HINTS FROM HELOISE Look up at life!

DEAR READERS >> Today’s SOUND OFF is about the cellphone obsession that’s so present today.

“Dear Heloise: I was dining out with a friend recently, and she said: ‘Look around the restaurant. Nearly everyone is glued to their cellphone screen.’ It was true. There’s a time and place for everything, but in the company of friends, why do people feel the need to check their phones every two minutes?

“There’s a whole world out there waiting to be lived and discovered, but if you have your eyes and attention glued to a tiny screen half the time, you’ll miss an important part of life. You’ll drive away friends and family who wonder why your social media account was so much more important to you than they were.

“According to the National Safety Council, texting while driving causes over 1 million accidents each year. And talking on a cellphone while driving is equally dangerous because your attention is not on your driving.”

— Meghan in Florida

DEAR READERS >> Here are some new uses for things around the house:

• Removing silk out of corn on the cob? Use a clean toothbrush.

• No shoe polish? Try a little vegetable oil to shine and clean shoes.

• Use a matchbox as a mini sewing kit.

DEAR HELOISE >> I hate the static cling we get here during the winter months. I discovered that if I rub a light, fast-absorbing lotion into my legs, my clothing won’t stick to them. I can even rub it over pantyhose and it works!

— June in Arizona

DEAR HELOISE >> My husband and I just got back from our honeymoon, and now I have to write my thankyou notes. Would it be all right to just send an email or text saying: “Thanks so much for your gift. I’m sure we’ll find it useful”? Short and sweet. My mother says it’s tacky, but I have about 210 thank-you notes to get out!

— Samantha B., Cedar Grove, N.J.

DEAR SAMANTHA B. >> Samantha, your mother is right. You can buy some inexpensive thank-you cards that look nice and are blank on the inside. Thank them for the gift by mentioning what they gave and how you will use it. If you were given money, for example, you might say: “Thank you for the gift of $75. It’ll go toward our new refrigerator fund.” Take your time, and the both of you can sit down and write a few every night. Try setting a goal; each of you could write 10 per day until you’re done, and you’ll be done in no time!

DEAR HELOISE >> I hate it when I buy a package of bacon and all the bacon sticks together. Is there any way to prevent this and make it easier to get out a couple of strips at a time?

— Jason V., Marion, Iowa

DEAR JASON V. >> Jason, to help the bacon not stick together, just roll the package into a long cylinder and wrap a rubber band around the package before you refrigerate it.

Write to Heloise at P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax 210-HELOISE; or email Heloise@ Heloise.com.