Heloise

Dear Heloise: I make calls for work concerning client requests, and some numbers now have an app that screens all calls. This starts after waiting for the voicemail. You have to give a name, a reason for the call, or a phone number, then wait some more while a list is checked. Then, if you’re on the list, it goes to voicemail. None of this is efficient, as it wastes my time and also ties up your phone.

The person can see who’s calling, and they don’t have to answer. Not all calls are spam. This isn’t respectful to people you’ve given your number to. — Ann, via email

Ann, this may seem to be an annoyance to you, but the general public is tired of spam calls. I can tell you that when I’m sitting at my desk during working hours, it’s not uncommon to get between 10-11 spam calls in one day. Thank heavens my phone alerts me to these spam calls, and I ignore them. While I’m not thrilled by the system you’ve written about, I can certainly understand it. — Heloise

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise@Heloise.com

DISPOSING OF SHREDDED PAPER

Dear Heloise: Regarding Anni’s letter, I called 311 (the city helpline) in Houston about recycling shredded paper. I was told to empty the shredded paper into a paper bag, staple it shut, then put it in the recycle bin. — Linda S., via email

SHAMPOO BARS

Dear Heloise: A bar of shampoo that is packaged in a cardboard box saves our planet from more plastic. I found this product during COVID,

and I’ll never buy a plastic bottle of shampoo again. Even my hair conditioner comes in a bar. The best part is that it saves me money because these bars, when used properly, last for a while. — B., in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin

MARKING WINE GLASSES

Dear Heloise: We keep cute little flower suction cups to stick on our glasses to identify them during the day. They’re in different colors, and my husband and I have a particular one that we use all the time and different ones to give company.

I also have cute little glass ornaments on metal rings that will fit around a wine glass stem so that when I have company, each person has their own wine glass. They can refill it, leave it somewhere, and know which one it is. This way, we only have to wash the glasses at the end of the day. — Emily M., in Kingwood, Texas

SOME VERY USEFUL HINTS

Dear Heloise: I wrote to you a while back about planting green onion roots instead of throwing them away. Here are some more hints that might be useful to your readers:

While changing the batteries in our furnace thermostat, I noticed a tiny reset button on the circuit board. Sometime later, the furnace wouldn’t come on, but I remembered the tiny button. I pushed it, and the furnace returned to normal, saving us a costly service call.

Also, when making instant mashed potatoes, I use powdered coffee creamer in the water to make them richer. I love your column! — Frank P., in Rancho Palos Verdes, California