It is much too soon for holiday decorations

Dear Readers: Today’s Sound Off is about the early holiday decorations already up in many stores. A reader wrote: “We are barely out of ‘Back to School’ sales, and already stores are setting up for, Thanksgiving and Christmas! What’s up with that? “Why can’t these stores let us breathe a little bit before the holiday rushes begin? These stores put out so many decorations that I dread going in to shop. It’s just too much, too soon.”—Rita T., Austin, Texas Rita, you do make a valid complaint, as I’ve heard many people lament about this issue. But let me give you another perspective. Many of these stores are generally craft stores or have sections devoted to crafting. People who make things to sell before the holidays or to give as gifts during the holidays need to get a head start on their projects. These stores “bank” on crafters buying their supplies from them.—Heloise FAST FACTS Dear Readers: Don’t throw out those cute little baby hairbrushes. Here are some other uses for them: To fuzz off clean the ■ mushroom heads. To dryer lint clean ■ screens. Put under a bar of soap to ■ keep it from getting slimy. —Heloise SCENTED SOAPS Dear Heloise: I use liquid soap in my kitchen and bathroom, but I still like the smell of some of the bar soaps you can find at trade and craft shows. Sometimes I just can’t help buying some. When I do, I place them inside my clothes drawers. Eventually my clothes take on a faint scent from the soap, which I love.—Allison B. in Houston