DEAR HELOISE: My sister-in-law is trying to clear her home of clutter and has been saving used postage stamps to donate to charity. We were wondering if you have any information about doing this.
-- Sharon W., Omaha, Neb.
DEAR READER: Sharon, what a kind thing to do. There are a lot of my readers who do the very same. The American Philatelic Society would be happy to take your donation. Its mission, among other goals, is to promote stamp collecting and education.
Some hints for your donation: The APS accepts canceled and mint stamps. You may cut the stamps from the envelopes, but do not cut off the perforations. Mail your stamps to:
American Philatelic Society
Attn: Development Office
100 Match Factory Place
Bellefonte, Pa. 16823
Check out the website (stamps.org) to learn more about what the APS does through meetings, seminars and learning opportunities for kids. The site is easy to navigate and just filled with fabulous-looking stamps.
DEAR HELOISE: When a garbage truck picks up and flips a large trash receptacle, loose garbage flies everywhere, making a mess. Multiply that by all the containers, and it creates a monster mess.
Please encourage people to bag their garbage before throwing it into a big bin, and avoid throwing loose garbage into the bin. Small acts can lead to huge results.
-- Dave G., Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
DEAR READER: It is a Catch-22 situation. Yes, putting garbage in a bag first will keep trash from flying around. Yes, it will help keep things neat. However, plastic garbage bags may not break down in a landfill. Having lived in Hawaii as a young girl, I know how beautiful it is, so of course I want to help. You can buy biodegradable bags, and that's an upside. Read labels carefully. Many of these bags say they are compostable in a certified commercial or municipal compost facility, which means if they get in with the regular trash and end up in a landfill, they will not biodegrade.
DEAR HELOISE: I took a job as a camp nurse years ago. There were lots of young girls coming to the infirmary for treatment of insect stings, bites, etc.
I kept a cupcake pan filled with water in the freezer. It was so easy to put one "cube" in a plastic bag. I applied it to the affected area, and the girls went on their way. Just the right size, and great for pain and swelling.
-- Loretta J., R.N.,
Nanticoke, Pa.
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
HomeStyle on 05/23/2015