Repurpose holiday cards
DEAR HELOISE >> I reuse any holiday cards I receive after the season is over. Those colorful or glittery front faces make great gift tags! Here’s what I do: First, I detach the beautiful front face of the card. I usually cut it into strips or squares. As long as there isn’t any writing on the card, you can reuse those “tags” for future gifts!
Best regards.
— Priscilla Wigham
DEAR HELOISE >> I recently discovered how much easier it is to prepare cabbage to cook if it’s sliced with an electric knife! For years, I used a hand knife, but since I always buy the biggest head I see, I discovered that it’s much less difficult to cut cabbage with an electric knife!
As we age, our strength diminishes, so a little extra help is always welcome.
— Barbara Hoch
DEAR HELOISE >> I am an older person who recently received a couple of gift cards for Christmas, but I don’t know what their amounts are. Please inform your readers to write the dollar amount on the cards with a sharpie. I now have to get a friend to go online and determine the amount so that I know what I can purchase in the future. Not all of us seniors are computer savvy.
— Gary R., Decatur,
Indiana
DEAR HELOISE >> Regarding saving slivers of soap, I put them in a zippered fishnet laundry bag. Once you get enough slivers, zip the bag and throw it on the shower floor to make a great foot washer. I hang mine over the spigot so that it’s ready for the next time. It’s very easy to add new slivers.
— A Reader
DEAR HELOISE >> Per my PhD-trained, biologist spouse, if you freeze all of the items that Nancy, in Amarillo, Texas, mentioned for 48 hours after bringing them home from the store, then leave them at room temperature for 48 hours, then refreeze them again for another 48 hours, you will kill all the critters and eggs.
I have done this for years, in addition to having tight storage containers. We don’t use plastic; we use glass jars, which are reusable, washable and always recyclable.
— A Reader
DEAR HELOISE >> I recently went to a homeowners meeting at our HOA, and there was a police officer who gave us suggestions on how to protect ourselves and our homes.
One suggestion that I had never given any thought to before was about garage windows. The speaker said we should cover them up or use some kind of plastic adhesive that can let light in, but keep people from looking inside. Many times, a thief will check the garage to see if there are any cars in there. If the garage is empty, the thief knows no one is home and that they can break into the house.
— G.L., Atlanta
Write to Heloise at P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; or email Heloise@Heloise.com.