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Briefs and news of note

Go with the flow

If you like Lava Lamps, you'll love the End Up, a "motion gadget" just 5 inches tall and 2 inches wide. Colorful liquid cascades, flows, drips and drops inside the cylindrical body. When it's done, just flip it over and the action starts again. It's a mesmerizing desk toy or a good stocking stuffer, priced at $8 at Walgreens and Rite Aid.

Home improvements

Give your home a facelift for $20. Here are ideas from Lou Manfredini, the Ace Helpful Hardware man:

Install a dimmer switch.

Paint a room.

Install a spa shower head.

Put weather stripping on a leaky window.

Install a new outdoor hose reel.

Replace your kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls.

Add a wallpaper border to a child's room.

Plant colorful flowers in your yard.

Buy an electronic stud finder.

Renew your faded lawn furniture with specialty spray paint.

From noon to 5 p.m. today, it's Bungalow Fest. Tour 16 homes and gardens in the Historic Kenwood neighborhood of St. Petersburg. This neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of Craftsman bungalows in Florida. Tickets are $10 at Seminole Park, 2900 Third Ave. N, where you can board air-conditioned trams or walk to the houses.

- Compiled by Homes editor JUDY STARK