Real Simple May 2022

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN a worker bee—at school, on the sports field, at the office, in life. I was also a bit of a kvetch back in the day. I’d hustle to make a team, volunteer at the church soup kitchen, get a promotion, redecorate my apartment (OK, slap on a new coat of paint), and then, when I did, resent the added work, responsibility, time suck. I cringe thinking about it now. What reformed me? Well, midcareer, I had a boss who was a very hardworking mom of two. One day, I complained to her about some event I’d agreed to attend that night, wishing I could just go home and zone out to Downton Abbey. (NB: I did not even have children yet.) And she said, “Sometimes these busy lives…

IN YOUR HOME 5 Items You’re Forgetting to Clean When was the last time you really, truly cleaned your can opener? Oh, did you not realize you could clean it? Our point exactly. Set aside 10 minutes to show overlooked items some TLC, and you’re in for a spruced-up space. Find our detailed grime-fighting guide at http://realsimple.com/squeaky-clean. BEHIND THE SCENES Yoco Nagamiya ILLUSTRATOR @yoconagamiya Go-to recipe: Chinese dumplings. Dream vacation: I live in Osaka, and I’d like to cycle around Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa, near Kyoto. Ideal day: It would include a trip to the local market, a nap, a jog, a bath, and a Korean movie before bed. Check out Yoco’s illustrations on pages 68 and 70. ON THE WEB Dozens of Great Gifts for Moms and Grandmas Show your mom—or aunt, sister, or friend—some love with 30-plus editor-approved presents. Whether she’s into gardening…

#RSLOVE “‘If the only reason you’re doing something is that you think you should, don’t do it.’” @MACKENZIESCHIECK “‘Those who are the unloveliest are the ones who need loving the most.’”MARY ANNE BAILEY, ORLANDO, FLORIDA “‘Well, it might not be fun, but it will be an adventure!’ She said this about anything from doctor’s appointments to vacations.” MARTHA DELAFIELD, CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA “‘If you see an older person you know, say hello and remind them who you are.’ It’s nice to be remembered, and sometimes older folks feel forgotten.” BRENDA KELEHER, HEBRON, CONNECTICUT “‘Wait until you have children of your own.’ She was spot on!” CAROL GELLER, MOUNT LAUREL, NEW JERSEY “She asked three questions each night: ‘What did you do well today? What could you improve on tomorrow? What is one more thing you did well today?’” TRICIA…

1 RAINBOW COLLECTION Everyone can pick a color from among these cheery melamine chopsticks and dig into Mother’s Day dim sum. TO BUY: Rainbow Chopsticks Set, $39; store.moma.org. 2 SPOT ON This mod take on classic camping cookware is light and durable for serving indoors and out. TO BUY: Splatter Oval Enamel Platter, $40; crowcanyonhome.com. 3 LINEAR LINENS Mismatched stripes bring lots of color to your table. And you’ll avoid whose-is-whose napkin confusion. TO BUY: Stripe Napkins, $44 for 4; dusendusen.com. 4 COMING IN HOT This casserole dish is ovenproof yet attractive enough to put on the table. Better yet, it can go into the dishwasher. TO BUY: Hot Dish, $75; greatjonesgoods.com. 5 HANDY HELPERS In this case, it’s totally appropriate to serve salad with your hands. TO BUY: Serving Friends designed by Selena Liu, $40 per pair; areaware.com. 6…

Twisty Page-Turner In Two Nights in Lisbon by bestselling author Chris Pavone, bookstore owner Ariel Price has accompanied her new, younger husband on a business trip to Portugal for a quick romantic getaway. But after she wakes up in their hotel room one morning and he’s nowhere to be found, she realizes how little she knows about the man she married. This smart and suspenseful thriller is the perfect escape to kick off your summer reading. Thought-Provoking Memoir Pulitzer Prize finalist Chloé Cooper Jones was born with a rare condition called sacral agenesis, leaving her in chronic pain. In Easy Beauty, her globe-trotting memoir that takes readers from bars in Brooklyn, New York, to a Beyoncé concert in Italy, she candidly describes what it’s like to inhabit a body that does not fit…

1 NEXT-GEN INSTANT JAVA Coffee is brewed at 10 times its strength, then frozen in recyclable aluminum cups for peak flavor and freshness. Simply plop the puck into a mug and add hot water. TO BUY: Coffee, $64 for 32 cups; cometeer.com. 2 LOADS OF USES If a wheelbarrow and a Swiss Army knife had a baby, this would be it: an all-purpose pusher of things that converts to a hand truck, trailer, snow plow (with attachment), and more. Phew! TO BUY: Aerocart 8-in-1 Yard Cart, $200; worx.com (see page 14 for a discount). 3 STAIN POWER If you don’t have space for a shredder, this little ink roller will obscure names, addresses, and account numbers on anything you toss. TO BUY: Guard Your ID Wide Advanced Roller, $16; containerstore.com. 4 SQUEEZE WITHOUT SEEDS This non-GMO fruit…