Be kind to your skin during the cold, dry winter months

Dear Readers: The dry, cold winter can take a toll on our skin. Heating systems dry out the air and can make our skin feel dry and tight. So, what can we do to help moisturize our skin?
Try the following hints to help put moisture back into the air in your home:
Simmer a large pot of water on the stove for several hours. Drop in some spices like cinnamon or allspice to create a pleasant fragrance, too.
Place several bowls of water in various rooms in your home.
Add living plants, because they help to rehydrate the air -- ferns, begonias, coleus and zebra plants like moisture and grow fast. Place pots in a shallow tray filled with pebbles and water, to keep moisture in the air.
Don't overheat your home. Set it cooler to save money, energy, and to prevent the air from becoming too dry.
Allow dishes to air-dry in the dishwasher. Stop it after the final rinse and open the door. The steam will escape into the air. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I read your column every day, as I did your mother's. After reading the hint about putting a pin in the corner of a beach towel, I decided to pass on a hint.
I find a washcloth or small towel and sew it on the corner of all of our beach towels. Matching colors will not call attention to it. I sew it on three sides and sew self-gripping fabric tape on the remaining side. This is a very handy place (pocket -- Heloise) to keep your keys, etc.
One time I was able to identify my towel when someone accidentally walked off with it! Dorothy Sonsalla, Baraboo, Wis.
This would also be helpful on a gym towel when looking for the perfect place for a locker key, membership card, etc. Heloise
Dear Heloise: When I take my three-mile walk around the neighborhood, I sometimes don a plastic glove, carry a couple of plastic bags and pick up litter to help keep my little corner of the world neat and tidy. Mary Reiersgaard, Vancouver, Wash.
Dear Heloise: Here are two hints for backpack users in the rain:
Put on the backpack before you put on a jacket or coat.
Wear the backpack in front when it's raining. That way, you can see it, and it stays dry under the umbrella. Fern Antipol, Washington, D.C.
Dear Heloise: I appreciated your "recipe" for make-it-yourself deodorizers for stinky boots. My husband has worn work boots for many years. He has found that having two pair and alternating days gives them time to really dry out between wearings. I know work boo2
Send 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