Childhood playhouse

Childhood playhouse

Children need space, so let them have it.

With U-Bild’s woodworking plans, do-it-yourselfers can build a cottage-style playhouse featuring a porch, Dutch door, flower boxes and decorative architectural details.

The plan is $10.95 and comes with step-by-step instructions, photos, full-size traceable patterns, diagrams, a shopping list and cutting schedule, and a toll-free help line for questions.

The house measures 6 feet by 6 feet and stands about 6 feet tall (even I fit).

For more information, visit u-bild.com.

One product, many jobs

How grand cleaning would be if one product were all we needed.

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda comes close to that.

Sprinkled or scrubbed on as a paste (three parts baking soda to one part water), it helps rid grills of grime and freshens outdoor patio and pool furniture.

Add half a cup to the rinse cycle for fresher beach towels and use a quarter-cup solution in one quart of warm water to remove mildew and odors from plastic and vinyl pool tools. Use a sponge or wire brush if needed.

Junk is the new green

It doesn’t get any greener than junk, according to Sue Whitney and Kimberly Melamed.

In “Junk Beautiful: Outdoor Edition” (The Taunton Press; $21.95), they encourage junk fans to reuse and repurpose old items found in backyards, flea markets and even trash cans.

All this junk can be used to give patios, outdoor kitchens, pools and gardens a makeover, without going broke.

Other important pointers include how to bring home junk without turning your home into a junkyard.

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