Recycle greeting cards as gift tags
Heloise
Dear Heloise: As a greeting card designer and illustrator, I know how much work and talent goes into the beautiful greeting card illustrations. I recycle the cards by cutting the greeting card cover off and using it for a “to and from” gift tag. I trim out the verses inside and also use those for gift tags. Some of the artwork is so beautiful that I have framed the illustrations, without the greetings. — D.E., Rapid City, South Dakota
Wooden chopsticks
Dear Heloise: I always save the unused wooden chopsticks that come with my takeout Chinese food. I use a pair of them when I am slicing my potatoes to make hasselback potatoes. You simply place the chopsticks on each side of the potato, and it prevents slicing the potatoes all the way through. It helps keep them intact and is a good way to repurpose them and make a delicious dish. — Vernon Jones, via email
Reuse of newspaper sleeves
Dear Heloise: Another use for your newspaper plastic sleeves is for your dog’s poop bag when you’re on a walk. It’s strong enough and easy to carry with you. Thank you for your many wonderful tips. — Linda, Altadena, California
Soap slivers
Dear Heloise: A few days ago several of your contributors offered methods for saving slivers of soap bars, mostly by melting them in a small amount of water and presumably turning them into liquid soap.
Why go to all that trouble when all you need to do is stick the sliver onto the flat side of a new bar of the same kind of soap? By the time a bar gets to the sliver stage, its edges are very malleable and easy to press onto a new bar. Next morning, it’s become part of the new bar, and you’ve got a nice rounded shape to shower with. — Willard M. Lewis, Little Rock, Arkansas
Household Hints
Two hints
Dear Heloise: 1. Take it from a former soda jerk: Scoop your ice cream with a tool shaped like a small shovel, not the ball-shaped scoop with a release lever. It is easier on the hand and needs no defrosting. 2. To save water, give leftover soapy water to your avocado trees. They tolerate it well. — Louis Richter, Reseda, California
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. Dream Town David Baldacci
2. Run, Rose, Run Parton/patterson
3. City on Fire Don Winslow
4. Beautiful Danielle Steel
5. The Good Left Undone Adriana Trigiani
6. The Investigator John Sandford
7. The Baxters Karen Kingsbury
8. Sea of Tranquility Emily St. John Mandel
9. The Paris Apartment Lucy Foley
10. What Happened to the Bennetts Lisa
Scottoline
11. The Recovery Agent Janet Evanovich
12. Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus
13. The Last Thing He Told Me Laura Dave
14. The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles
15. House of Sky and Breath Sarah J. Maas
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. Finding Me Viola Davis
2. The Palace Papers Tina Brown
3. Just Tyrus Tyrus Post