Helpful Hints

DEAR HELOISE: Thanks for the column about coping with a pet's blindness. Dogs are so adaptable! Our miniature dachshund was in her teens when she lost her hearing. Dogs usually are good at scrambling out of the way.

When you have a small dog who is not in your line of sight and she can't hear you coming, you might accidentally stumble on her. We put a bell on her collar. Even though she couldn't hear us, we could hear her and avoid an accident.

-- Carolyn T., Orange, Calif.

DEAR READER: Carolyn, thank you so much for sharing this with my readers. Our beloved pets do get older and have many age-related health issues, similar to humans. They do adapt rather quickly and "just get on with life," focusing on "Where is my chew toy?"

DEAR HELOISE: I recently purchased a used car for my daughter. There is a bumper sticker from the previous owner that we would like to remove. Do you have any hints on how to remove a stubborn sticker?

-- Dan in Texas

DEAR READER: Dan, sure do! There are a couple of methods to use. First, heat the sticker by using a hair dryer to warm and soften the adhesive. Start on one end and blow the hot air on one corner. Then gently lift the edge and begin peeling the sticker. Keep using the hair dryer as you go.

The second way is boiling water. Slowly pour the boiling water over the bumper sticker to loosen the adhesive. Again, begin lifting the sticker from a corner. Gently peel the sticker and get more boiling water as needed.

Once you remove the sticker, there still may be some adhesive left. If this is the case, you can remove the adhesive by spraying it with some prewash spray or lubricant and gently scrubbing. Be careful not to scratch the paint!

P.S.: You can put a bumper sticker that you like over the other one as a last resort.

DEAR HELOISE: One thing I made for my children was a hanging bag with 12 pockets. It holds a coat hanger so that the bag could hang on the back-seat coat hook in the car. Each pocket had a toy or treat that the kids were allowed to have each hour that we traveled. Simple items such as sports cards, gum, stickers, etc., made the distance seem shorter with the anticipation of what they would find in the next pocket.

-- J. Garner, Abilene, Texas

DEAR HELOISE: I frequently sell things through an online store. I take pictures of my receipts from the post office whenever I ship something. I send a copy of the receipt to the customer. I always have a copy in case I lose the tracking info, and the customer can be assured that I sent the product.

-- H.G., via email

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email

Heloise@Heloise.com

MovieStyle on 03/20/2015

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