Thursday, February 12, 2004
Dear Heloise: I was thinking about all the family favorite recipes that have been lost because no one thought to keep them in a safe place for the next generations. Why not put them in the family genealogy? That's what I've started doing. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I could have had that wonderful apple pie of Mom's, and Grandma Bessie's old-fashioned salt pickle recipe, etc. Great Granny Vi Johnson, via e-mail
Wow! You just taught me something! One of my assistants, Kelly, has done a lot of genealogical research, and she loves your idea! Heloise
Fast facts: Here are some other ideas for uses for popcorn tins:
UStore birdseed in them.
UStore rock salt or another ice-melting agent in them.
UUse one to store cat litter.
UUse one to store an absorbent for the garage floor. M.A.D. from Farmington, Minn.
Dear Heloise: When sending packages to a student, friend, etc., stuffing is often needed to fill up space. I add full rolls of toilet paper -- they weigh little and are welcome! Leanah Floyd, Hensley, Ark.
Dear Heloise: I like to read but never have a bookmark around. I tried paper clips, receipts, etc., but always lost them. Now, I just find a cartoon I like in the comics, cut it out and laminate it with wide, clear tape. Not only do I keep my place in the book I am reading, but I get a chuckle from looking at the cartoon. Reba Louise Slusser, Cabot, Ark.
Dear Heloise: After years of frustration, I have finally conquered the paper-clutter battle, and here's how I did it. In one 3-inch binder, I placed 12 dividers with tabs for each month and several clear page protectors. The drop-in page protectors hold a number of monthly financial items: charge-card statements, paycheck stubs, bank statements, cleared checks and receipts.
Into another binder, I placed 26 dividers with tabs labeled A-Z to hold all those slips of paper that in the past piled up on my counters. I labeled one binder "A-Z" and the other "2004" and put both binders in a kitchen bookshelf for easy access. Laura Mrachek, San Antonio
Dear Heloise: Here is a hint concerning the storage of partially used cans of paint: Store the cans upside down. The film that forms in a can of paint will then be under the usable paint when the can is opened, not on top of the paint. Sherman Johnson, Lemon Grove, Calif.
Sound off: My pet peeve is that in our office, if someone goes to someone else's desk to discuss something, that person will sit on the other person's desk. Unfortunately, most of us have little cubicles that do not allow for an extra chair. Thanks for all you do. A reader, 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.
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