photo by darinhercules

DEAR SARA: I read a tip that suggested strapping your purse’s handle into the shopping cart (the infant belt) when shopping. The idea is that women wouldn’t get their purses stolen. I thought this was a good idea. What do you think? — Sandi, Utah

DEAR SANDI: Thieves will find a way to steal even if you take the best preventive measures. If you leave your purse unattended, anyone could still reach in and grab your wallet — or take the entire cart! I understand the concept of this extra step, but I think it’s best not to carry a purse at all, or just to carry the bare minimum of necessities in a pocket. My concern with your tip is that a thief might approach you in the parking lot and became agitated while the purse is still attached to the cart. Although some criminals might take off without the purse, others might become violent. Your safety comes first. Protecting yourself is the priority.

DEAR SARA: I used to collect teacups and have quite a few. I’d like to find a more serviceable way to use some of them, but I don’t drink tea! I’ve used a few as planters. Any other ideas? — Kim M., via e-mail

DEAR KIM: Invert a teacup and glue the bottom of a saucer to it. Then add a candle on top of the saucer. You can make a bird feeder, too: You’ll need a two- to three-foot length of 1/2-inch copper tubing, an end cap, cup and saucer, epoxy glue, birdseed and cutters. Cut the copper tubing to the length you want the feeder to be. Glue the cup and saucer together. Glue the end cap to the bottom of the saucer. Insert tubing into the end cap. Let dry. Insert feeder into the ground and add the birdseed. You can also make a pincushion: Cut a circular piece of fabric about three times the diameter of the opening of the teacup; do a gathering stitch on the edge, place steel wool and fiber fill in the center, gather it closed and glue into the teacup.

DEAR SARA: My 2-year-old is driving me nuts when we go shopping! She won’t sit in the cart. If I try to keep her in the cart, she screams and has a loud fit. Ignoring the fit, starting to walk away, and verbal or physical redirection haven’t affected her in the least. I even tried bribing her with a treat, but she’s not old enough to wait until the checkout line for her reward. I’m not sure I want to start that pattern anyway. I can’t even walk and hold her hand. She will pull her hand away from mine, lie down on the floor and scream. — Amy, Ohio

DEAR AMY: I make as few long shopping trips with my kids as possible because they quickly get bored. I try to shop early when there’s less commotion; 2-year-olds can be a challenge because they want to push the cart, wander off and touch everything. It’s difficult to explain the ground rules to them, too. I bring small toys, snacks and drinks for the kids. I make sure they’re not tired and that they have eaten. I encourage good behavior by letting them see things they want to see, if they can hold it together, while I do a few things that I need to do. I let them help me grab items and praise and thank them for their help. It helps if the small children’s shopping carts are available. I warn the kids that if there’s bad behavior, we’ll leave. And if there is, I leave immediately.

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