Latest news with #mumoftwo
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I quit my job & charge my man £10 a day to make his lunch…trolls say he must ‘kick me out' for my ‘backwards mentality'
A MOTHER has revealed that after quitting her job, she now charges her partner £10 per day to make him a packed lunch. But trolls have been left stunned by Rae's actions and even said her man should kick her out of their home as a result. 2 2 Just a couple of months ago, Rae, a mum-of-two from the UK, was working in a care home, where she had been employed for five years. But now, she is self-employed and is attempting to earn a living through social media. In one of her recent clips, she filmed herself preparing her partner's lunch, as she said: 'I charge my partner £10 a day to make his lunch for work.' Following this, she added: 'If he's gonna go and spend £10 at McDonald's, Greggs, wherever it may be, and put money in a stranger's pocket, why not put money in my pocket instead?' Rae recognised that not everyone will agree, but she isn't bothered, as she continued: 'It does seem to be a bit of a controversial topic, but it makes sense to me. 'Let's be honest, nothing in life comes free anymore, not even a paper bag - so if you're happy to go and pay the woman in Greggs for your lunch, then pay the woman that you love for your lunch, that way everyone's happy.' Not only this, but she also set the record straight and confirmed: 'He's fed and happy, and I'm paid and happy.' For Rae's partner's most recent lunch, she made him a peri peri chicken salad, which she served alongside cheesy coleslaw and two boiled eggs. She also gave her 'fuss pot' partner a cereal bar, a chocolate bar and two cans of Tango. Later in the clip, Rae confirmed that her man 'approved' of his packed lunch. I'm a 'bad mum' but people are reporting me to welfare for feeding my kids junk - they mostly get fed at school anyway Not only was he impressed, but he even described the tasty meal as 'absolutely beautiful.' Big divide But Rae's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ raeroberts.x, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 229,800 views in just two days. Not only this, but it's also amassed 7,444 likes, 65 comments and 474 saves. Social media users were left totally divided by Rae's actions - while some thought it was a fabulous idea to make an extra income off of her partner, others thought it was 'cheeky' and 'backwards.' Charging him?! He should kick you out TikTok user One user shared: 'Great idea.' A second chimed in: 'Love this.' Whilst someone else penned: 'From today onwards I'll be charging.' But at the same time, not everyone was as complimentary, as one person said: 'But if you love your man, you wouldn't charge him £10.' Another added: 'Backwards mentality.' To this, Rae wrote back and claimed: 'Backwards mentality is men expecting everything done for them when they're grown.' A third commented: 'Charging him?! He should kick you out.' Eager to clap back and prove the hater wrong, the savvy mum responded: 'Kick me out of a house that's equally both of ours, yeahhhh.' Meanwhile, another gasped: 'I think that's a bit cheeky, £10 a day, a joke.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
My perfect new D-cup boobs nearly killed me after doubling in size – they poisoned me with a killer disease
A MUM was terrified her boob job would kill her - after one of her 'perfect' D-cup breasts suddenly doubled in size, revealing a rare disease linked to the implants. Colette Cooper went under the knife in 2014 to boost her C-cup chest to a D-cup, having lost weight after hitting the gym. 7 7 7 The 51-year-old, who had textured implants made by US pharmaceutical company Allergan, was initially pleased with the result of her surgery. But in March 2025, she woke up one morning and noticed her left breast had more than doubled in size. The worried mum-of-two rushed to A&E, where tests found a large amount of fluid between the breast implant capsule - a layer of scar tissue that naturally forms after surgery - and the implant. After having 240mls of fluid drained from her left breast, doctors tested the liquid for infection or cancer. In April, Colette was horrified to learn she had breast-implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) - a rare type of lymphoma that affects some people with textured breast implants. It's a type of immune system cancer - not breast cancer - that occurs in the fluid and scar tissue around an implant. In more advanced cases, it can spread to lymph nodes surrounding thee breast and other body parts, or into the chest wall underneath the breast. BIA-ALCL generally grows slowly and can be treated with surgery to remove the breast implant and surrounding capsule. But in rare cases, it can be fatal. Rough textured implants used to be used to help breast implants stay in place. But 2019, a report published by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed an association between BIA-ALCL and Allergan BIOCELL textured breast implants, prompting the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and withdraw them from worldwide sale. The signs and symptoms of cancer As of February this year, the FDA has received 1,380 reports of BIA-ALCL cases and 64 deaths, both from in and outside the US. According to the 2019 report, approximately 85 per cent of BIA-ALCL cases have been in people who received BIOCELL textured implants from Allergan. On their website, Allergan says patients' with textured implants don't need to have them removed unless they have cancer symptoms. Colette underwent an operation in June to have her implants removed and was subsequently told she's now cancer-free. 7 7 She's now warning other women about the potential dangers of textured implants. The recruitment worker, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, recalled: "I started going to the gym a lot and noticed my bust had got smaller. "I just thought 'I work hard on my body' so wanted to get them done. "The op went really well, they were absolutely perfect. "In the middle of March, I woke up one morning and noticed my left breast was loads bigger than the other, it was more than double the size. "I went straight to the doctors the next day." While waiting for her referral, Colette went to The James Cook University Hospital's A&E in Middlesbrough where an ultrasound picked up a significant amount of fluid around Colette's implant. After having the fluid drained from her breast, tests revealed that Colette had a rare form of lymphoma linked to the Allergan breast implants she'd had fitted 11 years prior. What is BIA-ALCL? BIA-ALCL is rare cancer of the white blood cells - also known an lymphoma - that grows due to the body's reaction to a breast implant. In the UK, the majority of BIAALCL is diagnosed early and cured by removal of the implants with surrounding scar tissue with no additional cancer treatment required. However, a small number of people may need further treatment such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy. BIA-ALCL has mainly been reported in people with breast implants which have a rough silicone surface. But the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) said any breast implant may have the potential to cause the cancer. There are no screening tests for BIA-ALCL. People with breast implants, with no breast symptoms or signs, don't routine clinical checks or monitoring with mammograms, ultrasound or MRI. If you have no breast symptoms or signs but are worried about BIA-ALCL, BAAPS advised you contact the surgeon who put your implants in, or the clinic or hospital where you had them inserted for advice. Symptoms can appear as early as one year after you receive the implant or many years later. On average, symptoms start eight years after surgery. The symptoms of BIA-ALCL include: Enlargement or swelling of your breast Hardening of your breast Lumps in your breast or armpit Pain in your breast or armpit Redness or skin rash on or around your breast (rarely) If you experience symptoms that concern you, remember that noncancerous issues are a much more likely cause. These may include: Capsular contracture Implant rupture Infection Recent trauma Source: BAAPS, Cleveland Clinic Colette said: "I was upset about my children, I was worried about work, I was devastated. I was frightened I was going to die. "I didn't know how far it had gone. I went for an MRI and CT scan and the doctor said he could see something on my collarbone and the back side of the capsule. "So they said they'd take a part of my pec muscle away in case it had spread. "He did tell me that this [cancer] is only in textured implants. These implants have now been banned and taken off the market. "I didn't know anything about it until this." Smooth breast implants aren't as commonly associated with BIA-ALCL, but research is still underway to confirm this. Calls for compensation After a successful operation to remove her implants last month, Colette was told she is now cancer-free but will need reconstructive surgery on her breasts in the future. Colette believes anyone with Allergan implants should be offered a free removal due to the proven risks, and compensation should be offered to patients who do develop cancer. Colette said: "Even if you have these implants, if you've got no symptoms, you can't just ask to have them out. "You have to pay for that but there's going to be more and more cases over the next few years. "I've been lucky. I'm just so grateful to be all clear. "There's just not enough awareness about this. Unless you have visible swelling or pain, you'd have no idea. "If my breast hadn't been inflamed that day, I could've easily carried on with life and they might not have caught it early enough. "I do think Allergan should hold more responsibility for it and pay for women to have their breast implants out, whether they have symptoms or not. "It's not as uncommon as they're making out. Everybody who has these implants should at least be offered some sort of scan. "I think they should pay out to people who get sick, there should be some kind of compensation. "I've not been able to work and it's caused a huge amount of worry to me and my family." The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says there is no need for people with breast implants but no signs or symptoms of BIA-ALCL, to have them removed or checked. But anyone with unusual signs or symptoms, such as swelling around their breast implant, should see a doctor. Allergan said they didn't have anything additional to add beyond what they posted on their website. 7
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
People say council houses can't look nice but my hallway proves them wrong – EVERYTHING is from B&Q & it ‘gives luxury'
A SAVVY mum who lives in a council house has shared how she gave her plain hallway a stunning glow up whilst on a budget. So if you're desperate to add style to your home but don't know where to start, you've come to the right place and won't want to miss this. 5 5 5 Crystal Jewell, a 32-year-old mum-of-two from the UK, was eager to prove that ' council houses can be nice too,' and on her mission to do so, was able to transform her hallway and turn it from drab to fab in barely any time at all. The savvy DIY enthusiast nabbed cheap buys from B&Q for the makeover and took to social media to give her followers a before, during and after look at the overhaul, leaving many totally stunned. Alongside a short clip shared online, the brunette beauty beamed: 'Panel my hallway with me!' Crystal then said: 'Who said council houses can't be nice too? Let's panel my hallway.' Showing off her home prior to the transformation, she added: 'So this was what it was looking like when I first moved in - not the worst, but not the best. 'I really wanted my entrance way to be warm, cosy and homely. 'I got everything I needed for this project from B&Q - I'm pretty sure they get sick of the sight of me in that store.' To stick the panels to the wall, Crystal used a grab adhesive which cost her just £2.50. She then used a few nails to keep it secure while the glue was drying. Prior to painting, Crystal shared: 'I'm in love already.' And despite "absolutely hating painting,' the DIY fan got stuck in and used the 'cheapest tub of white paint from the Good Home range,' which cost her just £19. Moments later, Crystal, who previously shared how she made her dream dressing table for just £21, showed off the finished hallway, as she beamed: 'I am absolutely in love. Rules on transforming your council house According to Gov, the kind of improvements you can make to your council property depends on the type of tenancy you have. Introductory tenants are usually limited to minor improvements like redecorating inside. If you're a secure tenant, you have the right to carry out improvements to your property. These include: installing a new bathroom or kitchen building an extension putting up a garden shed or greenhouse installing a new gas fire or fireplace cavity wall insulation redecorating the outside of a house fitting an aerial or satellite dish You might need your council's written permission for work you do. Contact your council if you're not sure. 'Now if this isn't giving you cosy, warm, homely vibes, then I don't know what is.' To finish off the hallway, Crystal used wallpaper samples which she framed, to further add glamour to the space without spending any extra cash. She also accessorised the hallway with a vase and foliage from B&M and a storage box from Amazon. DIY enthusiasts gush We think Crystal's DIY panelling is gorgeous and it's clear that many others do too, as the TikTok clip which was posted under the username @ has quickly racked up 55,700 views in less than 24 hours. It's also amassed 2,333 likes and 106 comments, as many eagerly praised the 'fabulous' DIY project. One person said: 'You've done an amazing job. Doesn't matter if it's a council house, it's YOUR home & your castle.' Another added: "It's giving luxury. It looks amazing.' A third commented: 'You've done an absolutely fantastic job, well done you. I love it!' Meanwhile, someone else gushed: 'Looks fabulous.' Not only this, but another user begged: 'Come do mine.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 5
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I wanted to get my tot a mud kitchen but it cost £100 so I decided to make it myself for just £31
A SAVVY mum-of-two has shared how she made a mud kitchen rather than spending £100 on one in the shops. Meg, from the UK, revealed her daughter's third birthday was coming up so decided to treat her to a mud kitchen for the summer. 2 However, she was stunned to see just how expensive they had become and decided to make it herself and document the process on social media. In the video, Meg said: "Since when did a mud kitchen become a luxury item? You can't get a decent bu**er for less than a hundred quid these days." The DIY whizz said she was able to make her own for half the cost. Meg first used some timber that she bought for £5.60 from Wickes and cut it to length, with four pieces being the same size to create the legs of the table. She then made four more pieces of wood for the width of the table and to create stabilisers to join the legs together. Next, she used the same wood to make the length of the table and secured it all together with Wickes wood screws for £2.99 a pack. Once the frame of the table was complete, Meg got to work on the tabletop by using wooden fence boards, a pack of ten cost £22.50. She added a support beam in the middle to make sure the tabletop doesn't cave in and she also used the wood to cover the timber frame and then sanded them down. With the leftover fence wood she also created a backsplash for the kitchen. With the structure of the mud kitchen now complete, Meg bought two metal bowls from the pound shop and drew around the bowl to cut out its shape into the tabletop. 'I was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation but did it MYSELF for £1,000 using ChatGPT to show my kids what single mums can do' Once sanded down, she added the bowls into the holes so her daughter had a mixing station. Last but not least, she drew four circles onto the right side of the table to create a 'hob' and added some hooks and cooking accessories and the project was complete "And there you have it, babes. We've just built a mud kitchen together," she said. The clip soon went viral on her TikTok account @ meggsfordays with over 54k views and 3,500 likes. People were seriously impressed with the mum's DIY skills and took to the comments to praise her. 5 Must-have gardening tools Nick Grey, Gtech Inventor and CEO revealed the best pieces of kit you need to get jobs done around the house and garden. Pruning Shears - The perfect tool for trimming plants, cutting dead branches, and shaping your shrubs and bushes. Watering Hose – Ideal for larger gardens, watering hoses provide a wide coverage of hydration for your plants, especially when using with a spray nozzle. Gardening Fork – This is an essential for loosening soil, removing weeds, and evenly spreading mulch. Dibber – A dibber is a great tool to help in creating uniform planting holes for your seeds and seedlings. Garden Twine & Scissors – A handy must-have for tying up plants, training vines, and providing structural support to your greenery. One person wrote: "You make it look so easy! This is my next project, but it's daunting." Another commented: "The DIY Queen delivers again." "I need you to build us one," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Smashed it." "She's going to love it,' claimed a fifth Someone else added: "Love the mud kitchen."
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I was a £40k ketamine addict who ‘bumped' 8 times a day while homeschooling – it ravaged my face & cost me my kids
SWALLOWING another painkiller, mum-of-two Victoria Vigors desperately hoped this would be the one that would finally take the edge off the excruciating agony she was in. The 40-year-old was stuck in a vicious cycle of secret ketamine abuse and when the strong painkillers failed to mask the horrendous effects including debilitating stomach cramps, she turned to more drastic measures. 8 8 8 Rather than reducing the amount of drugs she was taking and getting help for her addiction Victoria microdosed instead, feeding her habit every two hours daily for years, even smuggling it in during her hospital stays. Soon, her life derailed and over four months she was hospitalised 14 times which ultimately led to her losing custody of her children, now 14 and eight. At her lowest, she was spending £500 a week on the Class B drug, which also ravaged her teeth. Victoria, who lives in Kent, and was 35 when her addiction took hold, says: 'Ketamine really took me to rock bottom. I used the drug as an alternative to drinking wine to cope with the everyday stresses of life. 'I didn't like the side effects of drinking when I was doing it so excessively and regularly. 'So I thought, 'Oh, ketamine is like being drunk'. After trying it, I had no side effects, no comedown – at first. 'I figured that a small 'bump' would be like having two glasses of wine. 'So I used it instead of booze, thinking I had somehow found the secret to life.' It was in 2020, when Victoria's children were three and ten years old when she tried the drug for the first time. Juggling her children and homeschooling, she struggled to cope and she went from wine to ketamine. 'I felt so alone, isolated and unable to be a good mother,' she explains. 'My family had their own problems so I didn't want to burden them. 'I felt I needed something to just not care. 'A friend suggested trying ketamine and sent over the number of a supplier. It felt like an instant antidepressant without all the negative side effects of alcohol.' Large doses of ketamine can cause users to experience a 'k hole', described as a 'near death experience', something Victoria was desperate to avoid. She began taking small doses regularly instead which also meant she could keep a handle on parenting - for a while. She says: 'I was terrified of going into a k hole so I never did more than a tiny bump at a time and microdosing daily. However, my tolerance became so high I was having to use more to get the same effect with each bump. 'Because I was microdosing it didn't really impact my parenting at first. I was able to go about my daily life but just feeling happy, relaxed and content all the time. Ketamine really took me to rock bottom. I used the drug as an alternative to drinking wine to cope with the everyday stresses of life Victoria 'I would do a bump as soon as I woke up and then another one every two hours until I went to bed. 'It was only when I started being in chronic pain and being in and out of hospital that it started to impact my parenting because I was in constant pain - it stopped me from giving the children the routine they needed. 'I would have to ask their dad to pick them up because I would be in so much agony I couldn't stand up. I was frequently unable to get out of bed and was so tearful all the time because of the pain I was suffering. 'My children never witnessed anything they shouldn't, they just knew 'Mummy was poorly'.' During 2021, Victoria was admitted to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford 14 times because she was constantly ill with stomach pains. By this time, she was spending £500 a week - money from savings - on the drug and went to desperate measures to get her 'fix'. ' I would get ketamine delivered to the hospital because the painkillers the doctors gave me didn't work,' she recalls. 'I was too scared to tell them that I was an addict in case they took my children away. 'I missed my children so much and knew I had let them down, I just wanted to be a normal mum but I was unable to live a normal life with the pain and the only thing that stopped the pain was more ketamine.' 8 8 8 Life for Victoria, a content creator, continued to spiral and she is far from alone. Deaths resulting from ketamine addiction in the UK have surged by 650% over the last decade and one person dies from it every week. There were seven deaths in 2015 compared with 53 in 2023 with experts warning of the 'next drug pandemic'. Victoria was gripped by the drug for four years which also began to have a major impact on her teeth. Her gums began to recede, exposing the roots underneath. 'People would comment on my smile and call me 'horse teeth' because I had so many gaps,' she explains. 'I used to keep my mouth closed a lot and I learned to smile like that. WAKE-UP CALL "I remember overhearing my nan telling my uncle that I used to be so beautiful but now looked a mess and my teeth were unbearable to look at. 'That really hurt me - coming from someone that I really looked up to. In October 2021 Victoria finally confessed her addiction to doctors. Being told that all contact with her children would be stopped until she 'got clean' was a stark wake-up call. She says: 'I was told my kids would be going to live with their dad. That was when I decided I had to get clean for my babies - they were my whole reason for living. 'The emotional pain of being kept away from them was worse than the physical pain of getting clean, so I never touched ketamine again from that day. 'The withdrawal was excruciating. Even the morphine I was given didn't stop the pain. 'My bladder had been damaged and I needed to wheel my drip down to the toilet every 30 minutes. 'I never felt like relapsing, I knew that I had to choose either ketamine or my children and my children win every time.' 8 8 After weeks in hospital Victoria joined a narcotics anonymous group and had therapy sessions to stay on the right path. It was following her recovery and getting her life back on track that she decided it was time to fix the lasting physical reminder of her addiction. In May this year she booked herself into a clinic in Izmir in Turkey and paid almost £5,000 for 'new' teeth. 'Having my teeth fixed might seem superficial but it was an important part of my recovery. I love them,' she adds. Victoria, who has a partner of four years and now shares custody of the children with their dad, looks back on the past few years and adds: 'I feel a lot of regret, especially a lot of guilt. 'I wanted to be a great mum but I was trapped by addiction. I was just trying to cope. 'Now, we are making up for lost time. We have our first family holiday in years in a few weeks and whilst being a mum still has its challenges I am able to cope. 'I am a better mum than I was before ketamine got the better of me, and I am proud of what I've overcome.'
