After spending a fortune on bottled water over the last few years, we thought we’d try an undersink water filter.

Most big water filter brands now offer an undersink water filter solution. Either in-line with your cold water supply or via a separate drinking water tap. The kit we installed was the 3M Taste Master Plus.

The kit contained:

• A chrome tap
• An in-line filter
• An easy fit connector (to connect to your cold supply)
• All the connecting tubes and screws etc

The kit was really easy to fit (you do need some DIY knowledge) and the included tap is one of the better ones on the market. The filter sits neatly under the sink and you don’t have to turn off the water to change the filter (every six months) which is a bonus.

So, does it make a difference to the water quality? You can definately tell the difference, with the most notable point the reduction in the taste of chlorine. But the water also tastes better and looks clearer too.

The tap has just been installed. It remains to be seen how it performs over the next couple of years.

It’s something we all wonder about from time to time and shrug off, but it’s worth taking stock and wondering, how do your friends really see you? I know I can be selfish and stubborn, but it’s taken me a good few years to accept this, recognise when i’m being like that and to find a way to change my behaviour. The best thing to do to get a realistic perception of yourself is to write a questionnaire and give it to at least 10 of your family and friends, ask them to write on it with their HONEST opinions of you and to put it into an envelope anonymously. Use questions such as “what is the thing about me that most annoys you?” and “what do I prioritise too much that you think I shouldn’t”. You should also include positive questions to give a good, all round view of yourself, such as “what is the best aspect of my personality” and “what is your fondest memory of me?” By including positive and negative questions you will know which areas you need to work on and in which areas people really value you. This will help you to put a more positive and pleasant you out there for the world to see and help you work on the negative aspects to improve the lives of those around you.

I’m back at my parent’s house at the moment after moving out for 5 years. I can already hear you sympathising with me. No, my mother is not one of those that does all your washing and enjoys dropping you off at the pub so you don’t have to leave your car in town, and therefore there are no real benefits to being back at home, especially since my “rent” is almost as much as I was paying to live out of home! It’s safe to say I will be moving out again soon. It doesn’t matter though, as i’m not one to dwell on the fact that my friend who is in the same situation is paying her folks £15 per week.. yes, I feel your shock. My house was very much of the minimalist feel and so going back home where my dad’s ornaments cover every available inch of window ledge and piece of furniture was not the most pleasant experience. I was trying to cook a meal the other day and realised that we had no-where to sit as the dining table was covered in freshly ironed clothes, the fruit bowl and a box of my sister’s school books. I decided right there and then to have a spring clean, 2 hours passed and the kitchen was clean, clear of clutter and ready to cook in. And because I’d worked for it the meal tasted so much better!

My sister is ten years younger than me and therefore i’m just old enough to have a good perspective on what’s important at her age, but not that old that I have forgotten what she’s going through and why she does what she does. She is the one that has been blessed with the musical ability in our family, and yes I am very jealous! Over the years she has won various trophies and awards for her participation in local events and we are all very proud. It just so happens that recently she took part in a local arts festival and had to play the piano as part of a duet, and also solo. If you bear in mind that she is now 14, you can imagine what a nightmare it is to get her to do anything, let alone to practice her piano pieces. The piano teacher had been on the phone a couple of times in the previous weeks telling her she needs to practice more and she promised she would.. and then painted her nails instead. She performed her duet at the event with her friend (who is a few grades above my sister and has been playing piano for about 5 years longer) and they did well. They came second in their category. My sister was not happy with this as she expected to come first, even without much practice, and therefore she decided that she wasn’t going to do her solo piece. Basically the moral of the story is that you cannot get what you want without making an effort. Also, it is hard to make an effort when the basis of your existence at 14 years old is all about NOT making an effort. I think she’s learned her lesson.

There are times when you’re not having a crisis.. your hair is good, you’re having a thin day and you’ve got some free time. You don’t realise in those moments of perfection that in a few days you’ll probably have a day when everything seems to be going wrong. It’s natural and it’s the way of the world. It’s strange however that it takes so little to sort your day out when it’s going wrong, and that more people don’t do something to counteract or prevent the day starting off or continuing on a bad foot. The other day I was having a fabulous day where the sun was shining, I was feeling good about my job and had had a good time with my friends. And then I thought about one of my best friends who I haven’t seen for a while. I know she is having a hard time finding a job and that has been feeling the strain of trying to keep her house going and her spirits high. So I bought her a comedy greetings card that I know would cheer her up, wrote her a message to say thanks for being a good friend, that I miss her and that she’s fabulous. Basically it was a message of faith that things will come good for her soon. I expect that she will get it in tomorrow’s post and that it will make her day. It also makes me feel good that something so small that I have done will bring joy to my friend. Remember the last time you got a card or a little present from a friend or family member for no reason, just because they were thinking about you? Why do people not do things like this more often? Sometimes little gestures can really make the difference.

The housing market has collapsed to a ten year low, meaning most of us can’t afford to move home or we’ll end up losing an awful lot of money on our houses. Luckily, as this has pretty much affected everyone, if you’re looking to trade up to a bigger house you’ll be able to do so easily enough as it will have lost value by the same amount as yours or even by more again.

If you’re not looking to move though, you’re probably hoping to ride out the deflation in the housing market and wait for the eventual recovery, which is expected to happen sometime towards the end of 2010.

In the meantime you could set about adding value to your home to make sure it’s ready for the market’s recovery, but which room is the best to develop?

Traditionally, the two homes that add the most value to a home are the kitchen and the bathroom, as these are the rooms that you create a real wow factor with. Sadly these are also the two rooms that tend to be the most expensive to decorate, as a new bathroom suit or a new kitchen can cost thousands each.

Asda continued its assault on the giant that is Tesco when it opened a new supermarket on Bury St Edmunds on Monday. The new supermarket underwent building and design work for months before it was ready, and has cost the US owned Asda £22 million to finish.

Locals were very keen for the new Asda to be constructed on the site of an old Co-op store, which they had branded an eyesore due to its state of disrepair. Locals are also delighted that the new designed store will give 370 jobs to residents of the area.

Locals fought long and hard to have the store built and are also hoping that a bus service will be laid on to ferry them to Asda for their weekly shopping.

Barry Gramlick is the general store manager for Asda, he stated:

After months of preparation, the time has finally come to open and all our new colleagues are very excited about opening our doors to customers.

We aim to save our customers money every day and provide warm, friendly service for the local community.

I’m delighted that we’ve also been able to create 370 new jobs which will help the local economy.

Locals will be able to put their groceries on Asda’s new conveyor systems to help them in this financial crisis.