HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: Today’s Sound Off is about letting children run loose in restaurants.

DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I went to an upscale restaurant to celebrate our 10th anniversary. It wasn’t cheap, but this was a special occasion, and might have been fun if it were not for one couple who let their three very young children run around the restaurant. They were loud, ran around tables, nearly tripped a waiter with a heavy tray and would stop at various tables and ask strangers to get them a soda. I love children and have two of my own, but this type of behavior is unnecessary and dangerous.

— Kathy G., California

DEAR READERS: People who like to knit baby items, scarves and mittens usually have leftover yarn. There are a number of things you can do with odd pieces of yarn:

Use to tie up climbing ivy or roses.

Cut short lengths and put outside for nesting birds.

Make a scrap-yarn afghan, a striped sweater, scarf or mittens with different colors.

Donate it to a nursing home where people like to spend time knitting.

DEAR HELOISE: I bought a beautiful white silk blouse with the cutest buttons, but it didn’t come with any spare buttons. To make certain I never lost one of those buttons, I reinforced them by sewing them on with unwaxed dental floss. I’ve had this blouse four years, and I still have all the buttons,

— Molly K., Glenview, Ill.

DEAR HELOISE: I went through some old photos and on the back wrote the names of the people in the photograph, the place, month and year (if I remembered), and anything else I thought was important. This is so my kids can enjoy these photographs and not wonder who it was or where it was taken. I have pictures of my great-grandmother with her mother, but no one would know who they were if it were not for the information on the back.

— Hazel S., Montana

DEAR HELOISE: One thing my family has always done is remove the bedspread in every hotel we’ve stayed. It is the one thing (besides drapes) that doesn’t get laundered on a regular basis. Pass the word along: Remove the bedspread, and don’t use it during your stay.

— Jan T., Ohio