Dear Readers: I went to a beautiful wedding a few weeks ago and was surprised by the number of air fryers, toasters, electric frying pans and bowls the bridal couple received. While these are wonderful gifts, and I feel certain that the bride and groom appreciated them, they’ll have to return four of the air fryers, two of the toasters, two of the electric frying pans and maybe some of the bowls. Their tiny apartment simply cannot accommodate the duplicates.

Instead of the standard gifts, try to think of a creative way to give a wedding gift (or any gift for that matter).  You might try:

— A champagne bucket with a bottle of good champagne and two champagne glasses, along with a packet of attractive cocktail napkins.

— A couple of family-friendly board games, books or cards.

— For the outdoors, a couple of flash lights, a battery-powered radio, water bottles and a good knife.

— A gift card to a hardware store, along with a hammer and screwdriver set.

— A bucket of household supplies, vinegar, baking soda, microfiber cloths, sponges, etc.

All it takes is a little creative imagination. — Heloise

GIFTS FOR BOOKWORMS

Dear Heloise: Most of my friends are avid readers who love nothing more than a good book. So, on a gift-giving occasion, I usually give a gift card to a local bookstore or buy a book for them. Then, I cross-stitch a bookmarker as a personal touch.  Everyone seems to like it. — Kathy M., Beaverton, Oregon

ROLL IT UP

Dear Heloise: I’ve read your books and found some very useful information in them. One suggestion stood out the most, and that was about rolling up clothing while packing for a trip.

I liked the idea so much that I rolled up my dish towels and neatly stored them in a kitchen drawer. They look organized and are handy to have. — Sharon D., Niles, Illinois

MATCH CARRIER

Dear Heloise: I place my wooden matches in a pill bottle for camping trips. However, I realized I needed a striking surface in order to use the matches, so I cut out a round circle and glued it to the top of the pill bottle. It was so easy, and I can easily carry the pill bottle in my purse. — Loretta S., Vista, California

TRAVEL HINT

Dear Heloise: My two brothers and I like to rent a beach house for a couple of weeks each summer, and we take our families and dogs with us. The first year, we all brought too much food, so we decided that, in the future, one family would handle breakfast, another family would do lunch, and the third family would do dinner.

That was only for the first three days. The next three days, the family that did breakfast would do lunch, the previous lunch family would do dinner, and the previous dinner family would do breakfast. We rotated the labor, and everyone had a fair share of duties and expenses. Plus, we all got to show off our cooking skills! — Don, Jack and Andy, Kalamazoo, Michigan

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.