time |Cleaning up on windows
TheShadeStore.com is a custom retailer established by window-treatment experts with more than a half-century in the biz. The site is stylish and streamlined, with easy-to-navigate options for custom shades, blinds and drapes. There are instructions for measuring and installing your purchase, design assistants are available to answer questions, and purchases arrive in less than a week. | Elana Ashanti Jefferson
space |Kitchen cabinets that multitask
Even the most hopeless slob may find salvation in Simply Perfect Storage, a special publication from Better Homes and Gardens. The cover of the winter issue promises “429 Ways to Organize Now!” The magazine offers one especially clever idea for kitchen cabinet doors: Paint the recessed part of the door with one or more coats of chalkboard paint. Then use that new writing tablet to jot down lists and messages. Adhesive-backed cork and pegboard also can be attached to flat surfaces. | Knight Ridder newspapers
money |Warning: Avoid chimney catastrophes
The Humane Society of The United States cautions that warmer weather means mother raccoons soon will be searching for safe havens to raise new litters. Homeowners living near wooded areas be advised: Chimneys often pose an attractive nesting place. Avoid the stress and expense of encountering a raccoon by installing chimney cap hardware, which ranges in price from $25 to $45. For more detailed instructions about safely and kindly handling unwanted wildlife guests, visit wildneighbors.org. | Elana Ashanti Jefferson
