THURSDAY TIPS

* If you have a tank top that has loose straps, try crossing them over your neck to create crisscross straps. You might like the look, and it won’t be loose!

* Apply a strong magnet to the side of small basket to mount it on your fridge. It can hold dry erase markers and an eraser or even bottles of spices.

* Thanks to P.S. of the Lyme Disease Association for setting us straight on home remedies for tick removal. Soap doesn’t work; neither does petroleum jelly or a lit match. There is only one good, safe way to remove a tick, and that’s with tweezers, pulling the tick straight out with steady pressure. If you or your pet have a tick and you’re unsure how to detach it properly, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc. gov) and the Food and Drug Administration (www.fda.gov) offer step-by-step, illustrated instructions on their web sites; just search for “tick removal.”

* Here’s a tip when spray painting an item: Be sure you are spraying before and after the edges. Press down on the spray trigger so that the paint is coming out before you apply it with a back and forth motion. This will ensure that you have even coverage.

* “WD-40 (a lubricant) works really well at removing adhesive labels. I bought a few bottles of wine and the bottle shape was decorative. I wanted to use it, but not with the label on it. I tried soaking the bottle, and scrubbing, but it was still a mess. I even tried alcohol, but nothing! I sprayed it with WD-40, let it sit about five minutes, and it rubbed right off like magic.” -- Y.L. in Pennsylvania