HELOISE: Hints will ease catalog ordering

Dear Heloise: I work for a catalog company and wanted to mention a couple of hints for readers who place orders:

Please remember to have all of your item numbers handy when you order. This ensures that the correct items will be ordered and may save you the time and money of returning an incorrect item.

Have your account number or credit card with you. Don’t assume that the operator can access that information.

Please try to order in a quiet area when you aren’t rushed. It can be extremely difficult to hear when there is a loud TV or a crying child in the background.

Jo, via e-mail

All good hints that I know my readers will appreciate, especially coming from someone in the business. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Clothespins are the best, and I use them to:

Clip coupons when shopping.

Clip a garbage bag to the ashtray for garbage in the car.

Clip place mats on hangers.

Clip recipes when cooking or baking.

Clip important papers together.

Judy from Wisconsin

Dear Heloise: Many people use the wineglass bangles that hook onto the stem so their guests can identify which wineglass is theirs. Instead, I have found a more fun and interesting method to distinguish each glass.

I never buy two of any one style of wineglass. I have lots of fun finding unique shapes, styles and colors of glasses. I often find interesting wineglasses at secondhand stores or even garage sales. My eclectic assortment is fun to collect and allows my guests to choose the perfect goblet for whatever mood they are in at the time. It also eliminates the sliding of the bangle, which clinks in your face when you tip your glass to take a sip.

Joyce Moses, Simi Valley, Calif.

Dear Heloise: Wash plastic yogurt cups and use as a toothbrush holder for overnight guests. Many store-bought holders don’t accommodate the fatter handles, but a yogurt cup (with a tissue on the bottom to absorb any moisture) works well.

Georgia Barker, Blairstown, N.J.

Hi, Heloise: My Sound Off concerns the way the 12-pack cartons of canned carbonated beverages are placed on grocery-store shelves. It is difficult and sometimes impossible to remove a box when the shelves are full.

The slot for the fingers is on the side, crammed next to other boxes, where it cannot be reached. I have broken fingernails and even have had to give up trying to grab a particular box.

Linda White, Kerrville, Texas

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate