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Put down that sticky tape. Ignore the pile of cards that need to be written. Don't even think about heading out to tackle the big shop. It's time to get stuck into another jumbo Christmas issue of Chat. We're as stuffed as a turkey with extra real-li

Charlotte Lister, 37, from Retford What's your best ever Christmas memory? Giving birth to my daughter Evie on Christmas Eve in 2010 and then having my first Christmas with her when she was only a day old. Christmas has never been the same since! If

Jane Billington, 59, Merseyside The cold sea air stung my face and, shivering, I wrapped my scarf around my neck. ‘I'll keep you warm, love,’ my partner Mark, then 46, said, pulling me in for a cuddle. It was late 2013, and to celebrate moving in tog

The use of ‘ye’ as an archaic form of ‘the’ derives from a misreading of an Old English letter with what name, in fact pronounced ‘th’? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) starts with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squ

Accepting an invite for mulled wine and mince pies round your neighbours’, even though you complain about them the other 364 days of the year. Moaning about Christmas starting earlier every year, after you spot selection boxes and baubles in the shop

Lucinda Mullins, 41 The kids were in bed and fairy lights twinkled on the tree. I flopped on to the couch beside my husband DJ, then 42. ‘I feel terrible,’ I groaned. My throat was sore and I was burning up. ‘I'm sure you'll feel better in the mornin

Amp-up the glamour with all-over sparkle. Minimal effort required, pare-back accessories and let the dress take centre stage. Switch party heels and bags for boots and cosy knits to dress these down for daytime. Highlight curves in figure-hugging des

For a unique gift, how about a personalised recipe book? When my son moved out, aged 19, I filled a notebook with his favourite meals, including step-by-step instructions and drawings. He loved it.. Julie Surtees, Gateshead To stop glass baubles brea

WIN 10x£20 Puzzle 5 Look closely at these two pics – there's a difference in five squares. The five grid references (eg 1A, 2B, 2C, 3C, 4D) are your prize answer. Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 88 for details■

Learning to let others help you is key to reducing stress levels. ‘At Christmas there are usually one or two people in charge who end up stressed about everything being perfect,’ says Neil Shah, chief de-stressing officer for the Stress Management So

Pigs in blankets, Brussels sprouts and turkey with all the trimmings filled every inch of the kitchen table. It was Christmas Day 2009 and we were having a big family celebration. Only, my daughter Macy, then 4, burst into tears. ‘I don't want it!’ s

Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p5. There's £20 for every one we use! This week's puzzle was compiled by Melanie Francis, Harrow, London WIN 5 x £20 Puzzle 6 Your answer:■

Cougnou, as made in northern France and the Low Countries at Christmas, and king cake, as made in Provence, Spain and Portugal for Epiphany, are styles of what pastry dish? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you g

Which singer brought her ‘entire family’ with her on honeymoon in 2019 with her husband, the actor Daryl Sabara? Hidden in this grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally, are 10 items beginning with M, one for each of the subjects giv

Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding are said to have developed which dessert in 1971 at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex? WIN 2 x £25 Puzzle 9 To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, e

To solve the puzzle, each 3 × 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer. WIN 2 x £30 Puzzle 11 Your answer:■

WIN £40 Puzzle 12 Which of these floral names is the only one to have been held by a regular pet on the children's TV show Blue Peter? The answer is the one missing from the grid. Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 88 for details or visit comps.lifed

COMPILED BY: ESME CLEMO. PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF WRITING■

The Montevideo Cricket Club in Uruguay is considered the first club outside of Europe to play which type of sport, starting in 1861? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. 1 Facial hair (5) 4 _ Gadot,

What animal links a role played by Tom Skerritt in 1986 film Top Gun and one voiced by Lucy Liu in the Kung Fu Panda films? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. WIN £100 Puzzle 15 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn t

Chopin's Waltz in D Flat Major, (Opus 64, No 1) is nicknamed what ‘Waltz’ in English? Unscramble each group of letters to discover six words about time. Now fit them across the grid and you'll spell out the answer to the question. Your answer: WIN £7

Sinem Salman, 43, Haverhill, Suffolk Tracing the grains of coffee around the inside of a coffee cup, I squealed in delight. ‘You're pregnant!’ I cried down the phone to my younger sister. ‘No, I'm not,’ she laughed. It was January 2023, and I was giv

Olly and Natty's story was one of my favourite features to work on this year, by far. They met in 2016, when Olly was 12 and Natty was 10, and they've been firm friends ever since, bonding over a love of Mamma Mia! the musical and the shared dream of

Emily Delamaine, 35, Hertford My empty arms felt heavy, my heart ached. All around me, new mums cradled their precious little bundles. It was November 2019 and I was on the postnatal ward at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. I'd just delivered my se

£10 and under If you know someone who's in need of some serious TLC, look no further than this little duo. The body wash has a calming lavender scent, while the magnesium-infused body lotion helps relax tired muscles and improve sleep. William Morris

CLOSING DATE FOR ALL ENTRIES IS 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Three days later for postal entries)■

Simply text CHATB followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 63333 Texts cost 50p plus standard network charge (maximum 160 characters per text). When you enter by text, you may in fut

Solutions to Chat issue 45 (7 November 2024) Anyone from your town in the list this week..? Chat winners issue 36 (30 Aug 2024) £1,001 CASH H Barton, Alford £500 CASH A Wylde, Abergele J Inkersole, Basildon £250 CASH P Tickle, Bolton C Bauckham, Canv

Q I keep choking on my food so I've been having soups at home. I'm worried that when I go to my daughter's for Christmas I'll have trouble eating the turkey dinner. Diane, Colchester A Swallowing issues can be caused by conditions such as food-pipe d