Scholastic supply plan

Dear Heloise: I’m helping to buy supplies for my grandchildren for the upcoming school year. Here are some hints I use to stay organized and save money:

Taking inventory of what they already have and can still use was my first step. What can be recycled? What can be repurposed?

Next, establishing a budget is important. Kids like and need boundaries.

The school provides a list of required items. I stick to the list — nothing fancy.

I buy necessities in bulk (paper, pencils, folders, glue).

Some schools have programs to help disadvantaged kids. We try to help.

These hints have helped us get ready for a successful and productive school year! — Mary J., Hammond, Ind.

Mary, fabulous! Great way to help your grandkids and others who need a hand. Here’s a Heloise hug! — Heloise

Saving soap

Dear Heloise: When my bars of soap get very thin, I break them up and put them into a pump container and add water. When they dissolve, I have a convenient container of soap. — A Reader, Waco, Texas

Whether this will work depends on the makeup of the soap. Some will dissolve easier than others. — Heloise

Space saver

Dear Heloise: Living alone, I use very few dishes, so I hand-wash them. My dishwasher wasn’t being used, so I turned it into a pantry!

I use the top rack for canned goods, the lower rack for packaged food and dry goods, and the silverware rack for large cooking utensils.

The drawer that held the utensils now gives me space to store my spices. I lay the spices in the drawer label-side up.

No more standing on a step stool to find what I need in the tall cupboards. This is convenient, and it lessens the chance of falling.

Once a month or so, I remove everything from the racks and run the dish- washer for cleaning. — Debbie C., Warren, Ohio

Great way to make the most of every inch of space! — Heloise

Lots of dots

Dear Heloise: My son thought that math was a bore, but he loved compet- ing in everything. I got out the dominoes, and without him even realizing it, I taught him basic math.

We added the spots to determine the value of each. Then we moved to subtracting. Thus a 5/3 domino became an 8 when adding, a 2 when subtracting. Very quickly, he could glance at the domino and know the value.

I selected dominoes that could be divided and taught him division with those.

This made learning fun! — Texas Dad, via email

Bath mash

Dear Heloise: I love to take a relaxing bath while giving myself a healthy, natural facial. I finely mash an avocado and mix in a few drops of witch hazel.

I swirl it on my face and relax in the bath for 30 minutes, then rinse. My skin feels smooth. — Janice D. in Ohio