, Arizona. By the side of the road, something unusual caught their attention. It was an infant car seat. Pulling over to take a closer look, they made a startling discovery. A baby was sitting inside. It was 10pm. And the child’s parents were nowhere to be seen. So the couple called the police for help. Responding almost immediately, officers looked through a nappy bag and a backpack found nearby. They discovered a wallet, containing an ID belonging to a young woman. Jasmine Dunbar, 21. Was she the mother? Tracing her address, officers spoke to Jasmine’s godmother, who she lived with in nearby Phoenix. She confirmed Jasmine had a 7-month-old daughter, who matched the…

Autumnal chicken casserole The sweetness of the pears and cider works with the smoked bacon. SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS COOK 1HR 15 MINS ● 2tbsp olive oil● 2 pears, cored and cut into wedges● 1 onion, cut into thin wedges● 2 sticks of celery, sliced● 6-8 rashers smoked streaky bacon● 6-8 skinless chicken thighs● 500ml cider● 1tbsp wholegrain mustard● 1 chicken stock cube● 2tbsp creme fraiche● 1tbsp chopped chives● Rice or mashed potato, to serve 1 Heat half of the oil in an ovenproof casserole and cook the pears gently for 3-4 mins until just golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. 2 Add the remaining oil and cook the onion and celery for 10 mins, until they start to soften. Remove from the pan. 3 Put the bacon…

Emma Higginson, 28, Coventry Launching a ball across the park, I watched my dog Millie bolt after it. ‘Slow down!’ I laughed after her. She was running so fast she’d almost tripped over her own legs! A black springer spaniel crossed with a Staffy, Millie, then 6, had been with me since she was a puppy. I couldn’t imagine life without her, and even my partner Connor, then 28, had fallen for her when we’d met. ‘She’s full of energy,’ my mum Jill, then 57, laughed. Unlike her Jack Russell, Hollie, then 13, who was enjoying a leisurely mooch around the park. But the pair of them were best pals, so I often met up with Mum so we could walk them together. Later that week, in August 2024, I…

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CCTV, video doorbells, nanny cams, home security cameras, smartphones, pet cams, live streams - cameras have integrated themselves into every part of our lives. Why? Because they give us a sense of security. Security that we’ll never miss those sweet family moments, security that our pets and homes are safe when we’re away, security that should, heaven forbid, anything bad happen, we have video evidence. Cameras mean justice and protection. This month marks a decade since American news reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were shot live on air by a disgruntled ex-employee, Vester Lee Flanagan II. He’d been fired for aggressive behaviour and claimed after the shooting that Alison Parker had been racist (a claim described as ‘nonsense’ by the station) and Adam Ward had reported him to…

Cheryl Wadsworth, 35, Warrington, Cheshire Mine and my fiancé’s eyes were locked on the screen. ‘I can’t wait,’ I said to Phil, then 36. ‘Me neither,’ he grinned. We weren’t about to watch the latest TV thriller or the ending to a juicy soap storyline. No, it was much better. We were about to see our unborn daughter. It was February 2024, I was 28 weeks pregnant with our first baby. So far, everything had been smooth sailing. We’d bought a cot and a pram. And after finding out we were expecting a girl during a scan at 17 weeks, we’d decorated the nursery with pink butterflies. Now, in the scan room at Warrington Hospital, we were about to see our precious princess on screen again. As the blurry white…

Presenter GabyRoslin says that she and Robbie Williams became hysterical discussing what subject on her podcast? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word answer. ACROSS 11 Soluble base or solution of a base (6) 12 Cycle arena with banked curves (9)  13 Fishes (4) 14 Wizard (8) 15 Person skilled in ninjutsu (5)  16 Cutlery items (6) 17 Railway track log (7)  18 Fact of taking part in (11) 20 Condition (5)  22 Strong disgust (9)  24 Counterfoils (5)  28 Tube for breathing while under water (7) 29 Country (7) 32 One who rents (6)  34 Wood preservative (8) 36 Words or drawings sprayed on walls (8) 37 Having existed for a very long time (3-3) 39 Garment (4,3)  40 Walks…

Jenna Herycz, 35, Birmingham As my friend Cally chatted away on the video call, I smiled and nodded along. Then suddenly, she paused. ‘OK, what’s wrong?’ Cally, then 31, said, frowning. ‘I’m fine, just tired,’ I said. But there was no way of fooling Cally. Friends for 10 years after meeting through church, we were so close. We had the same personality, both kind, fun and up for anything! We connected right away and it was lovely to meet someone my age who was also a newlywed. But our chats were always over Facetime as Cally lived thousands of miles away in Utah, USA. But even with all that distance, we’d speak every couple of weeks, and she could tell there was something on my mind. Just a week earlier…

Annaliese Holland, 25 The school bell rang for lunch and my class headed towards the canteen. But I sloped off in the opposite direction. Hiding away in the girls’ toilets, I pulled a container out of my bag and poured the gloopy liquid into a cup. Sipped it slowly, tiny gulps at a time. Anything more than that and the nausea would overwhelm me. Then, the stomach cramps would start. It was summer 2012, and aged 12, I’d rather have been with my friends, tucking into sausage, mash and beans in the school canteen. But I couldn’t. And I was too embarrassed to let any of them see my gloopy lunch. For the last year, I’d been suffering from an intense feeling of sickness and agonising tummy pains every time…

Chanel Walsh, 35, Birmingham Teeth chattering, I pulled my sleeping bag up around me and tried to get warm. But the cold, hard concrete of the car park was freezing. It was November 2006 and, aged 16, I’d just had a huge argument with my mum. Things had been tense ever since she and my dad split four years earlier. Now I barely saw Dad, and Mum had a new man. ‘Get out of my house,’ she’d told me after yet another row. So here I was. Terrified and cold, I barely slept a wink. As morning crept in, relief washed over me – I’d made it through the night OK. With no mobile phone and no money, I didn’t know what to do next. But as the days passed,…

With fiery locks down to her waist and long, slender legs, Sam turns heads wherever she goes. So when a man approached her to chat her up, it was no surprise the stunning redhead had caught his eye. ‘This man came up to ask me out on a date,’ Sam says. But she politely declined. ‘I said, “No, I have a boyfriend!”,’ gesturing towards her other half. And though her partner, Cam, had been right beside her the whole time, this man had made the same mistake people often did. ‘Oh, I thought that was your brother,’ he said. Short and stout with a big, bushy beard and shaggy brown hair, Cam prefers a more ‘comfortable’ look than his girlfriend. ‘Her style is definitely more elegant,’ he says. It leads…

Konstantina Nouka, 25, Wallingford, Oxfordshire Heading behind a tree, I stifled a giggle. It was summer 2011 and, aged 11, I was playing hide and seek with my sister. ‘Found you!’ my little sis Sofianna, then 8, cried, jumping in front of me. Admittedly, it was trickier for me to hide in a wheelchair! My parents had noticed I’d struggled to crawl as a baby, my balance not as strong as other tots’. Aged 2, docs suspected that I had Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD). Testing at the time was not as good as it is today. The degenerative disease caused muscle weakness and joint stiffness and, over the years, my condition grew worse. So I began using a wheelchair, but never let it hold me back. ‘There’s no reason…

Jam roly-poly Embrace those childhood memories with this comforting treat. SERVES 6 PREP 30 MINS COOK 50 MINS ● 200g self-raising flour● 1tbsp caster sugar● 100g vegetable suet● 130-150ml whole milk● 1tsp vanilla extract● 1tsp almond extract● 200g cherry jam● 50g marzipan● 500g tub custard, to serve● Flaked almonds, toasted (optional) You will need: ● Large sheet of foil, lined with baking paper 1 Heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Position a large roasting tin in the bottom of the oven and set a rack just above. Fill the roasting tin with water. 2 In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt, then lightly rub in the suet. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla and almond extracts, then add enough of the…

A beautiful capital city Icelandic capital Reykjavík is perfect for a day or two of exploration, thanks to its pretty shopping streets, fascinating museums and waterfront dotted with seafood restaurants. Pop into the towering Hallgrímskirkja, the church that looks like a spaceship about to launch, then get a local history lesson at the National Museum of Iceland (thjodminjasafn.is). Natural hot springs When the Icelandic want a feel-good boost – especially in the heart of winter – they head for a soak in a geothermal hot spring. The most famous of all is the mineral-rich Blue Lagoon (bluelagoon.com), where silica particles cause waters to glow a luminous turquoise (it’s great for the skin, apparently). Visit as a day guest, bobbing in the pools and sampling a ‘float therapy’ massage. Delicious seafood…

NUMBER JIG ANSWER: 1050 WORDSEARCH ANSWER: MOONSTONE SPIRAL XWORD ANSWER: DANTE THREE IN A ROW ANSWER: SNAKES ARROW WORD ANSWER: OTTERS CODEWORD WORDWISE ENOL, ETHOLOGY, GONE, GOOEY, GOON, GOONEY, HELOT, HOLE, HOLEY, HOLT, HOLY, HONE, HONEY, HONG, HOOEY, HOOT, HOTEL, HOTLY, LENTO, LOGE, LOGO, LONE, LONG, LOON, LOONY, LOOT, LOTH, NEOLOGY, NOTE, OGLE, OLOGY, ONLY, ONTO, THEOLOGY, THOLE, THONG, TOLE, TONE, TONG, TOOL, TOON ANSWER: ETHNOLOGY SUDOKU SUDOKU THE BIGGIE ANSWER: PEOPLE FALLING DOWN MANHOLES JUMBO PUZZLE ANSWER: TURKISH DELIGHT LINKWORDS TARGET, COURSE, PADDLE, JUMPER, ROCKET, FORMER, LAUNCH, PICKLE, MASTER, CLAMPS ANSWER: DEMOCRATIC…

Aquarius 20 January – 18 February January picks up after the 18th and your position gets stronger. Powerful emotions abound, but won’t stop you tackling issues. Be clear to get 2026 off to a flying start. Call 0905 789 4160* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Pisces 19 February – 20 March Romance, hobbies and relationships with children are in the spotlight from the 3rd. Any energy you put into self-improvement pays off, especially if it involves fun. Call 0905 789 4161* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Aries 21 March – 19 April Significant developments are afoot, in relationships especially. There’s potential to repair one from early January and profound changes arrive by the 23rd. Call 0905 789 4150* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Taurus…

Patricia Sacco, 41 Sitting in the garden, I soaked up the sun. I could smell the scent of roses and rhododendrons on the breeze. ‘Your garden looks lovely,’ I said to my great-aunt Margaret, then 97. Bursting with colour, each plant and shrub was painstakingly pruned. It was her pride and joy. It was April 2017, and my parents, Howard, 64, and Cindy, 62, and I were visiting my great-aunt Margaret over Easter. And though she was nearing 100, you’d never have guessed it. Healthy and active, she was full of life. So independent, she’d lived alone since losing husband Donald over a decade before. She had no kids of her own but my dad – her nephew – and Mum lived close by and would pop in each week…

Design size: 20.5x27cm YOU WILL NEED ✱ 35x42cm piece of 28-count white evenweave✱ Cross-stitch needle✱ Embroidery floss listed in the key✱ White mount card✱ Double-sided tape✱ Masking tape✱ Painted wood frame 1 The 0, or dotted central lines, on the chart should be matched with the centre of your fabric. Fold the fabric in half, then into quarters. Where the fold lines cross is where you start stitching. You can mark the centre with a line of tacking stitches to use as a guide. 2 Cut a 40cm embroidery thread length. Take two strands from the length and work cross-stitches from the centre of the chart and fabric. Each coloured square on the chart represents one cross-stitch worked over one block of fabric threads. 3 Once the cross-stitched areas are…

At the time of the 2021 census, how many of those usually resident in the Isles of Scilly were female? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is your answer. 3 digits 121 291 420 425 536 637 648 737 847 848 4 digits 1050 2127 2474 2711 3434 3475 3973 4961 5320 6815 8234 8333 8409 8771 5 digits 11531 11699 28089  32138 39762  40947 56393 67558  73228 77059 78108 6 digits 487164 582228 658059 7 digits 1934445 4935323 6658658 8 digits 30688278 53934577 86815929 90518083…

1 PEACEFUL PEEPERS If you’ve had a long day staring at a screen, treat tired eyes to Beauty Pro Warming Eye Mask, £3, Sainsbury’s. The clever self-heated masks are infused with calming camomile to help you unwind. Use just before bed to relieve tired eyes, and encourage a peaceful and deep sleep. Pop on and leave for 10-15 minutes. 2 HEATED HERO Create a spa-like experience without leaving the house with the help of Q+A Vitamin A.C.E Warming Gel Mask, £9, qandaskin.com. The antioxidant-rich face mask is formulated with superfood ingredients like cranberry seed oil, cherry and algae, which brighten and hydrate. The self-heating mask is such a treat at the end of the day. 3 CARING CANDLE It’s officially candle season, and what better way to help bring warmth to your home,…

3 OF THE BEST… CUSHION COVERS STYLE TIPS 1 LAYER THE COLOUR PALETTE If you already have a neutral home, it will be easy to introduce these rich heritage-style tones on top. Look for cushions, bedding and accessories in forest greens, classic navy and deep burgundy. 2 MIX AND MATCH PATTERNS Copy these folklore-inspired block prints, layering simple stripes with block-colour florals. Ticking and gingham fabrics will blend beautifully in the mix, as long as you add in some plains to bring down the business. 3 CHOOSE MUTED PAINT SHADES  For the walls, a subtle shade of your hero colour will work perfectly, like the soft pink that echoes the burgundy elements in the rest of the room. Try sage if you’ve chosen a dark green, or sky blue if…

Read down the letters in the shaded squares to spell out a confectionery item (7,7). ACROSS 1 Endearing (8) 5 Neckwear item (5) 8 Serious disaster (7) 15 Blows smoke (5) 16 Vital (9) 17 Playhouse (7) 18 Frozen spikes (7) 19 Generous by nature (6) 20 Comments (7) 23 Unpleasantly cold (6) 25 Mechanics (9) 26 Takeaway cuisine (6) 29 Public declaration (12) 30 Constructed (5) 31 Bucket (4) 34 Uniquely (9) 36 Recklessly (6) 37 Be alive (5) 40 Solo (5) 41 Alter (6) 43 Aide (9) 47 Percussion instrument (4) 48 Warms up (5) 49 On purpose (12) 53 Calculate (6) 54 Rows (9) 55 Invisible (6) 58 Vehicles on a public highway (7) 59 A season (6) 60 Freedom (7) 64 More loud (7) 65 Relying…

Ciara Murray, 42, Enniskillen, Fermanagh Passed a present, I ripped off the pretty paper and melted into a puddle as I saw the pack of adorable, tiny sleepsuits. ‘This baby is so spoiled,’ I smiled, adding it to the pile of other presents. It was October 2015 and, at 36 and a half weeks pregnant, I’d been looking forward to this baby shower with my friends so much. But not as much as I was looking forward to my little one arriving. Though this was my first child, I’d sailed through the pregnancy. Now me and my husband John, then 34, were just excited for the big day. I’d be giving birth at the local hospital, had my bag packed ready with all the necessities. We’d decided not to find…