Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-Mar-2025 i Woman's Weekly

Our little helpers “Isn’t it funny how the small pleasures in life can make even the worst times feel that little bit better? There are treats surrounding us everywhere, if we choose to notice them. For example, taking the time to enjoy the sounds and beauties of the outside world, nature’s free therapy, has been proven to help your health and mental wellbeing – see page 12. And in old films, characters always offer somebody who’s just suffered any kind of trauma a nice cup of tea, In my experience, weirdly, a cuppa really does often make a difference and improve things, whatever the situation, but with one caveat – it needs a biscuit! See page 34.” EDITOR geoffrey.palmer@futurenet.com…

“My family and I are making initial enquiries about our next dog, and we’re just trying to figure out whether we’re ready or not. We lost our rescue greyhound Buster two years ago, just a few weeks after my mum died, so all my grief was wound up in each other. We’d had him since he was 18 months old and he was an old gentleman. He was tired and blind, and he had lumps and bumps. Then he fell off a sofa and hurt his hip. He never really got up properly again. Buster was the dog who was on Gogglebox with me and my husband Graham. He was like a limpet. It was like having a furry coffee table because he was always beside me. I think you…

‘I started doing the CPR I’d been taught’ Anna Cross, 26, a veterinary physiotherapist from Wembury, Devon, lives with her mum Jane, 58. My mum and I have always been extremely close. We’re not just mother and daughter, but the very best of friends too. So, when Mum persuaded me to give myself an easier start to my working day, I did. As a mental-health practitioner, she knew the terrible impact that work-related stress can have on people. ‘Mum had suffered an extremely rare event’ So, on 27 November 2023, I was luckily still at home when Mum called me to her bedroom, saying she felt unwell. She was flushed and distressed, and asked me to take her blood pressure and send the reading to a friend, who’s a doctor.…

HEALTH TIPS TO TAKE YOU INTO SPRING Dr Raj Arora is a GP Sing in the shower This might seem silly but it’s an aerobic exercise for the lungs that can help to mentally uplift your mood. Interestingly, the British Lung Foundation endorses a singing for lung health programme for those who have chronic lung conditions like COPD, and this is shown to physically and psychologically help wellbeing. Take a power nap There’s clear evidence that a 20-30-minute power nap during the day can help with your mental clarity and response time. Take your shoes off at home There was a reason for your parents’ request. Not only is it polite but a recent study found that if you have a pair of new shoes, within two weeks you can…

JOHN LEWIS NEXT MATALAN…

33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen (£16.99, HB, Bloomsbury) It’s 1939 in Nazioccupied Brussels. Art student Charlotte Sauvin and her father wake up at 33 Place Brugmann to discover their neighbours on the fourth and fifth floors have disappeared. Now refugees, they are reinventing themselves overseas but thinking of 33 Place Brugmann. As danger approaches, Charlotte has her own secrets to guard in this captivating exploration of World War Two. Philosophical, mysterious and a powerful story of survival. The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye(£18.99, HB, Pan Macmillan) When Landri discovers a secret journal written by her ancestor, Temi, an African princess, she learns that she escaped an abusive marriage and fled Western Africa for England. Reading the entries that separate them by more than a century, Landri recognises…

DISCOVER ANCIENT EGYPT Ever since the ‘wonderful things’ of Tutankhamun’s tomb were found by Howard Carter in 1922, there’s been an enduring fascination with ancient Egyptian culture. A new immersive exhibition at Excel London from 28 March to 29 June recreates spectacular scenes using holograms, video and more, plus original and replica artefacts. ✱ tutankhamunexperience.com Woodland warriors We really love the bison of Blean Woods in Kent, and the eco-friendly herd continues to expand with the two new calves born last year. The Kent Wildlife Trust uses nature as a solution to woodland management, and the bison project was recently recognised as a 2025 Changemaker by The Big Issue. Did you know? Smart watches and phones are all very well, but the trend is moving back to old-fashioned mechanical watches,…

The breeding season for Britain’s birds is underway but before they start laying eggs and feeding their young, they need to build a nest in a well-concealed site away from the prying eyes of predators. How many of these nests can you spot in your area? House sparrow Residing in rural and urban environments, sociable house sparrows build nests in loose colonies, making use of thick vegetation such as mature ivy, cavities in buildings or under the eaves of houses. Their cup-shaped nests are thrown together with dried grass, straw, stalks, twigs or even paper and lined with feathers. EGGS Sparrows are busy little birds during the breeding season. They will have multiple broods, which contain on average three to five white/grey, heavily speckled eggs. The number of broods they…

All under £20 1 ICE COOL Need a helping hand to look wide awake in the mornings? Then let Revolution Skin Espresso Eye Lift Eye Serum, £8, revolutionbeauty.com, come to your rescue. Thanks to the cooling rollerball, this energising and brightening formula works miracles on tired eyes. Store in the fridge for an extra dose of refreshing coolness. 2 CAFFEINE HIT Our eyes reveal how we’re feeling, so if you’re exhausted, your eyes will look tired too. Stock up on an energising cream like The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream, £10, Boots, which comes to the aid of sleepy peepers. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, relieving water retention and puffiness, to give your eye area a proper morning wake-up call. 3 SMOOTH CRIMINAL If you’re after a reliable, all-round eye cream, opt for…

Pulled pork tacos Juicy and tender pork is the hero of this Mexican-inspired dish. SERVES 4-6 PREP 15 mins, plus marinating COOK 4 hrs ✱ 1kg pork shoulder, skin/fat cap removed (see tip)✱ 12 small soft tortillas✱ Guacamole, soured cream, salsa, lime wedges and coriander sprigs, to serve FOR THE MARINADE ✱ 2tbsp chipotle paste✱ 1tbsp each ground cumin and coriander✱ 1tsp dried oregano✱ Juice 1 orange✱ Juice 1 lime✱ 3tbsp red wine vinegar✱ 4 garlic cloves, crushed✱ 1tbsp tomato puree✱ 1tbsp salt 1 Mix the marinade ingredients in a large glass bowl. Add the pork and coat well. Cover and chill for at least 4 hrs or overnight. 2 To cook, heat the oven to 140C Fan/ Gas 3. Put the pork and marinade in a large roasting tray…

Coping with LYME DISEASE This bacterial infection is spread to humans by infected ticks Ticks are tiny, spider-like creatures found throughout the UK and elsewhere in Europe and North America, often in areas with overgrown plants where they have contact with animals. They’re common in woodland and moorland areas, but also in gardens or parks. They feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans. After biting an animal carrying the Borrelia bacteria, the tick itself may become infected. Ticks don’t fly but climb on to your clothes or skin if you brush against something they’re on, before biting into your skin to feed on your blood, transferring the bacteria into you. Infection is more likely the longer the tick is attached to your skin, so removing them quickly…

Chocolate-dipped Bourbons We’ve coated this classic with chocolate for double the indulgence. MAKES 20-24PREP 25 mins, plus chillingCOOK 12-14 mins ✱ 100g unsalted butter, softened ✱ 80g caster sugar ✱ 20g soft dark brown sugar ✱ 1 medium free-range egg ✱ 180g plain flour, plus extra for dusting ✱ 40g cocoa powder ✱ 300g milk chocolate, melted FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ✱ 50g unsalted butter, softened ✱ 90g icing sugar, sifted ✱ 10g cocoa powder ✱ ½tsp vanilla essence 1 Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. Once smooth and fluffy, mix in the egg. Sift over the flour and cocoa powder, and mix until just combined. Bring the dough together with your hands and briefly knead. Wrap and chill for 30 mins. 2 Line 2 trays…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ Glass jars ✱ Floral wrapping paper ✱ Spray mount ✱ PVA glue ✱ Clear gloss varnish ✱ Pink spray paint Large flower jar 1 Cut out individual flowers from your chosen wrapping paper, and lightly spray the backs with spray mount. This will enable you to temporarily position the flowers on to the jar until you are happy with the layout. 2 Apply a thin layer of PVA glue to the back of each flower, then stick to the jar. When dry, apply a varnish to the flowers for protection. Mini bunting jar 1 Spray the lid with a thin coat of paint. Leaving to dry between coats, apply more coats until you have an even base of colour. Leave overnight to dry completely.…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS Wingspan 160cm/63in. Depth of spine 72cm/28¼in. MATERIALS 1 x 100g (550m) ball of Papatya Angora (80% acrylic, 20% wool) in each of Green (6950), Brown (9270), Pink (3570) and Cream (9310). Pair of 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles; 4mm (No. 8) circular needle. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION Not essential for this project. ABBREVIATIONS B, through back of sts; k, knit; p, purl; skpo, slip 1, k1, pass slipped stitch over (to decrease 1 st); sk2po, slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over (to decrease 2 sts); st(s), stitch(es); tog, together (decrease by working as many sts together as stated); up1, pick up horizontal strand lying between needles and k into the back of it (to increase 1 st); yf, yarn forward (to make 1 st);…

Wordwise You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word in the grid, for which the clue is: Fragile. Average = 15 More than 35 = well done LINKWORDS Fit 10 words into the grid so that each links with the end of the word on its left and the beginning of the one on the right. Then unscramble the letters in the shaded squares to make a word. CLUE: Tall flowering plant, also known as larkspur. Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues, then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares…

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Your dreams may have some powerful messages for you. Your psychic and intuitive abilities are growing. Don’t let others convince you otherwise. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY This is an excellent time for building strong foundations. Move slowly and steadily, and you will achieve your goals. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN You may be delving into the spiritual side of life. This is a good time for taking a course to deepen your understanding. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL This promises to be a busy, exciting week. Surround yourself with people who uplift you and make you laugh. Many doors are opening for you now. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG You may find yourself pulled in several different directions. Consider…

“If you were kind enough to visit last week, you’ll remember that you left me on the horns of a dilemma. Which I imagine is even more uncomfortable than the elderly sofa in our sitting room. Before we tackle the actual dilemma, let me first tell you about the sofa, which is a cause célèbre at Dear Towers. When we moved here, just after Mr Gladstone was forming his first ministry, we thought we’d treat ourselves to a new sofa. We ordered something in a rather elegant dark blue. ‘That’ll be a couple of months, I’m afraid,’ said the man at the shop. ‘We’re snowed under.’ We were in no hurry, though, and after four months the sofa finally appeared. ‘I don’t think you’re going to like this...’ We both…

Fun and friendship I was sad to read – in Here to help, 22 January issue – about the lady being asked to leave her book club because she had not read the book under discussion. Together with my friend Joy, I run a book club. We meet monthly, with around 18 members. Not everyone has read the book for a variety of reasons – work, home pressures, illness and so on – but we would never exclude anyone. You can sit and listen to the reviews of those who have read the book and may be inspired to find time to read it later. We also share time to discuss books we’ve read over the month and, most important of all, we share fun and friendship. Alexandria Parsons, Walsham…

SLIM STRAIGHT This timeless shape is perfect for when you want a streamlined look that’s not too figure-hugging. Versatile with footwear, straights work with everything from flats to chunky boots – just make sure the boot sits under the hem and there is no fabric bunched up. If in doubt, roll up the hem. BARREL Known for its curved silhouette that tapers at the bottom, this shape (also known as carrot or balloon) is the rising star of 2025. Avoid looking too bottom-heavy by sticking to sleek footwear. Ideally, you want to create a gap between the hem and shoe, exposing your ankle bone. TURN-UPS For cropped styles, make sure the gap between the hem of theses pre-cuffed jeans and your shoe is wide enough to feel intentional. Opt for…

For many of us, money remains a taboo subject – and a huge part of that is down to our reluctance to admit when we’re struggling. According to research, just 34% of UK women feel confident about their financial situation. Lesley Thomas, founder of The Money Confidence Academy, works with groups and individuals to improve their financial knowledge and help boost their confidence. ‘You wouldn’t expect to know how to speak French if you’ve never had lessons, and it’s the same with finances,’ she says. ‘The majority of us weren’t taught about money at school, so how can we be expected to be good at it?’ Here, Lesley shares her top tips to help boost your financial confidence. Budget for your goals Create a monthly budget that includes your…

My diagnosis has brought me down Q I have recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I’m disappointed, as I do a lot of exercise. It has made me feel old and depressed. I know I can’t avoid ageing but I thought I’d stave it off a bit longer. I am 69. Rachael, Southampton A Unfortunately, sometimes we can’t stop the ageing process, even if we are doing the right things. That said, I expect it would be a lot worse if you weren’t exercising. But dwelling on it will only make you feel worse. I would suggest you talk to the professionals and ask them what you need to do to stay as healthy as you can. Having osteoporosis is quite common. In the UK, 21.9% of women over 50 have been diagnosed. The professionals will…