Heloise

Dear Heloise: I use a serrated grapefruit spoon to spoon out the seeds from squash. It really gets them out easily. — Nancy K., in Amsterdam, New York

DON’T FORGET!

Dear Heloise: I live in a two-story home and have a spare fridge in the garage for the “overflow.” I keep a pad of sticky notes in the kitchen. Whenever I need something from the lower level, I write the item on a note and stick it to one of the glass panels om the french door that leads downstairs. (No marks are left on the glass.) There’s no more forgetting what I needed, and it helps limit the up-and-down stair trips.

If you don’t have a convenient door, stick the notes on the fridge. Pull them off and take them upstairs with you. No second trips are needed for forgotten items. — Laurel T., in Branchburg, New Jersey

IDENTIFYING MEDICATIONS

Dear Heloise: I agree with Shirley about her method of preparing her meds. I do this as well, but I also glue one pill on the top of the medicine bottle so that I can identify it quickly. I love your hints in the Midland Reporter-Telegram. — Euda Lee K., in Texas

NO MORE RAISINS

Dear Heloise: As a dental hygienist, I would not encourage raisins as a healthy snack for anyone, especially children. Raisins are concentrated sugar and very sticky. They adhere to tooth surfaces and tend to stay put for long periods of time, which sets up the teeth for decay.

When looking for a healthy snack for kids, I would say anything that dissolves quickly beats raisins! How about a popsicle? — Susan L., via email

GETTING RID OF GREASE

Dear Heloise: When I fry something, I drain the grease in a used takeout coffee cup because I recycle cans. Then when I’m done with the pan, I add some water, heat it up to loosen any bits that are stuck-on, and use a spatula to scrape and drain it into the coffee cup. Then I wipe the pan with a paper towel. No grease goes down the drain.

I store the cup in the freezer until it’s full and throw it in the trash on trash day. I read you in the Rutland Herald. — Mem S., in Clarendon, Vermont

A NICE SCENT

Dear Heloise: I have a dog, and when I vacuum, the smell can be nasty. Now I put a small amount of laundry-scented booster beads in the dirt bin, and it smells wonderful.

With the dog, my wooden floors get scratched; to make the scratches less noticeable, I use shoe polish that I apply with a toothbrush. I clean excess polish with a cloth. I enjoy your column in the San Antonio Express-News. — Maria Teresa B., in San Antonio,

Maria Teresa, there are also small kits to color in scratches on wooden floors. Depending on which you prefer, there are felt-tipped pens or pens that are more wax-tipped. Either one is easy to use and can usually be found in hardware stores. — Heloise

911 CALLS

Dear Heloise: I wish an alternative had been offered when a reader, in California, complained about “nuisance” calls to the 911 dispatcher. When a nonemergency number isn’t offered, of course people will call 911. — Francille R., via email

Francille, when you say a “non-emergency,” I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but under no circumstances should anyone call a 911 operator if it’s not an emergency. In fact, many states now hand out a stiff fine for calling an operator for frivolous questions that can be looked up someplace else. — Heloise

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Heloise@Heloise.com