Notate 2007 dates in your calendar now
BY JOANN DERSON King Features Syndicate

. Decoration management made easy: Wrap string lights around paper towel cores; wine boxes (find them at your local liquor store) can be used to separate wrapped ornaments; and garment bags are a nice cover for wreaths and garlands.

. Now is a great time to go through your 2006 calendar and notate dates for 2007. Pay attention to when you had appointments for the dentist and your annual physical or well-woman appointment, in addition to birthdays and other celebratory dates. Make a note on the month before in your 2007 calendar as a reminder that you need to schedule a repeat appointment.

. "If the kids are heading out sledding, be sure to check the weight restrictions on the sled and look for splinters or scrapes in metal that might have created a sharp edge." -- C.E. in Minnesota

. "I always clip the return address from the holiday cards we receive and tape it to a sheet of paper, which I then store after Christmas with next year's cards. (I buy them after the holidays at a great discount!)" -- G.W. in South Carolina

. Give overnight guests the spa treatment. Assemble a basket with clean towels

in all sizes, some pretty soaps, bottled water to keep in their room and a few magazines tuned to their interests. Laying out an extra blanket or throw is a good idea, too.

. "To keep linens from creasing, try hanging them on a padded hanger in the closet. I used a piece of foam piping that I cut a slit in. I slipped it on the hanger and laid my grandmother's tablecloth over it. A pillowcase with a hole in the seam can then be slipped over the hanger top to keep dust off." -- W.A. in Tennessee

Send your tips to Now Here's a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475 or e-mail JoAnn at letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.