Hints From Heloise: Declutter before downsizing

July 1, 2026

Dear Heloise: My husband and I have plans to move to our vacation home after we retire. We're going through this large house of ours and sorting through all of our belongings one room at a time. Our three daughters are helping because it'll offer them a chance to take many things that have been handed down in our family. If they don't want the fine china, the good silverware, or the candlesticks that my grandmother brought over from Italy, then these items will be sold or given away. I warned them that this is the last chance they have to take valuable things home. If they don't, there ...

Dear Annie: Missing the magic of family Christmases

June 30, 2026

Dear Annie: My husband and I are in our 70s, and although our adult children live nearby, they rarely visit us. It is always considered "more convenient" for us to go to them. For years, I decorated our home from top to bottom for Christmas. I loved the tree, the lights and the feeling that ...

To Your Good Health: Addressing factitious disorder, aka Munchausen syndrome

June 30, 2026

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you address Munchausen syndrome and how to treat a person who might have it? What causes the constant talk about real or imagined illnesses, and is there a treatment for it? -- Anon. ANSWER: Factitious disorder, sometimes called Munchausen syndrome after the 18th ...

Hints From Heloise: Prying open nail polish bottles

June 30, 2026

Dear Heloise: To open a bottle of nail polish that's stuck, place a cup of water in the microwave for 1 minute. Then remove the cup from the microwave and place the bottle inside of the cup. Wait about a minute and remove. Presto! -- Marty R., via email TINY HOLES IN T-SHIRTS Dear Heloise: ...

Dear Annie: Promotion creates distance between best friends at work

June 29, 2026

Dear Annie: My best friend, "Ashley," and I have worked at the same marketing agency for three years. We started on the same day, bonded over bad coffee, and we have been inseparable ever since. We have lunch together almost every day and text constantly. We have even taken a few vacations ...

To Your Good Health: Leg cramps and digit spasms occur due to lactose intolerance

June 29, 2026

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 74-year-old woman who's quite healthy (I am active and don't take any medications), but I have a history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Recently, I experienced bad-smelling gas, leg cramps, and finger and toe spasms. I quit eating milk products, and my symptoms ...