How does a ‘hint’ become a ‘hint?’
Dear Readers: Many of you often write wondering why SOME HINTS ARE CHOSEN and printed in the column and others are not. For a hint to be printed in my column, it must work (yes, I do test them), it must be safe, appeal to most readers and not have been printed recently.
Here’s how the week generally breaks down, with each day having a special feature:
Monday — Sound Off and Fast Facts
Tuesday — Consumer Connection
Wednesday — Heloise Kitcheneering and Food-Related Hints
Thursday — Classic Heloise
Friday — Travel Hint and Technology.
Saturday — Gardening, Home Improvement and Pet Pal. Saturdays used to be all-pet-related for many years. I asked my readers, “Do you want to keep it that way, or spread it throughout the week?” The response was that you love the pet hints but wanted them spread out.
Each newspaper may run the column differently. Some run it every day, while others run it only certain days of the week. I would love to see how it appears in your paper. Please send me the column (preferably the whole page) from your newspaper and include your name, address and the name of your paper. I will randomly pick 50 readers to receive a Heloise pamphlet. Can’t wait to hear from you! — Heloise
SEND A GREAT HINT TO:
Heloise
P.O. Box 795000
San Antonio, TX 78279-5000
Fax: 1-210-HELOISE
Email: Heloise@Heloise.com
BOOMING BOWL
Dear Heloise: Did you know that a glass or ceramic bowl can be used as an amplifier to listen to music on your smartphone? Place the phone in a clean bowl, and instantly you have a speaker. — A Reader in Iowa
TRAVEL HINT
Dear Heloise: My family loves to take road trips. Sometimes the kids get a little antsy, and we often hear “Are we there yet?” I have come up with a way to keep them entertained in the car. Before we leave, I pack “surprises” in plain brown lunch sacks and staple them closed. Surprises can be anything from a new toy to a book or a candy treat. Each sack is then labeled with a time: “10:30,” “11:30” and so on. At that time, the kids can open their surprise. They get so excited with anticipation, they forget how long we have been in the car. — A Reader in Alaska
HALLOWEEN
Dear Heloise: For Halloween this year, my kids are making their own treat buckets instead of buying them. We saved plastic ice-cream buckets with handles. After they are washed, we decorate them with markers and stickers or whatever else we can find. They can be used over and over, or the kids can make new ones each year. — Trina, via email