It happens to me all the time.
Embracing clever tricks is as human as it gets.
This is especially true of tips to nip food waste in the bud.
Simply Recipes / Amazon
Who Was Heloise?
Heloise Bowles Cruse launched a column for housewives in 1959 in the Honolulu Advertiser called The Readers Exchange.
Readers responded with vigor, and in a few years her column went syndicated as Hints from Heloise.
The original Heloises daughter carries the column on to this day.
They sold thousands of copies and remained in print for years.
I came across these books as a tween.
Heloise was not an austerity queen.
She championed small improvements.
Some of us buy small size eggs because they are cheaper.
She made a double batch of pancakes, froze the extra batch, andreheated them in the toasteras needed.
How, exactly, did that prevent food waste?
Its about time management as much as it is emotional fulfillment.
Never do chores when you are not in the mood, she advised.
Wait till you want to do them because of what it can or will mean to someone else.
It was a gift to her from my great-aunt Elta, who inscribed it June 1968.
Its a mindset you grow into.
Heloise Built Her Own Social Media Platform
It wasnt all Heloisereaders shared tips for publication, too.
That was the point.
Homemakers in 1959 and today spend time cooking, cleaning, and raising kids.
Which, if youve done it before, you know can be mighty isolating and unglamourous.
Even the happiest housewife or caretaker can feel cut off from the rest of the world.
She was a friend and advocate.
My favorite Heloise hint isnt even a hint.
Its a pep talk.
Mrs. Homemaker, I think you are the most wonderful person on earth!
You are the very backbone of family life.
But maybe theres another piece to that equation.
The mere principle of waste runs anathema to a fulfilled life.
Heloise taught me that frugality is an ethos worth the effort.
And that never goes out of style.
