Dear Annie: My mother, who is now 62, has always been a dominant personality, keen on having things go her way. I’m 34, an independent graphic designer, and I pride myself on being self-sufficient and creative. But every time I share aspects of my life with her -- be it career choices, ...

day, try to do something good for the environment (i.e., recycling, not letting the water run). Or try doing something good for somebody else (giving a compliment or holding the door open for someone). Then do one good thing for yourself without guilt, like reading five pages from your favorite ...

Dear Annie: My friend “Emily” and I go way back to our college days, when we used to share absolutely everything with each other -- the good, the bad and the ugly. She recently got a promotion at work (she works for a well-known accounting firm), something I know she’s been dreaming of ...

My wife recently had a purse emergency. We were staying at a hotel in a distant city when she noticed that her current purse was, as she put it, “shot.” I examined the thing and told her that that it seemed perfectly functional to me. “Men!” she exclaimed. “They don’t notice ...

Dear Annie: I had been in a wonderful relationship with an incredible woman for two years and 10 months. She recently broke up with me because I had not discussed my personal finances with her. I am a private person and have a difficult time opening up. My reasoning behind not discussing my ...

Dear Heloise: I just read one more hint about what to do with leftover slivers of hand soap. I have a suggestion: Just throw it away, since it’s worth maybe a dime? Get liquid hand soap instead. It is way more sanitary than those bars of soap that either harden and crack in the soap dish or ...