Pick Me Up! Special July 2019

Quick thinking can be life changing. It was exactly what Gemma needed when she found herself trapped in a terrifying predicament (pg22). Thankfully, she had a hero she could rely on – turns out teens being glued to screens can be a good thing! Being spontaneous can also be a lot of fun, as Tracy found out when she discovered true love between Betty and Colin (pg49). Who doesn’t love a doggy wedding? We love animals and couldn’t help but share their special powers with you (pg12) as well as the clever ways you can bring them into your home (pg53). We are humbled by the bravery of Lucy (pg6), who has chosen to speak out about the betrayal she suffered at the hands of an uncle she adored. Sarah (pg18) has also shared her…

The favourite aunt My new nephew Nathan is just the cutest thing ever. I can’t wait to spoil him rotten. Alice, Cambridge A mechanical what? The only word I can use to describe my mum on this mechanical shark? Hilarious! Jenna, Warwickshire What a treat I made these pretty cupcakes for my sister's baby shower. They were delicious! Tina, Southampton I really moustache! My girls Amy and Lily love playing dress up and taking selfies. They're so cute! Jenny, Carmarthen Italian adventures This is me and my boyfriend Jonny on holiday in Rome a few months ago. I can’t wait to go back. Emily, Bristol Celebrate in style I think graduating from university calls for two glasses of Champagne! Lauren, Peterborough Sister sister I love this picture of me and my sister Sarah on my wedding day. She lives in Australia now, but I was so happy…

Birmingham, loved her uncle, but she had no idea that he had such sinister intentions. Waving from the window, I watched as my uncle, Ian Stephens, 53, drove away. I’d just turned 17 and, like every year since I was born, he’d made a special trip to see me – bringing presents and birthday cake. He lived in Bristol, almost 100 miles away, but he always made the effort to visit. And when he couldn’t make the journey, he was always on the other end of the phone, to offer advice and support. Ian and I had always been close. My dad’s brother-in-law, he’d come to the hospital for cuddles just hours after I was born. That moment had created a lifelong bond. I looked up to him and respected his opinion. And when I met my boyfriend Brandon…

Waddling awkwardly behind the bar, my back ached and my feet were throbbing. Seven months pregnant with my second child, I was ready for my shift of pulling pints to end. But then a familiar face appeared and all my aches melted away. ‘Come sit down for a minute,’ he smiled, pulling out a chair. ‘Thanks, love,’ I said, easing myself down. It was 2002, and Daniel Dare, 37, and I were working for the same river cruise company. He was a captain, and I was working behind the bar. I was single but already pregnant when we’d met that summer, so I hadn’t exactly expected romance to blossom between us. But now it had, everything was slotting into place. Daniel looked after me and doted on my 18-month-old daughter Holly, treating her to ice cream at the…

Throwing my arms wide, I reached out to my cat, Erik, for a cuddle. But instead of nuzzling up to me, poor Erik dashed off in terror. ‘Oh you poor thing,' I sighed. Needless to say, Erik had a rough start to life. Taken away from his mum at an early age, he became poorly. And what's more, he was meant to be a she! Back in 2017, my husband Malcom, 60, and I had found the perfect 12-week-old kitten online. ‘We'll call her Portia,' I smiled. ‘She's gorgeous,' my daughter Imogen, 16, said. Only, when Malcolm brought her home, she was tiny. ‘There's no way she's 12 weeks,' I frowned. A quick inspection revealed she was actually much younger – and was a he! The fraudsters selling him had used pictures of older kittens. Furious, I contacted the RSPCA. Meanwhile, Portia…

Pulling up at the drive-thru, I rolled down the window. ‘Thirteen Happy Meals, please,’ I said. Me and my husband Carlos, 35, rarely eat out with our brood of 13 – all aged under 10. Yes, we’ve got a supersized clan alright! But I wouldn’t change it for the world – being a mum to so many sprogs is endless fun. Mind you, we didn’t plan on having quite so many. It just kind of happened! I was 26 when I met Carlos at our church group in 2007. Within a couple of months, I’d fallen pregnant, and in April 2008, Carlos Jnr arrived. Cradling him, I’d never felt anything like it. A tidal wave of love, a feeling I never wanted to lose. When, seven months later, I fell pregnant again, people assumed it was a mistake. But they…