Pick Me Up! Special March 2021

March is the month where we celebrate all that women have to offer. With International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day in one month, we’re marking these moments in style! After all, women are great, aren’t they!? In a bid to work for themselves, Pamela and Kelsey (pg37) set up their own fashion empire. The mum and daughter team have a passion for fashion and they’re determined to succeed. With influencers and stars wearing their clothes, we know they have a bright future ahead! And they’re not the only inspiring women this month. Weighing in at 19st 5lb, Katy (pg40) could barely fit in her bath tub. On a mission to ditch the bulge and live a longer life for her son, she’s lost over 6st and celebrated in bubbles and style. Join us…

Eyes on the pies There's such a great selection of food at our local market. Jo, Bristol Wholesome trips I can’t wait to be able to go camping with my pals again. Tammie, Durham Water nice reflection If you take a picture of our local canal at the right angle the water looks like a mirror. Sophia, Berkshire Being watched We made lots of cute panda cookies for my best friend's birthday, she loved them. Hannah, Essex So cool Reminiscing about the time I went to Oslo, in Norway, and stood on top of the Opera house. Claire, Cardiff Snooze spot Arabella found the perfect spot for a power nap while we were unpacking boxes from moving house. Vicky, South Gloucestershire Piece of peace I love being high up and seeing the world from a different perspective. Emma, Keynsham Shades of green I’m so lucky…

Ambling through my local park in heavy wellies, I gave my beautiful brown Greyhound Jess a gentle rub behind the ears. ‘Come on you,’ I called to her. It was early evening on 19 February 1991 and it was time for our daily stroll. Tonight, we were joined by Phantom, a Malamute owned by my brother Alan, then 44. I thought I was going to die Walking the dogs was always a good time to wind down and relax after a long day. Working for the Crown Prosecution Service, I faced all sorts of challenges. Still, I had a busy social life, too. Horse riding or going to the golf club with friends. And as I walked through Waterloo Gardens in Cardiff, I thought about my plans for the week. Opting for a different route to usual, I steered the…

As I popped some strawberry ice cream into a blender, a voice appeared behind me. ‘You making McDonald's milkshakes again?' my boyfriend, Joshua Olagoke, 31, laughed. ‘Baby wants what he wants,' I chucked, patting my bump. I was pregnant with our second child and this time around all I was craving were those deliciously sweet strawberry milkshakes. But with neither me or Joshua able to drive, the closest McDonald's was too far. Instead, I had to make do and perfect a recipe at home. And our son Joshua Jr, four, certainly wasn't complaining. ‘Yummy,' he grinned, as he took a taste of one. Seemed he and his unborn brother had very similar tastes! On 18 September last year, I was nearly ready to pop. Hurrying Joshua Jr out of the door, I was keen to get him to school. ‘Jacket on,'…

It's become a ritual for me These incredible photos show a freediver taking a selfie with a submerged statue in the crystal clear Adriatic Sea off the beautiful Italian coast. Francesca Torricella, 27, regularly visits the sunken statue to say ‘hi’ to the Patron saint of the region ‘Padre Pio’, off Isla di San Domino, Isole Tremiti, in the Puglia region. Padre Pio - a three metre high bronze statue - stands with his arms outstretched at a depth of 13 metres. Francesca appears to be descending into a real life Atlantis as the structure, mixed with the ambience of the blue-green sea, makes for an other worldly feel. Restaurant owner and tourist port manager Francesca, from San Salvo, said: ‘I used to visit this location every Sunday with my boat. It takes an hour-and-a-half…

Josh's toy came in very handy! Watching my two boys play together, I smiled to myself. ‘Neenaw neenaw it's another emergency,' my son Josh, five, exclaimed, whizzing his favourite toy ambulance across the floor. ‘Faster, faster,' my two-year-old, Harry, giggled after him. It was July 2020 and as a stay-at-home parent with my two little ones in tow, my days were busy keeping them entertained. ‘And what does this car do...' I started. But that was it. Suddenly, everything went dark. Opening my eyes, my head was all fuzzy. ‘What's happened?' I asked, slowly coming to and realising that I was surrounded by uniformed people. ‘It's OK, Caroline,' one of them reassured me. ‘Don't worry. Your sugar levels have gone low, but we're looking after you.' In an instant, I knew what had happened. They were paramedics and I'd obviously…