A gift of a thank-you
Dear Heloise: My husband and I have become godparents. Every birthday and Christmas, we remember these children with cards and gifts, but never receive any kind of ACKNOWLEDGMENT that they were even received. From the time the children were babies, we lived close enough to see them occasionally and could ask about the receipt of the gifts. Now we live states away, so we never know if the gifts are received. With email and phone calls being so accessible, I would consider that an acknowledgment. Please, parents, instill in your children a sense of responsibility when receiving gifts. — Would Like a Thank-You, via email
Well, this is the same comment I have printed over and over throughout many years! Take charge of your situation and call to see if the gift or card arrived. This does seem to be an age-old situation, too! Not much new. — Heloise
EASY TOAST
Dear Heloise: My husband wanted to toast his hard roll, and our oven was in use. He cut the roll and put it facedown on top of the toaster. In a short time, he had a perfectly toasted hard roll. — Marybeth Zampino, Neptune, N.J.
RUINED GAME TILES
Dear Heloise: I think you are my only hope. I just inherited an old letter-tiled board game and want to use the tiles in some crafts. I’d like to clean the tiles but don’t want to ruin them. Hope you can help! — Bev N., via email
We contacted the manufacturer of your game, and unfortunately, it is not recommended that you clean the old tiles, because they may be wood. Their only suggestion was to take a damp cloth (water only — no soap of any kind) and gently try to wipe away any dirt. It’s worth a try!
If you want to use the tiles for craft purposes, then put on your Heloise hat. Use a few drops of mild liquid detergent in a cup of water, dip in a microfiber cloth, wring out well, wipe and then use a clean, damp cloth to just test on one tile. — Heloise
COMBINATION-LOCK HINT
Dear Heloise: Every time I had a combination lock, I took a razor blade and nicked the numbers on the outer ridge of the tumbler. Then, for just other wear and tear (so no one would notice the nicks), I would bang on it with a hammer or hit it with a file or something so that the scratches I put in it looked as if they were wear and tear, and not purposeful. — Teague, via email
TENNIS SHOES
Dear Heloise: When I use tennis shoes to help fluff pillows in the dryer, I put each shoe in a clean white sock before adding the shoes to the dryer. No, the “clunking” isn’t as bad, and my pillows are fluffed in no time! Sweet dreams! — Fay in New York
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise(at)Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
(c)2011 by King Features Syndicate Inc.