HELOISE Kitchen maid can be made for guys, too

Dear Heloise: The day your article on the kitchen maid came out in our paper, a co-worker and I were trying to come up with an idea for a groom's shower gift. One of the gentlemen in our corporate office is getting married, and they were holding a "shower" for him. We wanted something more masculine. We saw the kitchen maid idea and thought, why couldn't we do something along that line? So, here is Mr. Honey Do!
We made him with tools, black electric tape and duct tape. His eyes are small rolls of black tape, his nose is steel wool, and his smile is a pair of pliers (opened). We included garden tools, seeds, hand cleaner, shop towels, plastic dropcloth, a rake for the head, 5-gallon bucket for the base, sprinklers, flashlight, bandana, tape measure, hammer and carpenter apron.
We had a blast putting him together and got so many compliments on him. Thanks for the article! Sue D., via e-mail
How clever! One reader complained that the kitchen maid is sexist, and your idea shows it can be used for guys, too!
Thanks for writing! Heloise
Dear Heloise: To make it easier for the security people at airports to inspect the contents of your bag and to keep it from being a mess after inspection, a little organizing can speed up the process.
Place like items in clear, plastic self-sealing bags that can easily be removed from the suitcase. Since the passenger is responsible for putting everything back, it will be quicker. I have been using this system for quite some time, and it makes packing and unpacking very easy. Emptied bags can also be used for dirty laundry on the trip home. Jan Hagedorn, Dallas
Dear Heloise: I read an article on a formula for killing weeds with vinegar and table salt. Do you have the formula, or is there something else you recommend that isn't toxic? J.H., via e-mail
The nontoxic solution for killing weeds and unwanted grass that grows up between steppingstones and sidewalks is plain old full-strength vinegar poured or sprayed directly where needed. It works wonders! For more safe, easy, money-saving cleanup hints using vinegar, send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (60 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5001. Now that the cold weather is gone, you can clean the brick around your fireplace by scrubbing with a brush dipped in full-strength vinegar. It will help clean those stubborn, sooty stains that accumulate after a season of wood-burning fires. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have found a great way to clean the grass from around the riding-mower deck -- I use a long-handled wooden back-scratcher that I purchased at a discount store.
The little fingers are perfect for pulling the grass from around the pulleys and belts (only when it's off! -- Heloise), and the long handle makes the job even easier. No more skinned knuckles. Regina, Stafford, Va.
King Features Syndicate