Real Simpleの Winter 2025 の目次

Dramatic Coming-of-Age Novel How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley opens with a confession: Tween Georgie Ayyar and her older sister, Agatha Krishna, have killed their uncle, who’d recently arrived from India to live with their family in rural Wyoming and begun sexually abusing them. He’s clearly a villain, but the ones truly to blame in the whole vicious story, Georgie recounts, are the British. Set in the late 1980s and exploring the impacts of colonization and immigration, this fierce portrait of sisterhood is ultimately a life-affirming tale. Memoir of a Marriage In the spring of 2020, Belle Burden and her family were hunkered down at their Martha’s Vineyard home when her husband of 20 years announced he was leaving and walked out the door. She was stunned—she…

ADVICE, INSPIRATION & A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND HAVING THINGS GO wrong on vacation can be soul crushing. You did so much planning! You had such high hopes for your time off! Unfortunately, many of us are bound to suffer a snafu at some point. In a survey of 3,689 people who traveled in 2023, 77 percent reported facing at least one issue. (Unexpected costs and canceled plans accounted for many of the problems, according to Bankrate, the financial services company that commissioned the research.) The odds may not be on your side, but we are! Hence, this advice for what to do when a travel disaster strikes—and how to, hopefully, avoid it in the first place. The Disaster: Your Flight Is Canceled WHAT TO DO IF IT HAPPENS You…

INITIAL CHARM These gold-plated pendants will add a little sparkle to a loved one’s necklace stack (read: a bunch of chains layered together). Give just the one or spring for all the letters to spell out their name. Multi-Letter Charm, $15 each; ezrasbox.etsy.com $25 OR LESS EGG-CELLENT GIFT Made with soothing eggwhites, this facial soap comes in a few scents. For added yolks and giggles, throw in the yuck-preventing holder. Eggwhite Facial Soap, $10, and Egg Cup, $10; kalastyle.com BRINY GOODNESS A find for the dirty martini-drinker in your life! Each jar features lots a plump olives with plenty of brine that’s actually delicious. Also: Direct your friend to page 27. Quincy Brine & Olives, $15; drinkquincy.com GUESSING GAME In this exciting bluffing game, everyone knows the secret word or phrase…

BEFORE WE BEGIN: This is not your typical “New Year, New You” resolution story. Because you’re pretty great as you are! And those stories can be stressful! Instead, it’s a different kind of resolution story. One that has tiny, realistic action items—impactful things you can do to have more fun, feel happier and calmer, and put things in your favor. Make a point to do as many things on this list as possible and 2026 won’t know what hit it. WATCH AN OLD MOVIE YOU LOVE. A few suggestions for you: Drop Dead Fred, Sixteen Candles, Dirty Dancing, Heathers, Raising Arizona, or whatever you want! Create a playlist that’s exclusively for the shower (or the bath). WRITE A THANK-YOU NOTE. They’re not just for gifts! Thank a friend who met…

Readers say… Of course! Regift away! “Regifting is a must! The gift should circulate until it lands in the place it belongs.” COOPERBROSOFFICIAL “If I already have a $75 candle that’s not my scent, why not give it to someone who’ll love it? That said, if it’s crap, it gets tossed.” OHHIMATT “You are free to do whatever you want with gifts given to you. Use, donate, regift!” WHATIMEANTOSAY Definitely not! Don’t be a monster! “I prefer to explain the situation and ask the next recipient if they would like the item. That way it doesn’t feel deceptive, as if you chose this thing specifically for them.” _JENNIFERGREENE_ “Unless regifting is the theme of the party, a new gift is what the person should receive.” JILL_SOGHOMONIAN “No! Give it to…

1. PIECES OF WORK The only thing more puzzling than puzzles is figuring out what to do with them once you’re done. This service lets you rent ’em and send ’em back. Completing the Puzzle, from $28 a month; completingthepuzzle.com 2. TURN TABLE Take your coffee table to the next level. This one has a section that can either rotate (to hide all those darn remotes) or come off entirely (to be used as a snack tray on the sofa). Eclipse Coffee Table, $470; cozey.com 3. PLANT PAL If you often forget to water your plants (no shame!), this ceramic self-watering tool is a must-have. Just fill it with water and place in soil for slow, consistent hydration. Bergs Potter Self-Watering Cove, $48; goodeeworld.com 4. SOLE SEARCHER Do your kids…

IDEAS, DIYS & REALLY GOOD TIPS THERE’S NO MORE QUINTESSENTIAL cocktail than the sleek, sexy martini. It’s also the most personal of drinks, says Kaitlyn Stewart, winner of the World Class Bartender of the Year competition and author of Three Cheers: Cocktails Three Ways; Classics, Riffs, and Zero-Proof Sips. “It’s rare to ask a bartender for just a martini without following up with how you like it.” In fact, she thinks of the martini recipe as a template. The classic starts like this: 2½ ounces of gin or vodka, ½ ounce of dry vermouth, and a lemon twist or olives. “You’ve got a base spirit, a modifier, and a garnish. How you manipulate those components is up to you.” For instance, want it dirty? Swap in 1 to 2 tablespoons…

MOVE THE MEDS The rapid temp changes, plus all that shower steam, can affect the potency of your pills. Get them out of this poorly named cabinet and store them in a cool, dry place—out of reach of kids and pets. CLEAN HOUSE Oils, creams, lotions, and potions can leak, so pull everything out and wipe down the bottles and shelves. Then toss stuff you never use or anything that’s expired. This way, you can start fresh. ADD MORE STORAGE No offense to the skinny shelves inside, but they’re not enough. Stick containers on the inside of the door, add jars for bits and bobs, and slide in tiny risers to maximize every inch of vertical space. DO A REGROUP Store like with like. If you want to take things…

Roast Chickens with Shallots & Grapes ACTIVE TIME 40 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 2 HOURS, 10 MINUTES SERVES 8 TO 10 For extra-crispy skin, salt the chickens the day before roasting and leave them uncovered in the fridge to dry out (just as you would your Thanksgiving turkey). 2 4-lb. whole chickens, neck and giblets removed5½ tsp. kosher salt, divided½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, thyme, and rosemary), plus more for garnish2 tsp. poultry seasoning½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper4 large cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane grater (about 1 Tbsp.)8 large shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise4 sprigs rosemary1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth, divided1½ lb. red seedless grapes, in small bunches on the stem (about 6 cups)1 Tbsp. cornstarch2 tsp. sherry or…

FOR SELF-CARE, HOME CARE & ALL YOUR OTHER CARES MISTAKES YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE MAKING Deck the Halls Without Flaws Shea McGee of design firm Studio McGee in Salt Lake City shows how to curate an indoor holiday display worth pining for. You’re Thinking Way Too Small Yes, you’ll have to figure out where to store them during the off-season, but large items (like nutcrackers or fun trees) will anchor your display. Smaller pieces add dimension and detail. “Variety in size creates visual interest and makes the design feel intentional rather than cluttered,” McGee says. Your Wreath Game Is Too Limited Think beyond the front door! “Wreaths in different sizes can carry the holiday spirit into every room,” McGee says. Just get creative with the placement. Some of…

USE Cooking Spray TO Make Shoveling Snow Easier Sometimes the hardest part of snow removal is getting the stuff off the shovel. (When the snow, your shovel, and the air are all at or slightly above freezing level, the water creates a suction, holding the wet snow to the shovel.) A little cooking spray to the rescue! Coat both sides of your plastic or metal shovel and start scooping. The snow should glide right off like pancakes from a skillet. USE Vinegar TO Clean Salt Off Your Boots Ice melt is great at melting ice—and at leaving streaks of salt residue on shoes. To get them off suede: Mix a cup of water with a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar. Dip a clean white cloth into the mixture and wipe…

LET’S DO AN EXPERIMENT. Get a glass of liquid and some kind of absorbent material, like a tissue. Roll up the tissue and dip the bottom in the glass. See that? The liquid is seeping up the roll. That wacky bit of physics is an example of capillary action, which is a main reason candles work, says Steve Horenziak, president of the National Candle Association. “When you light a candle, the heat melts the wax near the wick. This liquid wax is drawn up the wick to the flame, where it vaporizes into gases that interact with oxygen in the air to combust.” Without the wax supplying a steady source of fuel, the flame would flicker out. Ancient Romans are credited with inventing wick candles around 500 BCE, Horenziak says.…

ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES SERVES 4 1 medium (3 ½-lb.) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded1 Tbsp. olive oil¾ tsp. kosher salt½ tsp. crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about 1½ Tbsp.)1 7-oz. block feta cheese in brine, drained and halved lengthwise1 5-oz. pkg. fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped (about 5 cups)⅓ cup chicken or vegetable stock¼ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg¼ cup (about 1 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese PREHEAT oven to 400°F with a rack in center position. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. PLACE squash halves, cut side up, on prepared baking sheet. Rub cut sides with oil; sprinkle cavities…