Breaking News

Send boxes ahead of a vacation

Dear Heloise: What’s the easiest and cheapest way to send clothes ahead of a trip instead of checking bags? — Dee, via email Dee, sending a little box ahead to your destination can really cut down on travel headaches. Keep it to just what you’ll actually need and pack it up in a sturdy ...

Missing the sisterhood beneath the scorekeeping

Dear Annie: My sister and I grew up sharing everything: clothes, secrets, bedrooms, even blame when one of us broke something in the house. For most of my life, she was my first phone call and my safest place to land. But in the last few years, something has changed. Every conversation with ...

Try this solution on garden plants

Dear Heloise: There’s an old recipe that my great grandfather used to use in his garden, and it made everything grow quickly and in abundance. It was lost for a long time, but we found the recipe in an old book that he once owned. I used it for the first time this past year, and my vegetable ...

Teen’s cold shoulder leaves mom feeling shut out

Dear Annie: My 15-year-old daughter and I used to be extremely close. She was the kind of child who would climb into the car after school and tell me everything before I even pulled out of the parking lot: who sat with whom at lunch, what her teacher said, which friend was mad at which friend ...

Handling plastic produce labels

Dear Heloise: How can I deal with plastic produce labels that won't break down in compost? -- Gordon C., in Corona, California Gordon, these stickers cause a lot of trouble for anyone who composts. Plastic fruit labels refuse to decompose, so you'll find them scattered in your finished ...

Prepping for the next morning

Dear Heloise: Before I go to bed, I spend about 3 minutes preparing for the next morning. I set up the coffee maker, put anything that I need to take with me by the door, and leave out anything I’ll need on the counter rather than tucking it away in a cabinet. It isn’t a dramatic change, ...