Frames do more than just hold photos

DEAR READERS: Here are some handy reuses for a stand-up photo frame:

n Put a favorite holiday or greeting card in it.

n Put a recipe card in one when cooking -- it won't get dirty or greasy.

n Frame pressed flowers.

n Frame concert tickets or movie stubs.

n Make a phone list for the baby sitter, put it in a frame and place by the phone.

-- Heloise

Handy cord storage

DEAR HELOISE: I have conquered the cords in my bathroom. I fold them up and use a very large hair clip to contain them. -- Marybeth O'Neil, via e-mail

Easy-reach grabber

Dear Heloise: If you have someone who has had major surgery or a broken leg, etc., and cannot get out of bed easily, go to a medical-supply store (not drugstore) and buy a reaching grabber. I reached, pulled, pushed, picked up and opened drawers and everything else with that grabber. They cost around $30 but are well worth it. -- P. Bybee, Richmond, Texas

Not brown or white but green eggs

DEAR HELOISE: I am a faithful reader of your column in the Kerrville (Texas) Daily Times paper. A reader wrote inquiring if eggshell color had anything to do with the flavor of an egg. I raised Araucana chickens, a breed from South America, which lay colored eggs. My hens laid green eggs! The shades varied from pale turquoise to pale olive green. The birds were beautiful! The eggs tasted fine and were a hit in the kindergarten classes when reading Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham"! -- B.V. in Texas

DEAR B.V.: Yes, the American Egg Board agrees -- eggs of a different color all taste the same. -- Heloise

It left the way it came

DEAR HELOISE: Just the other day, I accidentally set a hot pan on something plastic. The pan is a good nonstick pan, and I didn't want to just throw it away. It occurred to me that since heat is how the plastic got stuck on there in the first place, then heat also should remove it. I used a lighter for candles and held it over each melted piece. It took a couple of minutes or so, but the plastic came off. -- Beth L. from New Jersey

DEAR BETH: This happens to more people than you think. Usually it's a plastic bag that gets stuck to a hot appliance.

For plastic-bag residue on an appliance, unplug it first; you can sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge and rub the area to remove it. After that, wipe it off with a clean, damp sponge.

If there is any plastic still there, try using some nail-polish remover on a paper towel and rub. Wipe with a damp cloth and dry. Caution: Nail-polish remover is flammable, so make sure all the remover is gone before you use the appliance again.

Baking soda is so handy to have around the house! It can be used for cleaning, deodorizing and cooking! For a ton of great money-saving ways to use baking soda around your house, just send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

Here's a way to test if baking soda is still active: Just pour a small amount of vinegar in a bowl and then add about a spoonful of baking soda. If this mixture fizzes up, then the baking soda is still active and can be used. -- Heloise

Hints from Heloise is syndicated by King Features Syndicate. Send great hints to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; by fax, 210-HELOISE (435-6473); or by e-mail, Heloise@Heloise.com.