Take a Break Weeklyの 16 April 2026 の目次

Makes SCENTS I’ve found that if I store my bin bags in a carrier bag with my laundry products, they pick up the scent and it helps to keep my bin smelling sweet with no extra chemicals and at no extra cost. It’s also a great idea for any plastic mailing bags you use for online sales. Tie a knot in the bag to intensify the fragrance. Jane Sanderson, Otley, W Yorks If you put a wooden spoon across your pan on the stove, it will stop the water boiling over. Caroline Gough, Hartlepool, Co Durham GRAPE idea I’ve discovered that a wine bottle carrier is perfect for keeping all your cleaning products in. I find it easier to carry them from room to room and it means the product…

Earn your stripes Don’t miss this supermarket steal! Tu at Sainsbury’s easy-to-wear and versatile shirt dress is perfect for wearing on repeat all the way to summer Laid-back luxe Who says casual can’t be classy? Pair jeans with a striped shirt and faux-suede ballet flats, then tie on a satin neckerchief for an instant style lift Fancy florals An A-line dress that highlights your waist and flares out over your tummy is a clever way to flatter your figure. Extra style points for a gorgeous petal print Suits you Invest in a statement-making bright green suit to see you through the season in style. Just add heels or fancy flats for special occasions Boho chic Pleated skirts are hot news right now. Give it a retro twist with a pair…

As I walked down the aisle, I caught sight of my sister Jemma. She had the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face. ‘You look amazing,’ she mouthed. I was marrying my fiancé Andy, and seeing my sister looking so happy was the icing on the cake because, recently, she’d been struggling. We’d both suffered from mental health problems and had always confided in each other but, after my wedding, Jemma seemed to get worse and spent time in hospital. ‘Don’t forget I’m always here for you,’ I told her. But then one day, at work, I got a message from my aunt. It read, Please call me. I knew something was terribly wrong and rushed home where Andy was waiting for me. ‘It’s Jemma,’ he said softly. And…

Pearls of Wisdom All these five-letter words fit into the grid horizontally, vertically or diagonally, reading forwards or backwards. The first and last letters of each word should be written inside diamonds and the rest of the word in the pearls. We’ve placed some starter letters to get you going. CLUES CABIN CHIEF FEAST FELON FEMUR FORGO FUSSY MAGIC MOTIF MOTTO OASIS OPTIC RAVEN RELIC SHEET SPRAY STAIR STUFF TUTOR YAHOO Up and Downer By writing the solutions to the ‘down’ clues downwards, you will reveal the solution to the ‘up’ clues reading upwards, and vice versa. DOWN 1 Buy and sell (5) 2 Bird’s roost (5) 3 Red - - -, bureaucracy (4) 4 Pinch-like bite (3) 5 Person from Stockholm, eg (5) 6 Pecan or macadamia, eg (3)…

1 PICTURE A Riz Ahmed plays the title character in a new film adaptation of which of Shakespeare’s plays? 2 What meat is most commonly used in a Chinese char siu dish? 3 The nasalis muscle is found in which sensory organ? 4 Traditional gifts given to mark a fifth wedding anniversary should be made from what material? 5 PICTURE B Name this British music star, who’s just released her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope. 6 Who wrote the plays Uncle Vanya and The Cherry Orchard? 7 What type of instrument is a Fender Telecaster? 8 On 4 April 1581, Elizabeth I knighted which explorer aboard his famous ship, the Golden Hind? 9 PICTURE C What is a female mole called? 10 During WWI, the British and…

India’s currency unit • 15-24-38-53-28 Pole for a ship’s sails • 46-39-21-69 Sewing finger protector • 41-25-71-7-59-52-13 Minuscule • 11-33-9-66 Trial portion • 44-3-29-51-72-62 Dwell • 54-68-19-8-31-49 ‘-- - doesn’t grow on trees’ • 56-45-6-37-22 Nun’s outfit • 12-70-1-18-35 ‘Girl’s best friend’ gem? • 67-5-30-58-23-34-10 Bonfire remains • 26-43-36 Go backwards – in a car, eg • 65-20-27-47-4-40-60 Fencing foil • 57-14-32-64 Relocate • 17-50-63-2 Madame Butterfly, eg • 16-48-55-61-42 HOW TO ENTER Solve the clues and transfer letters to the numbered squares to spell out a message for Virgo. The yellow squares reveal our hidden star, who was born under this sign. Write his name on the entry coupon, enter online, phone or text. See page 57.…

ENTER ONLINE AT takeabreak.co.uk OR SCAN ❯ For a full list of winners from issue 5 go to takeabreak.co.uk. Or send an sae to: Winners’ List, Take a Break, Bauer Media Publishing UK, The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL. All winners have been notified on Take a Break headed notepaper or by official email. 50p* TO SEND ALL YOUR ANSWERS! How to enter Entries to arrive by midnight Monday 27 April 2026 You can enter as many competitions as you like. Please use BLOCK LETTERS throughout. TEXT 65115 It’s now even easier to enter! You no longer need to register. ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO ENTER EACH WEEK IS… ● TEXT TAB14 then a space followed by a name, house number/house name and postcode, then your answers,…

My phone buzzed and I smiled when I saw it was a text from my daughter April. Hey Mum, shall we go charity shopping on Saturday? it read. Of course, I replied, instantly. April had a keen eye for interior design and was great at scoping out bargains in the charity shops. It was almost like a treasure hunt for her. She and I had always been close and I cherished our mum and daughter days out. We’d have so much fun together, our cheeks would hurt from laughing by the time we went home. And this shopping trip was no different. In time, April fell pregnant and had a little girl, Syrenity. Although she split with the dad, she took to motherhood instantly. As my gorgeous granddaughter grew, April juggled…

NEED A HAND? To get you started, look at the top-right 3x3 block. One of the missing numbers is 9. It must go in the top row as there are already 9s in the middle and bottom rows of the other 3x3 blocks along the top. FINISHED? When you’ve completed the puzzle, use the boxes above to add up the three numbers in the pink squares in the grid – the total in the yellow box is the prize answer. Write this total on the entry coupon, enter online, phone or text. See page 57.…

Having friends is one of life’s great joys. They’re the people you laugh with, confide in, and lean on when life gets tough. But beyond close friends, it’s worth asking whether your wider social circle really meets all your needs. For thousands of years, humans have lived in groups, and having a ‘tribe’ offers a kind of belonging that goes beyond one-to-one bonds. Anthropologist Dr Anna Machin says, ‘Even though we no longer need the same practical survival skills of our early ancestors, our deep psychological need for community remains. We feel more supported, resilient and happier when we’re part of a group.’ Here are four reasons why you should find your tribe and fill the gaps in your social circle. Create a safe space ‘A tribe can provide a…

Each number in the grid below represents a different letter. We’ve placed one starter word in the grid which shows you that 15 = V, 13 = E, 1 = R and 14 = B. We’ve also filled in all the Vs for you, and you can do the same for the Es, Rs and Bs. All 26 letters of the alphabet will appear – keep track by crossing them off at the bottom of the page. FINISHED? Now, from the top, list the letters in the yellow squares for the winning word! Write it on the entry coupon, enter online, phone or text. See page 57.…

My husband Dom arrived home from work and handed me a beautiful bunch of tulips. ‘I’ve got something for you too,’ I said. Then, I placed the surprise in his hand and watched as the penny dropped. ‘You’re pregnant!’ he said. ‘That’s amazing.’ Dom and I had met at university and after marrying five years later, we’d begun trying for a baby. We knew it might be harder for us to conceive because I had endometriosis. But while I’d fallen pregnant quite quickly, I had then suffered a miscarriage, which had rocked me. ‘You’re going to be OK’ After that, we’d tried again and when nothing happened, we’d got the ball rolling with IVF treatment. Only now, the week we were due to start, I’d discovered I was pregnant. We…

Fancy stocking up on a free weekly shop? Enter our brilliant competition and you could win £200 in supermarket vouchers to spend in a range of supermarkets*. You can fill your fridge and pantry with all your foodie faves, on us! Just think of the tantalising treats that could be in store for you – big juicy steaks, delicious ready meals, Belgian chocs, your choice of wines and beer. And of course you could stock up on a host of essentials, from washing powder to coffee. Sound like a tasty prize? Then grab that pen and get puzzling! *Winners will receive a Love2shop e-gift card via email exchangeable for a selection of retailers’ e-gift cards 3 LETTERS Sip, Tin 4 LETTERS Asks, Coin, Fish, Item, Open, Orzo, Peas, Pork, Sole,…

Lucky number 13! I’ve entered the competitions in Take a Break every week since the very first issue – and now I’ve won the Big Cash Stash, which just goes to show that perseverance really does pay off! We have recently moved house, so I’m going to use the money for some home improvements including painting and laying new carpet and lino. The letter telling me I’d won arrived on Friday the 13th – so perhaps it’s not such an unlucky date after all. So very many thanks to Take a Break for making my day with such a brilliant surprise. From Mary Crisp of Sidmouth, Devon Mary won our £5500 cash prize in issue 7…

£50 STAR LETTER It’s in the stars My son Mark and his fiancée Abbie had just told me the most amazing news. ‘I think you’re having a girl,’ I said, excitedly. I just had a strong feeling about it. But as their gender reveal party neared, I was reading Take a Break and something in my horoscope stopped me in my tracks. Colour blue is significant, it read. I laughed and sent a photo of it straight to Mark. On the day of the reveal, we all wore pink or blue depending on what we thought the sex of the baby would be and I decided to go with my first instinct. But as they cut open the cake to reveal a bright blue sponge, I gasped. ‘Oh my goodness!’ I…

Pushing my way to the front of the bar, I plucked a fiver from my purse and waved it in the air. ‘What can I get you, love?’ the barman said. I was about to order a glass of wine but, before I had the chance, a hand reached across me, and a voice said, ‘Let me get this for you.’ Taken aback, I stepped aside and clocked the man standing next to me. Bearded with a shock of curly hair, he had a warm American accent and a cheeky glint in his eye. ‘Really? Thanks,’ I said. The man introduced himself as Wayland and, as he carried our drinks back to a table, we got chatting. Something about him put me at ease and made me open up to…

LOOK FOR ★ ADDRESS ★ BINDER ★ BLACK ★ CHEQUE ★ CLOSED ★ COOKERY ★ COVER ★ GUIDE ★ KEEPING ★ LIBRARY ★ MACHINE ★ MAKING ★ MATCH ★ OPEN ★ PENSION ★ PETTY ★ PHRASE ★ PLATE ★ POCKET ★ POINT ★ PRAYER ★ READY ★ RICH ★ SCRAP ★ SELLER ★ SHELVES ★ SKETCH ★ STAND ★ STATUTE ★ STORE ★ TOKEN FINISHED? One of the listed words cannot be found in the puzzle and is the prize answer. Write it on the entry coupon, enter online, phone or text. See page 57.…

I’m looking to introduce retinol into my skincare routine. Could you recommend some products for beginners? Trisha Thompson, Norfolk The Inkey List Starter Retinol Serum, £12, offers a gentle dose of retinol, making it a great choice for those introducing the anti-ageing ingredient. Another option is CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Face Serum with Ceramides & Niacinamide, £17.25, which contains skin-strengthening ceramides to reduce irritation. Alternatively, go for a moisturiser, like Beauty of Joseon Revive Firming Moisturiser, £21, for a low-irritation dose that releases gradually to support skin turnover. SUPERMARKET SAVVY… &Sleep Women’s The Evening Ritual from M&S, £16, is a dreamy three-step bedtime trio designed to calm mind and body before sleep. The set teams a soothing bath milk, rich body butter and lightly scented pillow mist, all with a geranium…

Sitting with my girlfriends, the conversation turned to sex and my heart sank. As they began talking about positions they liked and disliked, I tried my best to look like I understood. But they might as well have been talking another language, because I’d got to 29 without ever having a sexual encounter. I hadn’t even kissed a man. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to – quite the opposite. I craved romance, love and intimacy, the kind I’d seen in rom-coms and read about in novels. I just didn’t know how to get there. Growing up on a horse farm as the eldest of 10, I’d been home-schooled and filled my spare time with mucking out stables rather than mingling with boys. But while my siblings all found partners…

ARIES 21 Mar – 19 Apr It’s all about you these days, Aries. If you aren’t taking up a leadership role, you’re due some kind of promotion, prize or upgrade. That energetic ruler of yours, Mars, has you feeling super self-assured, and you could go further than ever before. In life and love, whatever you get up to, you rams should land on your feet. Check out local hospitality TAURUS 20 Apr – 20 May How sweet it is to be loved by you, Taurus – and to love you, for that matter. Your natural charm is in full effect. You have a knack for reassuring others and calming any choppy water. The more laid back you are, the happier life can be. Planetary alignments predict a rewarding week when…

Walking into the room, I saw my boyfriend Joshua and gasped in shock. He was standing there, brazenly scrolling through my phone, and he didn’t even look embarrassed at being caught out. ‘What are you doing? Give me my phone back,’ I snapped. He handed it over, but when I looked at what he’d been doing, I felt sick. He’d been going through my male contacts and messaging them for details of their sex lives with me. Joshua and I had matched with each other on Tinder just a few months earlier. We’d chatted online for a while, before arranging to meet up. Restrictions because of COVID-19 meant we could only meet up outdoors. But after that first date, I felt like I’d known Joshua for years. I felt completely…

He’s BAD-MOUTHING me Since we split, my ex has been making negative comments about my parenting to our son’s school and people we know. I just want to be able to live my life, rather than constantly having to prove I’m a good enough mum. TaB Reader Darcey, 29: ‘My ex did the same. He’d send messages when the kids were with him, like, Why are they so hungry? You don’t feed them enough. ‘I ignored him until one day my daughter’s preschool told me he’d contacted them to say he’d found a bruise on her leg and he was “concerned” it had been deliberately inflicted (by me). ‘Fortunately, there was a record of the injury occurring after an accidental bump in the playground, but it made me worry what…