Real Simple April 2022

WHEN THE REAL ESTATE agent drove me up to the house, the sight took my breath away. There, in front of what is now my home, was a majestic, 100-foot-tall American elm, with a twisting trunk and broad crown. I adore this tree, and ever since moving in 14 years ago, I’ve imagined her watching over my family, as she watched over the family with two children before us. My husband and I have always liked to relax in chairs on our shaded front lawn on warm evenings. But one late afternoon in the spring of 2020, I felt the unfamiliar sensation of sun dappling my legs. Looking up, I noticed her crown was sparse, several branches completely bare. An arborist came, then another, and the diagnosis made me sob. Our…

BEHIND THE SCENES Leesa Cross-Smith AUTHOR @leesacrosssmith A place that brings you joy: I’m like a house cat. I love being home—it’s my coziest, safest place. What’s always in your car? Hand sanitizer, lots of lip glosses, and cinnamon mints. What’s a perfect day? I’d wake up whenever I want, drink some tea, eat two clementines, and take a long walk under a blue sky. Read Leesa’s essay on the power of rituals on page 26. IN YOUR HOME Brilliant Spring Cleaning Shortcuts Save tons of time with tips that help keep dust and dirt at bay in every spot (and hard-to-reach corner) in your home. All you need is a little elbow grease and our definitive guide at realsimple.com/clean-up. ON YOUR PHONE Find Us on TikTok Follow us at @RealSimple to watch our creative cleaning and organizing videos, along with product reviews. IN YOUR WALLET Clever Item…

Water! Living in Southern California has trained me well. Water is a gift from Mother Nature.JANICE MURASKO, PINE COVE, CALIFORNIA #RSLOVE Book-packing paper. I work in a library, and we receive boxes of books padded with this amazing brown paper. We used to throw it out, but I started to build big art pieces with it. LAUREL RAKAS, BOWLING GREEN, OHIO Citrus peel, for deodorizing or cleaning. I also reuse cute jars and bottles in my pantry. @BEAUTIFY11JACKIE The opportunity to share good books. I even put two free community library bins in front of my house. JENNIFER COX, DYER, TENNESSEE The last bit of cookie dough. I don’t care what they say—I’m eating it raw. MARTHA DELAFIELD, CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA Fabric! That stuff is like gold. I love mixing prints, so little scraps come in handy for…

MINI-MUDROOM IDEAS / RASPBERRY MARSHMALLOWS / THE CHARMS OF TEA GLAM GALOSHES Sayonara, soggy socks! These elegant rain boots have an adjustable gusset for a comfy fit. TO BUY: Joules Welly Print Waterproof Rain Boots, $85; nordstrom.com. 1 NEW GROUND Go ahead and scrape your muddy boots all over this slip-proof mat—it’s machine washable. TO BUY: Mix Floor Mat, from $150; heymat.com. 2 BAG OF TRICKS A hardworking, water-resistant backpack with two handy pockets can withstand the rainiest days of schlepping. TO BUY: Kane Double Pocket Large Backpack, $150; statebags.com. 3 SHELF HELP This sleek rack makes your family’s heap of shoes look like less of a mishmash. At about three feet wide, it fits at least nine pairs. TO BUY: Entryway Rack, $184; getopenspaces.com. 4 GRIN AND BEAR IT One cheery steel hook is strong enough to hold a…

Time-Travel Tale Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel is a deeply imaginative novel spanning 500 years. It begins in 1912 with a British teenager’s exile to Canada, hopscotches through the 2020 pandemic, and moves on to the future, where a famous author, who lives on a moon colony, is visiting Earth for a book tour. A mashup of sci-fi and historical fiction, this thought-provoking story powerfully examines where we’ve been and where we’re going. Groundbreaking Novel The Candy House, what author Jennifer Egan calls a “sibling” to her Pulitzer Prize–winning A Visit from the Goon Squad, is unlike anything you’ve read. A rumination on our tech-obsessed culture, it centers on a fictional new technology that allows users to access their every memory and share them in exchange for the memories of…

1 HANDY HUMIDIFIER This rechargeable gadget turns a bottle or glass of water into a personal humidifier. Enjoy the hydrating mist for up to four hours—whether you’re at home or the office. TO BUY: Anywhere Portable Bottle Humidifier, $32; multitasky.com. 2 LEAF THE WATERING TO ME Press this cute leaf-shaped funnel into the soil near the roots, and it will direct water to where your plant needs it most. TO BUY: Leaflow, $18 for 3; animicausa.com. 3 LOOK, MA! NO CORD This beater can whip up four batches of cookies on a single charge. We love the Soft Start feature that prevents powdered sugar from flying out of the bowl. TO BUY: Cordless 7-Speed Hand Mixer, $100; kitchenaid.com. 4 SWEET SILENCE The case attaches to your keyring to keep these earplugs handy during a noisy flight…or if…