The home front

By Compiled by Homes Editor JUDY STARK

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 17, 2000

All those lost weekends

Well, this is just what you want to read on Saturday morning. Two-thirds of working-age Americans say that on Sunday night they usually ask themselves, "Where did the weekend go?" rather than feeling rested and relaxed and ready for another week. According to the Shell Poll, a survey of 1,000 American adults conducted for Shell Oil Co., half say they have two hours or less of personal leisure time per weekday, and three in 10 say they have an hour or less to themselves. On a typical weekend day, nearly half of Americans say, they have no more than four hours of leisure time, and 42 percent say their weekends are so busy they don't seem like a real break. Have a nice day.

Polka-dots, yes; disco balls, no

The '70s are back, but with any kind of luck we can focus on the better design elements of that benighted disco era rather than the worst (mirrored ceiling balls, for example, or shag carpets). Marimekko is re-releasing some of its boldest prints from that era, the beanbag chair is new again, and some of the good plastic storage units are back in vogue. "Nobody wants to disco-decorate a whole room," says Donna Warner, editor in chief of Metropolitan Home magazine. "But a few fun touches from the '70s can add that delightful, witty sensibility that makes everyone smile."

And he doesn't do windows, either

As you prepare to celebrate Father's Day on Sunday, ponder this finding from a survey by the Soap and Detergent Association: The domestic expertise for which Dad is most admired by his children is his ability to avoid housework, according to 63 percent of survey respondents. Just 20 percent of dads are admired for vacuuming, 16 percent for mopping, 11 percent for doing laundry and 10 percent for dusting. Do our kids really believe that real men don't do housework? Apparently so.

Dust pan beats the bends

Save your aching knees as you sweep with the Neat Sweep Stand Up Dust Pan, similar to those used in movie theaters and malls. The dustpan lid locks to keep dirt in place until you're ready to dispose of it, and the pivoting brush reaches hard-to-reach areas. It comes in metro blue and regal purple and is $12.99 to $14.99 at mass merchants, home centers, supermarkets and drugstores. Maybe this is the perfect Father's Day gift for dads who don't do housework.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.