The quickest, smartest strategies for battling eight universally despised tasks.
Options abound. Here's how to choose wisely.
January 4 is a special day for the Stiff family of Sylvania, Ohio, as four generations share the same birthday.
How long have you been in this business?
I live in Chicago, and one of my best friends, Phyllis, lives in San Francisco, so we aren't able to see each other as often as we would like.
When you're short on time, here's how to give your living spaces the illusion of cleanliness.
Mackenzie Phillips calls her clutter the last vestige of the junkie she used to be.
Use these expert tips and techniques to keep your house plants looking their best.
You may never tame lions or swim with the sharks, but you still have plenty of opportunities to act courageously every day.
Michelle Slatalla helps you navigate uncomfortable conversations and how to politely correct friends or relatives when they're wrong.
Were Mom's fashion rules made to be broken? A panel of fashion designers style experts weighs in on what to wear, and what to leave in the past.
Afraid your leaning tower of pots is bound to collapse? Try these tips and products.
How to fix bent-out-of-shape bags, dull jewelry, scratched leather, and more.
Why did women start carrying handbags? Here, the answer to this and other puzzlers.
Make these small style tweaks to take years off your look instantly.
No extreme makeover. No extravagant shopping spree. Just a few simple twists to spark your tried-and-true look, whether it's classic, trendy, or somewhere in between.
How many of us have boxes of unsorted photos in the corners of our homes? How many of us struggle with the desire to preserve each painting, Popsicle-stick creation, and pinch pot cranked out by our kids? You're not alone in the desire to hang on to objects with emotional value, but breaking free can be quite rewarding.
Are you making mistakes when it comes to scrubbing, vacuuming, and disinfecting? Here's how to right your wrongs -- quick as a (dust) bunny.
A novel should be as rich and satisfying as, say, Christmas dinner.
The Obama family flips the switch to turn on the lights of the official White House Christmas tree.
Time to deck the halls! This year Real Simple tapped three style pros to create freshly festive scenarios that you can easily copy at home.
Kathryn's story: "Hey!" My 11-year-old daughter bounded out of the kitchen, swinging a miniature pocket watch from a chain. "What's this? Whose is it?" It was hers, and I told her so, but not that it was intended for her Christmas stocking. I had bought it between errands, then dropped it into the groceries, which I had asked her to unload and put away, having forgotten the tiny purchase that had settled to the bottom of the bag. One hundred and three days remained until December 25.
If your spirits are high but cash is low, don't despair: These shimmery, party-ready styles each cost $100 or less.
Don't put that aluminum foil or turkey baster away just because Thanksgiving is over and you've finally had that last leftover turkey sandwich. Here are some clever ways to get more than just one dinner's worth out of those handy items.
Consult this handy calendar of what gifts to purchase, when -- courtesy of consumer-retail experts.
Instead of aimlessly buying gifts throughout the season (a major wallet drain), use this shopping guide, chock-full of surprising strategies, to cross everything off your list in a single day.
Don't let sky-high food-and-drink bills crash your party. These affordable strategies let you scrimp without looking like Scrooge.
Real Simple brings some order (and some charm) to a cluttered home office.
Beth Ann Kempf's 200-year-old house has no downstairs closets, so her entry hall has to work overtime. Piles of coats and boots dominated, making it a struggle to get out the door. Real Simple reclaimed the spot to improve the family's overall exit strategy. Here's how.
If gray hairs are sprouting long before you're ready to embrace them, you're not alone. According to a recent British survey, about 32 percent of women are under 30 when they find that first gray strand. A bottle of hair color isn't always enough to send it undercover: Gray hair is stiffer and drier, making it difficult to mask. (There's a reason it's called "stubborn.")
Slipping on mittens is one way to shield your nails from the ravages of winter. But it's not the only solution. Keep yours strong, healthy, and pretty with this handy guide.
Here are nine common (and commonly ignored) dressing oversights -- and easy ways to fix them.
Repair a Small Crack in Drywall
Your Type: Apple shape (you tend to carry weight around the midsection)
Sometimes an object is just an object, and sometimes it's so much more. Five writers describe the meaning hidden within the everyday things they cherish.
Here is expert advice on common parenting situations, so you'll know when to meddle and when to stay mum.
Gayle Jamison's garden in Woodstock, New York, is a well-ordered oasis filled with gentle lines of peonies and hydrangeas, artfully placed azaleas, and weeping cherry trees.
You would be forgiven for thinking that I have a dozen daughters, scurrying around on a total of 24 feet, judging by the quantity of footwear in our house. But it turns out that it takes only two fast-growing girls to amass way too many shoes.
The experts at Real Simple have a knack for recognizing under-used household items as clever clutter-busting tools. Here are some new and unexpected ways to organize your home with things you may already have lying around.
How do you settle a disagreement, personal or professional, when you're feeling angry, frustrated, and emotional? Five simple steps will help you work -- calmly -- through a dispute.
I often daydream about an ideal dinner. In these admittedly rather mundane flights of fancy, I have a gleaming, serene kitchen (with new appliances!), and I cook lovely, nutritious meals for my family. Stuff like swordfish and pasta in a fragrant tomato-fennel sauce. We would start with Caesar salad, the kind I used to make when it was just my husband and I. I would toast croutons and shower the romaine leaves with a lemony vinaigrette. There would be sautéed broccoli on the side and for dessert a fresh fruit tart (made by me, of course). My husband and I, along with our children, would sit down together to eat, drink, and talk.
Want to learn the secret to a great first encounter? Five pros share their most effective moves.
Last Thursday, as I walked into the house after a business meeting followed by a 30-mile round-trip car pool, I smelled something delicious wafting from the Crock-Pot. On my way to the kitchen, I looked in the mirror, gave a thumbs-up to my dependable black pants, and thought, There now, being a working mother isn't so hard.
Most people think they know the keys to career success: Keep your head down and nose to the grindstone. Avoid personal, emotional, or awkward subjects (in fact, any elephant in the room) at all costs. Well, guess again. Here, experts reveal five on-the-job maxims that are worth challenging.
"It was out of sight, out of mind," said Rachel Weinblatt, a stay-at-home mom in Cooper City, Florida.
When to spend and when to save on eight essentials that affect your health every day.
Readers pose their etiquette questions and Real Simple's Modern Manners columnist tells them what they should and should not do.
When it came to change, my father had it licked. His motto was simply "Don't let it happen to you."
HLN Money Expert Clark Howard explains how whining could get you a better deal.
Readers offer small-budget Christmas-gift ideas and other insights on cheap holidays:
The plan is for Kitty and Fido to go? Here's what you need to know.
One night shortly after Thanksgiving last year, a deeply crummy mind-set I'd taken on went though an instantaneous reversal. As if a magician had said, "Presto," the New York City landscape likewise flipped from seedy to radiant.
Here are five easy steps to sorting, stacking, and stashing your household recycling.
There's a reason for each and every sniffle, sneeze, ache, and pain. Learn why your body behaves the way it does, and discover the quickest ways to feel better.
Composting upgrades garden soil, keeps plants healthy, and can even lessen planet-unfriendly greenhouse gases. Here's how to do it.
Make a few easy changes around the house for substantial savings.
Here's what used to make me feel beautiful: my skin, bronzed after a languid afternoon lounging on a beach towel. My eyes, sharp and ready after eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. My hair, tangled and damp after dancing madly to a favorite band.
My grandmother had a saying: "People are funny when it comes to money." She could have been talking about me.
This primer reminds you of what you can and can't recycle -- and why.
These days you can borrow almost anything. Experts share tips on when renting might be the best deal -- and how much you can save.
Walking is a wonder exercise. Not only can it can help control weight, it also reduces the risk of developing diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease. Walking bestows benefits to the brain too, by relieving stress and improving mood. Best of all, walking is free: You don't need fancy equipment or a gym membership to reap the benefits. Here's how to make every step count, no matter how often you hit the pavement.
Most of us have experienced those maddening midnight moments when, no matter how tired we are, we either can't fall asleep, can't stay asleep or our sleep is of such poor quality it feels as if we were awake. For anyone who has tossed and turned at night, here's some expert advice for solving nine sleep problems.
One morning, nearly 20 years ago, I was lying in bed. It was late. I was supposed to be working, but I seemed glued to the mattress. I hated myself for my laziness.
Here's what I've learned from my hours in the kitchen.
If you were to ask my friends back in high school, they would probably say I was one of the lucky ones. I had a face most people at least considered attractive, maybe even beautiful. And for much of my life I had an hourglass figure.
The first time it happens, we're out walking: my little boy holding my left hand, his older sister on my right, and the baby, six weeks old, asleep in her Snugli. We're still at the stage when my taking a shower seems like an accomplishment.
That exercise makes me feel beautiful struck me around age 40, right after I had taken a quick run. Just a half hour's lope eliminated puffiness, brightened eyes, and banished my most tense expressions.
It was mid-December of 2005. I don't know why he said it.
I call it the "leather couch problem," but it happens to me every time I have to purchase something expensive. I'll be standing in the furniture store, contemplating my sofa options -- do I want the chestnut cotton or the black suede sectional? -- when I'm suddenly seized with anxiety.
This morning my husband announced he'd had a dream about me. A sexual fantasy? Well...no.
A few years ago, on a morning like any other, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life.
Ingenious ideas from (and for) busy women everywhere.
HLN Money Expert Clark Howard checks up on a new online took that can help you track your expenses.
Oh, the agony of the feet! They take more than their fair share of abuse (strappy stilettos, flimsy flip-flops, a running routine). But aside from the occasional pedicure, they don't get a lot of attention -- until they start hurting in ways you can't ignore. Real Simple asked experts to explain the six most common ailments women experience and offer smart tips on how to treat them effectively.
Sure, the fountain of youth is as elusive as ever, but there's plenty you can do to stay young. With all that scientists are learning about the powers of exercise, antioxidant-rich roods, healthy fats, and brain-teasing games to keep you feeling and looking your best, age can really just be a state of mind. This head-to-toe guide shows how to beat the clock -- or at least slow it down.
Here is some advice for keeping in-law relations sane and strife-free.
Every movie genre has special lessons to impart. Serious dramas offer sober reminders about how miserable people were in the olden days. A decent horror flick will teach you not to camp out in the woods with a group of rowdy, sex-crazed teenagers.
Even if the low-carb diet craze ended up being a bit of a bust, the attention it focused on protein is a good thing. Researchers are taking a closer look at this often ignored nutrient and discovering its hidden health potential.
Feel as if you're about to snap? Learn what causes stress, along with proven strategies for controlling it.
Real Simple readers reveal the most precious of presents from their mothers..
About 11 years ago, two big things happened in my life: My wife and I started a family, and I launched a consulting firm. For years I was much more successful at running my company than managing our family -- probably because I was taking specific steps to improve my business, then going home and winging it.
Put bedtime bugaboos -- and your kids -- to rest with these expert solutions.
Follow this advice to impart everything your sitter needs to know.
All money missteps matter, but there are ways to keep your financial foibles from costing you big bucks.
If you're ready to make a clean sweep of your house, help is here. Experts share the six main reasons why people can't seem to let go of their stuff and their smartest tricks for outwitting that primal hoarding instinct. Prepare to clear out -- for good!
So many big arguments begin with small comments. How many times have you started a conversation on friendly terms, then wound up in some kind of dispute that you didn't anticipate?
You don't have to check into a spa to unwind. Weave these six mini-breaks into your day for stress relief.
Financial expert Farnoosh Torabi fills you in on her best advice for navigating the racks.
Turn old jump rope, dish towels, newspaper, and more into great gift packaging.
Follow these tips to keep your wallet (and your holidays) happy.
Thinking you are a bad person for saying no is a symptom of "the disease to please."
Real Simple is taking on readers' top-six financial concerns and, with step-by-step plans, cutting them down to size.
Whether you're hosting a formal party or just throwing together snacks for drinks with friends, we've got ideas for transforming carryout into crowd-pleasing cuisine. Everyone will assume your sink is stacked with dirty pots and pans. (And if you keep them out of the kitchen, they'll never know the truth.)
These gardening and decorating tips can transform your space -- giving your backyard a complete makeover.
Treat your feet well with these easy remedies and pampering tips
Visit a bathroom in a home in the Netherlands and you might find a good idea staring you in the face: a list of birthdays important to your host posted opposite the toilet. Why in that spot? To assure that it's viewed regularly.
Some things should never be said. Here are some tips on how to avoid putting your foot in your mouth -- and what to use instead.
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