She keeps track of DVD TV shows they’ve watched

Dear Heloise: We have recently been buying DVDs of TV shows. I type up separate sheets for each so I can keep track of what we have watched. My brain is not sharp enough to remember what episodes we have watched on 25 different shows. Christine Vaught, Salem, Ore.

Just like a library list of books read! This will save a little frustration. Heloise

Dear Readers: Here are a few hints for using coffee filters — they’re not just for coffee, you know:

UHold messy foods like tacos.

UPut in the bottom of a small pot to keep soil in.

UPut in between china plates or nonstick skillets to keep from scratching.

UUse to clean mirrors (filters are lint-free).

UUse to dry wineglasses. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Music players have wires that tangle with a mind of their own! To solve this tangling problem, take a plastic soda straw and carefully slit one side lengthwise with a sharp hobby knife. Place wires within the straw and tape with small pieces of cellophane tape at several places along its length. This will keep the wires under control. W.F. “Bill” Gabella, Escondido, Calif.

Dear Heloise: I like to use colored paper when I am printing out recipes from the computer. I do main dishes, vegetables, appetizers and desserts each on a different color. Now at a glance I know which folder to look in to find a favorite recipe. Susie, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I have a hint for the free magnets that businesses give out. I get magnets with sports teams’ schedules or a yearly calendar from my local real-estate agent. These magnets are quite large. I use my computer to print out pictures of my two children and size to fit the magnet. I glue the picture to the magnet and give the “new picture magnet” to my mother to hang on her refrigerator. She can enjoy the pictures of her grandchildren and not have to worry about frames taking up a lot of space. Janice in Germantown, Md.

Dear Heloise: When I’m putting on makeup without my glasses, the little clear-plastic covers are hard to see. When I put them on the counter, I couldn’t find them. So, I put bright-red nail polish on them, and I have no trouble seeing them. Kitty from Texas

Dear Heloise: I have two gripes about coupons. The first is, Wouldn’t it be nice if they were all the same size and shape? It would make it so much easier to sort through.

The second is that so many coupons are two or three per purchase. Many senior citizens like me do good to be able to buy one of any product, much less two or three. Sylvia DeMoss, Pasadena, 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