Tabla de contenidos para October 2022 en Real Simple

WHAT TO READ NEXT / DECORATE WITH PAINT / THE PERKS OF A MESSY HOME GHOST TOWN Candlelit metal houses cast an eerie glow. TO BUY: Haunted Houses, from $20; crateandbarrel.com. SOMEONE’S WATCHING Whether you use it as extra seating, a footrest, or a side table (just put a tray on top!), this 100 percent wool pouf is always staring. TO BUY: Eyes Pouf, $195 each; aelfie.com. DARK DESIGN An autumnal wreath gets the Addams Family treatment with black pampas grass and a bit of sparkle. TO BUY: Dried Black Glitter Pampas Wreath, $50; kirklands.com. EYE SPY Serve allergen-free candy in these watchful dishes—teal is the color of food allergy awareness—to avoid unwanted scares. TO BUY: Eye Trinket Tray Set, $115; jonathanadler.com. CAUGHT IN A WEB Serve nibbles on a…

1 HAIR AND HIDE No more shoving a spare key into your sports bra before a run. These velvet scrunchies have hidden pouches to keep your necessities tucked around your ponytail. TO BUY: Hidden Pocket Scrunchies, $20 for 2; uncommongoods.com. 2 PRONOUN PRO When it’s time for introductions, these pins will show others how you identify yourself—and that you’re an ally. TO BUY: Pronoun Pin, $15; dissentpins.com. 3 SET THE TONE These bandages are available in five shades, so everyone can cover cuts and scrapes discreetly. TO BUY: Assorted Box, $4 for 20; browndages.com. 4 GREEN CLEAN A body wash that works like magic: Just mix with water to get scrubbing! The powder cuts back on heavy-liquid shipping, and refills mean fewer landfill-bound empties. TO BUY: Body Wash Starter…

ALL ABOUT AIR FRYERS / THE BEST WAY TO PACK / AT-HOME HAIR COLOR Craving banana bread but don’t have any super-ripe bananas lying around? Make some! Grab whatever ones you’ve got—even if they’re still green—and place them (unpeeled) a few inches apart on a foil-lined baking sheet, says Kimberlee Ho, founder of the cooking blog Kickass Baker. Bake for about 15 minutes at 3500F. They’re ready when they’ve turned dark brown or black all over, just as they would on your counter (only way more slowly). Let them cool before peeling them and scooping out the flesh, which will be a bit moist—a bonus for muffins and breads.…

Guide Dogs BREEDS: Labs, golden retrievers, and German shepherds take to the training well, so they’re the most common breeds trained to be guide dogs. AVERAGE RETIREMENT AGE: 2 to 4 years old. ORGANIZATIONS: The Seeing Eye, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and Guide Dogs of America, among others. If you’re interested in adopting, get in touch with one of these organizations ASAP, as some have years-long waiting lists. THE LOWDOWN: Nearly half of dogs trained to assist people with vision loss—along with other auditory, physical, and cognitive disabilities—never graduate. “They may have health issues, lack confidence, or be easily distracted,” says Peggy Gibbon, director of canine development at the Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey. But just because they’re not up to guide dog standards doesn’t mean these…

Up High TOP OF THE FRIDGE Every three months, remove any items you store up there, and try to find a new home for them. Break out the stepladder and wipe the surface with a damp microfiber cloth or extendable duster. If your fridge is near the range, you’ll have grease buildup too, so scrub the top with a mixture of warm water (one quart) and dish soap (two teaspoons) twice a month. CEILING FANS You’d think all that spinning would keep crud from accumulating, but alas. Tackle fans before you clean the rest of the room so you can get rid of any fallen dust afterward. Use an extendable duster, ideally one that reaches six feet and pivots to hit awkward angles. Start from the top and work your…

EASY RAMEN / SHRIMP AND GRITS / MAKE-AHEAD BRUNCH A daintier alternative to burly butternut and acorn squash, delicata has one big thing going for it: The striped skin is edible (and tasty), so there’s no need to peel. SHOP for firm, smooth squash with dark green or orange ridges. STORE in a cool, dry, dark place (not the fridge) for about three weeks. PREP by slicing in half and scraping out the seeds with a spoon. Bake the seeds for a crunchy snack! ROAST half-moons glazed with soy sauce, hot honey, and oil. Bake halves stuffed with a grain-and-sausage mixture, or make a seasonal egg-in-a-hole by sautéing rings until soft, then cooking eggs in the center. 5 Easy Dinners #1 / Balsamic Steak With Radicchio and Pears ACTIVE TIME…

My fear of heights! A year ago, I did an open-door helicopter ride and let my legs hang out over Central Park. Now I can’t stop seeking that same adrenaline rush! JENNY HAGADORN, GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA I never learned how to swim. After I became a mom, I took an adult swim class so I could feel confident when my babies were in the water. @KIANASTORM Speaking up. I have a hard time with confrontation—I never know what to say in the heat of the moment. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m learning to stand up for myself. Or at the very least, I walk away without saying words I can’t take back. @ERICAMREILLY The fear of looking dumb! So many of us hesitate to ask questions when…

1 A REAL GEM With this gel, cleaning my engagement ring is as easy as washing my hands. Rub three drops into damp skin and rinse. Glycerin softens hands while fatty acids nix buildup on jewelry, leaving a sparkle that rivals a professional cleaning. TO BUY: Radiance Wash, $28; shinery.com. 2 SUNSCREEN MADE SEXY Old me slathered on tons of skin-care products. Two kids later, I love a one-and-done. Meet my sunscreen, antioxidant, primer, and tinted base, all in a single tube. Rub it in with fingers and you’re golden. TO BUY: Glowscreen SPF 40, $36; supergoop.com. 3 BLACKHEAD BLASTER Bad news: You can’t change your pore size. Good news: This serum—with salicylic acid, clarifying enzymes, and oil-reducing red clover—unclogs pores so they appear smaller. I’ll take it. TO BUY:…

The first thing to know about an air fryer is that it isn’t a fryer at all, but a mini convection oven. It cooks more quickly and uses less energy than a conventional oven, and it has officially outgrown its “newfangled gadget” status. Avid users love that you can set it and forget it, that food requires less fat, and that the machine is easier to clean than regular ovens and deep fryers (just hand-wash the basket to help maintain its nonstick coating). Here’s how to create tasty snacks, meals, and treats. Your First Fry If you’re new to air frying, start with a deep-fried classic that will make you a believer: chicken wings. Season wings and roast them at 400°F for about 25 minutes, tossing every five minutes,…

IT HAPPENS TO THE BEST OF US. Your doctor asks, “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?” And yes, there is, but as you sit there wearing a giant paper napkin, you just can’t muster the gumption to broach your occasional incontinence. Though bringing up embarrassing issues with your doctor can make you feel vulnerable, judged, or just silly, your health may depend on it. So don’t be shy—there’s nothing your doctor hasn’t heard before. In the meantime, to give you some preliminary answers, REAL SIMPLE asked readers to send us their most embarrassing health questions. We took them straight to the experts. I practice good oral hygiene and see my dentist regularly. So why does my breath smell so beastly? “One of the more likely culprits is…

1 CATEGORIZE Take everything out and put like with like, grouping items based on their use—think baking, snacks, and even breakfast. 2 DECANT Food packaging isn’t super attractive (or mothproof), and it takes up space. Pour grains, cereal, and nuts into clear food-grade containers to make them neater and easier to locate. 3 ARRANGE Now that you’ve streamlined your goods, think about placement. Put soda bottles and other hefty items toward the bottom and products you have extra stock of (like paper towels) toward the top. ADD TO CART Avoid a midrecipe trip to the store by keeping food in clear bins so you can see how much is left. TO BUY: The Home Edit by iDesign Fridge Bins, from $16; containerstore.com. Create a movable feast with a wheeled…

…ADD A SKIRT AND BOOTS Keep it classic with pointy high-heeled boots that extend the legs and, when worn with a midi skirt, are pretty much the lewk of the season. TO BUY: Women’s Mermaid Skirt, $50; uniqlo.com. Ridley Chain-Link Boxy Bag, $83; charleskeith.com. Twisted Dash Cuff Bracelet, $138; shopsoko.com. Ambrose Plaid Boots, $170; stevemadden.com. …PAIR IT WITH STATEMENT PANTS If you’ve got plans after work, we love a wildly bright pair of cords to fun up a neutral sweater. Add an ’80s-style boxy blazer, a chunky necklace, and gilt shoes for a bit of glam. TO BUY: Wilfred Memories Blazer, $228; aritzia.com. Classic Fitted Flare, $130; bodenusa.com. Sol Chain Necklace, $150; mignonnegavigan.com. Ivory Pumps, $125; aerosoles.com. …SLIP IT OVER A BUTTON-UP AND JEANS For casual Friday, let a colorful…

THERESA DERSE-NOSACEK did not expect that, at age 30, she’d be having nightly dinners with her mom and dad at the same table where she used to eat with her four siblings. And her parents, Gary and Elaine Nosacek, did not expect to spend their retirement surrounded by the toy tornadoes of three grandkids under the age of 4. But for the past four years, they’ve been living under one roof in the Nosaceks’ Victorian house in Milwaukee—happily, by all accounts. “When I moved back in, I’d just gotten my master’s degree, and my husband and I, who had been in Atlanta, needed a place to stay,” Theresa says. “There was a separate apartment on the third floor of my parents’ house, and we asked whether we could live…

ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 3 HOURS SERVES 8 Cooking spray8 cups ½-in. cubes whole-grain bread (from 1 loaf)2 Tbsp. olive oil1 8-oz. pkg. sliced cremini mushrooms1 large leek (white and light green parts only), sliced into ¼-in. half-moons (2 cups)2 tsp. kosher salt, divided1 1-lb. bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into ¾-in. pieces (about 2 cups)5 oz. fresh baby spinach3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp.)8 large eggs2 cups whole milk¼ cup minced fresh chives, plus more for topping1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper6 oz. Asiago cheese, shredded (about 1 ½ cups) COAT a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add bread cubes. HEAT oil in a large skillet over medium. Add mushrooms, leek, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until starting to brown, about 6…

MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT OUR home in a suburb of New York City seven years ago, just before our second daughter was born. After bouncing around apartments—10 in 15 years!—I owned a place for the first time, and I felt…proud! Overwhelmed! And mostly like it wasn’t that different from renting. Yes, I was “building equity,” and I could write off renovations. But I had no intention of overhauling our century-old townhouse. I’d fix what was broken, put some color on the walls, and add a few key pieces of art and furniture. Kinda like how I’d made each of those apartments, through elbow grease, paint, and a trip or two to Ikea and HomeGoods, feel custom and personal and, every time, like home. I’m constantly editing my home—currently…

Meet the Homeowner TAMARA SMITH @mygrandparentschair When Tamara saw her soon-to-be home in Burlington, Canada, five years ago, two things in the entryway immediately stuck out: the muddy beige walls and a boob light (that type of glass flush mount that looks like, well, a boob). She got to work making the entry a place you’d actually want to enter. She and her husband DIYed most of it, installing a board-and-batten hall tree and painting it a glossy white, then covering the walls in the same shade with an eggshell finish. This project set the tone for the rest of the house. “It made me more passionate about DIY. I realized it was something I really liked to do!” Tamara says. Get the Look MURAL EFFECT The room looks…

ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES SERVES 12 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, divided4 Honeycrisp or Gala apples (about 2 lb.), thinly sliced2 cups packed light brown sugar, divided1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided, plus more for topping1 tsp. pure vanilla extract2 large eggs2 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. kosher saltVanilla ice cream, for serving PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Melt ¼ cup butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Stir in apples, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook over medium-high, stirring often, until apples are tender and syrup begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. (Do not wipe skillet clean.) MELT remaining 1 cup butter in microwave or on stove. Whisk in vanilla and remaining 1…

IF YOU’VE EVER sat on your suitcase to force it shut, you know how tough packing light can be. Or maybe you’re the type who’s constantly looking for drugstores in new cities to grab what you forgot. The what-to-bring struggle is real. Since the more you travel, the more you figure it out, we turned to travel writers, photographers, and editors for panic-free packing wisdom. Pack With a Palette “I like to keep my wardrobe color range simple when I travel for flexibility and versatility,” says Cuan Hanly, chief design officer for the luggage brand Away. He’s a big fan of navy blue, so most of his pieces are in that shade. And he always packs a pair of white sneakers, which go with almost anything. Be Prepared There’s nothing…

WHEN MANISHA THAKOR moved from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Portland, Oregon, in 2015 after her divorce, she was looking for a fresh start. Since she was going solo, she planned to fly to her new home, send her belongings via freight, and ship her silver Mini Cooper through a transport company. Shipping the car would cost $800 whether it was chock-full or empty, so Manisha had a genius idea: She’d pack it with as many bulky, low-value belongings as possible to save on freight costs. “I stuffed it with office supplies, my printer, and bedding,” she says, estimating she saved about $500. Hacks like that make a difference. The average cost of a long-distance move in the United States is $4,890, according to data from Moving.com, but even…

ETIQUETTE ISSUES / ROOMING WITH GRANDMA / MAKE THE MOST OF REGRET Yes to the Top Sheet! “Top sheet. I’m not an animal.” JAKE, BOSTON “Yes, top sheet. Ain’t nobody trying to wash that damn duvet cover every week!! ” KATIE, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA “Total top sheet fan! We don’t wash our quilt and coverlet all the time, and I like the lightness of a sheet.” @GUADO2 “Only because my husband insists we use one. ” ALLISON, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN “What else do you cover yourself with if it’s too warm for the quilt? Or do the monsters just chew directly into your flesh?” @ESPHANIE3 Uh-Uh, No Way! “I don’t understand what the point is. I have to wash my duvet cover weekly anyway, so why add something extra to the…

I JUST WANTED a calm wedding day. I’d craved peaceful family relations since I was 12, when one minute my dad’s friend was my dad’s friend, and the next he was married to my mom and we were moving away from St. Louis with him. Over the years, I called my two fathers “Missouri Dad” and “California Dad,” so as not to demote either with “biological” or “step.” But there was still parental tension when I got married at 28. When Missouri Dad said that, instead of coming to the ceremony, maybe he should host a separate reception later, I took the easy out. I had a mellow wedding day, but I didn’t have both dads at my side, and it weighed on my mind for years. Just about…

LEMONADE FRIED CHICKEN ACTIVE TIME 55 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 14 HOURS, 55 MINUTES MAKES 12 PIECES For the Brine: 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 6 lemons)1 ½ cups Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot or Crystal), divided½ cup garlic powder½ cup onion powder½ cup kosher salt¼ cup ground cumin¼ cup granulated sugar6 chicken drumsticks6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs1 cup whole buttermilk For the Breading: 4 cups all-purpose flour1 cup fine yellow cornmeal2 Tbsp. baking powder4 to 6 cups vegetable or corn oil MAKE THE BRINE: Combine 8 cups cold water with lemon juice, ½ cup hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Put chicken in a large plastic storage bag or a glass container and cover with brine. Refrigerate…

FOR SOME, it’s an adrenaline rush and stress reliever. For others? A surefire way to humiliate yourself. Either way, most karaoke experts agree that a good singing voice is beside the point. To have a blast and put on a good show, you just need to pick a song you love (one you know the words to, so you’re not staring at the monitor!) and belt it out loud and proud. If there’s simply no way you’re getting up on stage, regale your friends with some fun facts about the pastime while they wait for their turn at the mic. “Karaoke” means “empty orchestra” in Japanese. The Japanese musician and entrepreneur Daisuke Inoue is widely credited with inventing the machine in the 1970s, though he never patented it. In…