Additionally, when the water freezes, it expands. This expansion can damage pipes, causing leaks or even flooding. Use this guide to learn how to thaw frozen pipes in order to prevent lasting damage to your pipes and restore the flow of water throughout your home. How to Identify Frozen Pipes There are several signs that might indicate you have a frozen water pipe, including a reduction in water pressure, leaks, and no water coming from the faucets....
There are so many reasons we all hang on to our old cell phones, including not wanting to take the time to wipe them clean of personal data—and fear of losing all those treasured photos you haven’t uploaded to the Cloud or saved on a hard drive yet. The thing is, if you can bear to part with your old phone, then trading it in can be a pretty smart financial move....
“The honey is an antimicrobial agent, which is good for wound healing, and the yogurt’s lactic acid will gently exfoliate the dead skin,” explains Laughlin. Take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen to relieve redness and discomfort, too. Peeling Skin Is the skin peeling on your feet? It’s not a bad thing, says Laughlin. “It just means the surface skin cells have been damaged to the point of dying, and the body is exfoliating them....
How to Use an Instant Pot Using an Instant Pot is easy once you read the directions, and it gets even easier the more you use it. Just press a button or two, then let it be—multicookers don’t need supervision, and built-in timers show how long it takes the cooker to build up pressure, cook the food, and depressurize. Every model differs slightly in appearance, parts, and instructions, but here are the basic steps you need to follow for pressure cooking:...
The good news is there are smart, simple ways to sweeten foods without adding sugar or artificial sweeteners. (Because let’s face it, liking sweet foods is what makes us human.) We sat down with Jennifer Tyler Lee, author of Half the Sugar, All the Love: 100 Easy, Low-Sugar Recipes for Every Meal of the Day, to learn the most effective ingredients for cooking and baking with less added sugar. “These ingredients, available in most well stocked grocery stores, preserve texture and add flavor so you won’t miss the sugar one bit,” says Tyler Lee....
Chip Bergh, who’s served as president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. since 2011, delivered a shocker a few years ago when he announced that the 10-year-old jeans he was wearing had never been washed. So what gives—does your denim really need soap and water? Does the old wives’ tale of freezing jeans actually work? We talked with a few experts to find out and learn how to wash jeans so your favorite pair lasts a long time—because once you finally find the perfect pair, you really do want it to last forever....
And there are plenty of other reasons to wear a helmet—not least of all to model good behavior to younger bikers who may also be resistant to wearing one. Depending on where you live, you may even have a legal obligation: According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute website helmets.org, 22 states and the District of Columbia have state-wide laws mandating bike helmets for young riders, and some states and localities have laws for older riders, too....
Ever since I first heard about Birdies a few years ago, I have wanted to give a pair a try. My fear that yet another pair of shoes wouldn’t work and would land in my pile of returns to make held me back. But a few weeks ago, I was talking to a fellow Nordstrom shopper about Birdies, and she said they were the most comfortable pair of shoes she’s ever owned....
At first, I rolled my eyes. Did I really need to spend money on another product or could I continue flossing with my single-use flossers? Thankfully, the folks at Waterpik hooked me up with the new Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0 Professional Flossing Toothbrush ($141, amazon.com) for me to test out, and now I’m never going back. My teeth feel so much cleaner after every use, but they look whiter, too. But don’t take it from me....
What are your top tips for self-care? Jennifer Garner: “Hmm…work out every day—I like Limit Fit or Body By Simone; some sort of cardio with music; I make sure I sweat. I like on-demand workouts because you’ll say you’ll do 15 minutes then add some. On days that I take off [from working out], I treat it as a treat. Same with food. I usually take one meal ‘off’ a day....
Merit is widely recognized for its take on exceptionally functional beauty products that are approachable and leave your skin looking and feeling better over time—following the brand’s ethos of enhancing your complexion rather than covering it up. Every product also features a detailed ingredient list, so you know exactly what you get before purchasing. While the editor-loved brand has splurge-worthy goods, that doesn’t mean we don’t love a good discount....
It’s not that my couch is uncomfortable per se, but I definitely bought my black-and-gold studded pick because of its looks, not its comfort factor. Because of that, sitting on it for anything over an hour causes my back to tense up. After about a couple months of back cracking and (sort of) helpful yoga stretches, I decided to finally give ergonomic furniture a whirl. The concept has obviously been around for a while, but since I was almost never at home pre-quarantine, I never really felt the need to opt into customized furniture....
“I absolutely love this steamer,” wrote one five-star reviewer. “I needed one because I have [a lot] of very delicate clothes that would burn if ironed, and irons are too big and bulky. I didn’t want to splurge on a professional or expensive steamer, so I saw this one and bought it. [It’s] one of the best purchases of my life! So easy to assemble and [has] very simple instructions and helpful advice....
There are a number of ingredients, so to speak, that make up every farmhouse kitchen. Still, like interior sliding barn doors, they can be adjusted to suit personal preferences, lifestyles, and budgets. These décor elements are the basic iterations most commonly used in farmhouse kitchens, but swapping a subway tile backsplash for a glass tile one won’t ruin the whole look. In fact, it can give a farmhouse kitchen a playful twist....
Even now, when I go home to visit my parents, I can count on a fresh Bath & Body Works soap sitting on the sink. And it’s easy to see why my mom has pledged allegiance to this particular hand soap for all these years. To buy: $8; bathandbodyworks.com. With their luxurious foam formula, chock-full of hydrating ingredients, and wide array of complex and irresistible scents, Bath & Body Works Foaming Hand Soaps are well worth the purchase....
Even the best meditation apps couldn’t help me get into the habit. I had no motivation to get through a guided meditation, regardless of how many soothing sounds or prompts were included. Then I tried MyLife, an app that tailors a personalized meditation plan to your current physical and mental state. (Disclaimer: MyLife and Real Simple share a parent company, but all views are our own.) Although the customized recommendations make the app stand out from competitors, it wasn’t what sold me on MyLife....
The Always Pan continues to reign supreme because it replaces eight different cookware essentials: fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, nonstick pan, spatula, and spoon rest. The pan can help you whip up practically any dish you please, and it even comes with a handy removable steamer basket, a nesting spatula, and a pour spout, making cooking with it all the more seamless. To buy: $145; fromourplace.com. I’ve had the Always Pan for a month now, and I’ve hardly touched the rest of my cookware since....
Plant a cutting garden. With a designated cutting bed, you can plant and cut without worry. Select an inconspicuous location along a garage or in a back corner of your yard, and be sure your cutting bed benefits from lots of sun and rich, well-drained soil — just like your other beds. A cutting bed offers plenty of planting freedom. Its sole purpose is to produce flowers for you to cut, so don’t worry about how it will look....
We know that REAL SIMPLE readers are not a monolith: We are many races, sizes, identities, and abilities, we form different relationships and families, and we follow different cultural and religious traditions. We want REAL SIMPLE to be a valuable resource for all, and we will use our platform to foster inclusivity, equality, and human rights. To that end, we make the following pledges: While we are committed to the initiatives outlined above, we acknowledge that change requires time and patience, and that we might make mistakes along the way....
But when you’re shopping, how do you know if those products will really live up to their promises? That’s where we come in! For years, Real Simple has been a resource to help you knock out everything on your to-do list with ease—and now, you can look to us for the trustworthy product recommendations that’ll make a difference in your life. We are committed to recommending the best products in every category, based on hands-on testing....
