Soy wax candles are long lasting, subtle

Soy wax candles are long lasting, subtle

A home that smells like cleaning chemicals stinks.

True Organics candles by Way Out Wax are made of plant-based essential oils — no synthetic fragrances, dyes or chemical scent enhancers or boosters.

Available in three sizes and six scents, including citrusy Sol Tranquility, spicy Zanzibar Mint and Oriental Jade, the soy wax candles have aromatherapeutic properties that soothe and relax. They are long lasting and subtle, and burn evenly.

For more information, visit wayoutwax.com.

Learn to see beauty in junk

Turning junk into decorative gems takes an ability to see beyond the obvious. Sue Whitney provides that artistic vision in “Junk Beautiful: Outdoor Edition,” a guide to decorating outdoor spaces with cast-offs.

Whitney is president of Junkmarket, a company that focuses on teaching people how to turn old materials into home-decor items, and founder of the Web site Junkmarket Style (www.junkmarketstyle.com). In the book, she collaborates with Kimberly Melamed, a member of Junkmarket’s creative team, to help the rest of us recognize the decorative potential in other people’s unwanted stuff.

The book inspires readers with a couple of dozen settings stylishly outfitted with the two women’s finds and provides instructions for replicating several of their creations.

“Junk Beautiful” is published by the Taunton Press and sells for $21.95 in softcover.

Lawn trimmer is Earth-friendly

It’s one of the ironies of modern life that lawn and garden equipment can be hard on the environment. But that’s changing.

Among the newer Earth-friendly tools is a propane-powered string trimmer from Lehr Inc. The Eco Trimmer offers the power of a gasoline-powered trimmer but emits fewer pollutants, including no hydrocarbons.

The trimmer runs about two hours on a 16.4-ounce propane canister, the type that powers camping stoves. The canister twists on for fast refueling.

The Eco Trimmer is available at retailers, including some Ace, Sears, True Value and Home Depot stores. A dealer locator is on the Lehr Web site, www.golehr.com.

Suggested retail price is $199.

Book offers cottage ownership advice

Falling in love isn’t always conducive to rational thinking and planning — even if the object of your affection is a cottage.

So before entering into a relationship, Douglas Hunter suggests balancing your emotions with information.

“The Cottage Ownership Guide: How to Buy, Sell, Rent, Share, Hand Down & Retire to Your Waterfront Getaway” (Firefly Books; $29.95) includes tips, cautions, case studies, Q&As, charts, sample calculations and checklists to steer you in the right direction.

But what could possibly go wrong, you ask? If you’re not informed about tax implications, water quality in nearby lakes or rivers, neighbors, anglers, and even where the sun sets and direction of wind in relation to your cottage, you might be in for a big surprise.

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