She uses commercial times to get exercise

Dear Heloise: I can never seem to carve out 30-45 minutes straight three times a week to exercise.

My doctor told me that any exercise is better than zero exercise, and he had a great hint — he told me to get moving during commercials, so that’s what I did!

I bought a secondhand stationary bicycle and do three to five minutes every time my favorite TV show breaks. What usually ends up happening is that I stay on the bike for 15-20 minutes and end up watching the rest of the show from my bike seat.

We don’t have a lot of room in our living room, but I just wedged my bike behind the couch and a bookshelf. It’s almost like circuit training at a gym. Sue, via e-mail

Sue, you know my secret! I call it T.V.C. — television cleaning time. I can get a whole room clean (and get exercise) during a movie, especially if it’s on a cable channel! Heloise

Fast Facts

Dear Readers: Use muffin baking pans for:

UThe beach, to organize pebbles and seashells.

USorting nails, screws, washers, etc.

UFilling with condiments for a picnic.

UHolding minihair clips, scrunchies, earrings, etc.

UOrganizing coins at a garage sale. Heloise

Dear Heloise: In reply to your column on giving bonus-buy gift items to homeless or other shelters, I have this addendum:

I travel a lot for work and stay in a lot of different hotels. I save the bottles of shampoo and soaps that are provided and donate them to the local battered-person’s shelter.

Like you stated, people often leave a bad situation without much more than what is on their back. V.R., via e-mail

Folks, take a hint from Heloise and V.R., and donate usable items to shelters, which will really appreciate them. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I’ve been encouraged by family to share my “portable salad bar” hint, which comes in handy living in the Southwest, with our soaring temperatures.

I purchased a 36-inch infant’s blow-up pool and a round, plastic tablecloth to match the cloth on the buffet table.

I blew up the pool, put it on a serving table, placed the tablecloth over the pool to hide the designs and filled the pool with ice. Then I sank the large bowls of salads in the ice.

Other than putting out fresh bowls of food and keeping the ice refreshed, I did nothing else to attend to this table. Cleanup was a breeze! Linda Frasier, Kirkland, Ariz.

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: My Sound Off is for the people (men) who design and install women’s restrooms.

It is obviously men who do this, because every woman knows that toilet-paper holders should be placed higher than the height of a person’s knees who is sitting down!

I have bumped my knees more times than I can count. Ouch! Beth R., Port Allegany, Pa.

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate