Dread chopping onions? Moms online at www.HawaiiMoms.com offer various tips to end the tears: "To cut onions without making yourself cry, you have to light a little candle (I use the jack-'o-lantern kind) for about 30 seconds before you start cutting, and leave it burning until you're done cutting," says one mom whose screen name is MamaMisti. "Putting it in the fridge about 10 minutes before I need to chop it always helps me avoid tears," says another mom, who calls herself oyabaka.

Got your own mom-tested tips to share? Submit them at www.HawaiiMoms.com or hawaiimoms@honoluluadvertiser.com.

IT'S FOR EASTER SEALS

Maile Ogata is a third-grader facing challenges linked to Apert's syndrome. Her mom, Cindy Ogata, started "Maile's Dream: A Celebration of Differences" to recognize the support provided by Easter Seals, and the fourth annual free event takes place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 8 at Washington Middle School. There'll be games, a silent auction and entertainment featuring those with special needs and physical challenges. Maile's group, "A Class Act," will perform at 11 a.m. Proceeds benefit Easter Seals Early Intervention Program of Hawaii.

FINAL WORD

"I've been telling people I want to do a movie about a hot-air-balloon enthusiast. ... I get a lot of blank looks. No one laughs at that, ever."

Will Ferrell | actor ("Semi-Pro"), in Entertainment Weekly