Thursday, January 20, 2005
Dear Readers: We recently printed a letter from a reader about the proper storage of perfume. They were discontinuing her favorite fragrance, and she wondered if she could store several bottles. Here's some interesting information on the subject: Higher-quality perfume has a long shelf life if stored under the right conditions, which means storing it in a dark, cool place, not out on a dresser where the sun can shine on it or a bathroom counter where it might get hot. Perfume can spoil if not taken care of. You will be able to tell because the perfume might thicken, become cloudy, or have a change of color or scent.
Keep in mind that perfume might stain clothing. To avoid this, apply your perfume before dressing. Do not spray it in the air and walk through it. Heloise
P.S. If you have a favorite perfume, use it. Don't save it for special occasions only.
Dear Heloise: My baby sometimes doesn't finish a whole jar of baby food in one sitting, so I have to refrigerate the remainder. I often forget which jar is from which day. To prevent it from spoiling, I note the date and day on the lid in permanent marker. No more spoiled or unused food. Ilene in New Jersey
Good hint! As a reminder to many new parents, always put the baby food in a small bowl. Don't feed from the jar, because a baby's saliva will introduce bacteria to the food. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I've had many comments on this hint, so I thought I'd pass it along. I took a page from a photo album that holds six 4-by-6-inch horizontal photos and thumbtacked it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet door.
Now I have six photos of my grandchildren to greet me each time I open the door. When I'm cooking/baking, I can take recipes I've clipped or written on index cards and slip them in front of the pictures, where they stay at eye level and clean.
When juggling several cookie, cake or candy recipes at one time, it's very convenient to have up to six recipes right there. Mary Porter, Houston
Dear Heloise: When I was having trouble with my shoulder, I found that the pull-over-your-head sports bras were much easier to use. Reaching around your body to hook the traditional bra was painful. Then I thought, why not just hook the traditional bra prior to putting it on and pull it over my head? It worked beautifully! I didn't bother unhooking the bras before putting them in the laundry, and I discovered it was a great way to prevent the hooks from damaging other articles of clothing in the washing machine. Barbara Sivi, The Villages, Fla.
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.
King Features Syndicate