Dear Readers: This time of year can be busy and fun for us and for our pets. We decorate with corn stalks, apples, hay bales and all sorts of gourds and pumpkins to reflect harvest time and the beautiful fall season.

The majority of these items are considered nontoxic and safe if ingested by our pets; however, if you find your pet has ingested something and you’re not sure if it’s poisonous, it’s best to not take any chances.

There’s an app for that! The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) sponsors the Animal Poison Control Center’s (APCC) free mobile app. It identifies 300+ common toxins, advises you on how serious the problem is and helps you determine the next steps you should take.

Search “APCC ASPCA” in your app store. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center phone number is 888-426-4435. — Heloise

THAWING ROAST

Dear Heloise: When I pull a roast out of the freezer to thaw, I put it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. If it’s on an upper shelf, raw juices can drip down onto other items in the fridge. — Cathy E. in Iowa

UNPLANNED, NOT REALLY

Dear Heloise: I’m tired of hearing the phrase “an unplanned litter of puppies or kittens.” If you didn’t spay or neuter your pet, you’ve essentially planned for this litter. — Brett W. in Texas

DRY ERASE USE

Dear Heloise: I have another way to remove a permanent marker from glass. Just go over the permanent marker writing with a dry erase marker and wipe with a clean cloth. It works! Thanks for all the great hints! — Debbie Fajnor, via email

MUSINGS FROM MARSHA

Dear Heloise: I read your column in the Villages Daily Sun. It has lots of good ideas. I’d like to add a few:

* I put a dryer sheet in an empty suitcase to keep it from smelling musty.

* If I don’t have much food in the freezer, I fill clean juice bottles part way with water and freeze. This can help keep the freezer from working too hard, and in a power outage, it keeps the food frozen longer.

* I never keep my house key with my car keys for safety.

* I use distilled water in my steam iron. It won’t clog.

* I do breast self-exams in the shower when I’m soapy. I can feel any anomalies. I was a mammography technician. — Marsha in Florida