Dear Annie: I have three kids and four bonus kids. They are all adults and living great lives. Most of them live in the same city as my husband and me. We want to downsize and move to a quieter town, but I don’t want to move far away from them. I like the connection of them coming for the ...

Valentine’s Day — the national holiday that commonly involves expressing heartfelt sentiments with heart-shaped boxes of chocolates — is upon us. Finding a fitting Valentine gift for your Significant Other can be problematic if you have been in a relationship for a long time. It’s ...

Dear Heloise: I read the letter someone sent you recently about saving water while brushing your teeth. It was a good idea, but there’s an even better one. Until I was about 14 or 15, we only had a bathtub. Dad finally put in a shower and a water softener. When I would let the water run ...

Dear Annie: When I was 4 years old, my father went to work one day and my mother’s “friend” came to visit us. We had a nice lunch; her friend showed me how he could make smoke rings with his cigarettes and could pull a quarter out of my ear. He bounced me on his knee and was so much fun. ...

Dear Heloise: Friends often call to tell me that they are closeby and want to drop by for a visit. Somehow my house always seems to be messy when they call. How can I get things in order quickly before the guests arrive? -- Terry D., Waukesha, Wisconsin Terry, take a look at your house from ...

Dear Annie: I’m knee-deep in a demanding job, and I absolutely love it. The problem is, I can tell my health is slipping. I’m not getting a lot of sleep, I rarely have time to hit the gym, and my meals usually consist of fast or frozen food due to time constraints. My body is starting to ...