Innholdsfortegnelse for April 28, 2025 i Woman's Own

I don’t know about you, but I find it so tricky to think of different meals to have every week – cooking not being my forte doesn’t help, so I was thrilled when our brilliant food team suggested a seven-day meal planner. They’ve whipped up delicious recipes to get you (and me!) through an entire week – better still, the meals all feed four and are less than £5 a day. Give them a go (they’re from p52) and let us know what you think. This issue is a bumper, so that’s 32 extra pages, including an eyebrow-raising sex challenge (flip to p30), the fab beauty team solve your beauty issues in a flash on p44 (dark circles be gone!) and we’ve got 20 of the best spring flats (hot-step…

Six beautiful children, thriving careers and a gorgeous home in Pickle Cottage. On the surface, it seems that Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have an idyllic life, but behind closed doors, their reality appears to be far from that, with Stacey admitting, ‘We’re barely afloat.’ Recently the couple, who tied the knot in Pickle Cottage’s garden in 2022, welcomed fans into their lives with their new reality show, Stacey & Joe. But Stacey has revealed how they would often forget their mics were on and get into an argument they didn’t want people hearing. ‘You don’t notice, to the point where we would have a bit of a domestic about something and then be like, “They’re here... stop, the mics are still on, stop,”’ Stacey confessed. ‘We’d look at each…

STATEMENT SHELLS Elevate your outfit with this fun shell jewellery. Earrings, £6.99, New Look BEST FOOT FORWARD Say hello to these new‑season trainers. Shoes, £10, Peacocks HOT TROPICS Pop open your bottles in style. Bottle opener, £4.50, Dunelm WOVEN WONDER Use as decor on your coffee table. Tray, £9, Primark SMALL BUT MIGHTY With a burn time of up to 35 hours. Candle, £5, Dunelm SET THE TABLE It’s the perfect season for a crockery refresh. Dinner plates, £3 each, pasta bowls, £3 each, cereal bowls, £2.50 each, placemats, £6 for two, glasses, £3 each, twisted candles, £1 for two, candle holder, £2, LED candles, £10 for three, all B&M PRACTICAL PURCHASE This handy storage basket hangs vertically. Basket, £8.78, Søstrene Grene BASE LAYER Use under your make‑up. Natural Collection…

Sitting in a meeting room at work, I listened to the woman speaking to me and my colleagues. Rather than discussing spreadsheets and sales targets for my role as a client director for an advertising company, she talked about hospital scans and chemotherapy. It was early 2016 and my office was hosting a week of health awareness sessions. Although I’d been too busy to attend most of the events, I’d cleared a window for this talk about breast cancer. ‘TYPING OUT THE WORD “CANCER” FELT SURREAL’ ‘Always make time for checking your breasts,’ the woman encouraged, handing out cards for a monthly text service, run by the charity CoppaFeel!, to remind women to regularly check their boobs. Aged 41, I understood the importance of the message. Back at my desk,…

Buy of the week Manage an upset tummy with Imodium Instants (£6.99 for 12 tablets, Superdrug). They dissolve easily on the tongue. HEALTH MATHS 3 ways to avoid a urinary tract infection (UTI) STAY HYDRATED + WIPE FRONT TO BACK WHEN USING THE TOILET + ALWAYS PEE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SEX = Reducing – and flushing out – bacteria in your urinary tract If you do one thing Cut down on drinking Often get carried away with the vino? It can be easy to lose track of what you’re drinking, especially as we approach beer-garden season. But being mindful of how much alcohol you’re consuming is important for your health. ‘Reducing your intake can provide immediate and long-lasting benefits, says Dr Clara Doran*. This includes boosting your immune system and mood,…

I feel emptiness Q I’m in my late 40s and feel stuck. Work doesn’t excite me, my husband and I have no connection, and my kids no longer need me. Friends tell me to ‘be grateful’ or suggest talking to someone, but I don’t feel broken – just lost. I’m scared this feeling won’t go away. A Many people in midlife struggle with this. Wanting meaning, excitement and connection is natural. The key is to take action: address the distance in your relationship, explore new passions beyond parenting, and make small changes to reignite your sense of purpose. Therapy isn’t about ‘fixing’ you, but can help uncover what truly fulfils you. You’re not alone, and this phase doesn’t have to define the rest of your life. HE MAKES JOKES ABOUT…

The problem… a dull complexion Treat it: After a long winter, most of us are looking a little pallid. You can help bring a natural radiance back with some clever skincare ingredients. Glycolic acid is a good one to incorporate – it melts away dead skin cells and leaves complexions looking bright and luminous. Use it three times a week in a toner like Boots Ingredients Glycolic Acid Toner, £5, Boots, and you’ll notice your face looking clear and healthy. Cheat it: Collection Filter Finish Complexion Boosting Primer, £7.99, Superdrug, provides an instant boost for the dullest of complexions. Wear it on its own or under your base for a flattering candlelit glow. The problem dark circles Treat it: Using a brightening eye cream daily will help lighten the sallow tones…

‘There’s no stopping me’ Cat Googe, 52, lives in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, with her husband David, 55, and their daughters Poppy, 19, and Edie, 17. As my 45th birthday approached in May 2017, I had one thought: ‘I need to get fitter and healthier.’ With my 50th year looming, I was fed up with feeling sluggish. I wanted to hit my 50s full of energy and excitement. My husband David, then 48, had been running for a few years so I decided to give it a go and was surprised to find that, though I could only manage two minutes, I enjoyed it. ‘IT’S MY WAY OF GIVING BACK’ DETERMINED Building up my distances slowly, I completed a 10km run a year later. Each time I hit a goal, I increased…

READER QUESTION Q Do you have any tips on boosting my chances of winning competitions? A There’s no guaranteed way of winning, but the more competitions you enter, the greater your chances may be. You’ll find websites listing competitions like Money Saving Expert’s Standard Online Competitions page, which can speed up finding them. And you may stand a better chance if you need to put effort into your entry, like writing a slogan or creating a TikTok video, as these may get fewer entrants. Go green for less Swap your synthetic home fragrances and use pure essential oil blends instead, like this Relax blend of lavender, rosemary and marjoram essential oils, £7 plus P&P (10ml) from boostology.co.uk. Just pop some drops on potpourri or add to a diffuser. 3 easy…

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 In Christianity, St Clement’s cross, also known as the mariner’s cross, is usually depicted as being formed by which of these objects? The answer is the one missing from the grid. ANCHORBOOMBOWSPRITCLEATDECKFENDERMASTPROW ROPERUDDERSAILSHEETSTERNTILLERWHEEL CROSSWORD ACROSS 6 __ Fischer, actor who played Pam Beesly in the US version of The Office (5)7 Body of __, racy 1993 thriller film starring Willem Dafoe and Madonna (8)10 Adult (5-2)11 Kirstie __, presenter of Location, Location, Location and Relocation, Relocation (7)12 Reorder (7)13 __ Loopy, 1986 single by the Matchroom Mob with Chaz and Dave (7)14 Sophie __-__,…

Television presenter and journalist Jane Moore is a panellist on Loose Women and also has her own weekly newspaper column. Jane, 62, who took part in last year’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! lives in south London and has two grown-up daughters and a stepdaughter. She chats to us about what makes her happy. 1 Item in your wardrobe My hat from I’m a Celeb... It’s the only hat I’ve ever looked good in. Obviously, I don’t wear it around London, because I’d look like a lunatic. But I like it because it reminds me of how much I loved the experience. 2 Reality show I’m A Celeb... I’ve been asked to do pretty much all of them over the years and that was always the one I…

Paul C. Brunson ‘I’VE NEVER SEEN A SHOW LIKE THIS’ The relationship guru on a new nine-part reality series with a difference… He’s helped to fix up famous faces on E4’s Celebs Go Dating and matched couples on C4’s Married at First Sight UK, but now relationship expert Paul C. Brunson is helping people whose relationships have come to an end. ‘IT WAS INTENSE!’ Hosted by Amanda Holden, Cheat: Unfinished Business follows eight ex-couples who split because one or both parties strayed as they gather at a retreat on the sun-soaked Spanish island of Majorca, where Paul will guide them through their issues. ‘Most shows focus on the very beginning of a relationship,’ says Paul. ‘We’re looking back at the relationship and we’re looking forward. I don’t think that I’ve…

TINKERING ON... As he bids farewell to the cobbles with final scenes airing next month, Colson Smith, who has played Craig Tinker since he was 12, says he’s looking forward to life on the outside. ‘It’s still sinking in, to be honest,’ he tells me. Colson was a finalist on last year’s Celebrity Big Brother and is still in email contact with ex-housemate Louis Walsh – who doesn’t hold back on what he thinks of the current CBB crop. ‘He will give me a brutal answer,’ says Colson. ON ME ED, SON! Omid Djalili’s Namaste tour runs until December and the comedian is busy grafting on a new sitcom. Set in Suffolk, he teases that it may feature his mate Ed Sheeran – returning Ed’s favour for including Omid in…

Kim’s SHOCK OUTBURST Kim Woodburn has reignited her feud with Holly Willoughby following the axing of Dancing on Ice, claiming she ‘got a career on’ Phillip Schofield and ‘doesn’t do anything’. The former Celebrity Big Brother star, 83, ranted, ‘When a presenter gets a job, you always hope they will choose the right person for that job, and unfortunately, in my opinion, Holly Willoughby is useless.’ The furious star continued, ‘For 14 years, Holly was on This Morning with Phil, and you tell me, any time that you can recall that she ever said to Phil on that show, “I’m sorry, Phil, I don’t agree with you!” Not once! She got a career on Phil. That is how she got her career and her money.’ Not one to mince her…

Pulling the soft, snuggly hood over my head, I felt so warm. It was November 2022 and me and my boyfriend Steven, then 52, were out shopping. I always felt the cold, so as soon as I spotted the oversized hoodie blanket, called a snoodie, at the marketplace, I couldn’t resist trying it on. Fluffy, with a white sherpa lining, it was like being wrapped up in a cloud. ‘This is so cuddly,’ I told Steven, smiling. ‘I’ll get it for you,’ he said. It was only £10, but it was the thought that mattered. In our three years together, he’d always made me feel special. I worked as a civil servant and he was a lecturer, and after we bought a house and moved in together, we loved nothing…

Thin hair hero I suffer from thin and fine hair, which means I really don’t want to lose any extra strands unnecessarily when I brush it. I love WetBrush The Original Detangler Hairbrush, £12, Boots, which is so gentle to use. Working to keep hair strong and healthy, this glides through without pulling or snagging – it’s become my all-time favourite hairbrush. Annie Curly comb I always use a wide-tooth comb rather than a brush to detangle my hair with conditioner – it’s gentle and helps the formula sink in better. I also use it when I’m styling my curls – working through curl cream creates a better shape and improves definition. Only Curls Curl Comb, £8, onlycurls.com, is a brilliant and affordable option, designed especially to suit curls. Rhiannon…

When we hear the word ‘hoarder’, we often think of TV programmes where piles of stuff fill every corner of someone’s home. The people featured will accumulate and hold on to all manner of peculiar and seemingly pointless items. However, these are extreme examples and often paint an unrealistic picture of what living with hoarding disorder is actually like. ‘TV programmes about hoarding aren’t always helpful because hoarding is not a lifestyle choice, a moral failing or even poor housekeeping,’ says Jo Cooke, director of Hoarding Disorders UK. ‘It is a mental-health disorder.’ Hoarding disorder is characterised by having so much ‘stuff’ that it affects the way somebody lives. Their homes may become unmanageable, yet they may still feel a strong need to accumulate more. ‘There are often financial implications,…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr This week, focus your needs on planning to fulfil any ideas that have come to you over the past month. It’s time to take inspired action. Move forward with courage. TAURUS 21 Apr – 20 May With the Sun in Taurus you find a sense of ease and flow. Make the most of this energy by saying yes to everything that’s in alignment with you. GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun The Sun is currently in an Earth sign, so optimise this influence by resting and recharging. As you become more present, it’s easier to find solutions to challenges. CANCER 21 Jun – 22 Jul You’re all about helping others, which is admirable. But remember to balance others’ needs with your own requirements. Take…

1 The Princess of Wales is a qualified scuba diver! While she’s regularly photographed getting stuck into various sporting events, her interests extend beyond land. In 2015, it was revealed that Kate, 43, had passed an advanced scuba diving course to become a qualified diver, meaning that she can dive up to a depth of 98ft. 2 From 1984 to 1986 – between the ages of two and four – Kate lived in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan with her parents Michael and Carole and sister Pippa. The family temporarily moved while Michael was posted there as a manager for British Airways. In 2021 Kate returned to the country with her own children during a half-term break. 3 Kate attended the same public school, Marlborough College, as Princess Eugenie,…

NOT-SO-HAPPY HOLIDAYS? Make sure you don’t fall for any of these travel-based cons... It’s holiday season. And whether you’re lucky enough to be reading this on an Easter break or are eagerly looking forward to your summer holiday, you’ll want to read to the end of this page. Because did you know there’s one holiday hotspot that is even hotter for scammers? So much so that there have been over one million tourists ripped off in the past five years. Spain welcomed a record 94 million international visitors in 2024, the best year for tourism since records started, according to industry and tourism minister, Jordi Hereu. But with one in every 61 tourists having fallen victim to a scam, holidaymakers who have planned a trip to the largest country in…

CAN I STOP MENOPAUSAL BLEEDS? Q Being on HRT for the last four years has been life-changing. The only downside is that, at 55, I’m still having regular bleeds. I was chatting to girlfriends recently and one of them sees a private gynaecologist in London who prescribes a patch, and she has no bleeding. Is there such a thing available on the NHS? A Yes – ‘no bleed’ HRT is prescribed to women who are over 54, or who are more than a year past their last natural period. It involves taking both oestrogen and progestogen daily and comes in various forms, including patches and tablets. It is available on the NHS, so discuss this with your doctor at your next review. Natural anxiety remedy Q During my 30s, I…

For Lyn Fox, 63, the secret to her weight loss lay with the man she listened to in bed at night Confusion washed over me as I stared at the photograph on my phone. ‘Who is that?’ I thought. It had been taken at a party a few weeks before where I’d had a great time, but I didn’t recognise this woman in the photo my friend had sent me. Until suddenly, I did. ‘I KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE’ ‘That can’t be me!’ I said to my husband Freddie, then 64, as he peered at the photo over my shoulder. ‘Don’t be silly, of course it is, it’s you,’ he said. ‘But that woman is enormous,’ I gulped. In that moment, I just felt so ashamed and I knew…

My husband Chris and I are both originally from Birmingham, but decided to move to the village of Ullesthorpe in Leicestershire, for a slower pace and a better quality of life. Chris actually purchased the house without me seeing it. I was on a trip, and when I came home, he said he’d found a house that he wanted us to view. At the end of the viewing, he confessed that he’d already bought it! Thankfully, it paid off, as I’d already fallen in love with the potential of the place. I love the history that comes with this property – it was built in 1878, and is opposite a milestone. It’s known that whoever lives in the property is called the ‘keeper’ of the milestone. THE PLAN The kitchen…

COSY ROMANCE LOOKING FOR YOU by Alexander McCall Smith (£16.99, HB, Birlinn General) Working at the Perfect Passion Company, a matchmaking service, Katie has her work cut out. With assistance from her neighbour William, she helps her clients find love. Clea comes to Katie with one man on her mind – a perfect stranger she met while shopping a year ago. Despite their incredible chemistry and fascinating conversation, Clea forgot to ask for his number, and now can’t forget about him. Meanwhile, snooty Horatio is insistent that any match of his must come from a family as impressive as his own. But Katie has problems of her own too – could she be falling for William? LITERARY THRILLER THE MYSTERY AT RAKE HALL by Maureen Paton (£16.99, HB, Swift Press)…

Brits have been flocking abroad in the quest for a Hollywood smile without the hefty price tag in recent years. Those who’ve had veneers – dubbed ‘Turkey teeth’, and which see your natural teeth shaved away in place for new porcelain gnashers - have often encountered problems as a result. While these celebs may not have all travelled to Turkey, they’ve certainly all switched up their smiles… STACEY SOLOMON Sort Your Life Out star Stacey was forced to get veneers after her second pregnancy left her natural teeth in tatters. She revealed, ‘I have veneers and my real teeth underneath are like brown pegs.’ Stacey, 35, explained, ‘The truth is, I would never have opted for veneers. I loved my old teeth and am not a fan of changing myself…