Passport particulars
DEAR READERS >> Are you applying for a new PASSPORT? You’ll need the following:
• A DS-11 application — the post office should have it.
• A fee of $110, plus a $35 execution fee.
• Your original (certified) birth certificate and a photocopy of the front and back of it.
• A picture ID, such as a driver’s license — copy it front and back.
• A (color) photo of you for the passport.
It will take four to six weeks to get your passport. For more detailed information, call 877-487-2778, or email NPIC (at) state.gov.
ROACHES BEGONE!
DEAR HELOISE >> If you want to rid your house of cockroaches, use bay leaves. Place bay leaves in places where you’ve seen these insects. Change out the leaves every other month. This method has never failed me.
— Rose S., Terre Haute, Ind.
DEAR HELOISE >> My walk-in closet smells terrible. I keep my laundry and my gym shoes in there. How do I get rid of that funky smell?
— Vernon D., Long Beach, Calif.
DEAR VERNON D. >> Vernon, get an empty plastic container, such as a margarine tub or a container like that with a lid. Mix a box of baking soda with 3 to 4 teaspoons of your favorite spice (allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon work well for this project) and put it in the plastic container. Put the lid on the container and poke several holes in the lid, then place the container in your closet. This should help to kill those odors. If you like this simple solution and would like to know how this inexpensive, environmentally friendly product can make cleaning and freshening your home fast and easy, get my pamphlet Heloise’s Baking Soda Hints and Recipes. To receive a copy, send $5, along with a stamped (71 cents), self-addressed, long envelope, to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Or you can order it online at Heloise.com. FYI: To keep pet odors under control, sprinkle baking soda on your pet’s bedding between washings, and also in your cat’s litter box, then add the litter.
DEAR HELOISE >> With cold weather approaching, I thought I’d share this hint: Men who work in cold weather know pantyhose will help keep their legs warm.
— Mike A., Lake Isabella, Calif.
DEAR HELOISE >> I love iced coffee all year long, probably because I live in a very warm climate. The way I make it, the drink comes out sort of thick and very tasty.
I make a pot of coffee and pour it into a large measuring cup. Then I add sugar and cream to taste. I pour that into icecube trays and freeze, and when I want my iced coffee, I put the ice cubes in a blender until it’s sort of half frozen and half liquid. It tastes wonderful.
— Shirley H., Key West, Fla.
DEAR HELOISE >> If you have cabinets that don’t reach the ceiling and there is dust on top, place newspaper on the top of the cabinets. This is especially effective in the kitchen, where there’s often grease with the dust. People won’t be able to see the newspaper, and it makes cleaning so much easier. You also can go to a dollar store and buy cheap place mats that you can wash or toss out.
— Nicole W., Meridian, Miss.
Write to Heloise at P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax 210-HELOISE; or email Heloise@ Heloise.com.