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Dear Heloise: Whenever you prepare to paint a room in your house, one of the things that you should do is remove all switch plates and outlet covers, as well as any masking. Then, when the painting is done, write the date on the back side of one of the switch plate covers. This could also work for wallpaper, tile, etc.; you could also include the color name to help you keep track of everything. — Don B., in Middleburg Heights, Ohio
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THE DISHRAG
Dear Heloise: I recall years ago, while opening my wedding presents (which consisted of piles of crystal, china and fancy appliances), I came across a gift from my elderly aunt: a used dishrag! She had crocheted a small triangle with a large clothing button at the top to make a loop handle, then sewed the piece across the top of the rag.
Well, I washed and hung the dishrag up on a rack in my kitchen and used it daily for many years, while the fancy rice cooker, chopper, and other gifts sat in the closet. This dish rag turned out to be the most-useful wedding gift ever and a lasting presence of a unique family member who’s now long gone. — Lisa, in Arizona
GOOD-QUALITY SCISSORS
Dear Heloise: For my bridal shower in 1958 (yes, 68 years ago), I was gifted with good-quality scissors in two sizes. I’m still using them! They were unique and unusual gifts. — Kay S., in Harrison Township, Michigan
Kay, sometimes the best gifts are the ones that we use all the time. When I was preparing to go to college, a neighbor gave me a thesaurus, and I still use it frequently. Thank you for this hint. A gift idea that keeps on giving is often very practical and doesn’t cost a fortune. — Heloise
A GIFT TO REMEMBER
Dear Heloise: Many years ago, I’d been dating a very nice man for a couple of months. Christmas was approaching, so I was hoping for a romantic gift. Instead, he gave me an ironing board cover because he noticed that the one I had wasn’t in great shape.
In his defense, he also gave me a gift card for a nice department store. Although it was a little hurtful at the time, I realized it was a practical gift that I needed. Even though we broke up, we remained friends and still had an occasional laugh over the ironing board cover. — Gayle P., in Tucson, Arizona
‘EVE OF DESTRUCTION’
Dear Heloise: I got married 33 years ago, and at my wedding, I was given a lucite vase that would light up and play the tune “Eve of Destruction.” I’m not kidding. We plugged it in and laughed like crazy! It may not have been the most useful item we received, but it was the most amusing. We’ve moved several times since we were married, and I can’t find it now. But it really was an original gift! — Felicity H., in Harrison, Tennessee
WRITE IN WITH GIFT STORIES
Dear Readers: What’s the most amusing, useless or strange gift you’ve ever received? Most of us have something that made us wonder why a certain gift was selected for us, and we here at Heloise Central would love to hear about it! — Heloise