DO JUST ONE THING

• Lots of retailers now have convenient recycling bins for plastic shopping bags to be recycled. What many people don’t realize is this: You don’t have to bring back the specific retailer’s bags to recycle; you can bring back any store’s bags and deposit them in the bins.

Wife does not want to have children

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband wants to have a baby; I do not. Now, you’re probably thinking that we should’ve discussed this before we got married, but I don’t think either of us had a hard stance on the subject back then.

Alopecia areata triggered by immune response

Dear Doctors: I am a healthy 23-year-old woman. I started noticing extra hairs in my brush, and then my mom found two bald spots on the back of my head. I did a telehealth appointment and they said it’s alopecia areata. What is that? Does the hair ever grow back? Will it happen again?

Sister’s fender bender raises insurance

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister “Ruth” and I were both supposed to help a friend settle into her new home, but Ruth backed out after getting a lastminute invite to brunch. Our plans to help our friend had been scheduled long in advance.

I enjoy the gardens everyone else plants

Summer arrived suddenly. It was as if spring got shortchanged and we leapt from late winter into summer with nothing in between. I watched the gardeners wake with a start and begin tearing up their lawns and gardens with a fury, as if they had overslept and had to make up for lost time.

Family expects woman to pay sister’s expenses

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m a woman in my early 20s, just starting out in my career and trying to get my footing financially. My older sister, who’s in her late 20s, recently accepted a new job in Missouri and is planning to move soon, but she doesn’t have the money to make it happen.

DO JUST ONE THING

• Do you want to add houseplants to help beautify your home and purify the air? One option is to buy them at your local florist or home improvement center; another option is to get them totally free. The website Freecycle is like Craigslist, but without money ever changing hands for goods.

Parent doesn’t want son’s girlfriend on trip

DEAR HARRIETTE: My family and I are gearing up for our annual family vacation. My oldest child is in a relationship and has been badgering me about wanting to bring his girlfriend.

DO JUST ONE THING

• If you’ve purchased a new washing machine, listen up: Don’t use DIY laundry detergent for your machine. While handmade detergents are a good all-natural alternative, they have a tendency to clog modern-day washing machines.

Reader needs help conquering self-doubt

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my best friends came to town. We’ve known each other since college and have seen each other through a lot of chapters.I don’t feel like I’m in the best season of my life right now.