HELOISE Hints are helpful when traveling with family

Dear Heloise: Here are a few hints that I found helpful when traveling with family:
Most hotels provide only one set of towels per person, and many hotels are encouraging their guests to reuse towels to help protect our environment. To keep track of which towel belongs to which family member, pack a handful of safety pins and small colored beads. Attach a pin and bead to each towel, using a designated color for each family member. (I just remove the pins before we check out.)
It's also helpful to pack a permanent marker. I use it to write everyone's name on the paper cups in the hotel bathroom. It's also handy for writing names on water bottles in the cooler and lots of other things.
Pack lots of individually wrapped hand wipes. Keep them in your purse, glove compartment, pockets, camera case, etc. Then you are always able to wash up if you must use a restroom with no soap, or if you are eating a quick lunch in the car.
Finally, pack a few plastic bags. They come in handy for saving half-eaten treats, collecting seashells, keeping salt and pepper packets dry in the cooler, and many other uses, too. Maria Dols, Eagan, Minn.
All good travel hints -- thanks for writing! Heloise
Dear Heloise: On the plugs of extension cords, I use a marking pen to put a "T" on the top side so I don't have to look at the prongs each time to see how they fit. Sylvia L. Palmer, Vancouver, Wash.
Dear Heloise: My idea came from the fact that I wanted to bring some of the outdoors indoors. I live in a co-op apartment and decided to fill two large/deep baskets with small flowering plants. I lined the bottom of each basket with foil and then inverted different-size plastic containers to sit each of four plants on. Then I thought of the plastic-cover "thingies" I had bought to use as covers for leftovers (the ones that look like shower caps). I just fit the smallest ones on the bottom of each plant, and it catches any drips! Jane, Freeport, N.Y.
Heloise FYI: When ground beef is on sale, buy a bunch. Cook it all up and add favorite seasonings. Then separate into 2-cup increments, put into plastic freezer bags and toss in the freezer. When needed, take out a bag, let it defrost, and you're ready. 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