By JoAnn Derson
King Features Syndicate
• Go Green Tip: Is that article of clothing you just picked up off the floor of your kid's room genuinely dirty, or just barely worn? Install several hooks for items that can be worn again before washing. If you can't get them to put tried-on clothes away, train your kids to lay them on the bed or over a chair, as opposed to on the floor. They are more likely to be mistaken for dirty and be washed, wasting water and electricity, as well as shortening the life of the clothes.
• "This holiday season, I'd like to sit back and enjoy the company of my family and friends, so I am baking a batch of cookies each week and doubling one casserole or soup recipe each week. This way, I should have my holiday baking done and several cook-free nights to enjoy with others instead of bustling around the kitchen and missing everything. Someone put on a pot of coffee!"
-- M.E. in Alabama
• It's this time of year that we are encouraged to look around us and think of the needs of others. Many families are planning holiday meals. Are there families in your neighborhood that are struggling? Perhaps someone at the senior center who doesn't have family to gather with this Thanksgiving? Reach out to others, and do what you can to help.
• "Save your toilet-paper rolls and make fire starters for just pennies: Just take a roll, stuff it with dried twigs, crumpled paper, dryer lint, grass, etc. Shred a candle and melt the wax to drizzle over the edges to keep the stuffing inside. Pack several together in a cute mini tote, and they even make great gifts. You can use them indoors or out."
-- I.L. in Pennsylvania
• If you need to cover a plate and have run out of plastic wrap, check your bathroom. You can use a shower cap as a food-plate cover in a pinch. Just make sure it is clean, preferably unused.