A reader shares a tip for keeping bobby pins organized in her purse: she slides several pins onto a business card to corral them in one spot. This makes the pins easier to find when needed among the other items in her bag. The simple hack solves the problem of digging through her purse to locate a pin.

1. “I like to keep bobby pins on me for when my hair
gets out of control, but I always end up having to
dig through my purse to find one. Then a friend
shared this tip: Slide several pins onto a business
card. Not only does it keep them all in one spot,
but the card is easy to spot among the clutter in
my bag. Genius!” —Amy Lewis, Sparks, NV
Outsmarthairemergencies
4 First for women 3/6/17
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Heal a raspy
throat for less
READER TIP
Blister-proof
new shoes
The pumps you scored on clear-
ance look fabulous—but they’re a
bit loose, so they rub against your
heels with every step and cause
painful blisters. The save: Cut a
circular makeup sponge in half
and insert it between your heel and
the back of the shoe. The sponge’s
foamy material will improve the
shoes’ fit and cushion your skin,
putting an end to the pain.
Key to making
tough choices
When you’re having trouble
making a decision, like
whether to accept a job offer,
phrase it as a yes or no ques-
tion, then grab a coin. Using
heads to represent “yes” and
tails to indicate “no,” flip the
coin. If your stomach drops,
you feel upset or you want
to dispute the outcome,
your intuition is telling you
to choose the other path. If
your gut gives you no signal,
go with the coin’s decision.
MONEY SAVER
A drinking straw taped to the side of
a notebook becomes a pen holder
No more
searching
for a pen!
Quick tips that keep you
looking & feeling greatsmart YOU solutions
Ugh! Your favorite winter sweater
is covered in tiny fuzz balls. To the
rescue: FIRST readers share simple
tips to eliminate pesky pilling
What’s the best way
to de-pill a sweater?
58% ❤ this idea!
42% ❤ this idea!
QUICK POLL
Use a piece of sandpaper to gently rub
the fabric in one direction, says Jenna
Wong. The gritty surface loosens pills.
Lightly shave off the pills with a dispos-
able razor, says Samantha Evans. The
thin blade pulls the fuzz off the fabric.
SHOW-HOW
A natural way to relieve
a scratchy throat: Mix
1 cup of warm water,
1
⁄4 tsp. of baking soda
and 1
⁄8 tsp. of salt and
gargle for 30 seconds.
Repeat 3 times daily
or as needed. The salt
loosens phlegm and the
alkaline baking soda
helps relieve irritation so
you’ll feel better fast.
MONEY SAVED: $5 for a
bag of cough drops