Ever go to one of those business meetings that never ends? The next time you're in charge, here's a tip that might help. Meet in a room where a clock is clearly visible. Ask someone in attendance to help monitor the clock during the presentations. This continually reminds all present it isn't an open-ended meeting. And by making all present a party to time limitations, you don't come off as the heavy.
Source: "How to Talk So People Will Listen," by Sonya Hamlin. Harper & Row.- KEEP POSTCARDS or a small tablet of paper in your purse or your briefcase. Write thank-you notes or letters while you are waiting for appointments. Source: Mary-Alice Powell, Portland, Ore.
- AFTER PAINTING all or part of a room, record the information about the paint (its color, name, mixture, etc.) and tape it inside a cabinet or closet door of that room for future reference. Source: Dr. Robert Rooks, Brownsville, Tenn.
- HERE'S A SUGGESTION for cataloging pantyhose. Attach a safety pin to the front of good hose; remove the pin if the hose are bad. (You'll also have a safety pin to use, if needed.) Source: Joann Daubendick, Ogallala, Neb.
- NEED A QUICK FIX for a furniture scratch? Locate a matching color in your child's crayon box. Fill the scratch and polish off the surface. Source: Carol Befort, North Platte, Neb.
- IF APPLIANCE CORDS are making a mess of your drawers, cover cardboard toilet tissue rolls with colored contact paper. Label each roll with the name of the cord it holds. Roll up the cord and slip into the roll and return it to the drawer.
- WHEN YOU REPLACE the liner bag in a wastebasket, place an additional one for the next time on the bottom of the basket before you line it with the fresh one. Source: Shirley Kellogg, Ventura, Calif.
- A STUBBORN THREAD that won't go through the eye of the needle can be exasperating. Coat the end with hairspray, let it dry and try again. Chances are, it'll go through.
- EVER GET FRUSTRATED just sitting around for an hour after eating to go swimming? It's time wasted. The concept originated 50 years ago in a Red Cross water safety booklet that warned stomach cramps might result. But subsequent studies have found the fear unfounded. Still, the legend remains strong.