I felt inspired to make damson vodka as a Christmas gift but was distressed to find it needed 3 months before it was ready for consumption. Grrrrr! If you felt inspired too, worry ye not, after a little research I found that if you're using just a litre or two of vodka there are other fruits/flavours that work in a fraction of the time.

This week is Wool Week, a celebration of all things knitted, crocheted and, er, sheep related. The initiative — devised by Prince Charles — aims to help struggling sheep farmers by reigniting our love affair with the fabric, which he says is fashionable, eco-friendly and durable alternative to cheap “throwaway” garments. With the winter fast approaching it's time to reach for your knitting needles. I recently learnt to knit and once you pick up the basics its a brilliant way to to get creative, use your hands for something other than picking up kids food from the floor and bashing away at your keyboard.

The living room is the heart of the home. It tends to be the room the whole family congregates in – and nowadays it’s often where people eat too. When we use a room as much as this it’s easy to stop seeing it, so the room can get a bit tired without us even noticing. You can breathe new life into your living room with some low cost simple but effective redesign ideas.

The weather finally feels like spring could be on the way and its about this time of year when many start wondering what they could be growing in the garden. With food prices continuing to go through the roof the pressure on the purse is also driving many to think harder about getting the most out of your garden. There are many books out there but like most things at the moment there are websites out there which give you the same information without the cost of the book.