HELOISE Tips make reattaching lipstick to tube messy

Dear Heloise: Do you have any tips on how to reattach a brand-new lipstick to its base after it has (somehow) broken off inside the tube? Sara, Via E-mail
I just hate when this happens! It seems to go kaput when you turn up the lipstick too far and press too hard when applying. A leading manufacturer suggested the following: Using a lit match, carefully heat the bottom of the broken piece, then lightly push the two pieces back together. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before rolling the color back down into the tube. Be sure that you angle the stick the right way when you place it back on the base (we learned that the hard way here at Heloise Central). Then put the lipstick in your freezer for at least 10 minutes. Keep in mind that this gets a little messy, so be prepared.
You should also call the manufacturer of your lipstick, because company officials do want to know about their products. Heloise
P.S. I'm having the same problem with a new tube of lipstick, and you can be sure I'm calling the manufacturer today.
Dear Heloise: Being a recent widower, I am always looking for timesaving ways to handle household duties I was not into before my wife's death. Not being acquainted with these duties after 50 years of marriage might seem strange, but it's true.
Anyway, I have several pairs of socks that are the same color and pattern. Before placing them in the washer, I previously would use those plastic rings to make sure the same socks would be matched up based on wear and tear.
Now I use a marker and number each pair on the bottom of each sock. This makes it easy to match each pair as I take them out of the dryer and eliminates the use of the plastic rings. Ingenious hint, if I must say so myself. George R. Cornelius, Bozeman, Mont.
It is ingenious, and so are you! Heloise
Dear Heloise: I always dreaded watering my inside hanging plants. It sometimes caused lots of overflow water on the floors and carpets. To keep that from happening, I pull a plastic bag up from and around the bottom of the plant pot and attach it with clothespins to the wire hangers. I use grocery sacks (after I check to make sure they don't have holes) so that I can water the plants really well, and the extra water is caught in the bag. I unclip the bag after the plant has drained, dump the extra water and throw the bag away. No drips on anything, and my plants love the good watering. Judy Moulton, Amarillo, Texas
Dear Heloise: After wrapping a gift, I realized I didn't have any ribbon to tie on it. So, I decided to cut some thin strips of the gift wrap, and then curled them with a pair of scissors, as you would ribbon. You know what? It worked great, and the ribbon matched the gift wrap, too! In a pinch, this works. Josephine in Texas
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