Innholdsfortegnelse for Monday, June 03, 2024 i Woman's Own

While most of us relish the summer months, they can also bring with them a round of insecurities – worrying about stripping off on the beach, getting your legs out in shorts, baring your arms in T-shirts. Of course, a wonderful thing about getting older is that you learn to stop letting those niggles bother you so much, but it’s still OK to need a little help in the confidence department. On p28, our brilliant beauty team brings you the best feel-good formulas to help you flash the flesh all summer long. Another must-read is ‘10 ways to have more fun’, on page 22. After all, isn’t that what life is about? Doing the things that make us smile, with the people who make us smile. Find out what can…

Coleen Nolan has always been an open book when it comes to her everyday struggles, and it’s one of the many reasons she’s loved by fans. And now, as she prepares to move house (she’s understood to be moving in with her partner, logistics worker Michael Jones), she has opened up about her latest stresses, admitting that she’s experiencing a ‘meltdown’. Speaking to her fans in an Instagram video, Coleen, 59, revealed, ‘I’m moving house soon. Fingers crossed it doesn’t all fall through. I’m very excited, but it’s a nightmare, isn’t it?’ The star later added, ‘I don’t know what to do with myself. So many animals to transport. And I’m just having a bit of a meltdown.’ Money worries It’s clear the house move is weighing heavily on Col’s…

Columnist DIVORCE POTENTIAL Grounds for divorce are often serious matters involving infidelity, screaming matches and love turning to hate. But what about being married to a man who makes himself peanut butter on toast and then puts the opened peanut butter jar back on the shelf with the dirty knife still stuck in it? Or the bloke who borrowed his other half’s car for a couple of days and handed it back to her so full of rubbish it was literally a mobile skip? How about the one who had a pathological block on closing any cupboards or drawers? Or the chap who didn’t notice that his wife had stopped clearing his bedside cabinet every day until the kitchen had emptied of crockery because it was all piled up on…

Have you heard about? CHILLING FRUIT AND VEG MAKES THEM LAST LONGER Do you keep your fruit in a fruit bowl? You might be storing it wrong, says research by waste charity, Wrap. You should actually be keeping certain fruit and vegetables in the fridge at four degrees, including apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumber and tomatoes. Doing so could extend a broccoli’s life by two weeks and an apple’s life by up to 70 days! It worked for me Juley Rebecca Ross, 69, from Bexhill-on-Sea ‘I was taken to hospital and didn’t have time to grab anything. Thank goodness I had FreshWipes (from £3.50 for one pack, freshwipes.co.uk). They include chlorhexidine, which helps to kill bacteria and leave you feeling fresh. They’re incredibly useful if you’re unable to have a shower…

Health ask us A past affair has come out Q Over 20 years ago, I had an affair for two years with a family friend. We stopped all contact when he moved away with his family, and we promised to tell no one. Recently, he passed away, and I’ve now received a furious and threatening letter from his wife. She’s known about us for years and says she’s going to contact my husband. It would destroy my marriage. Do I contact her or hope it blows over? For me, this is long over. A It’s long over for you as you’ve had time but for your lover’s wife it sounds very raw and intensified by grief. Ignoring her letter isn’t a good idea, and neither is telling her it’s long…

READER QUESTION Q I often run out of ideas of what to cook and end up buying convenience food instead. Do you have any tips on how to get more organised and save money? A Some planning! I’ve got around this by drawing up a three-week meal plan of healthy, cheap meals that I rotate. It makes writing a shopping list super-speedy and the three-week rotation means we don’t get bored – but I do swap recipes when we’ve had enough. And I’ll cook different things at the weekend to mix it up a bit. Go green for less Check out WWF’s Carbon Footprint Calculator. You’ll be asked about your lifestyle, and will be able to get advice on how you can reduce your carbon footprint based on your results.…

And… relax ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr If you’ve been feeling low recently, you’ll find your mood picks up now with the New Moon in Aries. Set three intentions for the coming six months that excite you. TAURUS 21 Apr – 20 May By being true to yourself you allow others to do the same. Your honesty and integrity are respected, so keep being you and know the rest will fall into place. GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun The Sun in your sign helps you achieve ambitions you’ve been focusing on for some time. Believe in yourself and know you’re more than able to get what you desire. CANCER 21 Jun – 22 Jul This is a time to rest and retreat. As the Full Moon wanes, make…

WIVES LIKE US by Plum Sykes (£18.99, HB, Bloomsbury) There’s trouble brewing in the Cotswolds. In the luxurious country house of Monkton Bottom Manor, socialite Tata Hawkins has stormed out on her husband Bryan following a nasty quarrel over a missing suite of diamonds. Taking her daughter Minty and butler Ian with her, she decides to show Bryan what he’s missing by decamping to the Old Coach House. But her masterful plan backfires when her husband runs off with a bikini designer. Things go from bad to worse when a glamorous new neighbour is completely uninterested in Tata’s friendly advances, while Tata’s closest pals are wallowing in their own problems. Can butler Ian restore the peace? A riotous, delightful read. ONE LAST SHOT by Betty Cayouette (£8.99, PB, Cornerstone) On…

Stacey ‘JOE HATES ME’ She’s much loved by her followers for her honesty and relatability online, especially when it comes to the ups and downs of family life with her husband Joe Swash. And now Stacey Solomon has confessed that Joe ‘hates her’, after he bought an irritating toy. Taking to Instagram, Stacey, 34, told fans, ‘My husband hates me. He thought, “Do you know what I’ll do after school today? I’ll get all the kids a whistle.”’ And the caption over the video read, ‘When Joe does the school run,’ alongside a crying laughing emoji. And this isn’t the first time Stacey and Joe, 42, have been at loggerheads. Following a trip around Scotland in their new camper van earlier this year, the Sort Your Life Out star admitted…

CROCHET CRAZE Wear with your favourite denim. Top, £32, sizes xs-2xl, Next SUN SHIELD Protect your face from harmful rays in style. Hat, £12, Tu Clothing PAWFECT POT Store all those little odds and ends. Trinket dish, £12, Dunelm BEADED BEAUTY A playful bag for all your essentials. Pouch, £24, Oliver Bonas DIVE IN Make a splash in this colourful all-in-one. Swimsuit, £7, sizes xs-xl, Primark CATCH OF THE DAY Brighten up your basics with splashes of colour. Top, £45, jeans, £37, sizes 6-24, both White Stuff HIGH SHINE Create a fuller-looking pout. NYX Lip Plumping Gloss, £10.50, lookfantastic.com WIDE AWAKE Reduce under-eye puffiness. Rodial Jelly Eye Patches, £9, John Lewis & Partners SOAK IT UP A fruity scent of peach and papaya. Body wash, £3, Primark TWO-IN-ONE Holds a…

Denim for days Accessories will ease you into a new trend and I’m seeing denim everywhere this summer. From cool clogs to cross-body bags, they’re the ideal way to rock the double denim look without being OTT. Wear these slip-on mules with a denim midi skirt for a chic 70s-inspired get-up. Shoes, £22, Peacocks; bag, £5, Primark Hannah Sunseekers Summer accessories need to look good and be practical too. Stay protected from the sun with a hat and sunnies. Tortoiseshell frames will forever be on-trend and these have 100% UV protection. Finish with a straw hat for a dose of Hollywood glamour. Sunglasses, £19.99, Mango; hat, £15.99, H&M Becky Small but mighty Sometimes the smallest things can have the biggest impact. A printed scarf is incredibly versatile – tie it…

Beef and black bean burgers SERVES 4 Using beans as well as mince makes these Mexican-inspired burgers healthier. PREP TIME: 15 MINSCOOK TIME: 20 MINSCALS: 404 FAT: 7.8GSAT FAT: 2.8G CARBS: 50G YOU WILL NEED For the burgers: 1 red onion, quartered1 medium carrot, roughly chopped1 garlic clove400g can black beans in water, rinsed and drained1tsp dried oregano½tsp ground cumin1tbsp tomato purée250g lean minced beefSpray oil4 brioche-style burger buns, sliced For the hot corn salsa: 200g tin sweetcorn, drained1 red pepper, finely chopped1 red onion, finely chopped150g cherry tomatoes, quarteredHandful coriander leaves and stems, finely choppedJuice 1 lime1tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeños (optional) HOW TO DO IT 1 Heat the oven to 200C Fan/Gas 7. In a food processor, whizz the onion, carrot and garlic until finely chopped. Add the…

In a matter of seconds, an acid attack can change a person’s life forever. Earlier this year, a 31-year-old woman was attacked in Clapham, London, as a man threw a corrosive chemical substance at her, causing life-changing injuries. And chemical attacks like this are more common than you’d think. In February, two men were jailed after throwing acid over three members of a family on their doorstep in north London, in a case of mistaken identity. ON THE INCREASE According to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), the UK has the highest number of recorded acid attacks in the world. In 2022, there was a 69% rise in the number of attacks, with 710 cases reported to police. We speak to a survivor about the terrible effect it had on her…

Hilary Swank ‘EILEEN IS FLAWED LIKE EVERY OTHER HUMAN’ The two-time Oscar winner on her latest role… In new US drama Alaska Daily, Eileen Fitzgerald is an award-winning investigative journalist with an amazing life and career in New York, but it all comes crashing down following the publication of her latest article. ‘She’s definitely driven, but like every other human, she’s flawed,’ says Hilary Swank, who plays Eileen in the 11-part series. ‘She’s very matter of fact, but I don’t think she’s rude, and she calls people out on their nonsense. She doesn’t suffer fools.’ ‘SHE DOESN’T SUFFER FOOLS’ When her hard-hitting piece about a corrupt army general is discredited, it leads to a fall from grace, but Eileen soon gets the chance for redemption when her former boss, editor…

FEELING PEACHY What’s better than lounging around a pool without a care in the world? Lounging around a pool watching a nearly naked David Beckham frolicking in the water, obviously. We’re not jealous at all, Vic… GYM GOD Vic treated us to a topless picture of Becks while he was working up a sweat in the gym – and fans couldn’t get enough. One jokingly commented, ‘Thank you for your service, Victoria!’ while another wrote, ‘I’m renaming @victoriabeckham lord Jesus Christ our saviour… she’s doing great things for us all.’ HELLO HUNK! Victoria has revealed that it’s not just David’s good looks and incredible body that attract her to him, pointing out that the former footballer also has humour to add to his list of charms. ‘There are days when…

Whatever activities I imagined I’d be doing on my honeymoon, phoning my mum in floods of tears wasn’t one of them. But my husband Alan and I had just consummated our marriage – and it had been a huge disappointment. Far from sensuous and thrilling, it was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it perfunctory affair. And it didn’t help that as soon as he’d finished, Alan plonked himself down in front of the TV to watch football in the Devon hotel where we were staying for a week after our wedding. Convinced I’d made a terrible mistake, I rang my mum and told her I wanted to come home. Not sure what to say, she put Dad on the phone, who reassured me it was just early days. ‘SEXUAL PLEASURE WAS ALIEN TO ME’…

Health ask us HE CAN NO LONGER HEAR PROPERLY Q My husband had a nasty ear infection a couple of weeks ago that required a course of antibiotics. The pain has now completely resolved, but I have noticed that he is turning the TV volume up a lot and often doesn’t hear me. Could the infection have caused long-term damage? AIt is common for hearing to be reduced after an ear infection, and it can take up to six weeks for the hearing to completely recover. If you have any concerns about his hearing at this stage he should see his GP, who will examine him and may refer him for an audiogram to check his hearing. My head is in agony Q All my adult life I’ve suffered with…

Smooth your chest The skin across the chest is delicate and frequently exposed to the elements leaving it susceptible to premature ageing, crinkling and creasing. Any moisturiser will up hydration levels and deliver a temporary plumping effect. Planet Spa Heavenly Hydration Uplifting Neck & Chest Serum, £3.75, avon.uk.com, enhances the décolletage, leaving skin smoother, more radiant and prepped for strappy maxi dresses. Sort cellulite Cellulite affects 90% of women. Trapped toxins around fat cells create a dimpled effect, so the best thing to do is get that fluid flowing. Use Legology Lymph-Lite, £16, legology.co, every day on dry skin before you get in the shower, moving in long, sweeping strokes from the feet up. Dry body brushing stimulates circulation, eliminates toxins and improves skin tone. No cream is going to…

CLUES & ARROWS Fill in the clues in the direction of the arrows. Sudoku To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Wordsearch Which of these authors was born in Daresbury in Cheshire, and is commemorated by stained glass windows in the parish church there? The answer is the one missing from the grid. ATWOODAUSTENBRONTECARROLLCHRISTIEDICKENSJOYCEKING LEWISORWELLSHELLEYTOLKIENTWAINWILDEWOOLF CROSSWORD ACROSS 7 and 3 Down: 2023 thriller film starring 13 Across, 20 Across and 19 Down (5,7)8 Car’s instrument panel (9)10 Weighing device (6)11 _ Fishburne, star of films The Matrix and All the Old Knives (8)12 Eye specialist (8)13 _ Kendrick, star of film Pitch Perfect and TV series Love Life (4)15 Eat (7)17 2001: A Space _, 1968…

Showing my boarding card I took a deep breath and headed towards the plane, feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. I still couldn’t quite believe what I was doing. At 52, this was my first solo trip abroad in three decades – something I never would have contemplated just a few years ago. For years my life revolved around my family. My husband Andrew worked as an IT sales manager, while I worked as a freelance editor and juggled raising our two children. We spent many happy years going on family holidays, including to Spain and Bulgaria. Even when the kids grew up and were old enough to fend for themselves at home, Andrew and I enjoyed breaks in Croatia, Malta and New York. MAKING CONNECTIONS I often thought…