DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been going to the same hair stylist for over a year. She does amazing work on my hair, and I have no interest in finding a new stylist anytime soon. However, every time I am around her, I cannot help but notice her bad body odor. It has become so bad that I find myself holding my breath at certain points during the session. She had to be on set with me for a photoshoot recently, and I know the other people in the room could smell her. I don't want to hurt her feelings or embarrass her, but at the same time, I cannot ignore this any longer. What should I do? -- Sensitive to Smells

DEAR SENSITIVE TO SMELLS: While it will feel awkward in the moment, telling your friend about her body odor is actually a gift to her. There’s no way that you are the first person who has noticed her odor. If she is unable to check it, she may at best lose clients and at worst lose her job. When you do hair, you stand in close proximity to others all day long. Personal hygiene is paramount, especially in roles that bring people into each other’s intimate space.

Speak to your stylist privately. Tell her what you have noticed and why it is important. Suggest that she figure out what her issue is -- it could be medical or basic hygiene. Admit that as much as you like working with her, the odor may require you to find a new stylist.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have read that you are a writer, and I used to write myself. As the weather gets colder, I have been trying to find hobbies that I can enjoy indoors, and I wanted to take up writing again. I stopped because I was not interested in the story anymore and didn’t really know how to start or continue anything else I tried to put on paper. I felt that it was a good outlet for me that did not require me to spend any money or pull me away from my studies, so I really want to begin again. However, I feel stuck -- like I have writer’s block.

I was wondering if you have ever found yourself in a bout of procrastination or feeling like you have a lack of creativity. What do you do when you need to come up with new ideas for writing? How do you stay on task and finish what you started? -- Writer’s Block

DEAR WRITER’S BLOCK: One thing I have learned about writing -- and any other project you want to tackle -- is to establish discipline. Set up a schedule. Perhaps you will write once a week on Saturday for an hour. No matter what, commit to that specific hour. Pick a topic. To get your juices flowing, start with describing something you just saw or experienced that fascinated you. Write it down in as much detail as possible. One of my favorite writers, David Sedaris, says he records highlights of his day every evening, kind of a brain dump, so that he captures material for a later time. This practice can get you stimulated and may lead to a natural flow of your writing practice.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I currently share an apartment with a friend I became very close with last year. We thought that it would be best for us and a lot of fun if we moved in together. However, now we barely spend any time together at home. I could easily go days without seeing her or speaking to her for more than five minutes. We stay in our rooms, which I appreciate because that is what I am used to as an only child.

Because we stick to ourselves, we rarely have time to discuss apartment needs. My pressing issue at the moment is that she does not buy groceries. I think that in the month and a half we have lived together, she has (barely) restocked the fridge twice. Neither of us has a job right now, so I cannot afford to foot her food bill, but I do not necessarily want to have separate food because we occasionally cook for each other. How should I bring up my concerns about her contributions? -- Empty Fridge

DEAR EMPTY FRIDGE: A guideline you may want to suggest is that you have a weekly meeting to discuss roommate business. Schedule it so that it becomes part of your routine where you two can discuss anything that is happening at home. At the inaugural meeting, express your concerns about food. Remind her that you two are supposed to be sharing expenses, yet she is not participating in purchasing food. Be direct: You cannot afford to pay for her food. You need to her contribute. It could end up that you have separate shelves for food, and you agree not to touch each other’s food unless you discuss it in advance.

You should also tell her that you miss spending time with her. Explain that you thought you would be doing things together, but the opposite is true. Ask her if there’s something going on with her or between you two that you should know about.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Halloween is around the corner, so I decided to take my boyfriend to a haunted house attraction for a fun date night. We were both excited, and he expressed nothing but enthusiasm for our plans. When we entered the haunted house, things immediately went left. My boyfriend was completely horrified and begged me to leave early. Now I can't help but feel a little nervous about our relationship. Is it possible that I'm dating a coward? I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I paid good money for our tickets, and he couldn’t even put on a brave face for me for the night. I think this says a lot about how fearful of a person he could potentially be. Am I overthinking it? -- Man Up

DEAR MAN UP: Something else may have been going on that triggered your boyfriend’s reaction. Find out what’s up. Ask him why he reacted so strongly. What upset him? Continue and ask him what else frightens him. You are in the getting-to-know-you stage, so listen carefully and observe. You can also tell him that it bothered you that he got so scared, and you want to understand what happened. The more you get to know him, the better you will come to understand his motivations.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions toaskharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have two friend groups now -- one from home, and one at college. I have spent so much time with them and I love them all, but the dynamics of each group are different and sometimes overwhelming. For my group at home, being away from each other while we’re all in college has made our friendships stronger, and I feel like I can rely on them even more than when we were in high school. For my group at school, summer break tried all of our relationships, but we brushed it all under the rug and chose to forget about it.

I do not think I could replace one group with the other as they support me in many different ways, but I find myself withdrawing from my school friends because I want to go home, and the rug that we keep sweeping under is coming up a bit. Should I talk to them about how I have been feeling? Should I address our previous issues from the summer? -- Friend Issues

DEAR FRIEND ISSUES: What outcome do you want? Do you think that a conversation about your past issues will yield your desired results? If so, go for it. Frame the discussion so that it is not accusatory but open-ended and welcoming of everyone’s input. Do your best to listen carefully and encourage the others to listen as well. Set the tone of the conversation by establishing a goal for everyone to work toward.

If you don’t think the outcome will be productive, don’t bring it up. Some things cannot be resolved, at least not in the moment.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently found out that my sister let my 17-year-old daughter drink alcohol while she was staying with her. I am upset that my underage daughter was drinking, but I’m even more upset that it was done behind my back. I told my sister to clue me in on absolutely everything that happens with my daughter, and the fact that she didn’t even ask me about it is hurtful. I haven’t figured out how to approach this situation yet. How should I handle this? -- Sneaky Sister

DEAR SNEAKY SISTER: Talk to your sister and ask her why she chose to give your daughter alcohol without telling you about it. Ask her to explain what happened. It could be that your requirement that she tell you every single thing that happened felt like helicoptering. If you have become overbearing in your attempts to protect your daughter, you may need to step back a bit. Your daughter may need to have an outlet where she can safely try things you would not normally allow. She may need to have your sister as a confidant even if it includes breaking a rule or two. You may ultimately benefit by allowing the two of them to have a private relationship. You do need to get your sister to agree to give you updates, including sharing anything that could potentially be a safety issue.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)