Innehållsförteckning för May 2025 från Real Simple

CAN WE TALK a little bit about the tyranny of productivity? Listen, I work at REAL SIMPLE, so I know and love that feeling of finishing the to-do list, leaving it all on the field, and falling into a chair with a sense of Now I can do what I want because I’ve earned it. Two issues with that: We shouldn’t have to “earn” pleasure, and there’s no moment when “everything is done.” Like my colleague Lisa likes to say, if you’re wearing underpants right now, there’s laundry to do! So I’m calling bullsh*t on the mentality I’ve espoused on many a manic Sunday. We all have obligations, and I enjoy being busy. But sometimes you can’t be. You shouldn’t. You have to let things slide and just…rest. Why…

FOR SELF-CARE, HOME CARE & ALL YOUR OTHER CARES Best Buds Give your mom her flowers—literally! These hand-painted beauties last for ages (because they’re wooden) and look just as good in a vase as they do hanging on a wall. Forever Flowers, from $40 each; cosmicpeacestudio.com Totes Adorable Upgrade Mom’s summer bag with a cheery one made from durable palm leaves. She can stuff it with all her warm-weather essentials and still look stylish. Capri Handheld Totes, $68 each; perlei-newyork.com (see page 10 for a discount) Pillow Talk Don’t sleep on these graphic wool-and-canvas cushions. They’re handwoven in Turkey and made with natural dyes from ingredients like indigo, hazelnut, and chamomile. Kilim Cushions, from $124 each; christianrathbone.com Pitcher Perfect If she loves crafting her own mocktails and cocktails, delight her…

ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 55 MINUTES MAKES 12 MUFFINS 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar1 cup chopped pecans2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened½ cup (99 g) plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided2 large eggs2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour2 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. kosher salt¾ cup whole milk, divided1 tsp. pure vanilla extract4 oz. cream cheese, softened PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners. STIR together brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. BEAT butter and ½ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. WHISK flour, baking powder, and salt…

Use Foil to Keep Them Away From Plants & Counters Cats playing in your houseplants? To curb this normal-but-annoying-and-potentially-dangerous behavior, Kelly Ballantyne, DVM, a veterinary behaviorist in Chicago, suggests putting balls of crumpled-up aluminum foil on the soil. Though foil doesn’t faze all cats, many don’t like the sound and texture of the material when it’s pawed at (good thing, because many humans don’t either!). Lay down flat foil sheets to deter them from jumping onto counters and shelves. DIY a Litter Box to Encourage Good Potty Behavior Standard litter boxes are surprisingly too small for most cats (they need room to turn around, dig, and make their deposits!), and a clawstrophobic kitty might look for other places to go around the house. Ballantyne recommends a simple fix: Instead…

TIRED OF DIGGING through that overstuffed T-shirt drawer? Annoyed by those mountains of papers? Even the tidiest house can have too much of this or that. The issue: We tend to put off decluttering because it can feel overwhelming. But the process is really quite simple, and every project can (and should) start the exact same way, says Tyler Moore, a New York City–based blogger known as Tidy Dad. Whether you’re tackling your dresser, pantry, linen closet, or whatever, first empty everything out and look at what you’re dealing with. “Until you sort through your stuff, you won’t be able to figure out how to organize it,” he says. Set aside anything that should be tossed or donated, then go through what’s left, grouping like with like. Finally, put things…

Readers Say… Over! “Over, definitely! If it’s under, you’ll keep spinning the roll ceaselessly trying to find the beginning.” _ASHASE_ “Over, unless you have a cat. That’s the only acceptable exception to the rule.” ANDIARVANIGIAN “If I come to your house and it’s under, I will switch it, leave, and delete your number.” SHELLY.COTTEN Under! “I was raised with under, and so was my husband. It really doesn’t matter, but those over people sure get militant about the subject!” LYNNE_CUMMEROW_KELLNER “Under! It’s gravity!” ELLESEE1961 “If someone in my home changes the empty roll and puts it under, I’m not complaining.” PSTERLING2003 The Experts Say… There’s technically no right way to hang toilet paper, but there are good reasons why over should win. First, some brands design rolls with that position…

Go outside and talk to my chickens. I putter around the yard with them far too much. MICHELLE SAWTELLE EAST BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS I like to do a little mindless embroidery, which I can easily justify because there’s always going to be someone who will need a stitched hedgehog wearing a birthday hat. Right? MONICA BRASE INDIANAPOLIS When I have a big work project with a deadline or a looming personal task, I find that refreshing, organizing, and tidying my physical space helps get me mentally clear for the task at hand. SHANNON PAULSEN HOUSTON Walk my dog around the block. It helps me refocus, get some fresh air, and not feel as guilty about putting off whatever chore I’m avoiding. My dog, of course, is always happy to oblige! ANGELA…

Ranger Station Jordan’s Perfume “I’m not a fan of overly sweet or flowery perfumes, so I love that this one—with notes of sandalwood and jasmine—is sophisticated yet subtle and totally unisex. It’s so good, strangers on the street have stopped to tell me I smell lovely! Plus, it’s made by a small Nashville, Tennessee–based brand founded by a husband and wife!” —Hannah Baker, senior home editor $94; rangerstation.co Ombraz Classic Sunglasses “Instead of arms, these ready-for-action sunglasses have an adjustable cord for a comfy, nonslip fit. They also have a lifetime warranty; I scratched mine up in a bad biking accident, and customer service sent me a brand-new pair.” —Natalie Guisinger, designer $160; ombraz.com Tymo Ring Plus “This brush-straightener combo can tame my hair in minutes. Impressive, considering the…

1 MANE SQUEEZE The sweet floral scent, luxe lather, and space-saving angled containers get a 10 out of 10. But I give this duo an 11 out of 10 because of how much body it adds to my fine, wimpy hair. Thanks, hydrolyzed collagen! Laura Polko Los Angeles Volume Shampoo and Conditioner, $12 each; target.com 2 GRAY AREA The comblike applicator deposits a formula that increases melanin in hair follicles, reducing my number of sprouting grays (yay for not having to dye just yet!). The gel also smooths the most wiry and unruly strands. Root Changer, $65;allgolden.com 3 PERFECT TINT Gloss can be goopy; lipstick can be drying. This tint—in 10 shades—is neither. It blurs fine lines, delivers buildable color, dries to a velvety finish, and lasts from my morning latte to my…

BEAUTY BREAK A Blush Brush-Up Show us where you swipe on your blush. OK, now move higher. Nope, higher. That’s where it should go, says REAL SIMPLE Beauty Director Heather Muir Maffei. You want it near your eyes and temples, not on the apples of your cheeks. Why? “If you’re feeling tired, saggy, whatever, higher blush just lifts everything up,” she explains. This little trick will work with any blush you have, but if you’re in the market, Heather pulled three great new picks (above). PLANT HELP Good Bedmates It’s time you stop throwing shade at your garden. So your flower bed only gets sun for three minutes a day? So your soil is sandy? You still have options! In fact, we dug up 20 hard-to-kill outdoor plants and…

1 HAPPY FEET These socks have padding sewn into the heels to ward off blisters. They’re also available in crew and quarter lengths for the cool folks among us! Foam-Padded Ankle Socks, $20; shezza.com 2 KEY CHANGE Work better with this wireless keyboard: It splits in half to help you maintain a neutral posture while you type. The compact design means you can easily tote it around on the daily. Lite Wireless Split Keyboard, $179; nocfree.com 3 CAMPING BUDDY An ideal tentmate, this air pump is extra teeny (just two inches tall!) and comes with five nozzles so you can inflate floats or sleeping pads. When it’s time to head home, reverse the flow for quick deflating. Tiny Pump 2X, $31; flextail.com 4 CAT FOUNTAIN Is your cat a water snob? Win her over…

1 SCRUB THE LEATHER Even the dingiest sneaks can be saved! Mix up a paste that’s equal parts white toothpaste, baking soda, and warm water. (A tablespoon of each should be plenty.) Dip a toothbrush or microfiber cloth in the mixture and apply it to your sneakers, rubbing gently in circular motions to remove dirt and stains. Then wipe off the paste with a clean, damp cloth. Pat dry with a separate cloth (moisture can damage the leather) and inspect. If any marks remain, repeat the process. Let the shoes dry thoroughly before wearing them. To clean any suede parts, gently rub a suede eraser back and forth over stains or scuff marks. 2 BRIGHTEN THE LACES Nothing kills the look of fresh kicks like dirty laces, so brush dirt off them…

Lofoten Islands, Norway WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY “Norway has a mild summer climate and offers a plethora of outdoor activities, like hiking and fishing,” says Heather Magnussen, head of global travel at Audley Travel, based in Boston and England. “On the Lofoten Islands, you can stay in traditional fishing structures that have been converted into cozy cabins.” Check out the ones at Svinøya Rorbuer (from $152 a night; svinoya.no/en). WHAT WE WANT TO ADD During the summer, you can experience 24 consecutive hours of sunlight (and highs around 55°F). Take advantage of all that time by embarking on one of the islands’ many midnight sun adventures, such as a fishing trip, safari, glamping dinner, or horseback ride. Reykjavik, Iceland WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY “With long daylight hours and highs in…

HAVE YOU EVER paid off a student loan or a mortgage or reached a big savings goal and patiently waited for confetti to shoot out of your computer? Why doesn’t that happen? It should! That would be the fanfare you deserve. In fact, we’d argue that tiny pieces of colorful paper should be fluttering around you at all times (don’t worry, it’s recycled and compostable in this hypothetical). Because chances are, you’re consistently achieving less major—but no less important—financial wins. Think of a small win as any minor positive action that helps propel you toward a larger goal. In other words, as the baby steps that add up to a mile, says Delyanne Barros, a financial expert and the founder of the Money Coach, an investing education platform. These…

#1 / Calabrian Chile Chicken Enchiladas ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 50 MINUTES SERVES 6 ✓ Freezable ✓ Make Ahead ✓ Big Batch Cooking spray1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened2 8-oz. pkg. red enchilada sauce, divided½ cup chopped Calabrian chiles, divided2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (such as rotisserie)12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3 cups), divided6 8-in. flour tortillasDiced avocado, sour cream, and chopped cilantro, for topping PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Spray a broiler-safe 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk cream cheese, ½ cup enchilada sauce, and ¼ cup chiles in a large bowl until mostly smooth. Stir in chicken and 1½ cups cheese. SPREAD ½ cup enchilada sauce evenly in bottom of prepared baking dish. Place tortillas on a clean work surface. Spread about ⅔…

ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 3 HOURS, 5 MINUTES SERVES 6 1 14-oz. pkg. extra-firm tofu¼ cup apple cider vinegar3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil1½ Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)1 tsp. lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon)1 Tbsp. white miso1 Tbsp. kosher salt1½ tsp. dried basil1 tsp. onion powder1 tsp. garlic powder1 tsp. crushed red pepper1 tsp. freshly ground black pepperPeppadew peppers, pitted olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and/or basil leaves, for skewering CUT tofu into ¾-inch-thick planks. Place on a towel-lined plate; cover with another towel. Place a heavy pot on top of covered tofu and let sit for 30 minutes to remove excess water, replacing top towel halfway through. MEANWHILE, add 5 tablespoons water, vinegar, oil, nutritional yeast (if using), lemon zest, lemon juice, miso, salt,…