"I'll just put the kettle on and make a nice cuppa."

We probably hear, utter or think those words, or something like them, every single day. well, we do in the UK!

I can't recommend enough Jack Buchanan's nostalgic and witty tune - Everything Stops For Tea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGQASun9d8E

As the clever Twinings advert proposes, tea can 'bring you back to you.'

Try swapping your old builders-yard-type mugs for an elegant mug, or better yet, delicate cups and saucers (yes even you men). Pretty cups, fine tea pots (never commit the mortal sin of making your tea in the cup), and floral cake plates can always be found, cheap as chips, in charity shops. I love being able to choose different cups for different moods.

Be open to trying different teas. The tea leaves for Lapsang Souchong, my personal favourite, are smoke-dried over pine-wood fires, so the aroma is like that of a pine wood and the taste? Oh as smoky as certain single malt whiskeys. Divine.

For those sensitive to caffeiene, herbal teas can renew and offer comfort.

Ensure the boiled water is fresh and not reboiled. Experiment taking your tea without milk, perhaps adding a slice of lemon instead. Go wild, invest in a tea strainer and try the real deal - loose leaf tea.

Don't feel you must indulge in calorific cake or biscuits whilst supping your tea. In countries like Azerbaijan, they take their tea with juicy raisins, or dried fruit.

There is no such place as 'Happiness'. For me, Happiness, comes in wee fleeting moments every day. Even on the grimmest of days, spending a few moments preparing a quality cuppa is to create one of those precious moments.

Yes, a wee tea ceremony can elevate one's mood, just as it did Mr Buchanan's.