RS - April 2018

realsimple LIFE MADE EASIER

BRIGHT & CLEAN A Tidy Home in 10 Minutes Wake Up with More Energy Fast Weeknight Recipes

APRIL 2018

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9 years.

2 months.

3 days.

11 hours.

20 minutes.

And 5 seconds of saying to yourself, “Next vacation, I’ll take my mom night skiing.”

With breathtaking views in all directions, each hike in Montana is rich in memorable moments. You’ll discover everything from crisp mountain lakes to rolling prairies on thousands of miles of trail. No matter which path you choose, something awe-inspiring awaits. Discover your #MontanaMoment at VISITMT.COM.

Thoughts

“I have found that sitting in a place where you have never sat before can be inspiring.”

STO C K SY

—D ODIE SMITH, I Capture the Castle

8 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Photograph by Jovana Rikalo

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E d i t o r ’s N o t e

Follow me on Twitter @lyazel and Instagram @leslieyazel

10 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Photograph by Rob Howard

F A S H I O N S T Y L I N G B Y A LY S S A D I N E E N ; H A I R B Y M AT T H E W M O N Z O N ; M A K E U P B Y K AT I E J A N E H U G H E S

C

O N F E S S I O N : I O W N T W O VA C U U M C L E A N E R S .

I know that seems absurd, especially when you learn that I don’t have a huge, two-story house. But owning two goes along with a larger theory I have: Cleaning can be drudgery, but if you invest in a few items that make it a little more joyful, you might enjoy the process more—and have a cleaner home as a result.

This theory emerged a few years ago, when we went with a cheap vacuum. I hated using it, because it did a shoddy job, and I even disliked looking at it—it resembled a Lego kit that had exploded. The result? I often avoided vacuuming just because I didn’t want to deal with the machine itself, although it took me a while to realize that. Once I did, we splurged on a powerful and lovely Miele Complete C3 Calima, a bright yellow vacuum that makes me happy every time I roll it out. And voilà—cleaner floors.

Then we got my daughter guinea pigs (don’t ask), which made me crave a vac for small and alarmingly frequent jobs on the opposite side of our home from the Miele in the coat closet. Enter the Dyson V8 Absolute, which transforms from a handheld to a stick vacuum in a click and leaves no stray piece of hay behind. It looks like a Ghostbusters proton blaster, so my husband enjoys using it too.

Of course, sometimes the problem isn’t tools but time.

In this month’s issue of Real Simple, we break down cleaning tasks by the amount of time you have on any given day, whether that’s 10 minutes or two hours. See “Spring Cleaning by the Clock” (page 98). And for those of us who live with beloved pets (and their shedding fur, pungent odors, and messy food bowls—and that’s just my daughter’s guinea pigs), we have “SOS: Pet Mess” (page 74), a pet-by-pet guide to the best cleaning techniques.

The house won’t always be as clean as we might like, but we all have to clean, at least occasionally. Hopefully these tips will make it as painless for you and your crew as possible.

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Contents April 2018

O N T H E C OV E R

A tidy home in 10 minutes 98

Wake up with more energy

Fast weeknight recipes 92

127

Secrets to pretty skin Ready, set, shine

98

48

106

92

118

Garden-fresh pasta dishes

Remake your mornings

Getting in touch with nature

C OV E R C R E D I T S

Cover Photograph by Johnny Miller Prop St yling by Sarah Smar t Sink: Alfi Brand smooth apron farm sink, $923; themine.com.

C a b i n e t Pa i n t : H a l c y o n G r e e n S W 6 2 1 3 ; s h e r w i n - w i l l i a m s . c o m f o r i n f o .

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

13

Contents

114

85

127

Shake off the rain

Take the long view

Eat well tonight

Thoughts

8

Editor’s Note

10

Real Simple 24 /7

16

Your Words

18

The Short List

23

the realist How to Care for Hydrangeas Get the most drama out of these vibrant blooms

Drugstore Insider Shop the aisles with nail artist Miss Pop 55

39

25

Organize This Declutter your medicine cabinet

40

Little Helpers Clever items that make every day better 26

Now What?!?

Solutions for life’s mini disasters

42

Pretty Smart Beauty buys to save your sanity 28

The Only Cleaners You Need Pros’ product picks for the most mess-prone rooms 44

what we love Best of the Month

My Favorite Piece Designers Sherry and John Petersik share their furniture must-have 32 The Staple Sesame seeds

34

The Essential Style a midi skirt

36

Stylewise Winter-to-spring pieces to mix and match 56

relating

Road Test Our editors select the best skin serums 48 Things Cooks Know Purge your pantry, fridge, and freezer 50 Real Simplifier Edit your photos like an expert 52

5 Ways to Hit Restart Fix a bad day, bum vacation, and more 63 Good Read The winner of our essay contest recalls her happiest moment 69 Modern Manners Catherine Newman offers advice

72

SOS: Pet Mess Hair balls! Grimy tanks!

Tips to the rescue 74 How to Get Along Better in a Divided World Ease stress by teaching yourself—and your kids—to be tolerant 78

balance 4 Smart Ways to Build Your Nest Egg Even when you’re feeling pressed for extra cash 85 7 Secret Perks You Can Negotiate For Advice from people who improved their job 88 Making It Work How do you fight workingparent guilt?

90 Wake Up with More Energy Turn yourself into a morning person Ahhh Take a breather

The New Noodle Dress up your pasta dishes with fresh spring produce 106 Silver Linings Fun coats, boots, and umbrellas to perk up rainy days 114 A Sweeter Purpose A writer finds his place among the honeybees

118

food 5 Easy Dinners

127

92

Make It Yourself Pancake mix

133

97

Road Test Beef jerky

136

features

Big Batch Chicken tenders

137

Spring Cleaning by the Clock Strategies based on how much time you’ve got 98

The Struggle Is Real

140

REAL SIMPLE® (ISSN 1528-1701) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY (VOLUME 19, ISSUE 4) BY TIME INC., A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF MEREDITH CORPORATION. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 225 LIBERTY STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10281.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW YORK, NY, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ALL UAA TO CFS (SEE DMM 507.1.5.2); NONPOSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 62120, TAMPA, FL 33662-2120. CANADA POST PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40110178. GST#888381621RT0001. SUBSCRIBERS: IF THE POSTAL SERVICE ALERTS US THAT YOUR MAGAZINE IS UNDELIVERABLE, WE HAVE NO FURTHER OBLIGATION UNLESS WE RECEIVE A CORRECTED ADDRESS WITHIN TWO YEARS. YOUR BANK MAY PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE CARD INFORMATION WE HAVE ON FILE. YOU MAY OPT OUT OF THIS SERVICE AT ANY TIME. MAILING LIST: WE MAKE A PORTION OF OUR MAILING LIST AVAILABLE TO REPUTABLE FIRMS. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: FOR 24/7 SERVICE, PLEASE USE OUR WEBSITE, REALSIMPLE .COM/CUSTOMERSERVICE. YOU CAN ALSO CALL 1-800-881-1172 OR WRITE TO REAL SIMPLE AT P.O. BOX 62120, TAMPA, FL 33662-2120. © 2018 TIME INC. FOR INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION REQUESTS, PLEASE EMAIL SYNDICATION@MEREDITH.COM OR CALL 1-212-522-5868. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. REAL SIMPLE® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF TIME INC. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

14 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

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TOUCH-UP ON THE GO

Matches leading shades, even salon color**

Lasts until next shampoo Precision brush

*Based on US Nielsen xAOC 2017 sales data **Among leading retail permanent shades and pre-formulated salon color

Real Simple 24/7 FOLLOW US ONLINE FOR E XCLUSIVE IDE A S, TIP S,

MEET

A N N A M A LT BY D E P U T Y E D I TO R AT R E A L S I M P L E

PICK UP OUR S P EC I A L I S S U E !

Best cleaning hack: Invite someone over!

Nothing like a looming guest to kick-start me into cleaning.

Do spring cleaning right: Real Simple’s new special edition has tidying tips and tricks, stain solutions, and everything else you’ve wanted to know about cleaning— all in one place.

My spring to-do list: I’m taking my son, Aadi, to the park, zoo, and botanical gardens near our house.

Weekly ritual: On Sunday nights, I like to change my sheets, wash my pajamas, and shampoo and dry my hair. It’s so nice to start the week feeling impossibly clean. @A_MALT ON INSTAGRAM

See more at realsimple .com/cleaningmag.

Hassle-free breakfast It’s tough to serve pancakes to a big group at the same time. Our trick? Use a sheet pan and pop the batter into the oven.

Find the recipes at realsimple.com/ sheetpanpancakes.

#R SBLO OMS When you’re out taking snaps of the prettiest springtime flowers, don’t forget to share them with us.

Tag #rsblooms on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our feed.

DIY organizers PINTEREST @REALSIMPLE

The simplest way to corral items when you don’t have surface space? Hang them on a magnet board.

Get how-tos at realsimple .com/magnetboards.

16 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Open

and tap

for cleaning tips.

TWITTER @REALSIMPLE

FAC E B O O K @REALSIMPLE

S N A P C H AT @REALSIMPLEMAG

I N S TA G R A M @ R E A L _S I M P L E

C L O C K W I S E F R O M B O T T O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F R E A L S I M P L E . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F A N N A M A LT B Y ; P H O T O G R A P H B Y B R I E PA S S A N O , F O O D S T Y L I N G B Y J E S S I E D A M U C K

A N D W AY S T O M A K E L I F E E A S I E R — E V E RY D AY.

ċĝĥħĪġĝī ęĪĝ ĥęĜĝ ęĪħĭĦĜ ĥĝęĤī ĒĠĝ đęĮħĪ ěęĪĜ ĥęģĝī ĬĠĝĥ ĥħĪĝ ĪĝįęĪĜġĦğ đċ

ăęĪĦ "v ěęīĠ Ěęěģ ħĦ ĜġĦġĦğ × !v ħĦ ğĪħěĝĪġĝī × v ħĦ ęĤĤ ħĬĠĝĪ ĨĭĪěĠęīĝī

āĪĝĜġĬ ęĨĨĪħĮęĤ ĪĝĩĭġĪĝĜ čĞĞĝĪĝĜ Ěı āęĨġĬęĤ čĦĝ ĀęĦģ ÕēđÿÖ Č ÿ ƣ ! & āęĨġĬęĤ čĦĝ

You probably forgot what you ate.

But you remember everything else.

Yo u r W o r d s

What’s the family rule that keeps your household running smoothly?

Be the first to say thanks and the first to say sorry. @ C I T YG I R L AT H O M E

Our rule is that everyone must knock before opening a closed door.

Several times my kids have expressed their appreciation for it after going to a friend’s house.

They’ve also told me they feel respected by my husband and me because of it.

TINA Z ., WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA

# R S L OV E

“ W H I S K E Y + P O M EG R A N AT E + C I T R U S = A P R E T T Y W E E K E N D C O C K TA I L . ” @ A R I E L L E V E Y

My husband and I made a rule when we first moved in together that we only get to talk (OK, complain) about our workday after we sit down at the dinner table. Then the conversation has to change.

AMIRA MELNICHENKO, MAITL AND, FLORIDA

We don’t get upset about spills. They’re just accidents.

AMBER SPRENGARD, CINCINNATI

I teach middle school; my teenage boys knew not to knock on my bedroom door for a full hour after I got home from school.

I needed some me time between teacher time and momma time.

K AREN HINDS, MEMPHIS, TENNES SEE

Once, on a hike with a couple of other families, the kids started to complain. One mom stopped and asked, “Are you a problem solver or a problem maker?” That mantra has stuck in our family for both kids and adults. It’s a great way to reframe negative thinking. @GIRLYT WIRLY

Put others first.

We started using this simple phrase with hand signs as a silent reminder, pointing to our hand (“put”), then pointing outward (“others”), then pointing up (“first”), when our children were small and continue to use it 18 years into parenting.

When it’s applied, our home becomes a well-oiled machine.

NICOLE SCHRO CK , PL AIN CIT Y, OHIO

No video/computer games on school nights. Placing a priority on schoolwork has worked for us. @MANDYHOFFMAN

If something that you would rather not eat is served for dinner, you have to have a “No, thank you” bite.

BRIE GHINA Z ZI, BOISE, IDAHO

The floor is not a coat hook. @ S H A N C H O M I ST E K

18 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Family meeting once a week, on Sundays. Everyone updates the calendar and looks at the schedule for the week so we know what to expect.

CONNIE LENORUD SCHROEDER, NILES, ILLINOIS

I can’t take credit for it, because it was my mother-in-law’s rule first: No talking while packing up the car for a vacation. This rule has helped my husband and me start our family trips much happier.

MICHELLE WIGAND, SAN FRANCISCO BAY ARE A

Dinner Made Simple 35 Everyday Ingredients, 350 Easy Recipes by the Editors of

The women who shared the photos in this column will receive our book Dinner Made Simple.

Want to be considered for this column? Tag photos on Instagram with #RSLOVE.

If it’s full, empty it.

From the trash to a sink full of dirty dishes to a full laundry hamper, this rule is practical.

It also works as a mind-set.

If you pack it, you carry it. We all make better decisions about what we need/want for the day or a trip, and everyone chips in!

DEBBIE BURKE, NE W ALBANY, OHIO

No name-calling.

Disagreements happen—we have four kids—but name-calling is a one-strike rule. @AMYOME ARA428

No TV in the morning on weekdays. In the morning chaos of getting dressed, brushing teeth, and eating breakfast, we managed to get out of the house mostly on time and were able to finalize pickup arrangements and practice schedules.

MICHELLE KNELL , KE A AU, HAWAII

If it’s not on the family calendar, it doesn’t exist. @SHANNIEBG

CECILIA TAVERA , SANTA BARBARA , CALIFORNIA

Only touch something once. It eliminates shuffling objects from one place to another instead of just placing it in its home.

L AURA DAVIES

Ours was passed down from my father-in-law. He said, “There is no such thing as women’s work or men’s work—just work.

And we’ll all work together till it’s done.” It makes for very grateful spouses!

# R S L OV E “ S O M E T I M E S L I F E J U ST C A L L S F O R PA N C A K E A N D F R U I T S K E W E R S . ” @ F R E I _ ST Y L E

NEXT QUESTION...

How do you simplify your cooking routine?

Send an email to yourwords@ realsimple.com and let us know your answer to this question.

Your response could appear on these pages.

BARBARA KROMHOL Z

You are allowed to be mad, but you aren’t allowed to be mean.

E L I S E V E R L E Y, L A R A M I E , W YO M I N G

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

19

Family Organizer

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The Short List F I V E B O O K S T H AT W O N ’ T D I S A P P O I N T

By Nora Horvath

Notable debut

It’s the early 1800s.

When Cy Bellman reads about the discovery of animal bones as large as trees, he leaves his preteen daughter behind and journeys to find out more. With a young Shawnee boy, Cy treks into the hostile Western frontier. Carys Davies’s moving, atmospheric West questions the balance between responsibility and adventure.

Hero, the woman at the center of America Is Not the Heart, flees political unrest in the Philippines to find a home with her aunt and uncle in California.

But as Hero settles into her new life— caring for her cousin, Roni; exploring her sexuality—her uncle threatens to destroy everything they’ve built. First-time novelist Elaine Castillo interweaves English and Filipino dialects and moves across time to explore how hard it is to truly escape the past.

P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y C E C I L I A E L G U E R O F O R K AT E R YA N I N C .

Frontier tale

Dishy history Americans are obsessed with advice, spending many millions a year on self-help books.

But most of us know very little about the writers dispensing these words of wisdom. In Asking for a Friend, Jessica Weisberg unmasks influential Dear Abbys throughout history. Readers will learn that while American values have transformed over time, our biggest insecurities remain the same.

Delicious memoir In The Best Cook in the World, Rick Bragg introduces readers to his mother: A Southern woman, with a repertoire of recipes as old as the Civil War, Margaret whips up the most heavenly foods, from biscuits to indulgent spareribs stewed in butter beans. Bragg’s tender memoir traces the family history and struggles that shaped his mother’s cooking and leaves readers yearning for a slice of buttermilk pie.

Great for book club Greer Kadetsky is doing her best.

Studying at her last-choice college, far from her boyfriend, her biggest ambition is to avoid becoming like her stoner parents. When she meets celebrity feminist Faith Frank at a lecture, suddenly Greer finds purpose.

Meg Wolitzer’s timely novel, The Female Persuasion, delves into mentorship— and how even the people we admire most can be flawed.

For more book recommendations, visit realsimple.com/books.

Photograph by Addie Juell

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

23

E V E RY T H I N G O U R E D I T O R S A R E B U Z Z I N G A B O U T T H I S M O N T H

C L E A N U P T H E C OA S T

Spend Earth Day (April 22) doing some outdoor spring cleaning. The Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting oceans and coasts, has more than 157 chapters and clubs hosting beach cleanups across the U.S. Find the one closest to you at surfrider.org/chapters.

If you’re feeling famished afterward, Surfrider’s new Ocean Friendly Restaurants program helps you find eateries committed to recycling, conserving water, and cutting down on plastic usage.

ENCOUR AGE GIRLS

P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y C E C I L I A E L G U E R O F O R K AT E R YA N I N C .

Know a young woman who dreams of running for office? Or want to help one?

Running Start, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, has launched an online mentorship program that connects young women in high school, college, and beyond with mentors working in politics. Become a mentor or help a young woman find hers at runningstart.org.

A C E YO U R TA X E S

Get pro advice from the convenience of your own home with TurboTax Live. This new feature lets TurboTax customers ask questions about their tax forms via a one-way live video chat with a CPA. You see the CPA; the CPA just sees your tax forms.

Experts can also review, sign, and file your return.

TO BUY: From $150 for a federal return and $37 for a state return; turbotaxlive.com.

Photograph by Addie Juell

REAL SIMPLE

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W H AT W E LO V E

S L E E K T OA S T E R

This model has an extended sllot design that makes toasting wider pieces of bread a cinch.

Itt also includes a warming rack and a Lift and Look setting, which lets you check on your toast without canceling the cycle. Available in black and silver. TO BUY: Russell Hobbs Glass Accent Long Slot 2-Slice G Stainless Steel Toaster, $99; russellhobbs com russellhobbs.com.

Made from lightweight aluminum, these Bluetooth earbuds sit comfortably in your ears thanks to a slim design. They resist sweat and have a 10-hour battery life.

TO BUY: iFrogz Resound Wireless Earbuds, $30; zagg.com.

Little Helpers S I X S M A RT P RO D U C T S TO M A K E YO U R L I F E E A S I E R

By Brandi Broxson

DISH SQUEEGEE

Eas sily scrape lefttover food from m plattes and bowls with this handy to ool.

(Bo onus: It extends s the e life of your spo onge.) The grip is non nslip, even whe en wet, and the we squeegee stands s on end for quick drying. TO BUY: OX XO Good Grips Dish Squeegee, $5; oxo.com.

R E M OVA B L E D O O R S T O P

H A N D WA S H I N G A I D

This topper stretches around the nozzle of your favorite hand-soap pump and plays a 20-second tune when pushed to remind kids (and adults) of the proper amount of time to lather hands before rinsing. Lasts for at least 500 plays. TO BUY: Soap Caps, $5 each; soap-caps.com.

26 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

NO-BURN CO OKIE SHEET

Love crisp cookies but hate burned bottoms? This 14-by-16-inch copper baking sheet features Micro-Dome technology to prevent burning and decrease bake times by up to 15 percent. Hand-wash. TO BUY: T-fal AirBake Copper Non-Stick Cookie Sheet, $15; bedbathandbeyond.com.

Protect walls from doorknob damage with this clip-on doorstop. It slides onto the top, bottom, or opening side of the doorframe without any fasteners. Or turn it around to face front, and it keeps a door propped open. TO BUY: StoppClipp, $5; stoppclipp.com.

Photographs by Brian Henn

TO P T H R E E P H OTO G R A P H S C O U RT E SY O F M A N U FACT U R E R S

B E T T E R- F I T T I N G EARBUDS

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W H AT W E LO V E

Pretty Smart F R AG R A N C E S YO U ’L L U S E U P B E FO R E T H E Y E X P I R E A N D S E V E N O T H E R B E AU T Y B U Y S T O S AV E YO U R S A N I T Y

P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y C E C I L I A E L G U E R O F O R K AT E R YA N I N C .

By Heather Muir Maffei

JO MALONE LOND ON E N G L I S H F I E L D S C O L L EC T I O N

On the hunt for a new scent? These limited-edition fragrances pair rich grains (a nod to English landscapes) with fresh floral notes, resulting in five sweet and savory combinations, including Poppy & Barley and Oat & Cornflower. The sensibly sized bottles are opaque, so sunlight won’t spoil the juice.

TO BUY: $70 each; jomalone.com.

28 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Photograph by Addie Juell

7 + ( 2 5 , * , 1 $ / 6 2 8 7 + ( 5 1 2 8 7 ) , 7 7 ( 5 70

shop online at 6 2 8 7 + ( 5 1 0 $ 5 6 + & 2 0

W H AT W E LO V E

GIVENCHY COUTURE EDITION PRISME LIBRE

Matte lipsticks tend to get a bad rap— some leave lips feeling like sandpaper.

Not this one. It glides on like a buttery balm, lasts all day, and comes in every color of the rainbow.

TO BUY: $18 each; fentybeauty.com.

O UA I H A I RC A R E ANTI-FRIZZ SHEETS

Stash this box of hemp sheets infused with coconut oil and shea butter in your purse or suitcase and you’ll be ready to solve any hair problem (frizz, flyaways, static) that pops up.

TO BUY: $18 for 15 sheets; theouai.com.

B E N E F I T B A D GA L B A N G ! VO LU M I Z I N G MASCAR A

The 300 half-coneshaped bristles deposit superlight ght mascara particl cles onto lashes so you yo get falsie-rivaling g volume minus the weight or flakes.

TO BUY: $24; benefit cosmetics.com.

30 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

SCHICK INTUITION F. A . B . R A Z O R

Shaving just got easier, thanks to this razor with bidirectional blades. The top ones shave up and the bottom ones shave down, so you don’t have to lift the razor from your skin after each pass—whee!

TO BUY: $14; at drugstores.

S U P E RG O O P ! G LO W STICK SUNSCREEN S P F 50

No chalky white goop here. This clear, dry oil stick makes applying sunscreen to your face, arms, chest, and squirmy children a piece of cake.

TO BUY: $25; super goop.com.

SIGMA SIGMAGIC S C RU B

Cleaning brushes won’t feel like such a chore with this two-in-one tool that suctions to your sink.

Run damp bristles across its surface to lather up the built-in cleanser and say bye to bacteria. TO BUY: $19; sigmabeauty.com.

S M E A R S : B R A I N H E N N ; P R O D U CT I M AG E S C O U RT E SY O F M A N U FACT U R E R S

F E N T Y B E AU T Y M AT T E M O I S E L L E P LU S H M AT T E LIPSTICK

This loose finishing powder takes the guesswork out of color correcting.

Flip the compact to transfer all four shades onto the puff, then press it over skin to cut redness and create a matte glow. TO BUY: $60; sephora.com.

W H AT W E LO V E

My Favorite Piece P RO S P I C K O N E M U ST- H AV E D E S I G N E L E M E N T

Sherry and John Petersik Authors and DIY bloggers at younghouselove.com Upholstered storage ottoman WHY: “Not only is it less worrisome than a hard-edge coffee table if you have kids,” says Sherry, “but it also offers a soft place to rest your feet and a secret spot to stash blankets or board games. Triple threat!”

In a pinch, use it to hide clutter when unexpected guests drop by.

M I X E D M AT E R I A L

PETITE

HANDSOME

W OV E N

MODERN

CLE AN-LINED

The upholstered top of this drumshaped ottoman makes a comfy spare seat when there’s no more room on the sofa.

TO BUY: Storage Ottoman, $399; westelm.com.

Pair this patterned footstool with your favorite reading chair and tuck away books in the base.

TO BUY: HomePop Cole Classics round storage ottoman, $85; overstock.com.

The classic leather footrest is made more practical with a compartment for stashing kids’ toys.

TO BUY: Irving leather storage ottoman with nailheads, from $549; potterybarn.com.

Create some coastal charm with a table that also corrals extra pillows for the pullout couch.

TO BUY: Alina storage ottoman, $149; urban outfitters.com.

Vibrant velvet upholstery and acrylic feet give the traditional shape a contemporary feel.

TO BUY: Clemente velvet oversized tufted square storage ottoman, $287; houzz.com.

Use the sleek piece as an entryway bench with surprise shoe storage.

TO BUY: Project 62 Loring Storage Cube, $80; target.com.

32 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

P H OTO G R A P H S C O U RT E SY O F YO U N G H O U S E LOV E . C O M ( 2 ) ; P R O D U CT I M AG E S C O U RT E SY O F M A N U FACT U R E R S

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W H AT W E LO V E

Quick Ideas 1 SESAME SNAPPER

The Staple Small but mighty, sesame seeds give crunch and depth to sweet and savory recipes. While they come in a variety of colors, you’ll mostly find white, brown, or black ones in supermarkets. (There’s little difference in taste, so choose your color based on how it looks with the dish you’re planning.)

The seeds make for a flavorful crust on fish and add texture and pretty decoration to spiced cookies.

Toast them to bring out a nuttiness that lends a nice finishing flavor to noodle dishes or glazed eggplant. For maximum freshness, store in an airtight container in the freezer.

Mix 1 cup sesame seeds, 2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. each coriander and salt, and tsp. pepper in a shallow dish. Beat 1 egg in another dish. Dip 4 6-oz. snapper fillets in egg, then coat with seed mixture. Cook in batches in 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium, 4 to 6 minutes per side.

2 SESAME AND C A R DA M O M C O O K I E S

Beat cup each softened butter, sugar, and light brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. orange zest until fluffy. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp. vanilla. Add 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. each ground cardamom and baking soda, and tsp. salt; beat to combine. Fold in cup toasted sesame seeds. Shape 1-Tbsp. portions into balls and roll in cup toasted sesame seeds. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.

Slice a 1 -lb. eggplant into -in. rounds; brush with 2 Tbsp. oil. Bake at 450°F, turning once, for cup 18 minutes. Whisk white miso; 1 Tbsp. each grated ginger, sesame oil, honey, and water; 2 tsp. rice vinegar; and 1 tsp. chili paste. Spread on eggplant. Broil for 4 minutes. Top with 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

By Ananda Eidelstein Recipes by Mar y Claire Britton

34 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Photograph by Corey Olsen

P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y C E C I L I A E L G U E R O F O R K AT E R YA N I N C .

3 M I S O EG G P L A N T WITH SESAME SEEDS

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W H AT W E LO V E

The Essential T H AT B A S I C H A N G I N G I N YO U R C L O S E T I S M O R E V E R S AT I L E T H A N YO U T H I N K .

T H I S M O N T H : H O W T O ST Y L E YO U R M I D I S K I RT F O R A N Y O C C A S I O N

By Rebecca D aly

S TA RT W I T H T H E S K I RT. . .

TO BUY: Lu ulus

Like a Phenome enon pleate ed midi skirtt , $49; lulus.co om.

Sleek pumps and a knit shell help this seasonless staple make the jump from winter to spring a breeze.

TO BUY: Coldwater Creek Sleeveless Classic turtleneck, $50; coldwatercreek.com.

Morning Lavender Camila belt, $16; morninglavender.com. Hart Topknot earrings, $58; harthagerty.com. French Connection Open cuff, $44; usa.french connection.com. Lulu Dharma Tassel tote, $135; luludharma.com. Steve Madden Daisie pumps, $90; stevemadden.com.

36 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

...ADD A PRINTED PE A S ANT TOP Tuck in a loose, gauzy blouse and add a bag with vintage appeal for a bohochic twist on the ladylike skirt.

TO BUY: LC Lauren Conrad Peasant top, $44; kohls.com. Real Simple Style Cordella earrings, $28; realsimplestyle.com.

Complét Gaia Micro bag, $375; complet-o.com. Cole Haan Laree Open Toe mules, $150; colehaan.com.

...ADD SNE AKER S A N D A S W E AT S H I RT Casual basics with subtle twists—a ruffled sleeve, a metallic stripe—help you look both pulled together and laid-back.

TO BUY: Entourage Clothing Wander Freely top, $24; entourageclothing.com.

Jill Jill Stuart Moto jacket, $159; macys.com. Adia Kibur 3D Metal cuff, $42; adiakibur.com. Iris & Ink sneakers, $115; theoutnet.com.

For more versatile must-haves, head to realsimple.com/essential.

Photograph by Dyad Photography

ST YLING BY SABRINA GRANDE

...ADD HEEL S AND A S L E E V E L E S S S W E AT E R

The best beach body is the one you already have.

UPF 50 Swim Tee is sun smart and beautiful. Available in petite to plus, even tall sizes.

LANDSEND.COM

3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 Hardwood floor that softly creaks when your youngest takes her first steps.

Or your oldest sneaks in after curfew.

Everything you need to buy, sell or rent, with ease. | Find your way home.®

M A R I J A S AV I C / S T O C K S Y. S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O D A N N Y WAT S O N , H O M E A N D G A R D E N E X P E R T AT T H E H O M E D E P O T

U N C O M M O N S O L U T I O N S T O E V E RY D AY P R O B L E M S

H OW TO C A R E FO R HYD R A N G E A S Hoping to add some drama to your garden this year?

The Limelight (which turns from green to white to pink) and Fire Light (which goes from white to pink) varieties of hydrangea are among the easiest to grow and make for the best cut flowers, says Carmen Johnston, owner of Carmen Johnston Gardens in Thomaston, Georgia. Early spring is the perfect time to plant hydrangeas because the ground is cool and therefore less stressful on them, she says. If you want to ensure bold blossoms next year, pruning is key—do so after this year’s bloom cycle has ended.

(For some hydrangeas, that means in late summer; for others, late winter.) When you’re ready to harvest a bunch of blooms for your dining table, use sharp shears to cut just below the new growth on the stem. Place immediately in water.

By Brandi Broxson

For more planting tips, go to realsimple.com/hydrangeas.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

39

THE REALIST

1 U S E E V E RY S U R FA C E

Take advantage of as much of the interior area as possible—not just the shelves. Stash narrow items, like nail files and lip balms, in caddies that adhere to the back of the door. Just make sure there’s enough clearance for the door to close completely. TO BUY: StickOnPods, $10; containerstore.com.

4 2 S O RT A N D S E PA R AT E

Corral loose items that tend to pile up and spill over. Hang hair ties from an adhesive hook, attach bobby pins to a magnet (not pictured), and organize bandages in a small box.

TO BUY: Command Large Metal Wire Hook, $3; homedepot.com.

3 E S TA B L I S H O R D E R 2

Place everyday items front and center and less-used products on a higher shelf.

Employ a divided organizer to keep every item visible and easily accessible.

TO BUY: Linus Cabinet Organizer with Drawer, $10; containerstore.com.

1

4 ADD STOR AGE

Organize This CLEAN UP A MESSY MEDICINE CABINET WITH THESE TIPS F RO M P RO O RGA N I Z E R B E T H P E N N.

40 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

5 MINIMIZE SIZE

Transfer portions of products in large toiletry bottles to smaller containers that fit into the space better.

A uniform collection will ensure the small area looks neat and prevent overwhelming visual clutter.

Photograph by Sidney Bensimon

PROP ST YLING BY ASTRID CHASTK A

3

Reconfigure shelf placement to maximize storage, leaving enough room for taller items to stand vertically. If you have unused space, the hardware store can cut you an extra shelf from a piece of wood or glass.

©J&JCI 2017

Why Jennifer Garner never skips sunscreen, even when it’s cold and rainy.

The sun is up there shining 365 days a year. Summer or winter, its UVA rays can pass through clouds, haze, even windows.

The more unprotected sun exposure you get, the greater your risk of developing skin cancer. In fact, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Protection and early detection are the key to survival.

For sun safety tips and life-saving tools, like a free dermatologist skin cancer screening, self-exam kit, and discounts on sunscreen products, go to ChooseSkinHealth.com

#ChooseSkinHealth

with participation from

THE REALIST

Now What?!?

S M A RT F I X E S F O R L I F E ’ S L I T T L E D I S A ST E R S

By Liz Steelman

The clasp on my favorite necklace broke.

There are gnats swarming around my indoor plant.

V.A ., VIA EMAIL

42 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

E.H., VIA EMAIL

I have a foot cramp!

W.B., VIA EMAIL THE FIX: If you’re lying down or sitting, stand up. Putting pressure on the cramp will stop the muscle spasm, says James R. Christina, DPM, executive director of the American Podiatric Medical Association. If you’re standing, walk around to stretch out your lower calves. If walking doesn’t help, lie on the floor, roll up a towel (or grab a yoga strap), and place it under the ball of your foot.

Pull your toes toward you, keeping your knee as straight as you can, for a deep stretch. Almost 90 percent of foot cramps are due to muscle fatigue, says Christina, so always stretch your lower body after exercise.

THE FIX: Ease up on watering and move the plant to a sunny spot in your home where the soil can dry out. Often gnats appear when soil has been wet for too long, so also make sure your plant has good drainage. “Gnats have no affinity for plants— just fungi and moisture,” says Christopher Satch, an in-house plant scientist at The Sill, a garden center in New York City. Gnats are mostly just annoying, but a swarm of them may indicate larvae, which can damage the roots and harm a young plant. If drying out the soil doesn’t help, Satch recommends adding diatomaceous earth, a natural, nontoxic, talclike insecticide made from plankton fossils (try DiatomaceousEarth Food Grade Powder, $11 for 2 lb.; chewy .com). Work it into the top inch of soil, then sprinkle some more on the surface.

D YA D P H O T O G R A P H Y ; P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y S A B R I N A G R A N D E

THE FIX: Slide a paper clip or a small safety pin through both ends of the chain and close it, says Rachel Pfeffer, a jewelry designer based in Washington, D.C. For a long-term solution, she explains, you’ll need two pairs of flat-nosed pliers and a new clasp with a round connection piece called a jump ring.

(You can find these at craft or bead stores.)

To remove the old clasp, grab each side of the existing jump ring with the pliers, then pull one side toward you and push the other side away from you. Once the ring is open, slide off the broken clasp.

Then open the replacement jump ring using the same method as above and link it to the end of the chain. Close the ring with pliers to securely install the clasp. Need to repair a family heirloom? Take it to a pro.

THE MINDFUL NUT Snack mindfully with The W∂ nderful Nut. W∂ nderful Pistachios are the guru masters of portion control. Cracking each shell may help you slow down and savor the moment. So sit back, relax, and meditate on a healthy you.

The Skinny Nut • The Fit Nut • The Mindful Nut • The Colorful Nut • The Happy Nut

The W∑ nderful Nut

© 2018 Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds LLC. All Rights Reserved. WONDERFUL, THE MINDFUL NUT, the Package Design and accompanying logos are trademarks of Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds LLC or its affiliates. WP171218-03

THE REALIST

The Only Cleaners You Need F I L L Y O U R C A D D Y W I T H T H E S E P R O P I C K S A N D Y O U ’ L L B E R E A D Y F O R E V E RY R O O M .

By Stephanie Sisco

R I N G R E M OV E R

Pure Clean Bath Stone Cleaning Block It’s sturdy enough to tackle the ring of hard water and mineral deposits in the toilet bowl but gentle enough not to scratch the porcelain surface. TO BUY: $4; bedbathandbeyond.com.

B AT H RO O M

DR AIN SNAKE

S U R FA C E C L E A N E R

Better Life Tub & Tile Cleaner Spritz, wipe, rinse. With no harsh fumes or chemicals, this spray does wonders on the tub, the sink, and even the toilet—inside and out. TO BUY: $8; cleanhappens.com.

S OA P S C U M E R A S E R

Scrub Free Total Bathroom Cleaner A buildup of scum is no match for this spray, which practically eliminates the need to scrub.

To help stave off buildup in the first place, use a squeegee ($10; bed bathandbeyond.com) to swipe the glass and tile after each shower.

TO BUY: $3; jet.com.

W H Y T H I S C A D DY ?

A classic pail offers a compact storage solution for sprays beneath the sink.

44 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

S C RU B B RU S H

OXO Good Grips Extendable Tub & Tile Scrubber No more back pain from straining to reach high corners and low grout lines! This extendable pole with a swiveling head makes for easy work.

TO BUY: $13; oxo.com.

GL ASS CLEANER

Sprayway Glass Cleaner A no-streak solution for mirrors, windows, and shower doors. The foam-like spray stays put on the surface rather than running down before you can get to it with your cloth.

TO BUY: $2; target.com.

CLE ANING CLOTHS

General Purpose Cloths These microfiber cloths grab hold of dirt and debris instead of just pushing them around.

Designate a color for each surface to avoid cross-contamination.

TO BUY: $20 for 4; ecloth.com.

Photographs by Brian Henn

PROP ST YLING BY MAI TRAN

T O I L E T B RU S H

Looeegee Hygienic Toilet Squeegee The icky bathroom stalwart has gotten a hygienic upgrade. Silicone repels water, helping prevent drips during transfer from bowl to holder.

TO BUY: $40; looeegee.com.

Zip-It Bath and Sink Hair Snare This 20inch plastic strip slips easily into sink and tub drains to help clear clogs. TO BUY: $2; homedepot.com.

BRIGHTENER

K I TC H E N W H Y T H I S C A D DY ?

A container without divided compartments allows for the most efficient use of space.

TO BUY: Nesting Storage Caddy, $7; casabella.com.

White Vinegar Dip a microfiber cloth into this pantry staple to help disinfect and shine appliances. It can also be used to revive dingy oven racks and hazy mirrors.

TO BUY: Heinz Distilled White Vinegar, $2; walmart.com.

M U LT I S U R FA C E S P R AY

Formula 409 All-Purpose Cleaner Hardened drips in the fridge? Spray on this universal cleaner, let soak for five minutes, and wipe clean. It’s great for countertops and backsplashes too. TO BUY: $3; target.com.

TO OL

OXO Good Grips Kitchen Appliance Cleaning Set With two brush heads and a pair of crevice cleaners, this compact tool helps dislodge debris from grout lines and the seam between sink and counter.

TO BUY: $8; oxo.com.

MILDER ABR ASIVE

Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish A no-scratch solution for burned-on messes and hard-to-remove rust stains. It helps make sinks, stoves, oven racks, and stainless-steel pots and pans sparkle.

TO BUY: $2; bedbathand beyond com.

OV E N C L E A N E R

G O O R E M OV E R

D I S I N F E C TA N T

DEGRE A SER

POLISH

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser with Durafoam Use it to scrub the grimy interior of a microwave or convection oven (including the glass on the door). TO BUY: $3 for 2; mrclean.com.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil This natural and effective germ killer also emits a refreshing scent. Apply it to a cotton ball to help remove sticker residue or stubborn grease stains. TO BUY: $14; ouifresh.com.

Harmon Face Values Hydrogen Peroxide Spray Buy the all-natural sanitizer in a spray bottle to spritz down cutting boards, counters, and the sink. TO BUY: $2; bed bathandbeyond.com.

Dawn Ultra Original Scent Dishwashing Liquid Not just for washing dirty dishes: This solution is particularly good for cleaning vent filters and removing buildup in the oven and on the stove.

TO BUY: $3; target.com.

Scott’s Liquid Gold Wood Cleaner While it’s a staple for wood furniture, this polish can also shine your stainlesssteel appliances and keep fingerprints from showing up as easily.

TO BUY: From $6; truevalue.com.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

45

WA S H I N G M A C H I N E CLEANER H A N D - WA S H D E T E RG E N T

L AU N D RY RO O M

Woolite Everyday Laundry Detergent Freshen up cashmere sweaters or delicate lingerie with the help of this mild detergent. Add a capful to cold water and gently squeeze the suds through the fabric, then rinse. TO BUY: $9; homedepot.com.

FR AGR ANCE BOOST

Downy Fresh Protect Odor Shield Scent Booster This laundry additive gives your linens a long-lasting fresh scent.

TO BUY: $8; jet.com.

WHY THIS C A D DY ?

A multitiered rolling cart lets you organize essentials by category: detergents on top, stain removers on the bottom, and tools in between.

TO BUY: Råskog Utility Cart, $25; ikea.com.

R E G U L A R D E T E RG E N T

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day 64 Load Laundry Detergent For normal washes, most detergents perform equally well. We love this line for its cheery honeysuckle fragrance. TO BUY: $16; mrsmeyers.com.

Real Simple Clean Washing Machine Cleaner Get rid of mold and mildew on the door or residue in the drum. Spray the interior after every wash, let sit for 30 minutes, and run another cycle. TO BUY: $7; realsimpleclean.com.

S TA I N F I G H T E R

Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar & Stain Remover This long-lasting bar will tackle chocolate, makeup, perspiration, and myriad other stains.

Wet the bar and the fabric, then rub the bar over the stain before laundering.

TO BUY: $2; acehardware.com.

P R E T R E AT M E N T

Crayola White Chalk For small grease stains on clothes, draw on the stain with chalk to help absorb the oil. Then launder as usual. TO BUY: $1 for 12; target.com.

BASIN

D RY E R B A L L S

Wash Tub Basin This compact tub is just the right size for laundering one delicate item at a time. TO BUY: $38; thelaundress.com.

Beekman 1802 Happy Place Dryer Balls Eliminate static from natural materials like cotton by tossing wool dryer balls in with your wet clothes. TO BUY: $20 for 3; evine.com.

S TA I N S O LU T I O N

Stain Brush The soft bristles gently work your pretreatment into the fabric. Pretreat stains with a spritz of hydrogen peroxide (see previous page); test an inconspicuous spot first. TO BUY: $10; thelaundress.com.

O U R E X P E RT S JAN M. DOUGHERTY, AUTHOR OF THE LOST ART OF HOUSE CLEANING DEBRA JOHNSON, MERRY MAIDS HOME CLE ANING E XPERT DONNA SMALLIN KUPER, CERTIFIED HOUSECLE ANING TECHNICIAN AND AUTHOR OF CLEANING PL AIN & SIMPLE MELISSA MAKER, AUTHOR OF CLEAN MY SPACE BETH McGEE, AUTHOR OF GET YOUR HOUSE CLEAN NOW: THE HOME CLEANING METHOD ANYONE CAN MASTER TOM McNULTY, AUTHOR OF CLEAN L IKE A MAN BECKY RAPINCHUK, CRE ATOR OF CLE ANMAMA .NET AND AUTHOR OF SIMPLY CLEAN REAL SIMPLE EDITORS

46 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Want to know what cleaning experts keep in their cars? (Yes, that caddy is a diaper bag!) Find out at realsimple.com/caddy.

Every bag tells a story.

What’s yours?

NEW Glad® ForceFlex Plus Advanced Protection.

Glad’s strongest, toughest, most leak resistant kitchen bag.

THE REALIST

R o a d Te s t

Serums IT’S THE MOST POTENT STEP IN A SKIN-CARE RO U T I N E ( A P P LY A F T E R C L E A N S I N G , BEFORE MOISTURIZING). THE SE SIX SERUMS L E F T O U R S K I N N O T I C E A B LY B E T T E R .

By Lisa D eSantis

BEST BRIGHTENER

SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense If brown spots bug you, try this triple-acid and enzyme cocktail, which helps break up melanin clusters so skin looks even. It works on acne scars too. TO BUY: $98; skinceuticals.com.

BEST FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Monastery Gold Healing Serum

B E S T A N T I OX I DA N T

Hand-blended in San Francisco, this mix of raspberry seed, evening primrose, and avocado oils soothes redness.

TO BUY: $136; monasterymade.com.

realsimple ROAD TE ST

B E S T A N T I -A G E R

Derms agree that the best way to prevent brown spots and broken blood vessels is to layer an antioxidant under your SPF in the a.m. With 15 percent stabilized vitamin C, this one is a smart choice. TO BUY: $28.50; vichyusa.com.

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

Caudalie Premier Cru The Serum Yes, it costs an arm and a leg, but this linesoftening, skin-brightening gel-to-water formula was five years in the making and was developed with Harvard scientists.

The powerful combo of betaine (an anti-inflammatory plant extract) and the company’s Vine Resveratrol (a firming ingredient from grapevine stalks) helps increase collagen production, resulting in a refreshed complexion.

TO BUY: $150; caudalie.com.

Want to know more about serums? Check out dermatologists’ tips at realsimple.com/serum.

48 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

BEST ACNE FIGHTER

B E S T H Y D R AT O R

Skin Inc Hyaluronic Acid Serum Dry, dehydrated skin will drink this hyaluronic acid gel right up, plumping your complexion.

Wear alone or add a drop to moisturizer when your skin is extra thirsty.

TO BUY: $35; sephora.com.

Don’t let the bargain price tag fool you.

This serum exfoliates pores to help heal existing zits and stave off future ones.

Spot-treat or apply all over for clearer skin.

TO BUY: $5; sephora.com.

S M E A R : B R I A N H E N N ; P R O D U CT I M AG E S C O U RT E SY O F M A N U FACT U R E R S

Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum

THE REALIST

Things Cooks Know ST R AT E G I E S, T E C H N I Q U E S, A N D T I P S O N S P R I N G T I M E C O O K I N G & C L E A N I N G — F RO M T H E R E A L S I M P L E T E ST K I TC H E N TO YO U R S

By Grace Elkus

Clean, Then Cook Empty your fridge, freezer, and pantry.

Toss anything moldy or freezer-burned. Start cooking with nearly empty packaged goods and perishable items on their last legs. A few ideas:

The Best Tools for Spring Veggies

PANTRY-PURGE PUPPY CHOW: Place 8 cups rice cereal or corn cereal in a large bowl. Melt 1 cups chocolate chips with cup nut butter and 1 Tbsp. butter. Pour over cereal and toss to coat. Add powdered sugar, toss, and let cool.

Mix with nuts, pretzels, and mini marshmallows.

FINE-MESH STRAINER Briefly cook peas, fava beans, and snap peas in boiling salted water, then transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set inside a bowl of ice water. You’ll lift out the blanched veggies with ease (no fishing them out from the cold water). You can also use the strainer to wash uncooked grains: A rinse can help prevent quinoa from tasting bitter and remove residue from grains like farro.

FRIDGE-CLEAN QUESADILL A : Top a flour tortilla with cheese, leftover cooked veggies, lastday lunch meat, and the like. Cover with a second tortilla. Cook in oil in a large skillet, flipping once, until golden and crispy on both sides.

Serve with sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, or other condiments.

FREEZER-FINDS SHRIMP STIR-FRY: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add frozen shrimp; cook until opaque, then remove.

Add ginger, garlic, and frozen veggies to skillet; cook until tender. Add shrimp and soy sauce; toss. Serve over rice with sriracha.

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How to Deep-Clean Your Dish Towels Towels, like sponges, often harbor microorganisms. To avoid cross-contamination and help keep bacteria at bay, reserve one towel for wiping the counter and one for drying your hands—and wash your hands often. Dry towels completely between uses. Wash towels every two or three days in hot water and avoid fabric softener, which reduces absorbency.

Soak extra-stinky towels in equal parts distilled white vinegar and water before washing.

SAL AD SPINNER This is the most effective tool for washing and drying spring greens, herbs, and sandy leeks.

Dressing clings better to drier leaves.

For more ways to use up bits and pieces, go to realsimple.com/partymixes.

Photograph by Caitlin Bensel

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THE REALIST

Real Simplifier

Edit Your Photos Like an Expert F O L L O W T H E L E A D O F T H E S E P H O T O G R A P H Y P R O S F O R T H E E A S I E S T, P R E T T I E S T W AY S T O F I N E - T U N E Y O U R S M A R T P H O N E S N A P.

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5 PERFECT THE IMPERFECTIONS

C RO P S K I L L F U L LY

STR AIGHTEN IT

A D D A F I LT E R

E N H A N C E S U BT LY

Eliminate anything that doesn’t help tell the story, says Tyson Wheatley, a New York City– based photographer with 623,000 followers on Instagram (@twheat).

For the most graphic effect, crop the photo so your subject is in the center. Or, if there’s a lot happening in the image, try the photography rule of thirds, suggests Pei Ketron, a San Francisco– based travel photographer with 802,000 followers on Instagram (@pketron): Mentally divide an image into thirds and put your subject at the imaginary line between two of those parts. Let’s say you photographed the sun setting above the ocean.

Crop the photo so the horizon line is along the top edge of the bottom third, leaving the sky to fill the top two-thirds.

It’s the quintessential vacation shot: the fruity cocktail against a stunning vista. But if you’re worried the drink looks tippy, like it’s on the high seas, you’re probably right. “Crooked photos are incredibly common because people tend to quickly photograph one-handed,” says Wheatley. Luckily, most editing apps come with a straightener grid, which pops up to ensure that the elements in the image are in line. Just focus on the parts that should look level (the horizon, a tabletop) or vertical (a skyscraper, a tree). “It takes seconds to do and makes any photo instantly polished,” says Wheatley.

Looking for big punch with minimal effort? Try adding a filter with the edit tool on your smartphone or with an app like A Color Story (free; iOS and Android), says Wendy Granger, Real Simple.com’s photo editor. “The app can do a lot of things,” she says.

“It’s easy to use, and the filters enhance your photo and make it a little softer or brighter.” To pick a filter, think about the effect you want your photo to have, says Granger. Often the filter’s name is a good guide. “In A Color Story, I use the Everyday filter to lightly boost a photo and the Pop filter when I want extra oomph,” she says. “The iPhone’s Dramatic filter is also great for adding depth to a flat shot.”

There are a ton of tools and effects available, but for everyday images, you really only need a couple. Using an app like A Color Story, pump up the contrast to lighten the lights and darken the darks, then sharpen the photo a touch. “Don’t overdo it— every adjustment should be slight,” says Wheatley. To add drama, you can play with brightness, color, and highlights. Just skip saturation or HDR adjustments, which tend to make photos look unnatural. “Compare the original image with the edited version while you’re making changes,” says Ketron. “You’ll quickly realize if the photo looks unrealistic, so you can scale back.”

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There may be times when you have to do more heavy lifting—to remove something marring the shot, say (like the shadow we erased from the photo above).

Try an app called TouchRetouch ($2; iOS and Android). “It’s a powerful tool that can magically cut out an object you don’t want while, in most cases, keeping the background intact,” says Ketron.

The app also includes a blemish remover for those extreme closeups. Hoping to salvage a shot with red-eye?

Download Adobe Photoshop Express (free; iOS and Android), import the photo, and simply hit the red-eye removal button.

C O U R T E S Y O F E M I LY K E H E

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THE REALIST

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“This sha hade makes your nails ls look like 24-karat at gold.

But the best st part is the brush—it it’s so flexible that I ca an use it to create naill art without any othe er tools.” TO BUY: $9;; at drugstores.

Responsible for creating looks for New York Fashion Week, Miss Pop—who’s also worked with such celebrities as Gwen Stefani and Amy Schumer—thinks of nails as an accessory.

Follow her on Instagram (@misspopnails) for genius DIY nail art hacks and the best mani inspo.

N AT U R E ’ S B O U N T Y HAIR, SKIN & NAIL S GUMMIES

“My grandma taught me to take biotin to help strengthen my nails and hair.

These taste like candy, so it feels like a win-win.” TO BUY: $10; at drugstores.

CHINA GL AZE L AV E N D E R IRIDESCENT NAIL TIPS

“These have a tape-like adhesive rather than glue, so they won’t ruin your natural nails. Plus, there’s no dry time.”

TO BUY: $10; ulta.com.

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“Since it’s made for paint, it’s easier to work with and doesn’t leave behind a sticky residue like clear tape does. Use it to create crisp lines.” TO BUY: $6; at drugstores.

“Most files are made for acrylics and can peel or even break natural nails.

For a gentler file, look for grits above 220.

This one is 280/320— even better.” TO BUY: $1.50; target.com.

“This cuticle oil is so hydrating. I keep one in the cup holder in my car and put it on when I’m at a red light so it can sink in while I drive.”

TO BUY: $8.50; at drugstores.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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THE REALIST

Stylewise

The Spring Edit IT’S COLD! IT’S WA R M ! M I X A N D M AT C H T H E S E N I N E PIECES AND BE R E A DY FO R W H AT E V E R T H E SEASON SENDS Y O U R W AY.

S T Y L I N G B Y S A B R I N A G R A N D E ; PA P E R F L O W E R S B Y L I V I A C E T T I O F T H E G R E E N VA S E

By Rebecca D aly

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Photograph by Justin Picciotti

New Glade® Fine Fragrance Mist infused with essential oils.

Light, layered notes of beach woods, starfruit and coconut.

Open the door to a beautiful new experience for your home.

©2018 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. All rights reserved.

NEW

I M A G I N AT I O N We have a fragrance for that.™ New Glade® Fine Fragrance Mist

The Key Pieces DESIGN H I S TO RY TO P $80; design historyny.com.

B O D E N F L AT S Abbie loafers, $120; bodenusa.com.

A N N TAY LO R DRESS Winter Floral midi dress, $179; anntaylor.com.

GUESS HEEL S Blixee PointedToe pumps, $89; moda operandi.com.

7 FOR ALL MANKIND JEANS The Ankle Skinny with Side Splits, $209; 7forall mankind.com.

FUTURE G LO RY B A G Rockwell Mini, from $350; futureglory.co.

U N I Q LO S C A R F AIRism Printed stole, $20; uniqlo.com.

Z A R A S K I RT Full skirt, $50; zara.com.

EVERL ANE S W E AT E R The Cashmere Crop V-neck, $100; everlane.com.

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THE REALIST

J .C R E W EARRINGS $48; jcrew.com.

O P P O S I T E PA G E : P H O T O G R A P H S B Y P H I L I P F R I E D M A N

KENDR A SCO OT T BR ACELETS Tiania Pinch bracelet set, $80; kendrascott.com.

S W E AT E R + BLOUSE + JEANS D R E S S + S K I RT Traveling? Make the most of your pieces. Adding the skirt disguises the dress as a top.

Bonus: The bottom of the dress becomes a built-in “slip” to fend off the last of winter’s static cling.

Leave the top’s ties L loose and pull on the sweater to give this work-friendly blouse a cozier, ready-for-theweekend vibe.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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COLE HA AN B E LT Reversible belt, $80; co olehaan.com.

DRESS + HEELS

SCARF + BLOUSE + JEANS Classics with updated details— statement sleeves, raw hems— combine to make a pretty date-night look any time of year.

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Thanks to the mix of dark and light hues, this floral print feels seasonless. Tall black boots look great while it’s still chilly; come warmer weather, swap them out for springtime staple neutral pumps.

S W E AT E R A N D S C A R F P H O T O G R A P H S B Y P H I L I P F R I E D M A N

THE REALIST

B LO U S E + S K I RT + F L AT S

S W E AT E R + J E A N S + F L AT S Ditch the sweats—this casual sweaterdenim combo is just as comfortable (and infinitely more pulled together).

On-trend loafer-style shoes add a little edge to this ladylike combo. Plus, they work equally well with tights and bare legs.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS IN A MODERN WORLD

WESTEND61/OFFSET

5 WAYS TO H IT R E STA RT

By Sarah Robbins

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When you haven’t exercised in forever Coming back to a workout routine after you’ve been away for a while is always the hardest part. People often focus on what they can’t do, so I encourage them to take it one day at a time. I ask new clients about their lifestyle and what they’re afraid of. Most people think they’re in worse shape than they actually are. But if you break down a big goal into small increments—something as simple as doing one good squat—achieving it is not scary at all.

JOE GRILLO IS A PERSONAL TRAINING DIRECTOR AT L A FITNES S IN LE XINGTON, KENTUCKY.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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R E L AT I N G

2

When you crave a new career Our impulsive culture promotes living your truth as quickly as possible.

But before you jump into a new career, take a practice jump. If you’re an accountant who has always wanted to start a bakery, for example, you can do a lot before you quit your day job: You can watch instructional videos online, spend your evenings in pastry classes, shadow a local baker on the weekends. You’ll get a sense of the highs and lows and learn the nitty-gritty that you don’t see on social media. If the new lifestyle feels good, then you’ll know you’re ready to take the next step.

MIKE LEWIS IS THE AUTHOR OF WHEN TO JUMP : IF THE JOB YOU HAVE ISN’T THE L IFE YOU WANT. HE LIVES IN SAN FRANCISCO.

4

When a friendship has fallen apart We do things all the time to irritate our loved ones (usually not on purpose), and sometimes that can lead to a break. What matters is how we repair the situation. If you’re the one who dropped the ball, reach out: “It’s been so long. I feel like the break was my fault, and I’d like to repair it.” Or simply say, “I apologize.” (Don’t say, “I’m sorry you feel that way,” which is not a true apology.) If you feel you’ve been wronged, say, “I miss you; I want to see you.”

Meet in a public place, with clear time boundaries, and make the choice to forgive the other person.

Be calm; if things get heated, just say, “Let’s come back to this another time.” Remember that you have control of only one thing: how you act.

KIRSTEN LIND SE AL , PHD, IS A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST. SHE LIVES IN MINNE AP OLIS.

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When your vacation hits a major road bump Once, when we arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, what we thought was our “official” taxi (it wasn’t!) dropped us off at a probably illegal hotel with a name very similar to that of the one I’d booked. There we were, in a dump, exhausted and saddled with these big backpacks. We left the hotel and walked around the city so we could put things in perspective. We got out the map and found the right hotel—we even stumbled across a vibrant night market along the way. If your vacation doesn’t start out right, stay calm, take back control, and figure out a new game plan. You can do this by seeking out a safe, neutral location of your own choosing (say, a cute coffee shop with Wi-Fi) and mapping out the next few steps needed to get back on track.

KELLY L ACK IS A WRITER AND TRAVEL-INDUSTRY CONSULTANT IN SAN FRANCISCO.

5

When you’re just having a bad day Take two minutes to write a very brief, positive email to someone you know: a thank-you, a compliment, or an expression of deep appreciation. It works, for one, because your mind simply can’t be in two places at once: You can’t be unhappy and stressed if you’re thinking about how grateful you are. When you go back to your bad day, your brain has one more positive piece of information about your life, and you won’t feel the same slump. Plus, we know that the greatest predictor of longterm happiness is social connection, and you’ve just spent two minutes thinking, “Whoa, look at this person who cares about me and has contributed to my life in a meaningful way.”

MICHELLE GIEL AN IS THE AUTHOR OF BROAD CAST ING HAPPINES S. SHE LIVES IN DALL AS.

GET T Y IMAGES

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R E L AT I N G

Good Read

The Day I Let Go of the Past W H A T W A S T H E H A P P I E S T M O M E N T O F Y O U R L I F E ? F O R D E B R A G W A R T N E Y, W I N N E R O F O U R 2 0 1 8 G O O D R E A D E S S AY C O N T E S T, I T W A S A

G U I L L E FA I N G O L D / STO C K SY

P I C N I C W H E R E S H E S A W H E R A D U LT D A U G H T E R S I N A W H O L E N E W L I G H T.

I N S I DE T H E P I C N IC BA S K E T: two ripe peaches still moist from a rinse, a bowl of cherry tomatoes, small pots of spicy pâtés, a block of cheese, and a still-warm baguette. I carried this basket of food, purchased at the garden’s entrance, to a sundappled table while one of my daughters brought out a bottle of chilled rosé, perfectly suited for a summer day in the shade of a medieval fortress called Abbaye SaintAndré. My three other daughters arranged plates, opened tins, and handed out napkins, a symphony of cooperation. I sat back and watched them, my children, as they ate and drank and laughed under the olive trees outside Avignon, France, resting their feet after our long walk, murmuring in smooth, pleased voices, unfolding a map to plot the rest of our afternoon. I dared not move, wanting to absorb this scene, sear it into memory.

A café server wandered out and

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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R E L AT I N G

I’d see mothers and daughters walking, the girls bumping into their moms now and then, as if to say, “Here I am and there you are.” I wanted that desperately. agreed to take a photo of us, but what I longed for was an oil painting with its nuanced shadows, capturing the light and the calm and the joy of being together, my daughters and me, in a way I once felt certain would be impossible.

I am not a wealthy woman. Most months I barely get by.

But I’d opened a savings account and slid dollars into it for 15 years so I could have a stretch of time with my family, a family I would have described years ago as splintered, storm-tossed—whatever cliché creates the image of tattered people, none of them touching, not even leaning in toward one another, only left wondering, “How did we get here?”

I had a pretty good idea of how things had soured. I’ve had years to ponder, to finally admit that their father and I allowed our long-ago divorce to become bitter and, in the process, half-embittered our children. Confused them mightily, anyway, with our unspoken demand for loyalty. Choose me! It was my habit, back when I was barely free of this unhappy marriage, to pretend it was all him. He was the bad husband, the bad parent. Though I am humiliated now to think of this attitude, I was convinced that if I stayed even one inch more civil I could hold myself up as the good one. The heroic mother. But the truth is, neither of us were good parents in those days. We pulled our young daughters into our fray. We too often let them hear us denigrate each other. I allowed the kids to see me break down in fits of frustration over his latest antics, until finally our four children could no longer trust their mom and dad for emotional succor and stability. They had no choice. By ages 14, 12, 10, and 8, our girls had learned to mostly depend on one another.

I can’t make a direct correlation, of course, but I believe I have a case for saying that frustrated and fearful children

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become angry teenagers. Mine did, anyway, and our house was filled too many days with the kind of fighting they’d, I suppose, seen between their father and me. They wanted freedom; I wanted control. They skipped school and wandered the streets, smoking pot. I cracked down.

Which brings me to a recollection of a different garden: a small patch behind our house in Oregon that I’d planted with tomatoes, a thin vine of cucumbers, a few pale beans— struggling to stay alive in spite of my neglect. On a warm Saturday afternoon I was pulling out weeds when my two oldest daughters, 16 and 14 then, came out of the house with stuffed packs on their backs. I stood up to face them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I said. They shrugged.

They turned away from me.

That was nearly two decades ago, on an afternoon when I wiped mud from my hands and watched them walk off, their wide-eyed little sisters taking all this in from a corner.

I didn’t know then that the girls would meet up, that very day, with runaways who lived on the streets, who traveled by freight train. I didn’t know that it would be months until I saw them again, and that I’d be taken over by a frantic search for them. Now I think of that day in our garden as one of profound defeat. All that I had stitched together simply unraveled like a worn-out blanket.

Once I’d located them, my two older daughters wove in and out of the house, my life, over a period of several years, but it was a long time before we all came together, firmly, as a family. Even longer before we could say words like “forgive” and “heal.” As the years passed, I’d see mothers and their teenage daughters in the grocery store or walking down the sidewalk of our town, the girls bumping into their moms now and then, as if to say, “Here I am and there you are,” the girls casually resting a hand on their mothers’ shoulders. I needed that with my older daughters. I wanted it desperately, and I promised myself someday I’d get it. I’d find a way to restore the time we should have had together and the sweetness we all deserved but had missed out on because, despite our love for each other, we couldn’t find a way to get beyond our former morass.

I S T I L L C A L L T H E M G I R L S , my four daughters, though they are now grown women with jam-packed lives—jobs, homes, relationships, and, for my oldest, young children to tend to on top of everything else. But somehow I persuaded them to put everything else aside and fly with me to France for two weeks. We rented an apartment in downtown Avignon (three bedrooms but only one bathroom, just like in their growing-up years); I got a car. Every day, we headed out to discover a new location.

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y O F D E B R A G WA R T N E Y

Today, the third day of our trip, was Villeneuve-lèsAvignon. It took us nearly two hours to walk from our apartment to the garden at Abbaye Saint-André, and deep in the back of my mind I know I was counting on this moment: that here in France, my tender teenage daughters would return to me; they’d fold into me, hold me tight, and I would return their tenderness with compassion and deep affection.

I was determined to get what I’d come for.

So, at our picnic in the garden, with peach juice on my tongue, a daughter handing me a slice of baguette spread with pâté and tomato, I sat back and waited for the restoration of the past to begin.

O BV I O U S LY, T H AT D I D N ’ T H A P P E N. Not that day or in the days to come, when we visited a Roman aqueduct, drank wine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, wandered through the Palais des Papes. But along the way, inch by inch, I started to finally get it. A new kind of wisdom trickled in: The past was finished. It was time to let it go, to understand that I could not, no matter the ferocity of my desire, recapture what I’d lost. These women with me, my companions, would never again be my young daughters. The do-over button I’d long yearned to push simply didn’t exist.

So what to do about that? Only one thing, and that was to honor and appreciate the people in front of me, the marvelous, capable adults these four had become: My oldest daughter, with her uncanny skill with food, putting together a feast for us on many evenings after a brief stop for ingredients in a French market. The second daughter, with her grace and charm, who could ask a stranger for directions and make a friend for life. The bold third daughter who’d charge down narrow alleyways and steep ravines to make sure they were safe for the rest of us. And the youngest, with her facility for language and geography, who’d figure out which train lines to take so we’d arrive at our destinations with no fuss or trouble. And so many more capabilities and strengths in each of them. The ways they argued with one another, the ways they helped one another. Their solicitations toward me, their mom.

In France, far from home, I finally witnessed it—a connection among my daughters that had been there for years but that I was only now letting myself recognize and embrace.

They had a bond with each other, and with me, as mighty as the thick branches of the deeply rooted trees that surrounded us in the garden. Now I realize that this was when the real healing set in, on a warm afternoon in the garden, our legs entwined under the table. Yes, it was my happiest day, because right then, I fell in awe and love all over again with the four most important people in my life.

ABOUT T H E AU T H O R Debra Gwartney’s memoir, Live Through This, published in 2009, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

She lives in Oregon with her husband and teaches in the MFA program at Pacific University.

Discover the delicious recipes of Marukan at

R I C E V I N E GA R . C O M

R E L AT I N G

Modern Manners R E A L S I M P L E ’ S E T I Q U E T T E E X P E R T, C AT H E R I N E N E W M A N , O F F E R S HER BEST ADVICE ON YO U R S O C I A L Q UA N DA R I E S.

J .W. A S K S . . .

My husband and I live in a close-knit active adult community. One couple invites about 200 neighbors to an open house each year via email, and we have attended every year. I heard the invites were out this year, but none showed up in our inbox. It’s very doubtful that we weren’t invited. How do we proceed?

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ABOUT C AT H E R I N E The author of One Mixed-Up Night, Catastrophic Happiness, and Waiting for Birdy, Catherine Newman has shared her wisdom on matters ranging from family and friends to happiness and pickling in numerous publications. She gets advice from her husband and two opinionated children in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Umami trumps all! Oh, wait, no. Graciousness does. Your brother-in-law is being a terrible host. As a lover myself of those ineffable salty, lip-smacking flavors, I say: Introduce him to sea-free alternatives (miso, Marmite, and Parmesan, to name just a few) or ask him to hold a portion back before fishing it all up. Failing that?

Bring your own food. And try clearing the air, because something seems seriously amiss in your relationship.

C AT H E R I N E N E W M A N I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y U L I K N Ö R Z E R ; O T H E R I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y Y O C O N A G A M I YA

Unless you drunkenly barfed into their begonias last year, I would assume they meant to invite you. Maybe they had an email glitch, or you did. (You’ve checked your spam folder, right?)

Send a delicate inquiry: “We don’t seem to have received an open house invitation this year. We’re assuming you decided to host a smaller gathering, which we understand completely!

We would just hate to miss it if that wasn’t your intention.” And give your email a self-ironic subject line, like “Awkwardness alert!” You’ll hear back that of course they meant to invite you. Or they’ll confirm that they’ve shrunk the invite list. These are both outcomes you can live with more readily than not knowing. (But also?

Check your spam folder.)

M .T. A S K S . . .

I don’t like seafood at all. I have tried over the years to learn to like it, but I simply don’t. My husband and I are planning a visit with my brother-in-law, who, despite knowing about my dislike for fish, puts it in every dish. He’ll even add anchovies or fish sauce to a nonfish meal because, he says, it adds umami.

My husband and I agree he does this out of spite. Is it OK to bring my own food so I have something to eat, or do I have to live on side dishes for four days?

M . F. A S K S . . .

When my kids are playing outside, our neighbors’ 9-year-old often comes to our yard to play. He is a sweet boy, but honestly, his presence is annoying, and he never asks if he can play (and his parents are never nearby). Are we obligated to include him, or is there a way to ask for our family space?

This is tricky. I always want to be a force of good in a child’s life and to model for my family that we don’t exclude the lonely from our resources of time and company.

But I also want my own children to learn healthy boundaries. In our neighborhood, playing in the front yard pretty much constitutes an open invitation, but this is not true of the back. “We’re happy to have your company when we’re out front,” you could say to your young neighbor, “but when we’re in the back, that means it’s family time.” If you get an opportunity to talk to the parents, you could try saying something gentle: “Oh, your son is so sweet! But his visits are a little tricky because we’ve been trying to spend more time together just as a family. Do you have any advice for us?” One small wait-for-it consolation: The kids will all change and so will this particular issue.

A.E. A SKS...

My sister is so sensitive that she is offended by nearly everything. Being around her is to constantly walk on eggshells—it’s exhausting. But no one in my family wants to confront her about it, because she will undoubtedly become offended. Do we say something anyway or just stay uncomfortable around her?

I worry that what seems to the family like your sister’s cranky mood is actually something bigger. Depression, maybe.

Or a major difference that’s isolating her and that she doesn’t feel comfortable sharing her feelings about: She’s broke, and the rest of you aren’t; she’s childless and doesn’t want to be. Maybe she feels like nobody cares. Rather than framing it as a confrontation, can you muster your compassion when you talk to her? Don’t speak for the family, since that could make her feel ganged up on. Simply ask, “Can you tell me what’s going on? I’m worried that you’re unhappy when we’re together, and I’m not sure I understand why. But I want to.” And then listen. It can be so hard to remember, but however tiresome it is to spend time with an unfun person, it’s a lot more difficult to be that person. In the Venn diagram of your lives, you overlap a little with her difficult circle whenever you see her; she’s the whole circle, all the time. See if you can help.

HAVE AN E TIQUE T TE QUE STION? Submit your social conundrums to modernmanners@realsimple.com. Selected letters will be featured on these pages every month.

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paws and stains left by hair balls: Spritz the area with a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water and blot dry.

SOS: Pet Mess LOV E YO U R P E T S, B U T M A K E YO U R H O M E L O O K P E T- F R E E WITH THESE CLEVER CLEANUP T I P S F RO M T H E P RO S.

By Jessica Dodd

The biggest hurdle when it comes to our furry friends is, well, all that fur. Dog hair tends to be on the coarser side and weaves its way into fabrics, whereas feline fur is generally fine and floaty, landing on practically every surface. First suck up any clumps of fur from floors with a hand vacuum. It’s less cumbersome than a full-size machine and will help you reach into corners with ease. For spot-cleaning smaller areas (your pet’s favorite sofa cushion, say), use a squeegee or a damp rubber glove: Run it over the surface to collect the fur, then discard the pile. A squeegee also works well to collect fur from rugs and carpets.

These pets also create their own special stains. On carpets, use the same technique to combat both dirt left by muddy

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SMALL MAMMAL S Daily maintenance of your rabbit’s or guinea pig’s cage will make each deep clean easier.

Separate and remove droppings with a plastic scoop or a paper towel daily. At least once a week, move the animal to another spot (a travel cage or even the bathtub if it’s escape-proof) so you can give the cage a more thorough wipe-down.

Here’s how: Scoop up and discard soiled bedding, then spray the sides and bottom of the cage with a cleaner, like Nature’s Miracle Small Animal Cage Cleaner ($13; amazon.com). Thoroughly rinse with a hose outside and let dry in direct sunlight—it’s a great natural deodorizer. Vacuum the area around the cage to suck up fur and debris. When it’s dry, refill the cage with fresh bedding.

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You might need something more powerful on drool, because it’s a protein-based stain that may contain tiny bits of food. Combine a half cup of hydrogen peroxide with one teaspoon of ammonia; apply to the stain with a rag, being careful not to soak the carpet. (Test in an inconspicuous area first.) Let sit for 30 minutes, then blot. Apply cool water to the area, then dry it by standing on a thick pad of paper towels.

R E L AT I N G

T U RT L E S & REPTILES BIRDS A bird’s cage should be wiped down and swept out daily and deep-cleaned once a week to once a month, depending on the size of the bird. While you may be tempted to use a heavyduty cleaner, avoid anything chemical-based or with a strong odor, which can be dangerous to a bird’s sensitive respiratory system. Use a scrub brush to apply a mild solution of warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Rinse everything thoroughly to remove any residue, dry completely, then line the cage with newspaper.

Turtle tanks get grimy as waste and uneaten food pellets break down in the water. Install a filtration system with enough oomph to handle a tank double the size of yours when completely full of water. At least once a week, replace about half the water. Every month or so, drain the tank entirely to give it a thorough clean using a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water, or water mixed with a few squirts of dish soap.

Reptiles are low on the messiness scale—they rarely shed and are usually kept in a confined area. To clean their tank or cage, first remove any loose items (such as branches or rocks) and wash them in hot, soapy water. Disinfect the rest of the tank with a product made specifically for reptiles, such as Zoo Med Wipe Out 1 ($7; petco .com). Whatever cleaner you use should be low-odor—like birds, reptiles are very sensitive to fumes and can become sick if they inhale even a small amount of toxins.

To make the glass on your tank sparkle, wipe it down with a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water.

Change the paper lining every day, since bird droppings can dry into a hard-to-remove solid pretty quickly. Birds tend to be messy eaters, so install a plastic seed guard (like the Locking Shield Scatter Guard, $14; drsfostersmith.com) around the food bowl to prevent seed spray.

If you still feel like you’re constantly battling seed, feathers, and other avian debris, consider upgrading to a wet-and-dry vac—it has much more powerful suction than most everyday vacuums.

O U R E X P E RT S LINDA COBB, CRE ATOR OF THE QUEEN OF CLEAN BOOK SERIES AMANDA LANDIS-HANNA , DVM, ON-STAFF VETERINARIAN FOR PETSMART CHARITIES AMY NICHOLS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANION ANIMALS DIVISION AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

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ACCIDENTS HAPPEN Let’s face facts: All pet owners have to deal with their animal’s waste. These stains can ruin your floors and lead to long-lasting odors, so it’s important to treat accidents right away. For urine on a rug or carpet, blot—don’t rub—to absorb as much liquid as possible, then cover with a hefty sprinkling of baking soda. Let sit for at least an hour before vacuuming. For lingering stains, mix together a half cup of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and one teaspoon of ammonia; apply to the carpet with a rag, let sit for 30 minutes, then blot dry. Finally, saturate the area with club soda (the carbonation will help loosen and lift any remaining discoloration) and blot dry.

For poop, pick up as much as you can with paper towels, then spray on a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts cool water. Blot and let dry. If you still see a stain, use a carpet spot-treatment, like Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover ($4; target.com). If the accident occurred on a hard surface, wash the area with soap and water, then wipe down with hydrogen peroxide, a natural disinfectant.

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R E L AT I N G

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How to Get Along Better in a Divided World IT MIGHT FEEL A S THOUGH THE L A ST THING Y O U W A N T T O D O T H E S E D AY S I S T A L K T O T H E O T H E R T E A M . H E R E ’ S W H Y Y O U S H O U L D D O I T A N Y W AY.

By Jennifer King Lindley

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tolerance—the ability to respect someone even if the two of you disagree— seems harder than ever to find. More and more, say experts, we’re closing ourselves off from those who don’t see the world as we do, whether the disagreement is about politics, parenting, or climate change. Our Facebook feeds can act as echo chambers, letting us hear only the perspectives of those we already agree with, and some demographers note that more people are moving to towns where everyone else thinks and votes like them. When someone on the other side speaks, we often hear it as Charlie Brown’s teacher: “Wah wah wah.” The result:

Illustrations by Gracia Lam

“When you only hang out with your own, it can be very hard to see that there could be another reality,” says Vernā Myers, a diversity consultant in Baltimore. “We are losing our empathy muscles from lack of use.”

Without taking your fingers out of your ears and engaging, there can never be understanding, let alone agreement. And all this divisiveness takes a psychic toll. Barbara Greenberg, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Fairfield County, Connecticut, sees it all the time: “Patients come in unsettled and stressed. We all long for connection, and the kind of breakdown in understanding we’re experiencing is painful.”

It limits your own horizons too. “Creativity and innovation only happen when you are exposed to a wide range of viewpoints,” says Greenberg.

Training yourself to become more tolerant may seem like an impossible goal when others think so differently, but you can start with just a few minutes of real talk. Consider what happened when volunteers went door-to-door canvassing to reduce prejudice against transgender people, as reported in 2016 in the journal Science. Instead of debating facts, the canvassers initiated conversations, with both sides sharing the life experiences that led them to their positions. The upshot? Large reductions in prejudice that persisted even three months later.

No need for you to go knocking on doors to exercise your empathy muscles: Use these strategies to start connecting with the people in your life who—let’s admit it—you sometimes find hard to tolerate.

I N S T E A D O F: Getting into a shouting match with Uncle Joe over your views on politics or parenting T RY TO L E R A N C E : Go for understanding, not agreement.

Fighting over big issues with family can just deepen divisions. What doesn’t work: jousting over facts (we can all cherry-pick) or pointing out cleverly why the other person is so wrong.

A better approach next time you and your uncle square off: Simply try to understand his take. What moments from his past have made him think the way he does? “If your goal is just to hear the other person’s perspective, not change his mind, that takes some of the pressure off the conversation,” says Vaile Wright, PhD, a psychologist and researcher at the American Psychological Association.

Uncle Joe has to be willing too, of course. Start by saying, “We agree on a

lot of things, but not this issue. Would it be OK if we talked about it? I’m interested in your thinking.” Then ask lots of whys, suggests Michelle Buck, PhD, clinical professor of leadership at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. You might gain some insight into how his childhood, family, or work experience shaped his view of the world. “A lot of opinions are based on our fears. If we can connect on the level of emotions, we will feel more empathetic with the other side,” says Wright. Even if his answers make you uncomfortable, lean in, says Buck. Say, “Tell me more where that came from. I am really going to listen.”

In the end, “you want to validate that the other person was willing to share, but you don’t have to validate his content,” says Wright. Remember, tolerance is about understanding, not agreeing. But your patient questioning might help Uncle Joe reconsider his take on the issue. Or—who knows?— you just might change yours.

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I N S T E A D O F: Hiding from the new neighbor with the appalling (to you) yard sign T RY TO L E R A N C E : Seek out a little bit of common ground you can share.

You hustle into the house, eyes buried in your mail. How could you have anything to say to someone clearly in the enemy camp? While your reaction might be intolerant, it is natural: Our brains evolved to instantly sort people into categories as a way to triage threats in the world around us. “We tend to see only the differences in other people, rather than getting to know the part that is most like us,” says Myers.

Make an effort to see your neighbor as a unique individual, not just as a representative of a faceless group, says Maryam Abdullah, PhD, parenting program director at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. “Look for just one thing you have in common. Maybe she has a vegetable garden too. Or find one thing you admire about her, and you’ll begin to understand that this person exists apart from the groupmembership category you assigned

her.” It goes both ways, says CNN commentator Sally Kohn, author of The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity. “You bring a pie and it helps her see you’re not just a category but a person.”

Or consider bonding with your notso-like-minded neighbors by starting a “Bridge Book” club. By crunching data from the review site Goodreads, Andrew Piper, PhD, a professor of literature at McGill University in Montreal, came up with a list of more than 100 books that were loved by both liberal and conservative readers. (Among them: To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, and Jane Eyre; get the full list at realsimple.com/bridgebooks.)

These books often include first-person voices and nuanced takes on social issues. “When people read these books, they appear to embrace a more tolerant worldview,” says Piper.

During discussions, stay close to the text. “Returning to what the book says will defuse tension and get your group thinking,” says Piper. Read a passage and ask for reactions. And encourage your group to relate to the characters’ struggle by asking, “Did something similar ever happen to you?” Adds Piper, “A great work of fiction can show us experiences we’ve all had.”

M a ke a n ef fo r t to s e e yo u r n e i g h b o r a s a unique individual, not just as a re p re s e nta t i ve of a fa c e l e ss g ro u p . L o o k fo r just one thing you have in common.

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I N S T E A D O F: Unfriending your high school bestie who now posts daily screeds T RY TO L E R A N C E : Use social media to actually connect.

It’s clear our Twitter feuds and Facebook dustups fuel the fires of intolerance. “Social media gives us a license to say things we wouldn’t otherwise,” says Nikki Usher, PhD, professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University. “It’s very easy to call someone misinformed or stupid when you don’t have to say it to her face.” But unless your old pal is truly offensive (say, given to racist or homophobic slurs), don’t block her.

“It’s important to expose yourself to a wide range of perspectives—even those you don’t agree with,” says Usher. You will find that people on the other side are in many ways—gasp!— just like you: Amid her rants on gun policy, there are pictures of her kids’ first day of school and the same baby sloth video you liked.

The public nature of social media has an upside as well. “You’re talking not just to a friend but also to those in her network,” says Usher. “If you engage in a respectful and thoughtful way, you might sway others.” That’s the approach Kohn uses with her many Twitter trolls. Among her go-tos: humor and the high road. “If you can laugh together, that’s incredibly powerful,” says Kohn. “I feel much better when I send a compassionate tweet than when I send a hateful tweet. Surprisingly often, the other person will respond in kind.”

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R E L AT I N G

accepting they will be of others,” says Borba.

“Having a positive relationship with someone from another group is the best way to overcome prejudice.”

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HOW TO R AISE KIDS WHO GET A L O N G W I T H ( A L M O S T ) E V E RYO N E Talk openly about differences.

Avoid generalizing language.

Around age 3, kids will start asking about the differences they see in other people. “You want to respond in a way that doesn’t stifle their natural curiosity,” says Abdullah. “Encourage them to ask questions so you can highlight the beauty of diversity.” If a child points out a fellow shopper’s skin color, acknowledge the point, then add, “Who do we know who has this skin color? Who are the people we play with, go to school with?” Explains Abdullah, “That lets them know we have connections despite these differences.”

“If you hear your child say, ‘All boys are good at math,’ say, ‘I know some boys who are good at math and some who are good at reading. And remember when Sally won the math award at your school?’ ” says Michele Borba, EdD, author of UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World. For teens: “Instead of using labels like ‘the drama kids,’ use their names,” says Greenberg.

Grow their circle of friends.

“The more we can expand their friendships as children—through playdates, soccer clubs, chess clubs—the more

By walking in the young wizard’s shoes, kids learn to empathize with stigmatized characters (Half-bloods! Houseelves!), notes a 2014 study in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. Reading all kinds of books about kids from different backgrounds is great for perspectivetaking, a bedrock skill of tolerance. As you read, ask your child, “Why do you think the character did that? How do you think he felt when that happened?”

Expose your child to different cultures.

Traveling together is wonderful for helping kids avoid a “my way or the highway” take on the world. “Anytime you get out of your comfort zone and expose your kids to something beyond their day-to-day life, it helps,” says Borba. You don’t need to take an expensive trip: Visit a variety of houses of worship, ethnic restaurants, or music festivals in your town.

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W O R K , M O N E Y, A N D H E A L T H ADVICE FOR BUSY PEOPLE

P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y M I A K O K AT O H

L o o k i n g Fo r wa rd

4 S M A RT WAYS TO B U I LD YO U R N E S T EG G You want to save for tomorrow, but sometimes today gets in the way. Money experts help troubleshoot your biggest retirement dilemmas.

By Kate Rockwood

Photograph by Corey Olsen

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I’m in my 50s and don’t feel as on track for retirement as my friends.

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My student loan debt is stressing me out. Shouldn’t I pay that off before saving for retirement?

“It’s natural to feel overwhelmed, but if you can do both, do both,” says Amy Godwin, a certified financial planner and vice president at Fidelity Investments.

It might seem like making 7 percent return in the stock market while paying 7 percent interest on a loan is a wash—until you factor in compound interest. Let’s say you have an extra $300 in your budget each month and 10 years to pay off a $20,000 student loan.

If you throw that spare cash into a retirement account, you could end up with $4,000 more at the end of the decade than if you rushed to pay off your loan before switching to savings. And $4,000 invested in your 20s will likely turn into $34,000 by the time you retire, even if you don’t contribute another dime. “There’s a psychological benefit to saving for retirement,” adds Andrea Coombes, a retirement specialist at NerdWallet. Setting aside even a small amount each month can help you feel in control of your financial future. One caveat: The math doesn’t hold up if you have private student loans or credit cards with double-digit interest rates. Focus laser-like on erasing that kind of debt.

86 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

2

I’m tempted to cut back on retirement savings to help with my daughter’s college costs.

Fidelity recommends having four times your salary in retirement savings by age 45 and six times by age 50. If you’re past those goalposts and socking away north of 15 percent each year, you can dial back for a bit to help with college.

“But as soon as your kids graduate, you have to try to double down on retirement,” says Coombes. Nearly a quarter of parents saving for retirement also expect their kids to support them during retirement.

“There’s a real risk of becoming a burden to them when you retire and, in turn, risking their financial security,” says Coombes.

First, stop sizing up other people’s nest eggs. You might think peer pressure will motivate you to save more, but a study in The Journal of Finance found the opposite is true. Kick your savings into high gear by increasing contributions to your employer-sponsored retirement plan (if you have access to one) and your IRA. Starting at age 50, you can stash an extra $6,000 a year in catch-up contributions in a 401(k), plus an extra $1,000 in an IRA, for a total annual savings of $31,000 across both accounts. Automatic contributions are the best way to turn good intentions into actual savings, says Godwin. And if your kids haven’t left home yet, know that your retirement savings may rise by up to 1 percent once they do, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Downsizing to a house with cheaper upkeep, lower taxes, and a pint-size mortgage could free up money to invest.

4

I’m retired but finding my income isn’t enough.

Even though you’re feeling pinched, it’s worth paying for a meeting with a finance pro. “There are three things they’ll look at: Can you lower your taxes?

Can you increase your returns by investing differently? And are your Social Security benefits as high as possible?” says Matt Fellowes, PhD, founder of United Income, a money-management firm for aging households. Go to plannersearch.org to find a certified financial planner who specializes in retirement for people with your net worth. Thinking of heading back to work? Loop in your adviser.

“You want to make sure the net effect of the job is going to make up for any money you might lose due to higher taxes or lower benefits,” says Fellowes.

+

REBOOT YOUR COMMUTE Your daily drive to work doesn’t have to feel like the same old routine. Add some adventure with a few simple tricks.

TRY A “COMPANY” CAR A carpool doesn’t just save on commuting costs—it’s also fun.

Laughing, chatting, and even singing with friends is far better than stressing over traffic.

LISTEN UP The long stretch ahead is the perfect opportunity to open your world: Podcasts and audiobooks can make the time fly by and offer the chance to learn something new everyday.

TAKE A NEW ROAD You know your drive by heart—so reset your GPS and take a detour: You could discover a new coffee shop or special corner of your neighborhood you didn’t know existed.

TAKE IT TO GO Don’t drive hungry: A simple smoothie or healthy treat that’s prepped the night before is easy to take along.

GET GO-TIME READY With the versatile cargo management system in the Ford EcoSport, you can stow your gym gear easily for a spur-of-the-moment workout on your way home.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY FORD

1

7 Secret Perks You Can Negotiate For STA RT I N G A N E W J O B O R L O O K I N G T O S W E E T E N YO U R CU R R E N T O N E? L E A R N H OW TO M A K E T H E A S K F RO M PEOPLE WHO’VE D ONE IT (AND SUCCEEDED).

By Kathleen M. Harris

88 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Sick of being in a cube with no natural light? “An intra-office location change could make you much happier,” says Marjie Terry, a professional-growth coach based in New York City. Mark Cheng, who works at Nickelodeon, agreed to a much fartheraway office move for one of his employees: “I couldn’t match the salary requirements for someone I wanted to hire in New York City, so we negotiated that he could work out of the Los Angeles office for two weeks in the winter,” says Cheng. Before you ask, predict what your boss’s concerns may be—that you won’t be around for a last-minute client meeting, say, or that it will be harder for her to pop by if you’re on a different floor.

“Have a specific plan as to how you’re going to address any issues,” says Linda Babcock, PhD, professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University and coauthor of Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation—and Positive Strategies for Change.

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More Assistance at Work—or Home Buried in paperwork? Ask for help if it will improve your productivity.

“A former employee of mine could never make time for expenses, so we arranged for him to work with an assistant,” says Dorothy Kalins, a publishing consultant in New York City. Your manager will be more inclined to take your request seriously if you explain the benefits to the company (like more time for you to engage in big-picture work). Extra hands can come in many forms: a virtual assistant via a service like Prialto or Belay, a shared assistant, or even childcare. Melissa Dowling, who works in public relations in Stanford, Connecticut, negotiated a stipend to help cover babysitting costs during her late nights at the office.

2

Extra Personal Days Try for more vacation time, or ask for a routine personal day—like the first Monday of the month—to get a chance to recharge. Tell your boss you want to work together to figure out how you can have some additional time off. “Don’t come at it like, ‘Here’s what I want and why,’ ” says Babcock.

“What you say should reflect that it’s a problem-solving conversation.” Emily Hill, who works in investor relations in New Jersey, asked for six months of paid maternity leave instead of the company’s standard three. “Having extra time with my newborn, without stressing out that I wasn’t going to get paid, was worth more than any salary bump,” says Hill.

If your company says no, don’t get discouraged. “It doesn’t mean no forever; it means no at this moment,” says Terry. “You may be in a much better position three months from now to negotiate for the same thing you desire.”

5

Conferences and Continuing Education

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Flexible Hours Even if you don’t punch a clock, your coworkers probably all keep similar hours. Don’t view this as law. “If there’s a 6 p.m. exercise class you really want to take, ask to shift your schedule by 45 minutes once a week,” says Terry.

Los Angeles–based television writer Liz Cackowski negotiated a 5 p.m. departure on Fridays so she could make it home in time for movie night with her kids.

“In TV rooms, you do not leave early on Fridays, so this was a very big deal,” she says. Be flexible: Maybe it’s one day a week or two days a month. Let your boss propose a schedule first.

6

Working from Home Depending on your company, this may or may not be a big ask, so research precedents. “Does anyone else work from home? What’s the arrangement? If you don’t know, ask administrative personnel who have been there forever,” says Babcock. When you ask, lead with work-related reasons: You need a quiet place to read; you’ll free up time for calls by avoiding a long commute. “Paint a vivid picture of what this would look like,” says Terry. “Say, ‘I see myself getting x, y, and z tasks done on those days.’ ” If your boss is hesitant, propose a trial period. Say, “Maybe we could try this for two months, then regroup to talk about what did and didn’t work.”

If there’s an event you’ve always wanted to attend, put it on your ask list. Or consider other professional-development opportunities. Emily Law O’Donnell, a teacher in Winchester, Massachusetts, negotiated graduate school tuition assistance into her contract. “Schools have a tough time paying teachers competitive salaries, as everyone knows, but they often have pockets of money set aside for things like professional development,” she says.

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Commuting Costs Joe Maggio, a technology-storage sales specialist in Hoboken, New Jersey, doesn’t drive. So when his new company offered him a car, he asked for a commuting stipend instead. Calculate travel costs and request a membership to a bikeshare system, a parking space, or even a prepaid gas card. “Have a ranked list of asks,” says Terry.

“If you get dinged on your first ask, you can then propose a second and possibly a third.”

For five ways to get the raise you deserve, go to realsimple.com/raise.

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How do you fight working-parent guilt?

By Jane Por ter

KRISTY SEKEDAT, 39, FORENSIC SCIENTIST IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

90 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

MAT THEW DICKS, 47, FIF TH-GRADE TE ACHER AND AUTHOR IN NE WINGTON, CONNECTICUT

“My daughter is almost 1, and any time I spend away from her is time I question inherently. Before I went back to work after she was born, I thought I would feel so guilty every second of the workday, but it turns out I don’t.

Anything that makes me feel good about myself as a person makes me a better mom. I have a mantra: ‘I am showing her what a strong woman looks like. I am showing her what it means to have a career I made for myself and built out of nothing.’

She’s still too young to understand, but I like to think she sees it in her own little way.”

JAMIE STELTER, 36, TRAFFIC ANCHOR FOR NY1 IN NE W YORK CIT Y

YASMIN DIALLO TURK, 41, EVALUATION AND COMPLIANCE ANALYST AT THE NONPROFIT SAFE ALLIANCE IN AUSTIN, TE XAS

“Both my kids started daycare at three months old.

I’ve coped with the guilt by breast-feeding them for so long.

I breast-fed my first until she was 3 , and my youngest is 20 months and I still breast-feed her. Taking my full maternity leave, breast-feeding as long as I can to make sure the bond is there, and spending quality time with them are my ways of not feeling the guilt.

I also decided to be a class parent—it has helped me stay involved and get to know the parents of the other kids in the class very well.”

NINON MARAPACHI, 40, HE AD OF HED GE FUND ORIGINATION AT BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH IN NEW YORK CITY

Illustration by Andrea Mongia

P H OTO G R A P H S C O U RT E SY O F S U B J ECTS

“When my first child was born, people at work would say, ‘How do you come to work and leave your beautiful baby at home?’

I actually had a lot of guilt about how I didn’t feel more guilty I was working. The guilt kicked in more when my son learned to talk. He had friends who had moms who were at home, and he wanted to know why I couldn’t pick him up after school. Luckily, I have a really involved partner. At night when the kids are sleeping, we can sit on the sofa and talk about everything that happened that day.”

“If I have a deadline for a book and my son comes over with a Star Wars figure and says, ‘Dad, will you play with me?’ the answer is always yes.

I know that 15 minutes of playing with Star Wars figures will make him so happy.

And that helps me with the guilt. I divide my day by the type of tasks I have to do: the ones that require everyone to leave me alone, and the ones I can do while sitting with my family. I do those menial tasks, which a lot of people do during the day, while watching TV with my family. Not wasting a single minute means I get more minutes for them.”

“My three kids have grown up coming to work with me, knowing the people I work with, and understanding the important things we do. It’s also important to me to build in family time.

Every Tuesday night is our night, and that takes priority over anything else. We read a book together, we do a fun activity together, we write down what we’re grateful for, and we pray together. It starts a discussion and gives us a chance to talk about what’s coming up in our week. I enjoy having a life that’s fulfilling at home and in the world. I want to show my kids that my life is bigger than just myself.”

BAL ANCE

Wake Up with More Energy S O M E M O R N I N G P EO P L E A R E B O R N , B U T OT H E R S A R E S E L F- M A D E .

I F Y O U T E N D T O R O L L O U T O F B E D A L R E A D Y I N A S L U M P, H E R E ’ S H O W T O S T A R T T H I N G S O F F R I G H T S O Y O U C A N F E E L P E P P Y A N D P R O D U C T I V E A L L D AY L O N G .

By Jessica Migala

92 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Illustrations by Boyoun Kim

W H E N YO U G E T U P… OPEN THE SHADES.

Make over your morning routine From moment one, you can start giving your brain and body enough energy to last through the day.

WHEN THE AL ARM

Natural light flips your brain’s switch from sleepy to awake, says Abbott.

“There is nothing better than sunlight,” she says. What’s more, a study published in the journal Sleep Health found that morning light exposure can help you snooze more soundly later that night, so you’ll likely feel better the next morning (and the next). If the sun’s rays are not an option because it’s still dark out, second best is turning on the lights to get as much bright light in the room as possible.

G O E S O F F…WA K E U P.

Tempting as it is, “absolutely do not use the snooze,” says Sabra Abbott, MD, PhD, a neurologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

You may steal a few extra minutes in bed, but being jolted awake repeatedly delivers fragmented sleep. That makes you feel groggy, not rested. To get more sleep, figure out the latest time you need to be up, then set your alarm for then. Feeling zonked out in the morning probably means you need more sleep, so also consider advancing your bedtime little by little— ideally you eventually won’t need an alarm at all. (But set it just in case.)

B E F O R E YO U L E AV E T H E B E D RO O M … S T R E T C H .

Do 5 to 10 deep breaths and a few stretches: Reach overhead, gently twist from side to side, and bend forward to reach for your toes, suggests Carrie Jaworski, MD, director of primary care sports medicine with the NorthShore Orthopaedic Institute and medical director of the Hamilton Chicago cast. “This gets your big muscles moving and increases blood flow to the other parts of your body, which will wake you up,” she says.

W H E N YO U O P E N YO U R E Y E S …

P R A C T I C E A P E P TA L K .

“Your thoughts significantly impact your energy levels for the day,” says psychologist Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, author of Better Than Perfect.

If you could hold a microphone to your brain when you first wake up, what would it say? “It’s too early.”

“I’m so stressed.” Flip the script to something more positive: “Today, xyz is going to bring me joy.” If you need a reminder, stick a note to your nightstand—it’s that important.

W H E N YO U G E T R E A DY T O B R E W YO U R C O F F E E …WA I T.

It pays to delay, says Abbott. “Because levels of stress hormones are highest when you first wake up, caffeine is more effective later in the morning, when those levels start to decrease,” she says. So have your first sip then.

W H E N YO U O P E N YO U R F R I D G E …G R A B WAT E R .

You’re most likely dehydrated from the long night, and being parched is an energy sapper, per a study in the Journal of Nutrition. Soon after you get up, knock back a big glass of H2O. Infusing water with a stimulating flavor, like mint or basil or ginger (add your ingredient of choice to a pitcher of water the night before), can also stave off fatigue, says Boston-based holistic health coach Kerri Axelrod.

A F T E R YO U G E T D R E S S E D… T I DY YO U R S PA C E .

The mere act of making your bed can bring a sense of calm and take you out of sleepy-time mode, says Julie Morgenstern, author of Time Management from the Inside Out. Make it easy by getting a quilt that you can toss on top rather than blankets that need to be tucked in, she says. With practice, it’ll become a habit.

A B E T T E R B R E A K FA S T Carbs are your brain’s preferred fuel source, explains Abbott, so you can boost alertness by grabbing something like wholegrain toast with almond butter (healthy fats are a great source of energy too) or low-sugar, high-fiber cereal topped with berries. Whole grains and berries are both full of fiber, which takes longer to digest. That means the energy you get from your breakfast will last, and you won’t crash and burn before you even get out the door.

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BAL ANCE

The easiest, quickest pick-me-ups Only have a minute to spare?

Good. That’s all this will take.

S T E P I N T O A C O L D B L A S T.

Crank the shower to cold for a few seconds (if you dare), or at the very least splash your face with cold water.

Even just a brief exposure to the cold is invigorating, many experts say.

OPT FOR OR ANGE.

The bright color is stimulating, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition. Why? We associate orange with energy, and our body responds in kind. Throw on a vibrant orange robe, pour yourself a glass of orange juice, or use an orange place mat or mug.

We a s s o c i a t e o ra n g e w i t h e n e r g y, a n d o u r b o d y re s p o n d s i n k i n d .

TURN ON TUNES. O P E N YO U R H E A RT.

A “heart-opening” yoga pose, like cobra, “will infuse energy into your body,” says Axelrod, who’s also a certified yoga instructor. Here’s how to do it: Lie facedown with your hands on the floor by your shoulders, then straighten your arms to lift your chest up as far as feels comfortable, keeping your lower body on the floor. Hold for up to 30 seconds; feel free to repeat.

94 RE AL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

“Research shows that music you like will deliver a dose of positivity,” says Lombardo. Genre doesn’t really matter, as long as the music jazzes you up.

G E T A W H I F F O F C I T RU S .

To pull yourself out of a morning fog, use an essential oil. Some scents, such as citrus and rosemary, are naturally uplifting, says Donna Audia, RN, an inpatient integrative medicine nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Put a drop in the corner of the shower; the steam will disperse the scent around you as you’re sudsing up.

How to fight back against energy sappers The day has hardly started and you already feel defeated.

Don’t let these things drag you down.

throwing away or donating the items that just don’t work anymore. “It’s a bold move, and people are afraid to do it, but it delivers a huge emotional lift,” says Morgenstern.

CR ANKY KIDS

Your precious angels woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and they want you to know it. Breakfast is filled with tears and, no, they won’t get dressed.

You probably can’t fix their crummy mood, but you can change your own perception. “We get upset when we think it’s our problem to help them through, but it uses up our energy,” says Janet Lansbury, parent educator and author of No Bad Kids. Not to mention it can actually prolong their angst. As hard as it can be to let your kids’ emotions roll off you, it’s exactly what’s necessary. Let them know you’re there if they need you, but allow them to deal with their funk—by screaming while getting dressed, freaking out about their toast—and repeat to yourself that while it may seem intense, it’s a normal way for them to express their independence. To get them out the door faster, offer either/or options. Let them choose between two shirts or pick either vanilla or berry yogurt. They’ll feel like they have some control over the situation, which is empowering to little kiddos.

NOTHING TO WE AR

That pair of pants no longer fits. The dress you want is stuck at the dry cleaner. Nothing ever looks right with that one sweater. Morgenstern often sees her clients feeling frustrated early in the morning simply because getting dressed is so annoying and timeconsuming. Planning out what you’ll wear the night before can save several minutes (or more) of grief, but a bigger step is to set aside time one weekend for cleaning out your closet and

L O S I N G E V E RY T H I N G

Where the heck are your keys? We don’t usually have the luxury of time in the morning, so rushing around trying to find what you need becomes overwhelming, says Morgenstern.

Take five minutes at night to gather your things: Put your keys next to your purse, your shoes by the door, and your jacket where you’ll find it. If you like to bring lunch or snacks, get your food prepped and packed too.

STRESSFUL EMAIL S

Even a five-minute phone check can suck you in, draining your mental energy, notes Morgenstern. “Technology is constantly trying to pull you off course. If you start your day on your device, you’re starting it out in a reactive way,” she says, adding that emails can set off your internal alarms.

Claim your morning as yours, and keep your device off for the first hour you’re awake.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRBY STENGER/GROVE COLLABORATIVE

ADVERTISEMENT

Ahhh...

We all have times in our relationships—with friends, family, and coworkers—when we struggle to be patient or we just feel on edge. Do you notice that when you’re in that frame of mind, you’re actually disturbing your own peace? Fortunately, you can use this situation as an opportunity to relax. Imagine this person and notice what happens in your body when you just think about him or her. Do you suddenly feel tight in your shoulders? Tense in your gut? Is it harder to breathe? Put a hand on the place where you feel the most tension.

Notice the warmth of your hand there. Begin to breathe normally. Then imagine your breath carrying kindness and softness to this tense place. Do this for a few moments. Notice how your body and mind are affected and how your perspective on that relationship has shifted.

STO C K SY

— M A R G A R E T T O W N S E N D, t h e l i v i n g b r e a t h . c o m

Photograph by Alicia Bock

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SPRING CLEANING

BY T H E C L O C K Whether you have just 10 minutes or all day, we’ll help you make the most of every second. This is going to be easier than you think.

B y N ATA L I E E R M A N N RU S S E L L P h o to g ra p h s b y C H E L S E A C AVA N AU G H

P R O P ST Y L I N G BY C H LO E DAL E Y; M A N I C U RE BY R AC H EL S H I M F O R A BT P

S

P R I N G C L E A N I N G , the way we normally think about it, seems daunting. We all want the sparkly results, but few of us can realistically clear our calendars for an entire weekend or more to tackle the tasks at hand. But here’s a thought: Maybe it’s time to reconsider the way we approach this yearly project. There’s no rule that all those tough jobs—window cleaning, grout scrubbing, and the like— have to be done at once. In fact, we can chip away at them over the course of a few days (or even a few weekends).

If you’re not sure where to begin, think about the areas of your home in which you spend the most time (kitchen, family room, bathroom). Start there, and make a clear plan. “It is so helpful to have your to-do list written down,” says Melissa Maker, author of Clean My Space.

“Otherwise it’s easy to ignore or forget.

If you have it on paper—even virtual paper—it’ll help you stay on task.”

Read on for your guide to gradual spring cleaning, no matter how much— or how little—time you have.

GOT 1O MINUTES? DUST Use a dusting wand on all surfaces. If you have a few minutes to spare, break out the furniture polish for extra shine.

DOORS AND S W I T C H P L AT E S They’re normally overlooked, but fingerprints and smudges on doors and light switches are downright maddening once you notice them.

The good news is they’re quickly removed with a damp microfiber cloth.

C E I L I N G FA N S Place a pillowcase over a fan blade and pull it toward you to collect the dust. The debris will stay contained inside the pillowcase rather than drifting onto the floor. Then wipe the blades with a microfiber cloth dipped in warm, soapy water.

(If you try washing the blades before dusting, the surface will become muddy and harder to clean.)

B A S E B OA R D S Wipe with a microfiber cloth dampened with a solution of a few drops of dishwashing liquid and warm water.

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GOT 3O MINUTES? KITCHEN 1. Degrease the backsplash, cabinet fronts and handles, and anywhere else suffering from greasy buildup with Avon’s Original Skin So Soft Bath Oil. (Paradoxically, oil is one of the best oil removers.)

Apply it to a microfiber cloth and buff until clean.

2. Clear off counters.

Remove small appliances like toasters, shake out crumbs, and wipe down knobs and handles. If you have granite or marble countertops, try this all-natural cleaner: Combine 3 tablespoons rubbing alcohol, 1 cups water, and 1 teaspoon Castile or dish soap. (Avoid vinegar, which could etch the surface.)

Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and wipe with a microfiber cloth to make your countertops sparkle.

100 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

VENTS It can actually be faster to wash vent covers than to vacuum them. Remove the covers and scrub them with soap and warm water in a utility sink or a bathtub. Let them dry before putting them back. Got a few more minutes?

While the covers are off, use the hose attachment on your vacuum cleaner to remove dust bunnies from inside the vent.

If you don’t, that dust will continue to be blown out into the room.

DECK A hose with a spray nozzle attachment will help remove the top layer of debris from patios, decks, and furniture that was left outside over the winter.

M AT T R E S S E S Rather than doing one bed at a time, it’s more efficient to clean all your mattresses at once. First, remove the bedding and sprinkle baking soda across the surface of the mattress.

It should sit for 15 minutes, which gives you the perfect opportunity to sprinkle the other beds while you wait. After each mattress has been treated, return to the first bedroom and vacuum up the baking soda. Move to each subsequent room and do the same. Now revisit each room (in the same order) to rotate the mattress 180 degrees.

What about flipping the mattress?

Many mattresses on the market now are labeled “no flip” or “one-sided” because pillow-top technology has rendered this arduous task obsolete.

(To flip or not to flip?

Check the label to be sure.)

B AT H RO O M S In half an hour, you have enough time to deep-clean three bathrooms. Complete each step in each bathroom before moving on to the next step.

1. Drop three denture tablets into the toilet bowl. Let them sit for about 30 minutes. The nonabrasive chemicals lift away stains and kill bacteria without damaging the porcelain.

2. While you wait, collect bath mats and fabric shower curtains and pop them into the washing machine.

3. Dust vents and surfaces.

Start at the ceiling and work your way down.

4. Spray cleaner on all hard surfaces: counter, sink, toilet, shower, bathtub. Letting the cleaner sit while you spray the other bathrooms gives it time to disinfect the surfaces.

5. Go back to the first bathroom and wipe everything down with a microfiber cloth (toilets can be wiped with paper towels or a cloth that goes straight into the wash). Scrub toilet bowls.

6. Wash floors. Start at the back of the room and work your way toward the door. Use your favorite spray cleaner and a damp microfiber cloth, or opt for a steam cleaner for a chemical-free shine.

PA N T RY

GOT 1 HOUR? KITCHEN

WIND OWS In an hour, you’ll likely have enough time to clean the windows on only one floor. If you’re really pressed for time, clean just the outside, where most of the dirt is.

1. Make your own cleaning solution for the interior. Vinegar packs cleaning power, and rubbing alcohol causes the solution to dry quickly and streakfree: Mix together 1 cups water, 1 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoons rubbing alcohol, and 3 drops of your favorite essential oil. Using a funnel, pour into a spray bottle.

2. People tend to oversaturate a surface with cleaning solution. When you spray too much, you spend more time wiping off excess than actually cleaning.

Instead, simply mist the windows, then

wipe with a squeegee or a microfiber cloth folded into quarters.

Quarter folding maximizes surface area, so when one side of the cloth is dirty and wet, you can flip it over to use the reverse side, then unfold and refold to use the other sides.

3. You need a stronger cleaning solution for the exterior.

Mix together 4 tablespoons Castile soap, 4 tablespoons rubbing alcohol, and gallon warm water. Using the sponge side of a double-sided squeegee, apply the solution (again, do not oversaturate). Roll up a towel and place it at the base of the window to catch excess drips as you wipe the window with the squeegee’s rubber edge.

Work from left to right, top to bottom.

In addition to degreasing surfaces and clearing off the counters (see page 100), tackle the inside of the fridge and freezer, the sink, and the countertop.

Using a microfiber cloth moistened with hot water and a few drops of dish soap, wipe down refrigerator and freezer shelves and crisper drawers.

The hotter the water, the less time you’ll spend scrubbing (wear gloves!). Deepclean the sink using a cleanser like Bar Keepers Friend and a wet scrub brush. If your counter needs to be resealed annually, now is a good time.

BLINDS & C U RTA I N S

Going room by room, swipe blinds with a dusting wand and vacuum drapes using the upholstery attachment.

Remove everything and wipe down the shelves. Toss any expired products, then restock the shelves, cleaning dust or drips from jars and containers as you do so.

Get in the cleaning frame of mind • C R E AT E A L I S T O F TA S K S FO R E VERY RO OM. No matter how much time you have, crossing items off a to-do list feels oh so good.

• STAY C ALM. Nothing has to be

finished in a single day. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself. If you follow your list, everything will eventually get done.

• INVOLVE THE FAMILY. Assigning

age-appropriate chores will help your kids get better at cleaning up after themselves. But don’t make them work for a full day.

Set a time limit; 30 minutes to an hour is ideal.

• S CENT S MAT TER. Choose cleaning

products that have fragrances you associate with cleanliness— it’ll amp up your feeling of accomplishment.

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GOT 2 TO 3 HOURS?

Still pressed for time? Try these cleaning hacks.

Clean all the windows in the entire house, on every floor, inside and outside.

(See instructions on previous page.)

C ARPETS After vacuuming, shampoo the carpets for a deep-down clean.

You can hire out the job (the ultimate time-saver) or use a carpet-cleaning machine, which can be rented at a big-box store for about $30.

BEHIND THE FURNITURE In two hours, you can knock out many of the tasks already listed, plus deep-clean behind furniture. Move everything out of its usual spot and suck up hidden dust bunnies with your vacuum. If there’s tile or wood flooring beneath the piece, swipe with a microfiber mop. Don’t forget to wipe down the baseboards back there too.

WA L L S Most people consider dusting the surfaces of furniture but rarely the walls. To clean, run the dry head of a microfiber mop along the wall, starting at the ceiling and working your way down. You will be shocked at the amount of dust, fuzz, and pet hair you pull off. Much of the debris will fall to the floor, so do it before cleaning anything on a lower level.

O U R E X P E RT S Linda Cobb, New York Times best-selling author of the Queen of Clean book series (queenofclean.com) Debra Johnson, cleaning expert at Merry Maids Melissa Maker, cleaning expert and author of Clean My Space Becky Rapinchuk, author of Simply Clean and founder of cleanmama.net

104 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

USE KITCHEN TONG S TO CLE AN BLINDS AND SHUT TER S. Cut a microfiber cloth in half and wrap each piece around one side of the tongs; secure with rubber bands.

Grab each slat with the fabric-covered tongs and swipe to dust. For super-dirty blinds, first vacuum with the duster brush attachment. Then use the method described above, but dampen the cloths with a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar.

REMOVE DUST AND CRUMBS WITH LINT ROLLER S. Sticky lint rollers are among the most versatile cleaning tools. They can quickly remove dust from lamp shades or any piece of furniture. They can also be used to pull up crumbs (or whatever else you find) under couch cushions and at the bottom of drawers.

REMOVE S CUFFS ON WALL S. Squeeze some nongel toothpaste onto a cloth, massage it over the scuff or stain, then rinse and dry. (Used gently, this works on wood too.)

If you don’t have the right toothpaste, you can form a thick paste with baking soda and water. Apply it to the wall using the same method.

E R A S E P E R M A N E N T M A R K E R F RO M A WO OD SURFACE. Rub firmly over the mark with a $1 bill. It’s not a guaranteed fix, but it’s pretty cool when it works. And you can still use the money afterward!

CLE AN BA SEB OARDS. Instead of microfiber cloths, use baby wipes to clean baseboards. They’re nontoxic, making this a perfect task for children. Plus, the wipes lack heavy cleaners, meaning they’re gentle enough for painted woodwork.

D ON’ T UNDERE STIMATE OIL. To remove grease from stovetops and vent hoods, cooking oil works wonders. Simply moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and wipe the grease until it’s gone. Buff with a soft cloth to remove all residue.

I C O N I L L U S T R AT I O N S : V E C T O R S M A R K E T, D A N H E T T I E X , L E E , M I K I C O N , A O M A M , B E C R I S , A L L F R O M T H E N O U N P R O J E C T

WIND OWS

TOASTED SAFFRON PA S TA P R I M AV E R A

the new noodle What happ ens when your go -to staple gets to gether w i th the s e a s o n’s p ret t i e s t p ro d u c e ? S i x fre s h ta ke s o n p a sta g u a ra nte e d to s e n d you r for ks t w i r l i n g .

W H O L E -W H E AT PENNE WITH M A R I N AT E D F E TA AND ARUGUL A

Recipes by PA I G E G R A N D J E A N

~ Photographs by GREG DUPREE

ONE-POT SHRIMP A N D A S PA R A G U S F R A D I AV O L O ACT I V E T I M E 2 0 M I N U T E S TOTA L T I M E 2 5 M I N U T E S SERVES 4

TOA STED SAFFRON PA S TA P R I M AV E R A

2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 small leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

ACT I V E T I M E 1 5 M I N U T E S TOTA L T I M E 2 5 M I N U T E S SERVES 4

12 oz. spaghetti, broken in half 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped tsp. saffron threads or paprika 1 cup dry white wine 2

W H O L E -W H E AT P E N N E W I T H M A R I N AT E D F E TA A N D A RU G U L A

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-in. pieces

cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

1 tsp. lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon) cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tsp. kosher salt tsp. freshly ground black pepper 12 oz. whole-wheat penne

1 small red Fresno chile, thinly sliced

2 oz. baby arugula (about 2 cups)

tsp. freshly ground black pepper

hot spaghetti in a large bowl and add squash, tomatoes, butter, lemon zest and juice, teapepper, and remaining spoon salt. Gently toss, adding reserved cooking water cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add basil and toss to combine.

12 oz. linguine

tsp. crushed red pepper

1 small clove garlic, grated

PL ACE

cup)

1 lb. peeled and deveined tail-on large shrimp

2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 12 oz.), halved

HEAT oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add spaghetti, garlic, and saffron and cook, stirring constantly, until spaghetti is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups water, wine, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until spaghetti is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain.

tsp. freshly ground black pepper

tsp. lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon) 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about

2 small yellow squash, shaved lengthwise into ribbons (about 2 cups)

tsp. lemon zest plus 2 tsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon)

tsp. crushed red pepper 1

ACT I V E T I M E 1 5 M I N U T E S TOTA L T I M E 1 5 M I N U T E S SERVES 4

tsp. kosher salt, divided

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into -in. pieces

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Chopped fresh chives, for serving together feta, lemon zest, crushed red pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl.

Set aside to marinate.

STIR

together yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, black pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl.

WHISK

COOK penne according to package directions.

Reserve cup cooking water and drain.

Add hot penne to yogurt mixture. Toss, adding cooking water 2 tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached. Gently stir in arugula. Top with marinated feta and chives.

HEAT oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-low. Add leeks, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add 4 cups water, butter, and linguine. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until pasta is just al dente and liquid has reduced and thickened, 12 to 14 minutes.

shrimp and asparagus to skillet. Cover and cook, stirring once, until shrimp are opaque and asparagus is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Top with lemon zest, parsley, and sliced chile.

ADD

FOOD ST YLING BY CHEL SE A ZIMMER; PROP ST YLING BY CL AIRE SPOLLEN

2 Tbsp. olive oil

ONE-POT SHRIMP AND A S PA R A G U S F R A D I AV O L O

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WILD MUSHRO OM AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

PA S TA, C H I C K P E A, A N D CHICKEN SOUP WITH PESTO

WILD MUSHRO OM AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS BLACK PEPPER GNUDI WITH PEAS AND MINT

ACT I V E T I M E 2 5 M I N U T E S TOTA L T I M E 4 0 M I N U T E S SERVES 4

ACT I V E T I M E 2 5 M I N U T E S TOTA L T I M E 1 H O U R SERVES 4

6 oz. jumbo shell pasta (20 shells) tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more for cooking pasta

1

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided, plus more for baking dish 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cups)

PA S TA , C H I C K P E A , A N D CHICKEN SOUP WITH PESTO

oz. Pecorino Romano cheese, grated ( cup) 1

8 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1

cup all-purpose flour

tsp. kosher salt, divided 1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated ( plus the rind (optional)

cup),

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. lemon juice (from 1 lemon), divided

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed cup roasted almonds

shells with ricotta, mushrooms, and spinach and arrange in baking dish. Top with reserved cup sauce and Parmesan. Bake until shells are heated through and cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes.

STUFF

112 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

tsp. crushed red pepper 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed 2 Tbsp. packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

PREHEAT

WIPE skillet clean and heat 1 tablespoon oil over mediumhigh. Add mushrooms and remaining teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add spinach and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 1 minute.

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

4 oz. orecchiette pasta (1 cup) 8 oz. shredded rotisserie chicken (2 cups)

1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, 1 teaspoons salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Reserve cup sauce.

Spoon remaining sauce into a lightly oiled 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into -in. pieces

tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 16-oz. container whole-milk ricotta cheese

HEAT

tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more for cooking pasta

3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

oven to 400°F. Cook shells in boiling salted water according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain.

tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 small leeks, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

5 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped (5 cups)

Semolina flour, for dusting 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

ACT I V E T I M E 2 0 M I N U T E S TOTA L T I M E 3 5 M I N U T E S SERVES 4

3 cloves garlic, chopped

8 oz. sliced mixed wild mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, and cremini)

16 oz. whole-milk ricotta cheese

cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add leeks and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and Parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to mediumlow, and cover. Simmer for flavors to meld, 12 to 15 minutes.

HEAT

to a boil and add pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and chickpeas and continue to cook until pasta is tender and chicken and chickpeas are warm, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and discard Parmesan rind, if using. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

BRING

MEANWHILE, combine almonds, basil, parsley, and remaining 7 tablespoons oil, teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper in a food processor; process until smooth, about 20 seconds.

Transfer to a small bowl and stir in grated Parmesan and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Serve soup topped with pesto.

ricotta on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Top with another layer of paper towels and set aside to absorb excess moisture, 15 minutes. Generously dust a baking sheet with semolina flour (cover surface completely).

SPREAD

together ricotta, egg, egg yolk, cheese, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add all-purpose flour; stir just until incorporated. Drop 1 -inch balls of dough onto baking sheet and dust tops with more semolina flour. Freeze, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

STIR

BRING a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Add gnudi and cook, gently stirring once, until tender and fluffy, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide gnudi among shallow serving bowls. cup cooking water.

Reserve HEAT a medium skillet over medium. Add butter, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, remaining teaspoon each salt and black pepper, and reserved cooking water. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add peas and mint; toss to coat. Spoon sauce and peas over gnudi. Garnish with additional mint leaves.

BLACK PEPPER GNUDI WITH PEAS AND MINT

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APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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116 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

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Chaney Kwak wanted to play a small part in saving the humble honeybee.

What he found instead was a new source of serenity.

a swe eter purpose

Photographs by LAURIE FRANKEL

Clockwise from top left: Gigi Trabant holds a smoker, which calms bees; a honeybee on a flower; 12-yearold Andrzej D avis Krukowski holds a comb; honey ready to eat.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

119

From left: Beekeeping tools, including protective clothing and a smoker; Cher yl Chang in her beekeeping suit.

a

S THE MILD SAN FRANCISCO

morning sun fills the back of my car, I wrestle with two stacked boxes buzzing with a low hum.

I can’t afford to slip or drop them: Inside is a colony of honeybees.

Until recently I was a helpless city slicker, prone to startling and swatting at anything that buzzed.

Yet here I am, veiled and covered up, hugging two supers—wooden boxes making up a hive—full of bees, wax, and honey. I’m now one of many amateur beekeepers fostering the creatures in cities and suburbs around the country.

Numbers of us vary, with some studies citing upwards of 120,000 Americans looking after honeybees on rooftops and in backyards.

120 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

There may be no way to compute an accurate number, says Dewey M. Caron, PhD, an entomologist and affiliate professor at Oregon State University, but nonprofessional beekeepers are thought to own up to 10 percent of colonies. “That may not sound significant,” he says.

“But they serve a crucial part in maintaining bee populations.”

There was no eureka moment when I decided to become a beekeeper. Over the years I read about the crucial pollinator role played by the 20,000-some different species of bees (including the popular honeybee). I daydreamed about lending them a spot to live—my idea of lowcommitment community service, perhaps. I read a few blogs, fell into a YouTube rabbit hole, and took a weekend class. Once I was reasonably confident, I answered a call to adopt a hive.

My bees were rescued in Silicon Valley. Having stealthily nested in an abandoned house in Palo Alto, this colony was about to become homeless when developers fixed up the building. (If ever there was a place for a joke about the Bay

Area’s housing shortage, this would be it.) Just in the nick of time, three volunteers got in to move the sheets of waxy comb— full of honey, bees, and soon-tohatch babies—into a Langstroth hive, a box used for keeping bees.

My friend Cheryl Chang was one of the rescuers. Though master beekeepers spend a lifetime honing their skills, picking up the basics is less intimidating than most people might think. Cheryl went from a complete novice to someone capable of capturing wayward swarms by beekeeping a few hours a week over two years.

In Mountain View, better known for tech giants than bucolic pursuits, Cheryl, who works at a charitable foundation by day, keeps a tidy garden of avocado trees and pineapple guava bushes. Tucked into the corner, her two hives whir with activity almost year-round, producing gallons of honey more fragrant than anything from a store. In fact, some studies find that bees—which forage for miles a day—are healthier in cities and suburbs, where they have access to more diverse diets, than on monocultural farmland with only, say, almond blossoms. A varied diet can lead to higher honey yields, some say.

But Cheryl’s not in it for the nectar. “My beehives are like pets,” she says. “They’re part of my family.”

Quite a statement for creatures you can’t exactly teach to fetch.

And forget snuggling up with them on the couch. But now that I’m taking my colony home, I start to understand her comment.

As soon as we remove the netting that keeps the hive sealed for the car ride, dozens of bees spill out and hover around the hive’s entrance. A few bees form a lineup on the landing strip of the entrance and start what could only be described as twerking.

“They’re fanning out the hive’s scent,” Cheryl tells me, “so the other bees from the colony can find their way back.”

Right away I’m smitten. Everything clicks in my head. I’m less a landlord or an amused dilettante than a guardian. The responsibility for these lives suddenly weighs down on me. To stave off an imminent anxiety attack, I concentrate on what I’ve learned about bees.

Gigi Trabant pulls out a frame of bees from her hives.

A F E W M O N T H S BAC K , I sat with about 30 people, most under 35, in a warehouse doubling as the classroom for San Francisco Honey & Pollen Co. We were at an introductory beekeeping class, and for most of us, the translucent comb being passed around was the first we’d touched of the geometric structure bees build with their wax secretions.

By trade, John McDonald is a structural engineer, retrofitting homes for earthquakes, but he’s also an enthusiast who derives some income from keeping bees.

He started with a few hives at his lumber warehouse as a hobby with his daughter Christina, and by 2006 he was selling honey and sharing

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

121

Andrzej Davis Krukowski and his father, Anton, tend their hives.

know-how. Now he teaches more than 1,200 students a year.

Honeybees today have it harder than ever. Coming into public consciousness in 2006, the massive disappearance of bees, known as colony collapse disorder, kills up to half of all hives in some areas, with some beekeepers reporting 90 percent of their stock perishing. In some places, bee losses have decreased or been attributed to mites, but in others,

122 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

the collapse remains unexplained.

Despite the urgency—and the subsequent popularity of amateur beekeeping classes—only a select few actually pursue the hobby.

Who were these curious onlookers spending their day off in beekeeping suits? A couple next to me revealed that they were on a second date. Another woman confided that she was just there for the tasting. Many came, from the sight of it, to snap selfies in white coveralls. Then a dyed-inthe-wool Berkeley baby boomer declared, “We all should help bees save the world.” Though some sci-

entists counter that the role honeybees play in human survival is a little exaggerated, there’s no question that these prolific pollinators, along with native bumblebees and thousands of other kinds, aid the survival of crops—which keep feeding us.

For the next few hours, we got a crash course. A colony, we learned, is led by a queen who takes to the sky only for a few days to mate and spends the rest of her life laying eggs. A small number of eggs develop into drones, or male bees whose sole purpose is to mate with a queen from a different hive and, oh cruel nature, immediately die. But most become female worker bees who devote their lives to labor. Their tasks evolve as they mature, not unlike humans who get promoted.

They help develop the infrastructure of the hive and learn to guard it from intruders before eventually leaving to forage for nectar, pollen, and water. They work themselves to death in as little as six weeks, replaced by the generations they raised.

It’s tempting to anthropomorphize bees. Some hives are genial, while others appear downright mean—as broad as the spectrum of human personalities. McDonald, in only shorts and a veil, opened a hive to reveal some bees that were so docile, he left his hands ungloved. The queen’s genetics and pheromones determine her colony’s personality, and it’s not unheard of for a beekeeper to dethrone her and set up a new royal if the subjects are deemed too violent.

L U C K I LY F O R M E , my hive turns out to be very mellow. I fret about everything—whether to keep feeding them sugar syrup to ease their transition, whether they’re hovering around the hive too much— prompting my friends to say I sound like the nervous first-time moms they used to be. “Stop worrying you might kill them,” they advise me, “and just enjoy.”

Weeks after their arrival, they learn to soar high above the house and head toward Golden Gate Park, a buffet of prime forage.

I worry less and less that these gentle newcomers will attack neighbors—a relief because, although cities from New York to Los Angeles have been changing laws to allow beekeeping, many urban dwellers, not to mention those allergic to bee stings, understandably fear living next door to multiple beehives. By law, San Francisco allows its residents to keep bees without permits, while other places require beekeepers to inform their neighbors. Many beekeepers try to keep things under wraps.

“In an effort to be discreet, I painted the hives green, tucked them between greenery in the corner, and never told the neighbors,” says Gigi Trabant, another hobbyist. She began taking beekeeping classes the month after she retired from nursing in 2011.

But her attempts at stealth ended when half of a colony decided to pack up and leave (a phenomenon called swarming). One spring day, thousands of Gigi’s bees whipped themselves into a frenzy and moved en masse across her yard in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond neighborhood.

Gigi says her neighbors actually enjoyed witnessing the swarm, and today they count as some of her bees’ biggest champions. But she still takes care to open her boxes to check the colony’s health only on weekdays when her neighbors’ children are at school. She passes around jars of honey at holidays.

Of course, for every happy ending like Gigi’s, you’ll hear a nightmare story of miffed neighbors threatening to sue. So to avoid potential conflicts, father and son Anton and Andrzej Davis Krukowski, who also live in San Francisco, set up their hives on a family friend’s property better suited for beekeeping than theirs.

Andrzej, then 9, wanted to overcome his fear of getting stung by making beekeeping his independent learning project at school.

“I was reluctant,” says Anton.

“I thought it was overambitious for a fourth grader.”

But Andrzej, now 12, has the maturity befitting a son of two teachers and approached the project with seriousness. “You get a lot more experience with bees than just fun,” he says. “It’s almost like looking at art.”

Tending to their hives has become a bonding experience for the duo over the past three years.

Lately, though, Andrzej has been feeling a bit unmotivated: “I still enjoy it once we go there, but now it feels more like a responsibility.

Video games are much easier.”

If his son’s enthusiasm has fluctuated, Anton has grown more interested. “There’s something very hypnotic about opening up a hive and seeing them,” he says.

“It becomes a meditative activity.”

To my surprise, I discovered that few things calm me like having hundreds of bees buzz about.

I know exactly what he means.

Sure, it hasn’t been smooth sailing: I’ve gotten stung, including once on my forehead, which swelled like a tumor. Battling ants is a constant struggle, and during one routine check I dropped a frame full of honey, destroying months’ worth of bees’ labor in one smash.

But to my surprise, I discovered that few things calm me like having hundreds of bees buzz about.

As a reluctant California transplant, I’m not one to use words like “mindfulness,” but beekeeping gives me a taste of the serenity that meditation enthusiasts extol.

The bees’ murmur drowns out the competing thoughts in my head— about the home renovation that’s going all wrong, loved ones’ recent health diagnoses, work deadlines.

Even at the end of the worst day, I calm down when I sit by the hive and watch the bees at work, gracefully soaring along paths decipherable only to them. When I need comic relief, I look for the ones returning home, heavy with nectar. They collide with others or miss the landing, comically traipsing down before floating again.

In a few short months, the bees have provided more solace than any self-help book. They let me feel at one with nature and time as I watch them sustain the world.

I breathe without thinking, and soon I realize I can simply be. It’s a cliché, I know, but by adopting these creatures, I was saved.

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

123

FOOD ST YLING BY CHEL SE A ZIMMER; PROP ST YLING BY CL AIRE SPOLLEN

A PR I L While spring showers may be pattering on our windowpanes, we’re thrilled by the fresh things that come with them.

We’ve waited patiently for crunchy green asparagus spears; try them alongside an easy pan-fried trout (page 131).

For cooler nights, delicate wild mushrooms, plucked from the damp earth, offer a quick and hearty meal when served over cheesy polenta (page 128).

On Sundays, linger over a stack of pancakes (page 133) or pop out for a hike in the clean air with one of our favorite jerky snacks (page 136). Know the flowers are on their way.

Photograph by Greg DuPree

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

125

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FOOD

Easy Dinner 1

Rosemary-garlic chicken thighs ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 40 MINUTES

SERVES 4

One Pot Gluten-Free Family Friendly 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs tsp. kosher salt, divided

1

tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 Tbsp. olive oil 8 shallots, peeled and halved 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped cup chicken broth 8 oz. green beans, trimmed 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter oven to 475°F. Season teaspoon salt chicken with teaspoon pepper. Heat and oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate.

PREHEAT

shallots to skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add rosemary, garlic, and broth and bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up.

Transfer to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through and shallots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

FOOD ST YLING BY CHEL SE A ZIMMER; PROP ST YLING BY CL AIRE SPOLLEN

ADD

chicken to a plate.

Place skillet over medium-high; add beans and remaining teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Simmer until sauce is thickened and beans are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in butter. Serve chicken with vegetables and sauce.

TRANSFER

P E R S E RV I N G : 449 CALORIES, 27G FAT (9G SAT.), 173MG CHOL., 5G FIBER, 30G PRO., 25G CARB., 812MG SOD., 11G SUGAR

Photographs by Greg DuPree

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

127

FOOD

Easy Dinner 2

Wild mushroom and tomato polenta ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 4

Quick Cooking Vegetarian Gluten-Free Family Friendly

1 cup instant polenta 6 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cups), divided 1

tsp. kosher salt, divided 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

12 oz. mixed wild mushrooms, sliced 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, divided 1 pint cherry tomatoes tsp. freshly ground black pepper cup dry white wine COOK polenta according to package directions. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup cheese teaspoon salt, stirring and until cheese is melted and polenta is smooth; cover and set aside.

MELT 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.

Cook until tomatoes burst, about 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until mostly reduced, 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter to melt.

mushroom mixture over polenta and top with remaining cup cheese.

SPOON

P E R S E RV I N G : 546 CALORIES, 24G FAT (14G SAT.), 67MG CHOL., 4G FIBER, 19G PRO., 62G CARB., 1,499MG SOD., 4G SUGAR

128 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

Easy Dinner 3

Spicy tofu and vegetables with coconut rice ACTIVE TIME 25 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES

SERVES 4

Quick Cooking Gluten-Free Vegetarian

1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, well shaken 1

tsp. kosher salt, divided 1 cup long-grain white rice 2 tsp. lime zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lime) 1 14-oz. pkg. extra-firm tofu tsp. freshly ground black pepper tsp. cayenne 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided 8 oz. snow peas, trimmed and halved 4 heads baby bok choy (about 8 oz.), quartered lengthwise 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated cup tamari cup roasted cashews, chopped 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced

milk, 1 cup water, and teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.

Add rice and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid, 20 to 22 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Add lime zest and fluff with a fork.

COMBINE

slice tofu 1 inch thick. Press between 2 layers of paper towels. Cut into cubes and season with pepper, cayteaspoon salt. enne, and

MEANWHILE,

2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh. Add tofu and cook, undisturbed, until golden on 1 side, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer tofu to a plate.

HEAT

remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add snow peas, bok choy, and scallion whites; cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tamari and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in tofu, lime juice, and remaining teaspoon salt. Serve tofu and vegetables over rice and top with scallion greens, cashews, and chile.

HEAT

P E R S E RV I N G : 683 CALORIES, 42G FAT (21G SAT.), 0MG CHOL., 4G FIBER, 22G PRO., 58G CARB., 1,357MG SOD., 5G SUGAR

FOOD

1 lb. ground lamb 3 Tbsp. panko 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving

Easy Dinner 4

Moroccan lamb meatballs with couscous ACTIVE TIME 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES SERVES 4

Quick Cooking Freezable Make Ahead Family Friendly

2 tsp. ground coriander, divided 2

tsp. kosher salt, divided

1

tsp. ground cumin, divided

1

tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 large egg 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 cup whole-wheat couscous 6 Tbsp. chopped shelled pistachios, divided 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 6 Tbsp.), divided

PL ACE lamb, panko, mint, tea1 teaspoon coriander, teaspoon cumin, spoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and egg in a medium bowl. Stir until well incorporated. Form into 16 balls, about 2 tablespoons each.

oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add meatballs and cook, turning often, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate and discard drippings.

Return meatballs to skillet and add tomatoes, 1 teaspoons salt, remaining 1 teaspoon each coriander and cumin, and teaspoon pepper to skillet.

Cover and cook until meatballs are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

HEAT

place couscous teaspoon salt and remaining in a medium bowl. Add 1 cups boiling water, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Add half of the pistachios and cheese and teaspoon pepper; remaining fluff with a fork. Serve meatballs over couscous topped with remaining pistachios, feta, and mint.

MEANWHILE,

P E R S E RV I N G : 690 CALORIES, 38G FAT (15G SAT.), 142MG CHOL., 6G FIBER, 35G PRO., 56G CARB., 619MG SOD., 13G SUGAR

CO OK WITH COZI Get Real Simple’s easy weeknight-dinner recipes in Cozi, a free meal-planning and organizing app from Meredith Corporation (available on iTunes and Google Play).

Easy Dinner 5

8 4-oz. skinless trout fillets 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

Pan-fried trout with lemon-caper asparagus ACTIVE TIME 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES SERVES 4

Quick Cooking One Pot Gluten-Free

tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 cup fine cornmeal 2 tsp. lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed 1 Tbsp. drained capers 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Lemon wedges, for serving

teatrout with spoon each salt and pepper.

Stir together cornmeal and lemon zest on a large plate.

Add trout and turn to coat, pressing to adhere.

SEASON

2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add half of the trout and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and loosely tent with foil to keep warm.

Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining trout; season trout with teaspoon salt.

HEAT

stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly blistered, about 4 minutes.

Add capers, lemon juice, and garlic and cook, tossing, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in butter and remaining teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until butter is melted.

Serve trout and asparagus topped with parsley, with lemon wedges on the side.

P E R S E RV I N G : 612 CALORIES, 39G FAT (7G SAT.), 112MG CHOL., 7G FIBER, 39G PRO., 27G CARB., 632MG SOD., 1G SUGAR

out skillet and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Add asparagus and cook,

WIPE

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

131

L E M O N - W H I T E C H O C O L AT E MINI CHEESECAKES Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 3 hours 20 min. | Makes: 12 servings (incl. refrigerating)

WHAT YO U NEED 1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S White Chocolate, divided 28 square shortbread cookies (1-1/2 inch), divided 2 Tbsp. butter, melted 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. zest and 1/4 cup juice from 2 lemons 2 eggs

MAKE I T HEAT oven to 325°F. MELT 2 oz. chocolate as directed on package; set aside for later use.

USE pulsing action of food processor to process 16 cookies until finely crushed; spoon into medium bowl. Add butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; mix well.

Press onto bottoms of 12 paper-lined muffin cups, adding about 1 Tbsp. crumb mixture to each prepared cup.

BEAT cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and melted chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon over crusts.

BAKE 17 to 20 min. or until centers are almost set. Cool completely.

MELT remaining chocolate. Coarsely chop remaining cookies; sprinkle over cheesecakes. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

REFRIGERATE 2 hours.

Special Extra: Garnish with additional lemon zest before serving.

FOOD

Make It Yourself A D E L I C I O U S E SS E N T I A L T H AT’ S B E T T E R H O M E M A D E T H A N S T O R E - B O U G H T. W E ’ L L P RO V E I T. T H I S M O N T H : PA N C A K E M I X

By Grace Elkus

Boxed pancake mixes are convenient, sure, but the results (and lengthy ingredient lists) can be less than ideal. Our make-ahead mix features shelf-stable buttermilk powder, producing fluffy, tender, diner-esque short stacks. Prepare the mix today, then use it later for an easy Easter brunch. We cook pancakes in oil, not butter, which can burn. Spreading it onto the pan with a paper towel ensures even browning.

Photographs by Greg DuPree

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

133

FOOD

ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES MAKES 3 BATCHES DRY MIX (18 PANCAKES PER BATCH)

For dry pancake mix: 6 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk powder cup sugar 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. baking soda 1 Tbsp. kosher salt For 1 batch pancakes: 2

cups dry pancake mix 2 cups milk or water 2 large eggs 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for serving

together flour, buttermilk powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

a paper towel, spread 1 teaspoon oil onto a griddle or large nonstick skillet and heat over medium-low.

Working in batches, add batter in -cupfuls and cook until undersides are golden and bubbles form on top, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until second side is golden, about 2 minutes.

Repeat with remaining batter, oiling griddle as needed.

WHISK

USING

For 1 batch pancakes: Place 2 cups dry mix in a large bowl. Whisk milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a separate bowl; fold into dry ingredients until just combined (batter will be lumpy).

SERVE

warm with butter and maple syrup.

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Canola oil, for griddle

FOOD ST YLING BY CHEL SE A ZIMMER; PROP ST YLING BY CL AIRE SPOLLEN

Pure maple syrup, for serving

134 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

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FOOD

R o a d Te s t

Beef Jerky WE BIT INTO MORE THAN 100 T YPES TO

BEST PEPPERED

F I N D O U T W H I C H M E AT S M E T O U R S T A N D A R D S . T H E S E S I X M A D E T H E C U T.

By Ananda Eidelstein

realsimple ROAD TE ST

BEST SWEET & SPICY

Sweetw wood Sweet & H Hot Jerky In these che ewy slices, a blend of cay yenne and other spices m mellows with a flavor close to that of maple syrup. Bo onus points for the grass-f TO BUY: $6 for 1.75 1 oz.; at grocery sttores.

Duke’s Sea Salt & Pepper Beef Brisket Strips Superior tenderness makes these perfect for snacking. Sea salt and pepper offer rich flavor in every bite.

TO BUY: $7 for 2.5 oz.; dukesmeats.com.

BEST STICK

Mighty Organic Beef Stick Original Everything we love about the classic road-trip snack, upgraded with organic ingredients. Tastes exactly how you want it to: evenly spiced, with savory beef flavor.

TO BUY: $2.50 for 0.75 oz.; at grocery stores.

BEST ORIGINAL

Alewel’s A le ’ Countr nt y Meatts Be ee eef ef Je J rk ky ky Tas as ste ters fell for the classic c chew chew an and d mild d kick.

Plus, they swoo w ned ov over the he e brand’s ’s s his h tor ory: or y It’s been famil mily-r y-run un n fo for mo more than 80 yea ea ars. s..

TO BUY: B UY $4 $40 0 for for 4 4-oz. packages; alewels.c . om. m.

136 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

BEST SPICY

Jack Link’s Jalapeño Carne Seca Beef Jerky Real jalapeño flavor makes these strips hot enough to satisfy a spice craving—but not enough to stop you at just one.

TO BUY: $7 for 2.85 oz.; at grocery stores.

For more tasty snacks, go to realsimple.com/chips.

Photograph by Brian Henn

P R O D U CT I M AG E S C O U RT E SY O F M A N U FACT U R E R S

B E S T T E R I YA K I

Chef’s Cut Real Steak J Jerky Asian Style Teriyak ki Salty soy mingles with h the tropical sweetness o of pineapple in this hand--cut selection. True-blue jerrky fans raved about its firm yet pliant texture e.

TO BUY: $8 for 2.5 oz.; at grocery stores.

FOOD

Big Batch

Chicken tenders ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES

Nonstick cooking spray 3 lb. chicken tenders or skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into -in.-thick strips Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour 1

tsp. paprika 1 tsp. ground mustard tsp. garlic powder 4 large eggs cup whole milk 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided 4 cups panko, divided cup mayonnaise cup Dijon mustard

TOTAL TIME 50 MINUTES

PREHEAT oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

flour, paprika, ground mustard, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Beat eggs and milk in another large bowl.

WHISK

half of the butter in a large skillet over medium. Add 2 cups panko and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Repeat MELT

MAKES 3 BATCHES OF 12 TENDERS

with remaining butter and panko; transfer to baking dish.

Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper.

WORKING in batches, dredge tenders in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in egg wash, letting excess drip off, and coat with panko, pressing to adhere. Bake or freeze.

Place 12 tenders on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden on undersides, 6 to 8 minutes.

Spray tenders with cooking spray, flip, and cook until golden and crisp all over, 6 to 8 minutes more. Stir together mayonnaise, Dijon, and honey.

Serve with tenders.

TO BAKE 1 BATCH:

TO FREEZE: Arrange uncooked tenders in a shallow baking dish with parchment paper between layers. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Transfer to resealable freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month.

TO BAKE FROM FROZEN: Place frozen, unthawed tenders on prepared baking sheet.

Bake until golden on undersides, 12 to 15 minutes.

Spray tenders with cooking spray, flip, and cook until golden and crisp all over, 12 to 15 minutes more.

P E R S E RV I N G ( 3 T E N D E R S W I T H H O N E Y M U STA R D ) : 400 CALORIES, 16G FAT (5G SAT.), 154MG CHOL., 0.2G FIBER, 31G PRO., 30G CARB., 548MG SOD., 5G SUGAR

FOOD ST YLING BY CHEL SE A ZIMMER; PROP ST YLING BY CL AIRE SPOLLEN

3 Tbsp. honey

Recipe by Ananda Eidelstein Photograph by Greg DuPree

APRIL 2018 REAL SIMPLE

137

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The Struggle Is Real

New Excuses to Get Out of Kids’ Birthday Parties B y R a q u e l D ’A p i c e

1. “Hi! Thank you all so, so much for the invite!

Please accept our heartfelt apologies that we won’t be in attendance at Leo’s Gourmet Bakery Junior birthday! It sounds like so much fun, but unfortunately Asher is allergic to nuts, eggs, flour, aprons, and measuring spoons, and it’s so sweet of you to ask, but even if the kitchen is somehow able to accommodate him, I am highly, highly allergic to driving to the town where my motherin-law lives at 9 a.m. on a Saturday. Please send our best to the birthday boy!”

2. “I am heartbroken that we will not be able to attend Devin’s ‘Thar She Blows’ pirate party!

We had a blast last year, but watching Devin spend hours opening gifts that Teddy will then want (because Devin has them) is rough, since our apart-

140 REAL SIMPLE APRIL 2018

ment is 950 square feet and under the best conditions looks like a Toys‘R’Us after a major earthquake. Please send Devin a ‘Yarrrrr!’ from us, and if we don’t see you soon, assume we were crushed under the weight of whatever toys Teddy is drowning in but never plays with.”

3. “So sad we can’t attend Zooey’s smackin-the-middle-of-theday party at Bounce Bounce Academy, but standing in a windowless warehouse blaring kidfriendly pop songs fills me with the type of existential dread (Why are we here? Does life have meaning?) that I normally only experience reading Noam Chomsky or watching reality TV. Have a blast. We will send a gift!!”

4. “Ugh, what a bummer, but we will not be available for Trevor’s go-kart and arcade extravaganza birthday party, because Trevor

from the discount store’ demographic, and the envy is palpable. So sad to miss it but can’t wait to obsess over the photos you post on Instagram!”

is an aggressive and unrepentant bully who regularly picks on the other children in the class and at the playground and KIDDING KIDDING KIDDING hahahahahaha. I’m sure it’s because we have a soccer tournament or something! Have fun!”

6. “Peter will not make the party on Sunday, because I am just openly acknowledging that he and Damon are not really friends and Peter is invited only because you felt obligated to invite the whole class.

5. “Sorry to RSVP ‘No,’ but we’re unable to make Emma’s mermaid pool party at your summer home!

Not that we are not totally in love with your lavish pool turned lagoon and the fact that last year you gave out $90 Land of Nod gift cards as favors, but I am coming to grips with the fact that we are never breaking out of the ‘plastic wading pool and goody bags filled with stickers

(Been there!) If there’s an emergency situation in which attendance looks dangerously low and Damon’s self-esteem is at stake, let me know and we will find a way to get over there. Please accept this Amazon gift card, which you can obviously spend on yourself as a reward for having your life temporarily taken over by an 8-year-old child’s birthday party.

Stay strong.”

Photograph by Brian Henn

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