As a retirement project, I waterproofed my entire basement myself. My husband was really impressed! MICHELE SAGE COLUMBUS, OHIO
I hated my red brick fireplace and decided to do something about it. I found stacked slates at Lowe's and got some good advice on adhesives. I've done a fair amount of tile work and own a wet saw, so I felt brave enough to tackle it. It took three days, and I love the results! I've gotten lots of compliments. ALLISON KORN COLUMBIA, MARYLAND My wife scored a set of wooden cubbies when a local water park went out of business. Sanded and painted, they are amazing bookshelves that almost match the expensive ones on the opposite wall!
AMANDA HARRIS GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK In my closet, I converted a builtin shelf into an awesome jewelry cabinet. I hung cute decorative racks and added a three-tier tray and a spinning earring stand. It fits all my jewelry. DENISE PRATHER BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA Painting all the rooms in our house ourselves! It was a lot of work but so satisfying to cover our not-so-favorite colors from the previous owners. MARIA.LYNN.S.Y
Our home has a large east-facing window, so I sewed my own Roman shades to block out the bright sunshine in the morning. DIANA O'BRIEN FULTON, MISSOURI
This story is from the May 2024 edition of Real Simple.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2024 edition of Real Simple.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
what to COOK
RECIPES FOR REAL LIFE
THE BEST
Sometimes it's not enough for our editors to be instantly impressed by a product. Sometimes we want to push it to the limits in one of our three labs, our own homes, or both to see how it holds up under pressure. We cook, we wear, we smear, we clean. We evaluate and tally. Then we give out the REAL SIMPLE Selects seal. When we put that label on something, that means it's among the 5,200-plus products we've formally evaluated according to strict protocols. On this list: some of our current faves. If you see something you like, scan the QR code and get shopping!
Women & Their Finances
We partnered with the brilliant minds at the finance site Investopedia to determine what’s holding women back in the money department. The findings? We’re on our way! But we’ve got some work to do.
MAKE YOUR JEWELRY SHINE
A treasure trove of tips to get your sparkly things ready for primetime
BLUEBERRY SWEET CORN SHORTCAKE
Two of summer's best ingredients come together in an epic dessert just begging to be invited to a party.
Modern Manners Advice for Your Social Quandaries
My husband's niece is getting married in eight months. The save-the-date only had my husband's name, my name, and my husband's two kids' names (my stepkids).
5 JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS
Plan a seriously fun!) trip that’s rooted in history.
how we live
ADVICE, INSPIRATION A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND
design rules you should definitely break
When it comes to expressing yourself at home, sometimes it's best to ignore the \"supposed tos\" and do your own darn thing instead. As proof, we offer these rule-breaking rooms from six of our favorite designers.
THE BRIGHTEST
On this list, you'll find the people, products, and ideas that light up our world, show us the way, and change the game.
