Tabla de contenidos para January/February 2023 en Real Simple

MY UNPOPULAR OPINION: Meal prep isn’t worth it. I know, I know. I used to do it religiously. On Sundays I’d get the drumsticks spiced and on the pan, make a vat of marinara sauce, toil over a turkey meatloaf that, after baking, could be severed into single servings and frozen. I’d pack every snack for the week (about 16—or 16 million? I’d lose track) in mini resealable containers, the fresh fruit and veggies stacked in the fridge, the shelf-stable stuff on the counter. It was rote and robotic, left little room for variance, and basically ruined half my weekend. Then, inspired by a former colleague with all the right ideas (hi, Jen Walter), I made a change. Instead of having frenzied and dreaded Sundays, I’d wake up an…

To be happy. Happiness comes and goes. My new resolution is to be kind and let kindness wash over me.LAURIE ADAMS NEWARK, CALIFORNIA Anything predictable! In 2020 my resolution was to party more. We all saw how that turned out. But each year, I pick something silly: eat more dessert, buy more magazines, get my nails done more. Life is short and difficult. My resolutions should be fun! EMILY RENTON MINNEAPOLIS To send birthday cards to all my relatives. I’m from a family of nine, and we all have kids. I’ve tried for two years now, but I just cannot keep up with the amount of mail. SUE THOMPSON MIDDLE RIVER, MARYLAND That’s easy! To keep my house cleaner. After all, nobody’s house is dustless! DEBORAH PRUDEN CARROLLTON, VIRGINIA I’m…

START WITH THESE 10 ITEMS… …THEN MAKE THESE GREAT OUTFITS!…

Coats Labels are there for a reason! No matter what your coat is made of, read the tag for laundering instructions. In general, though: DOWN & POLY FILL PUFFERS can typically go into the washing machine. (Apply stain remover first, if needed.) Cut way back on detergent—use less than a tablespoon, as too much can clump up the filling—and add a rinse cycle to remove soap residue. Toss your puffer into the dryer on low heat along with a few tennis balls, which will tumble and break up lumps. FLEECE JACKETS are usually fine in the machine. Washing them solo in cold water can prevent lint, and line-drying (or drying on low heat) helps them last longer. WATERPROOF PARKAS should be washed in cool water and line-dried; heat can ruin…

IF YOU SPENT the holidays washing down fistfuls of caramel-coated popcorn with your favorite cabernet and rewatching Elf so many times that Buddy’s spaghetti with maple syrup began to sound pretty tasty, we don’t judge! But you may be ready to greet the new year with a few lifestyle changes. (Just a guess.) Though it never hurts to dream big, research suggests that if you really want to move the needle on your health and well-being, it’s actually good to think small. Here’s a daily plan full of research-backed ideas for minor changes that can lead to major boosts for your health. 7:30 A.m. Do a Mini Strength-training Workout Resistance exercise helps you retain muscle mass, which (along with maintaining a healthy weight) is necessary for aging well. A…

IT’S TEMPTING TO IGNORE the tax forms that hit your mailbox at the beginning of the year, when April feels so far away. Our advice? Don’t! “If you rush during tax season, you’re going to either forget something or get aggressive, shortcut the documentation process, and leave yourself more open to the risk of an audit,” says Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at the national firm Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. Follow these steps to get organized for this year’s deadline and the rest of your (hopefully very long!) tax-paying life. 1 Decide to Itemize (or Not) By doing this first, you could save yourself a lot of work. If you take the federal standard deduction, which 87 percent of taxpayers do, then your receipts can go right into…

C. ASKS… Q My sister- and brother-in-law didn’t replace their second car when it died last year, and they’re constantly asking to borrow one of our two cars. This requires that we make a 45-minute round trip to deliver or pick up the car. We’re being inconvenienced because they decided not to get a second car (finances don’t appear to be an issue). Do I need to just suck it up and help? C.! The only thing you’ll need to suck up is how much gas (and time!) you’ll save when you tell your sister- and brother-in-law they can’t use your car anymore. Why not send them some links to car dealerships that might have options in their budget? And if you really want to get into it, honey, you…

THE WORD “RESOLUTION” can be fraught, and only more so when you put “new year’s” in front of it. Our annual attempts at self-improvement often end in failure. But a family resolution—a pledge to strengthen your bonds with your nearest and dearest—is something else entirely. “Setting family resolutions gives you a chance to hit the reset button and think about what really matters,” says Elizabeth Earnshaw, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Philadelphia. Healthy family connections increase everyone’s well-being, adds Erika Bocknek, PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Detroit. “Children and adults alike derive a sense of belonging from close relationships,” she says. If you think you’ll have trouble getting the whole crew to sign on to a family resolution, the good news is you don’t…

Smoked Salmon Flatbread ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 15 MINUTES SERVES 4 1 8.8-oz. pkg. naan flatbreads (such as Stonefire)½ cup whipped cream cheese½ tsp. lemon zest, plus more for garnish1 clove garlic, grated on a Microplane2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives⅛ tsp. kosher salt⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper1 cup packed baby arugula8 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon¼ cup thinly sliced red onion2 Tbsp. capers, drained PREHEAT broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Place flatbreads directly on rack. Broil until crisp and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping after 1 minute. Let cool for 5 minutes. MEANWHILE, stir together cream cheese, lemon zest, garlic, chives, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. SPREAD cream cheese mixture on flatbreads. Top with arugula, salmon, onion, capers, and more lemon zest. Corn, Leek &…

RECIPES FOR REAL LIFE While they’re around from December to May, this citrus can be elusive. If you see these small, round, and smoother-than-usual lemons, snap them up! PICK shiny, darker ones that are firm and heavy for their size. STORE in the crisper drawer for up to two weeks. USE for a more floral, honeyed flavor in any recipe calling for lemon juice. Meyer lemons are less acidic and sweeter than your average lemon, so they’re lovely in lemonade, pies, and pound cakes. They’re even mild enough to eat plain—toss segments into a green or grain salad, add some to a cocktail, or lay them on fancy toast.…

Readers Say… Before! “How does one go ‘front of house’ with morning breath (and face)?” @VERO8AL “Before, usually. But there are those (rare) get-up-and-go mornings when I discover the overnight moss still enjoying its home on my teeth while I’m sipping my coffee during a slow moment at the park. On those days, before lunch can seem ambitious.” @AMILLIONALEXIS After! “I have to have my coffee first!” @SHUFF1965 “After. With flossing! Who wants breakfast in their teeth at work?” @KIMBEE59 Um, Both?! “I exercise before breakfast and need a fresh mouth. And of course after! Brush and floss!” JODI, EDWARDS, MISSOURI “I brush my teeth many times throughout the day. My family makes fun of my obsession, but I get lots of compliments from my dentist.” CARRIE ANN, TORONTO The…

ACTIVE TIME 55 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 4 HOURS SERVES 12 Brownie Cooking spray1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter1¾ cups granulated sugar⅔ cup packed light brown sugar4 tsp. red food coloring gel2 tsp. pure vanilla extract5 large eggs, at room temperature1¼ cups all-purpose flour1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1 tsp. kosher salt¾ tsp. baking powder Frosting 12 oz. cream cheese, softened¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened2 tsp. pure vanilla extract¾ tsp. almond extract (optional)¼ tsp. kosher salt5⅔ cups confectioners’ sugarSprinkles, for decorating MAKE BROWNIE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. MELT butter in a large saucepan over medium. Remove from heat and whisk in both sugars, food coloring, and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, 1…

BEST LIP BALM Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Love face masks? Why not try one for your lips? In addition to healing shea butter, murumuru butter, vitamin C, and coconut oil, this South Korean salve contains an exfoliating berry situation. So instead of sitting on top of your lips, the balm sloughs off dead skin cells and lets hydrating ingredients penetrate nice and deep. Swipe on a layer before bed and wake up to fewer flakes and a pillowy-soft pout. $24; us.laneige.com BEST FACE MASK Embryolisse Intense Moisturizing Mask A makeup artist fave, this plumps parched skin with hyaluronic acid and water lily extract. Leave it on for 15 minutes or all night. $25; us.embryolisse.com BEST HAND TREATMENT Aquaphor Repairing Hand Masks While you’re chilling in front of the TV, slip…

FIX Scuff Marks WITH A Tennis Ball Those streaks on your floor have finally met their match. Just use a tennis ball like an eraser to scrub away the scuff. No chemicals here, so this is safe for any kind of floor (hardwood, tile, etc.). WE TRIED IT “I erased more than a dozen smudges left from my apartment’s previous tenant in five minutes flat.” —Teddy Willson, assistant editor FIX Stinky Drains WITH Mouthwash Dinner may have smelled amazing. But that doesn’t mean you want to get a whiff of it when you’re standing at the sink…a week later. Banish odors by pouring three capfuls of mouthwash down the drain. The same antibacterial properties that fight bad breath will kill off germs in your plumbing, which will smell minty-fresh. WE…

Take a Temperament Check Yes, a therapy dog needs to have good obedience skills and know a few basic commands: “‘Stay,’ ‘come,’ ‘leave it’—nothing too complicated,” says Elisabeth Van Every, a senior communications specialist for Pet Partners, a nonprofit that trains volunteer animals and their handlers. “But the desire to interact with people is the most crucial. You can train dogs to do almost anything, but they’ll do it because you want them to, not because they enjoy it. We want to make sure they actually enjoy it.” (If your dog is enjoying making new human pals, you’ll see long, slow tail wagging; an open, relaxed mouth; and ears in their natural position.) That said, therapy dogs shouldn’t be too happy to be working. “The dog needs to love people,…

MEET THE DESIGNER Charlie Ferrer @ferrer.co Most people would fill a corner with a basic chair and table and call it a day, but Charlie, an interior designer, wanted a work space that worked hard. With no way to fit an entire office into his 400-square-foot New York City studio, he found a right-size midcentury desk and hung some shelving. Then he imbued the zone with his eclectic aesthetic: He slapped on a bit of moody gray paint, added a mix of artwork, sprinkled in vintage decor, and slid in a zingy orange chair. The result? A small home office that’s big on style. Get the Look USE THAT WALL SPACE For extra storage, Charlie installed open shelving above his desk. That metal shelf to the right? It’s actually…

ANYONE WHO’S EVER taken an English class has been told there’s a right and wrong way to use the language. And a lot is on the line when it comes to getting it right: We judge one another by our dialects and diction—what we say and how we say it could affect which jobs we get, which groups we’re invited to join, and more. But “the idea that some types of English are right and others are wrong is too narrow,” says lexicographer Kory Stamper, author of Word by Word, a memoir of her time working at Merriam-Webster (the dictionary many enterprises consider the gold standard). “It’s just not how language works.” When a language mutates, evolves, and even starts to feel messy, that means it’s thriving, because a…

WHO Joy Cho @ohjoy INSPIRED BY An iconic fashion designer “Kate Spade was the first to make me see that whimsy didn’t have to be just for kids. It could come across as chic for adults,” says Joy, who has written seven books, has launched countless product lines, and is a brand of her own. “I carried that inspiration into the way I dressed and how I decorated my first apartment. It still affects how I approach design today. Also, I nearly peed in my pants when I met Kate in 2006 for an interview. I didn’t get the job, but her impact was everlasting on me and so many others in the design world.” WHO Rebecca Atwood @rebecca_atwood INSPIRED BY The great outdoors “I’m constantly inspired by the natural…

Get the Look Neona Pillow, $148; luluandgeorgia.com Ayanna Burnt Velvet Sienna Chair, $699; tovfurniture.com Rusted Dream by Tina Johnson, from $28; minted.com Hand Mirror, $90; slowdownstudio.com Linen Core Sheet Set, $299 for queen; brooklinen.com ON TREND Mural, Mural on the Wall Large-scale pastoral paintings are popping up everywhere, this time in the form of wallpaper. The best part? No paintbrush needed! MISTAKES YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE MAKING Window Treatments Hang in there! Adam Skalman, an executive at the Shade Store, shares tricks to avoid the pitfalls of putting up curtains and blinds. You’re Crowding Your Windows Hanging window treatments well beyond the frame will give the illusion of larger, more dramatic windows. For curtains, extend the rod past the frame by a foot on each side and install…

1 CREATE A GLOWING CANVAS The goal is skin that looks like yours—only better. A tinted moisturizer evens everything out while hydrating skin, a bonus in winter. (If you’re extra dry, layer it over your regular moisturizer.) For the most natural effect, dab the product into your skin with a damp sponge, says makeup artist Summer Tran, who created the look on the opposite page. Using that same sponge, dot a terra-cotta blush onto the high parts of your cheekbones. The leftover tint on the sponge will blend with the blush, so the color will seem like it’s coming through your skin, versus sitting on top of it. 2 DEFINE YOUR EYES Brush brows upward for a little oomph, then use your finger to swipe a matte caramel shadow over…

I AM FULLY CONVINCED that you will get further in life when you’ve got at least a couple of solid friends around you, when you’re reliably and demonstratively invested in them and they in you. Moving into the White House, I carried a slight but nagging worry that my friendships might never be the same, that all the relationships important to our family were vulnerable to change thanks to the strange pomp and grandeur that now surrounded us. One of my first encounters with my friend Denielle happened to be in the driveway of the White House, when she came to pick up her daughter Olivia from a playdate with Sasha. Our two daughters were in the slightly awkward early stages of a new friendship, getting to know each…