HELOISE Hints put extra salt and pepper packets to use

Dear Readers: We recently received a question from Barbie of Lake McQueeney, Texas, wanting to know what she could do with all of the small packets of salt and pepper that she gets when she orders fast food.
So, we decided to do a test in our office to see how many of these packets come with takeout food. Well, it seems a lot are handed out. As an example, with two breakfast tacos, five packets of salt and seven of pepper; for another two tacos, five salts; for a larger breakfast plate, nine salts and seven peppers!
It doesn't do a lot of good to tell the cashier, as by the time you get to the window, the workers have already added the packets to your bag.
Now, what to do with them:
UYou can put them with camping and picnic stuff.
UPut a few in a plastic bag, and put it in the glove compartment of your car.
UCheck with your church kitchen, local shelters and even food banks to see if they can use them.
UYou could put a couple in sack lunches.
Any other ideas, readers? We would love to hear from you. We will send five Heloise pamphlets to the top 15 readers who send in a hint on "reusing" the packets. So, send your hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5001, or fax to (210) HELOISE (435-6473), or e-mail to Heloise@Hel-oise.com. Be sure to put in the subject line "salt and pepper packets." Heloise
Dear Heloise: Recently, the color peeled off of the buttons on a sweater of mine. Not wanting to spend exorbitant prices for replacement buttons -- and maybe never find the exact color -- I tried an idea:
I shopped the nail-polish racks with my sweater and purchased a color to paint the buttons on my sweater. They now match the beads on my sweater -- plus I have the color if the paint peels off again. Renetta Kroeker, Hutchinson, Kan.
Dear Heloise: Here is a tip for people who have been told that they will have to take chemotherapy and will probably lose their hair:
Wait until you lose it before buying a wig. My sister was told that, and she bought a wig beforehand. She never lost her hair. I was later told the same thing and bought a nice wig beforehand. It didn't fit after my hair fell out, and I could never feel comfortable in it. I ended up buying another one a size smaller.
It is important to keep as positive an attitude as you can in these circumstances, and looking as good as you can helps your attitude. Novelle Cantrell, Royse City, Texas
Thanks for sharing this valuable information; I know your hint will help others. And your comment about keeping a positive attitude is well worth passing on. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have found that using an ice-cream scoop to shape meatballs is easy and quick! I simply "shovel" some meat into the scoop, and the meatballs are formed. Leila A., Colorado Springs, Colo.
King Features Syndicate