Free lunches, free classes

Composting, container gardening, irrigation and pest management are part of the course work at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Flamingo Gardens, which offers free classes in organic gardening and exterior landscaping.

But you don't have to travel to South Florida to get a free education. Throughout the U.S., libraries, community centers, retail stores and other locations provide instructions, computer training and craft classes for little or no charge. Hardware stores - family-run and chain stores - present free workshops on painting techniques, repairs and other DIY projects.

Here's a rundown of free classes.

Home projects - Home Depot offers free workshops and tutorials through the Home Improver Club (homeimproverclub.com). Past classes have included interior painting, drywall repairs and bathroom design. Other courses offer information about energy-efficient lighting, air-conditioning systems and appliances. Free sessions at Lowe's include classes about kitchen renovations, faux painting and laminated floor installations. On its website, Lowe's has an online library, with step-by-step guides for thousands of projects. Locally owned hardware stores also offer community classes or one-on-one informational sessions about tools, paints and other home projects. Ask the store owner if free workshops are available.

Free cooking classes - On its monthly event calendar, Whole Foods features free wine-tasting seminars, cooking lessons and in-store demonstrations. Go to wholefoods.com and enter your ZIP code to find a store in your neighborhood. Recent freebies have included a cooking class featuring vegetarian Indian-style food. On a regular basis, bookstores and large department stores also offer free cooking demonstrations hosted by famous chefs. Most stores publish an online calendar of events or distribute paper copies at checkout counters.

Community centers - Community colleges, state parks and civic centers also provide free lectures, demonstrations and classes for all ages. Local government agencies, neighborhood centers and nonprofit organizations run a variety of community education and entertainment programs.

And of course, social media resources provide an active network of free online classes, webinars, podcasts and tutorials on health care, marketing, personal typing and other topics.

High-Low

High • Beaded round-shaped coasters ($24.99 for four) at Williams Sonoma Home, 1745 South Lindbergh Boulevard

Low • Beaded square-shaped coasters ($12 for four) at Pier 1 Imports

Splurge-Worthy

Multicolored Espresso cups with silver spoons. Assorted colors available: brown, green, yellow, orange, purple and pink.

To buy • $175 for a set of four at Frette.com

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Are the kids looking for something free to do during holiday break? Here are some free movie codes at Blockbuster Express: GT11A, valid until Jan. 31, and KIOSK, valid until Feb. 10. To find a Blockbuster Express location near you, visit blockbusterexpress.com/dvd-machines.

BEST PRODUCTS OF 2009

After testing thousands of home, food, beauty and other products, ShopSmart magazine is revealing 60 winners and 20 losers in the January issue.

Here is a sample of the best products:

• Dirt Devil Featherlite Bagless M085845 ($60) is bare-bones but is light and great on pet hair.

• Behr Premium Plus Interior Satin Enamel ($24) is half the price of other paints and is the top choice in satin and eggshell. It has a nice finish, hides darker colors in one coat and the gloss holds up when scrubbed.

• Organic Batter Blaster Original Pancake & Waffle Batter ($5.69 for 18 ounces) turned out tasty pancakes with no measuring, no mixing and little mess.

• Market Pantry (Target) Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal ($1.67 for 15.1-ounce package) is hearty and flavorful, packs about 3 grams of fiber per packet and cooks in a flash.

• Asics GEL-150TR ($65) beat out other sneakers with a super shock-absorbing midsole.

• Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Booster Eye Transforming Cream ($20) smoothed wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes slightly better than creams that cost twice the price or more.

• Revlon Perfect Heat Ceramic RVST2001C ($30) is cheap, superlight, small and easy to use.

• Amazon Kindle 2 ($360) is cool and sleek, with fast page turning and enough memory to read for days.

Shop site

PoshTots (poshtots.com)

Cribs. Diaper bags. Toys and playhouses. If you dream it, they can design it. At PoshTots.com, that's the philosophy behind the specialty site that caters to toddlers everywhere. Being a tot isn't just about naps and strollers anymore.

Click on the themes tab, and you'll find an extensive list of decorative themes for girls and boys. Whether your little one favors bunnies, ballerinas or dinosaurs, PoshTots.com has endless ideas to help get you started, and gender-neutral theme planning also is available. If you're looking to design with an eco-friendly approach, try colorful paintings made on reclaimed canvas or the Organic Snuggle Gift Sets for boys and girls, made with 100 percent organic cotton.

Across popular magazines such as People and Pregnancy & Newborn, Hollywood parents also have embraced the one-of-a-kind, creatively embellished PoshTots pieces. Founders Karen Adams, Andrea Edmunds and Pam O'Hallaron fused their combined parenting and interior design backgrounds together to bring PoshTots.com to life. Committed to the idea that a child's room should represent a reflection of his or her personality, the site has expanded over the years to include bedding, highchairs, floor lamps and nightlights, among other furnishings.

From the murals and wall appliques to the window treatments and decorative pillows, no detail is too small for this site. For those looking for individual attention, PoshTots offers design consultation services and print catalogues available upon request. Sales and promotional offers include discounts and free shipping on certain products.

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services