Manicures help with nail-biting
I'm responding to Katharine B.'s letter about nail-biting that ran in a recent column. I used to bite my nails, too, so what I did was get “acrylic nails.” You can't bite through those things! Then I tried “gel” nails, and you can't really bite though them either.
Years later, I went back to getting my nails done the regular way, and I still don't bite them. It helped me kick the habit. So, I just thought I'd pass this info along to you. Good luck!
— Barbara, in California
For freezer storage, I keep the wax paper that cereal comes in and use this in lieu of boxes because it helps make more room in the freezer. I usually cut the instructions off of the boxes and stick them to the item it comes with so it's less bulky in the freezer. And you can arrange items accordingly — beef, chicken, dry ingredients (rice, pastas, sugar and flour).
— Carol
A local store in my neighborhood always has lots of extra, large-sized coffee filters that usually get tossed out. I started bringing them home and using them to drain fried foods on, since they don't stick to the foods.
I also layer two to three filters inside the microwave to soak up spills or butter from popcorn, and to cover foods that splatter, especially soups. They don't disintegrate like paper towels do, so there are lots of uses for them instead of just tossing them out.
— A.T.
When my parents died, no one had any interest in exploring their old high school and college yearbooks, which would simply end up getting thrown away. Anticipating the same outcome for myself, I went through my own decades-old school yearbooks and cut out the few pages I appeared on, then tossed everything else.
This yielded a miniscule but fascinating stack that could easily be stored with other family photos that are getting passed down. And it decluttered almost 2 feet of bookshelf space!
— Jim R., in Houston
I like using reusable food storage bags to store leftovers, premade green smoothies and soup. I freeze the food in heavy-duty storage bags. The bags take up less space and can be used over and over again.
Cleaning the bags is easy, but getting them to dry completely can be a challenge. I've tried different methods, but my favorite is wiping out the inside with a clean, soft towel. Then I ball up a small, clean dish cloth and place it in the open bag to help the air circulate. By the next day, the bag is completely dry and ready for storage. I don't worry about lingering moisture during storage.
— T.V., in Ohio
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