HELOISE Allow time to cure for simmering potpourri

Dear Heloise: Will you please send me your potpourri recipe? You gave a cinnamon one once -- I would love to have that one, in addition to any other recipes you have. Diane from North Carolina
Diane, here is a recipe for a simmering potpourri that smells delicious! You will need:
2 cups rosemary
1/2 cup whole allspice
2 cups rose petals
2 cups mint
2 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
Put the ingredients in a large jar with a tightfitting lid. Measure several cups of white or apple-cider household vinegar and heat until warm. Pour over the potpourri mixture in the jar and put the lid on. Allow the mixture to "cure" for at least a week. Put some of this potpourri in your electric potpourri simmering pot and enjoy the aroma. Heloise
Fast facts: An old purse can be used for a multitude of things. Here are a few suggestions:
UStore a craft project in one.
UPut a bathing suit and towel in it to bring to the gym or beach.
UKeep pet supplies in it -- leash, collar, etc.
UGive to a child for dress-up.
Dear Heloise: I have gotten several promotional key tabs from companies. I found that a couple of them glow in the dark. So, I attached one to the light pull in my closet. Now I can easily find the tab to turn the light on. Wilma in Ohio
Dear Heloise: I like to reuse plasticware, but I could never wash it in the dishwasher because it wouldn't stay in the basket. So, now I put it in a mesh bag and then attach the bag to the top rack of the dishwasher. It stays put and makes things a little easier for me. Amy in Illinois
Just be sure that the mesh bag is securely attached and won't come loose. Loose items will bounce around and end up in the bottom, possibly causing problems for your dishwasher. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have a great hint that would be helpful for those who like to make soup. I love to make homemade chicken soup, which requires carrots and celery. But I hate how you have to buy a whole stalk of celery when you just need a cup or two. Then the rest of it goes to waste. Well, I found a cure. Instead of buying an entire bunch, go to the grocery-store salad bar. Most newer stores have a huge salad bar with everything you need diced up and ready to go. Just dish out the amount of celery, carrots, peas, etc., that you need for your soups, and ta-da! No leftover vegetables to rot away. Great idea, huh? But best of all: cheap, cheap, cheap! Rhonda Moyer, Hazleton, Pa.
Sound off: My pet peeve concerns those kamikaze phones -- you know, the ones that seem to jump right off the wall cradle? Cordless phones are especially prone to this. You'd think that if they have the technology to build the phone in the first place, somebody would be smart enough to invent a gadget to hold it securely. Lucille, via e-mail
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.
King Features Syndicate