The New York Daily News called her "the high priestess of household hints." The Christian Science Monitor acknowledged she's "still the nation's dragon slayer of household tasks," and USA Today dubbed her "household hints tipster extraordinaire." Working Woman magazine says, "...there'll always be a market for practical advice, whether you read it in the paper or download it to your hard drive." As author of the internationally popular column, "Hints from Heloise," she's undoubtedly the world's most famous name in lifestyle management.

Heloise, whose seven-days-a-week column is syndicated to more than 500 newspapers in 20 countries, has written 11 books, which have sold millions of copies. She is contributing editor and writes a monthly column for Good Housekeeping magazine ("The Heloise Help Line"), and she has her own "Ask Heloise" syndicated call-in radio show on the Liberty Broadcasting Network. A frequent guest on network and local talk shows, she is also a star attraction at conventions and on the lecture circuit. Heloise also devotes considerable time and energy on behalf of charitable organizations, making frequent appearances for battered-women's shelters, the USO and the American Heart Association.

In 1991 the National Mental Health Association honored her with its first Mental Health Mission Award for her outstanding contribution to mental health education of the public through her column. Other awards include Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Women in Communications Headliner Award.

Heloise grew into her role as a columnist at the knee of her legendary mother, who began writing the first "Hints from Heloise" for the Honolulu Advertiser in 1959. Heloise (the daughter) quickly learned how to tackle problems that are common to everyday households and, while yet in her teens, worked full-time during summer vacations on the increasingly popular column. Although she had set out to teach math, she decided after graduating from Southwest Texas State University in 1974 that writing "Hints from Heloise" was what she really wanted to do. And when her mother died in 1977, she took over the column full-time.

Today the high-flying Texan shares her life with her husband, David, a plumbing contractor who was one of the country's first commercial hot-air balloonists. While Heloise loves ballooning, she keeps her feet on the ground in every other way. She remains unspoiled by her own international fame, and takes media attention with "a whole box of salt." Heloise also enjoys spending time with her beloved animals, Cabbie, a miniature schnauzer, and Rocky, a military macaw.

Heloise's home in San Antonio doubles as her base of operations. She has five full-time assistants who sort and file the thousands of hints received from her readers each month. Her staff helps research and test new hints before they are suggested to Heloise's vast audience through her columns. When mail runs especially heavy (as it frequently does), the regular office staff is supplemented by as many as six part-time workers.

People magazine called her "the world's best-known housekeeper," and even though she wears the title well, she still says, "I'm not a fanatical housekeeper like most people may think. My philosophy is always to pick up the big chunks and keep things neat. No one is going to look inside your oven, heaven forbid! If they do, they deserve what they find!"

• Heloise's 5-point Plan for Controlling Clutter and Chaos
  
• Heloise's Hints from Heart-Health and Wellness
  
• Heloise's Hints for Recycling, Reuse and Energy Conservation
  
• The Story Behind Heloise: A lesson for Women in Business
  
• Heloise's Favorite Hints for Everyday Living: Child and Elder Care, Travel, Pets, Home Improvement and, of course, Stinks and Stains