Online Features
Home Decorating
Five tips for spring home decorating 'eco-style'
(BPT) - As spring blossoms, so does our desire to lighten up – in life and at home. Simple eco-friendly changes to home decor can set the tone for a much fresher and brighter outlook. Here are five tips to get you started: Get a color lift Color has long been credited for its mood-changing qualities. “Color can reall...
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Deck DIY: Five tips to upgrade your outdoor living space for summer
(BPT) - From grilling and dining to simply relaxing, your home’s deck is frequently the center of family life during warm weather months. That’s why there’s no better time to give your outdoor living space the upgrade it deserves. Whether you’re building a dream deck from scratch – or sprucing up an existing space – he...
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Tips for optimizing small spaces
(BPT) - The trend toward smaller, more efficient homes is still in full swing, with new home builders offering floor plans that lower square footage while amping up usability. If your home is older, however, or you live in an apartment, your smaller space may just feel ... well, small. Being short on space doesn’t mean...
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Three stress-free tricks to refresh your home from floor to ceiling
(BPT) - Spring is the time of year for renewal. So, it’s no surprise that springtime finds most people planning to rejuvenate their spaces. Four out of five Americans have a room in the home in need or redecorating, according to a 2013 study by Homegoods. Unfortunately, all too often the decorating process is a source o...
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Stylish stairs: Five can-do ideas that add personality
(BPT) - Stairs are no longer just a way to get from one floor to another. Realizing that staircases are quite often major focal points in their homes, homeowners are showing love to this once underappreciated space with a wide variety of creative and easy updates. Add personality and perk-up the daily climb in your hom...
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Curb appeal: 2013's hottest home improvement trend
(BPT) - The busy home remodeling season is a great time for homeowners to focus on increasing curb appeal. The percentage of homeowners who feel now is a good time to spend money on home improvement has doubled since 2009, according to a recent survey among Better Homes and Gardens readers. Considering two of the top ...
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Tips for making your spring cleaning a breeze
(BPT) - A long winter season can leave you and your family longing for outdoor activities. Before you head for some fresh air fun, you need to get your home in order for the spring and summer months ahead. Spring cleaning can be a drawn-out chore, but that can change this year. The key to a quick and painless deep clea...
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High-design, high-tech ideas for making your home more luxurious
(BPT) - With so many demands on our time these days, it’s easy to relegate adding luxurious elements to the home as something better suited for another day. Yet, with concerted effort and a few purposefully chosen items, it is easier than ever to create a home environment that pampers you each and every day. To create y...
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Spruce up your home for spring in just a weekend
(BPT) - As the weather gets warmer, everything outside becomes fresh and new – so why not make your home as nice inside as the weather is outside? In just a weekend, you can complete a few quick, easy projects that will make a big difference in your space. Get inspired to give your home a spring spruce-up with these han...
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Renew yourself and your home in four easy steps
(BPT) - As spring approaches, other New Year’s resolutions may be a distant memory but the urge to improve your home can find new life when the weather warms. The transition of seasons is a perfect opportunity to refocus on improving yourself and your space. Repaint and refresh One of the easiest and quickest ways to ...
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Today's dream home utilizes modern technology for increased functionality
(BPT) - The number of improving housing markets expanded for a sixth consecutive month in January 2013 according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American. With this positive sign, it’s an interesting time for homeowners to consider investing in high-tech home upgrades that not only increase their home...
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By Chris Francescani (Reuters) - A massive storm front swept north through the central United States on Sunday, hammering the region with fist-sized hail, blinding rain and tornadoes, including a half-mile wide twister that struck near Oklahoma City. News reports said at least one person had died. By 9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, more than two dozen tornadoes had been spotted in parts of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local news reports. ...
By Tom Polansek and Mark Weinraub SHERIDAN, Illinois (Reuters) - With the U.S. spring planting season off to a historically slow start, an increasing number of farmers are counting on powerful tools to catch up: Monster machines that sow 36 rows of corn at once and feature high-tech innovations like computer-guided directional equipment. The technological wizardry from companies like Deere & Co and AGCO Corp is pitted in a frantic race against time, with farmers scrambling to get seeds in the ground because a slow start depresses yields and reduces the size of their harvest. ...
By Nichola Groom LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In October 2004, then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rolled up to a pioneering fueling station at Los Angeles International Airport in a hydrogen-powered metallic blue Hummer loaned to him by General Motors Corp. The "California Hydrogen Highway," Schwarzenegger's vision to ensure that every Californian would have access to a hydrogen fueling station by the end of 2010, called for the state to spend more than $50 million to help deploy up to 100 hydrogen fuel stations that would serve 2,000 fuel cell vehicles. ...