HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I drive a popular brand of car in a generic white color. Whenever I would go anywhere, it always seemed as though I had a problem finding my car, and this was especially OPINION true at the grocery store. To solve this dilemma, I started to back into a parking space, memorize my license plate number and/or only park in one general area of the parking lot. It’s saved me a lot of embarrassment by not having one of the bag boys help me find my own car.

— Robin W., Ann Arbor, Mich. DEAR HELOISE: We had wild ducks that used to fly over our property and often land in our pool. We had duck droppings in the water, which meant we had to drain and clean the pool a couple times a year. That resulted in a very large water bill. Then one day I left a large, white swan-shaped float in the pool, and the wild ducks no longer came to our yard. Now we always leave something in the pool to discourage the birds from landing. Duck droppings are gone.

— Trisha P., via email DEAR HELOISE: Last winter we had some very cold nights, and I thought I always felt a slight draft of chilly air in my bedroom. After a search, I discovered that the draft was coming from the two windows in the bedroom that didn’t fit properly to the window on the bottom. Somehow cold air was coming in. So I took a pair of pantyhose, cut both legs off and stuffed them with extra fabric that I had. I tied off the opening and placed one on each window ledge to block the draft. As a temporary solution it works. No more cold drafts.

— Carla B., Buffalo, N.Y. DEAR HELOISE: I always start my Christmas shopping early. I store gifts away in a closet in the guest room. I’ve found that one of the best gifts I can give someone who is hard to shop for is a date book for the coming year. This way they can write down all of their appointments, take notes, and some even have a place for phone numbers that we need when we’re away from home.

I hate to give someone something they’ll have to dust or store in a closet. A date book, however, is useful for busy people or those who have multiple doctor appointments.

— Jennifer T., Scranton, Pa.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com

HELOISE