Dear Heloise: We were invited to a birthday party for a family friend. The invitation read: “No gifts, please.” Of course, a few guests always bring gifts and embarrass those who did not.
I solved the problem by enclosing in her card a handmade certificate for “Dinner With the Renningers.” The honoree was to name the place and time. She asked whether I would make a home-cooked meal for her. I did, and we had a wonderful time talking about the good old days.
Last month, we were invited to a “No gifts, please” 50th-wedding-anniversary party.I enclosed another handmade gift certificate, and we enjoyed dinner at the couple’s favorite restaurant. We talked about how they met and where they had lived before they met us.— Charlotte Renninger, Newton Hamilton, Pa.
Dear Charlotte: What a brilliant idea, and no one but the recipient is the wiser. The approach sure beats an oddball gift or another scented candle.
Dear Heloise: When using a sticky note for a small reminder, write at the bottom. Then, when the reminder is completed, you can cut it off and use the note again. — Mark in Waco, Texas
Dear Heloise: In response to the reader who had trouble hearing dialogue over music on TV shows, we watch television with the closed captioning turned on. We do this because our hearing is getting worse, but the closed captioning can easily be turned on and off whenever anyone has trouble understanding the dialogue. — Holly in Chesapeake Beach, Md.
Dear Heloise: I use inexpensive zippered bank bags in my car to store trash. I grab the bag from the pocket in the car door, unzip it, drop whatever waste is in it, then zip it and drop it back in the pocket. I bought five of these bags online for about $10. I even found them in gray to match my interior.— Jeremy Larson, via email
Dear Heloise: I went to the pharmacy to pick up a new prescription; my usual cost per prescription is $7 to $21. I was charged $23 and told the clerk that a mistake must have been made. The clerk checked it out, and, sure enough, it was an error. I should have been charged only $7.
My hint: Write the cost of each prescription on the label when you pick up the medication. Take the label with you when picking up the next refill. By doing so, you will be able to verify the cost and question it if it turns out different. — Bob, via email
Dear Heloise: I was looking for practical and comfortable dining-room chairs. I found the perfect solution in an office-supply store. I bought four brown-leather, low-backed office chairs. They can be raised or lowered, depending on the guest. They have arms, can swivel and — best of all — are on casters and roll out for vacuuming.— J.M. in New Hampshire
Heloise answers letters only in her King Features Syndicate column. Write her at P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; or send a fax to 210-HELOISE.
Heloise@Heloise.com
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