Mirror made into message board

Dear Heloise: I inherited an old dresser mirror with age spots in the mirror's surface. Since it wasn't valuable, I decided to paint and crackle the wood frame surrounding it and add some coat hooks to the bottom. Also, I attached a piece of self-adhesive hook-and-loop tape and attached a dry-erase marker to the frame edge.
I put it on a wall near our back entry for hanging umbrellas, purses, hats, etc., and for writing messages. Although we've never developed the habit of writing messages there, our young teenage daughter and her friends do. Cindy in Kentucky
How ingenious! This is a great second life for an old mirror that's seen better days. Thanks for sharing. Heloise
Dear Heloise: If you are traveling with a companion and taking traveler's checks, each person should carry a list of the long serial numbers of the traveler's checks the other person has. If a wallet is stolen, the numbers of the traveler's checks will be in the companion's wallet.
If you're traveling alone, make sure an emergency contact has this information. K.H., Smithsburg, Md.
How right you are! Spreading the risk is the key to traveling safe. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have a 1-year-old and prefer using a wooden highchair for feeding time because it is easy to clean. However, my son kept sliding down in the seat, and it became quite difficult to feed him. I cut a square section of nonslip shelf liner and keep it on the seat of the highchair. He no longer slips and slides. Kelly, West Monroe, La.
That rubber-mesh shelf liner is so easy to keep clean, too! Just hand-wash in some soapy water, rinse and hang -- it dries quickly. Heloise
Dear Heloise: A few weeks before moving to a smaller house, I packed up things my children had left and mailed the items to them. I gave extra furniture, books, etc., to charitable organizations. Then, after unpacking at the new place, I flattened down the boxes and stored them in the basement until some of my neighbors were moving and were happy to take them. Doing this meant that I didn't have anything to throw away at my new destination. Betty in Virginia
Dear Heloise: When I am not going to be using my TV, VCR and cable remote controls for a while (especially while away from home), I store them facedown. It is much easier to keep them clean this way, instead of having to dust so often among all those tiny pushbuttons. L.N., Sugar Land, Texas
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