BUY IT: In recognition of how Americans pamper our furry friends, one of the nation’s leading bedding retailers, 1-800-Mattress, is offering good night’s sleep to man’s best friend with the introduction of a new line of pet beds. Two of the new options include a “Captain’s Bed,” a wooden bed frame with drawers that provide convenient storage for the dog’s “personal” belongings. The cushioned mattress by manufacturer King Koil has a washable cover for convenience. Price is $259.99, plus shipping. Another more affordable and very practical option is the “Pet Bed-Sofa Saver,” which allows pets to share the family couch while keeping fur off the fabric. The comfortable polyfilled quilted base has a semicircle cushioned back for comfort. Price is $14.99.
To order, call 1-800-Mattress (1-800-628-87377), or order at www.mattress.com.
— Mary Daniels
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VISIT IT: Expo Tu Casa (Your House Expo), a bilingual home-buying and home-improvement exposition for the Hispanic consumer returns to Chicago next weekend for the second year, offering information and ideas in Spanish and English. The event will feature exhibits and demonstrations, as well as seminars to meet the needs of those wishing to acquire a first home. Exhibitors include: Menard’s, James Hardie Building Products, Brinks Security, Bank of America, the U.S. Department of Energy, HOY newspaper, La Ley, WLEY-107.9, Pella Windows, Telemundo Chicago and Grant’s Appliances.
Along with suppliers and manufacturers, there will be financial seminars, giveaways and raffles, children’s activities and live musical performances. The Expo takes place Saturday and June 25 at Hawthorne Race Course. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. June 25.
3501 S. Laramie, Stickney/Cicero. Free; parking is $10 per vehicle. 301-603-1900. www.expotucasausa.com
— M.D.
PONDER IT: The U.S. may be teeming with Chinese-made products, but the Chinese just got a major dose of Americana: Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Meredith Corp., publisher of the 84-year-old magazine that counts nearly 40 million monthly readers in the U.S., has partnered with SEEC Media Group Limited, a print media company in China, to launch a Chinese language edition of the magazine. The first Better Homes and Gardens China, with more than 300 pages and a cover price of 20 yuan (about $2.50), landed on newsstands in China’s major cities in late May. It will be published monthly and have a “very similar focus” to the U.S. version of the magazine, according to Megan Boettcher, corporate communications representative for Meredith in Des Moines. In fact, “some of the content will come from the parent publication and will be translated” and then “tweaked” by the editorial team in Beijing “to make it culturally appropriate,” Boettcher says. Stories on parenting skills and health and safety issues are likely candidates for shared content, Boettcher continues. Recipes and home-style stories are likely to be generated by the staff in China. “There is a tremendous demand for home and family-related information in China,” says Boming Wang, chairman of SEEC Media in a press release distributed by Meredith. “It is driven by robust economic growth and accumulation of wealth.”
— Karen Klages
BUY IT: Calling all theater (and furniture) buffs: You, too, can own a piece of a Goodman Theatre production. This is the third year Chicago’s oldest and largest non-profit theater is staging a prop sale, during which it will be unloading props and furniture (no costumes) from past stage productions.
Items include a large white sofa, end table and lamps, all contemporary in design, from the fittingly named “The Clean House”; a Japanese stone lantern from the Mary Zimmerman production “Silk”; Richard Schultz-designed outdoor furniture from “The Griller”; and some 1950s living room furniture from Arthur Miller’s “Finishing the Picture.”
Also look for pieces that were part of the recent David Mamet Festival: The entire living room set from “Jolly,” a modern (working) kitchen island and sink from “Home,” and the panda shower curtain used as part of the kids’ space transport unit from “The Revenge of the Space Pandas or Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock.”
Get there early: The sale is first come, first served. Bring cash or a checkbook; credit cards will not be accepted. Buyers will need to provide their own delivery; the Goodman will hold paid-for items for pickup on Monday or early Tuesday.
Noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The Scene Shop, 2040 W. Carroll St. 312-243-7295.
–Tran Ha
BUY IT: Corelle, the standard-bearer for indestructible everyday dishes, is adding yet more patterns to its ever-expanding collection. (The Corning, N.Y.-based company introduced its first square-shaped pattern earlier this year.) The new patterns, part of Corelle’s Lifestyles Collection, range from traditional to modern and include Antique Linen, inspired by botanical sketches and antique china; Maritime, which pairs the hot home colors turquoise and taupe; and Rola, a bold border pattern that features retro circles in a combination of turquoise, celadon and brown. Find the four Corelle Lifestyles patterns at Linens `N’ Things. The 16-piece sets have a suggested retail price of $49.99. The 20-piece sets sell for $59.99.
Visit www.lnt.com or call 866-568-7378 for store locations.
–T.H.
READ IT: Your indoor plants may be enjoying the summer out on a shaded patio, but maybe this fall they’ll want some company. Or perhaps you’re looking to begin greening up your indoor space but don’t know where to start. Check out “Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants” by Ellen Zachos (Timber Press, 328 pages, $29.95). There is enough care advice (including a good explanation of how much light different plants need and an excellent glossary) to get a beginner started. But the information on many varied plants is detailed enough to tempt even an experienced houseplant lover beyond the standard pothos and peperomia.
— Beth Botts
SURF IT: Looking for a nearby garden center? Find a useful list, searchable by ZIP code, online at www.lgyp.com (think lawn and garden yellow pages). It can help if you are new to your area or to gardening, or if you are calling around looking for a specific plant or tool. Logging on to the site also will get you access to how-to articles and culture information for many plants (look for “Virtual Plant Tag”).
— B.B.
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