Hints From Heloise

Dear Heloise: I enjoy going to garage sales, but I get annoyed when I wait until the advertised time and find out they opened two hours early.

Some people make it a point to go earlier than the appointed time to garage sales. That way, they can purchase the best items before the sale starts.

This makes it difficult for those of us who wait until the advertised time to find good items as they have already been gone through by the “early birds.” - Louise Steger, Atlanta, Tex.

Dear Heloise: When you don’t have time to polish or clean your sneakers, use chalk to touch up dirt and stains. White chalk for white sneakers, colored chalk for different-colored sneakers.

If you’re artistic, you can blend different colors for odd-colored sneakers. - Mrs. Fisher, Albany, N.Y.