DEAR READERS: Do you feel sentimental about some of your possessions, but know it's time to let some things go? Take a picture of the items and create a folder for them on your phone or computer. Having photos helps keep the memories of those items while allowing you to sell, donate or throw them away.
DEAR HELOISE: I just read the article in your column about how to organize your closet. As the mother of a young child, I needed to be very organized. On Sunday afternoons, I would take out my ironing board and go through my closet to select five outfits for the week. If anything needed pressing, I did it then. I chose which jewelry I wanted to wear with the individual outfits, put them into individual sandwich bags and hung them on the hanger with the outfit they went with.
I then checked my nylons for runs and put my shoes under the outfits for the week. It took maybe 20 minutes to accomplish this for the week and saved me so much time every single morning.
I also used to make my son's lunches and had five lunch bags ready with a napkin, a small bag of chips and an individual dessert. I made all five sandwiches, froze them and put one in the refrigerator every night. Nightly, my son and I gathered all his school work and books and put them into his backpack. He would then pick out what he wanted to wear to school the next day. It literally took minutes to organize.
Our mornings were happy, with no arguments or last-minute drama. Organization made it much easier to be a working mom.
-- Deborah Dougherty,
Rockwall, Texas
DEAR READERS: If some of the clothes in your closets have a stale smell, you can freshen them by hanging them outside for a while. But don't put them in direct sunlight, because the strong sun can fade some fabrics, such as silk.
DEAR READERS: To keep your cat or dog's bedding smelling good between washings, sprinkle a bit of baking soda over the bedding. Let it sit for a bit, and then brush off any remaining baking soda before your pet decides to make themselves comfortable.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com