What's new?
Electrolux's new Intensity vacuum cleaner is designed to be tucked away in small spaces.
The Intensity has a compact body and folding handle, so it can be stored on a closet shelf or in other snug quarters.
At 16 pounds, it's also easy to carry.
The vacuum has an HEPA filter and other features, including fingertip controls, a cord that rewinds automatically and an indicator of when the bag or filter needs to be changed.
The Intensity has a suggested retail price of $300 and is or will be available at retailers such as n n n
Susie Coelho prides herself on setting her own style. So it's not surprising her “Secrets of a Style Diva” would follow a different path from other decorating books.
Most teach a few design basics and then provide photos of other people's work for inspiration.
Coelho's book, on the other hand, contains no rules or room photos.
Instead, it leads readers through a process designed to help them develop their creative instincts, so they can develop their own style rather than emulating someone else's.
Coelho, known to TV viewers through her appearances on HGTV's “Surprise Gardener” and “Outer Spaces,” NBC's “Today” show and ABC's “The View,” presents her lessons in brief, manageable bites, each followed by a drill.
She encourages her readers to learn from their surroundings and experiences, lose their fear of trying and hone their sense of style to the point that they can trust it.
“Secrets of a Style Diva” is published by Cool Springs Press and priced at $25.
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Q: I've had little red ants in my house this winter, and I can't seem to get rid of them. I didn't have them in the summertime.
What can I do?
A: Barb Bloetscher, an entomologist at Ohio State University's C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, suspects your ants are pavement ants, which are reddish-brown.
She recommended you apply a solution of 20 percent white vinegar and 80 percent water everywhere you see the ants to remove any soap scum (the ants feed on it) and erase their scent trail.
Clean those areas of soap scum and any traces of food.
If that doesn't work, then the ants might be a non-native kind that have hitched a ride to your house on some product, Bloetscher said.
In that case, she recommended sending her a sample so she can identify them and give you specific information on controlling them.
Details on how to send in a sample are at http://ppdc.osu.edu/bugid.html.
Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in print. To submit a question, e-mail mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com
