DEAR HELOISE: Ever have difficulty remembering whether you took a medication? I'd like to share a foolproof way to know. When you take the medication, turn the bottle upside down.
-- Christine in Leesburg, Fla.
DEAR READER: Christine, thanks for writing. I must caution my readers: This hint may work for you, but it's really not safe or recommended. What if someone moves the bottle, it falls over or is knocked off the counter? Far better to keep a little list, notepad or sticky note nearby. Mark down the times taken or simply a.m./p.m. It only takes a few seconds.
-- Your friend, Heloise
DEAR READERS: Your kids are young for such a short time. Here's a simple and fun way to get conversations started. You know how hard that is with kids! This hint is thanks to Anna, a new Heloise Central team member.
The first step: Put cellphones and tablets away. No distractions, just conversation.
Use 3-by-5-inch or 5-by-7-inch cards and write one question on each card. Here are some examples:
"What did you do in school today? Give an example."
"If you could travel to anywhere, where would you go, and why?"
"Who is your favorite writer, athlete or teacher, and why?"
"What do you like or not like about your best friend?"
Put the cards face down in the center of the table, and have each person take one at the start of the meal. Take turns, and discuss. You may find out more about your children than you knew. Try it!
DEAR HELOISE: I go to a lot of picnics in the summer. I buy aluminum pans of different sizes to put food in. I then decorate the pans with decals and flowers. They look festive, and no cleanup for the hostess!
-- Margie in Reading, Pa.
DEAR HELOISE: I have a towel dilemma! No matter if I add softener to the rinse or use dryer sheets, the towels don't come out soft anymore. They are stiff and rough when dried. I would appreciate getting softness back in my towels. Thank you!
-- Faye in Lufkin, Texas
DEAR READER: Too much fabric softener, too much detergent and overstuffing the washer all can contribute to the problem. Also, line drying. Here's my classic Heloise Hint: Wash the towels with no detergent, but add only 1 cup of ammonia and rinse twice. Using fabric softener is OK, but more is not better. Maybe every third or fourth wash.
DEAR READERS: I have several pendants and chains. The best way I've found to organize them is to put all of the pendants on one gold chain. They hang beautifully, and I don't have to dig through my jewelry box looking for the right pendant.
DEAR HELOISE: I have a stainless-steel kitchen sink. By accident, I left it full of dishwater overnight. The dish soap in the water made the dull sink shine! I use your hints often.
-- Carolyn in Fairbanks, La.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Weekend on 08/20/2015