HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I’ve spent a considerable amount of time trying to jam the end of my charging cord the wrong way into my e-reader or my cellphone. To make it easier, I took a bottle of red nail polish and placed a dot on the side that should be facing up. It’s made my life less frustrating.

— Shelly H., Grand Forks, N.D.

DEAR HELOISE: I learned the hard way to not pack just his and hers suitcases. I pack a few things for my husband in my suitcase and a few of my things in his. If one of our bags HELOISE is lost/delayed on a trip, we at least have a change of clothing and underwear. — Bella F., Gloucester, Mass.

DEAR HELOISE: When you board an airplane or a train, look for the exits. Memorize where they are. In an emergency it might save your life to know ahead of time.

— Linda T., Mississippi

DEAR HELOISE: As I have aged, my eyesight has gotten worse. This meant I had a hard time reading recipes, and I love to cook. My son printed out many of my favorite recipes in extra-large print and put them in a binder for me. This has made it much easier to prepare meals.

— Gayle G., Hartford, Conn.

DEAR HELOISE: It seems like I spent half my life looking for matches. I’d buy a large box, then forget where I put them. I decided to decorate those boxes with colored felt and ribbons, and set them out in the open on my coffee table. It looks nice, and I no longer have to go hunting for matches. I can reuse the box by putting new matches inside, or let my granddaughter have the pretty box and make a new one for me.

— Vera K., Greeley, Colo.

DEAR HELOISE: My parents are elderly and can’t do things they used to do around the house. When their anniversary came up, my husband realized that they needed our help much more than they needed an “object.” We came up with a clever idea to help them by making a “coupon book” out of index cards. One was for window washing, two were for ironing, three were for trips to the mall, two for trips to a movie of their choice, etc. They loved it and have used each one. We plan to do this again every year, but add a few new ideas.

— Joan R., Olivette, Mo.