Remote-controlled candle: a bright idea

Remote-controlled candle: a bright idea

Don’t get up — here’s a candle you can put out from across the room.

Luminara’s flameless, remote-controlled candles, above, are either a brilliant invention — effortlessly switched on; long-lasting; impervious to sudden gusts of wind — or yet another product enabling our sedentary, convenience-obsessed culture to become even more sedentary and convenience obsessed.

Made of authentic wax, these candles feature a fairly realistic-looking flame effect created by a combination of electromagnetics and LED lights. They also come with a built-in self-timer so you can program Luminara candles to come on at a specific hour.

They’re ideal for homes with small kids and pets.

Find more information at luminara.com.

Better living in 2015

Here are a couple of ways to help make your house look better this year.

Add pops of color: Fabric baskets, like throw pillows, are a quick way to add splashes of color to any room. They’re affordable and easy to replace when you want a change. And they’re handy, too, for stashing everything from magazines to the kids’ toys. Visit nando.com for ideas.

Clean a stained cook top: As soon as the stove has cooled enough to touch, wipe away the mess. Cover dried-on spills with a wet, soapy dish cloth and let it sit, then use the cloth to wipe up the spill, Real Simple magazine recommends. For stubborn messes, make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Apply to the spill, leave on for 10 minutes, and wipe away with a damp paper towel.

Combined dispatches