The Easiest Way To Make Your Sweaters Look Like New

Using your phone to spend less time on your phone, a better way to butter your popcorn, and more. January 4, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! With all the snow we’ve been getting, I’ve more or less been living in sweaters lately, so I’m glad I have the tools and knowledge necessary to keep them in great shape. In Today’s Good Thing, I’ll be passing the secrets of how to keep sweaters looking new along to you. Also in today’s newsletter, it’s Tech Tip Tuesday. This week, find out how you can better control the amount of time you spend on your phone by enlisting an unexpected ally: the phone itself. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING The Easiest Way To Make Your Sweaters Look Like New [Photos of a lint shaver being used on a sweater.]( Nothing makes sweaters and other clothing look worn out like pilling, but it’s easy to get rid of. Nearly every kind of fabric is susceptible to pilling over time, but they tend to be particularly apparent on sweaters and other outerwear. A sweater with pills all over it is likely to look old and worn out, even if it’s relatively new. But on the bright side, there’s an easy way to remove pilling and return your sweater to like-new condition—all it takes is a decent fabric or lint shaver. I bought [this JUEYINGBAILI Lint Shaver]( on Amazon for less than $15, and it came with two replacement blades and a snap-on protective cover you can use with delicate fabrics. Another nice feature of this [lint shaver]( is that there are multiple ways to power it. I can use it it wirelessly with a couple of AA batteries (great for using it on the go), or I can attach the included power cord and run it from a wall socket when I'm at home. (Like I always say, it’s nice to have options!) How to use a lint shaver to remove pills from a sweater: Start by laying the sweater out flat on a table. Turn on your [lint shaver]( then carefully run it over areas with noticeable pilling. As it shaves the pills from the surface of the fabric, the blades will whisk the pills into the lint holder—be sure to empty the lint holder periodically so it doesn't get too full. Depending on the state of your sweater, it may take time to remove all the pills initially. But when you’re done, you’ll be amazed at the difference—your sweater will look like it did the day you brought it home. And in the future, you can use your lint shaver as soon as you notice new pills forming and maintain a like-new look with little effort. [See my favorite lint shaver on Amazon ➜]( Related • [Turn An Old Sweater Into A New Bed For Your Pet]( • [This Clever Hanger Hack Is The Best Way To Avoid Sweater Bumps]( • [7 Clothing Items You Should Always Hang (And 6 To Fold Instead)]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Longing for fuller lashes? These 10 products help nourish and strengthen eyelashes while also promoting growth. [Read more ➜]( • If you’re looking to streamline your storage, parting with these 7 unnecessary items is a great place to start. [Read more ➜]( • You don’t have to settle for too-long jeans—find out how to shorten jeans while preserving the original hem. [Read more ➜]( TECH TIP TUESDAY Cutting Back On Screen Time? Your Phone Can Help [An image of two phone screens displaying various Screen Time features.]( It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re on your phone—unless you’re using this handy feature, that is. I think it's safe to assume that most of us have been spending more time on our phones over the past couple of years. [According to TechCrunch]( the global average for time spent using smartphone apps is around 4.2 hours per day. Only you can say whether you ought to cut down on the amount of time you spend on your phone, but if you do want to cut back, I've got a tip that can help. Because as strange as it sounds, the most useful tool for managing your screen time is your phone itself. For iPhone users, the Screen Time feature can help you monitor and control your phone usage in a couple of different ways. One option is downtime, which you can turn on at any time or schedule for specific times (like dinnertime, bedtime, etc.). During downtime, only calls, messages, and apps you’ve chosen to allow will be available to use. Another Screen Time option is app limits. You can set time limits for categories of apps (like Social Networking, Games, etc.) or for apps individually. To use downtime or app limits, go to Settings > Screen Time, turn it on if you haven’t already, then select either Downtime or App Limits to get started. [Learn more at Apple Support](. Android Users: Android has a similar feature that can help you limit your screen time called Digital Wellbeing. Access it by going to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls. From there, you can set timers for specific apps, or set up other features like “Focus mode” and “Bedtime mode.” [Learn more at Android Help](. COOKING A Better Way To Butter Your Popcorn [Photos of Jillee making a butter spray.]( When your popcorn needs more butter, this tip makes an easy and mess-free solution. I’m the type of person who always gets extra butter on their popcorn at the movie theater, but that does not mean I reach for the “extra butter” varieties of microwave popcorn at the store. The butter flavor in microwave popcorn doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing, so I prefer to add melted butter to microwave popcorn at home. If you’ve never attempted to evenly distribute melted butter over a bowl of popcorn before, take it from me—it’s difficult (and even more so if you want to do it without making a mess!) But I did eventually learn a much more efficient way to add butter to popcorn, which is both easier and tidier. Make a "butter spray" by pouring 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 teaspoons of a neutral-flavored oil (like vegetable oil) into a spray bottle or food-safe spritzer bottle, then spray it onto your popcorn. (The nozzle may get stopped up if the butter solidifies, but you can easily remelt it by running the sprayer under hot water.) JILLEE'S PICK Required Reading For Animal Lovers [An image of the front cover of ]( If you’re the kind of person who loves stories about special bonds formed between animals and humans, you'll love [West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge](. I initially had a few misgivings about whether or not this book would be for me, but I'm very glad I gave it a chance, because I loved every minute of reading it. West with Giraffes is loosely based on an incredible true story about a pair of giraffes who survive a hurricane as they are transported by boat across the Atlantic. When the boat arrives in New York, the giraffes are loaded onto a truck and driven over 3,000 miles to their new home at the San Diego Zoo. We see the events of the story through the eyes of 17-year-old Dust Bowl native Woody Nickel, who is charged with driving the truck across the country. He witnesses the delight of people seeing giraffes for the very first time, as well as the heart-wrenching prejudices and hardships that everyday people faced during those trying times. The author manages to create a perfect blend of history, fiction, zoology, romance, intrigue, and heart in this story. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with giraffes. Personally, I already want to read it again! [See West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge on Amazon ➜]( WHAT IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB Put Your Memory (And Your Art Skills) To The Test [An image of a laptop screen displaying the Draw Logos From Memory game.]( From the file of “fun ways to waste a few minutes online”—which is pretty much the whole point of this segment—is a fun little web game called [Draw Logos From Memory](. The point of the game is to—you guessed it—draw the logos of well-known brands from memory using a drawing tool reminiscent of the old Microsoft Paint program. While my artistic skill left much to be desired, I had a surprising amount of fun trying to remember what the different logos looked like and attempting to replicate them. I was also surprised by how many I got pretty close on! [Give it a try]( and let me know how you do. I want to give the game's creator, self-described “creative coder” Neal Agarwal, a shout out here for sharing his talents online for us to benefit from. Without people like Neal, the World Wide Web wouldn’t be nearly as fun! A FEW MORE THINGS... Reading For All: It’s World Braille Day, dedicated by the UN to promote awareness of braille's importance in enabling literacy in those with visual impairments. The day was chosen to honor the inventor of braille, French educator Louis Braille, who was born on January 4 in 1809. Learn more about braille by checking out [this excellent beginner’s guide]( from the Perkins School for the Blind. Did You Know? It’s also Trivia Day, a day to celebrate our shared love of inconsequential facts and figures. Trivia allows competitive know-it-alls to truly shine, whether they’re acting as team captain at a pub quiz or sprinkling factual nuggets into every conversation. In honor of trivia, play a round today to celebrate—there are trivia quizzes galore on [Sporcle.com](. What did you think of today's email? 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