Dear Heloise: I have found a great way to preserve my pretty, decorative candles — yet still burn them.
First, burn the candle once or twice, which usually causes an indentation in the center of the candle. Next time, place in the indentation one of those small candles in a metal casing that burns to nothing, and it will appear as though your big decorative candle is lit (the candle will also glow). Just replace the small candle after it burns down. —Mary J., Chula Vista, Calif.
Mary, we decided to check with our friends at the National Candle Association. They don't suggest doing this, because candles need to be burned on a flat, even surface so they will burn evenly. The indentation could cause wax in the small candle to shift and make the flame off-center, which could result in too high of a flame.
You might want to place the decorative candle in an arrangement and then just burn some other candles around it. —Heloise
Here are some cold-weather hints from my "magpies" at Heloise Central:
Keep hats, gloves and scarves all together on a pants hanger. Simply clip them on the hanger, and they are ready whenever you need them.
Label children's snow boots with an "R" and an "L" so that they can easily distinguish which boot goes on which foot.
Be sure to get your furnace serviced. Many companies offer specials, so shop around.
To keep warm (and save on heating bills), throw on a sweater and wrap a warm scarf around your neck rather than turn up the heat. —Heloise
Dear Heloise:My hanging flower baskets do double duty for me. They are great to hang on your arm when gathering fruit, vegetables and flowers. Because of the holes in the bottom, use a lining — newspaper will do — when using to convey soil, fertilizer, etc. Mine is many years old and still usable, and it didn't cost me a cent. —Mrs. Ellen Cedilote, Springfield, Ohio
Dear Heloise:My husband and I were always having trouble finding recipes that we collected from friends or relatives on various scraps of paper, printouts from the Internet and those we created ourselves. I finally discovered that photo albums work great for this. We only put recipes in it that we've tried and liked and a few that sound so good that we know will be good. The photo albums that work the best are those that have a wipeable cover and have the plastic sleeves that keep the recipes clean, too. —Cheryl L. Schluterman, Little Rock, Ark.
Send a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax: 210-HELOISE; e-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com © King Features Syndicate Inc.