GADGETS that make our hectic lives easier are worth their weight in gold.

But the trouble is, we tend to buy things with the best of intentions, only to shove them in the back of a cupboard where they never see the light of day again.

Be selective, don't buy anything that's really nothing more than a gimmick. And in my experience, if the gadget is readily at hand, I'm more likely to use it.

Gadgets can make a great gift for people who are difficult to buy for, but, once again, be selective, or that gift will just end up in the charity bag.

At Lakeland(www.lakelandlimited.co.uk.) you areguaranteed to find something a little different.

I especially love the baking parchment cut in different shapes and sizes, and the kitchen scales that double up as a wall clock.

There is also a kitchen timer that hangs around your neck - perfect if you decide to pop out into the garden while your cake is cooking, lose track of time, and fail to hear the buzzer going.

Priced at pounds 7.99, it's money well spent when you think of the bitter tears shed over scorched dishes!

And for adding a dash of colour to the housework, there's the new cyclone power range from 1 Electrolux (08706 055 055/www.electrolux.co.uk), available in funky orange, deep blue ormagenta. It's neat, and compact, but powerful, and costs pounds 79.99.

If you are in cake making mode and want to display your wares to fabulous effect try 2 the strawberry pink cake stand from ICTC (www.ictc.co.uk). The company also has a great range of spotted bowls in bright, summery colours.

Also look out for their Kaiser heart-shaped tin 3 If your tire dold kitchen utensils need replacing, then look at Sebastian Conran's great new set designed for Style Room (www.styleroom.co.uk), available in pastel pink or blue, creamor black.

Nigella Lawson's Living Kitchen range (designed in conjunction with Sebastian Conran) is also worth a whirl (www.blisshome.co.uk).

Staggeringly. here in the UK, we throw away a third of all the food we buy. Not only is waste bad for the environment, clogging up land fill sites and releasing green house gases, but it costs us an estimated pounds 8.6bn per year! For practical tips on how to cut down on the amount of food we needlessly bin, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.

Pomegranate is the latest fruit to be dubbed a super-food. If you'd like your very own pomegranate plant then get in touch with The Gluttonous Gardener (www.glut.co.uk).

You get a potted pomegranate plant which is perfect for a conservatory or sunny terrace, and a bottle of pomegranate molasses to prepare delectable salad dressings and marinades.

Finally, 4 Jane Packer has a highly original approach to using colour. Her hat boxes are spectacular, as are her dazzling bouquets.