Table of contents for April 2021 in Real Simple

I AM WATCHING TELEVISION when a commercial makes my eyes widen and my mouth go slack. There exists in this world a new variety of dryer sheet that (puts hand on mouth and looks both ways) repels animal hair. I text my husband, Steve (who is only in the next room, but…marriage): We must buy this dryer sheet immediately. Milo hair issues, solved! I open my laptop and write a comment in the margin of our story about cleaning and controlling hair around the house (page 55): We must mention this animal-hair-repelling dryer sheet! Check it out. Could be game-changing, right? Stephanie Sisco, our home director, writes a note to my note (because…Google Docs). REAL SIMPLE tends to avoid mentioning mainstream dryer sheets. We usually recommend organic versions or…

1 PLAYFUL PAIR These cool spoons are so little, they perform the magic trick of making dessert last longer. TO BUY: Glass Spoons, $35 for 2; us.hay.com. 2 GOOD HARE DAY Adults will love this vase’s interplay of sophistication and cuteness. Kids will just love that there’s a bunny on the table. TO BUY: Bunny Vase, $35; mamannyc.com. 3 SWEET DETAILS Almost like trivets, these stylish placemats are durable and heat resistant, thanks to the abaca fibers. TO BUY: Catalonia Placemats, from $28; serenaandlily.com. 4 DISH IT OUT Take the toil out of collecting toile dinnerware with a set of mismatched vintage plates. TO BUY: Transferware Serving Platter and Mixed Plates, from $98; food52.com. 5 OMBRÉ AMBIENCE These beautiful blush table linens are handmade by a mostly female team of…

R + Co Bleu This new hair-care line has game-changing packaging, with recycled and recyclable material. It’s also smart (matte caps offer grip in the shower), sweet (each purchase supports reforestation efforts), and sexy (Capri-inspired scent). Plus, every product has the brand’s unique molecule complex to enhance shine and strengthen. TO BUY: From $52; bleu.randco.com. 1 FEEL-GOOD FRAGRANCES Jo Malone London Blossoms Cologne in Yellow Hibiscus and Red Hibiscus Intense Maybe you can’t feel the sun yet, but these scents mimic its warmth for instant happiness. Yellow is fresh; red is rich. The bottles look like art and last forever. TO BUY: From $74 for 30 ml; jomalone.com. 2 SUPERHERO SERUM Paula’s Choice Skincare Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment This potent vitamin B3 serum refines pores, brightens spots, and smooths fine…

For a long time, I avoided robot vacuums. The one I had years ago sucked—and not in the way it was meant to. But I did a complete 180 when I tried Bissell’s SpinWave Wet and Dry Robotic Vacuum. This app-controlled baby has incredible suction power, runs for 90 minutes nonstop, and is so quiet, my husband has been known to nap while it does its job. Thanks to smart sensors, it navigates rooms with minimal bumping. Plus—wait for it—it even mops. Just swap the dry brush for the reusable pads, and when the vacuum nears a rug, it’ll turn back around! It leaves my rugs and hardwood floors spotless. Is your mind blown yet? Oh, it’s cute too!…

Quick like a bunny, you can bring a little holiday cuteness to your Easter table with this napkin-folding trick from Kim Wilson, creator of the lifestyle blog Sand & Sisal. Just fold a square napkin into a triangle and, starting at the folded edge, roll it into a long tube. Place a hard-boiled or decorative Easter egg in the middle, then fold the napkin around it and tie with a string or ribbon.…

LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT: You deserve the retirement of your dreams. But real and urgent issues might be blurring the (possibly beachside) retirement picture in your mind. Only a quarter of U.S. women believe they’re on track to achieve their retirement income needs, according to a recent survey. Roadblocks include the gender pay gap—women earn, on average, 82 cents for every dollar earned by men—and the high cost of caregiving later in life. Not to mention the pandemic. The Covid-19 crisis cut jobs and forced many women to step back from their careers to tend to their kids and oversee remote learning. In fact, as of January, only 57 percent of American women were working or looking for work. Rest assured: There is still time to act. Whatever your retirement…

DURING THE PANDEMIC, nearly half of U.S. workers lost jobs and income. The other half, however, found themselves in a privileged spot: According to a recent poll, 52 percent of Americans were able to save more than usual and pay down debt faster. These four women experienced the upside of the Covid economy. Here’s how they made the most of it, and how you can use their strategies even if you’re still struggling. “We Bought a House” Bethany Heitman CONTENT STRATEGY CONSULTANT AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AT HEALTH MAGAZINE MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY LIKE MANY YOUNG couples, Bethany Heitman and her husband of four years, Antoine Samuda, had talked about a future that included a house and maybe even babies. They saved money by renting below their means, but their timeline for…

SINCE MOST MEALS—especially balanced ones—begin with prepping produce, I’m making it my mission to share the time-saving and dirt-banishing tricks I’ve learned over the years in culinary school, as a personal chef, and as a food editor. I’ve called on Sally Kuzemchak, a registered dietitian and the author of Cooking Light Dinnertime Survival Guide, and cookbook writer Julia Turshen, author of Simply Julia, to share their washing wisdom as well. Between us, we’ve worked on more than a dozen cookbooks, made (literally) thousands of dinners, and washed—this is a rough estimate—several million heads of lettuce. The Master Method When washing produce, the best way to start is by washing your own hands. Then simply give the food a good rinse and rub under running water—no soap or special solutions…

Pea tendrils, also known as pea shoots, are the very tips of pea plants. These delicate leaves and curlicues don’t just bring a whole lot of pretty to a dish—they also add a nice, subtle pea flavor. SHOP for bright green bunches at farmers markets and some supermarkets during spring, when pea shoots are at their peak. STORE in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to 2 days, wrapped in a dish towel and placed in an open produce bag. TO SERVE, remove tough stems. Sprinkle onto risotto or pasta for freshness, slip into sandwiches for crunch, or toss with a light vinaigrette for a salad that tastes like spring. EASY DINNER 1 Fusilli With Minty Pea Pesto ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES SERVES 4 ✓ Quick…

Quick Ideas PARM SCRAMBLED EGGS Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low. Add 6 beaten eggs; cook, stirring often, until almost set, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ⅓ cup grated Parm, 2 Tbsp. cubed butter, and ½ tsp. kosher salt. Top with 2 ½ Tbsp. grated Parm and 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley. PARM GRILLED CHEESE Spread 2 Tbsp. butter over 1 side of 4 white bread slices. Sprinkle with ¼ cup grated Parm. Flip 2 bread slices; spread with 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard. Top with ½ cup thinly sliced Gala apples and ⅓ cup shredded Gruyère. Top with remaining bread slices, butter side up. Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium until golden brown, 3 minutes per side. INSTANT POT PARM BROTH Heat 2 Tbsp.…

WHAT EXACTLY IS IT? Composting is the process of converting food scraps and yard waste into material that boosts the health of soil—meaning gardeners will likely need less store-bought fertilizer to get bigger and more beautiful plants. It’s also excellent for the environment. When food and leaves break down in landfills, they produce methane, a greenhouse gas. Composting reduces that methane emission—since scraps never make it to the landfill in the first place. WHAT TO COMPOST You can compost fruit and veggies, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags (without the little staple!), paper towels, napkins, and newspaper. If you’re composting in your yard, avoid adding fats, dairy, meat, and bones, as they can attract pests; some municipal organics recycling programs accept these categories. You can also throw in yard trimmings, like…

PLAN IT Minimize your lawn. Grass often requires more fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and water than other types of landscaping—and it offers little in the way of ecological benefits. Reducing a lawn’s size to what you actively use will make an impact. Start small: Remove a section of turf grass and plant native grasses, trees, or shrubs. Try matrix planting. In this style of landscaping, complementary hardy native plants and low-growing ground cover are planted tightly together to hold in moisture and crowd out weeds. Your local nursery can help you select region-appropriate plants that pair well together. Extend your season. Choose plants that bloom at different times and you’ll have beauty from spring through fall. You’ll also provide wildlife and pollinators—bees, butterflies, and other creatures that transfer pollen from one…

1 Take a (gas-free) joyride. It’s time to consider buying an electric vehicle. They’ve come down in price, and most models can travel 100 to 300 miles without needing a charge. There are already more than 20,000 charging stations across the country. You can also plug it in at home, and it doesn’t increase your bill any more than air-conditioning would. I know a man who became a Lyft driver for a weekend just so he could spread the word about electric vehicles to his passengers. LEAH STOKES, PHD, IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA. 2 Go eco at your day job. Think about the power you have right where you are, at your job or in your community. If you’re an administrator, push…

IT’S MORE IMPORTANT than ever to discuss climate change with friends and family—yet the conversation is a surprising source of social anxiety. Will you get into a big blowup with your uncle during an otherwise peaceful family brunch? Will your 7-year-old break into sobs at the thought of those polar bears adrift on melting ice floes? In case you missed it, climate change has become a hot button issue. Numerous polls tell us that the majority of American adults now believe climate change is happening. What’s causing it? That’s where opinions and passions diverge. Yet only about one in three of us discuss it. “We don’t know how to start,” says Katharine Hayhoe, PhD, an atmospheric scientist, political science professor, and codirector of the Climate Center at Texas Tech University.…

STRATEGIZE WITH A LITTLE ADVANCE THINKING, YOU CAN MAKE CLEANING TASKS LESS CHALLENGING AND LESS FREQUENT. KEEP TWO LISTS Write down your weekly cleaning to-dos, then make a separate list of your rarer jobs (like dusting ceiling fans). Each time you do your weekly chores, tackle one item from that second list, says Jacqueline Janus of Two Chicks and a Broom, a cleaning company in Memphis. “A quick wipe of fan blades every couple of weeks means I’m not eventually scrubbing six months’ worth of dust from them.” FOLLOW AN ORDER OF OPERATIONS As you clean, go from small to large, top to bottom, and dry to wet. Ordering every task ensures you don’t retrace your steps or undo your hard work, says Angela Bell of Grove Collaborative, a home-…

The people who make these balms, serums, and shampoos do amazing things for the planet and all its residents. WHEN YOU BUY BURT’S BEES, YOU HELP Give Back to Frontline Workers When it comes to conservation, the makers of that little yellow tube are busy bees: They’ve reached an average of over 99 percent natural origin for all their products; they responsibly source shea butter from West Africa—improving the livelihood of more than 14,000 women there; and they planted more than 15 billion (with a b!) wildflower seeds to help restore the bee population. When Covid-19 hit, the company donated $1.5 million in grants and products to frontline workers. We’re here for soothed lips and full hearts. WHEN YOU BUY KINSHIP, YOU HELP Cut Down on Ocean-waste Plastic We…

ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES SERVES 6 1 cup yellow cornmeal⅔ cup all-purpose flour¼ cup ground flaxseed¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, chives, basil, and parsley), plus more for serving2 ¼ tsp. baking powder1 tsp. lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving2 ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided½ cup plain Greek yogurt3 Tbsp. olive oil8 cups vegetable broth2 large carrots, sliced1 small bulb fennel, chopped, plus fronds for serving WHISK cornmeal, flour, flaxseed, herbs, baking powder, lemon zest, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add yogurt, oil, and ½ cup water to well. Whisk wet ingredients until mostly combined. Continue whisking, slowly incorporating dry ingredients into wet ingredients, until a uniform ball forms (it will be sticky).…

I talk to my sister long-distance while we both clean. @BARBARATROTTIER #RSLOVE Every chore in our house is made more enjoyable by music. We always have a great playlist going while cleaning, and it even relaxes our dogs! @LISADIEDER For sharing this photo with us, @lisadieder will receive our new special edition, The Power of Less. If you want your picture to be considered, tag photos on Instagram with #rslove. I try to beat the clock. I set a time to complete the task by, and I see how much earlier I can get it done. CAROL TRACY, CENTREVILLE, MARYLAND Doing dishes and folding laundry feel like the chores that never end, but inviting my toddler to help makes them fun. Noticing how accomplished she feels after helping to put…

We love these earth-friendly products! 1 PLANT-BASED CASE This flexible cover is crafted from flax yet manages to protect your phone against falls from up to six feet. Compost the case when you’re done with it. TO BUY: Honey Eco-Friendly Phone Case, $45; pelacase.com. 2 CLICK AND CARRY ON Skip the hotel’s single-use toiletries and fill this leakproof set instead. The containers are magnetic, so your bag stays tidy. Even better, they’re made from plastic recovered from beaches. TO BUY: Get Outside Bundle, $42 for 3; keepyourcadence.com. 3 SET THE BAR Noap makes shampoo, conditioner, and body soap in bar form to cut down on packaging. This suction-stay shower rack keeps them from becoming gooey messes. TO BUY: Noap Shower Rack, $48; goodbottlerefillshop.com. 4 DOGGY DOO-GOODER Take your pup on a plastic-free potty break…

Meet the Owner JONI LAY The interior designer and creator of Lay Baby Lay, a parenting and lifestyle blog, was thinking strategically when she renovated and decorated one end of the attic space in her suburban Atlanta home. At first she thought it could be a huge closet, but then she considered its proximity to her kids’ bedrooms—and turned it into a reading nook for them. Her four kids often hole up in there, which Joni loves when she and her husband want quiet time. But when the little ones are off at school, she nestles into the colorful spot as well. Get the Look PICK A POPPY PAINT Bright yellow was a bold choice, but it contrasts nicely with the pale blue in the adjacent bedroom. To keep the…

Hairy Situations YIKES: Mountains of hair accumulate on your bathroom floors. FIX IT: You don’t need to lug out the vacuum. Simply use your blow-dryer to blast hairs from corners and tight spots toward the center of the room. “We use this trick at the salon,” says hairstylist Siobhán Quinlan, creative director of Art + Autonomy Salon in New York City. Swipe up the pile with a damp microfiber cloth. “Microfiber is great at attracting fine particles like hair because it’s very staticky,” says Melissa Maker, founder of the cleaning company Clean My Space. To get stubborn hairs off a microfiber cloth, rub it against itself. KEEP IT UP: Next time you’re blow-drying or teasing out your ’do, close the door so strands don’t travel to other rooms, and tilt…

ONE BIG LESSON from the past year? Our emotional and mental well-being requires constant tending. We have what experts call a “negativity bias”—as our brain attempts to sort out which stimuli threaten our survival, gloomy events and emotions capture our attention most. Yet positive thinking can be transformative. While you’ve probably heard you should meditate and count your blessings, there’s a host of other simple techniques that can shift your mindset, boost your energy, and help you bounce back. Here’s a list to get you started. 1 Pick a power color, symbol, or style. Studies show that certain outfits may help us feel confident and more upbeat. The key to “dopamine dressing” is your attitude—it works if you associate an outfit with joy, power, or some other positive force,…

Suit Yourself A SLIM-FIT JACKET AND TAILORED BERMUDA SHORTS CREATE AN UNEXPECTED WARM-WEATHER POWER OUTFIT. KEEP YOUR BELONGINGS IN A CARBON-NEUTRAL (OR CARBON-NEGATIVE, IN THIS CASE) TOTE. LEARN THE ECO LINGO ON PAGE 99. Easy & Breezy SUSTAINABLE ESSENTIALS, LIKE A RECYCLED-COTTON SWEATSHIRT, NATURALLY DYED SHIRTDRESS, AND VEGAN FLATS, OFFER A RELAXED, EFFORTLESS WEEKEND VIBE. Light & Airy PRETTY DESIGN DETAILS (THINK RIBBING AND SILKY TEXTURES) MAKE MINIMALIST CLASSICS, LIKE A SPAGHETTI-STRAP TOP AND PULL-ON SKIRT, FEEL ANYTHING BUT BASIC. Indigo Goes Green FOR A FAIR-TRADE DENIM-ON-DENIM ENSEMBLE THAT’S MODERN AND CLEAN, WEAR THE SHIRT OVER A CAMI, UNBUTTONED AND TUCKED IN. BRING OUT YOUR (LAB-GROWN) DIAMONDS TO ADD SOME SHINE. HAIR BY CHARLES McNAIR FOR SEE MANAGEMENT USING R+CO MAKEUP BY LISA AHRON AT THE WALL GROUPMANICURE BY…

BEST DEODORANT Dove 0% Aluminum Cucumber & Green Tea Refillable Deodorant Cutting down on plastic products can be an overwhelming task. If just thinking about it makes you break out in smelly stress sweat, Dove’s first refillable stick is here to help calm your pits. The aluminum-free formula not only nixes stink for up to 48 hours but also comes in a stainless-steel case that’s designed to last a lifetime. After you’ve finished the stick, snap in a refill (and recycle the small plastic pack from the previous one). With moisturizers and zero alcohol, the sleek-looking smell stopper leaves underarms—and your conscience—feeling better. TO BUY: $15; at Walmart. BEST MAKEUP SPONGE EcoTools BioBlender Makeup Sponge Most makeup sponges end up sitting in landfills. With this purple, plant-based cutie, you…

Explore the many shades of green in this image, and see if you can find where one shade changes into the next. Let your breathing be natural and relaxed. Consider how the air around you connects you to the entire planet. Breathe in the smell of wet leaves and flowers, hear the rain and birds, and feel the air on your skin. Immerse yourself in the forest, from the roots stretching deep into the ground to the highest peaks of the trees. Take a moment to offer gratitude to the living, breathing green spaces of the earth.…