United Kingdom
I am a freelance journalist with years of experience working as a writer and editor for national publications.
Most recently, I worked as deputy news and lifestyle editor at Jam Press, regularly writing for the Daily Mail, Mirror, Sun, Metro, New York Post and a range of women's magazines. Previously, I was assistant lifestyle editor at Metro.co.uk for three years.
I have also worked at the Press Association and started out as a reporter in my native Northern Ireland, working at the Belfast Telegraph.
Karin Fortwangler woke up at 4.30am on 15 March and realised she had a sudden burning pain in her back. A mum-of-three, she thought it felt the same as when she had been in labour with her other children - but she as far as she knew, she wasn't pregnant.
When Sara Johnston realised she was going to be giving birth to her second baby in the middle of a pandemic, she thought her biggest problem would be getting someone to look after her older daughter when she was in labour.
With everyone working and staying at home, energy bills are expected to increase. Luckily, the weather has been warm, meaning you don't need to have the heating on all the time, but you're probably using your computer, TV, oven and lighting more.
Lockdown is having a huge impact on relationships. Single people are finding dating harder, some couples are living together for the first time putting their relationship to the test and some are forced to be apart because they can't isolate together. But for those in polyamorous relationships, the rules are more complicated.
Little George Shearer, from Glasgow, is just 14 weeks old but he can already say mum, feed himself and hold his head up to watch TV.
On their way home from a 'very boring party', Olivia Persent and her sister Rhoshe decided to pop in and see Olivia's boyfriend Clint Petersen. It was there Rhoshe met Clement - Clint's twin brother. She already knew her sister's boyfriend Clint and even though his twin looked the same, she noticed something different about him.
What are you eating for dinner tonight? Because we're still in lockdown, It's probably something you've planned, using up what you've got in the fridge - and you're probably the one cooking it. The pandemic has had a huge impact on the way we eat.
Baby Reau Singh-Okasili is over two months old but she still hasn't met her grandparents. Born on 22 March, the day before lockdown was introduced, her extended family have had to stay away to keep her safe. When her mum Kay fell pregnant, this wasn't what she imagined.
The coronavirus pandemic has completely changed life as we know it. We've been staying home, away from friends, family, restaurants and the office. Although for some, there are huge financial strains at the minute with pay cuts and job losses, the pandemic has given everyone an opportunity to reassess how we're spending our money.
Right from the moment baby Auburn was conceived, he was a miracle baby. Mum Stacey Johnson, 32, from Hampshire, and partner Scott, can't believe that they have beaten the odds to be a happy family of three as at nine weeks pregnant, she was told that she had a huge cancerous tumour in her cervix.
Charlotte Warhurst was on the phone to a friend when she suddenly developed a pain in her head like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Her friend heard her slur her words and Charlotte got help from her mum Pat.
With the introduction of lockdown, the housing market stopped and there's been a level on uncertainty ever since. Although viewings and sales are now allowed, the landscape looks very different to this time last year. The biggest issue for those wanting to get on the property ladder is the lack of high loan-to-value (LTV mortgages).
Buying a house is complicated and with prices high, getting on the property ladder is tough. There are options out there to help first time buyers but all the information can be a little overwhelming. One of the most popular schemes is the government's Help to Buy (HtB) equity loan.
Buying a house for the first time is exciting - but there's a lot to consider. If you can get your head around the options available to you, manage to save for a deposit and choose a property, you need to apply for a mortgage.
Biting into a square of chocolate, Barbara Reed felt a tingle at the back of the tongue. On closer inspection, she noticed a tiny mouth ulcer - something she'd never really had before, so decided to go a pharmacist for some advice.
With the alarm going off, Floriane was wide awake ready for a new day. But as she tried to get out of bed, she realised she couldn't move at all. 'It honestly was really scary,' she tells Metro.co.uk. 'I was in bed lying on my back.
Back in 2016, Adam and Jade were a young couple with few responsibilities. They'd been together for three years and were living with her parents while 'saving' (though they admit they weren't doing much of that). But almost overnight, they became parents to a five-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy.
Standing in the department store, a mum-to-be looked at the pram she wanted to buy. The woman, who can't reveal her name but posts online as Not A Fictional Mum (NFM), didn't have a bump or look pregnant. She was becoming a mum through adoption and waiting on her 21-month-old son coming home.
When Hilary and her husband adopted their daughter, they knew she'd had a difficult start in life. Not only had she previously been placed with several families that didn't work out, she also suffered from attachment issues and over the years Hilary (not her real name) became aware of her child's growing interest in her birth mum.
After hitting 40 and still finding herself still single, Jenny decided to adopt alone. Throughout the process of applying, she always thought she'd have lots of support around her. But the day before she was meant to meet her little boy for the first time, lockdown was announched.
For 70 years, Gordon Cairns had struggled to understand why he didn't fit in. But after a prostate cancer diagnosis and difficulties with his mental health, he ended up seeing the same Mental Health Nurse three times in three years.
2020 is sure to be remembered for many things - coronavirus and Joe Biden winning the presidential election to name just a few. But for chocolate orange fans, this is the year the flavour took over.
Gemma Isaacs always knew she was at risk of getting breast cancer. Her dad and many people on his side of the family had the BRCA1 gene mutation, which means a high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. But when a tumour was picked up by chance when she was just 31, it still came as a shock.
The new Help to Buy equity loan scheme launches today, December 16. The idea behind the scheme is the government lends extra money to help buyers struggling to get on the property ladder. The main aspects of the scheme remain the same - but there are a few changes to who can apply and the maximum equity loan you can have in certain areas.
Opening Christmas presents will be a little different for Gracie McGonigal this year. The 18-year-old, from Ealing, West London was born with a congenital limb deficiency, which means her left arm stops just below the elbow. But just two weeks ago, she received a bionic arm, which can be controlled by her thoughts, just like her right arm.
In spring, as the country went into lockdown, it was another life-changing event that came as the biggest shock for Tori Coles. The 31-year-old, from the Isle of Wight, discovered she was pregnant with her first baby. After going through breast cancer at 26, Tori had always thought she would need to have fertility treatment to have a child.
Tucking into the chocolates shortly after your turkey and trimmings is a Christmas tradition. But for Christine Donaghy, just one Quality Street can trigger an attack of narcolepsy, meaning she involuntarily falls asleep, missing out on chunks of the day.
Megan Kennedy and Tom Cahoon had spent months planning their wedding for March 2020 - and then the pandemic hit. With just two weeks to go, they made the difficult decision to postpone to October this year. But as the coronavirus restrictions went on, the couple realised their wedding would be put on hold for a second time.
When Lisa Leavey felt a few niggling pains, she initially didn't think it was anything to worry about. Already a mum to one, she was pregnant with her second little boy and thought she'd know when labour started.
If you've spent a little too much over Christmas, you can use the time before New Year to get your finances in order for January. To really cut your spending and start saving, you need a detailed account of where you're money is going and a budget spreadsheet is a great place to start.
Since she was three years old, Karen Denton has lived with type 1 diabetes. For most of her life, it was well managed and although she needed daily insulin injections, it didn't have a huge impact. But a few years ago, she picked up a bad virus and it caused problems for her kidneys.
Keen rider Harriet Cooper was trying out some new horses she was thinking of buying but when she went to mount one it reared, causing her to throw her head back. She had no idea at the time, but that action sliced open two of the arteries in her neck, eventually causing a stroke.
If your resolution for 2021 was to save a little more money, you don't have to stick to just trying to set something aside every time you get paid. A money challenge is a great way to stay motivated and make it fun.
Buying your first home can be daunting - it's a big purchase and there's a lot to take in. Often, you put an offer in and decide on the most expensive purchase of your life, based on a viewing that lasts under an hour.
After losing seven and a half stone over two years, Casey Marsh was the fittest she'd been in a long time. So when she felt a little pain in her mouth, she assumed it was just a mouth ulcer that would go away quickly.
When Caroline Neal went into hospital to give birth to her first child, she expected to be home a few days later. But the 35-year-old, from Essex, ended up spending weeks in hospital after his birth and came home struggling to walk up stairs, shower herself or even hold her baby while standing up, as the pregnancy caused her heart to fail.
When Sarah Cooper was pregnant with her first child, she loved settling down with an episode of One Born Every Minute. She imagined she'd have a calm water birth, just like she saw on screen.
When you're looking to buy a home, it can all be a little baffling. Do you want a fixed or tracker mortgage? Two-year deal or five-year deal? And what if you plan to move again in a few years?
One year ago today, Boris Johnson brought in the first coronavirus restrictions advising people to stop non-essential contact and travel. In the days that followed, pubs and restaurants were ordered to shut and then, on March 23, the first lockdown was announced. This was the week everything changed and the reality of living through a global pandemic hit.
While we're all fed up of lockdown restrictions, for some people, the advice has been much stricter. Back in March 2020, 2.2 million people received a letter advising them that they were clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) and would need to shield.
Last March, thousands of couples were preparing the final pieces for their wedding day. The venue was booked, the outfits sorted and the guests all had invites stuck to the fridge. But then the pandemic changed everything these couples had been planning for months or even years.
Renting isn't easy - many face difficult landlords, poor quality housing and high costs. And now there's even more bad news for renters as even with homeowners facing things like higher maintenance costs, first time buyers end up £824 a year better off, according to research by Halifax.
Noticing some bloating and severe stomach cramps on Boxing Day, Rebecca Condie thought it was just the effects of a big Christmas dinner the day before. But when the symptoms continued, she became more concerned. Mum-of-three Rebecca, 37, from Guildford, Surrey, actually had a tumour which was completely blocking her bowel.
Charlotte Chen was a new mum in her early 30s when she first noticed some aches and pains. It was a lot of minor things - strain in her shoulder and soreness in her arm. She thought it was maybe a trapped nerve and was referred for an x-ray but then fell pregnant with her second child.
'Having a hard day. Send puppy pics' is a common cry on social media. When things get tough, a cute dog, kitten, horse, or whatever your favourite creature is, can help. Evidence shows that animals can improve our mental health in many ways. Pets provide companionship, love and feelings of joy.
When Leigh-Anne Pinnock announced her pregnancy earlier this month, fans praised her Little Mix bandmates Jade Thirwall and Perrie Edwards for wearing baggy clothes to help her hide her bump. But just a week later, Perrie revealed that it was actually because she's expecting a baby too.
The vaccination effort has undoubtedly been one of the UK's greatest successes. Against the odds, we're on course to offer first doses to every adult before the end of July.
Holding three week old Matteo in her arms, Holly Penalver knows she has gained more than she ever imagined from volunteering. Four years ago, she went to Greece to help with the refugee crisis, expecting to stay for a few months before returning to the UK.
Buying a house is tough in any circumstances, especially with soaring prices. But if you're single and trying to get a mortgage alone, it's even more difficult. With only one income to take into account, your budget is usually much more limited.
Until last year, Alayna Fender was a 'confirmed bisexual' - a slogan she used on merch for her Youtube channel MissFenderr after coming out to her thousands of subscribers in 2015. She was engaged to a man and with his support, she explored relationships with women and built a community of LGBT+ friends both online and in real life.
When is a woman 'too old' to become a mother? According to 46% of men, women are 'too old' to become mums between 36 and 40, while 71% believed men having children at that age was 'about right', says a YouGov survey released this week.
It was a mix of shame, guilt and fear of letting her parents down that made Naomi Mellor take more than six years to quit her long-term career. 'They'd worked so hard to support me through such a long education,' recalls the former vet of 14 years.
Buying a house comes with many costs beyond the price tag on the property. Stamp duty is usually one of the biggest to consider when setting a budget. But anyone purchasing a house under £500,000 since last July has managed to avoid paying the hefty tax thanks to the stamp duty holiday introduced by Rishi Sunak in an attempt to kickstart the market after the first lockdown.
When your washing machine or fridge breaks, sometimes it works out cheaper just to replace the whole thing than it does to repair it. But it's not exactly environmentally friendly if your appliance could run for a few more years with that one part replaced.
Some people say that working out your 'love language' can really help you figure out how to show each other your feelings in a relationship. The concept was created by Dr. Gary Chapman in 1992 who said that there are five categories - words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service and gift giving.
July 19 has been dubbed 'Freedom Day' - but Holly van Geffen feels like the relaxing of rules will force her back inside. The double lung transplantee says: 'While everyone else is celebrating, I'm mourning the loss of the little bit of freedom I had.'
With summer in full swing, my tights are firmly pushed to the back of the drawer. And though I love my legs getting a little air, it does mean I can't skimp on the hair removal. Usually shaving is my go-to because salon waxes are pricey and at-home kits have always ended in disaster for me.
While you might take your cotton tote bag to the supermarket and have accepted paper straws in your drinks, there's still a lot we need to do to cut down on single-use plastics. An easy way is to use more solid products in your beauty routine, avoiding the need for packaging.
Ever thought about what your cats get up to when they head out after wolfing down breakfast? Christina Jones and Stuart Hague had no idea their cat Paddy had basically given himself a full-time job working as a comfort pet to mourners - until they thought he'd gone missing.
Struggling to connect with your partner sexually? You might want to figure out their love language. Created by Dr. Gary Chapman in 1992, the theory is that we all give and receive love differently but it falls into five categories - words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service and gift giving.
Lesley-Anne Gallacher's labour had been progressing normally until she started to feel a little pain. She had no idea that her uterus was rupturing and her baby daughter was moving into her abdomen, detaching her from the placenta and starving her of oxygen.
It started out as just a sniffle - but within days Zoe Larkin had developed burn-like sores all over her body including on her tongue. 'I was frightened and scared and thought at one point I wasn't going to make it out of that hospital,' she tells Metro.co.uk.
Having children isn't cheap - there's the nappies, pram, toys, clothes then food, school trips and all the pocket money you need to think about over the course of 18 years. So we can all get on board with ways to save money. One of the biggest costs, especially when your children are small, is childcare.
Metro.co.uk
The Guardian
s that drugs?" I heard someone say as my insulin pen rolled across the floor of a crowded bar. I'd dropped my bag as I was trying to make my way back to the dance floor, sending needles, blood testing strips and my insulin pen flying in all directions.
A Singaporean teenager faces up to three years in prison for criticising the nation's late founder, Lee Kuan Yew, and Christianity in an online video. At a court in Singapore on Tuesday, Yee was charged with three offences - two of insulting Christianity and the late statesman, and another of allegedly transmitting online an "obscene representation", according to court documents.
An advert by the Daily Star for a competition offering readers a chance to win a date with a Page 3 model has been banned by the Advertising Standards Agency after they found it to be "sexist, offensive and socially irresponsible".
Thousands of tears were shed this week when Zayn Malik left boy band One Direction. With the announcement that Jeremy Clarkson was out of a job coming just a few hours earlier, the internet was in meltdown.
Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, made a rare public appearance when she flew to London with her daughter this week. The first lady usually tries to keep the 78-year-old first grandmother out of the public eye. Robinson keeps a low profile and rarely gives interviews, saying she prefers to concentrate on looking after her family.
The Ulster Star
The Farming Life
The Banbridge Chronicle