Donating school supplies
DONATING SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Dear Heloise: Donate usable school supplies that your children no longer need to nonprofit organizations. This can be gratifying, as these items are used during summer programs for kids or are redistributed for the following school year.
As a teacher, I purchase my own supplies. There were tubs of crayons, colored pencils, glue sticks, construction paper and markers left over from poster, foldable and journaling projects. They were donated, along with new supplies that might have been needed in case of a shortage. Instead of storing the items for two months, donating them was a better alternative. — Margarette M., via email
School supplies are needed all year long! Readers, why not pick up a few items each time you shop and then donate them. It won’t hurt your budget and will certainly benefit a lot of students. — Heloise
SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise
P.O. Box 795000
San Antonio, TX 78279-5000
Fax: 1-210-HELOISE
Email: Heloise(at)Heloise.com
FAST FACTS
Dear Readers: Other uses for dryer sheets:
? Put in the bottom of garbage cans in the house to reduce odor.
? Freshen up a car — place a couple of dryer sheets under the seats.
? Freshen stored sheets and blankets; toss into the dryer on the “air” cycle with a couple of fabric-softener sheets.
? Put one in your gym bag to control odors.
— Heloise
BABY-SHOWER HINT
Dear Heloise: I recently was given a baby shower, and one of the hostesses had the idea that each person should have a picture taken with the mom-to-be after I opened the person’s gift.
We also took pictures of me alone with the gifts sent by those who couldn’t make it to the party. All turned out to be a wonderful addition to my thank-you notes. I think the pictures made them a lot more personal, and they seemed like kind of a take-away party favor. A bride-to-be could do the same thing. I felt it emphasized my appreciation for each person who attended and cared enough to send or bring a gift. — April Lowe, Harriman, N.Y.
WALL PHOTOS
Dear Heloise: We collected prints and covered our walls from ceiling to floor with them, similar to a photo-wall display. When the time came to paint, we wanted to take a photo of the wall so we could put the prints back as they were. Not finding the digital camera, we drew a sketch of the print locations and numbered the rectangles representing the prints. Then we numbered the glass with a water-based marker.
Not only did we know where the prints went, but it forced us to clean the glass! — George, via email
SOUND OFF
Dear Heloise: My Sound Off is: When ordering by mail, I pay shipping based on the cost of the item, when weight is the only factor in the shipping cost by regular mail. Why should I have to pay $2-$4 more because my item is $39 instead of $29?
And, if I have to return and reorder, I keep on paying shipping charges. My $39 slippers could cost $45.99. — D.W. from Pennsylvania
(c)2011 by King Features Syndicate Inc.