Warning window decals for the birds — really

Warning window decals
for the birds — really

Birds migrating through your yard or eating at your feeders can get confused about images they see in window reflections. Warning window decals can help stop that.

Duncraft’s new Save-the-Birds UV decals are transparent to the human eye but reflect a solid blue image to birds, making the window glass “visible” to them so they avoid crashing into it.

Space the decals, available in snowflake, star and leaf shapes, 3 feet apart.

Cost is $9.95 for a set of six of one type. Available online at www.duncraft.com or call (888) 879-5095.

New cleaner for stove
pledges to cut streaks

Stainless steel and glass cook tops are challenging to keep shiny and new because so many cleaning sprays and wipes leave streaks and an uneven finish.

Two new products address those needs. Scotch-Brite stainless steel cleaner and cook top cleaner each have a handle and pre-moistened pads that contain a cleaner in them.

They clean with an even pressure and a flat surface to prevent streaks and keep hands away from chemicals. And they won’t scratch surfaces while they remove smudges and grime.

The starter kit with a handle, six cleaning pads and storage tub is $6.99; a pack of six refill pads is $3.99. Available where Scotch-Brite products are sold. Visit www.3m.com for more information.

Leave the gutter work
to a robot named Looj

Rosie, the Jetsons’ robot, never cleaned the gutters. But yours can.

iRobot Corp., the company that brought us the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, recently introduced a gutter-cleaning robot called the Looj. It cleans an entire stretch of gutter, starting from and returning to one location, so you don’t have to keep repositioning and climbing the ladder.

The Looj has an auger that breaks up clogs and sweeps out leaves and debris at the direction of a remote control. The device is just 2 and one-fourth inches tall, so it fits beneath the gutter straps.

The Looj can be ordered at www.irobot.com at prices ranging from $99.99 to $169.99. It will be available at select retailers soon.

Ohio fabric designer offers practical advice

Finally, “someone” has recognized that the heartland has style.

Internationally known fabric designer Amy Butler, who lives in Granville, Ohio, shares her innovative take on clothing, home decor and gardening in “Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern: A Fresh Design Spirit for the Modern Lifestyle.” It’s a style that’s outside the mainstream, one that Butler describes as honest, approachable and easy.

A good part of the book is devoted to a tour of Butler’s hillside home, filled with vintage pieces from various eras, natural elements and, of course, her cheerful, colorful fabrics. It’s a place of warmth and whimsy, surrounded by lush gardens that combine regional plants with tropical oddities.

“Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern” is due out this month from Stewart, Tabori & Chang. It’s priced at $35 in hardcover.

New site lets you
design your own room

It’s like playing house. By way of a new Web site, DesignMyRoom.com, computer users can pick up and set out countless options from a wide choice of products, to create exactly the room they want, onscreen.

Pick your room. Select furniture or rugs or appliances and drag-and-drop them wherever you want in that room. Paint the walls rainbow colors if you choose. Then you can try alternatives to see how other combinations would look.

Users can also review the work of notable professional designers on the site’s “Lift This Look” feature. If you wish, you can share your ideas with other online users of the site, and get feedback.

The site is free for one project. Membership prices for further projects start at $4.95 a month.

Visit www.designmyroom.com for more information.

Combined dispatches