Here’s An Idea

by JoAnn Derson
• Someone late for dinner? To keep potatoes warm without drying them out (as would happen in an oven), set their serving dish in a larger pan of hot water and cover.

• “I use a small plastic bowl as a scoop in my big bag of potting mix. It’s a good amount to pot a small plant, and I can hold my pot over the bowl to save the soil.”
—R.F. in Oregon

• Give your buttons a boost! Use clear nail polish to strengthen the strings holding your buttons in place. Just a drop on the face of each button, and let dry. You’ll never know it’s there, but it definitely helps.

• “Remember this old trick when camping: Use salt to keep ice cold and slow the melt. In fact, I salt the ice in the cooler whenever we use it, camping or not!”
—G.L. in South Carolina

• Challenge your school-age kids or grandkids to a word scavenger hunt in the daily newspaper. You can have them search for words relating to a particular subject, or have a contest to see who can find the most unusual or complex words. It gets them reading and looking! Preschool-age kids can use a magazine to do a scavenger hunt for certain items, like colors, animals, kitchen items, etc.

• Mark a reusable water bottle with time measurements so you’ll know if you are drinking enough during the day.

Send to Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475 or e-mail JoAnn at letters.kfws@hearstsc.com