HELOISE Ideas are given to refresh old potpourri

Dear Heloise: How can I refresh my old potpourri without going to the expense of buying the corresponding expensive oil? Marcia, Via E-mail
Here are a few suggestions to help you "revamp" that old potpourri:
UAdd some fresh potpourri of the same scent or even something different. Just mix the new in with the old and give that dwindling fragrance a boost.
URe-scent the potpourri by using a small sample vial of perfume or cologne that you get at fragrance counters. Sprinkle on, toss, and it's good to go.
UDon't give up on scented oils. They are not all costly, and a little of this oil goes a long way. Apply a few drops to the potpourri and toss gently.
Any of these will do the trick, and remember to apply more fragrance regularly, no matter what the source, so your potpourri always has a nice aroma. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Nothing was more frustrating than finding myself without my reading glasses when I needed a number from the phone book. Now, whenever I look up a number, I write it in large numbers at the top of the page. Next time I need that number, it jumps out at me -- problem solved. Mark GiaQuinta, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Here are two helpful hints from one great reader -- Patricia Miller of Dallas, Ore.:
UI like a slice of cake for dessert, but if I bought a cake, it would get dried out before I finished it. So, I slice it as soon as I get it home, then put it in the freezer.
When I want cake, I take out one slice as I'm fixing dinner, and it's thawed by the time I'm ready to eat it.
UI sew a lot, and my sewing room has a vinyl floor. The foot control for my machine would slide around on it, so I bought a computer mouse pad and put it on the floor with the control on it.
The pad is just enough to keep the foot control in one place, and it's easy to pick it up when I'm through sewing for the day.
Dear Heloise: I broke the plastic handles off my 30-plus-year-old large electric skillet. I didn't want to buy a new one, but the manufacturer didn't have replacements.
I checked thrift stores and garage sales, but finally found a different-size skillet by the same manufacturer at an estate sale. Since I had one of my old handles with me, I compared the two. Bingo! Perfect fit, and for only $5.
I'll probably get another 30 years' use, if I live that long! Ellen Richards, Abilene, Texas
Ellen, I hope you and your electric skillet are still cooking in 2032! P.S. I hope I'm still in your paper, too. Heloise
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate