RS - September 2018 by Lawrence Ambrocio

LIFE MADE EASIER

Declutter Every Room Meal Prep in Minutes Keep Your Money Secure

SEPTEMBER 2018

IT’S FALL Cozy Clothes & Easy Beauty

Maybelline.com/shinecompulsion Christy is wearing New Shine Compulsion in Spicy Sangria.

Color so saturated. Shine so irresistible. Feel the compulsion. NEW

HYDRATING OIL-IN-LIPSTICK with 60% reflective oils

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Thoughts

“I always wondered why the makers leave housekeeping and cooking out of their tales. Isn’t it what all the great wars and battles are fought for—so that at day’s end a family may eat together in a peaceful house?”

OFFSET

— U R S U L A K . L E G U I N , Vo i ce s

6 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Photograph by Evi Abeler

The card that takes you there. It’s Simple: Get the Capital One® Venture® card to earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, every day and redeem those miles ĞħĪ ęĦı ǎ ġğĠĬ ħĦ ęĦı ęġĪĤġĦĝ

āĪĝĜġĬ ęĨĨĪħĮęĤ ĪĝĩĭġĪĝĜ ĐĝĜĝĝĥ ĥġĤĝī ĞħĪ ĬĪęĮĝĤ ħĦ ęĦı ęġĪĤġĦĝ ĚęīĝĜ ħĦ ęěĬĭęĤ ĬġěģĝĬ ĨĪġěĝ ęĬ Ĭġĥĝ ħĞ ĨĭĪěĠęīĝ čǉ ĝĪĝĜ Ěı āęĨġĬęĤ čĦĝ ĀęĦģ ÕēđÿÖ Č ÿ ƣ ! & āęĨġĬęĤ čĦĝ

E d i t o r ’s N o t e

I have a green thumb and get together with neighbors on my block to plant tulip and dafodil bulbs along the curb. It’s a small investment of time, but when the flowers bloom up and down our long, leafy street, the reward is great. I haven’t established deep friendships during these plantings—my neighbors are mostly friendly faces I share a “Hello!” with when we pass on the sidewalk. Still, there’s a reassuring feeling that comes from working together on a common project and seeing results. Being able to add a name after the hello is a bonus. You likely have neighborhood groups like this where you live, so you may know how good it feels to band together to make things better. Some communities have long-established traditions, but others need a spark to get started. For dozens of neighborhoods across the country, Sarah Harmeyer has been that spark. She began with a simple idea—give people a place to sit down and talk together—that has become an inspiring endeavor called Neighbor’s Table. She helps her father make large dining tables and personally delivers them to communities. Real Simple’s executive editor, Sara Austin, shares the story on page 124. NC E A Y E A R , I P R E T E N D

8 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

I learned about Neighbor’s Table through our friends at Nextdoor, the social media network, when they approached Real Simple about partnering with them and Feeding America for Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” campaign. Our shared goal was to address food insecurity, which the USDA deﬁnes as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Real Simple editors traveled to Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Chesapeake, Virginia, to sit at Sarah Harmeyer’s tables with local people and leaders to talk about ways to address hunger. (Roughly one in six children in America routinely doesn’t get enough to eat, according to a 2016 study.) In each city, we met adults who discussed the pain and shame they felt going hungry as children or who told of not being able to feed their own children despite having college degrees and full-time jobs. We also learned how easy it can be to help. See statistics about food insecurity in your state and ﬁnd your local food bank at feedingamerica.org. While there are so many issues that can divide our country, this is a straightforward one: We all want American families to have enough nutritious food.

Each month, our editors bring you expert tips for organizing your home, but there are always more ideas we’d like to share. That’s why we gathered all our best advice into The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room: And How to Keep It That Way. And for that friend or family member who complains about always losing things in the house, it makes a welcome and useful gift. Get your copy today wherever books are sold.

Follow me on Twitter @lyazel and Instagram @leslieyazel

Photograph by Jenny Mayfield

BO OK COVER: JOHNNY MILLER; PROP ST YLING BY SARAH SMART

When I visited Pittsburgh, I learned that more than 452,000 children go hungry at least some of the time in Pennsylvania, and I was inspired by what residents were doing to help, including Dee Chatterfield (left), who l met at this community garden.

Drive up and we’ll bring your order right out.* target.com/driveup

O N T H E C O V E R : R X B A R S C O U R T E S Y O F R X B A R . C O M ; O T H E R PA N T R Y I T E M S C O U R T E S Y O F W H O L E F O O D S M A R K E T, W H O L E F O O D S M A R K E T. C O M . O N T H I S PA G E : S A N D R O F L O R A L T O P, $ 3 4 0 , A N D P L E AT E D S K I R T, $ 3 7 0 ; U S . S A N D R O - PA R I S . C O M . O L D N AV Y S H E R PA C O L L A R D E N I M J A C K E T, $ 5 5 ; O L D N AV Y. C O M . S T E V E M A D D E N B I L LY B O O T I E S , $ 1 3 0 ; S T E V E M A D D E N . C O M . U R B A N E X P R E S S I O N S R U M I B A G , $ 9 0 ; U R B A N E X P R E S S I O N S . N E T

Contents September 2018

O N T H E C OV E R

TO BUY: Modular Canisters, from $7; containerstore.com.

Declutter every room 102

Meal prep in minutes 38

Keep your money secure 96

110

Cozy clothes and easy beauty 24, 46, 56, 116 Four ways to serve chicken

1 02

116

124

Get organized for life

Master autumn layers

Connect with your neighbors

C o v e r P h o t o g r a p h b y Te d a n d C h e l s e a C a v a n a u g h Prop St yling by Sarah Smar t

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

Contents

1 32

Creative dinner ideas

Stylish office accessories

Salon-worthy blowouts at home

Thoughts

the realist

Editor’s Note

The Easiest Way to Clean an Oven

Real Simple 24 /7

Your Words

The Short List

what we love Upgrade Your Office Pretty Smart Beauty buys to save your sanity The Staple Earl Grey tea

24 28

Little Helpers Clever items that make every day better 30 New Uses for Old Things Repurpose plastic straws 32 My Favorite Piece Khristian A. Howell shares her favorite wallmounted shelving 34

Cooking School Prep a week’s worth of meals in a flash 38 Real Simple Home Rethinking the laundry room Road Test Razors that give the smoothest shave

Fall MVPs Refresh your wardrobe with these autumnready pieces 56

relating 5 Reasons to Embrace Your Milestone Birthday Because growing older is something to celebrate 65

Good Read Writer Laura Lippman on how her bookshelves define her 68

Real Simplifier Expert tips for a safe, rejuvenating hike 48

The Vets Will See You Now Pet problems, solved 78

Beauty Coach Voluminous hair in three steps

Now What?!? Solutions for life’s mini disasters

Organize This Dorm room hacks

Food for Thought Must-have ingredients for family dinners 54

Unclutter Your Calendar Fit more downtime into your family’s busy schedule Modern Manners Catherine Newman offers advice

balance How to Find a Therapist Take the stress out of choosing a mental health professional 91 7 Smart Ways to Protect Your Money Shield your wallet from scams 96

Layers for Days Warm up this fall with these cozy outfits 116 Setting the Table One woman’s mission to put a table in every town 124

food 5 Easy Dinners

132

Where to Turn When Work Gets Messy Navigating six common office problems 98

Big Batch Slow cooker black beans

138

Ahhh Take a breather

Road Test The tastiest breakfast cereals

140

Make It Yourself Cinnamon rolls

143

The Struggle Is Real

146

101

features Organized for Life An exclusive peek at The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room 102 Love Letter to a Chicken Cutlet Elevate your chicken dinners

110

REAL SIMPLE (ISSN 1528-1701) (SEPTEMBER 2018) (VOLUME 19/ISSUE 9) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY TIME INC., A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF MEREDITH CORPORATION. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 225 LIBERTY ST., NEW YORK, NY 10281-1008. 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, PO BOX 37508, BOONE, IA 50037-0508. CANADA POST PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40069223. BN# 13200211RT001. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: FOR 24/7 SERVICE, PLEASE USE OUR WEBSITE: REALSIMPLE.COM/MYACCOUNT. YOU CAN ALSO CALL 1-800-881-1172 OR WRITE REAL SIMPLE, PO BOX 37508, BOONE, IA 50037-0508. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. YOUR BANK MAY PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE CARD INFORMATION WE HAVE ON FILE. YOU MAY OPT OUT OF THIS SERVICE AT ANY TIME.

12 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

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

MEET

MUZ AM AGHA PHOTO DIRECTOR AT RE AL SIMPLE, MUZAM OVERSEES PHOTO GRAPHY THROUGHOUT THE PAGES.

S AV E B I G O N THESE CO OLING LINEN BEDSHEETS

Best photo editing tip: All it takes is cropping, a bit of brightness, and a touch of contrast to make a photo pop. Favorite travel memory: While backpacking through Nicaragua, I stayed at the most beautiful finca. It had been built in a rain forest just below a volcano. @MUZ AMAGHA ON INSTAGR AM

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Your new must-have shoes There are few styles more versatile than the white sneaker: The fresh, clean look matches everything. We rounded up the fashion-forward kicks we love most. See them at realsimple.com/whitesneakers.

@RE AL_SIMPLE Follow us on Instagram to see all the homes, blooms, outfits, and delicious dishes that inspire our editors every day.

Organization central PINTEREST @REALSIMPLE

We compiled our tips and tricks in one spot so you can transform and streamline any space. Bookmark realsimple.com/ real-organized. Open

14 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

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for dec lutt erin g tips .

TWITTER @REALSIMPLE

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Brooklinen is offering an exclusive deal on its coveted linen bedding to our readers! Head to the link below to learn how you can save $20 on the internet’s favorite linen sheets.

Memorable photo shoot: “Backyard Bliss” for the July 2018 issue. Shooting in 90-degree heat was definitely memorable.

A more comfortable life starts here. New curvy fit jeans in sizes 2-18 and the Squall® that started it all is back.

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Yo u r W o r d s

How do you get your family to help with organization?

Kid-level hooks and shelves allow my kids to put their things away independently. E L I Z A B E T H K N I G H T, W E ST B LO O M F I E L D, M I C H I GA N

With three active teenagers, keeping track of who needs what uniform and what equipment when can be a little overwhelming. Dry erase markers have been our salvation. The kids write their schedules on their bathroom mirrors so they’re reminded of what they need every morning. DEBBIE ESTERAK , AUSTIN, TE XAS

# R S L OV E

“ D R E A M I N G O F A P P L E C A K E S TO DAY. ” @ E VA B L AU M O N D

I make wristbands from construction paper (or I use soft, flexible plastic with Velcro on the ends for something more durable). I write chores on them and put one on each child’s wrist. They wear them until the chore is done. MITZI SHIRLEY, HOUSTON

Start young and make it fun. I also try to set an example for my 6-year-old. I can’t expect her to be organized if I’m not. STEPHANIE BLO OM, SP OK ANE, WASHINGTON

We painted the inside of our pantry cabinet door with dry erase paint and keep a running shopping list there. Every time anyone uses the last of something or thinks of something they would like us to buy, they write it down.

My daughter and I would set an alarm for one hour and do as much as possible in that time. When the alarm went off, we would finish the tasks we were on, put away any tools, and go out for a fun experience. We liked seeing how much can be achieved in a short time and have great memories of fun outings together. BE ATRICE SHUSHAN, CARL SBAD, CALIFORNIA

Each night, we have “five-minute madness.” Everyone has five minutes to do a quick check around the house and put things where they belong. It helps cut down on clutter and makes organization a lot easier. RUTHANN PYLE, CL AYTON, DEL AWARE

KRIS AMAN, MADISON, WISCONSIN

Make storage lid-free so things can just be tossed in. DA N E SS A RO F K A H R , RU SS E L LV I L L E , A R K A N S A S

16 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Clutter control is a must! I keep a large laundry basket by the back door. Unwanted household items, grownout-of clothing, and books go into it. When the basket is full, I happily take it to the local charity thrift shop. MIS SY ALE XANDER, PHIL ADELPHIA

When I was in the workforce, we had mandatory weekly cleaning parties. Afterward we could all enjoy the weekend with a clean and organized space. D ONNA AVERY, L ANCASTER, CALIFORNIA

The Instagrammers who shared the photos in this column will receive a copy of The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room: And How to Keep It That Way. Want to be considered for this column? Tag photos on Instagram with #RSLOVE.

I had a list of chores that needed to be done each week. My daughters would sign up for four duties (one of them had to be a lessthan-fun job), and I would do the rest. No one felt they were stuck with just one job they hated to do. BERNEIL BANNON, EDWARDS, COLORAD O

I have started something I call “commercial cleaning.” My little girls and I watch home improvement shows, and when the commercials start, we run into a designated room and go to town. When the program is back on, we return to snuggling on the couch. It keeps the cleaning and organizing novel, quick, and fun. ALISA LEED, TUC SON, ARIZONA

Technology is a big part of our children’s world, so we use it to get them engaged and organized. Our favorite tool is an app called Cozi [owned by Meredith Corporation, the parent company of Real Simple]. We use it for nearly everything, including our calendars and shopping lists. The kids have their phones with them all the time—why not make that work for us? CAROLYN WOLL AN, SAINT PAUL , MINNESOTA

Set up simple systems even young children can use. Instead of labeling pegboards, I outline items with a liquid chalk pen so the kids know which hook to use in storage closets. Anyone can see which item may be missing right away. AMY DAY, FORT COLLINS, COLORAD O

# R S L OV E

“ W H E N T H E G A M E A N D K I D ZO N E I S I N T H E M I D D L E O F YO U R B E AU T I F U L FA M I LY R O O M , W E M A K E S U R E T H E O R G A N I Z AT I O N I S J U ST A S B E AU T I F U L A S I T I S F U N CT I O N A L . ” @ R I O R G A N I Z E

NEXT QUESTION... What accomplishment are you most proud of this year? Send an email to yourwords@ realsimple.com and let us know your answer to this question. Your response could appear on these pages.

I tell the kids why we organize, not just to do it because I said so. In our house, it’s for ease and lack of stress. A M Y M O N G I OV I , L I T I T Z , P E N N SY LVA N I A

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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 Elizabeth Sile

Science of joy

In Transcription, the latest novel from Kate Atkinson, a young woman is recruited to MI5 to transcribe conversations between agents and Nazi sympathizers in Britain during World War II. After the war, Juliet works a humdrum job at the BBC and believes the past is behind her when unusual happenings—old colleagues turning up on streets, a threatening note in the mail—can’t be ignored. In Atkinson’s quietly suspenseful novel, nothing is as it seems.

At the start of Joyful, author and designer Ingrid Fetell Lee describes a struggling Albanian city that painted its buildings bright colors. Almost immediately, crime declined. People filled the sidewalks. This was in part because color, Lee writes, universally brings people joy. In her book, Lee names 10 “aesthetics of joy,” from Energy (things like color) to Play (round objects). Blending science and tips, Lee shows readers that looking outward—at flowers in a vase or fireworks in the sky—can brighten our days.

Family drama The McCloud siblings have lost everything— first their mother to childbirth, then their father to a Category 5 tornado. Tucker disappears, leaving the eldest, Darlene, to care for her two sisters. Three years later, Tucker, now a radical animal rights activist, reappears after bombing a local cosmetics factory to kidnap his 9-yearold sister, Cora. Told by Darlene and Cora, Abby Geni’s haunting literary thriller, The Wildlands, explores humans’ relationships with nature and what drives a person to fanaticism.

Fictional dinner party If you could invite anyone—dead or alive—to dinner, who would they be? That’s a question asked during parties, in interviews, and now in Rebecca Serle’s whimsical novel, The Dinner List. Just before Sabrina’s 30th birthday party, she finds out she’ll dine with her best friend, three people from her past, and Audrey Hepburn. This fun book will make readers reflect on friendship and lost love and how we remember the past.

Great for book club Eleven-year-old Wash is a slave on a sugar plantation when his master’s brother— an enigmatic scientist and abolitionist— chooses him to be a personal assistant. After they have to flee the plantation in the night, a bounty is put on Wash’s head. In Washington Black, Esi Edugyan depicts how even as Wash leads an adventurous and boundary-pushing life, the risk of enslavement is never far behind. A riveting story about identity, slavery, and freedom.

PROP ST YLING BY CHLOE DALEY

Spy novel

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

18 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Photograph by Addie Juell

A NEW BOOK FROM THE EDITORS OF

REAL SIMPLE

The definitive guide to clearing clutter and creating a happier home —for good. AVA I L A B L E W H E R E V E R B O O K S A R E S O L D

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

Upgrade Your Office By Cat Dash No matter your age, September always seems to bring on that anticipatory back-to-school tingle. Why not channel the feeling into a burst of seasonal productivity and give your office a makeover? These streamlined desk accessories get our highest marks.

Slate Blue Key Desk, $299; poppin.com. Project 62 Task Lamp, $25; target.com. Colorblock Sticky Note/A, $14; moglea.com. Savoy Letter Sorter, $18; anthropologie .com. Kaweco Perkeo Fountain Pen, $16; nannie inez.com. Pink Terrazzo Notebook, $8.50; fermea papier.com. Desk Clock, $75; tait designco.com.

PROP ST YLING BY CHLOE DALEY

TO BUY:

Photograph by Addie Juell

REAL SIMPLE

W H AT W E LO V E

1 2 4

Never buy a new calendar again! This clever design works year after year.

1 FLOWER P OWER These enamel, blackink rollerball pens are refillable, so they’re sustainable as well as stylish. TO BUY: Rifle Paper Enamel Pens, $15 each; riflepaperco.com. 2 U P-T O - DAT E This hand-screen-printed wall calendar can be used indefinitely. Plus, it’s sleek enough that you’ll want to keep it around for ages. TO BUY: Perpetual Calendar, $55; taitdesignco.com.

22 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

3 P E R F E C T PA I R A family-run, fair-trade workshop in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, handcrafts this storage cup and paperweight set. TO BUY: Sepon Terrazzo Desk Set, $85; the-citizenry.com. 4 M A K E YO U R M A R K Each of these self-inking stamps comes with a voucher for a personalized rubber imprint plate. TO BUY: Jayson Home Custom Stamps, from $150; jaysonhome.com.

5 KEEP IT TO GETHER Add a little joy to sorting your paperwork with sculptural brass renditions of the standard-issue paper clip. TO BUY: Brass Clips, $18 for 8; poketo.com. 6 C O O L C AT C H A L L Six architecturally inspired metal cylinders make for a seriously chic way to organize your bits and bobs. TO BUY: Codify Pencil Holder, $48; anthropologie.com.

7 SHAPE UP This quirky geometric mouse pad doesn’t just look good; you can also feel good about it—it’s made in the U.S. using recycled rubber. TO BUY: Gem Rubber Mouse Pad, $32; slashobjects.com. 8 R E A DY T O RO L L The acrylic shelving on this clutter catcher means you’ll find your office supplies easily. TO BUY: Emerson Rolling Cart, $180; worldmarket.com.

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

Foreground: BEHR MARQUEE® Meteorological N430-6 Background: BEHR MARQUEE Rainy Afternoon N430-4

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. .

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W H AT W E LO V E

Pretty Smart S Q UA R E L I P ST I C K T H AT D O U B L E S A S LIP LINER AND SE VEN OTHER BE AUT Y B U Y S T O S AV E YO U R S A N I T Y By Heather Muir Maffei

Y S L RO U G E P U R C O U T U R E T H E S L I M

24 RE AL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

PROP ST YLING BY CHLOE DALEY

With the buttery, matte finish of your favorite leather jacket, this richly pigmented lipstick (available in 16 shades) features a square bullet that defines lips—no liner required. Use the edge to outline your Cupid’s bow, then trace the rest of your lips to enhance their shape before filling them in. TO BUY: $39 each; yslbeautyus.com.

Photograph by Addie Juell

W H AT W E LO V E

ELIZABETH ARDEN RETINOL CER AMIDE CAPSULES LINE ER ASING N I G H T S E RU M

H E RO C O S M E T I C S M I G H T Y PAT C H INVISIBLE+

Made of highly absorbent hydrocolloid, these thin, clear stickers (wear them during the day—no one will notice) flatten zits and stop you from picking. TO BUY: $18 for 39; herocosmetics.us. PA N T E N E P RO -V C H A RC OA L PURIFYING RO O T WA S H

Charcoal acts as a magnet to degunk your hair and scalp. Paraben-free and full of antioxidants, the formula leaves hair clean, not stripped. TO BUY: $10; at drugstores. O L AY S H E A BUT TER WHIP F OA M I N G B O DY WA S H More substantial than traditional foams that slip off your hand, this luxe lather cleanses, hydrates, and rinses clean. A bottle lasts for 30-plus showers. TO BUY: $5; at drugstores.

26 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

CLINIQUE MY HAPPY

Twenty-one years after Clinique launched its original Happy fragrance, it crowdsourced six new mood-boosting scents, including baked goods, the beach, fresh air, and an update on Happy. Just spritz and smile. TO BUY: $22 each; clinique.com and Clinique counters. S A L LY H A N S E N BIG POLISH G UA R D S C U T I C L E P RO T E C T O R S

Your DIY mani will never look messy again. Wrap the stickers (in six sizes) tightly around your nails, paint, let dry for three minutes, then peel off. TO BUY: $6 for 24; at drugstores. SEPHOR A COLLECTION B E AU T Y M A G N E T COLLECTION

These soft, synthetic brushes have magnetic handles that stick to the stand so they aren’t jampacked in a cup (giving them a longer life span). TO BUY: From $8; sephora.com.

M A K E U P B R U S H E S A N D F OA M S M E A R : B R I A N H E N N ; OT H E R 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

For a perfect, potent dose of retinol, twist off the end of a capsule and smooth the serum onto skin before bed. Ceramides and oils prevent irritation. TO BUY: $84 for 60; elizabetharden.com.

New look. Same Zero Feel.

W H AT W E LO V E

Quick Ideas

The Staple Flavored with bergamot, a type of citrus grown mostly in Italy, Earl Grey tea lends its intoxicating aroma to far more than an afternoon cuppa. Simmer it with orange juice and honey for a sticky, bittersweet glaze for chicken or pork. Poach delicate cod illets in a mixture of brewed Earl Grey, ginger, and soy sauce for an inspired light meal. Or blend the leaves from a handful of bags into shortbread dough for a tender slice-and-bake cookie that goes perfectly with, well, you know.

1 GRILLED TE A-GL A ZED D RU M S T I C K S

Boil 2 cups brewed Earl Grey tea, cup orange juice, and cup honey until reduced to cup, 25 minutes; stir in 1 tsp. kosher salt and tsp. black pepper. Brush 8 chicken drumsticks with 2 Tbsp. oil and season with 1 tsp. kosher salt and tsp. black pepper. Grill until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes, brushing with glaze during last 3 minutes. 2 T E A - P OA C H E D C O D

Simmer 4 cups water, 2 Earl Grey tea bags, cup sliced fresh ginger, and 2 Tbsp. soy sauce in a large pot for 5 minutes; remove tea bags and reserve cup liquid. Add 4 6-oz. cod fillets to pot; cover and simmer until just cooked through, 8 minutes. Stir 2 Tbsp. each soy sauce and mirin and 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar into reserved liquid. Serve cod in bowls with mirin sauce and sliced scallions.

Beat 1 cup butter, cup powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp. Earl Grey tea (from 8 bags), and 1 tsp. each lemon zest and vanilla until creamy, 4 minutes. Beat in 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and tsp. baking powder. Shape into 2 logs. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm. Slice inch thick. Bake at 350°F until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. B y D a w n Pe r r y Recipes by Robin Bashinsky

28 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Photograph by Corey Olson

PROP ST YLING BY CHLOE DALEY

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W H AT W E LO V E

LIT TLE NOTES

Upgrade your kid’s lunch-box sticky note with these sweet flat cards. They measure 3½ by 2 inches and come in 37 patterns, from pandas to pencils. TO BUY: Little Notes, $14 for 85; efrancespaper.com.

C A R C A D DY

SPEAKER L ANTERN

This weatherresistant device provides seven hours of light on its highest setting, five hours while streaming music on its Bluetooth speaker. TO BUY: Coleman 360° Sound and Light Lantern, $60; coleman.com.

Little Helpers

This collapsible bin holds groceries, sports gear, and more for a tidier trunk. It has Velcro on the bottom and back to grip onto the trunk’s lining and handles to help transport up to 25 pounds. TO BUY: SnapBasket TrunkCaddy, $30 for 2; clevermade.com.

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

These sparkly numbers make the birthday girl’s cake feel even more special, whether she’s turning 9 or 90. Each stands 3½ inches tall. TO BUY: Gold Glitter Number Cake Toppers, $32 for 10; aheirloom.com.

SPICE MEASURE

Grind or pour directly into this handy tool to measure amounts from a pinch to a quarter cup. TO BUY: MeasureUp Top Down Spice Measurer, $5; chefn.com.

30 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

C O C K TA I L I C E T R I O

Make large, slow-melting hexagonal ice in the silicone tray and medium diamond-shaped ice in the plastic one. Or nest the two trays together for small triangular ice. TO BUY: Rabbit Ice Trio, $15; amazon.com.

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

C AKE TOPPER SET

3-WICK CANDLES 2 FOR $20 This is citrus-squeezing-dessert-devouring-happy-homebody me. We’re making it easier than ever to express your true self with over 30 awesome scent sensations. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. No, seriously. Just one of our famously fab Pier 1 Picks. Exclusions may apply. Must buy two for discount. Offer is not valid with any other BOGO, coupon, offer or discount.

W H AT W E LO V E

New Uses for Old Things

Straws T H E E N V I RO N M E N T WA N T S YO U T O S AY N O T O P L A S T I C S T R AW S . B U T W H AT I F O N E S N E A K S I N TO YO U R TA K EO U T B AG ? D O N ’ T T R A S H I T ; R E P U R P O S E I T. H E R E ’ S H O W. By Brandi Broxson J E W E L RY S AV E R

E N D - O F-TA P E MARKER

Never fumble for the end of a roll of tape again: Just wrap it around a straw. If you want to keep the roll stackable, trim the sides of the straw.

32 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

N O - S P I L L P LU G

Works with paper straws too!

Forgot to grab a splash stick? Fold a straw in half and place it in the sip hole of a takeout coffeecup lid to banish sloshes while in transit.

LOTION TO GO

Save some space in your overnight bag by filling a clean straw with a couple of pumps of lotion or serum. Push one end of the straw into the other end to secure.

Photographs by Corey Olsen

PROP ST YLING BY CHLOE DALEY

Prevent a knotted jumble when traveling by threading your necklace through a straw and clasping it together.

W H AT W E LO V E

My Favorite Piece O N E P RO ’ S M U ST- H AV E D E S I G N E L E M E N T: W A L L - M O U N T E D S H E L V I N G B y Ta m a r a K r a u s

GLITZY

STREAMLINED

Choose from 18 shelf options and four bracket finishes to create an open-storage solution made for your space. TO BUY: Strap brackets and shelf set, from $208; rejuvenation.com.

N AT U R A L

Showcase displayworthy beauty products in the bathroom or spare mugs in the kitchen atop this solid wood surface. TO BUY: Skogsta shelf, $39; ikea.com.

MA SCULINE

Khristian A. Howell Lifestyle designer and consultant in Atlanta “Shelves give an undefined space purpose and create a focal point in a room.” Khristian uses hers to store glassware and create an open bar setup above a console.

34 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Faux-leather straps mask sturdy metal hardware that gives this natural-wood shelf extra support. TO BUY: Rem shelf, from $69; grandinroad.com.

Don’t see the style you want? Learn how to make your own shelf at realsimple .com/floatingshelves.

TO P L E F T A N D B OT TO M L E F T : C O U RT E SY O F N I K I M A L E K F O R K H R I ST I A N A H O W E L L . C O M ; 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

The textured edges and metallic brackets take a ho-hum wall to the next level. TO BUY: Beveled wood shelf, from $78; anthropologie.com.

EVERY

HAS A STARTING POINT. You need to paint that room but you might not know how to begin. At Lowe’s, we can show you everything from taping to rolling, help you choose the color, and get you on your way with all the supplies. You’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

START WITH

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

TH E E A S IE ST WAY TO CLE A N A N OV E N Rub half a lemon on the bottom of the oven where food may have spilled and hardened, says Debra Johnson, home cleaning expert at Merry Maids. Preheat oven to 250°F, then place a medium-size, oven-safe glass mixing bowl filled with water and four more lemon halves on the top rack and close the door. As the water heats up, the resulting steam will help soften stuck-on gunk. Wait an hour, then turn off the oven, open the door, and allow the oven to cool enough to touch. Then use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the door and inside. Stubborn spots? Gently rub with a wet scouring pumice.

GET T Y IMAGES

By Brandi Broxson

THE REALIST

Cooking School T I P S, T EC H N I Q U E S, A N D R EC I P E S ST R A I G H T F RO M T H E R E A L S I M P L E TEST KITCHEN. THIS MONTH: E A SY ME AL PL ANNING By D awn Perr y

The secret to planning dinner? Make a handful of items you can mix, match, and reinvent for a week’s worth of meals. These ideas will get you started.

Boiled potatoes M E AT & P O TAT O E S

Toss warm potatoes in melted butter, chopped chives, salt, and pepper. Serve with seared steak. CHEESY SPUDS & GREENS

Roast chicken KNIFE & FORK CHICKEN SAL AD

Carve chicken and serve warm atop lightly dressed salad greens. G I N G E RY CHICKEN SOUP

Simmer 5 cups chicken broth with a 2-in. piece peeled and sliced ginger, 4 chopped carrots, 2 ribs sliced celery, and cup tiny pasta. Add 1 cups shredded chicken and simmer until pasta is tender. Top with torn parsley and pepper. C H I C K E N TA C O S

Top corn or flour tortillas with shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack and broil until melted. Top with shredded chicken, radishes, salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and hot sauce.

Break cooked potatoes apart with your hands. Cook in a hot skillet in a bit of oil until golden; toss in a couple of handfuls of torn kale, top with shredded Cheddar or mozzarella, and broil until melted and bubbly. OV E N S M A S H E D HASH

Using a sturdy glass, gently flatten potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; turn to coat. Roast at 400°F until golden and crispy. Top with fried eggs and hot sauce.

38 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Vinaigrette BEANS & GREENS

Toss 1 can rinsed and drained pinto beans, 1 chopped avocado, and a few handfuls of arugula or torn kale with just enough dressing to coat. Top with toasted sunflower seeds. EASY MARINADE

Marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs in vinaigrette overnight. Grill or broil until just cooked through. Serve with greens or roasted broccoli. EGG S AL AD

Toss 4 chopped hardboiled eggs with leftover boiled chopped potatoes, a few sliced scallions, and a handful of chopped herbs. Add enough vinaigrette to bind and serve on whole-wheat toast.

Chard, kale, or other sturdy greens

Quinoa, rice, or other grains

H E A RT Y S A L A D

GR AIN BOWL

Massage torn kale (1 handful per person) with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Add chopped toasted almonds and a healthy shower of grated Parmesan.

Top cooked grains with roasted sweet potatoes, a handful of greens, shredded chicken, or a fried egg. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

GARLICKY GREENS

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add 2 cloves sliced garlic and cook until golden. Add 1 bunch chopped chard, a handful at a time, and toss, adding more as there is room, until wilted. Add a handful of raisins and a squeeze of lemon juice.

S T I R- F RY

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Add 4 slices chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Add 1 chopped shallot, 2 cups cooked quinoa or rice, and 1 cup thawed frozen peas. Cook until warmed through. Add 2 Tbsp. each soy sauce and rice vinegar and top with cilantro. VEGGIE BURRITOS

K A L E PA S TA

Add 1 bunch torn greens to your favorite pasta sauce or soup base; cook until wilted.

Fill burrito-size tortillas with quinoa, shredded Cheddar, and black beans. Roll up and cook in a hot skillet until tortillas are golden and crisp. Serve with salsa.

M O R E F RO M O U R K I T C H E N Find videos, lessons, shortcuts, and strategies to help you get dinner (and breakfast, and lunch, and dessert) on the table with ease at realsimple.com/rscookingschool.

Illustrations by Adam Cruft

THE REALIST

Rethinking the Laundry Room W E ’ R E B U S Y D E C O R AT I N G A N D O RG A N I Z I N G A N E N T I R E H O M E T H A T Y O U ’ L L G E T T O S E E L A T E R T H I S FA L L . A S A P R E V I E W, T H E T E A M B E H I N D T H E L A U N D RY R O O M S H A R E S T I P S F O R M A K I N G T H E S PA C E P R E T T Y A N D P R A C T I C A L .

Neat Method organizers implemented their strategies in this client laundr y space.

LIVEN IT UP

Treat your utility space as an extension of your living area, since you spend a good amount of time in it. Add decor that makes it feel homey. Consider displaying artwork, hanging decorative hooks for drying, and swapping that tired plastic hamper for a pretty basket.

Sabrina Soto Designer Sabrina is a Los Angeles–based interior designer and national television personality.

Use a glass beverage dispenser with a spigot to hold liquid detergent, or place a scoop in a jar for powder cleaner. This will streamline the look of your shelves and help you easily see when it’s time to replenish. I L LU M I N AT E STA I N S

Lighting is key because you’re searching for stains. Install a pretty pendant and under-cabinet LED fixtures where possible.

Corrin McCoy Organizer Corrin is the owner of Neat Method New York City, an organizing service.

STA SH S UPP L I E S

Along with laundry items, store spare lightbulbs, batteries, and bulk cleaning supplies in this space. Corral extra cleaning products by type in plastic bins. They’re a cinch to clean and let you view exactly what you have on hand. MAKE IT FUNCTIONAL

Louisa Roberts Organizer Louisa is the owner of Neat Method New York City.

40 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

If your laundry room lacks counter space, add a collapsible table for folding clothes. Create a drying area with a freestanding or wall-mounted drying rack or hanging rod.

L A U N D R Y R O O M : C O U R T E S Y O F J U L I A P U R D Y, O W N E R O F N E AT M E T H O D C O L U M B U S ; S A B R I N A S O T O : C O U R T E S Y O F T E S S A N E U S TA D T ; C O R R I N M C C O Y : C O U R T E S Y O F J O H N S E A B R O O K E ; L O U I S A R O B E R T S : C O U R T E S Y O F VA N E S S A H U E Y

KEEP THINGS CLEAR

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

When it’s time to wash and dry your weekly load, make sure to follow these tips to keep your laundry as fresh-smelling, undamaged and easy to put away as possible.

BAG IT UP: Tired of losing a sock or three after each laundry cycle? Pick up some small, inexpensive mesh laundry bags that can keep your socks in one place through the wash cycle. Bonus: Use the bags to organize clothing when you travel.

CONQUER THE STINK: Make sure sweaty gym clothes and musty kitchen towels get a refresh after just one wash by using ARM & HAMMERTM Plus OxiCleanTM Odor Blasters Detergent. It’s specially formulated to eliminate tough odors and leave behind a fresh, clean scent.

ZIP IT UP: The teeth on a zipper can rip or snag other clothing. So make sure to close up zippers before putting jeans, jackets and other garments in the wash.

KEEP ON TOP OF LINT: If your dryer is taking more than an hour to dry a load—your lint ﬁlter needs to be thoroughly emptied. Also, at least once a year, scrub the lint ﬁlter with a toothbrush and a bit of detergent and let it dry completely before putting it back in. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN

Learn more at WWW.ARMANDHAMMER.COM

THE REALIST

R o a d Te s t

Razors THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING A S M O O T H S H AV E A N D N O T ( I N G RO W N S , O U C H) I S T H E R A ZO R YO U ’R E W I E L D I N G. F R O M A F U Z Z - F R E E FA C E T O A C L E A N B I K I N I L I N E , A N Y J O B I S L E S S O F A PA I N W I T H O U R

BEST DISPOSABLE

Schick Quattro You With four blades specifically designed for a nick-free shave, this bargain pick doesn’t skimp on quality. We loved its slim, violet-scented handle. TO BUY: $10 for 4; at drugstores.

E D I T O R S ’ FA V O R I T E H A I R R E M O V E R S . B E S T P O RTA B L E

By Lisa D eSantis

BEST T WO-IN-ONE

Clio PalmPerfect Electric Shaver Ideal for grooming legs, bikini line, and underarms, this battery-operated trimmer can be used on wet or dry skin, letting you buzz on the go. TO BUY: $9; walmart.com.

Venus ComfortGlide with Olay No shaving cream? No problem. This razor has two moisture bars sandwiching its blades that release body butter as you shave for supersoft skin. TO BUY: $13; target.com.

realsimple ROAD TE ST

BEST SUBSCRIPTION

Billie The Starter Kit Not only do these razors look chic displayed in your shower, but the company was created for women in the hope of shifting the male-dominated shaving industry (no pink tax here!). Choose a magnetic handle in coral, blush, periwinkle, or blue; you’ll get two cartridge blades that pop in. The company offers autodelivery, so you’ll never run out of replacement blades. TO BUY: $9; mybillie.com.

44 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

B E S T F O R FA C E

Oui Rose Gold Safety Razor With a weighted handle for balance and a single stainless-steel blade that provides the closest shave we’ve ever felt, you’ll emerge from the shower feeling like a queen. TO BUY: $75; ouishave.com.

Sephora Collection Level Setter Razors Hold clean, dry skin taut and skim the razor over peach fuzz on cheeks, upper lip, and chin. To avoid bumps, go over each area only once. TO BUY: $8 for 3; sephora.com.

For more on getting the smoothest shave, check out our expert tips at realsimple.com/shaving.

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 S P LU RG E

THE REALIST

Beauty Coach

Voluminous Hair WA N T T O G E T T H AT S A L O N O O M P H AT H O M E ? HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN THREE STEP S.

Prep hair with bodyboosting shampoo and conditioner, like John Frieda Luxurious Volume Core Restore Shampoo and Conditioner ($12 each; ulta.com). Divide towel-dried hair into two-inch sections and wrap around a round brush. Aim the blow-dryer nozzle downward, drying each section from root to tip, creating tension as you slide the brush down.

Once hair is cool, undo the clips to unravel each section. Doing so buys you added volume that won’t deflate the second you walk outside. Shake out hair and finger-comb to smooth, then set with a flexible hairspray, like Tresemmé Compressed MicroMist Hair Spray Hold Level 2 Smooth ($5; target.com).

46 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

2 After one section of hair is dry, set your blow-dryer down and wrap hair around your pointer and middle fingers, forming a loose roll. Secure it at your scalp by sliding in a duckbill clip. We like Lena Open Hair Clip Set ($24 for 4; anthropologie .com). Repeat all over your head.

To watch a video on how to get the look, go to realsimple.com/ blowout.

P R O C E S S S H OTS B Y J E R RY L E U ; 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

By Heather Muir Maffei

P h o t o g r a p h b y M e i Ta o

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

H A I R A N D M A K E U P B Y A M Y C H I N ; S T Y L I N G B Y A L E X I S PA R E N T E . A . P. C T O P, $ 4 2 5 ; U S O N L I N E . A P C . F R . E L I Z A B E T H A N D J A M E S E A R R I N G S , $ 7 5 ; 3 2 3 - 6 4 7 - 7 1 1 1 . C AT B I R D N E C K L A C E , $ 1 8 8 ; C AT B I R D N Y C . C O M

THE REALIST

Real Simplifier

Take a Hike C O O L E R AU T U M N W E AT H E R B E G S F O R A WA L K I N T H E W O O D S. T H E S E T I P S F RO M S E A S O N E D H I K E R S W I L L H E L P YO U M A K E T H E M O ST O F YO U R T I M E I N T H E W I L D. H A P P Y T R A I L S ! By Caroline McKenzie

PL AN IT OUT

RISE AND HIKE

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

B E P R E PA R E D

P L AY I T S A F E

To learn about the best trails near you, try the Hiking Project’s crowdsourced guide at americanhiking.org. It shows more than 38,000 routes across the country and includes helpful information, such as mileage, trail difficulty, and other nice-to-know tips (like where the public restrooms are located). No matter which trail you choose, study the map for at least 15 minutes prior to the hike, says Rebecca Walsh, the founder of Hike Like a Woman, an organization dedicated to encouraging female hikers. Familiarize yourself with landmarks and pin down the best route in case the trail isn’t properly marked.

Consider a morning hike over a midday or evening one, says Laurie Potteiger, the information services manager for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. At this time of day, you should experience less heat and fewer crowds (especially beneficial on popular trails during weekends and holidays). You’ll also have more of a time buffer for getting back if a hike takes longer than expected—and “they often will,” says Potteiger. One additional perk of starting early: You’re more likely to encounter wildlife in action—think grazing deer, frolicking bunnies, and more. Start around dawn for better odds.

Skip cotton clothing, says Walsh. “Once it gets wet from sweat or rain, it stays that way for a very long time.” Instead, wear a synthetic material, such as nylon or polyester, which dries more quickly. Dress children in bright clothing for better visibility. Also, consider wearing clothes treated with permethrin, which contains a formula that helps ward off ticks and other insects. (Find permethrin-treated clothes at a gear shop or a retailer like L.L. Bean or REI.) As for footwear, a sturdy pair of brokenin running shoes will suffice for most trails if you don’t own hiking boots. Opt for a thick pair of moisture-wicking socks—many experts prefer merino wool.

There are a few items Potteiger and Walsh agree are always worth bringing: a whistle, a first aid kit (try the American Red Cross’s easy-to-tote Pocket First Aid Kit, $3.50; redcross.org), bottled water (one to two liters per two hours on the trail), and several small, protein-rich snacks, such as nuts and jerky, as well as dried fruit for a good supply of energy. A no-brainer: your smartphone, with its built-in compass, tracking features, and endless apps—plus the camera. Switch to airplane mode at the beginning of the hike (in most phones, GPS still works under this setting) and bring a portable battery pack in case your phone dies.

Before you leave home, share your itinerary with someone staying behind. If you find yourself lost, “hug a tree,” says Walsh. That is, stay put instead of veering farther off course. While hiking at higher elevations, watch for signs of altitude sickness— headache, nausea, dizziness, or a general “hungover” feeling. Turn back right away if you feel this way. Even descending a few hundred feet can ease symptoms. Need help? Use your whistle to send a distress call of three loud blasts, each lasting approximately three seconds.

48 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

For more smart ways to stay safe while hiking, go to realsimple.com/ hikingsafety.

Illustrations by Amy van Luijk

DILLARDS.COM/SOUTHERNLIVING

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

I spilled a few drops of gas on my shoes at the pump.

50 RE AL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

I have prescription medicine I don’t need anymore. The safest and most environmentally friendly way to dispose of expired or unneeded medications is to drop them off at a pharmacy (find a disposal location near you at disposemy meds.org) or participate in local take-back events (contact your police or fire station for info), says David Gortler, PharmD, a pharmacology expert. If neither of these options is possible and there’s an immediate risk the medicine will get into the wrong hands, you may be able to flush it: Check the list of what’s acceptable to flush at fda.gov. To prevent identity theft and prescription fraud, scratch out your personal information on the prescription bottle before recycling it or throwing it away.

THE FIX:

My pillows have yellowed. Soak synthetic and down pillows in an oxygen-based cleaner for up to 30 minutes, then wash with detergent on a cold, delicate cycle, says Donna Smallin Kuper, certified housecleaning technician and author of Cleaning Plain & Simple. Tumble dry on low with clean tennis balls or dryer balls to prevent clumping. Have a foam pillow? Soak it in a basin of warm water and oxygen-based cleaner for 30 minutes, then add a splash of detergent and work the suds through the foam. Rinse until you no longer see suds; squeeze out any excess water. Let the pillow dry flat on a ventilated surface (like a drying rack), preferably outside. Replace extremely yellowed pillows if they’re older than 1 years.

THE FIX:

Photograph by Chelsea Cavanaugh

P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y C H L O E D A L E Y. S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O G W E N W H I T I N G A N D L I N D S E Y B O Y D , C O F O U N D E R S O F T H E L A U N D R E S S , A N D M I C H A E L B R EU S , P H D, C L I N I CA L P SYC H O LO G I ST A N D S L E E P S P EC I A L I ST

THE FIX: Leave leather or suede shoes to the pros. As for other kinds, immediately blot with a paper towel to remove as much gas as you can, says cleaning expert Melissa Maker, author of Clean My Space. Once you’re home, sprinkle cornstarch over the affected area to absorb any remaining oil. Let sit for an hour, then scrape off the cornstarch with the dull edge of a butter knife. (Safely dispose of the paper towel and cornstarch in accordance with your city’s hazardous waste guidelines.) Air the shoes outdoors for 24 hours or until the gas odor has faded. Then check the shoes’ care instructions: If they’re machine washable, pretreat them before washing on a regular cycle. If they’re not machine washable, gently scrub the affected area with a toothbrush and dish soap, then rinse. Always air-dry your shoes— putting them in the dryer is a fire hazard.

A safety message from

It only takes a second Keep laundry pacs away from children

Tide PODS now come in a Child-Guard tub and bag

THE REALIST

Organize This

A pegboard or wall grid lets you reposition accessories as storage needs change throughout the semester. Adhesive hooks are great for headphones or statement jewelry. TO BUY: Copper wire wall grid, $20; container store.com. Command small metallic hooks in copper, $8 for 4; command.com.

H O W D O YO U S O LV E A P RO B L E M L I K E A D O R M RO O M ? C E R T I F I E D P R O F E S S I O N A L O R G A N I Z E R J U L I E B E S T RY S H A R E S H E R T I P S F O R M A K I N G T H E M O S T O F A S M A L L S PA C E . By Stephanie Sisco

2 C R E AT E E A S Y A C C E S S

No room for a nightstand? Keep remotes, eyeglasses, and chargers handy in a bedside pocket. TO BUY: Stackers small bedside pocket, $30; containerstore.com.

3 POWER UP

Expand the storage space beneath your bed with the help of risers. Look for ones with built-in plugs and USB ports so there’s no struggling to reach the wall outlet. TO BUY: Studio 3B USB bed lift set, $30; bedbathand beyond.com.

4 PL AN FOR SUMMER

Bring in a rolling shelf to group together similar items (toiletries, coffee supplies) and keep them off the floor. This accordion-style option collapses flat for simple storage when school’s out. TO BUY: Origami 3-Shelf folding rack, $60; container store.com. 5 D O D OUBLE DUT Y

TO BUY: (Clockwise from left) Casabella Blue 2-in-1

shower caddy, $8; containerstore.com. Flowers by Mouni Feddag throw pillow, $30; society6.com. White Organizer desk lamp, $69; crateandbarrel.com/kids. Handwoven Mayan throw pillow in mustard, $138, Popcorn Dot pillow sham in tangerine, $78, and Popcorn Grid coverlet in tangerine, $249; schoolhouse.com. Natural Flokati wool area rug, $220; worldmarket.com.

52 RE AL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Maximize storage in a minuscule closet by hanging an adjustable second rod from the existing one. Leave room for longer clothing (like dresses) on one side. TO BUY: Room Essentials Adjustable closet rod extender, $10; target.com. To find a checklist of dorm room essentials, visit realsimple.com/dormroom.

Photograph by Br yan Gardner

P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y C H L O E D A L E Y. TO B U Y ( C L O C K W I S E F R O M TO P L E F T ) : E S S E N Z A M I N I C O F F E E M A C H I N E , $ 1 4 9 ; N E S P R E S S O . C O M . K A L A N I S TAT E M E N T N E C K L A C E , $ 8 9 ; S T E L L A D OT. C O M . TO R TO I S E S TA P L E R , $ 3 2 ; K AT E S PA D E . C O M . A N N A & AVA A R A B E L L A G O L D E A R R I N G S , $ 3 0 , A N D A N N A & AVA A D A L I N E R E S I N E A R R I N G S , $ 2 5 ; D I L L A R D S . C O M . R E D R I S I N G S U N 1 B Y S U S A N N E K A S I E L K E ; M I N T E D . C O M F O R S I M I L A R . K E D S C H A M P I O N S N E A K E R S I N P I N E A P P L E C H A M B R AY, F R O M $ 47 ; K E D S . C O M

1 BE FLEXIBLE

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THE REALIST

Fo o d fo r T h o u g ht

What’s your secret-weapon ingredient that makes family dinner a success? A V EG G I E T R AY

Heat cup apricot jelly and 3 tablespoons soy sauce over medium until they form a liquid. The gravy is delicious over pork and chicken (and probably fish). MONICA SEIBERT, NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

R E A L LY G O O D PA S TA

I always have it on hand as a staple. It’s great as a base for any ingredients lying around in the fridge or pantry— or on its own with a little olive oil, butter, and Parmesan. HE ATHER YOUNG SARKIS, GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA

TIYA CRAVEN, EUGENE, OREGON

S PA R K L I N G GR APE JUICE

Serve it in wineglasses for the kiddos. They use the same good china we do, as well as linen napkins. They behave accordingly! JANICE MAUTINO MARIE T TA VIET TI, ROCKVILLE, INDIANA

M Y N O N N A’ S T I P

She taught me to put a little oil and garlic in a pan in the oven on low heat. As long as a garlic aroma is coming from the kitchen, nobody minds waiting.

FRESH BREAD

Baked from thawed frozen dough. Everyone loves it, and it smells heavenly. It reminds us of Gramma’s cooking. ROBIN WREN ROZNOWSKI, ALPENA , MICHIGAN

MY HOMEMADE VINAIGRET TE

My kids will eat anything I drizzle it on—salad, veggies, chicken, fish. ANGEL A TINSLEY, BURBANK , CALIFORNIA

A GL ASS OF WINE AND HEADPHONES

Both for myself. K ATHERINE WORTMAN, BRO OKLINE, MAS SACHUSE T TS

MARK WEINBERG/OFFSET

A P R I C OT J E L LY G R AV Y

I put one out for the kids to snack on while I make dinner. They know not to whine about being hungry when I’ve provided them with food. And they are hungry, so they actually eat the vegetables.

KRISTA ARAGONA , COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS

HUNGRY FOR HAPPY MOMENTS? MAKE MEMORIES WITH PEOPLE YOU LOVE, AROUND FOOD YOU LOVE.

tip

Serve delicious, family-favorite STOUFFER’S ® lasagna over a white paper tablecloth the kids can draw on. BONUS: It makes for easier clean up!

® TM

T H E R E’S N O N E E D TO R E B U I L D YO U R W H O L E WA R D RO B E F O R T H E N E W S E A S O N . R E F R E S H YO U R ST YLE WITH ONE OF THESE FIVE WE AR ABLE TRENDS. By Flavia Nunez

L E O PA R D S H O E S The classic animal print keeps coming back . Now it adorns a comfy, walkable heel that will take you from work to errands to girls’ night.

Photographs by Junichi Ito

THE REALIST

L E AT H E R D R E S S E S Embrace a little edginess with a luxe garment that’s still office-appropriate (and superchic!).

TO BUY: (This page, from left) Yona New York Nappa Leather Shirt dress, $425; yonanewyork .com. Antonio Melani Jackie dress, $249; dillards.com. ASOS Leather Look Shift dress, $64; asos.com. (Opposite page, clockwise from top) Taryn Rose Nora Leopard boots, $225; taryn rose.com. Franco Sarto Genesse mules, $99; macys.com. White House Black Market Leopard Calf Hair Slingback heels, $135; whbm.com.

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

THE REALIST

HOOP EARRINGS The simple ’80s favorite got a makeover. Natural materials, like wood and resin, make these feel modern.

S T Y L I N G B Y A N N A S U R B AT O V I C H AT B A R E P S

TO BUY: (Clockwise from top) Alexis Bittar Wide Graduated Medium Hoop Lucite earrings, $145; alexisbittar.com. Pono by Joan Goodman Gia earrings, $100; ponobyjoangoodman .com. A.V. Max Bella Hoop earrings, $25; avmaxnyc.com. Kenneth Jay Lane Gold Large Dark Wood Hoop earrings, $65; kennethjaylane.com.

58 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

“A bladder leak pad that’s a lot less bulky, and drier too.* Need I say more?”

Leading Bladder Leak Pad

Always Discreet is made differently. The super absorbent core turns liquid to gel, for drier protection that’s a lot less bulky.*

THE REALIST

OVERSIZE TOTES Get excited, because the It bag of the season is one that actually fits all your stuff. Metallic details give a major upgrade to this smart trend.

TO BUY: (Clockwise from top) Deux Lux James Shopper tote, $150; deuxlux.com. Celine Dion Collection Harmony Hobo bag, $128; bfashionbags.com. Rebecca Minkoff Blythe tote, $295; shopbop.com.

60 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

THE REALIST

DOUBLEBRE A STED BLAZERS The power-dressing essential is updated with a relaxed, roomy fit. Wear one with skinny pants for a look that elongates your legs.

TO BUY: (Clockwise from top) Topshop Longline Double Breasted Suit jacket, $95; nordstrom.com. Zara Check Double Breasted blazer, $70; zara.com. Talbots Pinstripe blazer, $169; talbots.com.

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS IN A MODERN WORLD

5 R E A S O N S TO E M B R ACE YO U R MILE STONE B I RTH DAY PA U L S I R I S A L E E / O F F S E T

By Sharlene Breakey

You’ll come into your own. I loved turning 30 because I began to feel way less neurotic, especially about what men thought of me. When Jessica Williams and I started our podcast, I’d get messages from guys criticizing me for things like the pitch of my voice. Five years ago, that might have caused me to consider changing something about myself, but now I just think, “This is who I am, and I like it.” PHOEBE ROBINSON IS A COMEDIAN, WRITER, AND COHOST OF THE P OD CAST 2 D OPE QUEENS. HER SECOND BO OK , EVERYTHING’S TRASH, BUT I T ’S OKAY, WILL BE PUBLISHED ON O CTOBER 16. SHE LIVES IN NE W YORK CIT Y.

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

R E L AT I N G

It adds fuel to your fire. Age was never something I thought about. Ever. But as a pro athlete turning 40, I’ve been forced to, since people now ask me all the time when I’ll stop playing. Initially it made me mad, but now I let it push me. I’m like, “Doubt me? I’ll show you.” Far from slowing me down, getting older and having kids has taught me and inspired me so much that it’s probably added a decade to my career. Someday I’ll hang up my bikini, but not yet. KERRI WAL SH JENNINGS IS A THREE-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST AND A ONE TIME OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALIST IN BE ACH VOLLEYBALL WHO IS TRAINING FOR THE 2020 OLYMPIC S. SHE RECENTLY L AUNCHED P14 40, AN EVENT SERIES INTENDED TO REVITALIZE THE SP ORT OF VOLLEYBALL . SHE LIVES IN MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

Mindfulness comes naturally.

Now that I’m in my late 40s and (let’s face it) nearing 50, I’ve ﬁnally found my tribe. That’s because I’ve gotten much better at reading people. As a result, I’m much less likely to let a narcissist camp out in my basement. I had an aspirational 40th birthday party, inviting the people I thought should be my friends. It was overcatered and underpopulated, and the people who came stayed 45 minutes, wondered why they were there, then left. It was borderline humiliating but provoked a moment of reckoning that spurred me to change how I looked at friendship. I’m much better now at spotting like-minded souls. And I only befriend people who are both funny and kind. PAMEL A DRUCKERMAN IS THE AUTHOR OF THERE ARE NO GROWN-UPS: A MIDL IFE COMING-OF-AGE STORY. SHE LIVES IN PARIS.

66 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

MAIRA KALMAN, AN ILLUSTRATOR AND WRITER, IS THE AUTHOR OF CAKE. HER MEMOIR ABOUT HER MOTHER, S ARA BERMAN’S CLOSET, WAS WRIT TEN WITH HER SON, ALE X K ALMAN, AND IS DUE OUT ON O CTOBER 30. SHE LIVES IN NE W YORK CIT Y.

Neuroscience is on your side. What most people think is true about aging—that it’s a sad and empty decline—is wrong. Some research shows that as we age, our brains change in ways that may actually make us more positive. The emotional peak of life can occur in our 60s and 70s. And as our brains change, so do our values, making us want to give back. What’s more, because we’re living longer, we can get the gift of an additional 10 to 15 years to be productive and enjoy this happiness. In fact, our culture suggests that all the innovation comes from young people, but really, more start-ups are begun by people over 55. It’s an extremely generative chapter of life. JONATHAN RAUCH IS THE AUTHOR OF THE HAPPINES S CURVE: WHY L IFE GETS BET TER AF TER 50. HE LIVES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

RU T H B L AC K / STO C K SY

You’ll find your peeps.

My mom set an important example for how meaningful and joyful life after 60 could be. After divorcing my father, she got her own little apartment and spent 24 years being single—and she loved every second of it. She was so grateful to establish rituals, to drink tea and go to museums. Close to 70 myself, I am now the one ﬁnding great joy in small things. You learn that those simple moments—walking in the park, painting, going out to dinner with someone you love—are the best parts of life. And that life really is an accumulation of those moments.

R E L AT I N G

Good Read

The Book Fairy W E R E O U T O F C O N T R O L . PA R I N G DOWN WOULD CHANGE HOW S H E T H O U G H T O F H E R S H E LV E S (AND HERSELF).

68 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Photographs by Addie Juell

PROP ST YLING BY CHLOE DALEY

L AU R A L I P P M A N ’ S B O O KC A S E S

R E L AT I N G

at the Atlanta Constitution many years ago, the television critic returned from a California junket where reporters had been invited to tour the Malibu home of Larry Hagman, then at the height of his Dallas fame. (I said it was many years ago.) The critic laughed at how the writers had formed a line at Hagman’s bookshelves and begun jotting down the titles, keen to find any detail that would make their stories distinctive. But I absorbed a diferent message: Your bookshelves define you. People walk into your home and create a narrative of who you are based on the books on display. And for more than 30 years, across eight moves and four states, I was in thrall to that idea. My bookshelves, c’est moi. Look how erudite I am, how eclectic! That one course in 18th- and early 19th-century Russian lit helped a lot there. Dostoevsky and Tolstoy are commonplace, but what about Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time? I left college with at least six cartons of books, moving to Texas to work at newspapers where I initially made very little money. But that didn’t stop me from acquiring more books. In Waco, I bought them from secondhand stores and the remaindered table at B. Dalton at the mall. In San Antonio, I patronized Rosengren’s; when Rosengren’s went out of business, I bought some of their shelves to hold my burgeoning collection. I bought books in my hometown of Baltimore, along so-called Book Row, then all over New York City and New Orleans in the years that followed. I had so little self-control when it came to books that I inadvertently ended up with some valuable modern first editions, including Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees. Well, they would be valuable, except I like to read in the bathtub, which makes it diicult to keep hardcovers in the condition desired by collectors. I married, I divorced, I married again. My collection grew, was halved, then doubled like a punched-down loaf of dough. A librarian’s daughter, I kept my volumes in impeccable order, displaying the ones with the most serious literary cred in the living room. It’s not that reporters ever came to my house, but I still wanted to be able to pass that test. (A few years ago, a reporter did come to the house and wrote that I had a collection of books about bluegrass, which wasn’t even true, but it sounded cool at least.) Not only did I never give away a book, but I replaced those that got away from me: James Crumley’s Dancing Bear, destroyed by a poolside splash; David Thomson’s Suspects, lost in the divorce. I prowled yard sales and library sales and eBay, stalking copies of my childhood favorites. W H E N I WA S A YO U N G I N T E R N

70 RE AL SIMPLE S E P T E M B E R 2018

in early 2017. I wish I had a blinding epiphany or even an interesting accident to report—say, being trapped for days under a pile of books. But I found myself looking at my shelves and realizing they were not, in fact, a mirror. If anything, they were a carefully curated and alphabetized lie. I owned dozens, if not hundreds, of books I had yet to read. True, I had chosen them—I planned/hoped to read them—but was I really that diferent from someone who purchased books in bulk in order to arrange them for maximum decorative impact? Who cared what my books had to say about me? What did I have to say about my books? I ’ M N O T S U R E W H AT C H A N G E D

ABOUT T H E AU T H O R Crime writer Laura Lippman is the author of the Tess Monaghan series, a short-story collection, and 10 stand-alone novels, including her most recent, Sunburn. She lives in Baltimore.

AU T H O R P H OTO G R A P H C O U RT E SY O F L E S L I E U N R U H

In 1997, I became a novelist, which opened a new pipeline of books—my own and those by other writers. Soon I had to get a storage unit for my novels, a downside of being a proliﬁc writer contractually entitled to receive multiple copies of every edition. In 2015, I agreed to judge the National Book Award for Fiction, taking delivery of almost 500 books. Luckily, my real estate had expanded, and I had an oice around the corner from my home, complete with a small anteroom where I could stash even more books. Now, when Marie Kondo took the world by storm in 2014, I, of course, bought her book. While I found it easy to donate clothes and other possessions, I laughed at the notion that one would ever give away books. Don’t all books spark joy? Jettisoning my books felt like clipping of pieces of my soul. Until it didn’t.

You know how people talk about the books on their nightstands? My narrow Baltimore row house doesn’t have space for nightstands. Instead I have a custom-made console behind my bed, with a few volumes lined across the top. Then, in the corner, my husband and I have matching so-called floating bookshelves, vertical stands that can hold almost 60 books each. My TBR (to-be-read) pile almost reaches my hairline—and I’m five-foot-nine. You see, I give away books every month, but I also continue to buy books—five for me on my last trip to a bookstore, seven for my daughter, so that month was a push. In one of my favorite childhood novels, The Long Secret, the sequel to the divine Harriet the Spy, a pious girl is scandalized when her mother uses a Bible to fan herself on a sultry day. She protests that the book is sacred. Her mother laughs: “Ain’t the book what’s sacred,” she says. “It’s what’s in the book that’s sacred.” It wasn’t my books that defined me, that shaped the writer I’ve become. It was what was in them—and what is now in me. My memory is a poor one, but I retain from books what I need to retain, usually one perfect image or a dazzling passage. Books deserve to be read, not preserved on shelves where they won’t be cracked open again in one’s lifetime. It’s a mitzvah to pass along titles that I love, a way of playing matchmaker between great writers and avid readers. And so far the only judgment anyone has made about me based on my bookshelves is that I am hell on the jackets and spines, which is undeniably true. Yes, I still read in the bathtub. So if you should win the Mystery Box and receive a book that looks a little, well, wavy, please forgive me. PLUS, BOOKS KEEP COMING AND COMING.

I looked at my shelves and realized they were not, in fact, a mirror. They were a carefully curated and alphabetized lie. Studying my shelves, I realized there were four categories: books I had read and may one day reread, those I had not read but hoped to, those I had read but was never going to reread, and those I was never going to read. The next thing I knew, I had gone into a culling frenzy, pulling almost 100 books in the latter two categories. What to do with them? As a resident of Baltimore, I had a terriﬁc option called the Book Thing, a huge warehouse that accepts used books and then gives them away to anyone who wants them. But I knew myself. If I walked into the Book Thing, I’d walk out with more books. So I created the Mystery Box, a very random collection of 12 books that I give away monthly. A photo of the box, which has a shocking amount of personality for a brownpaper package tied up with string, is posted on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; everyone who shares the post is entered into a lottery to win the box. Since I began, in April 2017, Mystery Boxes have been shipped to destinations as close as my own hometown and as far away as Indonesia. To date, I have sent out almost 200 books for “adoption.” And while I thought the early boxes would be the best, I realized that the deeper I go into my shelves, the more likely I am to select books I sincerely love. Take the case of Author X, a British writer whose books I inhaled in the 1990s. She’s still publishing, but I’m not still reading, and not because she snubbed me at a festival last year. She wrote, and continues to write, a type of novel that I needed in my 30s but doesn’t speak to me now. Still, they’re delightful books. I wouldn’t include them in the Mystery Box if I didn’t feel I could endorse them. Each recipient of the Mystery Box receives a letter saying the books are theirs to do with as they please but asking that the contents never be revealed on social media. In part, that’s because some writers might infer insult. But it’s also because I like to think that the Mystery Box should be, well, a mystery. To reveal the titles would be a kind of humblebrag. Oh, look at the caliber of what I’m giving away—can you imagine what I keep?

More Ways to Share Books GO ODWILL

B O O K S T H RO U G H B A R S

With some 160 national Goodwill chapters, chances are there’s a thrift store near you. Sales of donations fund job training and assistance programs for those in need.

A number of small charities, like Books Through Bars in Philadelphia, accept books (with prior approval) to give to incarcerated people.

O P E R AT I O N PA P E R B A C K

If you have stacks of new or like-new children’s or young adult books, Reader to Reader accepts donations by mail. Books are given to underfunded schools, Native American reservations, and libraries.

This charity connects book donors with soldiers overseas, military families, and veterans’ hospitals. Register as a shipper, select the genres you have, and mail books to the addresses provided. (USPS Media Mail is the cheapest method.)

RE ADER TO RE ADER

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

FIND TIME TO TREAT YOUR DOG LIKE A STAR Give your dog the A-list treatment with these tips and tricks from the bloggers of Whoa, Wait. Walmart? Spoiler alert: It starts with Purina Beggin’ Strips.

“Even when we’re caught up in the fall shopping frenzy, we’re always sure to make time for Bethany’s dog, Clementine, who we consider a big star. First, we head out to the dog park so Clemy can hang with her gal pals. After all that social interaction, it’s Purina Beggin’ Strips treat time. While we are out, we’ll pick up a brand new bed for Clementine on one of our many Walmart runs before heading back home for a little rest/snuggle time on the sofa. Between a new bed and lots of treats—she’ll feel like the ultimate A-lister.”

Buy a “How Dogs Think” bundle pack— get a free sample of Beggin’ Treats!* *At participating Walmart stores while supplies last

PURINA BEGGIN’ STRIPS ARE THE BEST WAY TO GIVE YOUR DOG THE CELEBRITY TREATMENT.

R E L AT I N G

The Vets Will See You Now A N SW E R S TO YO U R H A I R I E ST P E T Q U E ST I O N S

THRE AD COUNT

T R A I N I N G DAY

I TC H TO S C R ATC H

My cat loves to pull threads from blankets and towels. How can I get her to stop, other than by keeping linens out of reach?

We just got an 8-week-old puppy. How soon should we put him in training classes?

My dog has been scratching more than usual. How do I find out whether he has allergies?

Enroll him right away, encourages animal trainer Mikkel Becker. Between 3 and 16 weeks old, puppies are in their socialization period, meaning what they’re exposed to during this time will directly impact their social development and confidence level. For roughly four to six weeks, take a weekly hour-long group class with your pup or schedule a few shorter private sessions per week. A good class will use positive reinforcement; offer ample rewards, like treats or toys; and provide guided play sessions with other, friendly pups. Practice the skills taught in class at home to reinforce the new behavior, says Becker. Look for a class that requires veterinary proof of current vaccinations to help ensure it’s a safe environment for your pup. Ask your vet or local rescue group for recommendations for a certified trainer.

Bathe him once or twice a week and use unscented, hypoallergenic diaper wipes on his paws every time he comes in from a walk to help remove grass allergens and pollen. If he’s still scratching and you’re sure he doesn’t have fleas, try the prescription injection Cytopoint or an over-the-counter antihistamine without decongestant, like Zyrtec ($31 for 70 tablets; amazon.com), says veterinarian Donna Solomon, DVM. Hide the tablet in a palatable food, such as almond butter, or place it in a pill pocket (try Milk-Bone Pill Pouches, $4; target.com). Consult with your vet about dosage, but the general daily dose is half a tablet (five milligrams) for dogs under 25 pounds, one tablet for 25- to 50-pound dogs, and one to two tablets for dogs more than 50 pounds. If that doesn’t help, a veterinary dermatologist can run a blood or skin test to identify environmental allergies.

Your cat might be bored or curious, says animal behavior expert Steven Appelbaum. Give her something more interesting to occupy herself with, such as an interactive cat toy (like the Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy, $12; chewy.com). Or try a scratching post made of sisal (like the Trixie Pet Products Parla Scratching Post, $33; jet.com), which, unlike posts made of soft fabric, your cat won’t confuse with textiles. Stimulate her interest by sprinkling some catnip on the post, and avoid placing it near her favorite nap spot, as she might ignore the post if there’s a bed nearby she likes better. Spritz linens with a natural, textile-safe repellent (like NaturVet Bitter Yuck No Chew Spray, $10; petco.com) to deter her. Let the spray dry before touching linens and reapply after every wash.

Vetted by realsimple

Sherpa Original Deluxe Pet Carrier This plush carrier is so comfortable, your kitty will want to curl up in it even at home. It features a machinewashable liner and a seat belt, and it fits specifications for many major airlines, so you can travel with your feline minus the hassle. TO BUY: From $70; amazon.com.

O U R E X P E RT S STEVEN APPELBAUM, PRESIDENT, ANIMAL BEHAVIOR COLLEGE, SANTA CL ARITA , CALIFORNIA MIKKEL BECKER, LE AD ANIMAL TRAINER, FE AR FREE HAPPY HOMES GAYLE O’KONSKI, DVM, MORRIS ANIMAL HOSPITAL , GRANGER, INDIANA DONNA SOLOMON, DVM, ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER OF CHICAGO

78 RE AL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

G E T T Y I M AG E S ; P R O D U CT I M AG E C O U RT E SY O F M A N U FACT U R E R

By Jennifer Chen

R E L AT I N G

the term “professional organizer,” we picture a decluttering maven who can alphabetize a pantry and color-code a closet in no time flat. But Sarah Giller Nelson, owner of Less Is More, an organizing service based in Miami and Chicago, says that lately, more and more parents are seeking her out for help organizing something arguably scarier than their chaotic basements: their crammed schedules. “Parents’ calendars are packed with school activities, birthday parties, sports events—plus they’re juggling their own personal and professional duties and trying to keep track of their partner’s,” she says. The ﬁrst question Nelson asks these clients is “Do you feel like you’re always busy but never get anything done?” If the answer is yes (it’s usually yes), she explains, “it’s time to streamline, improve communication within the family, and carve out space to breathe and just enjoy one another.” More reason to strive for a happy calendar: Some research shows that planning ahead may be a more efective stress reliever for some people than deep breathing and meditation. So instill some order in your schedule and maximize your time with these expert-vetted tips. WHEN MOST OF US HEAR

Unclutter Your Calendar I F Y O U R FA M I LY S C H E D U L E L O O K S A L I T T L E T O O M U C H L I K E A B AT T L E P L A N , YO U ’ R E N O T A L O N E . U S E T H E S E S T R A T E G I E S T O F I N D S PA C E . By Leslie Goldman

80 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Illustrations by Abbey Lossing

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R E L AT I N G

Hold a Sunday family meeting.

Sign up for a shared email address. Globally, 269 billion emails were sent last year. It might have felt like all of them came from your kids’ school. Often just one parent is on the receiving end, putting the onus on a single person to keep everyone on schedule. For Becky and Daniel Difen, parents of two elementary-school students in Austin, Texas, the situation was leading to schedule snafus and annoyances for both parents. “Becky is a full-time attorney, and I stay home with the kids,” says Daniel. “When they were in preschool, I’d receive 90 percent of the emails and then forward things to Becky.” But updates and cancellations would come suddenly, challenging even the most avid email checker. In 2016, a last-minute change to the pre-K Mother’s Day program slipped through the cracks, forcing Becky to miss out. Last year, a parenting message board gave Becky the idea to create a shared email address. “We use it for anything related to school, scouts, summer camp, and sports, plus party RSVPs,” she says. “Now we can both see everything, check our calendars, and chat quickly about whether we can make new events work.” Daniel adds that a joint email account comes in handy when, say, one parent shows up with the kids for a soccer game only to find the field empty. Now either can log in and see that—surprise!—the field has been changed from 5A to 6B. When your kids grow older, the shared account can be loaded onto their phones or laptops so you’re all in the loop.

82 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

This is prime time for coordinating the week ahead. Are there school events coming up? Does someone need to be home on Wednesday afternoon to let in the plumber? Parents who travel for work: If Party A is headed to Phoenix and Party B will be in Cleveland, who is watching the kids, and what’s the contingency plan if your flights are delayed? “You can get the kids involved by asking if there are any activities they’d like to schedule,” says Laura Vanderkam, author of Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done. She adds that if you’re a planner but your partner semiloathes it, include fun stuf, like date nights and vacations, so the whole meeting isn’t just “Who’s driving Parker to the orthodontist?”–type logistics.

Add “Do nothing” to your schedule. Calendar cluttered with hip-hop lessons, choir, ice hockey, and more? Put a big red x through one day—and watch your overscheduled children flourish. “Downtime is critical for kids,” says Nakieta Lankster, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and child development specialist in Baltimore. “Playing in the backyard or going through old toys in the basement fosters creativity, and that’s kids’ language. Imaginary play helps them discover new things about themselves and teaches them to make their own fun. When we overdose them on structure, we push them away from that.” Consider joining your kids to shoot hoops (no coaching allowed), play Monopoly, or just hang out and talk. Child psychiatrist Alvin Rosenfeld, MD, coauthor of The Over-Scheduled Child, explains that injecting your calendar with this sort of “unproductive” family hangout time boosts kids’ self-esteem by “showing them that you love spending time with them and that they don’t need to perform to get your attention.” Rosenfeld recommends scaling back just a smidgen to begin. “Doing this one night a week or twice a month is all you need to recapture your sanity while making a positive impact on your kids,” he says. “You’ll probably notice that you yell at your kids a little less and that you’re not in that crazy zone anymore.” Another person who beneﬁts from downtime: you. Strategize with your partner to carve out a slot of weekly whatever-you-want time for each of you to reﬁll your own cup.

When it comes to kids’ activities, settle for good enough. We all want the best for our kids, but must your toddler attend the ﬁve-star Yelp-rated music class across town taught by a famed violinist, or would she have just as much fun with a tambourine and a college-student teacher at the community center down the street? This might feel a little unnatural, but Lankster insists your children will be just ﬁne. “Kids use their experiences in sports, the arts, and other after-school activities to help form their identity, but those activities don’t need to be top-tier to be enriching,” she says. “It’s about the experience itself, regardless of who is teaching it. It’s OK if your kid swims at the local high school; most kids won’t grow up to be Michael Phelps.” Lankster says that if your child is showing signs of giftedness in a certain arena or is especially passionate about an activity, there’s nothing wrong with traveling farther to hone her talent or encourage her enthusiasm. Just don’t force it on her. Dragging a kid with killer athletic skills across town to the “best” program will do nothing to facilitate her growth “if she doesn’t like playing,” says Lankster, and it will only add to your scheduling issues.

Nelson, who often counsels timecrunched families spending two, three, or even four hours a day zigzagging across town from activity to activity, says if you’re hesitant to cancel a class altogether, cutting back a bit can work. She took this advice when her 11-year-old computer wiz son asked about a coding enrichment program—30 minutes away, during afterschool rush hour. “Instead of that afterschool option, I signed him up for school days of, like teacher workdays,” she says.

Schedule time in your workday for home tasks. • Get posterboard. • Book doctor’s appointment. • Find a sloth costume for the play. Working parents—especially those with desk jobs—often take care of these niggling little duties at random times throughout the day. But this piecemeal approach can increase your stress and derail your focus. Nelson recommends devoting one chunk of time to nailing them all—say, half an hour a day. During that slot, you’ll take of your work hat, dive into Amazon and Gmail, and get everything done at once. Think you don’t have time? If you often ﬁnd yourself scrolling through social media at work as a break, use that time to tackle family stuf instead. You’ll probably ﬁnd it more satisfying than Twitter.

Turn yo ur to - d o list into a “g ot ta- d o” list. A s k yo u rs e l f, “ W h a t wo u l d m a ke m e fe e l re a l l y s u c c e ssful a t th e e n d of to d a y ? ” a nd u se that as your blue pr int.

KEEP IT TO GETHER Create a shared family schedule and to-do list using the Cozi Family Organizer app from Meredith Corporation (free; iOS and Android).

Trim your to-do list. Starting your day with a packed to-do list (most people have 15 boxes to check at any given time) can give you a false sense of eiciency. Goal-setting expert E.J. Masicampo, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, says that a long list “can become a graveyard of things you’ll never actually do.” In fact, data recently collected by the software company I Done This revealed that 41 percent of to-do items are never completed. “For a list to work, you need to be speciﬁc and say when and how you’ll accomplish each item,” says Masicampo. “Buy new barstools” is destined to languish because it’s vague and entails multiple steps. “Ask Facebook moms group for barstool recs after kids are in bed” requires that you plan ahead and gives you something to commit to. Productivity coach Mridu Parikh, owner of Life Is Organized in Nashville, suggests making a “gotta-do” list of three to ﬁve things that must be done before your head hits the pillow. Ask yourself, “What would make me feel really successful at the end of today?” and use that as your blueprint. Maybe “Sort spice drawer” can wait, but “Grab allergy meds” is a gotta-do. Keep track of your must-dos with an app like Cozi (see above), which has calendar and to-do list features. Or go old-school with Erin Condren’s lined notebook ($12; erincondren.com).

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Get things done in chunks. If your issue is less about scheduling and more about eiciency, a timer might help. In 2014, Larry Port, a father of two from Boca Raton, Florida, saw his then9-year-old daughter struggling to complete her math homework—not because it was difficult but because she was procrastinating, delaying bedtime as a result. As CEO of a legal-software company, Rocket Matter, Port often powered through long workdays with the Pomodoro Technique, a time management strategy that involves setting a timer for 25 minutes and forcing yourself to work until it dings, then taking a brief break. (It’s named after the kitchen timer shaped like a tomato, or pomodoro in Italian.) “Those 25-minute pomodoros keep me on track,” he says, “so I thought it might work to employ the technique with our children.” Port brought his timer home, downsizing his daughter’s pomodoros from 25 minutes to 15 to boost the appeal. It worked. “The timer gave her a goal to beat and broke through the procrastination,” he says, and it has ultimately helped her stick to her bedtime schedule. Parikh says this approach, also called “batching” or “time chunking,” helps you work with time instead of ﬁghting it. The timer psychs you up, pushing you through your task. Use it to get your family out the door in the morning or propel dawdling kids through their bedtime routines. “The entire family can clean the kitchen in a single 25-minute pomodoro,” adds Parikh. The strategy may also work for setting screen-time limits. “Shutting off Snapchat, texts, and Instagram in small chunks to work on chores or read is surprisingly doable for kids,” says Port. And his son, age 11, knows that every night, he gets one or two pomodoros of PlayStation time.

and have everyone add to it. If anyone complains, she can explain that this is what she needs to help the family run smoothly. It’s also a good way for everyone to know what’s coming up.”

T H E B U S Y- M O M M A K E OV E R With three daughters ages 11 to 15 (including one with special needs), two dogs, a part-time job as a geriatric case manager, and a husband who travels 50 percent of the time for work, Michelle Goldberg, 45, of Cooper City, Florida, is no stranger to calendar chaos. We asked this supermom for her biggest challenges and got solutions from Sarah Giller Nelson of Less Is More.

WE C AN’ T STICK TO O UR S CHED ULE, BEC AUSE THING S CONSTANTLY P OP UP. “The key is being flexible and, when something pops up, asking, ‘Does this have to happen right now?’ A sick kid at school needs to be picked up. Dogs that need grooming can spend another day being a little stinky.” I C AN’ T S AY NO. “Michelle needs to figure out her priorities and values as a mom. If her priority is connecting with her daughters, she can feel better about the time she

spends driving them to school because great conversations take place in the car. But when something comes up that interferes with that goal, like being asked to serve on the PTA, she can decline.” I FORGE T TO CHECK O UR SHARED C ALENDAR APP. “When the system isn’t working, switch up the system. Michelle told me she’s partial to paper anyway, so why not try a paper calendar? Pick one with plenty of room, post it in the kitchen,

BEDTIME TAKE S AGE S. THE KIDS NEED MORE SLEEP, AND I HAVE S O MUCH TO D O. “Michelle’s two younger girls still enjoy snuggle time, as does Michelle, so they should keep it up. But maybe trim it back. If it’s especially late, it’s also OK to tell your kids you love them and just kiss them good night; it doesn’t have to be a snugglefest every time. Sleep is vital to kids’ health, so think of it as something you are doing for your child.” I’M ALWAYS MAKING RE TURNS. “Michelle should dedicate one day to doing returns and not think about it on any other day. (You can do the same for whatever your biggest time suck is.) She often accidentally buys things she already owns and purchases clothes without trying them on. Before buying, ask, ‘Do I need this? Do I love it? Will I wear it? If I bring it into my home, is there a place to store it?’ If the answer to any of these questions is no, walk away. She’s a busy mom and time is her most important commodity, so this will make a difference.”

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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 .C . A S K S …

Our neighbors’ cat is allowed outside their home, and one day he started sitting on our porch. Fast-forward to now: He spends most days inside our house, hanging out with our cats. We’ve grown to love him, but we wonder whether we should discuss this with our neighbors. We don’t want them to feel like we’re stealing their cat, but we do want him to get the love and company he seems to crave. How should we handle this situation?

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My husband and I don’t want kids, for reasons other people don’t always agree with or understand. I usually prefer not to discuss it. When people ask whether we’re planning to have a family, how can I respond kindly while ending the conversation immediately?

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.

The presumption of many people regarding children—which is that everyone should have them—can range from merely annoying to deeply upsetting, especially if the subject hits someone in a tender spot. While your acquaintances might imagine they’re expressing benign interest rather than an agenda, you’re stuck defending or explaining a personal decision that is none of their business and that you do not need to defend or explain. “I know you’re just curious, but I’d rather not discuss it,” you can say with polite clarity. Then change the subject: “Go ahead and ask me about my promotion at work, though! I’d love to tell you about it.” Anyone who continues to press the point is being rude, and if you need to shut down the conversation more forcefully—“Like I said, this is a private matter”—feel free.

I l l u s t r a t i o n s b y Yo c o N a g a m i y a

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

I was delighted by your question, as I was expecting it to head into more traditional aggrieved-neighbor territory. But you love your feline interloper! You just don’t want to be perceived as catnappers. Fair enough. It is a delicate situation, since you want to imply neither that your neighbors are neglectful nor that the cat is causing trouble. (They could conclude that he’s a nuisance and shut him indoors.) Can you be semitransparent? Try blaming the cats: “You may have noticed that your cat spends a lot of time at our house because he loves our cats. Is that OK? We love having him, but we don’t want to overstep.” Maybe it will turn out that they’ve grown allergic or that they inherited him and hate cats. “Take him!” they’ll say. Or maybe they’re simply happy with the current arrangement and will be relieved to know you’re happy too.

L.S. ASKS…

D.C . A S K S …

It really bugs me when strangers invade my space, particularly when we’re standing in line. I often move forward, but typically the person behind me just moves along with me. On rare occasions, I’ve politely asked the person not to stand so close, but I’ve been met with a rude comeback or annoyed look. What can I say that won’t offend but will get me some breathing room? When it comes to personal space, people’s comfort zones can difer widely, thanks to cultural values and our own wiring. For example, I was recently shimmying happily at Zumba class only to be hissed at by a person who felt I had boogied into her space. (I apologized and moved away.) Remember that these “invading” people are not wrong to need less space—just as you are not wrong to need more. I would use your basket or a tote bag to create a bufer behind you. If you need to say something, simply ask politely and own it: “I have personal-space issues. I’m sorry, but would you mind taking a step back?” Though if we’re talking about a sexually menacing person, I would put up a flat palm and say, “Two steps back”— end of story.

J.M. ASKS…

My husband and I are in a much lower social class than most of our friends, who are wealthy. We want to continue taking part in the many occasions that arise without sharing our challenging financial situation. But things like buying wedding gifts or making a meal for a new mother or a friend whose relative has passed are so difficult when it’s already hard to cover our own expenses. How do you financially survive when mixing with people in a different class?

Money struggles are enormously taxing. Your friends clearly crave your company, despite the fact that you may not have a lot to ofer materially—and despite how it might actually make you feel to move in this luxurious social circle. Put aside the issue of what you’re bringing to the table. These wealthy folks don’t really need anything from you, and you can redirect your contributions from stuf to support: a loving condolence note, a walk in the park with a new mother who needs to get out of the house. As for gifts, there are lots of thrift-oriented websites (and library books) that can help you turn a $5 picture frame or baby onesie into a lovely present. You can also skip the gift in favor of a heartfelt letter, and your friends won’t feel the absence. Or they’ll wonder about your ﬁnances and wisely conclude that not everyone is as flush as they are.

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.

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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

H OW TO FIN D A TH E R A PI ST So you’re ready to work on something with a pro. We’ll guide you through the mental health maze.

STO C K SY

By Andrea Petersen

Photograph by B orislav Zhuykov

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mental health are finally coming out of the shadows. Celebrities such as Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Bell, and Busy Philipps have shared stories of their anxiety and depression in interviews and on social media. The suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have again moved the issues of psychological pain and suicide into public discussion. Mental health awareness campaigns pepper our social media feeds. And the main message to all us unfamous folks who may be struggling usually goes something like this: Get help. Get therapy. But how? And where? Unfortunately, finding the right therapist and treatment isn’t always easy, especially if you’re at an emotional low point. Google “psychotherapy” and you’ll find a confusing alphabet soup of acronyms—ACT, CBT, and DBT, to name a few—for the various types of treatments. Even if you know the kind of therapy you want, it can be hard to access it: 55 percent of counties in the U.S. have no psychiatrists, psychologists, or social workers, and sadly, many people don’t get professional help at all. Only about 37 percent of those with anxiety disorders, for example, receive treatment, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). The good news: If you do see a qualified therapist, chances are you’ll find it helpful. Many talk therapy treatments are backed by reams of rigorous clinical trial data. In fact, C O N V E R S AT I O N S A B O U T

92 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

The First Steps It helps to spend some time ﬁguring out what issues you want to tackle. Are you looking for some guidance on a major life change? Or do you think you could be struggling with a particular mental illness? If it’s the latter, consider reading up on mental health issues to get a better sense of what you might be dealing with. You can ﬁnd helpful glossaries online

W H O S H O U L D YO U S E E ? The practitioners below are licensed by the states they practice in and must work a certain number of hours under the supervision of more experienced clinicians before seeing patients solo. Psychiatrists: These MDs are generally the priciest practitioners to see and the hardest to find, due to a nationwide shortage. Patients may go to a psychiatrist on occasion for prescriptions and another type of provider (one who’s more affordable and accessible) for therapy, though some psychiatrists do offer therapy. Psychologists and social workers: The former usually have PhDs or PsyDs; the latter have at least a master’s. They’re both trained to treat specific mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, and may use several different forms of therapy, such as CBT. Counselors: Holding at least a master’s, they often guide clients through problems like whether to stay in an unhappy relationship or at a lackluster job. Marriage and family therapists: They have at least a master’s and are particularly helpful when you’d like to see someone with your family or partner.

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studies have shown that, for conditions like anxiety and depression, talk therapies are generally as efective as psychotropic medications, with fewer side efects and longerlasting impact. (That said, many patients beneﬁt greatly from taking medication or from combining meds with therapy.) Therapy isn’t only for those who might be experiencing a mental health disorder. A therapist can also help with relationship problems or challenging moments—say, a career shift or the loss of a loved one. This is how to get started.

What to Ask a Prospective Therapist

from the American Psychiatric Association (psychiatry.org), ADAA (adaa.org), and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (nami.org). Then ask friends and family, or your primary care doctor or ob-gyn, to recommend therapists they think would be helpful for your situation. If you’ve had therapy before, mull over what you liked about the experience—and what you didn’t. The best therapist for you depends on your personal preferences, the convenience level and cost of visits, and the provider’s specialty or training. (For more, refer to “Who Should You See?” on the opposite page.) Look for therapists who are members of a professional organization, such as the American Psychological Association (APA), ADAA, the National Association of Social Workers, or the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. These groups ofer continuing education and hold conferences where attendees learn about the latest research in their ﬁelds. So if a therapist belongs to one of these groups, she’s likely staying on top of the advances in psychotherapy research and practice, says Beth Salcedo, MD, president of ADAA and medical director of the Ross Center, a mental health practice in New York City and the D.C. area. Most of these groups’ websites have databases that let you search for members near you—a great way to ﬁnd practitioners if you haven’t gotten any personal recommendations.

When you’ve found someone promising, request an informational phone call or a meet-and-greet before you dive into therapy sessions. Ask whether she’s treated other patients with your particular issues, as well as “how she would go about treating you, whether there’s evidence for that approach, about how long it will take, and how you both will know when you’re done,” says Lynn Bufka, PhD, associate executive director for practice research and policy at APA. If you’re looking for someone with expertise in a particular type of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety, ask how long her training lasted. (You may not want to see someone who only completed a daylong workshop, for example.) Ideally, you’ll meet with a couple of therapists and then pick the best fit. “I jokingly say to people that it’s like buying a pair of jeans; you may have to try on a few before you find the one that works,” says Salcedo. You should also feel confident about your therapist’s skills and comfortable with the idea of her challenging you, notes Bufka. And while you don’t necessarily need to pick someone you’d want to be friends with, it is important that you feel you can be open and honest with your therapist—and that she respects you.

You don’t n e e d to pick a th e rapist you’d wa nt to b e fr i e n d s w i th , but it is imp or tant tha t yo u fe e l yo u c a n b e o p e n a n d h o n e st

How to Deal with the Money Issue Another important thing to know before you start: how much the therapist charges and if he takes your insurance. Some therapists use an income-based sliding fee scale. While most insurance plans ofer some therapy coverage, many therapists don’t participate in any insurance programs. To get coverage for those therapists, you need to have out-of-network benefits; you’ll likely pay up front and then be reimbursed for whatever portion of the fee your plan covers. Therapy can be expensive—a session is often $100 or more. But there are afordable options. Some therapists ofer group therapy at lower rates. Community health centers often provide free or low-cost mental health services (to find one in your area, visit findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov). Also, check out the graduate psychology or social work programs at your local university to see if there’s a clinic where trainees ofer treatment. Online therapy is another option. Companies like Talkspace (from $49 per week; talkspace.com) and BetterHelp (from $35 per week; betterhelp.com) connect users with therapists via a variety of methods, including text, audio, and video chat. Aubrey Williams, 33, of the Nashville area, started online therapy with Talkspace when she was struggling to get pregnant. She says she appreciated the price tag and the accessibility. “If I had a thought or a question at 2 in the morning, I could just leave it for my therapist,” says Williams, who now has a 7-monthold son. “I was leaving messages for my therapist while nursing, sitting in the car, or at the oice.” Studies have

w i th h e r.

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found that, in general, online therapy is about as efective as in-person treatment. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) also has a helpline (800-950-6264), and many local NAMI ailiates have free peer support groups. If you’re in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255). You absolutely don’t have to let cost prevent you from getting much-needed help.

What to Expect During Therapy What happens in sessions can depend on the type of treatment— and many therapists combine elements of diferent approaches. One common type is CBT, which is the most research-backed treatment for anxiety disorders and depression. It’s based partly on the idea that distorted thinking is a main cause of mental distress. Say you’re in therapy for depression.

If a friend didn’t stop to chat at school drop-of, you might think, “She must hate me. I’m worthless.” During CBT, a therapist would help you identify these unhelpful thoughts, challenge them, and replace them with more realistic ones. She might encourage you to instead think, “My friend was probably busy and had to dash out.” For anxiety issues, CBT also usually involves “exposure,” in which you gradually expose yourself to the things you’re afraid of. So if you have an elevator phobia, you’ll work with your therapist to feel more comfortable in and around elevators. If your therapist recommends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—which research suggests is efective for anxiety, depression, and even chronic pain and substance abuse—you’ll likely learn various mindfulness techniques and exercises. (ACT is based on CBT but includes a strong focus on mindfulness and values.) ACT patients are taught to notice and accept challenging thoughts and feelings.

There’s also dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an in-depth treatment that combines CBT with other approaches and addresses suicidal and self-harm behaviors, borderline personality disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse problems, among other issues. Or you might try psychodynamic therapy, in which you learn to define your problems and understand how your history and past relationships may be influencing your current behavior. If you’re having problems at work or in your relationships or are just feeling “blah” about life, a licensed professional counselor might be a good person to start with. Counseling doesn’t usually focus on treating severe mental health issues but helps people “figure out the factors that get in the way of being happy,” says David Kaplan, PhD, chief professional oicer at the American Counseling Association. Counselors aid in identifying “what is keeping you stuck and can help solve problems so you can be more fulfilled and better enjoy life,” says Kaplan. Marriage and family therapists specialize in working with couples and families.

Most therapy providers aren’t allowed to prescribe medication. You’ll usually need to consult a psychiatrist, your family doctor, a nurse practitioner, or your ob-gyn for meds like antidepressants. But your doctor should collaborate with your therapist to make sure you’re getting the most appropriate treatment. If you think you might beneﬁt from medication, discuss it with your therapist. She can direct you to someone with prescribing authority. For expert-backed tips on making the most out of every therapy session, visit realsimple.com/therapysessions.

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Reject robocalls.

7 Smart Ways to Protect Your Money B E C A U S E T H E O N LY F L E E C E Y O U W A N T T O F E E L I S T H E FA B R I C K I N D . By Kate Ro ckwo o d

to emails from Nigerian princes who want to wire money. You know the IRS probably isn’t making phone calls to collect tax payments on a weekend. You pride yourself on your ability to snif out phishy email attachments. But here’s the thing: Scammers are constantly evolving and testing out new tactics, so your knowhow may need an update too. Last year, Americans lost $905 million to fraud—a $63 million jump from the year before, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And though you might expect there to be a correlation between a person’s age and vulnerability, people younger than 50 actually reported losing money to a scheme more than older folks did. Use these expert-approved strategies to keep that target of your back. YO U G I V E S I D E - E Y E

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It’s not just you—almost 900 million more robocalls are made each month compared with a year ago, according to YouMail, an app that analyzes calls through its robocall blocking service. At this point, you might be impervious to the most common calls, such as a zero-interest loan ofer or a warning about a problem with your credit card. But some schemes are super sneaky. A recent one: When someone answers yes to any question (for example, “Can you hear me?”), a recording of that response is used as a voice signature to authorize fraudulent charges by telephone. Not familiar with a number? Let the call go to voicemail. If you do answer, don’t respond to any questions or obey any prompts (such as pressing a button to opt out). Doing so veriﬁes that yours is a working number and could make you a target for more calls. Register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov). To ward of international scammers, try an app that can help block problematic callers, like Truecaller, Hiya, or RoboKiller.

Illustrations by Amrita Marino

2 3

Have a sounding board.

Take your time. Friends don’t let friends navigate financial decisions alone. That’s doubly true when one of you is weighing investment opportunities or choosing whether to make a big purchase. Assemble a team of trusted advisers that includes your financial planner and perhaps an attorney. The next crucial step is committing to run every decision by them, says financial planner Catherine Scrivano, founder of Casco Financial Group in Phoenix. “If someone— anyone—approaches you with a financial proposition, be ready to respond, ‘I have a team of advisers I speak to before I make any decisions.’ That alone will deflect scammers.”

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Shield your address.

Play it safe with email.

When selling or renting property, never post the exact address, only cross streets. It’s easy—and common—for scammers to duplicate your online ad but list the property at a lower price, says Jensen. Then they may tell interested renters that they’re out of town and to mail a deposit before moving in, or they may send a locksmith to rekey the property. “You could be locked out of your own home or have innocent renters show up, insisting they paid money to live there,” she says.

You live your life over email, but personal information like your social security number, bank account numbers, and wire transfer details should absolutely be kept offline, says Mindy Jensen, a real estate investor in Longmont, Colorado, and the author of How to Sell Your Home. If a scammer hacks into your inbox— or the inbox of a person you emailed—the info you sent can be used to drain your accounts or steal your identity. Use a secure portal to share sensitive info, call the agent or broker who needs the details, or deliver forms in person. If you have to send the info by email, encrypt it in a separate ﬁle. (With Microsoft Oice, this is as easy as selecting Protect Document from the Tools menu.) The recipient will need a password to open the document—provide it via phone call.

An ofer to lower your student loans—if you sign up today? Getting rushed might be a red flag that someone doesn’t want you to perform due diligence, says Peggy Tracy, a certified financial planner, a certified fraud examiner, and the founder of Priority Planning. Use the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s free BrokerCheck tool (brokercheck .finra.org) to dig into the backgrounds of brokers, brokerage firms, investment adviser firms, and advisers.

Default to credit. Be wary of requests to make a payment in the form of gift cards. (Yes, this happens.) In many cases, the value can’t be recouped once you’ve handed over the numbers. Instead, use a credit card to pay for any deal or ofer. Credit cards typically carry security protections, so if the deal turns out not to be legit, you have a better chance of getting your money back.

Be cautious in times of tumult. No matter how savvy you usually are, a major event—like a divorce, a move, or the death of a loved one—can make you more vulnerable to scams. Transitions may stir up all sorts of uncomfortable feelings, and many people react by speeding through big decisions to regain a sense of stability. “But when you’re lonely or hurt or shocked or grieving, you might not be thinking straight,” says Tracy. And you might ﬁnd that the investment you picked or the new house you bought was the wrong choice for you—and your bank account. Tracy encourages clients who are going through an emotional time to delay major decisions, if they can. “Ideally, take a year so the dust can settle and you can make the best, most clearheaded decisions,” she says.

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leave, HR may relay certain info to a manager but won’t disclose why the employee needs an accommodation.” When a group of people with different egos, ambitions, and personal problems are working in close proximity, there’s bound to be conflict. And in this era of #MeToo and revelations about toxic work environments, employees are looking for answers. But who do you ask? Does your boss have your back? What about human resources? Here, experts and insiders share what to do and who to trust when the thorniest work situations happen to you. 1

You have medical or personal issues that might afect your work.

Where to Turn When Work Gets Messy S H O U L D YO U C A L L H U M A N R E S O U RC E S O R H A N D L E T H E I SSU E YO U R S E L F ? L E A R N T O N AV I G AT E S I X D I F F I C U LT S I T U A T I O N S . By Kathleen M. Harris

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If you need short-term help, like a few extra days of or a brief reduction in workload, talk with your manager. Explain that you’re having a tough time and need a short personal leave, says Bucky Keady, a former corporate senior vice president of talent acquisition and management. If you have a potentially serious medical condition or disability, go to HR, where the staf is more familiar with employment law. “HR personnel are legally required to keep medical and disability info conﬁdential and are better trained to handle these types of issues than a manager,” says attorney Melissa Fleischer, president and founder of HR Learning Center in Rye, New York. “If an employee needs an accommodation, such as a shorter workday or intermittent

You don’t get along with your boss or a coworker. It’s best to go straight to the source and try to work it out, says Sarah Sheehan, cofounder of Bravely, an online platform that ofers HR coaching. Ask the person to meet, then initiate an honest conversation in which you share your feelings, not accusations (“I feel frustrated because whenever I bring up an idea, you say it won’t work”). “It’s hard and awkward, but you’ll make progress,” says Jenni Maier, editor in chief of the online career platform The Muse. If nothing changes or the situation gets worse, go to HR (if the person is your boss) or your boss (if the person is a coworker). “Taking this step ﬁrst will make you look much better,” says Maier. 3

You’re contemplating quitting or retiring. Unhappy at work and thinking of quitting? Ideally you have a transparent relationship with your boss and can openly discuss your career path, frustrations, and desire for new challenges, says Keady. However, keep your speciﬁc career plans quiet until you’ve made a ﬁrm decision. “HR is not your friend,” says Kevin

Illustrations by Gracia Lam

Mintzer, a New York City– based employment attorney. “If you give notice of your intent to quit or retire before you’re actually ready to do it, the company may decide your time is up now and replace you, which in most cases is perfectly legal.” If you need help determining whether to leave and understanding the impact on your beneﬁts, talk to an independent source, like a career coach or employment lawyer (ﬁnd one through the National Employment Lawyers Association). 4

You’re being sexually harassed. If you’re dealing with unwelcome sexual advances or other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual or discriminatory nature, document what has happened for your records and immediately tell your boss, another supervisor, the legal department, or HR—whoever you’re most comfortable discussing the situation with. Depending on state laws, managers and supervisors may be personally liable if they’ve been made aware of harassment and do not report it, says Jennifer Gefsky, a partner in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practice at Epstein Becker Green, a national law ﬁrm. Often a fear of retaliation prevents people from reporting sexual harassment, but retaliation is unlawful too. “You have a right as an employee to be in a harassment-free environment. The Supreme Court tells us that,” says Gefsky.

There’s a conlict between two people on your team. As a manager, you are responsible for defusing tension when conflicts arise. If the disagreement does not involve harassment, illness, disability, or discrimination, try to mitigate the problem yourself. Otherwise someone in HR can coach you on how to take care of the situation. 6

Two people on your team are dating. If you catch wind of this, meet with the couple and make sure they’re aware of company policy (refresh your-

self on it too), says human resources expert Suzanne Lucas, founder of the blog Evil HR Lady. Discuss a plan for how to handle the relationship so it doesn’t cross company lines. Lucas advises saying, “I understand you two are dating, but at work you need to remain professional.” Email your HR rep to alert her of your conversation so you aren’t held responsible if there’s a bad breakup. What if one person reports to the other? “This is a much bigger issue, and most companies forbid this kind of relationship to avoid the appearance of favoritism,” says Keady. Explain the situation to HR and get assistance with the next steps. Often HR will help you transfer one person to another department or give your team members a time frame for one or both of them to ﬁnd another position on their own.

W H AT T O D O WHEN THERE ISN’T AN HR D E PA RT M E N T Startups, nonprofits, and small organizations don’t always have one. But this doesn’t mean you’re not legally protected; you may just have to do some legwork. These resources will help. SE ARCH ONLINE Legal sites like nolo.com and career sites like themuse.com cover workplace topics and employee rights. G O THRO UGH YO UR HR BENEFIT S SITE Startups often use services like TriNet or Zenefits to manage payroll, benefits, and other policies. Begin with their resources or representatives. IF NECE S S ARY, GE T A L AW YER Find good representation through the National Employment Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association, or personal referrals. LISTEN TO P OD C A ST S FOR ANS WER S “Those about workplace issues are great sources,” says Keady. Try HR Happy Hour, Safe for Work, and The Employment Law & HR Podcast. A SK ARO UND “A company with fewer than 100 employees may not have an HR person, but usually someone on staff, like a CFO or CEO, knows policies,” says Gefsky.

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

AU TO cyc l e home RENTERS b oat rv

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U M B R E L LA

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Ahhh... When your life feels overscheduled and you need a tiny break from the action, try this. Sit quietly with your eyes open, gazing down toward the loor. Feel the sensation of your natural breath going in and out, right at the very edge of your nostrils. Start to rest your busy mind. Just as it is normal for your brain to create thoughts, it is normal for those thoughts to go away. Take a moment to experience this gap—this mini holiday from worrying and planning. After a few seconds, return to your regular breath. Thoughts will come and go. If you can learn to get familiar with this opening in your mind, you will be able to go there whenever you need.

STO C K SY

—CYNDI LEE, cyndilee.com

Photograph by Laura Stolfi

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Our new book, The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room: And How to Keep It That Way, is filled with habits, mantras, tools, and tricks to keep your castle in order. Here’s a sneak peek. BY J U L I E VA D N A L

P H OTO G R A P H S BY J O H N N Y M I L L E R ; PROP ST YLING BY SARAH SMART

rganizing your home takes effort— you generally have to go room by room, drawer by drawer, item by item, and determine what can stay, what can go, and what to actually do with everything. So if a couple of months roll by and things start feeling chaotic again, it’s disheartening. The good news: With a few smart habits, staying organized actually requires very little effort. In fact, the organized lifestyle is mostly about your attitude. Think of your routine—putting things away, completing tasks, not letting stuff pile up, and doing a little bit every day—as a time-saver and you’re more likely to stick to it. Read on for your guide.

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T R E AT YO U R K I T C H E N AS A CHEF WOULD

When you get to the end of a recipe, don’t stop when the cooking is done—take time to put away your ingredients, wash pots, and wipe down the counter. Even just cleaning your prep items while the main dish is in the oven is an easy way to keep your kitchen sanity.

you sit down to relax—tell yourself you can’t start dinner (or watch This Is Us) until your shoes go back into their correct bin, pocket, or shelf. When you wait until later, they’re less likely to make it home. NIX THE “TO BE FILED” PILE

Instead of waiting for when you have an extra 10 minutes (because, really, when is that going to happen?), ﬁle away papers as soon as they hit your desk and you’re done using them. You’ll thank yourself later.

THE HABITS Short version: Put it away.

D I S T R I B U T E YO U R G R O C E RY H AU L

It can be tempting to quickly shove groceries into the nearest cabinet once you get home from shopping and move on with life. But take care to put items in their designated places. That way, the next time you need to ﬁnd the rice, you won’t have to call a search party or run out to buy an unnecessary extra bag. P U T YO U R S H O E S AWAY T H E M I N U T E YO U TA K E T H E M O F F

If you like to kick of your shoes when you walk inside—or when

104 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

Fold your laundry in the laundry room. Resist the impulse to take a basket of freshly washed and dried clothes to the couch to do some folding while catching up on Netflix. Keeping everything contained inside the laundry room means less chance of losing items or failing to maintain your system. It also prevents laundry from turning into an all-day afair. (Listen to a podcast if you need a distraction.)

K I TC H E N : E R I N KU N K E L ; B E D R O O M : L I S A R O M E R E I N / OT TO

S TAY P U T

TA K E A V O T E

THE TEAM

Decide if you’re a “no shoes indoors” family or if you’re OK with shoes going past the entryway. Either way, it’ll determine how often you have to tidy up the shoe pile and clean the area surrounding the doorway.

Get your household involved.

O U T S O U RC E T H E O R G A N I Z I N G

Let all family members know they’re responsible for their own entryway hook, hanger, or cubby. If you have a partner, announce this as a couple so you won’t feel

like the “bad organizing cop.” Teaching kids a little responsibility is a win for all. RE VIVE THE LIVING RO OM

The living room gets junked up quickly with everyone’s stuf. Set a timer for ﬁve minutes and instruct everybody in the house to do as much as they can in that time frame to reset the space. Do it earlier in the evening, when you have more energy, rather than later. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish. MAKE IT A GAME

There’s no shame in rewarding family members who follow the system and put the soccer balls back in their bin. Have the kids compete to see how fast they can collectively clean the yard.

MAKE SMALL D A I LY E F F O RT S

Remind everyone in the family that disorganization, even in the bathroom, can start a chain reaction: They’re slowing down the next person by not putting things back where they belong. Sure, sometimes life gets crazy and you might need to leave the house in a hurry without putting your toothbrush back properly, and that’s OK. Because when you’ve already created homes for everything to live, it makes cleanup at a later time a cinch.

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THE TO OLS Stock up on gear that makes it easy.

with a good shake to remove dirt. Use a vacuum on the inside one. For bigger messes, most indoor mats can go in the wash. P R O T E C T YO U R PA I N T

To keep paint cans from rusting, transfer leftover paint into clear, plastic, lidded containers with the color and ﬁnish written on top.

C R E AT E L A B E L S

TA K E S N A P S

In places that house many kinds of things (the pantry, the storage cabinet, the linen closet), a label maker helps you assign—and maintain—permanent homes. Plus, in the pantry especially, prelabeled areas for all items allow you to take inventory of what’s running low and needs to be added to the grocery list.

After a big organizing efort, take a picture of the results. The images let you admire your hard work— and give you a reference when it comes time to tidy up.

LIGHT IT UP

You’re more likely to keep everything in its place in closets and cabinets if you can see it all. Battery-operated motion-sensor lights turn on when you walk in the closet and turn of 30 seconds later. Mount them to the ceiling or on the side walls. D O U B L E D O W N O N M AT S

To reduce the need for cleaning, buy a durable, outdoor welcome mat for outside the front door and a softer one for inside. The outdoor one will let you wipe of dirt before you step inside, and the indoor one will get the last bits. Clean both once a week

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G O D I G I TA L

If you don’t remember whether you already have a V-neck black sheath, the closet inventory website and app Finery (ﬁnery .com) is like the computerized Clueless closet. It searches your past purchases and lets you upload images to create a virtual closet and keep track of what you want to buy in the future.

E M P L OY E - F I L E S

So you cleaned out your email inbox—now what? Make a filing system using folders or Gmail labels. Name folders clearly so you can easily find emails going forward. Only keep active or urgent emails in your actual inbox, and once an email no longer fits that description, delete it or file it in the appropriate folder.

The Most Important Rule of All I F YO U D O J UST O N E T H I N G TO K E E P YO U R HOME ORGANIZED, MAKE IT THIS: IMPLEMENT THE ONE-IN, ONE-OUT RULE.

T H E L I B R A RY

THE CLOSET

As you add new books to your collection, pull out the ones you no longer plan to look at (and don’t have a strong sentimental attachment to). They can go straight to a friend, donation center, or library.

AND DRESSER

THE CHINA CABINET

It can be tempting to pick up adorable pieces from a flea market or try something from a cool pottery studio. But your cabinet can only hold so much, so be sure you can handle parting with the equivalent number of pieces when you bring home new plates or serving ware.

Your bedroom is the most important place to follow the one-in, one-out rule. After all, there aren’t many spots a pair of jeans can go when they don’t fit in a drawer or have a hanger. Take that attitude with you when you’re shopping to avoid buying doubles. THE GAR AGE

(Almost) nobody’s garage is large enough for many multiples of bicycles and lawn equipment. If you find a great deal on a new lawn mower, for example, it means you’re giving away the old one.

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ADD A FINAL STEP

Any project at home— whether on the computer, in the craft room, or elsewhere—must end with a quick tidying. Shut down your computer, straighten up your desk, put crafting supplies back. And that’s even if you’re planning to pick up the project again tomorrow. When everything is in its designated place, you’ll be even more excited to dive back in.

S E T T H E TA B L E

PL AN IT ALL OUT

THE TRICKS Tactics that really help.

108 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

When it comes to keeping the fridge organized, meal planning (weekly or semiweekly) is super important. Buy food for speciﬁc meals or recipes so you know exactly when you’re going to use it. Replenish pantry staples as needed. B E YO U R O W N G U E S T

If you think of yourself as a guest in your own space, you’re less likely to let things pile up. You probably wouldn’t let mail or unused napkins collect if you were a guest, right? Bring things that feel unsightly or out of place in the dining room to another part of the house, or return them to their designated spot so you won’t be scrambling to get the room in order the next time a real guest is coming over.

T R I C K YO U R S E L F W I T H T R E AT S

Attach a reward to a tedious task: Tell yourself that you can get a pedicure after you’ve organized the coat closet or that you can watch a movie after you’ve sorted your underwear drawer. You’ll actually follow through.

P R E V I O U S S P R E A D , F R O M L E F T : J O N N Y VA L I A N T ; M AT T H E W W I L L I A M S . T H I S PA G E : J O N N Y VA L I A N T

It sounds silly to have a fully set dining table ready at all times, but arranging pretty place mats and plates at your dining room table means you’re less likely to make the area your home oice, where papers can accumulate.

Your Ideal Decluttering Routine A F E W TA S K S N E E D T O B E D O N E R E G U L A R LY T O E N S U R E Y O U R H O M E S TAY S O RG A N I Z E D A N D C L E A N . H E R E ’ S W H AT TO D O — A N D H O W O F T E N .

O N C E A D AY

ONCE A SEASON

Sort the mail. It’s easy to let it pile up, and that’s how important bills, cards, and invitations get lost in the shuffle. Plus, it’s always less painful to go through a daily pile than to do a weekly sweep.

Go through your laundry-product stash to see what needs to be replaced or refilled. Stain sticks can dry up, and detergent in almost-empty bottles can be transferred to a new one.

Clear of the cofee table. When it’s free of

Make a habit of sorting through kids’ clothes three times a year: early spring, back to school,

clutter, you’ll be able to enjoy movie night (and just Tuesday night) even more.

Clear of the countertop. Not only will you love the look, but putting together your next meal will also be a total breeze because the first step won’t involve finding homes for loose mail and your garlic press.

Wipe down the sink hardware. A sparkling faucet has the magical ability to make the rest of the bathroom appear bright and clean too.

Put toys back in their bins. Middle-of-the-night check-ins can become downright dangerous when Legos are dotting the floor.

and after the holidays. If there’s a sentimental dress or onesie you can’t bear to send to Goodwill, pin it into a shadow box as fashionable art.

Keep the garage functional and timely. When it’s summer, make the camping equipment accessible on lower shelves and move skis and poles to upper shelves. A switcheroo twice a year will save you time as you pack the car for a weekend campout with friends.

ONCE A YEAR Look at older paper files in your home office and shred anything that’s no longer relevant.

Always make sure there’s enough room in the garage to, you know, park your car. When garages get cluttered, they lose their original purpose.

Take five minutes at the end of each day to clear out items that don’t belong in the rooms you use daily. Laptops, homework, and school projects all get the boot back to their proper homes.

Mom was right: Make your bed. It’s the easiest way to feel put together in the a.m., and some research has shown that people who make their beds may be happier than those who let the sheets lie where they may.

ONCE A MONTH Take an hour or two to tidy up your closet

CORBIS/GET T Y IMAGES

and edit out pieces you no longer need. Then donate them or resell the good stuff.

Give your desk drawer a once-over and bring the hair ties upstairs to the bathroom, put the paper clips back in their proper slot, and toss anything you realistically won’t use, such as expired coupons and extra buttons. Move older files to a box in a cabinet or closet.

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CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS

DAWN PERRY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

JEN CAUSEY

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CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS ACT I V E T I M E 4 0 M I N U T E S TOTA L T I M E 4 0 M I N U T E S SERVES 6

C RU N C H Y CHICKEN

3 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise, or 6 chicken breast cutlets

SAL AD WITH OREGANO

2 tsp. kosher salt, divided 1 tsp. black pepper, divided

VINAIGRET TE CHICKEN

2 cups panko Vegetable oil, for frying Lemon wedges, for serving 1 cutlet on top of a large piece of plastic wrap. Sprinkle with a few drops of water and cover with another piece of plastic wrap; pound chicken using a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy skillet, starting in the middle and working outward, until about inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining cutlets and season with teaspoon each salt and pepper.

PL ACE

eggs with teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish. Stir together panko, teaspoon salt, and remaining teaspoon pepper in a separate dish. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dip chicken in eggs and turn to coat, letting excess drip off. Dredge chicken in panko, pressing gently to adhere. BEAT

a large heavy-bottomed skillet with inch oil; heat over mediumhigh. (Drop a pinch of panko into oil— it will sizzle immediately when oil is hot enough.) Working in 3 batches, add chicken to hot oil. Cook, turning once and adjusting heat so oil is sizzling but not smoking, until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer cooked cutlets to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding oil to keep at -inch depth. Season with remaining teaspoon salt. Serve with lemon wedges. FILL

112 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

AND MOZZ ARELL A 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

4 Crispy Chicken Cutlets (see recipe, left) 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes tsp. kosher salt 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, divided Black pepper, for serving broiler to high with oven rack in highest position. Arrange cutlets in a single layer on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. PREHEAT

tomatoes in a colander (reserve tomato juice for another use, like making Bloody Marys). Crush tomatoes into small pieces with your hands; drain again. Transfer drained tomatoes to a bowl and stir in salt. Spoon tomatoes over cutlets. Top with cheese and cup basil. DRAIN

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 6

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 1 small shallot, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. white or red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano tsp. kosher salt tsp. black pepper 3 Tbsp. olive oil 6 cups crunchy mixed greens, such as romaine hearts, Little Gems, endive, and radicchio 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 1 cup) 6 Crispy Chicken Cutlets (see recipe, left) WHISK lemon juice, shallot, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in oil until smooth and incorporated. Add mixed greens and cheese and toss until evenly coated. Serve cutlets warm or at room temperature, topped with a handful of salad.

BROIL until cheese is melted and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining cup basil and several grinds of pepper.

For more great ideas for crispy chicken cutlets, go to realsimple.com/ cutlets.

F O O D ST Y L I N G BY A N N A H A M PTO N ; P R O P ST Y L I N G BY C L A I R E S P O L L E N

2 large eggs, beaten

CHICKEN AND MOZZ ARELL A

C RU N C H Y CHICKEN SAL AD WITH OREGANO VINAIGRET TE

114 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

C H I C K E N -A N D CHEDDAR SANDWICH

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 2

WITH PICKLE DIJON

2 Tbsp. pickle relish (not sweet) 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise 2 sesame seed hoagie rolls or a 12-in.-long demi baguette, split lengthwise 2 Crispy Chicken Cutlets (see recipe, page 112) 4 oz. sharp white Cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup) 6 romaine lettuce leaves (preferably from lettuce heart)

STIR together relish, mustard, and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly on both halves of each roll. Place 1 cutlet on each roll (trimming cutlet, if needed, so it fits comfortably on roll). Top each cutlet evenly with cheese and lettuce. Replace roll tops, halve, and serve.

CRISP, COZY, AND PREPARED FOR ANY FORECA ST—MA STER THE ART OF FALL DRESSING WITH EIGHT NEW IDE A S FOR COMBINING THE CLOTHES YOU LOVE MOST.

reinvent a summer dress L AYER A KNIT UNDER A SILKY DRESS TO CONVERT A SUMMER ST YLE INTO A FALL-RE ADY LO OK.

tie a scarf on it A LUXE SQUARE SC ARF KNOT TED BELOW YOUR COLL AR IS THE E A SIEST WAY TO TURN A BA SIC OUTFIT INTO A SE A SONAL STATEMENT.

Photographs by

ALEX ANDER NEUMANN Styling by

PAU L A K N I G H T

TO BUY: (This page) Talbots London Silk Square scarf, $70; talbots.com. J.Jill Perfect Seamed tunic, $79; jjill.com. & Other Stories trousers, $125; stories.com. Apt.9 heels, $50; kohls .com. & Other Stories bag, $235; stories.com. (Opposite page) Zimmermann Unbridled Pleated Midi dress, $795; us.zimmermann wear.com. Ulla Johnson Mars turtleneck, $395; ullajohnson.com. Banana Republic Cheetah Spot Smoking Slipper mules, $158; bananarepublic .com. Ulla Johnson Mini Sophie Bucket bag, $495; ullajohnson.com.

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dress up your athleisure ELEVATE YOUR GO-TO SWE ATSHIRT WITH CL A SSIC ESSENTIAL S, LIKE A PLE ATED SKIRT AND A D OUBLE-BRE A STED BL A ZER.

TO BUY: (This page)

Champion Reverse Weave crewneck, $50; champion.com. J.Crew Queen Amy skirt, $128; jcrew .com. Kate Spade New York Marvelle jacket, $698; katespade.com. Old Navy Canvas sneakers, $25; oldnavy.com. Chamilia Latitude Points ring, $40, and Honeycomb band, $35; chamilia.com. (Opposite page) Frame Button Down shirt, $275; frame -store.com. J.O.A for T.J.Maxx culottes, $40; tjmaxx.com. Levi’s The Frida coat, $250; levi .com. Talbots Cassidy Collapsible Nappa loafers, $129; talbots.com. Real Simple Style Rebekah clutch, $108; realsimple style.com.

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stay in outer wear A C ALF-LENGTH, MENSWE AR-INSPIRED COAT ADDS AUTUMNAL WEIGHT TO A LIGHTER BLOUSE AND CULOT TES. TIE THE COAT IN THE BACK TO KEEP IT OPEN AND IND O ORS-APPROPRIATE.

119

lean into the season THE Y’RE CL A SSICS FOR A RE A SON: A TURTLENECK, A BL A ZER, SUEDE BO OTS, AND A MO ODY FLOR AL DRESS MAKE A QUINTESSENTIAL FALL COMBINATION.

TO BUY: (This page) Garnet Hill Relaxed Jean jacket, $118; garnethill.com. Kate Spade New York Mod Plaid jacket, $448; katespade.com. J.Crew Icon trench, $228; jcrew.com. Gap Mid Rise Real Straight jeans, $70; gap.com. White House Black Market Suede mules, $110; whbm.com. Talbots Textured Tweed Shoulder bag, $139; talbots.com. (Opposite page) Rebecca Taylor Long Sleeve Tilda V-Neck dress, $695; rebeccataylor.com. Land’s End Shaped Layering turtleneck, $26; landsend.com. White House Black Market The Luxe Longline blazer, $170; whbm.com. Dolce Vita boots, $200; dolcevita .com. Theory Bucket bag, $455; theory.com.

pile on the jackets SURPRISE: YOU D ON’T NEED A SHIRT. THREE L AYERS OF JUST-BARELY-LINED, TR ANSITIONAL JACKETS IN NEUTR AL COLORS AND PRINTS CRE ATE AN UNEXPECTED MIX, WITHOUT THE BULK.

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Loft Leather Moto jacket, $128; loft.com. Live The Process Longsleeve polo, $228; livethe process.com. White House Black Market Tie Waist bodice, $89; whbm.com. Land’s End Classic Knit Boot skirt, $50; landsend.com. Sarto Franco Sarto A-Coralie heels, $119; zappos.com. Rag & Bone Dwight Belt bag, $350; rag-bone.com. (Opposite page) Tibi Viscose Stripe Shirting Asymmetrical dress, $550; tibi.com. Eileen Fisher Quilted Denim jacket, $488; eileenfisher.com. Gorjana Collete Mini hoops, $45; gorjana.com. Chamilia Latitude Points ring, $40, and Honeycomb band, $35; chamilia.com.

hello, moto TOUGHEN UP A L ADYLIKE LO OK WITH A MOTO JACKET AND A ST YLISH, PR ACTIC AL BELT BAG (D ON’T C ALL IT A FANNY PACK!). A BLEND OF WARM FABRICS AND SHAPES—LONG-SLEEVE P OLO, PEPLUM BODICE, KNIT TED SKIRT—MAKES FOR A RICH ENSEMBLE.

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H A I R B Y Y U K I K O TA J I M A F O R S E E M A N A G E M E N T ; M A K E U P B Y TA D AY O S H I H O N D A ; M A N I C U R E B Y A M I V E G A F O R S E E M A N A G E M E N T ; P R O D U C E D B Y D E V O N D AV E Y

TO BUY: (This page)

play with propor tions TOP A SLENDER-PROFILE SHIRTDRESS WITH A QUILTED KIMONO TO BRING SOME OFFBE AT ST YLE TO AN OTHERWISE SIMPLE OUTFIT.

A group of community members say grace around a Neighbor’s Table in Chesapeake, Virginia. Opposite page: Sarah Harmeyer with her father, Lee.

T H I S PA G E : S A M U E L M E LT O N . O P P O S I T E PA G E : R U S H J A G O E ; P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y S A R A H S M A R T

S A R A H H A R M E Y E R F O U N D A W AY T O C O N N E C T W I T H H E R N E I G H B O R S — N O W S H E W A N T S T O S H A R E I T. BY

Sara Austin

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126 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

most of Harmeyer’s best moments have happened around a table. She grew up in Houston with a mom who was a kindergarten teacher, and every meal was a teachable moment—a plate with steak, salad, and strawberry Jell-O became a lesson on the letter s. When Harmeyer was in high school, after her mother died of cancer, it was just her, her sister, and her father at the dinner table, the three developing a close bond. In graduate school for education in Arkansas, Harmeyer operated a restaurant out of her home; she left a menu on the answering machine and took reservations, seating 16 people an hour in a converted TV room. (The fact that the Red Porch Café was “super illegal,” as she says, did not prevent the university president from bringing guests over for dinner.) Later, people-gathering would become her W H E N S H E T H I N K S BAC K ON I T,

Top row, from left: Drilling a Neighbor’s Table; Sarah Harmeyer speaking at an event sponsored by Walmart, Feeding America, Nextdoor, and Real Simple in Charlotte, North Carolina; Lee Harmeyer, who builds the tables. Middle row, from left: Sarah Harmeyer; tools used to build the tables; a group of neighbors and friends in Hunt, Texas. Bottom row, from left: Neighbor’s Tables in Clarkston, Michigan; Sarah Harmeyer sanding a table; the Harmeyers’ workshop near Austin, Texas.

T O P R O W, F R O M L E F T : M AT T O R C U T T ; S M I T T E N & H O O K E D ; S A M U E L M E LT O N . M I D D L E R O W, F R O M L E F T : H E AT H E R H A W K I N S ; M AT T O R C U T T ; S A R A H H A R M E Y E R . B O T T O M R O W, F R O M L E F T : J O R D A N S T R I C K E R ; M AT T O R C U T T ( 2 )

inland from the salt-water tafy stands of Virginia Beach, rows of tidy clapboard homes line the streets of Culpepper Landing. Nearly a century ago, this land was a 488-acre farm, abundant with corn, wheat, and soybeans. Nine years ago, it was a small housing development of only about 40 homes within the city of Chesapeake, Virginia. Most everyone knew one another; longtime resident Tim Gudge (everyone just called him “the mayor” back then) remembers throwing a party at which one roasted pig was enough to feed the entire neighborhood. As the economy improved, Culpepper Landing boomed, and it now has some 700 homes of various sizes, many of them housing young military families tied to Naval Station Norfolk and other nearby bases. “What I like about the neighborhood is that we get all socioeconomic groups, all living together and being neighborly together, and isn’t that what we are supposed to do? We are supposed to love each other and get to know each other,” says resident Linda Rice, who works at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Still, says Rice, rapid growth has also made the area feel more anonymous; it’s harder to meet new people these days. Which brings us to the table. By the time I got to Culpepper Landing this spring, two solid western-cedar tables had been delivered by Sarah Harmeyer, who’d helped her father make them in a barn near Austin, Texas. They had been arranged end to end to create one massive table and set for a dinner for two dozen community leaders, part of an antihunger campaign from Walmart, the hunger relief group Feeding America, Real Simple, and Nextdoor, the social media network for neighborhoods. The idea was for Nextdoor members to nominate a neighbor to host conversations with local leaders about tackling hunger—and Rice had raised her hand for Culpepper Landing. The ﬁrst thing that happened at the table was a prayer: of thankfulness to be dining together, of hope for families who don’t have food on their tables. The next thing that happened at the table was a conversation. An ominous cloud rolled in and the winds kicked up, so the group huddled closer to listen as each guest told a personal story. Chef Gary LeBlanc, who lives near Chesapeake and had made that evening’s dinner, told of being ABOUT 30 MILES

so grieved while volunteering in his hometown of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina that he was moved to found Mercy Chefs, a nonprofit that serves meals to victims of natural disasters. Delena Buffalow and her daughter, Nischelle, founders of a local hunger charity, described cooking for hundreds of needy families out of their own kitchen despite having little means themselves. The final thing that happened at the table was a feeling. I could sense that change had been sparked and that the guests wanted to keep it going. Ruth Jones Nichols, CEO of the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, spoke of holding more conversations at more tables throughout this corner of the state. It’s a chemical reaction that Harmeyer, who’s been delivering her tables across the country for the past five years, has seen again and again. “Two thousand years ago, we were invited to love our neighbors, and that is for sure what drives me,” she says. “The world is a little crazy right now, and we could use more love in our interactions. A lot of people need to feel included and seen. And it’s hard—my neighbors are not all like me. But there are ways we can connect, and the table is a beautiful, natural place to do that. When you’re sitting at a big table, you feel like you’re part of something.”

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

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“ T h e w o r l d i s a l i t t l e c r a z y r i g h t n o w, and we could use more love career, as she took on a role organizing fundraising galas for a major pediatric cancer research center. By 2010, she had transferred to the hospital’s Dallas oice. She was living and breathing her job, and as a result she found it diicult to get to know people. “I was working all the time and I was happy doing it, but I realized there needed to be a shift in my life,” she recalls. “My work felt purposeful, but it was all-consuming.” A friend challenged her to consider when she had been happiest, and she kept returning to the Red Porch Café: “That was the best year of my life. There was something about gathering people, the food, being connected,” she says. She envisioned hosting neighbors in her backyard and asked her father, Lee Harmeyer, to build her a table big enough to seat 20. That the father had never built a table and that the daughter did not even know 20 of her neighbors were mere speed bumps. She drew a rough picture of what she wanted—a farmhouse table of western red cedar. Lee, a retired oil executive and amateur woodworker living on a family ranch outside Austin, hit the internet for instructions and built the table in a barn behind his home. In March 2012, Sarah placed the ﬁnished piece in her snug Dallas backyard and hung two chandeliers from the oak tree above. “I set a goal to try to serve 500 people that year,” she says, “which was a random number. But it gave me something to be intentional about.” She found the names and addresses of 300 people in her SOHIP (South of Highland Park) area through its Nextdoor site. Then she mailed all of them old-school paper invites to her “So Hip SOHIP Soiree,” asking people to

128 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

in our interactions. A lot of people n e e d t o f e e l i n c l u d e d a n d s e e n .”

consider coming out if they had never met their neighbors and to please bring a dish to share. More than 90 people showed up. “I was absolutely blown away,” she says. “I realized that night, as people kept coming down the driveway, that people just want to be invited.” So she has continued inviting neighbors over for birthday parties, concerts, and more. The budget for these gatherings is around $75 a month; most of the meals are potlucks, and everything is served family-style, with guests grabbing tokens that assign jobs such as ﬁlling the drinks, clearing the plates, and giving the toast. “That’s my way of getting out of the mentality that I have to do everything as the host, and it invites people to create something together,” she says. She can’t remember the last time she loaded her own dishwasher. Eight months after her ﬁrst potluck, guest 500 walked up the driveway for Thanksgiving: a single mom with two boys and a girl, carrying her aunt’s squash casserole. Harmeyer felt as if the moment were unfolding in slow motion, with Harmeyer jumping and clapping, wearing a crown and a sash with the number 500 on it, and looking over at her father cheering her on. “I knew I didn’t want to stop then,” she says. “That year had totally trumped my Red Porch Café year.” Over the next few months, a plan began to form. She called her father: “Would you be up to building more tables?”

3,000 people at her own backyard table. She left her job with the hospital about a year ago to work full-time running the company she named Neighbor’s Table. She has placed tables in 28 states, with the goal of having one in all 50 states by the year 2020. Lee still makes each piece in his barn. He buys 800 pounds of western red cedar planks at a time and carefully sorts them by color. His tools are simple—a miter to cut down the boards, screws and a drill to attach the planks for the top of the table, a table saw to cut notches in the legs for support beams. Each board goes through a drum sander before assembly and is sanded again by hand afterward. Father and daughter apply stain and weather protectant and, in a nod to their Texas roots, ﬁnish of the tables with a hot-iron brand of their logo. They sell the tables for $1,700 and up. Sarah delivers them herself out of the back of a rental truck, and buyers and their neighbors join her to unload and assemble them. Earlier this year, she delivered 18 Neighbor’s Tables in nine days, driving from Texas to California, Oregon, Wyoming, and Colorado. She could outsource deliveries, but making it personal is the whole point. “Most people getting our tables want to be part of what we’re doing and want to be part of something bigger than themselves,” she says. Many customers are individuals or families buying a table for their backyard, but she’s also placed tables at churches and businesses and in public spaces. (The recent antihunger campaign with Walmart placed tables not only in Chesapeake but also in common spaces in Charlotte, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh.) Harmeyer often stays for the ﬁrst meal at the table; she says she tries to do more listening than talking. James and

P H OTO G R A P H S BY RU S H JAG O E ; P R O P ST Y L I N G BY S A R A H S M A RT

H A R M EY E R H A S NOW S E RV E D MOR E T H A N

Sarah Schneider, restaurant owners in Clarkston, Michigan, bought a table for their home and then, a year later, put four more in the lower level of the Fed, a restaurant they converted from an old bank building. Heather and Chris Congo in Diablo, California, threw a party around their table for all the new families entering their son’s sixth grade class, to ease the kids’ transition before the ﬁrst day of school. Buyers have hosted family feasts, get-to-knowyour-neighbor parties, dinners for refugee families, and cereal nights with friends. “We are all so ordinary, but we are doing something extraordinary by gathering together,” says Harmeyer. the sun ﬁnally broke through the clouds just as the dinner plates were being cleared away. The tables would stay in the square for good, a gift from the event’s sponsors. Linda Rice explained that the community’s social committee was already discussing possible monthly potlucks. Maybe they would pick one topic of debate and put it to the entire table, as was the practice at the dinners of Virginia’s own Thomas Jeferson. “The tables will become instrumental to building community,” says Rice. “They have the potential to change our neighborhood.” To celebrate the tables’ arrival, residents streamed from the houses that lined the town square for a block party. A taco truck was set up, a DJ began playing, and soccer balls rolled in from all directions. Families eating at the tables ducked to avoid an errant Frisbee. Two teenagers sat shoulder to shoulder on the bench, huddled over a phone. A father and daughter climbed underneath the tables on their knees to investigate how they were built, knocking on the support beams holding them together. Next to me, a mother straddled the bench and held her squirming toddler as he attempted to eat, missing his plate and spilling black beans onto the surface. As the mom rolled her eyes and dabbed at the stain, it struck me that an evening that had started with a prayer was ending with a kind of baptism by taco. Magical things were going to happen at this table. BACK IN CULPEPPER LANDING,

From left: A plaque on a Neighbor’s Table donated to Culpepper Landing in Chesapeake, Virginia; Ginger Savage (left), a former food bank client, and Jessica Larche, morning anchor at WTKR in Norfolk, sit at a Neighbor’s Table in Chesapeake to discuss area hunger and poverty; the Chesapeake tables set with products from Walmart; fun at the Chesapeake block party.

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

S E P TE M B E R It’s our favorite time of year to cook and eat. The last of the tomatoes and corn rub elbows with the season’s ﬁrst squash and apples. To take advantage of all that’s on ofer, make a crisp BLT salad (page 132) on warm nights and a creamy cauliflower soup (page 133) on cooler ones. Slow-cook a big batch of tender black beans now (page 138) and freeze them for the busy months to come. To make mornings easy, stock up on cereals the whole family will love (page 140). And if you can, slow down on the weekends with a tray of homemade cinnamon rolls (page 143). Summer may be fading, but when the menu looks this good, it’s hard not to get excited for fall.

Photograph by Jen Causey

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

131

FOOD

Easy Dinner 1

BLT panzanella ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES

SERVES 4

Quick Cooking Make Ahead Family Friendly

4 cups crusty sourdough bread torn into bite-size pieces (from a 12-oz. loaf) 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 6 slices thick-cut bacon 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp. honey 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 4 cups packed baby arugula 2 cups multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn 2 ripe avocados, chopped 2 Tbsp. drained capers oven to 400°F. Toss bread with 1 tablespoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a single layer until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool. PREHEAT

cook bacon in a large skillet over medium, turning often, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on a paper towel– lined plate. Break into pieces.

MEANWHILE,

vinegar, mustard, honey, and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons oil, whisking constantly until smooth.

WHISK

bacon, toasted bread, arugula, tomatoes, basil, avocados, and capers and toss to coat. ADD

P E R S E RV I N G : 581 CALORIES, 34G FAT (6G SAT.), 5MG CHOL., 10G FIBER, 17G PRO., 55G CARB., 911MG SOD., 15G SUGAR

Recipes by Mar y Claire Britton Photographs by Jen Causey

Easy Dinner 2

Cashew-cauliflower soup ACTIVE TIME 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR

SERVES 4

Freezable Make Ahead Vegetarian Gluten-Free

cup raw cashews, divided 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for serving 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 5 cups) 1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves 1

tsp. kosher salt tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

oven to 350°F. Place cup each cashews and water in a microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes; let cool. Transfer to a blender, add cup broth, and blend until very smooth. PREHEAT

oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

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

HEAT

beans, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 cups broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. ADD

remaining cup cashews on a baking sheet until golden, about 6 minutes; chop and set aside.

TOAST

ADD cauliflower mixture to blender and puree until smooth. Serve soup topped with toasted cashews, a drizzle of oil, and several grinds of pepper. P E R S E RV I N G : 360 CALORIES, 15G FAT (2G SAT.), 0MG CHOL., 12G FIBER, 14G PRO., 43G CARB., 976MG SOD., 11G SUGAR

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

133

FOOD

Easy Dinner 3

Pita pizzas with olives and feta ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 20 MINUTES

SERVES 4

Quick Cooking Whole-Grain Vegetarian Family Friendly

4 6-in. whole-wheat pocketless pitas 1 Tbsp. olive oil cup prepared hummus 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about

cup)

tsp. crushed red pepper (optional) cup coarsely chopped fresh mint or oregano oven rack in upper third position and heat broiler to low. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush pita tops with oil and arrange on baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes per side.

PL ACE

hummus among pitas, spreading evenly, and top with chickpeas, olives, onion, cheese, and crushed red pepper, if using. Return to oven and broil until cheese is softened, about 6 minutes (watch carefully, as broiler strength varies). DIVIDE

pita pizzas warm, topped with mint.

SERVE

P E R S E RV I N G : 542 CALORIES, 24G FAT (7G SAT.), 38MG CHOL., 11G FIBER, 21G PRO., 64G CARB., 1,325MG SOD., 8G SUGAR

134 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

1 cup whole-wheat Israeli couscous 1 Gala apple, chopped 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems 1 cup baby arugula

Easy Dinner 4

Seared salmon with Israeli couscous ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES SERVES 4

Quick Cooking Healthy Pick

1 small red onion, thinly sliced cup toasted pine nuts 3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, divided 1 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard 1 Tbsp. lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons), plus wedges for serving tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more for cooking couscous tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 4 6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets

a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain; toss with apple, parsley, arugula, onion, pine nuts, and 2 teaspoons oil in a large bowl. BRING

mustard, lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and teaspoon each salt and pepper. Drizzle over couscous; toss to combine. Set aside.

WHISK

remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Season salmon with remaining teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook salmon, skin side down, until crispy, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook to desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for medium-rare. Serve with couscous salad and lemon wedges. HEAT

P E R S E RV I N G : 588 CALORIES, 29G FAT (4G SAT.), 90MG CHOL., 6G FIBER, 44G PRO., 38G CARB., 529MG SOD., 5G SUGAR

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

135

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)

Easy Dinner 5

Slow cooker chicken congee ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 8 HOURS, 10 MINUTES SERVES 6

Make Ahead Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Family Friendly

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup long-grain white rice 1 13.66-oz. can coconut milk, well shaken 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 3-in. piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tsp. granulated sugar 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 bunch scallions, 2 sliced, remaining left whole Cilantro, roasted peanuts, toasted coconut, sriracha, and lime wedges, for serving

136 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

chicken, broth, rice, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, and whole scallions in a slow cooker; stir to combine. Cover and cook until chicken is falling off the bone and rice has a porridge-like consistency, 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high.

PL ACE

ginger and scallions. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred meat; discard skin and bones. Stir chicken back into rice mixture. DISCARD

congee with sliced scallions, cilantro, peanuts, coconut, and sriracha. Serve with lime wedges.

TOP

P E R S E RV I N G : 412 CALORIES, 21G FAT (14G SAT.), 50MG CHOL., 1G FIBER, 25G PRO., 31G CARB., 554MG SOD., 3G SUGAR

NEED. LOVE. BUY. SAVE.

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FOOD

Big Batch

Slow cooker black beans ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 7 HOURS, 10 MINUTES MAKES 6 CUPS

1 lb. dried black beans, rinsed and picked over 1 white onion, halved 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1 dried or fresh bay leaf 1

tsp. kosher salt, divided

beans, onion, garlic, bay leaf, 6 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until beans are tender but not falling apart, 6 to 7 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. Discard onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Stir in remaining teaspoon salt. Let beans cool to room temperature. Transfer to reusable freezer-safe containers and cover beans completely with their cooking liquid. Cover and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the microwave or overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over low. TO FREEZE:

SERVING SUGGESTION (SHOWN):

Top beans with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. P E R S E RV I N G ( C U P ) : 126 CALORIES, 0G FAT (0G SAT.), 0MG CHOL., 3G FIBER, 7G PRO., 23G CARB., 160MG SOD., 3G SUGAR

138 REAL SIMPLE

Recipe by Grace Elkus Photograph by Jen Causey

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

PL ACE

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FOOD

R o a d Te s t

Breakfast Cereals

B E S T W OV E N Kellogg’s Crispix An open weave and a hollow center give these cornand-rice crunchies great texture. They’re perfect with milk or tossed in sweet and savory snack mixes. TO BUY: $4 for 12 oz.; at grocery stores.

WE SPOONED UP MORE THAN 100 V A R I E T I E S T H A T PA S S E D N U T R I T I O N A L MUSTER (NO SUGAR BOMBS!) TO FIND T H E B E ST B OX E S O N S H E LV E S. By Ananda Eidelstein

realsimple ROAD TE ST

BEST FOR KIDS Love Grown Fruity Sea Stars Tasters couldn’t believe this subtly sweet pick is made with a three-bean blend. No weird dyes either: The cute shapes get their colors from radish juice, turmeric, and paprika. TO BUY: $5 for 7 oz.; at grocery stores.

BEST O’S One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Oat O’s Oats and garbanzos are soaked to enhance key nutrients in these lightly sweetened O’s. Scan the QR code on the box to meet the farmers and producers behind the cereal. TO BUY: $5 for 8 oz.; at grocery stores.

BEST FL AKES Erewhon Corn Flakes Made with only two ingredients—organic milled corn and sea salt—these sturdy flakes stayed crispy in milk long after you’d expect them to turn soggy. TO BUY: $5 for 11 oz.; at grocery stores. BEST PUFFED Trader Joe’s Crisp Rice Cereal This lightly toasted classic is plenty tasty at a sweet bargain price—and still works perfectly in your favorite marshmallowy treats. TO BUY: $2 for 12 oz.; at Trader Joe’s. For more of our favorite cereals, check out realsimple.com/cereal.

140 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

BEST FIBER Post Grape-Nuts Just half a cup of this nutty favorite offers a healthy dose of fiber, six grams of protein, and 90 percent of the recommended daily amount of iron. Try it on ice cream or yogurt. TO BUY: $4.50 for 20.5 oz.; at grocery stores.

Photographs by Brian Henn

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 : C I N N A M O N RO L L S By Grace Elkus

ACTIVE TIME 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 3 HOURS, 20 MINUTES SERVES 12

DOUGH

cups plus 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for work surface cup granulated sugar

tsp. active dry yeast (from 1 envelope)

tsp. kosher salt 1 cup whole milk 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for bowl 2 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature

FILLING AND ICING

cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for dish

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

cup packed light brown sugar cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon tsp. kosher salt cup powdered sugar 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature 2 Tbsp. whole milk, at room temperature DOUGH

cup water and 3 tablespoons flour in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until mixture thickens to a paste, about 1 minute, stirring halfway through; set aside. Whisk sugar, yeast, salt, and remaining 3 cups flour in a large bowl. Heat milk and WHISK

Photograph by Jen Causey

butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low, undisturbed, until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool for about 5 minutes. warm milk mixture, flour paste, and eggs to flour-yeast mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, 5 to 6 minutes, dusting surface with more flour if sticky. Wipe bowl clean and lightly coat with butter. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hours. ADD

FILLING AND ICING

a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Stir together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; spread evenly to edges of dough. Roll into a log lengthwise and cut crosswise into 12 2-inch pieces. Place rolls in prepared baking dish about inch apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise until rolls are puffed and touching, about 1 hour. GREASE

oven to 375°F. Uncover rolls and bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

PREHEAT

STIR together powdered sugar and cream cheese in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in milk until smooth. Spread icing over warm rolls.

SEPTEMBER 2018 REAL SIMPLE

143

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The Struggle Is Real

Should You Buy a Yogurt Maker? A Flowchart B y M e g Fa v re a u

Do you eat yogurt? UGH, NO

YES NO It tastes like sad milk.

Do you like yogurt? YES It’s delicious! YES Probiotics are my gut’s jam.

YES I love to travel.

Do you care about live and active cultures?

NO Jamie Lee Curtis can keep ’em.

Does the act of leaving warm milk on your counter until it thickens sound appealing?

NO I prefer my milk cold and thin.

YES It sounds as fun as making kombucha, a thing I also do.

Do you have space to store a yogurt maker?

YES It’ll go between my panini press and my grain mill.

Would making your own yogurt save you money?

NO My kitchen already looks like Ariel’s grotto in The Little Mermaid. NO That’s what sales are for.

YES And I know this because I love yogurt so much that I did math for it.

YES Julie needs to be taken down a hand-painted peg.

Is the primary reason you want a yogurt maker to annoy your smug sister-in-law with the lifestyle blog?

NO I’m going to let her live her truth.

Is there a medical reason you need to make your own yogurt?

146 REAL SIMPLE SEPTEMBER 2018

YES

Y E S , YO U SHOULD BUY A YO G U RT MAKER.

N O, YO U S H O U L D NOT BUY A YO GURT MAKER.

GET T Y IMAGES

B U Y I T, ’ G R A M I T, R E T U R N I T.

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