HELOISE Envelopes recycled as handy way to get organized

Dear Heloise: Every day, it seems, I get offers in the mail from credit-card companies, insurance companies, etc., that I do not wish to take advantage of. So, I put them through the shredder. However, almost always there is an envelope included, which I keep. I use the envelopes to write my weekly grocery list on and put my coupons inside. I am much more organized and am saving paper.
Also, when I was getting organized and doing computer lists of financial matters and insurance policies (in case something happened to my husband or me and our adult children would have to settle affairs), I decided to make a list of the contents of both of our wallets. I included phone numbers and addresses to notify in case of loss or theft. Kathleen Brown, Hazleton, Pa.
Fast facts: Here are some helpful reuses for an aluminum pie plate:
UPut it underneath a plant to catch drips.
UHang it near a vegetable garden or fruit tree to keep birds away.
UPunch holes in one and place it over a skillet to prevent splattering.
UIt can serve as an outside pet-food or water dish.
UBring cookies to a potluck or bake sale in one.
Dear Heloise: I recently got a cell phone that flips open. When I put it in my purse, I could never find it. So I threaded some bright-colored wooden beads onto the small strap on the phone. Then I tied a knot at the end. This works great, as I can easily see the beads and quickly pull the phone out of my purse. You will need to find some beads that have large holes, so that threading them on is possible. K.M. from Texas
Dear Heloise: My dress shoes were a bit stretched out, and my feet were sliding around in them. I was in a hurry but searched around the house for something to use as inserts. I used panty liners! They were curved, stuck to the bottoms of my shoes and even absorbed the odors! Diane from Manhattan, Kan.
Just don't take your shoes off in public! Remember, many times while going through airport security, you have to take off your shoes and send them through the X-ray. Heloise
Sound off: I have a pet peeve. I work in a small office and receive a lot of requests for documents via the fax machine. Many companies have a preprinted form, and they hand-write the information, which changes with each request.
The problem is, some forms have the fax number, phone number, address, etc., preprinted. Usually they will make copies from an original and then make copies from the copy, and copies from that, etc. A lot of times, the print is in an 8- or 9-point type size. By the time we receive it, the numbers are so distorted that they are impossible to read. Sometimes there is no contact name, and we waste time trying to find a phone number and person to find out what fax number to send the fax to. If they would make the print larger to begin with, it would eliminate a lot of the problem. Jody, Columbia City, Ind.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
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