By Compiled by JUDY STARK
Published October 11, 2003
[Mail Wraps]
[Mr. Clean]
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Special delivery
Your mailbox ought to put on a Halloween costume! Silk-screened magnetic covers called Mail Wraps come in pumpkin themes, as well as dozens of designs for other holidays and seasons. View them online at www.mwltd.com They're $14.95 and are available at gift, florist and garden shops in the Tampa Bay area.
Brush stroke of genius
At the National Hardware Show in Chicago this summer, one of the popular items was the Magna Brush, which incorporates a magnet that holds the brush to the side of the paint can or any other metal surface. The brush is expected to retail for $3.50 to $4 and should be in stores near the end of the year.
Erase the evidence
Here's the latest in the scrubber sweepstakes: the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It's a rectangular cleaning pad that you wet and squeeze out, then use to erase dirt and grime. It's good on painted walls, crayon marks, grimy fingerprints, scuff marks on floors, and those textured refrigerator and dishwasher handles that never come clean. It should be in stores this fall; suggested retail is $2.19 for a two-pack, $4.19 for four. Learn more at www.mrclean.com
Fire drill
Fire Prevention Week ends today, but it's never too late to remind ourselves of some basic safety tips. Families can visit www.firepreventionweek.org for kids' activities, a family escape plan, games and tips on fire safety. Last year, there were 389,000 reported home fires in the United States, resulting in 2,670 deaths, 13,650 injuries and $5.9-billion in direct property damage, the National Fire Prevention Association reports. Sobering thought: Children age 5 and younger make up 9 percent of the U.S. population, but they account for 17 percent of the home fire deaths.
Open to ideas, viewers
More places to go, things to do: Coastal Living magazine has just opened an idea house at the Colony Golf & Bay Club, a master-planned community by WCI Communities in Bonita Springs, between Naples and Fort Myers. It's actually an "idea condo," with three bedrooms, 31/2 baths and two terraces in a tower called the LaScala, overlooking Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Preview the idea house at www.coastalliving.com The idea house is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays until Dec. 28. Tickets are $5; proceeds benefit two schools. For information, call 239 495-1300.
