Sunday Mirror

A Late Break at the Lakes

10 Top trips to lakes and up the mountains Cut the cost of building

Lookalikes ; ..Retro Bread Bins

GET your retro vibe on with a cool bread bin. Both come in various colours, but our favourites are in bright red for a splash of colour in a neutral kitchen or a funky addition to an eclectic look. The airtight Grandy by Wesco is made from seamless sheet steel and measures 42cm x 23cm x 17cm. It was designed in the 1940s, so this is the real deal for vintage style. But it comes with a price tag - pounds 77 from Red Candy (www.redcandy.co.uk, 0121 449 6123).

Go Cup Cake Crazy Top 10

You won't be able to resist these sweet treats for your home Cup cake egg cosies, pounds 4.50 each (www.burford.co.uk, 01993 823117)

Homes

4& 5 Take a trip along the most expensive streets in the world, from London to Oz 6& 7

To the Test ; Juicers

Maria Zokas makes fresh juice Professional juicer, pounds 79.99 (www. breville.co.uk, 0800 525089)

Bargains for Billionaires ; Prices On the World's 10 Most Expensive Streets Dropped Last Year so You Could Save If You've a Fortune.. Got a Fortune to Spend

WE all know what the credit crunch has done to the value of our homes... and the super-rich haven't been spared the "hardship" either. But tumbling prices mean it's a great time to pick up a home on one of the world's most expensive streets... if you've several million to spare!

How to Cut Your Renovation Costs ; Building an Extension? Renovating Your Loft? Upgrading Your Bathroom or Kitchen? Follow the Advice of Self-Builder and Tv Presenter Michael Holmes and Don't Let Costs Spiral Out of Control

Invest in a good design Effective design takes time and isn't cheap, so sadly many people set out on a renovation project without really planning what they want, in terms of proper sketches and so on. This is a bit of a false economy. A project can easily snowball once it begins. A better approach is to spend a bit more time and money working through your options before starting.

Tricks of the Trade

Need expert advice on your home? Email Zena Alli at homes@sundaymirror.co.uk or write to Tricks of the Trade at..Homes & Holidays, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AP. Sorry we can't reply personally. Floored by attempts to get laminate as good as new ?

Use the Plot ; How an Allotment Can Save Hundreds On Your Food Bills

TO celebrate National Allotments Week we're taking a look at how Karen Warren and her husband Chris have got on tending an allotment. The couple, both 44, took over the plot near Sleaford, Lincs, nearly two years ago and reckon to save up to pounds 12 a week - that's around pounds 600 a year - by eating their own fruit and veg. This is Karen's allotment diary... SEPTEMBER 2008

Offer

Save pounds 8.95 on pansies THESE superb trailing pansies will create a cascade of colour to brighten up any garden.

Do It!

Jobs for the week Easy Remove faded blooms in herbaceous borders to encourage more flowers and deadhead roses by snipping back the stems to an outward- facing bud.

Expert Advice

Ferns are pretty easy, if ? you water and shelter

Top 10 ..Lakes & Mountains

Late summer and early autumn is the loveliest time to escape to the lakes and mountains, with great accommodation at a fraction of the cost of the Med To book today or for more Travel Top 10 ideas simply go to www.sundaymirror.co.uk/travel/top10

Win a Family Hol for 9 Nights

IF our feature here on top lake and mountain destinations has you pining for a family getaway, then you've just got to enter this week's competition. We've teamed up with cruise ferry operator DFDS Seaways, NOVASOL and Sunparks so two readers can each win a nine-night family holiday in Europe for four people.

Why I Love St Lucia ; Get All Loved-Up (and Enjoy a Little Luxury) On This Dream Tropical Isle

WHEN you've waited nine months for your honeymoon, it had better be good. And as my husband was born on the Caribbean island of St Lucia (and we also met and fell in love there), choosing the location for our delayed break was a no-brainer. As well as the beautiful landscape - sun-kissed beaches, softly- swaying palm trees and laid-back living - we had the bonus of being able to call on a small posse of willing babysitters, in the form of my family-in-law.

Uk Days Out

Travel Update

CHEER on England in the Under-20s World Cup in Egypt from September 24 to October 16. See www.fifa.com or www.egypt.travel EIGHT days cross-country skiing in the Austrian Tyrol. From pounds 929 in January. Singles only - go to www.exodus.co.uk

Your Holiday Pounds

It's Tower Power ; the High Life.. In Blackpool

ON a flat roof below me I can see a bodyshaped police outline. Next to it, in large capital letters, is painted the word "OUCH!" I'm standing 380ft above and all that stops me leaving my own shape on that roof is a glass floor. Stupidly I'm trying out one of the less attractive (to me) features of Blackpool Tower, the Walk of Faith. It's reinforced to take a five-ton weight - and I haven't eaten THAT much this holiday - but looking down I feel positively sick.

Deals of the Week ; Holidays

CITIES See The Killers in Krakow for pounds 288pp JOIN The Killers, 50 Cent, The Streets and Shaggy at the Coke Live festival on August 20- 22. Stay at three-star Regent Hotel flying from Luton on August 20. Tickets at www.livefestival.pl Go to www.directline- citybreaks.co.uk or 020 8239 3399.