E-mail without a PC: Computer-challenged but want to keep in touch with folks by e-mail? Mivo, which looks like a laptop, plugs into a phone jack. Just press a button and type. Press another button and send. Press another and read your mail. No set-up. No Internet. No chat rooms. Just e-mail. Great for grandparents. It can be used in any room with a phone jack. $129.99 ($99.99 with a $30 rebate). You do need an e-mail service, $10-$12 per month. At Best Buy, RadioShack, Staples, Kmart, Target, Micro Center, CompUSA.


       Easy decorating: If tussling with wallpaper scares you, but you like the look, try Wallies cutouts to ally your fears and put your craftsmanship to work. The prepasted designs in vinyl, coated, strippable wallpaper pieces come from the McCall Pattern Co. About 25 cost $8.99. Use as borders, accent corners, furniture brighteners ... anywhere wallpaper would stick. Choose from cows, roosters, flowers, teddy bears, dolls and more. At Michael's.


       Sunscreen your wardrobe: Sunscreen is a must in summer to ward off those nasty UVB and UVA rays. Now the folks at Rit have given us a new tool: the washing machine. Sun Guard laundry treatment is powered by something called Tinosorb FD that acts as an invisible dye when added to a regular wash load. It pumps up an ordinary T-shirt's protective power from UV5 to UV30 and lasts for 20 washes or more. Rit claims Sun Guard has no other effects on clothing and is safe for “even the most sensitive” skin. $1.99-$2.99 at Hancock Fabric stores. Eventually, it will be available at most stores that sell RIT products.


       Pets to go: If Fido or Fi-Fi is scheduled to travel with you this season, be assured there are alternatives to toting around a wiggling, barking purse. RollerPet, made of nylon and PVC, puts your pet in a backpack on wheels for easy toting. Constructed for pets under 15 pounds, it features an expandable shelf that unfolds to give your cat or dog some stretching room when not stored under your seat. Black, blue, green or red, $125. (888) 527-8773; www.rollerpet.com.

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