HELPFUL HINTS

By HELOISE

LITTLE ROCK — DEAR HELOISE: I buy salads in a large plastic box. It seems a waste to throw the container away.

The container is used to lend my colleagues supplies like extra pencils, index cards, crayons and glue sticks when needed for projects. It has my name on it as a reminder to return it, and it is transparent, socontents are visible.

- Margarette, Temple, Texas

DEAR HELOISE: This is a hint my husband discovered. He was having trouble picking up capsules when I put them on the counter for him to take. If he lightly wet his fingertips, the capsule would adhere to his fingers, making it easy to pick up! I'm the wife of a smart cookie!

- Marilyn, Lake Como, Fla.

DEAR HELOISE: After traveling the country, I find that many restaurants don't have salsa. Being a salsa lover, I put some in an empty spice bottle.

It'smuch easier than carrying a large bottle of salsa, and much cleaner.

- Lorraine Shattuck, Helotes, Texas

DEAR HELOISE: Here's a hint I thought of when putting up big candles that I never burn because they are too pretty to ruin!

I light them and let them burn down so a votive candle (in an aluminum holder) will fit, with the wick showing. When it burns down, I insert another one, and I'll get to enjoy the candle for another few years.

- Chris, via e-mail

DEAR HELOISE: I write the dates on the top of AC/heating filters. I change mine every three months and put reminders in my cell-phone calendar.

- Mark, Jackson, Miss. Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail

HELOISE@CompuServe.com

MovieStyle, Pages 41 on 04/03/2009