HELOISE Clay pots double as candleholders in landscape

Dear Heloise: Since I seem to have a "black thumb," I have a lot of empty clay pots sitting around. I cleaned them up, put candles in them and placed them in the mulch around the patio. In the evening they let off a nice little glow, and they look nice sitting in the mulch with my ground plants that do grow! A Reader, via e-mail
What a great way to add candlelight to your patio! Here are some other ideas for clay pots.
Hint: Use clean, plain pots, or you can simply dip the rim of the pot in paint and put it on newspaper upright so that the paint will drip down the sides and create a unique design. Let dry, and add other colors if you wish. Now let's put these beautiful pots to good use:
UFill with individually wrapped candy and give as a gift.
UPlace one with its saucer in the bathroom to hold the toilet brush.
UPut near a fireplace to hold starters and lighter.
UTurn one upside down as a base and place the clay saucer on top. Fill with birdseed or water for a minibird feeder or birdbath.
UMakes a great holder for kitchen utensils.
If you have other uses for clay pots that you'd like to share, write to: Heloise/Clay Pots, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279. We will print as many as we can! Heloise
Dear Heloise: As someone who traveled for more than 35 years as a sales rep on the road, I have a hint I would like to pass along to other travelers.
To help maintain the security of your hotel/motel room when you are not in it, simply put the "do not disturb" sign on the door when leaving for dinner or just leaving the room. It makes uninvited "guests" think that someone is in the room. J. Pete, Elk River, Minn.
Dear Heloise: You had an article recently about a dishwasher. The reader suggested that you take your dishes to the store and try them in the dishwasher to see if they fit before buying the dishwasher. This might sound silly unless you have encountered this problem.
I thought by buying the best, the top of the line, that all would be well -- wrong. I now have a dishwasher whose top-shelf prongs are too short to hold items upright. As advertised, it does hold 12 place settings, but it will not accommodate the small dishes that we use.
My note to shoppers: If you have back problems, be aware that the doors to the dishwashers that have tall tubs will open lower to the floor. You will have to stoop to the floor to raise the door and close it. A Reader, Greenville, Texas
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate