LITTLE ROCK — DEAR HELOISE: I read your column and the mention of cakes baked in coffee cans is an excellent hint. I’ve been sending parcels weekly to military personnel for seven years, and now I’ve affiliated with Adopt-a-Chaplain. org as a means to provide support to those who need a little extra help. The treats most commented on lately have been the powdered-sugar doughnuts (individually packaged, easy to carry and a taste of home). Other items that are appreciated are music CDs and DVDs of TV shows and movies, popcorn, jerky, gum, coffee, tea and cocoa. The U.S. Postal Service has special flat-rate boxes at reduced rates for mailing to APO or FPO addresses.
All the snacks are distributed and encourage men and women to stop by to chat in a nonthreatening environment about the issues affecting them.
- Vaughn W. Henry, Springfield, Ill.
DEAR HELOISE: I am writing in regard to a reader who nearly had a mishap while doing laundry. I have been lucky not to fall, but those laundry dryer sheets are very dangerous. They do tend to fall on the floor when you are unloading the dryer, and they can be missed.
- Nancy Levine, via e-mail
DEAR READER: Dryer sheets contain fabric conditioners that are oily, and yes, they can be slippery. You canuse the dryer sheet to wipe down the washer and occasionally clean the lint trap.
DEAR HELOISE: I buy cat litter in the bucket-type containers. After they are empty, I use them for dry cat food, dog food, birdseed and leftover fertilizer for my lawn. The lids come in different colors, and I label them with the contents so I can tell at a glance what’s inside.
- Lena, via fax Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail
Style, Pages 34 on 12/29/2009