Consumer Corner
Stay Cool and Save Money
Last Updated on July 14, 2025 by Daily News Staff
7 summer energy efficiency tips for homeowners
(Family Features) As temperatures soar during the summer months, many homeowners find themselves relying heavily on air conditioning to stay cool. Comfort doesn’t have to come at the cost of high energy bills, however. With a few smart strategies and routine maintenance, you can efficiently and affordably keep your home cool. Here are some top tips to maximize your air conditioning system’s energy efficiency this summer. 1. Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance Just like a car, your AC unit runs best when it’s well-maintained. A dirty or poorly functioning system uses more energy to do the same job. Maintenance checklist:- Inspect or replace air filters every 2-3 months. The frequency of air filter replacement depends on several factors, including the type of filter, the system and living conditions.
- Check and clean the evaporator and condenser coils.
- Clear debris from around the outdoor unit.
- Have a professional HVAC technician inspect your system annually, ideally before peak usage.
Smart thermostats are one of the easiest and most effective upgrades you can make to your home’s cooling system. For example, Carrier’s Smart Thermostat allows you to control your home’s temperature remotely via smartphone and comes with learning features that adapt to your schedule and preferences. Set your smart thermostat to raise the temperature while you’re away and cool the home down just before you return. Even raising the thermostat by 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save up to 10% a year on cooling costs. 3. Seal and Insulate Your Home Cool air escaping through leaks or inadequate insulation forces your air conditioner to work harder. Ensuring your home is sealed and insulated properly can significantly improve efficiency. Quick fixes:- Use weatherstripping on doors and windows.
- Seal leaks around ducts, vents and pipes.
- Add insulation to attics and walls, if needed.
- Close blinds or curtains during the hottest parts of the day.
- Consider installing reflective window films or insulated blackout curtains.
- Use awnings or plant shade trees to block direct sunlight.
- Cook with a microwave or grill instead of the oven.
- Run dishwashers and dryers at night.
- Switch to LED lightbulbs, which produce less heat than incandescent ones.
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home improvement
Enhance Your Home with Bold Colors
Homeowners seeking ideas to make a design statement and modernize their home interiors and exteriors can incorporate bold colors to achieve their renovation goals. Learn how to incorporate bold colors into your home with these tips.
Last Updated on March 14, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Enhance Your Home with Bold Colors
(Family Features) Homeowners seeking ideas to make a design statement and modernize their home interiors and exteriors can incorporate bold colors to achieve their renovation goals. Neutrals may be versatile, but bold colors introduce a striking way to reflect personality and elevate a home’s design. Learn how to incorporate bold colors into your home with these tips from the design experts at Simonton Windows & Doors, part of Cornerstone Building Brands, a leading manufacturer of windows in North America. Interior Paint The wall color sets the tone of a room’s overall ambiance, but many homeowners are cautious about incorporating too much color. That’s a valid concern, since too many vibrant hues can feel overwhelming or create competing focal points that leave a room feeling cluttered and busy. The key to bold colors on walls is balance. Bold walls offset by moderate flooring and furnishings create a room that is equally attention-grabbing and tastefully grounding. If you’re hesitant about taking bold colors too far, try designing your room with one bold accent wall and complement that color with accessories such as pillows and rugs or even statement furnishings to tie it all together.
Replacement Windows Windows often fade into a home’s design aesthetic, but that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, dark window finishes are becoming one of the season’s biggest design statements, offering homeowners a way to refresh their home’s curb appeal. In response to growing consumer demand for sleek, modern window designs, Simonton introduced on-trend black and bronze interior and exterior finishes across its vinyl window collections, including DaylightMax Windows, which feature a unique slim-frame window design offering ample natural light while providing maximum energy efficiency. For maximum impact, durability and low-maintenance appeal, consider pairing black or bronze window finishes with trending seasonal palettes and decor. Cabinetry Architectural elements can also play an important role in establishing a modern design motif for your home. This is especially true when it comes to the cabinetry in your kitchen and bathroom. Stepping away from classic neutral wood stains, white or gray to use bold paint or stain colors instead can completely transform a room. Some homeowners go all-in and incorporate color across the entire room while others apply different colors for the tops and bottoms to create some variation or avoid overdoing a bold hue. Still others opt for a statement approach, and similar to choosing just one wall, they add a bold color to just one section of cabinetry, such as a coffee station or island base. Cabinetry hardware adds another dimension of bold design. Stepping away from classic brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze and instead installing matte black, brushed brass, bronze or gunmetal brings a contemporary vibe that can accentuate a bold color choice. Patio Doors Establishing continuity between your indoor and outdoor living spaces means making your patio door part of a cohesive design that flows from the indoors out. An option like the Simonton MaxView Multi-Slide Patio Door Collection does precisely that. With custom sizing up to 10 feet high and 30 feet wide, the collection is available in multiple panel options with bypass, pocket or bi-part configurations. The doors also come in black or bronze exterior finishes, reflecting the trend toward bolder color choices. “Homeowners want modern design without compromising performance,” said Kate Land, vice president of product and innovation at Cornerstone Building Brands. “Incorporating these innovative, durable finishes into our premium vinyl window and door collections delivers exactly that. These bold color options elevate a home’s overall design while the advanced glass and functionality of these vinyl windows deliver the highest standards of energy efficiency and durability.” Incorporating bold colors into your design can make the space feel your own while demonstrating personality and modernization. Find more ideas and inspiration to answer the call for bold style at simonton.com. Discover more from Daily News
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Consumer Corner
Spruce Up Your Home for St. Patrick’s Day
Spruce Up Your Home: Spring is just around the corner, and there are few better ways to freshen up your home than with a wee bit of St. Patrick’s Day decor.
(Feature Impact) Spring is just around the corner, and there are few better ways to freshen up your home than with a wee bit of St. Patrick’s Day decor.
Spruce Up Your Home for St. Patrick’s Day
A Splash of Green and a Sparkle of Gold
Whether you love emerald, lime, sage or leafy green shades, simply adding a pop of a new-to-you hue can infuse your home with some St. Paddy’s fever. Check craft stores for reusable greenery to place in a pot or vase, or get crafty and dot pinecones with glue before dusting them with green glitter and placing them in a glass bowl to make a festive display worthy of a leprechaun’s seal of approval. Get Ready for Spring and Shop New Arrivals to Refresh Your Space!
Scent of the Season
Lighting a candle not only creates a festive vibe, but the aroma from a scented candle can remove any staleness in the air and bring some ambiance to your home. Any earthy scent will do – from juniper to fir, pine, sandalwood or amber. Woodsy choices infuse a room with comfort and warmth. Decorative elements like metal charms, beads and crystals (in bright green or gold) add a pop of whimsy to your candle, too.
Shape a Shamrock
Holidays are ideal times to flex your creative muscles and give your home a little artsy edge. Scour the shelves at dollar stores or thrift shops for things like green clay or modeling dough, colored paper, wooden shamrocks, stickers and inexpensive paint sets. Set your artistic side free with paintings or drawings of shimmery rainbows, mischievous leprechauns and shamrocks in various sizes.
Coins, Clover and Centerpieces
One of the easiest ways to add a little Celtic cheer to your home is with joyful table decor. Add some gold shimmer to your dining room table with sparkly ribbons, a bright runner and gold-flecked napkin rings. A fancy glass filled with green baubles and pebbles can be both subtle and festive. A scattering of faux gold coins and rainbow napkins can make the space feel merry and magical.
Find more ideas to get your home ready for St. Patrick’s Day at eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Welcome to the Consumer Corner section of STM Daily News, your ultimate destination for savvy shopping and informed decision-making! Dive into a treasure trove of insights and reviews covering everything from the hottest toys that spark joy in your little ones to the latest electronic gadgets that simplify your life. Explore our comprehensive guides on stylish home furnishings, discover smart tips for buying a home or enhancing your living space with creative improvement ideas, and get the lowdown on the best cars through our detailed auto reviews. Whether you’re making a major purchase or simply seeking inspiration, the Consumer Corner is here to empower you every step of the way—unlock the keys to becoming a smarter consumer today!
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toys and kids electronics
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Questers: Basic Fun! and Hasbro Bring D&D to Gen Alpha in July 2026
Basic Fun! has partnered with Hasbro to launch DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Questers™, a collectible action figure line aimed at kids aged 5 to 8, debuting in July 2026. Designed to foster imagination and storytelling, these customizable figures will feature blind packing and include a D20 die, creating an engaging experience for young adventurers.
Basic Fun! is rolling a natural 20 on nostalgia-meets-next-gen play.
In a Feb. 10, 2026 announcement, the global toy company revealed a worldwide licensing agreement with Hasbro (through Wizards of the Coast) to launch DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Questers™, a new collectible action figure line built specifically to introduce Gen Alpha to the world of D&D. The line is expected to hit major toy retailers worldwide in July 2026, targeting kids ages 5 to 8.
What is DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Questers?
Questers is Basic Fun!’s take on translating the spirit of the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game™ into something tactile, collectible, and kid-friendly—without losing the fantasy DNA longtime fans recognize.
The pitch is straightforward: imagination-led play, world-building, and storytelling—packaged in a format that matches how kids play today: personalization, discovery, and surprise.
Questers is also positioned as a bridge between generations. It’s designed not only for kids discovering fantasy for the first time, but also for fan parents looking for a hands-on way to share D&D’s creatures, heroes, and archetypes with their children.
Built for collecting, customizing, and creating stories
Basic Fun! says the Questers line will feature three collectible scales:
- Creatures
- Adventurers
- Monsters
Each figure will be:
- Blind-packed (surprise-style collectibles)
- Fully buildable
- Designed with interchangeable parts so kids can mix, match, and customize
And the D&D tie-in isn’t just a logo on the box. Each figure will come with:
- A D20 die
- A storystarter prompt to encourage kids to create adventures with their collection
That combination—collectability + customization + storytelling prompts—signals exactly what the brand is aiming for: repeat play that feels different every time.
Why D&D, and why now?
D&D’s cultural footprint has been expanding across entertainment, publishing, and digital platforms, and the press release points to a clear shift: Gen Alpha gravitates toward play patterns rooted in personalization, discovery, and world-building.
Questers is designed to meet that moment by turning D&D’s iconic fantasy elements into a “discovery-driven” toy experience—one that doesn’t require reading a rulebook, building a character sheet, or learning game mechanics to start having fun.
In other words: it’s D&D energy, scaled to the toy aisle.
What the companies are saying
Dan Westcott, Senior Vice President of Global Brand Marketing at Basic Fun!, framed Questers as an on-ramp into the franchise:
- Approachable, creative, and fun for young adventurers
- A meaningful way for fan parents to share a universe they already love
Kara Kenna, Franchise Creative Director for D&D at Wizards of the Coast, emphasized the “hands-on” fantasy exploration angle—positioning Questers as a way for kids to engage imagination and play in a physical format.
Release timing and what to watch for
The big headline for retailers and parents: Questers debuts in July 2026, with a worldwide rollout planned at major toy retailers.
What to watch for as the launch gets closer:
- Character/creature reveals (and how deep they go into classic D&D lore)
- Price points and pack formats (single packs vs. multipacks)
- How the “storystarter” system works across the different scales
- Whether the line ties into broader D&D content (books, digital, or entertainment releases)
The takeaway
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Questers is shaping up to be a smart, modern entry point into fantasy play—one that blends classic D&D storytelling with today’s collectible toy trends.
For longtime fans, it’s another sign that D&D’s influence keeps widening. For kids, it’s a new way to build heroes, mash up monsters, roll a D20, and start telling stories—no dungeon master required.
Source: Basic Fun! press release distributed via PRNews
Welcome to the Consumer Corner section of STM Daily News, your ultimate destination for savvy shopping and informed decision-making! Dive into a treasure trove of insights and reviews covering everything from the hottest toys that spark joy in your little ones to the latest electronic gadgets that simplify your life. Explore our comprehensive guides on stylish home furnishings, discover smart tips for buying a home or enhancing your living space with creative improvement ideas, and get the lowdown on the best cars through our detailed auto reviews. Whether you’re making a major purchase or simply seeking inspiration, the Consumer Corner is here to empower you every step of the way—unlock the keys to becoming a smarter consumer today!
https://stmdailynews.com/category/consumer-corner
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PickleRage Opens First South Carolina Club in North Charleston — Grand Opening Weekend Set for March 6–7
PickleRage is opening its first South Carolina indoor pickleball club in North Charleston on March 6-7, 2026. The launch features a two-day celebration with open play, clinics, and community activities. The climate-controlled facility aims to enhance year-round pickleball accessibility for players of all skill levels.
