HELOISE: Use tape to label all of your cords

Dear Heloise: I’m sure most of your readers have a jumble of wires and cords behind the entertainment center or TV. The cable box, DVD player and gaming units all plug in back there. I got tired of trying to figure out which wire went to which unit, so I labeled each cord with a piece of masking tape. No more fishing for the correct cord!

L.G. in Texas

Brilliant! That tangle of cords can really be a mess to work with. Thanks for writing.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Carry a small bath towel with you on an airplane. It serves many functions: napkin, lap blanket, wrap for small items, cover for headrest and seat cover. So functional!

Sharon in Indiana

Dear Readers: Here are some fall planting hints:

What vegetables would you like to grow? Tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes and spinach all flourish in the fall.

In general, “seedy” vegetables like squash and tomato need full sun, and “shady” (root) vegetables, such as potatoes, lettuce and beets, will do well in partial shade.

Check with your Cooperative Extension Service about details for your area.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Recently, when I was installing a garbage disposal, I had a brainstorm: Why not label each outlet throughout the house with the corresponding number that controls it at the main power box? Mine is in my garage and is a pain to get to in the summer. It makes it convenient and removes lots of guesswork when the power needs to be shut off in just one area.

Renee Schooler, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I play dice games, cards and other games with different groups of women.

I use a separate address book for each group, and enter their phone numbers, etc., under their first names instead of their last. It saves time (because I cannot always think of their last names) when I need to call one or more of them.

Leona in Kansas

Dear Heloise: My hint involves recycling manila filing folders:

When one is not needed, I hesitate to throw it away because the folder usually is still in good shape. However, if the tab is labeled with a pen, then it is more difficult to reuse.

I use removable tape, found in office-supply stores. Instead of writing directly on the folder tab, I place a strip of tape on the tab and write on it.

When the file is ready to be repurposed, all I have to do is remove the tape, and voil ! I have a new folder.

Veronica Escobedo, San Antonio

Dear Heloise: To easily put on a pillowcase, slip your arm into an inside-out pillowcase like a sleeve — arm to one side of the case. Now grasp the end of the pillow and fold the case over it, right side out.

Tanya in New York

King Features Syndicate