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Easy Valentine’s Day Ideas Get menu ideas, chocolate recipes, last-minute gift ideas, and peek into real couples’ marriages.
FEBRUARY 2011
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On The Cover REAL SIMPLE
Easy Valentine’s Day Ideas 152 (Get menu ideas, the best chocolate recipes, last-minute gift ideas, and peek into real couples’ marriages.)
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Easy Valentine’s Day Ideas
Christopher Baker Michele Faro
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Get menu ideas, chocolate recipes, last-minute gift ideas, and peek into real couples’ marriages. FEBRUARY 2011
6 12 27
Thoughts The Simple List Editor’s Note
Your Words 29 33
This Month’s Question Who is your beauty muse? No-Obligation Book Club What book is worth staying up all night for?
Solutions 45 46 48 50 52
Trends Worth Trying 35 36 38 40
Problem-Solvers of the Month Is reading on an e-reader bad for my eyes? Start With
Uncommon scents The Most Wearable Trend Right Now Playful polka dots One for All User-friendly lip crayons Object of Desire Mod moody votives
New Uses for Old Things Ask Real Simple
Destined to Be a Classic
Life Lessons 55
Good Read Paula McLain on being abandoned by her
A bagel
mother—and the reverberations she felt
Speed-Clean
when she had children
Your back entryway, done in 15 minutes
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Modern Manners Michelle Slatalla on dealing with all things
64
contagious and touchy visitors Expertise Five ways to stay cool under pressure
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The Guide Beauty 18 Cult Classics Pros’ go-to products that have withstood the test of time................................................................... 73
Put on a Good Face How the right facial expressions can help you apply makeup................................................. 83
Road Test Eye shadows......................................................................................................................................... 89
Health Back-Pain Relief Tied up in knots? Six remedies to cure those everyday aches..................................... 95
Fashion The Color of the Season: Orange Easy ways to incorporate this hot shade (it’s everywhere)...... 99
Real Steals Winter-to-spring transitional pieces for less than $100......................................... 111 Fashion Fit Lab Casual pants to fit and flatter everyone..................................................... 123
Home Make Over My Kitchen A real-life redo: from disorganized and cluttered to
neat and clean....................................................................................................... 131 Road Test Irons................................................................................................. 139
Money Moneywise The differences between outlets and discount-clothing stores.................................................................... 143
Lifestyle What Makes My Life Real Simple.......................................... 151 Easy Valentine’s Day Ideas Get menu ideas, chocolate recipes, last-minute gift ideas, and peek into real couples’ marriages......................................................
152
Features An Age to Remember Six noted authors write
about the favorite years of their lives............... 162
Food Look, No Hands! Delicious and hassle-free slow-cooker dinners...............................187
With the Greatest of Ease Move-with-you
outfits that are laid-back and luxurious.... 170 Finish My Room These decorating
projects were stopped in their tracks
Road Test Granola...........................195 Quick Takes Ten ideas for
rotisserie chicken.......................198 Five Easy Dinners.............201
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HERE COMES A TIME in every. woman's life when she wakes up,looks in the mirror, and says,"Enough is enough." When she has spentwhat feels like an eternity painting her nails only to have them chip the next day; blowing her hair out only to have it rain that afternoon; shaving her legs, oh, 2,500 times before she reaches the age of 30. Really, there's got to be a better way. My dear friend Mary Lewis Meador has always been on the cutting edge of all things beautyrelated. Mary Lewis has gorgeous legs, and when we were in college, she shaved them every single day, a dedication I found both daunting and fabulous. After graduation, as soon as she had scraped together enough money, she got laser hair removal on her bikini line. Aside from her wedding and the arrival of her children, I think the day of her last appointment-no more bikini waxes, ever!-was quite possibly the happiest day of her life. Just imagine all the time she has, saved (not to mention pain averted) in the intervening years. Six months ago, Real Simple’s ever charming beauty and health director, Didi Gluck, nearly tackled me in the hall because she was so excited about her gel pedicure. Apparently she was on week four and her toenails still looked as good as new. For those of you who have never worked with beauty editors, let me just say they are a skeptical bunch. It takes an awful lot for someone like Didi, an experienced pro, to be bowled over by a treatment. But to find a pedicure that would, as it turned out, last the better part of the summer? That is life-changing.
For more of Kristin’s ramblings on matters both big and small,visit her blog, Adventures in Chaos, at realsimple.com/adventuresinchaos. Or check out her book, Just Let ·Me Lie Down, which is available wherever books are sold.
Then there was the day last fall when senior home market editor Kelley Carter came to a meeting in my office after getting a keratin treatment. Kelley has very curly hair and, like most everyone I know with curly hair, wishes it were straight. (I’m someone who has longed for curly hair all her life, so don’t even get me started.) It was an hour-long meeting, and I think we spent the first threequarters of it talking about Kelley’s hair. “I can comb it now,” she kept saying in disbelief. That, and sleep later, since straightening it now took just 20 minutes, rather than an hour or more. What do Mary Lewis, Didi, and Kelley know that I don't? It's not "You have to suffer for beauty"~one of my mother's favorite sayings. Or, while we're on the subject of my mother, "Pretty is as pretty does." No, what they know is that sometimes you have to take significant action to get significant long-term gains, and that something as unremarkable as one beauty treatment really can make every single day easier. If you are ever wrestling with a flat iron/ razorlbottle of nail polish and the word Sisyphean comes to mind, then proceed immediately to page 152 for "Beauty Ideas That Save Time, Money & Sanity," our cover story this month. I suppose every woman is meant to reach a state of maturity when she wises up and stops believing that a beauty treatment can change her outlook, her schedule, her self-esteem, or her life. I don’t know about you, but I hope I never become that mature.
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I KEA
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DID YOU EAT YOUR HEALTHY BREAKFAST?
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BY GO RD O N PA RK E S
Healthy Breakfast for Busy People
WHEN YOU WAKE UP, YOUR STOMACH IS AT ITS STRONGEST,
WITH DIGESTIVE ENZYMES FLOWING. THAT IS WHY BREAKFAST IS SO IMPORTANT.
Contrary to popular belief, eating your breakfast should be your diet priority every day. There are people claiming that breakfast eating makes you overweight and that cutting out breakfast will decrease your body weight. However, this is not true; the body expects to be refueled a few times each day -- starting with breakfast. Actually, eating breakfast is good for weight loss. In fact, people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight. When you wake up in the morning, you need food. The digestive system enzymes are at their top functioning as soon as you wake up and you need to provide them with the right type of food. Surely, this does not mean that you should eat whatever comes to your mind or have an early lunch. Rather, a bowl of cereals or some fruit may do the trick. The only thing you need to do is to eat healthy and have a regular breakfast.Eating a healthy breakfast increases your concentration and mental capabilities, while, at the same time, bettering your mood. Thus, there are numerous reasons against skipping breakfast.
So, if you want to be and stay healthy, read on. Studies show that children who eat breakfast do better in school. It doesn’t take much further thought to realize adults will feel better and perform better at work as well. Whether you work at home, on the farm, at the office, at school, or on the road, it is not a good idea to skip breakfast. Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. When you skip breakfast, you are likely to become tired when your brain and body run low on fuel. By mid-morning, you might grab a cup of coffee or wolf down a sugary candy bar to wake up again. This might work for a few minutes, but by lunch time you are hungry, crabby, and perhaps your mood might make you a little more prone to make unhealthy choices at lunch. You are likely to feel cravings for sweets when you skip breakfast,. Eating sweets is bad for your dental and overall health. Also, food high in sugar is bound to increase your body weight. This is why you need to eat healthy. This is best done through a well-planned breakfast which is not to be skipped any day.
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Weight loss without cutting meals While many people think they will lose weight faster by skipping breakfast, quite the reverse is true. (Weight Loss Requires Eating Breakfast) Eating substantially less food will slow your metabolism, making it harder to for your body to burn fat. You will also be more likely to binge on sugary snacks to fight the feeling that you’re famished. A healthy breakfast, on the other hand, gives your body the ideal start, speeding up your metabolism and making it easier to drop excess weight. So, strange as it may seem, the key to losing weight is often to eat more, not less. Just make sure you eat more of the right type of foods! Other breakfast benefits Eating a healthy breakfast is vital for your mind as well as your body. Extensive studies have
shown that, as well as helping to improve your mood, eating breakfast aids concentration and improves memory - indeed school children who skip breakfast generally perform worse at school, and it is the same for adults at work. If you want your brain to function at 100% for the whole day, a healthy breakfast is really crucial. Healthy breakfast ideas A proper breakfast is the ideal way to start the day, but you may get bored if you have porridge or cereal everyday. The solution is simple - mix up your breakfasts. If you want something sweeter, for example, why not start the day with a punnet of your favourite berries? Alternatively, blend some fruits together into a delicious smoothie. You can experiment with a wide range of different fruits,
so the variety of smoothies you can make is practically endless! To savour the goodness of fresh vegetables, you can make a quick omelette with some mushrooms or spinach. This contains lots of protein so makes a great, healthy treat. Provided you avoid bacon and eggs dripping in fat, having breakfast will help you become healthier, happier and more fulfilled.
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Toast With Ricotta and GrapesIngredients Ingredients • 4 slices country bread, toasted • 1/4 cup ricotta • 1 cup seedless green grapes • 1 tablespoon honey Directions 1. Spread each slice of bread with the ricotta. 2. Top with the grapes, and drizzle with the honey.
Farina With Apricots and Almonds Ingredients • 2 cups low-fat milk • kosher salt • 1/3 cup farina • 1 tablespoon brown sugar • 1/4 cup dried (apricots, chopped) • 2 tablespoons roasted (almonds, chopped) Directions 1. Bring the milk and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk in the farina. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 2 minutes. 2. Spoon into bowls and top with the sugar, apricots, and almonds. Yogurt and Granola Parfait Ingredients • 1/4 cup granola • 1/2 cup plain yogurt • 1 tablespoon maple syrup Directions Place the granola in the bottom of a parfait glass or dish. Spoon the yogurt on top. Drizzle with syrup.
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Easy
Valentine’s Day Ideas
5 easy ideas from Valentine's Day gift ideas to simple sweet treats for spicing up the holiday.
Make Gift Tags From Greeting Cards Last year’s holiday and birthday cards may be too pretty to throw away, but they’re probably not meaningful enough to keep. Cut out hearts, flowers, or any other whimsical illustration from the card’s cover, avoiding handwritten notes on the opposite side, and stash them with your ribbons and wrapping paper.
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Make Valentines from Household Supplies Paint samples, playing cards, sponges, sugar packets, matches are all taking up space in your kitchen and desk drawers. Think of them as an inexhaustible stock of Valentine-card-making props. Dead AAA batteries ("I get a charge out of you"), old lollipops ("I'm a sucker for you"), stray keys ("the key to my heart"). Sit yourself down and grab a pile of craft supplies construction paper, scissors, markers, tape, X-Acto blade, large-eyed needle and strong thread (or dental floss), doilies, ribbon saved from the last party. Don't worry about making it look perfect. It's the message that counts. Candy Cane Valentine’s D ay Cupcakes With some minor melting, candy canes can decorate cupcakes and gift boxes, or cards that will be hand delivered. How to do it: Remove the cellophane wrapping from the canes and form hearts by placing them hook to hook and tail to tail on a nonstick baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 2 to 4 minutes (depending on the canes’ size) or until they stick together when you pinch the ends lightly. Cool thoroughly and remove with a spatula. If you want to make flat hearts with psychedelic stripes, bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Make Your Own Candy Hearts Contrary to the grumblings of all those heartday humbugs out there, Valentine’s is not some capitalist conspiracy created by purveyors of greeting cards, flowers, and candy. In fact, as far back as Roman times, love matches were made during a mid- February fertility festival. And in the fifth century Pope Gelasius officially declared February 14 Saint Valentine’s Day. Sure, it has become a tad commercialized since then, but you can still personalize your love notes. Try creating custom candy: Use a fine grater to sand the messages off Conversation Hearts, then write your own thoughts with a food-coloring marker (such as Ateco, available at amazon.com, $21.50). Or make virtual hearts with your message at acme.com/heartmaker and e-mail them to your main squeeze. DVDs for Valentine’s Day Struck by a mad urge to play Cupid, you’re throwing a Valentine’s party. For instant ambiance, pick up an appropriately themed DVDpreferably a romantic favorite like When Harry Met Sally, Casablanca, or An Affair to Remember. Come party time, pop it in the machine, press Play, then mute the sound so the film can serve as a quiet but not-too-subtle backdrop for the evening. Bonus: If a partygoer gets tired of small talk, he can zone out and tune in to the on-screen romance until he makes his own love connection with bachelorette number three.
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FIND OUT WHERE TO BUY ITEMS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE.
EDITOR’S NOTE
MAKE OVER MY KITCHEN
Hair by Alejandra for Tresemme. Makeup by Jenna Menard for Dior Beauty. Magaschoni wool dress, $448, similar styles at magaschoni.com. Gemma Redux crystal necklace, $444, gemmaredux.com.
Page 134: Shape-up Magnets!, $7.50 for four, shop.threebythree.com. Good Grips 10-piece Pop container set, $100, oxo.com. Model One radio, $180, tivoliaudio.com. USB charging six-outlet surge protector, $25, belkin. com for stores. Woven Strap totes, $13 each, bedbathandbeyond. com. Page 136: Good Grips stainless-steel. tools: spoon, $9; slotted spoon, $9; turner, $9; ladle, $9; and whisk, $11: Hair and makeup by Rachel Wood oxo.com. Ensemble 12-cup coffee- maker, $40, hamiltonbeach.com. KitchenAid Fi ne-Edge Forged 13-piece cutlery set, price subject to change, target. com. Dexas Flexi cutting boards, $20 for four; and assorted kitchen towels, $18 for four: williamssonoma.com. Aeter- num white cookware, $20 to $70 per piece, bialettishop.com. Joey soap pump, $13.50, umbra.com. Pullout recycler, $70, simplehuman.com. SEASON: ORANGE metal necklace, $68: anntaylor.com.
TRENDS WORTH TRYING Styling by Jason Gledhill for Halley Resources. SOLUTIONS Food styling by Charlyne Mattox. Prop styling by Linden Elstran. MODERN MANNERS Makeup by Elizabeth Kamp. 18 CULT CLASSICS Prop styling by Laurie Raab for Halley Resources. Makeup by Shawnelle Prestige for Christian Dior at Ray Brown Pro. PUT ON A GOOD FACE Prop styling by Rachel Haas. Hair and makeup by Rachel Wood for Artists by Timothy Priano. ROAD TEST: EYE SHADOWS
ROAD TEST: IRONS Prop styling by Thom Driver for Halley Resources. MONEYWISE
THE DECODER: BACKPAIN RELIEF
Page 147: Food styling by Charlyne Mattox. Prop styling by Rachel Haas. Special thanks to Michele Rothstein, vice president of marketi ng for Premium Outlets.
Prop styling by Ariana Salvato.
WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE
THE COLOR OF THE SEASON: ORANGE
Page 170: Ippolita bangles of sterling silver and onyx, $295 each; and bangles of sterling silver and berry stones, $425 each: ippolita. com. Page 171: Manolo Blahnik leather-and-elastic heels, $785, barneys.com. Page 172: Phillips Frankel rings of 14-karat yellow gold and diamonds, from $400 each, fragments. com. Page 173: Alexandre Birman leather-andpython flats, $475, Bergdorf Goodman, 800-558-1855. Ippolita bangles of rose gold and diamonds, $695 each, ippolita.com. Bare Collection rings of 14-karat gold, rose gold, and white gold, $387 for seven, barecollection. com. Page 174: Jamie Kole necklace of sterling silver and Swarovski crystals, $438, fragments. com. Page 175:Michael Michael Kors leather heels, $185,866-709-5677 for stores. Chan Luu necklace of gold-plated nuggets, sequins, and wax linen, $295, chanluu.com. Melissa Joy Manning 14-karatgold rings, $965 for three, melissajoymanning.
Prop styling by Thom Driver for Halley Resources.
Styling by John Olson. Hair by Kozmo for Tresemme at Bryan Bantry. Makeup by Tracy Crystal for Dior Beauty at Bryan Bantry. Page 99: Jennifer Rose at Supplements NY gold-plated earrings, $100,800-631-3844. REAL STEALS Set production by Conor Fay. Hair by Kozma for Tresemme at Bryan Bantry. Makeup by Tracy Crystal for Dior Beauty at Bryan Bantry. Page 111: Metal stool provided by Strawser & Smith Inc., strawser andsmith.com for info. FIT LAB: CASUAL PANTS Styling by Solange Sandstrom for Workgroup.Page 123: DKNY Jeans satin top, $49, macys.com for stores. Ann Taylor metal-and-glass necklace, $68; and metal nacklace, $68: anntaylor. com.
com. Page 176: Echo rayon-blend scarf, $48, echodesign.com (available March 17). Jean-Michel Cazabat leather wedges, $295, shopbop. com. Towne & Reese gold-plated oangles, $30 for three, towneand reese.com for stores. Me&Ro 10-karatgold ring, $1,640,917- 237-9215. Page 177: Sam Edelman leather heels, $150, bloomingdales. com. Dean Harris necklace of aquamarine and 14-karat yellow gold, $1,475, deanharris.net. FINISH MY ROOM Page 179: Antique tiled mirror (36 by 24 inches), $149, westelm.com.White porcelain fruit collection, to the trade only; and glazed porcelain white artichokes, to the trade only: 480-4238000. Page 181 : Cosmo pol itan Hardware, $102, smithandnoble.com. Jelly Belly, by Jonathan Lewis (16 by 16 inches unframed), $200; Mixup, by Gary Petersen (20 by 16 inches unframed), $200; In One Ear, Out the Other, by Jessica Snow (22 by 17 inches unframed), $200; Dots, by Jonathan Lewis (16 by 16 inches unframed), $200: 20x200. com. Orange Retro print, $95 with custom frame; Study for Homage to the Square (circa 1954), $250 with custom frame; Study for Homage to the Square (circa 1970), $250 with custom frame: art. com. Framed bird sketch by John-Paul Philippe, $199, west elm.com. Ransby rug, $249, ikea. com for stores. Steel Zig Zag Rug (8 by 10 feet), $1,050, madeline weinrib.com for stores. Page 183: Lacquer bed and armoire by J&J Upholstery and Window Treatments, 203-353-0703. Suzanne Kasler Sunburst Mirror No.1 , $79, ballard designs. com. Painting and installation by Taylormade Contractors, 347-262-7420. ROAD TEST: GRANOLA Prop styling by Rachel Haas. 10 IDEAS FOR ROTISSERIE CHICKEN Food styling by Charlyne Mattox. Prop styling by Tiziana Agnello. FIVE EASY DINNERS Food styling by Dawn Perry. Prop styling by Tiziana Agnello. DISCOUNTS & DEALS Prop styling by Jason Gledhill for Halley Resources.
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