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The Japanese Tea Ceremony – chadō - has been beguiling western visitors for centuries. Travelers have been seduced by this calm and elegant ritual which would not have evolved in our Western time-poor culture. Routed in wabi - meaning sober refinement and subdued taste – chadō is about "humility, restraint and simplicity; emphasizing simple objects and celebrating the mellow beauty that time and care imparts" (from Chanoyu, the Art of Tea"). East meets West in the form of this brand new ''tetsubin'' – Japanese tea pot – which sees the marriage of traditional Japanese design with the European desire for efficiency of use. This practical and easy to use tea maker can be used with tea bags, but is much better used for speciality loose tea, as the plunger traps the loose tea just like a cafetiere traps ground coffee. It can also go on the hob to warm before use or to keep warm and can be used as a kettle. Bodum Cast Iron Tea Press £45 Visit us at our East Dul

When we find a unique service or something amazing we like to share. Since we recently discovered Serenata Flowers lucky friends of ours who have birthdays in March have all been receiving stunning bunches of 50 white or pink tulips.  At only £29.99 with free next day delivery, unless you wish to specify a particular delivery time, they are excellent value for money. Mum, we hope you are not reading this! Order quickly now if you wish to surprise your Mother with something truly elegant this weekend. Click on www.serenataflowers.com/

My sister claims her earliest memory is being yanked by me from her bed to help carry a tray of Weetabix in water and undiluted orange squash into my sleeping parents sometime before dawn on Mothers Day. Whether it is this rude awakening or the look of abject horror on my mother’s face that sticks in my sister’s mind is unclear, either way the event left several family members emotionally scarred. To avoid a similarly distressing start to your one day of the year, I suggest Dulwich mums leave this month’s Hectic Host prominently placed to encourage dads to do a spot of pre-emptive planning. Follow these easy, stress free steps to a delicious Sunday lunch that dad and the kids can prepare in no time and, more importantly, with very little clearing up afterwards. Dads should get up early on Saturday and head to Moxons, the new fishmongers on Lordship Lane. Stock up on Madagascan prawns and fillets of organic salmon. On Sunday morning the whole family, apart from mum, can help m

With Mothering Sunday just a week away it is important to make sure mum properly conditions the flowers in her bouquet to ensure the stems last as long as possible. Conditioning involves the preparation of cut plant material prior to its arrangement, to ensure that its life is not unduly shortened. Correct conditioning will make sure that flowers and foliage last for the maximum time, providing the most value and enjoyment. One of the most common causes of wilting in cut flowers and foliage is the presence of an air-lock in the stem. The air-lock usually forms as the flower is cut, when atmospheric pressure forces air into the water ducts of the stem in which there is normally a partial vacuum. It is virtually impossible to prevent the ends of dry-packed flowers and foliage from drying out during transit from the grower to the wholesaler, and from the wholesaler to the Florist. For this reason, many flowers are now shipped with their stems in a few inches of water. Flowers cut from the

Further to our recent selection of pet-off-furniture tips, Mr Hooper, a customer from Barnes, has emailed us to tell us that cats hate walking on aluminium foil. Place sheets of this on your sofas and surfaces to keep kitty off. This is particularly effective when training young cats.  Any more pet tips?  Please email them through to mrswhite@roullierwhite.com

For an initial investment of just £10 every household with a tumble dryer can save between £40 and £73 per annum, conserve energy, reduce carbon emissions and eliminate the need for nasty chemical fabric conditioner, whilst fully conditioning clothes and laundry. Depending on its efficiency every tumble dryer costs its owner between £163.30 and £294.32 per year; and this is based on average use, so it could be costing you a lot more. A simple, one off purchase of Dryerballs, new from Roullier White, can shave a minimum of 25% of this bill These non-toxic and allergy-free balls are an environmentally friendly way to soften your clothes and reduce drying time by 25% (due to separation of the clothes in the dryer). There is no need to add a chemically laden “softening” dryer sheet or use fabric softener in your wash. Place both balls in the tumble dryer and operate the machine at the usual heat setting for the fabrics. Dryerballs also help to eliminate wrinkles and crease

Sometimes man’s best friend can be your own worst enemy when trying to keep your home clean and hygienic. Dog and cat hair can be a nightmare to clean off furniture and if not dealt with properly and regularly can be an almost insurmountable problem. The hair of the dog could drive you to drink. To quickly and effectively pick up hair of furniture; wearing a slightly moistened rubber gloves (checkout Roullier White True Blues, the ultimate household glove) wipe over the area, the fur will collect in ball that can easily be thrown away. Use the same treatment on carpets, or if the area is too large, gently drag your foot in a rubber soled training shoe across the pile towards you. You will be amazed at the results. Of course your ideal situation maybe one one where your pets do not jump onto your prized pieces of furniture. Try plastic carpet protection which you can buy in lengths from your local carpet dealer. Before you go out lay the carpet protector upside down on your sofa and cha

To keep your shower and bathroom tiles clean and gleaming for six months simply clean them with vinegar, to remove all smears, then treat with car wax. Having cleaned them with the vinegar, apply a four by four square of tiles with car wax; then buff. This will avoid streaking and water marking .