Table of contents for February/March 2026 in Real Simple

how’d you sleep last night? Not great, I’m guessing. Anecdotally, I don’t know anyone over the age of 40 who actually sleeps well. And in the National Sleep Foundation’s 2025 Sleep in America Poll, 60% of adults said they don’t get enough sleep, with four in 10 having trouble falling asleep and about half having trouble staying asleep. I’m in that latter group. I can usually fall asleep pretty easily (often with a little nappetizer on the couch before I give up on whatever show my husband and I are “watching” and make my way to bed). But then I tend to wake up around 3 or 4 a.m., stressing about all sorts of things that do and don’t matter. Will readers (that’s you!) like the evolving look of this…

How do you zhuzh a moody blue room so it feels lively instead of sleepy? Add a rich mossy green. The pairing brings the energy. And as this room from Austin-based designer Annie Downing (@anniedowninginteriors) shows, it works with classic pieces. “When a family loves traditional design but isn’t afraid of personality, color becomes the bridge,” Downing says. The touches of yellow and playful patterns make an impact too. “Layered with freshness and a bit of whimsy, the room feels welcoming rather than formal.”…

1. SCENT-SATIONAL An air freshener for your vehicle that’s super chic? Yup! It’s made with scented oils in fancy options like sandalwood or bergamot. 2. TOTES SMART Exciting news for anyone who owns a rolling Hulken bag: The brand just launched a set of two inserts. One is insulated for groceries, and both will help you schlep stuff in an orderly fashion. 3. BETTER BRUSHING Keep your pearly whites healthy and save counter space with this handy electric toothbrush that’s also a water flosser. A single charge gives you 30 days of use. 4. ALARMINGLY CUTE This necklace doubles as a discreet safety device. In an emergency, it can send an SOS to preset contacts, share coordinates, or alert 911. 5. NOTE WORTHY Display inspo, to-do lists, and family photos…

Pomona Cocktail ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 10 MINUTES MAKES 4 COCKTAILS 24 fresh mint leaves½ cup (4 oz.) ouzo½ cup unsweetened pomegranate juice6 Tbsp. simple syrup (see Note)¼ cup fresh lemon juice¾ cup club soda4 orange peel strips Place mint leaves, ouzo, pomegranate juice, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a large cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice; cover and shake 2 or 3 times until just chilled. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into 4 Collins glasses filled with ice. Top with club soda; stir briefly. Squeeze orange peel strips over cocktails. Place strips in glasses and serve. NOTE: To make simple syrup, boil ½ cup granulated sugar with ½ cup water, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Garlic Lover’s…

A LITTLE ADVICE FOR YOUR BODY & MIND i can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t tapping things—like doors or locks—and counting how many times I tapped them, or making up other types of magical, superstitious behaviors to help me control the universe. It’s just always been this way. My brain will decide that something is a lucky number, and whenever something is not that lucky number, alarm bells go off, and suddenly it’s the worst thing ever. Allow me to give you an example: We have six people in my family, so as a child, I’d have to tap something at least six times. If I didn’t, someone in my family would die, and we’d be left with five of us. The number five was really…

Rinse, Then Dab Use clean hands or a clean microfiber cloth to wash your face, says Ariel Ostad, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. “Washcloths can harbor bacteria and cause irritation,” he adds. After rinsing, pat your face dry with a fresh towel; Ostad likes Clean Towels XL (from $18 for 50; cleanskinclub.com), which are disposable and always hygienic. Just don’t be rough! Scrubbing and tugging can break down collagen and elastin over time. If you don’t trust yourself, you can always air-dry! Invest in Serums They are powerful and contain small, highly concentrated molecules that can make a big impact. Vitamin C helps brighten (try: C E Ferulic, $185; skinceuticals.com), retinol helps smooth (Ostad makes a great one: Ret-nia 100, $130; drarielostadskincare.com), and hyaluronic acid helps hydrate (look…

My go-to is the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I play it and dance and sing and am transported to a wonderful time in life! SHAWNEE BONNETTE CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS If rolling back over and waking up on the other side of the bed isn’t an option, I will purposely look for positive things around me. If that doesn’t work, the best thing to do is to help someone else. This is certain to brighten the day! JENNIFER COX DYER, TENNESSEE Since I began my career 40 years ago, I’ve kept a Smile File that includes birthday cards, nice emails, performance reviews, etc. It reminds me that I’m appreciated. JANET OLIVER PUTNAM, CONNECTICUT I FaceTime my sister or put on a podcast and go for a walk! @KAIGEPELLER For me, the…

Unless you have a dedicated table or you’re capable of finishing a puzzle in one go (impressive!), you’ve gotta be able to easily pack those pieces away. Enter: your yoga mat. Use it as a work surface and simply roll it up between sessions. The sections you’ve already assembled should stay intact until next time!…

as much as we all like to joke about how great it would be to live like a dog, the reality is it can get pretty boring, says Valli Parthasarathy, DVM, PhD, a veterinary behaviorist at Synergy Veterinary Behavior in Portland, Oregon. “Imagine your life without TV, radio, books, and phones,” she says. “That’s what dogs tend to have!” While certain breeds—like border collies or terriers—can feel boredom more keenly, every dog is different, says Courtney Campbell, DVM, a veterinary surgeon in Long Beach, California. A few possible signs that Chewy Lewis is bored: pacing, excessive licking, listlessness, inactivity, and destruction of personal property (his or yours!). Familiar? It’s time to add some fun! Let Her Lick But not her little paws or body, as that can contribute to inflammation,…

#1 Chorizo & Chickpea Toasts ACTIVE TIME 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES SERVES 4 ✓ Quick Cooking 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided4 oz. dried Spanish chorizo, cut into ½-inch pieces (about ¾ cup)1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)1 Tbsp. tomato paste½ tsp. smoked paprika¼ cup (2 oz.) dry sherry, white wine, or chicken broth1 15-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained4 cups chopped lacinato kale4 ¾-inch-thick French bread slices (about 8 oz. total)Manchego cheese, finely grated (optional) Preheat oven to broil with rack about 5 inches from heat source. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chorizo; cook, stirring often, until starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and cook, stirring often,…

The Dilemma I was out to brunch with a group of very close friends when, eeks, one of the girls accidentally knocked over her water glass—into another friend’s brand-new high-end designer purse, damaging the lining and exterior. She says the manufacturer told her it will be almost $800 to repair the purse. The owner is demanding the money from the friend. All of us are surprised and devastated! Should the clumsy friend pay the $800? What’s the fairest resolution? —Betsy The Advice Demanding a friend cover the full cost without discussion feels like it goes against friendship etiquette! They need to have a candid conversation, and the way I see it, there are a few options. 1. Clumsy Casey says no and pays $0. This would likely irreparably damage the…

you matter! And you can help others feel like they matter too! Those are the two biggest takeaways from Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s latest book called—you guessed it—Mattering. “We are in a loneliness epidemic,” Wallace explains. “At the root of this is a mattering gap. When people don’t feel like they matter, they withdraw or isolate.” According to Wallace, we can experience this mattering gap in big and small ways every single day. Think: You don’t get the recognition at work that you were hoping for. You feel unseen during a group dinner. Or your partner is taking you for granted. No thanks to any of that! Here, some of Wallace’s tips to remind ourselves—and others—that we do, in fact, matter. Take a Minute to Reflect At the end of each…

Yes, these little pieces look like dollhouse furniture. Also yes, they can help when you’re feeling stressed. Made by a company called Anxiety Bookshelf, the books (they’re mini versions of popular reads!) are meant to be dumped out and carefully reshelved whenever you need a distraction. Choose from the original (which comes with over 260 books), a mini (with about 60 books), this adorable book nook or rolling cart, and more. from $26; anxietybookshelf.com Must-Read A New Book All About Menopause More and more people are (finally!) starting to talk about menopause, and we offer a new book as proof. Check out The Big M: 13 Writers Take Back the Story of Menopause, edited by Lidia Yuknavitch. Inside, a diverse group of influential novelists and memoirists—including Roxane Gay and Cheryl…

RECIPES AND IDEAS FOR REAL LIFE Start Strong You can’t have a good soup without a really, really good stock, says Dyan Solomon, co-owner of Olive + Gourmando, a bakery-slash-cafe in Montreal. To deepen the flavor of homemade stock, Solomon roasts carrots, leeks, and other vegetables to caramelize them before simmering them in water for several hours. “Sometimes I toss those veggies with tomato paste before roasting to enrich the flavor even more,” she says. For meat stocks, she’ll roast the bones as well. Beyond vegetable, beef, and chicken stocks, Emiko Davies—author of Italian and Japanese cookbooks, including her latest, The Japanese Pantry—says to consider dashi. It’s an umami-rich broth made by steeping dried kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes (pieces of dried, smoked, and sometimes fermented tuna) in water. You…

Strength Train at Least Two Days a Week It helps with nearly every aspect of our physical and mental well-being, says Sarita Khemani, MD, a clinical associate professor of medicine at Stanford University and a physician at Stanford Medical Center specializing in longevity. For starters: “Muscle acts as a metabolic organ, improving insulin sensitivity, burning fat, and releasing hormone-like substances called myokines that reduce inflammation and boost brain function.” Additionally, strength training preserves bone density, enhances hormones and proteins that make us stronger, and even supports neuroplasticity, helping the brain adapt and stay resilient. All of this, in turn, works to slow age-related decline and protect against frailty, cognitive issues, and chronic disease. Surprisingly, an OB/GYN also responded with strength training (as well as cardiovascular exercise). During menopause, muscle…

Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad with Burrata ACTIVE TIME 35 minutes TOTAL TIME 1 hour, 10 minutes SERVES 4 4 small beets, peeled and cut into 6 wedges each (8 wedges, if large)4 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper4 Tbsp. chopped toasted hazelnuts or walnuts2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley½ tsp. flaky sea salt, plus more for sprinkling1 small garlic clove, grated (about ½ tsp.)1 tsp. grated lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon), divided2 tsp. honey1 5-oz. pkg. baby arugula (about 5 cups)1½ cups cooked quinoa (from one 8.8-oz. pkg.)2 burrata cheese balls (4 oz. each), torn into large pieces Place…

Readers say… At night “Jumping into bed at night, clean and fresh from a day of work, is the best!” @DANIWORTMAN89 “I like to think of showering at night as an act of self-care that leaves me more time to enjoy my morning ritual of having coffee, eating breakfast, and listening to the news.” @CATHYRAERDN In the morning “I’m not a morning person, so I need a morning refresh to wake up!” @KATIE_VIGIL25 “Team Morning Shower. It sets me up for a great start to the day.” @RHOHEY197 Morning and night! “I can’t sleep without washing off the gunk from the day! And can’t imagine not taking a morning shower to feel fresh and ready.” @SID_90 “At night takes the day’s remnants off, and the warmth helps relax you before…