Commercial Workouts

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:

* The beach, to organize pebbles and seashells.

* Sorting nails, screws, washers, etc.

* Filling with condiments for a picnic.

* Holding mini hair clips, scrunchies, earrings, etc.

* Organizing coins at a garage sale.

-- Heloise



DONATING ITEMS

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

PORTABLE SALAD BAR

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.