Modern Manners Advice for Your Social Quandaries

KRISTEN ASKS... My friend works very hard as a teacher. Her husband has a couple of side jobs that don't bring in any real income to support their family. Whenever something goes wrong, like a problem with the car, her husband has his hand out asking for help from friends and family. As a result, they owe me money-but I see them going out to dinner and shopping. How do I ask for my $500 back?

WHEN YOU'RE A PRODUCTIVE PROCRASTINATOR

A science-based look at why your home is never cleaner than when you're on deadline. Plus, how to break the habit.

Outdoor Furniture

Disinvite dirt and grime from cookouts, pool hangs, and patio parties.

THINGS COOKS KNOW - NEVER SWEAT SUPPER AGAIN

Armed with these meal-planning tips, you'll always have an answer to that dreaded 5 o'clock question: \"What's for dinner?\"

The Books List Top Picks for Book Club & Beyond

The Cemetery of Untold Stories, the latest by literary legend Julia Alvarez (In the Time of the Butterflies), centers on Alma, a writer living in Vermont who inherits a small plot in the Dominican Republic, her family's homeland.

What DIY project are you most proud of?

I wanted a little more character in my foyer, so I made stained-glass windows using metal strips, glass paint, and patience. The light splashes color onto the walls each morning and makes me happy.

IF YOU WANT TO lean into native plants

\"Natives\" is an umbrella term for plants that are indigenous to your area. That means they're already adapted to your climate, may require less tending, and are amenable to your pollinators.

IF YOU WANT TO help the pollinators

The bees (and the butterflies, moths, wasps, and hummingbirds) need you! Make smart planting choices now to get your yard buzzworthy.

Cut the Clutter Clear out what's taking up space in your homeand your mind.

Clutter tends to sneak up on you. One minute, you have a coat closet full (but not too full) of coats. The next, it's bursting at the hinges with sports equipment, pet supplies, broken appliances, and, yeah, way too many puffers.

NERDING OUT - BIRDSONG

How the twittering set learns to speak

SMART MONEY - THE FINANCIAL DECISION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Sometimes, one thoughtful shake-up can make a big difference.

RELATING - A Natural Connection

The key to good health-for us and the planet-lies in rekindling our relationship to the dirt and the trees.

Modern Manners for Your Social Dilemmas

CINDY ASKS... A pet peeve of mine is when I'm saying something to a friend, and the friend takes out their phone and begins scrolling or typing. I'm more of a listener than a talker, so it especially hurts when I've fully listened to a friend, then I start to speak and they turn their attention to their phone. I'm tempted to say, \"Oh, am Iboring you?\" or \"Would you and your phone prefer to be alone?\" or just plain \"It hurts my feelings when I talk and you take out your phone. Is it an emergency?\" Advice needed.

HEALTH - ACE YOUR RACE

Whether it's a charity walk, 5K, or full-on marathon, experts and avid runners share their best advice for feeling confident, comfortable, and proud on the big day.

5 Smart Uses for Rubber Bands

Wrap your head around these snappy, editor-approved ideas.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

But we can help! If real-life barriers are holding you back from living your eco-friendliest life, read on.

The Books List Top Picks for Book Club & Beyond

In Holly Gramazio's debut, Lauren comes home after a big night out and finds a man she's never met in her London apartment.

Baby Got Back...Trouble

If you do too, you're a member of a very large, not very fun club. You don't even get a T-shirt when you join! But you do get this advice on how to manage the pain that affects most of us at some point in our lives.

VERY SUPERSTITIOUS

Why so many of us can't resist knocking on wood, tossing salt, and more.

When Bad Behavior Happens to Good People

Learn to spot some not-so-great conduct. Then steer things back onto a healthy and harmonious track.

REST INSURED

Ah, open enrollment season the time of year that makes many of us wish we had a PhD in insurance speak. Consider this a crash course.

Make Every Day of Vacay the Best It Can Be

How often do you get to take a trip? Probably not as often as you'd like! So let's use that time wisely. These tips can help, no matter where you're going or what's on the agenda.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

With natural disasters growing more frequent and more intense, what can a pet owner do? Hope for the best, prepare for the worst-and include your fur babies in that plan.

YOUR ENTIRE SHOWER

Rub-a-dub-dub, that tub needs a scrub! And in less rhyming news, so does that grout, that liner, and all the other parts.

APPLE SPICE DOUGHNUT BREAD PUDDING

The five best words you've ever read in a recipe name? Probably!

Sipping Outside My Comfort Zone

I never thought bourbon was my drink. But in the spirit of adventure, I decided to give it a shot. Here's how I learned to appreciate it, and how you can too.

movin' on up

Welcome to our annual REAL SIMPLE Home! Come in and see how seven top designers turned a blank-canvas Brooklyn, New York, penthouse into a deluxe apartment in the sky.

What to Wear Where

Whether you're headed out for a pumpkin spice latte, off to a tailgate, or being responsible and, y'know, going to work, here's how to get it right every time this fall.

The End-All-Be-All, Definitive Guide to Doing LAUNDRY

A truism of modern housekeeping: The laundry is never done. And to pile on (pun intended), certain items might require pretreatment, special care, and maybe even a mysterious washer setting. If you feel like you're perpetually tackling the job as if your clothes were on the line (they kinda are), this comprehensive manual will help you take a load off.

Goodies for Good

It's bake sale season, and these treats will rake in the dough! No fundraiser on the horizon? Then whip one up for a dinner party or potluck.