Trending
DEAR HELOISE: Recently, you published a comment and question about someone who needed help getting into and out of a bathtub. But after they checked the prices for tubs that you can walk into, they decided not to consider this and figure out a different way to bathe.
My mother has always been someone one takes a bath and dislikes showers. She started to have difficulty getting in and out of the tub, until a sibling suggested a tub lift. It's a chair that goes inside the tub with flaps that slide easily over the side of the tub.
It has a simple remote that allows one to lower and lift themselves in and out of the tub. So, there's no need to try to stand in the tub to get up or crawl over the side of the tub -- you can just slide your legs out of the tub.
My mother has been using such a unit for over 10 years and just has to recharge the control by simply disconnecting it from the chair, grabbing it, and replacing it gently after it's been charged. This has allowed her to retain independence and privacy.
-- Tim M., via email
DEAR HELOISE: We like variety in our home, but not everyone likes the same thing. For example, I just counted 13 different cereals in our kitchen cabinet. These take up a lot of room, so when they're about half full, I trim the boxes down to about half their size. Often, this ends up cutting off the "best if used by date."
Anticipating this, whenever I buy a new product (not just cereal but salad dressing, condiments, lunch meat, etc.), I mark the container with the date that it was purchased. This has saved me a lot of time wondering whether the item is old or if it should be tossed in the trash.
Also, whenever I put leftovers or bulk items in the freezer, I always mark the date on the container with a label or marking pen.
-- Glenn, in Simi Valley, California
DEAR HELOISE: Recently, there was a letter about the name of a Canadian apple. I'm pretty sure it's the Lobo. I only know it's a Canadian apple because it was part of a question at a Trivia night that I attended, and no one got right!
The Lobo apple is a cold-hardy Canadian apple cultivar derived from an open-pollinated McIntosh seedling. Known for its bright red skin, white flesh, and pleasant subacid flavor, it's widely grown in northern and eastern European orchards due to its strong winter resistance.
-- Kendra T., via email