Framed calendar art never goes out of date

Dear Readers: Before tossing out that 2008 calendar, take a quick look inside. There might be a beautiful picture that would be perfect for framing! You can have expensive-looking art without the high cost.

For a child’s room, look for photos with kittens, puppies, flowers or sports themes. Some calendars have photos of famous paintings that would look nice in a living area or entryway. Framed photos also make lovely gifts for friends, co-workers or to cheer up nursing-home residents.

Framing is easy. Craft stores have low-cost, ready-made mats and frames that will match the colors in the photos. Check out garage and yard sales in your neighborhood for good bargains on frames.

Also, don’t forget to transfer important dates from last year’s calendar to the new one. Here’s another calendar hint, from Gerri in Summerfield, Fla.: “I print calendar pages free off the Internet and tape or staple the pages to each month of last year’s calendar. I like to just staple the top of the page so I can flip back to last year to see what was going on then. It’s so hard to find the perfect-size calendar, and once you have one, this will work with any of them.”

Gerri, I love your hint! It’s a good way to reuse pretty wall calendars and keep a journal of sorts. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I keep a quart-size, zipper-top plastic bag in my purse. Immediately after any credit-card purchase, I put the receipt in that bag. I only have to look for receipts in one place when it’s time to pay our credit cards. My husband now remembers to give me all his receipts promptly, too. Mary Jane, San Antonio

Here is another receipt hint from Terri Johnson of Pataskala, Ohio: “I was always losing receipts or taking lots of time shuffling through a pile looking for the right one. Then I took a small index box and started to file my receipts alphabetically as soon as I returned home from shopping. Now I can retrieve a receipt in a fraction of the time it used to take.” Heloise

Dear Heloise: When you try clothes on in a fitting room, especially slacks and pullovers, put your earrings, glasses and cell phone in your shoes. You won’t be likely to leave the store without shoes. Jamie in Houston

Dear Heloise: When wrapping a small gift in a decorated bag, I shred a few papers from sections of the newspaper. The shredded paper goes into the bag underneath and on top of the gift, making the bag look full. A.R. from Virginia

SBlt 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