HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: “Heartbroken in Texas” broke my heart with her request that her older pets be euthanized after her death. While I don’t want to see her pets placed in a shelter to live out their lives,arranging for their comfort and care with family members or friends is preferable to ending what could be many more quality,happy years for those pets.

  • Animal Lover in Alabama

DEAR READER: As a human who has been “owned” by many birds, ferrets, dogs and a cat or two, I understand your concern. But, in my reader’s eyes, I don’t think she meant that they should be put down right away. I think she just meant that when and if something happened to her, her pets would be taken care of. This is especially true about pets like parrots that can live 50 years or more, and house cats that can have a long life.

DEAR HELOISE: I save T-shirts that have an interesting design or color so I can reuse the cloth. If one of the T-shirt colors/designs fits well with a certain outfit, I cut a long, skinny strip and wrap it around a bangle bracelet. I find bangles cheap at discount stores, and can make higher-end-looking bracelets from them. Sometimes I wrap several bangles together.

  • Jennifer M. in Texas

DEAR READERS: A lot of gastrointestinal problems can happen when your dog or cat eats too quickly. This is especially true if you feed a pet only once a day. Check with your vet, of course, but two to three mealtimes, depending on your pet, may be a better schedule.

DEAR HELOISE: Several people I know are sensitive to the odors from the perfume samples in magazines and newspapers. Rather than throw them away, I put them in plastic zippered bags, then use them to put in the trash can to cover bad smells.

  • Vivian J., Lafayette, La.

DEAR READER: You can request a magazine without the inserts. Most publishers offer this option, so look in the magazine or go online to find the email address or phone number for customer service.

DEAR HELOISE: I had no idea what to do with my makeup brushes that were just thrown in a drawer. I found an old toothbrush holder I had stuck in a closet. The toothbrush holder now holds the brushes perfectly, while keeping them within easy reach.

  • Jessica H. in Tennessee Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio,Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email [email protected]

HomeStyle, Pages 40 on 04/12/2014

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