Honeymoon helpers?
Dear Readers: Today’s Sound Off concerns wedding gifts:
Dear Heloise: I recently attended the wedding of a friend’s daughter, and since they made no bones about wanting cash for their honeymoon, I gave them $100.
“I was told that asking people to fund a honeymoon is now the new normal for couples getting married. Am I out of step with modern weddings?”— W., New Braunfels, Texas
Brandi, we’ve had several letters on this new trend of couples asking for money for their honeymoon. Readers, what would you do if you were asked to give money for a couple’s honeymoon?— Heloise
HOUSEWARMING GIFT HINTS
Dear Heloise: Whenever someone I know moves into a new house, I always give the person a housewarming gift. Over the years, I’ve found that some items are really appreciated more than others because of their usefulness. Things such as a hand cart, a gift certificate to a home-improvement store or hardware store, a set of screwdrivers, or even small items such as a flashlight or a basket of energy-efficient light bulbs are a huge help to people when they move.— Judy T., Kingman, Ariz.
Judy, these are excellent suggestions. When you move, you may realize you need more light bulbs than you did in your old place, along with shower curtain rings, a hammer or many other items.— Heloise
FAST FACTS Dear Readers: Here are some other uses for old newspapers:
Cut into narrow strips to use in mice and hamster cages.
Use as packing material.
Cut into smaller pieces and place in a compost pile.
Place on the ground, wet with water from a hose, then cover with soil or gravel to keep weeds from coming up.
—Heloise
FISHING FOR NEEDLES AND THREAD
Dear Heloise: Want a perfect sewing basket for all of your sewing supplies and loose buttons? Use a fishing tackle box. It’s perfect for your scissors, threads, thimbles and more.—Patsy K., Little Creek, Del.
Patsy, great idea! And the next letter has another useful sewing hint.— Heloise
THIS HINT IS ‘SEW’ CLEVER
Dear Heloise: If you use a bar of soap with the wrapper on it as a pincushion, it not only will hold a lot of pins, but the soap also will actually lubricate the needles, making them slide easily through various fabrics.— Meghan P., Latrobe, Pa.