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Hoarding ruined my marriage

Dear Annie: Eight years ago, it felt like I had a mental breakdown trying to deal with all the clutter coming in our house. I told this to my wife, but her reply was to justify why she needed everything. Meanwhile, my frustration turned from anger to rage, and I started throwing things and ...

Create a tower cake using donuts

Dear Heloise: I have a fun suggestion for kids’ birthdays. Most kids only want frosting on a birthday cake, so I made a “tower cake” by using donuts. Just purchase a variety of donuts (about a dozen) and create a tower with them. Candles can easily be poked into them and be lit. It costs ...

A mother-in-law’s criticism could do more harm than good

Dear Annie: My son recently got married. My new daughter-in-law used to dress so cute. She always had makeup on and her hair done. But nowadays, she dresses like a slob. There are days I swear she doesn't brush her hair. She's told me herself that her mom has said to her, "What's wrong with ...

Repelling squirrels from birdseed

Dear Heloise: My husband enjoys feeding birds. We also have a lot of squirrels. The squirrels used to climb up the pole and eat the birdseed. So, he put a slinky on the pole, and the squirrels won’t climb up the pole anymore. Problem solved! — Margaret, in Griffith, Indiana BATHROOM ...

Peace and quiet comes at a price

Dear Annie: I'm 26 and sharing an apartment with two roommates who make my home life miserable. There's constant noise, passive-aggressive notes and one of them regularly invites people over late on weeknights (plus, they usually make dinner without cleaning up). I work long hours and need a ...

Teaching kids how to prep and host

Dear Heloise: The best activity for kids before a holiday meal is having them help in preparing it. This is how they’ll learn how to prep for a big celebration, which is the only way to learn how to do anything. Of course, the work must be geared to each kid’s level of ability, and some ...