Cellphone cameras have a practical use for traveling

Dear Readers: Our cellphones and smartphones are indispensable and with us at all times, documenting our lives and important events. You can put the camera on your phone to good use in other ways. Try these three.

1. Take photos of the inside and outside of your luggage before you go on a trip. If your luggage is lost, you’ll have the photos ready to identify your luggage.

2. If you are moving, use your cellphone to take photos of the connections on the back of your computer, stereo and TV before unplugging. Use the pictures as a guide to reconnect everything.

3. Snap photos of your jewelry, antiques and valuable items in your home. Store them on a USB or in the cloud. If there’s a natural disaster or robbery, you will have a record for insurance purposes.

Heloise

Dear Readers: You might not notice it, but our homes have an enormous amount of dust. And we track a lot of it in from outside. Here are some steps you can take to stop it from getting inside.

Place doormats in front of every entrance into your house. Make sure everyone wipes their shoes on them before they come inside. Sweep off all the dirt and debris from sidewalks and driveways on a regular basis. Be sure to vacuum frequently around all the doors and windows, too. And you can get air purifiers with HEPA filters to also assist in removing dust particles.

Heloise

Dear Readers: If you know that your pantry needs a bit of help, try this colorful idea and organizational hint for all your canned goods. Store them by color! For example:

Green shelf: peas, green beans, pickles.

Red shelf: beets, cranberries, cherries, tomato sauce and soup.

White shelf: mayo, applesauce, onions.

Yellow shelf: pineapple, corn, fruit cocktail.

Heloise

Dear Readers: When you put food in containers in the refrigerator, sometimes they get shoved into the back, get old and then have to be tossed out. To prevent this, place leftovers in clear containers so you can see them, and also see if something unnatural is growing inside. Also, put labels with a date on the containers.

Heloise

Dear Readers: This yummy dessert is a favorite family treat. The recipe has been handed down and adapted by families over the years. But the basic name derives from the original ingredients. Pound cake was made with 1 pound of butter, 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of flour and 1 pound of eggs. Today, there are many versions of this cake!

HELOISE