Dear Heloise: We have a lot of kids in our family, so when we all get together I knew I had to find something to keep the little ones busy. I went to a wallpaper store and got one of their old wallpaper books. When the kids come, I let them have a huge box of crayons, felt markers and colored pencils and the wallpaper book, and they stay busy for hours. This keeps them at a picnic table where we can keep an eye on them and they aren’t under foot in the kitchen. — Heather L., Colorado Springs

Dear Heloise: What can be done with old mink coats, jackets, stoles and collars? Some are over 50 years old but still in relatively good condition, except for a few spots. Can they be sold, donated or repurposed? — Anne D., Canton, Ohio

Anne, yes, if you contact a company or store that handles fur coats, they can tell you where to either donate your old furs or help you refashion them into something more modern. There are charities that take old furs and make teddy bears or other stuffed animals and sell them for a worthy cause. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I daily read and enjoy your helpful hints column in our daily Latrobe Bulletin.

However, I often forget a gem that I truly wanted to remember. So I bought a small, inexpensive photo album and cut out and keep all of the items I want for the future in the see-through pages. I keep the book handy and refer to it often. — Nancy G., Derry, Pa.

Dear Heloise: To recycle plastic dry-cleaning bags and plastic bags that bedspreads, blankets and sheets come in, I cover my seasonal decorations and hang them on a rack in the basement. This way I know at a glance what I have and what I need. — Rosemary, Austintown, Ohio

Dear Heloise: Most tailgaters will back off if you tap your brakes a few times, but sometimes even that won’t work. If that doesn’t, I use my emergency flashers and slow down a little. This usually does the job of getting a tailgater to back off. — Kevin F., Omaha, Neb.