Posts

Tips for the Best Christmas Party Ever I absolutely love Christmas because of all of the holiday parties! Ugly sweater parties, white elephant gift exchanges, cookie exchanges, breakfast with Santa, and the list goes on and on. I’ve hosted quite a few Christmas parties over the past few years and learned a lot doing so. Today instead of giving you a specific Christmas party idea, I’m sharing my tips and tricks to host the best Christmas party ever!...

Shopping for bras isn’t always a cake walk, though, and worthwhile bras can be an investment. Besides weird lighting and cramped dressing rooms—or straight-up not being able to try things on if you’re bra shopping online—it’s hard to know exactly what you need (especially if you haven’t treated yourself to a new bra since, oh, college). Never again let yourself suffer in a so-so bra, thanks to these essential bra shopping commandments....

RELATED: Is It Better to Shower at Night or in the Morning? We Asked Experts Instead, opt for a fresh washcloth every time you bathe, or simply use your hands with some soap and water. If you like the exfoliating factor, try something like Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes ($24; dermstore.com), which are perfectly sized for a single use. If you must use a loofah, swap it out every 30 days and always let it hang to dry....

Throughout the day, we naturally use and lose water—we sweat, we pee, we exhale—and can’t actually produce more of it by ourselves. Therefore, we rely on external sources to replenish properly. When you lose more water than you take in, you’re considered dehydrated. But you probably don’t track whether you’re dehydrated by keeping tabs on your water intake and output—you more likely wait until you feel thirsty. But here’s the kicker: “If you’re thirsty, you’re already mildly dehydrated,” Dr....

If caught in its infancy, Dr. Ginsberg says most will experience a 99 percent survival rate. That’s why he recommends a candid conversation with your derm to discuss your sun exposure and family history. (Some forms of skin cancer are genetic, and you might warrant a check more than once a year.) Dr. Ginsberg explains that having five bad sunburns in your lifetime doubles your risk of melanoma, so it’s also worth discussing the best SPF for you, as well any screening practices you can regularly implement at home....

To check backyard privacy off your to-do list, we reached out to plant pros at Monrovia and Costa Farms to figure out which plant varieties are best for this purpose. From false cypress trees that will form a natural screen around your yard, to a climbing vine that will weave its way up trellises, there’s an option here to match every style. Check that the plant will survive in your planting zone, then have some patience as it grows....

When former RealSimple.com managing editor Brenda Dargan-Levy sent over her mom’s recipe for Irish Soda bread (with caveats). It looked like this: Ingredients 3 cups of flour¼ cup sugar3 teaspoons of baking powder⅛ teaspoon baking soda½ stick of margarine1 egg1½ cups of raisins1 to 2 cups buttermilk (gauge moisture of mixture) Like so many heirloom recipes, Dargan-Levy offered a simple list of ingredients without a method, the particulars of execution assumed, yet only really known by family elders....

Vinegar Does: Sanitize. Yeah, the stuff you use for salad dressing is also great at slashing bacteria. “You can go a long way toward reducing organisms by rubbing a surface with distilled white vinegar and water,” says Philip Tierno, PhD, clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Doesn’t: Disinfect. To disinfect, an ingredient must kill nearly all the microbes on a surface, which vinegar does not do....

Walls That Wow It’s tricky to hang art on an angled surface, so the Bensons turned the 26-foot walls into art by sanding them to bring out the wood grain. White beams add contrast to the expanse of cedar. A Pretty Palette Soft colors balance out the angular architecture and keep the room feeling light and playful. A blush sectional grounds the space, while pops of orange and green brighten in up....

To achieve its rapid anti-aging effects, the hydrating neck cream uses ingredients like coconut oil, squalane, avocado oil, and sunflower seed oil. Its targeted formula—which is paraben- and cruelty-free—not only reduces the appearance of fine lines over time, but it can also improve elasticity and brighten the complexion. For best results, use circular motions to massage it into your neck, chest, chin, and jawline twice daily, making sure to include the back of your neck, too....

According to the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic, black soap is well known in African cultures as an ancient remedy for healthy skin. In Nigeria, black soap originates from the Yoruba words “ose dudu,” and is composed of palm oil, cocoa pods, and other ingredients produced in traditional methods. It’s characteristically known for its ability to improve uneven skin tone, razor bumps, and overall texture and quality of the skin....

Some of the recalled products are listed below. For a full list of recalled items, click here. (Note: The UPC numbers are located on the product label, and lot codes and expiration dates are located on the bottom of the bottle.) Recalled 63-count Assorted Fruit gummies: 12-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC1270G Expiration date: ​​11/30/202112-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC1400A Expiration date: 11/30/202112-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC1400B Expiration date: 11/30/202112-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC1900H Expiration date: 3/31/202212-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC2180C Expiration date: ​​4/30/202212-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC2320A Expiration date: 4/30/202212-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: ​​AC3080A Expiration date: 7/31/202212-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC3300A Expiration date: 7/31/202212-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC3300B Expiration date: 7/31/202212-digit UPC /SKU: 6-47865-96299-1 Lot code: AC3080E Expiration date: 7/31/2022...

However, hanging curtains by installing a curtain rod is easier said than done. What if you measure incorrectly and wind up with curtains that don’t cover your windows? What if your rod isn’t leveled to perfection? Even worse, your curtains could spontaneously fall down at the worst possible moments. Here, we will take you step by step through the entire process of hanging curtains—and share our go-to products to ensure you’ll have beautiful, straight curtains that actually stay put....

So, when and what exactly are federal holidays? And what about the holidays that aren’t on that list? These are all great questions you might be asking for 2023. And, depending on where you work, it’s also imperative to clarify if you’ll be paid for certain holidays or not. Here’s the breakdown of the most common questions about federal holidays and the answers that will help you plan the year ahead, along with the full federal holiday schedule for 2023....

To buy: $86; amazon.com. I admit I was a bit skeptical about how sturdy the unit would really be, but when my husband and I filled the shelves with dozens of items after a Costco trip, we found them to be just as solid as the reviews had promised, even with all the added weight. The unit also just looks great, too, with its alloy steel material painted in a classic black, but it also comes in chrome, if that’s more your style....

The angle of the pillow gets legs up and off the couch or bed to help reduce swelling, which helps reduce pain, too, as Christopher Neville, PT, PhD, associate professor in the department of physical therapy education at SUNY Upstate Medical University, previously told Real Simple. He said that elevating the legs (or any swollen body part) helps move your blood up and out of the affected area and back to your heart—a critical step to reduce swelling....

Another shopper expressed how pleased she was with the tray, especially because she has limited counter space. “I have a large coffee maker and it was always a pain to keep it in the middle of the countertop, just to add water and coffee,” said the reviewer. “Now, with this product, it holds the coffee maker in place and lets me slide the coffee maker back under the cabinet after use....

Her parents bought a home in an established neighborhood not far from their grandkids, where mature trees shade mid-century properties. The kitchen hadn’t been touched in ages, but Catherine could already tell that its cramped cabinets and dark finishes could give way to an airy yet cozy space. “We were inspired by a European cottage,” she says. “We wanted it to feel like another room, not too utilitarian or sterile, while still being very functional....

It’s possible to get confused in an era of over-information when it comes to nutrition, especially when a lot of the advice out there seems to contradict itself. Luckily, there’s one thing that experts all seem to agree on when it comes to diet and health, and that’s keeping inflammation low. Why It’s Smart to Keep Inflammation Low “[Inflammation] is a response from your immune system that occurs when your cells have been damaged, explains Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN and founder of Real Nutrition....