Good Housekeeping

paper blooms

1. Fold dyed cupcake liners (or use colored ones) in half and cut out petal and fringe shapes.2. Fold a piece of floral wire in half and twist around faux flower stamens.3. Poke the wire through the center of three to four paper liners.4. Wrap floral tape around the base of the liners and continue to wrap down the “stem.”Mike Garten. Prop styling: Lis Engelhart. Illustrations: Brown Bird Design.…

neat tricks

It feels amazing to walk through the front door and be greeted by a perfectly pristine scene — especially when it’s yours! Need some help making this dream scenario a reality? Let our inspiring new book, Simple Organizing Wisdom, be your go-to resource. The chapters are chockfull of beautiful pictures and easy solutions for every room in your home.$20, available wherever books are sold(Danielle Occhiogrosso Daly.)…

my home town boston

eat“I got married at the Boston Public Library, so I may be a little biased, but I love afternoon tea at their Courtyard Restaurant. For dinner, grab a table at The Daily Catch, where it feels like you’re tucked away in someone’s kitchen, and order the Aglio Olio squid-ink pasta.”drink“The Mexican spot Citrus & Salt’s photogenic pink interior makes it a great place for Sunday brunch with girlfriends. They offer fun twists on margaritas, Dole Whip and soft-serve.”explore“I’m not usually a museum person, but I like that when I’m at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, it feels like I’m just checking out the art collection and courtyard inside Ms. Gardner’s (very fancy) home. Another beautiful spot is the Public Garden. I’ll stroll through the garden year-round because the flowers and…

easy smoked sausage skillet

HILLSHIRE FARM® SMOKED SAUSAGE IS SEASONED PERFECTLY. SO IT’S EASY FOR YOU TO CREATE DINNER DELICIOUSLY.Serving Size: 4-6 Total Time: 20 minutesIngredients1 pkg. Hillshire Farm® smoked sausage, diagonally sliced thin2 cloves garlic, crushed¼ cup olive oil1 large red bell pepper, sliced thin1 small yellow onion, sliced thin1 pkg. frozen broccoli, thawed½ cup chicken broth (or water)½ cup tomato sauce2 cups instant rice½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheeseInstructionsHeat olive oil and garlic in skillet, stir in smoked sausage slices and cook until browned. Add pepper, onion, broccoli, broth and tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is absorbed. In the meantime, prepare rice according to package instructions. Stir rice into the skillet, sprinkle with cheese and serve.Visit HillshireFarm.com/recipes for delicious recipes perfect for any…

this month on goodhousekeeping.com

PRETTY DIY: BEESWAX FOOD WRAPTurn our tutorial for this reusable plastic-wrap alternative (above) into a fun rainy-day project for you and the kids.HOW TO DISPOSE OF ANYTHINGDonate? Recycle? Trash? You’ll finally know what to do with those old cell phones, appliances and more.30 SMALL CHANGES FOR BIG IMPACTSaving the planet can start with buying a plant or dealing with your junk mail.goodhousekeeping.com/green-livingFood wraps: Danielle Occhiogrosso Daly. Prop styling: Lis Engelhart. Peeps: Danielle Occhiogrosso Daly. Craft styling: Lis Engelhart. Food styling: Christine Albano.…

awesome ottoman

This multitasking wonder is basically four pieces of furniture in one. It’s a footrest (that’s easy to pick up and move!), an extra seat for guests (it holds up to 200 lbs) and a hidden catchall for blankets or kids’ stuff. Also, flip the lid and—surprise!—it’s a wood tray that holds your wine and TV snacks. Whenever you need it out of the way, the ottoman folds completely flat, and if you’re not into this blue-gray shade, pick from five other colors.Flip the seat cushion to reveal a tray!KVELL TRAE, $130, AMAZON.COM…