Dear Heloise: To get more use out of discarded Christmas lights, I place a strand in a decorative container and leave them on at night as a night light. This is helpful when walking into a dark living room or kitchen during the night. — Edna G., in Houston

GREASE STRAINER

Dear Heloise: Having a grease can in the freezer is a great idea for containing grease; however, my method is quicker (and I have no room to spare in the freezer).

I bought a grease strainer. It consists of a strainer basket with a handle, a grease catcher, and a lid. But I never use the lid. I can just dump all the hamburger into the strainer at once, which is quick. I let it drain and dump the hamburger back in my pan, then I’m back to cooking in a flash.

I let the grease solidify in the catcher and clean it out with a paper towel. The strainer and container can be put on the top rack of the dishwasher. I loved it so much that everyone got one for Christmas that year. — Liz Nass, via email

MISSING SOCKS

Dear Heloise: I put my socks, my husband’s socks, and my support hose in a mesh laundry bag and zip it closed. When the wash is done, I throw the whole bag in the dryer for a few minutes, then take them out and hang them up on a drying rack by pairs. No more lost socks! — Terry, in Winchester, Virginia

READER COMMENTS

Dear Heloise: So many of your columns have hints that apply to me. I particularly liked a recent letter about “manners.” Our son, whom we lost seven years ago due to an inoperable brain tumor, used to help people reach things on the top shelves of grocery stores. At 6 feet, 4 inches tall, he would walk through stores, and people would ask him if he played basketball. He’d say, “No, do you play miniature golf?”

Again, thank you for a great column. By the way, it wasn’t Steve Jobs, it wasn’t Bill Gates, and it wasn’t Al Gore — it was Moses who was the first person to download a message from the cloud to a tablet! — Paul, via email