Pick Me Up! Special August 2021

You made it to the summer holidays! Now to get through them! Thankfully, this month, we’ve got plenty of ideas for the whole family to enjoy. Check out some fascinating museums (pg26), pack your bags with fun camping essentials (pg66), and go on a quirky getaway (pg52). And when the kids are finally asleep – or you’ve caved in with the iPad – why not sit down with a cuppa and read our fun, quirky and inspiring real life stories. Meet Lauren (pg30). After buying her first home, she decided to stray from the typical Insta-perfect design. With a touch of creative flare and a splash of colour, she’s turned her home into a Miami paradise. After falling pregnant, Rachel (pg42) couldn’t wait to meet her newest arrival. Only, a…

Summer swim Waterfall adventures with my boyfriend – we went for a dip in the water shortly after this pic was taken, it was freezing. Jazz, Pembrokeshire What does a mermaid use to call her friends? A shell phone. How funny! Chocolate heaven This Sunday I baked a deliciously moist chocolate cake. Lucy, Cardiff Pizza bliss I think this might be the perfect combo, pizza, beer and beach! Sasha, St Albans Blazing sky It’s a rarity that photos of a sunset actually turn out well, but this pic looks like the clouds are on fire. Seren, Newport Keep palm and carry on. Sun babies There’s nothing I love more than an evening in the sun having drinks with my friends. Claire, Essex Feelin’ hot My pals arranged a hot wings challenge…

Dear Carl, Our around-the-world wedding sums us up in a nutshell. Travelling the world with you and eloping on Sonaisali, Fiji was full of excitement and bliss. We did what we always did best, explore and laugh together. The day itself was incredibly romantic – on an empty beach with the only sound of crashing waves around us. The memory of you dropping your camera when we were scuba diving after that huge reef shark appeared out of nowhere the day after still makes me laugh. Hong Kong, Cairns, Sydney, Fiji, San Francisco and New York – it was the time of my life. I miss that energetic charm you had, which could be felt when you were in a room. You’d lift everyone’s spirits, but that loving glance always…

Number fit What is the dialling code for calling someone in Syria? Which one of the listed numbers won’t fit in this mini grid? That’s your answer. Spiral crossword A 56-year-old American woman fell in love with Bruce 26 years ago and has finally tied the knot by getting married. Who is Bruce? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares will spell out the two-word answer. 1 Stripy beast (5) 2 Spaceman (9) 3 Enter private land without permission (8) 4 Gently cooked all-inone casserole (4) 5 Gardener’s or builder’s hand cart (11) 6 Monstrous creature who appears at fullmoon (8) 7 America’s Sunshine State (7) 8 In the land of nod (6) 9 One of…

As the fireworks exploded bright colours in the dark sky, I smiled to my partner Aaron, then 27 It was Bonfire Night 2016, and I felt full of excitement and magic. Just moments before, we had taken a pregnancy test and it came out positive. ‘We’re going to be parents!’ I squealed to Aaron, dreaming of our family of three. We had only been trying for a child for a couple of months, and I was surprised that it had happened so quickly. Over the following few weeks, I experienced stomach pains and decided to book an appointment with the GP. ‘You need to go straight to the hospital for a scan,’ my doctor said, after examining my bump. What if something’s wrong? I worried. We went immediately to the…

Get your mouth around this! A carvery is serving up the UK’s biggest éclair which is filled with 5,000 calories of custardy goodness and is more than two feet long! Jamie Wilson, 27, has challenged dessert lovers to try to tame the éclair to end all éclairs’ – but said the dessert would scare even the most sweet toothed among us. The creamy delight weighs five pounds and will swallow your calorie intake for two days in just one sitting. This feast of a treat can be ordered for £20 at Heathfield Farm in Birkenshaw, near Bradford, but has yet to be defeated in two years since the challenge was introduced. The custardy creation is filled to the brim with freshly made cream and custard, before being topped with a…