Lifestyles

If your answer is yes, then Roto-Rooter has the ultimate toilet for you. The plumbing and drain cleaning company is giving away a customized, one-of-a-kind "Pimped Out John."

The winner of the online sweepstakes will receive a Kohler Cimarron toilet outfitted with a Philips 20-inch flat-panel LCD TV, an Xbox 360, a Philips DVD player with "Star Wars" DVD, a Gateway laptop computer with robot arm, an iPod with a toilet paper dispenser stereo docking station, a Tivo DVR, an Avanti refrigerator with beer tap, a magazine rack, a bike pedal exercise system, an electric cup warmer/cooler and a Roto-Rooter "emergency" button.

Roto-Rooter technicians will install the fancy toilet.

Register to win the "Pimped Out John" through April 2 at www.rotorooter.com. The winner will be named on National Plumber's Day, April 25.

HGTV special lists decorating mistakes

In its continuing quest to teach us the difference between decoration and desecration, the HGTV cable network will air "25 Biggest Decorating Mistakes" at 7 p.m. Feb. 3. House-and-home magazine editors, designers and HGTV hosts start by blasting the blunders, then offer solutions in a hilarious, opinionated countdown.

No. 25 -- a relative misdemeanor -- is the rug designed to fit around the toilet (wear slippers and stick with a mat by the sink, decree the experts). No. 23 is underplaying the entryway (add a mirror or table to make a good first impression). No. 8 is using an out-of-place theme (don't try using tropical wicker in Alaska).

Other infractions include uncomfortable dining chairs (upholstered seating encourages people to linger); too many sofa and bed pillows (toss out most of them); framed art hung too high (most are best around eye level); too many colors or patterns (you're allowed one large and one small pattern, plus a stripe or plaid); knickknack overload (rotate or recycle the tchotchkes).

And the No. 1 mistake? Fake flowers. A bowl of lemons is classier.

DaysAgo timers keep track of home projects

How long has that spaghetti sauce been in the refrigerator? When was the furnace filter changed last?

Now you never have to wonder.

A new gadget called DaysAgo can keep track of time for you, in both hours and days. The digital counters come in both magnetic and suction versions, so you can stick them on food containers and a variety of other surfaces.

DaysAgo counters can be ordered at www.howmanydaysago.com or 559-905-1672. A package of two costs $10, plus shipping and handling.

Cumberbatch book offers practical advice

Interior designer Jane Cumberbatch's signature soft-hued look is both timeworn and modern, both simple and stylish. Readers can learn from her example through her new book, "Decorating Easy: Create a Simple, Comfortable Home with Pure Style" (Quadrille Publishing, $24.95).

Cumberbatch offers advice on such decorating and remodeling basics as choosing the right tools and working with builders. She then provides lots of photos of rooms, along with instructions for achieving a similar look in your home. There's practical advice on organizing spaces, as well as a number of how-to projects ranging in complexity from custom-dyed towels to an armchair slipcover.

"Decorating Easy" is due out Jan. 10.

Winter pruning tips

Use loppers or hand pruners for winter pruning of deciduous shrubs and small trees. Shape the plants by removing entire stems.

Look for suckers, aerial suckers (water sprouts) and branches that are rubbing, damaged or dead. Go easy, because you may be removing spring flowering buds.

Delay any pruning of hydrangeas until after summer flowering.

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