MORE HELPFUL HINTS AND SOME ODD ONES

Awhile back I did a post of helpful hints. I'm always intrigued by such and especially the helpful hints of different eras. The following come from a book published in 1979.

• How to preserve a newspaper clipping: dissolve a milk of magnesia tablet in a quart of club soda overnight. Pour into a pan large enough to accommodate the flattened newspaper. Soak clipping for one hour, remove and pat dry. Do not move until completely dry. Estimated life: 200 years. (I have a newspaper clipping from my Grandmother's wedding which took place in England in 1918! I don't think it was treated, though.)
• Store out-of-season-clothes in large plastic lidded trash cans. Not only will your clothes be moth-proof, they will stay dry in damp basements.
• Keeping Jack Frost off windows: It gives several options and the last one is "head south."
• Here's a good one I have used. How to hide nail holes from the landlady: rub toothpaste into the hole and smooth with a damp sponge.
• If salad greens are wet and you need them right away, place in a pillow case and spin dry in your washing machine for a few seconds. This hint is especially good to know if you are serving salad to a large crowd. (Yeah, I'll get right on that...)

and last but not least I'll leave you with this helpful hint:

• Whispering works wonders when a child is angry. Simply whisper gentle words into his ear. He will stop crying so he can hear what you're saying. And, 100% effective on husbands!

(Mary Ellen's BEST of helpful hints, Special Edition, Mary Ellen Pinkham and Pearl Higginbotham, Warner/B. Lansky Books, Revised Edition copyright 1979.)