Online Features
Kitchen, Bed & Bath
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Find inspiration for your home in 2013 with the latest design trends
(BPT) - We’re all looking forward to a fresh start at the beginning of the new year: Whether it’s an updated fitness regime, pursuing new hobbies or getting organized, there are a slew of resolutions to try. In 2013, why not make a few changes to not only yourself, but also your home? By incorporating cutting-edge desig...
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Simple ways to freshen up that stuffy bathroom or kitchen
(BPT) - If there’s one room in the house that cries out for fresh air, it’s the kitchen. And if there’s a second room that can benefit from Mother Nature’s sweet breath, it’s the bathroom. When humidity and odors build up in a room, a host of disagreeable results arises, from mold and mildew to dank, unpleasant air. Ex...
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Overcoming common bathroom addition challenges
(BPT) - Adding a bathroom to your home remains one of the most popular and rewarding home improvements you can make. In fact, when you sell your home, you can expect to recoup more than 50 percent of the cost of a bathroom addition, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report. Creating a new bathroom where ...
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Kitchen remodeling: How to go from a far-off dream to 'DIY'
(BPT) - Year after year, no matter the state of the housing market, kitchen remodeling remains a good idea. The project perennially tops lists of value-for-your-money home improvements and almost every buyer will be attracted to a kitchen that’s updated and move-in ready. Even if you’re planning on staying in your home ...
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Simple steps to effortless entertaining
(BPT) - Whether you’re a hosting aficionado or a novice entertainer, planning a party at home can carry a certain level of stress. Sometimes, despite all the cleaning, cooking and decorating we do to prepare, it’s the easily overlooked little things that can cause the biggest unwelcome surprises. The No. 1 disaster exp...
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Your bedroom: the key to a restful night's sleep
(BPT) - Whether snuggling in for the night or just trying to catch a quick few winks, your environment plays an important role in determining if you’re counting sheep or counting Zzzs. From noise reduction to lighting, there are a few easy ways you can turn your bedroom into a tranquil oasis. “A third of the adult popu...
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American hardwood millwork transforms an aging room into a dazzling showcase
(BPT) - Looking for a simple, inexpensive way to turn an aging family room into a dazzling showcase? Inspired design professionals will tell you one of the most popular and cost-effective ways to transform a plain space into a room with sizzle is to adorn it with millwork crafted from American hardwoods. Linda Jovanovi...
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Caregiver 101: Creating a safe and happy environment for your loved ones
(BPT) - Nearly 66 million people, or 29 percent of the U.S. adult population, are providing care to someone who is ill, disabled or aged, according to the National Center for Caregiving. And, according to AARP, 61 percent of family caregivers who are 50-plus also work either full-time or part-time. How can busy caregive...
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Use luxury and glamour to create an affordable bathroom spa setting
(BPT) - There are showers, and then there are luxurious “showering experiences,” that wake you up in the morning, and refresh you after a long day of work. It’s one thing to enjoy a spa-like setting when actually in a spa, and paying spa prices, and another thing to know you can saunter into a spa each and every day in ...
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Use the winter months to update and beautify your bathroom
(BPT) - Remodeling and refreshing the home is a great way to keep cabin fever at bay during long winter months. Designing a bathroom remodel to incorporate innovative style, comfort and efficiency helps to speed the winter months along, and your family will certainly enjoy the rest of the season with a beautiful new bat...
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Outside-the-box holiday gifts for inside the home
(BPT) - In the words of a popular Christmas carol, there’s no place like home for the holidays - it’s where family gathers and where long-treasured memories are made. So this year as you begin shopping for those on your list, why not gift something for them and for their abode? There’s something for everyone - for the m...
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January is National Bath Safety Month [Infographic]
When building or remodeling the bathroom, homeowners often focus on style and functionality without considering important safety features. But there are ways to stay safe without sacrificing the look. .
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national news
Huge tornado flattens area near Oklahoma City

Monster Twisters Caught on TapeBy Lindsay Morris TULSA, Oklahoma (Reuters) - A huge tornado flattened an area near Oklahoma City on Monday, leaving a wake of tangled wreckage, as a dangerous storm system threatened as many as 10 states. At least two schools were in the path of the tornado, television reports said, and video showed homes destroyed, cars tossed and at least one building on fire. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths from the tornado, which struck near Moore, Oklahoma, in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, in the midafternoon. ...


Mon May 20 16:29:17 UTC 2013
Supreme Court to hear case of disgruntled frequent flyer
By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to weigh whether federal law prevented a customer from suing an airline for kicking him out of its frequent flyer program for allegedly complaining too frequently about the service. Rabbi Binyomin Ginsberg sued Northwest Airlines Corp, which ceased operations in 2010 after merging with Delta Air Lines Inc, for breach of contract after the airline said he had abused the program. Ginsberg, who is from Minnesota, said he and his wife were thrown out in 2008 for filing too many service complaints. ...
Mon May 20 16:19:44 UTC 2013
US names envoy to combat anti-Semitism, warns of rising incidents

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry talks to the media at the State Department in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday appointed a special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism as a new State Department report warned about incidents in Venezuela, Egypt and Iran. Secretary of State John Kerry named Ira Forman, a long time director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, as special envoy citing a "troubling trend" of anti-Semitism around the world. Forman succeeds Hannah Rosenthal, who stepped down last year. The 2012 report on religious freedom said an increase worldwide in anti-Semitism was "of great concern. ...


Mon May 20 17:26:36 UTC 2013
Videos: Massive tornado rips through Oklahoma
A massive tornado about a mile wide has torn through Oklahoma, flattening homes and schools and causing widespread destruction in the Oklahoma City area. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. Videos of the twister show a giant funnel cloud powering across the landscape. "Oh my god, that thing is getting huge!" A [...]
Mon May 20 16:59:49 UTC 2013