I don't know about you guys, but I loved my local library when I was a kid. But with all the distractions of mobile devices, games, and more, many kids never even visit the library and when they do, they find it to be boring. That's why some libraries have really made an effort to encourage kids not only to keep reading but also to see just how much fun can be had at the library. Here are a few branches that go above and beyond when it comes to keeping kids entertained.

1. Brentwood Library

Perhaps one of the most visually impressive children's museums in America, the Brentwood Library's children's area features a charming entrance adorned in oversized books and a massive storybook tree. An animatronic owl greets visitors when it is triggered by a motion sensor. Inside the kid's section, the walls are covered in paintings of fairytale forests and between the rows of books are charming artificial trees.

The second Friday of each month means LEGO Mania time and summer reading programs feature musicians, puppets, magicians, live animals and more. During the school year, they have an after-school program that includes snacks, crafts, games and books.

Image Via CajunKev [Flickr]

2. Laramie County Library

Seeing pre-teen zombies roaming around the library after dark is no big deal at the Laramie County Library, where there are lots of tween activities including an after-hours program that hosts a yearly Zombie Prom.

The library is so popular with the young set that over 3,500 children visit each week and the entire second floor is dedicated to kiddos. The children's space features an oversized chess board, board games, computer stations, story areas and a kid's-size bookmobile to distribute imaginary books. Librarians say parents have a hard time getting children to leave.

Part of the reason the library is so popular with kids is that they can actually volunteer there as long as they are 12 and older. The library even offers a Teen Advisory Board to help decide on what programs would be the most popular with their peers.

Image Via Preston Stafford [Flickr]

3. ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center

A combination effort between the Children's Theatre of Charlotte and Charlotte Mecklengburg Library, ImaginOn offers 102,000 square feet of entertainment and library space for youngsters. The center offers two theater spaces, one that seats 570 and one with occupancy for 250 viewers. Aside from theater performances oriented towards children, ImaginOn's theaters are also used for theater classes and camps oriented for groups of toddlers all the way through teens, as well as puppetry acts and story time sessions.

Upon entering ImaginOn, children first encounter the StoryLab area, an interactive exhibit space designed to get kids interested in literature. Once they get to the actual library section, kids from birth to fifth grade can find books, DVDs, CDs and children's software oriented to their specific age group. The second floor is reserved specifically for tweens and teens and even offers them the chance to use the library's film and recording studio.

Image Via Mark Larson [Flickr]

If you want an iPhone speaker, you generally have to choose between having something that sounds great and looks pretty unimpressive or something that looks nice but sounds crummy. The Chino Legato Passive Speaker manages to merge the best of both worlds with a stunning speaker that imparts the impressive warm sound of wood with the classic look of a vintage Victrola player. The speaker is passive, meaning it requires no power source, and can play music at up to six decibels making it earth-friendly and powerful.

Read more about the cool design at Homes and Hues: The Most Beautiful Passive iPhone Speaker

During the summer it's not too terrible to step out of the shower dripping wet and grab a towel, but in the winter it can be a serious shock to the senses. The problem is even worse for those who are disabled and the elderly who are afraid of slipping and falling. The Tornado Body Dryer is a great solution as it can be installed in the corner of any shower and the 200 air jets help you dry off entirely and quickly without even cracking your shower curtain or door. For those who have mobility issues, it's particularly great because the air actually circulates around the body so you don't even have to circle around to dry off all the way.

Read more about the clever device over at Homes and Hues: Dry Off Before You Even Leave Your Shower

A common suggestion for making butter easier to spread is to use a grater to shred it -but that's kind of a pain in the butt. Now there is a real alternative though, the ButterUp. This clever creation allows you to shred your butter with the same knife you use to cut your bread and spread the butter. Best of all, it's easy to cleean, unlike a lot of cheese graters. 

Read more about the ButterUp, including where you can buy one at Homes and Hues: The Ultimate Butter-Spreading Knife

We love all of our artists on the NeatoShop, but with over 125 tees in the shop, Aniforce is one of our most popular. BlondeNerd.com is also a big fan of Aniforce, which is why the three of us partnered together to give away one of his great, derptastic tees. Enter below and you could win any Aniforce tee we carry in the NeatoShop!

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Most home sinks look pretty similar, but there are tons of stylish basins out there that can set your bathroom apart. You can impress your guests and enjoy great style in your own home with one of these cool sink designs we rounded up on Homes and Hues.

Some of the sinks even go beyond beauty and have improved functionality. For example, the one above allows you to reuse the grey water leftover from washing your hands to help fill up the toilet tank so you don't have to waste clean water every time you flush.

See the rest of the great sinks over at Homes and Hues: 14 Cool Sinks to Leave You Overflowing With Joy

Hey gang, we at the NeatoShop are always eager to introduce the works of our fantastic artists to as many people as possible. To that end, we just created a new NeatoShop account on Instagram so we can share our tees with even more users. If you're on the site, we welcome you to follow us so you can enjoy all kinds of new designs from our amazing artists. 

Of course, we'll still be plenty active on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, so if you haven't started following us on those sites yet, don't forget about the NeatoShop!

Tehran, Iran is known for its stifling summers and freezing winters, so most traditional homes in the area have a nice, cozy living room for winter and an open, light-filled one for summer. This house is by no means traditional and instead of offering two different living rooms for summer and winter, it instead offers three rotating rooms that can be open to the sun and wind or closed up against the harsh winters. The central structur is open, allowing the natural light from the glass ceiling and the open front windows to fill the whole home with a warm glow all year round.

See more pictures of the brilliant structure at Homes and Hues: The House That Changes As the Day Progresses

A good conference table should impress people while intimidating them so you can always get the upper hand. This Boeing 747 engine coffee table is certain to do both. 

The one-of-a-kind item was created by MotoArt, but if it's just too big for your needs, they do have a coffee table available that is made with the much smaller DC-9 engine. Of course, if cost is a factor, the items probably aren't right for you, given that the prices are only available by inquiry.

See more pictures of the uniquely item at Homes and Hues: Your Ideas Can Take Off With This Jumbo Jet Conference Table

When a client tells an architect they need a stairway and also want to have a sculpture in the same area of the house, most designers would try to create a staircase that could work around the sculpture. Arquitectura en Movimiento Workshop asked, why not have "a staircase that would actually be the sculpture?"

The end result truly is a work of art. Granted, it's not the kind of staircase you'll want in a home where older folks or kids could easily tumble over and slide right off the top step -but then, you probably also wouldn't want to put a priceless sculpture where a bunch of kids are likely to climb all over it.

See more pictures of the unique design at Homes and Hues: Wave "Hello" to the Flowing Forms of This Stunning Staircase

Any real bookworm knows all you really need in life are a comfy place to sit and a few dozen good books to read. With the Bibliochaise, you can have both at once. This cool bookcase/chair can hold up to 300 books and it's even built on wheels so you can roll it around to get easier access to the books on the backside. 

Read more about the clever design at Homes and Hues: The Perfect Reading Chair for the Avid Reader

Do you have a handy streak in you? Then why pay money for home furnishings when a number of projects are not only incredibly simple, but also inexpensive and attractive. Over on Homes and Hues, we compiled a list of ten simple and great-looking DIY furniture projects for you to try at home.

If you've never even been able to install a shelf by yourself, you probably still won't be able to do these, but if you're experienced with power tools and have a little experience working with either wood or metal, there's likely to be something you can do.

See the full list over at Homes and Hues: 10 Pieces of Furniture You Can Easily Build Yourself

If this house looks familiar to you, that's probably because you've seen it in numerous movies, commercials, music videos and more. It was most prominently featured in the 1987 Robert Downey Jr. film Less Than Zero. Now this heavily-filmed home can be yours for a cool $7.5 million.

While that sounds like a lot, consider both that it is a mansion in LA and that it is one of the early works of famed architect John Lautner and the first of his homes to use monolithic concrete, which later became part of his signature style. The home also features one of the first infinity pools and a cantilevered driveway that was so groundbreaking that the city insisted on witnessing a stress test before approving the structure for use. 

Check out more pictures and more information about the stunning house at Homes and Hues: You Won't Feel Less Than Zero In This Glamorous House

If you've been following Homes and Hues and Neatorama, you might remember our post featuring 18 Geek Chic Bedspreads, Comforters and Duvet Covers. To celebrate Homes and Hues getting 1000 followers on Facebook, we've partnered with Cafe Press to giveaway a few of the great bedspreads we featured in that geeky bedspread article. You can pick any of their designs and get them in any size -and that's not all! You can also win a NeatoShop tee shirt of your choice and a messenger bag, cell phone cover or tee shirt of your choice as well!

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This couch isn't really ugly, but it's not the best-looking sofa I've ever seen. That being said, it's pretty much the best couch you could hope to have in a small space. That's because you can pull on the arms and turn one sofa into three pieces of furniture -a small bed, a chaise lounge and an armchair.

If you don't want to have a ton of furniture taking up space but wish you could have seating when you have people over here and there, it's the ultimate solution.

Learn more about the design over at Homes and Hues: One Couch With Four Seating Options