Pick Me Up! Special Best Of 2 2017

Can you imagine waiting for weeks for your wedding photos to turn up only to discover your new husband has chucked them in the bin? Wife Leisa (pg36) actually understood when she discovered the reason why! Amy’s wedding day was perfect (pg20) but then her superhero-loving daughter Brogan fell dangerously ill on the honeymoon and the brave bridesmaid was left fighting for her life. As the weather gets warmer, we all look for ways to cool down. Unfortunately for Karlee (pg18) that went to the extreme when she found herself trapped inside a freezer for eight hours with only ketchup to signal for help. Being left alone is also a big problem for naughty pup Rolo. Whenever owner Kelly (pg62) leaves the house, he sets about destroying it! We’ve got…

Dinner Time! This is my one-year-old godson Reagan caught on his first attempt at feeding himself – what a champ! I love him to bits, so I tend to be a little biased! Jade Easton, Bristol En Garde! This little meerkat was so good at keeping watch over his family at Newquay Zoo Eleanor Maggs, London Eat Up! I made this cake for my son’s 7th birthday. It was a hit with the whole family! Debbie Parrish, Winchester Bring On Summer! My boys Archie and Lewis are so ready for sunny days! Tracy Robson, St Austell Best Mates! Beth and Hattie are the very best of friends. They brighten up any day. M. O’Connor, Liverpool Oh Big Brother! I bumped into Kim Woodburn getting off the Tube in London. She…

Spinning around on the dance floor, I spotted the handsome DJ looking in my direction. ‘He can’t take his eyes off you,’ my friend yelled over the music. I was just 17 years old but I can remember it like it was yesterday. Glenn Mills was Mr Charming even back then. At 26, he was almost ten years older than me. He had a steady job, his own car, and I fell head over heels. From that first night we met, we rarely spent a day apart. ‘It felt like such an adventure’ I didn’t need a ring on my finger to prove how much Glenn loved me, but after 14 years together we finally decided to make things official in 2007. A few months after tying the knot, Glenn…

Music blared from the living room as my sons belted out the lyrics to Psy’s song ‘Gangnam Style’ and did the dance moves. Peering around the door frame, I giggled. ‘You’re doing it wrong,’ Archie, seven, told his little brother, Freddie, three. ‘No, I’m not,’ Freddie insisted. ‘Watch!’ Archie said, galloping wildly before they started to quibble. ‘Brothers!’ I sighed. They knew just how to wind each other up. I walked in and flicked off the TV. A disappointed Freddie called out: ‘Again! Again!’ ‘We’re going to be late for school,’ I said. With two lively boys, our home was typically busy but we had our routine. Freddie had just started nursery at Archie’s school, just a few minutes down the road. I worked three days a week for an…

As I sat on the sand looking at the blue ocean in front of me, I couldn’t wait to get into the water. But I wouldn’t be wearing a regular swimming costume like everyone else – I was ready to sail through the waves using my mermaid tail! Growing up, I was always interested in mythical creatures, and I always wanted to be Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. After college, I set about stitching old swimsuits together to make a glittery outfit, and even dyed my hair red to look like Ariel’s. I then made a six-foot mermaid tail out of lycra swimsuits and silicone. I wasn’t sure how it would work in the water, but after I tried it I was amazed at how well it worked The…

As I lay on the sofa with my boyfriend Mike, 29, my mum rang to ask if I wanted to go on a walk with her the next morning. ‘Sure,’ I said, as I had the a nurse. The next morning, I went round to my mum’s to meet her. As we walked along the beach, I saw Mike standing on cliff overlooking the beach. ‘That’s funny. I thought he was meant to be at work.’ Mike just stood there grinning at me. But then I looked down at the sand below where he was standing. The words ‘Will You Marry Me’ were written in huge letters in the sand, while artwork sprawled around it taking up a huge section of the beach! I ran up to Mike. ‘Did you…