You don’t need to follow all of these tips to make your winged visitors happy; choose which ones will work best for your landscape (you might already be doing some of them), and soon your garden will become an amazing bird-watching destination. 1. Plant a Diverse Landscape Attracting songbirds to the garden means creating a solidly packed, multi-layer landscape that has a variety of plants to supply structure and food throughout the year....

The first step is to determine whether your carpet is made of synthetic or natural fibers. Then follow our guide below to find out which combination of ingredients is best for your type of stain and your type of carpet. Follow these recipes for homemade carpet cleaners exactly and your rug will be on its way to being stain-free once again. (Until the next mess, at least.) DIY Carpet Cleaning Solutions To spot clean synthetic rugs, dip a white cloth into these DIY carpet cleaners and apply to the stain....

“[Anxiety] often rears its ugly head in the workplace when you’re feeling especially stressed about an impending deadline, an important meeting or presentation, or a project that’s forcing you out of your comfort zone,” she says. What does anxiety look like? It often causes easy-to-detect symptoms like a fast heart rate, sweating, rapid breathing, and bouts of fatigue. “And, if you suffer from an anxiety disorder, these intense feelings of nervousness, excessive worry, or fear can seemingly come out of nowhere, consuming your day and interfering with your work-life,” Augustine adds....

So in short, yes: Moisturizer and lotion do expire. When it comes to body moisturizer, throw away unfinished containers that have been open for more than two years. (If you’re using a lotion on a regular basis, though, odds are you’ll need to replenish it before it expires.) An expired lotion doesn’t hurt or damage skin, but the product won’t lock in moisture or hydrate as thoroughly. (In the case of cooling lotions or other specific-use items, they probably won’t work as well....

Because if it’s not a scene out of Dickens, I find it hard to believe I’m really getting something clean. By extension, I’ve often looked askance at natural cleaning. How could the same yellow orbs my daughter turns into the stickiest ant trap of a pitcher of lemonade get my countertops shiny and spotless? Intellectually, I get it. But emotionally: Get Mama her Fantastik! Lately, though, I’ve been leaning into the idea of taking my cleaning to the “light green” place—because surely every little bit counts....

And what if the stove and the cooked-on grease has already cooled? The task is tougher, but still not impossible. Donna Smallin Kuper recommends dipping your sponge in hot, sudsy water, and then squeezing it over the spot. “I let it sit for a few minutes to soften (usually while I am loading the dishwasher or washing pots and pans) and then I give it a quick scrub with the scrubby side of a sponge and wipe it up with the sponge side,” she says....

1. Gather your materials. You’ll need: IronFlat surfaceWaterBaking sodaSmall bowlRubber spatulaDamp clothCotton swabDistilled waterClean dry cloth that can be ironedSoft-bristled brush or toothbrush (optional) 2. Clean the iron’s heating plate. Mix together 1 tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a small bowl to make a paste. Using a rubber spatula, spread the paste on the iron’s plate, coating the areas that have mineral deposits. Wipe off the paste with a damp cloth after letting it sit for a few minutes....

As human beings, our under-eyes are naturally darker than the rest of our face because the skin is thinner with lots of blood vessels. Plus, it’s the most sensitive part of our face, making it prone to puffiness after late-night Netflix binge sessions. In other words, the under-eyes can easily become an eyesore. Fortunately, there are solutions—be it tea bags, slices of cucumber, or ice rollers—there are plenty of de-puffing and brightening hacks to be tried....

As far as the 2021 Real Simple Home was concerned, designer Ryia Jose of Kin and Kasa looked at converting this oft-neglected area into a room that’s cherished these days: a comfortable workspace. “I put a lot of focus on it being very functional, since having a good home office has been a game changer for many in this past year,” she says. Clearly there are more logistics involved in maximizing the potential of an attic than, say, a bedroom, but Jose is on to something....

Don’t believe us? We tapped Eric Brass, the owner and founder of Tequila Tromba, to weigh in on bar cart essentials. After Eric’s many years of experience within the spirit industry, he’s learned a thing or two about home bar staples, from brag-worthy liquors to mixers and must-have bar tools. He’s here to share his step-by-step guide for designing a bar cart from scratch and curating an impressive selection of spirits....

Reader question: How do I get rid of the strawberry skin on my legs? - @marlaukel Despite the cutesy nickname sounding like what could be a hit country song, the actual skin condition is a pretty annoying nuisance. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s exactly what it sounds like: little dark dots on your legs that resemble the seeds of a strawberry. More professionally called keratosis pilaris, the black, pitted dots stubbornly remain no matter how often you shave your legs....

Cut Lilacs Strategically The best time for cutting lilacs is early in the morning when they’re fully hydrated. Use sharp, clean pruning shears to sever the stems, then immediately plunge them into a bucket of cool water. Try to cut the stems long enough so you can re-trim them every day to help maximize their vase life. If it’s a warm day, get your flowers indoors into cooler temperatures as soon as possible....

You can customize your paver walkway in several ways to get the design you want. Check out our steps and tips below to see how you can make a winding path of your own. Brick Pattern Options Herringbone This centuries-old pattern may look the most familiar when it comes to brick pathways. The unique angles make it ideal for irregular spaces, such as a curvy path. When set at a 90-degree angle, this classic pattern requires only occasional cuts and is also the design we chose for our walkway, as shown in the steps below....

How to Make Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup This might just be our best chicken noodle soup recipe ever! While you need about 2 hours to make this soup, the actual hands-on prep time is only 20 minutes. The rest of the time is hands-off simmering, freeing you up to do other things while the soup stock gets richer and bolder and fills your home with irresistibly comforting aromas. This recipe makes 8 main-dish servings....

Oosouji is more than just cleaning and decluttering; it’s about letting go of unwanted things, bringing order to chaos, and welcoming the new year with a clean slate. Businesses practice oosouji too. It’s a chance to close up accounts, archive old files, and even resolve outstanding conflicts. Even schoolchildren perform oosouji by cleaning out their desks and backpacks. In oosouji, there is a focus on minimalism, on cultivating a more pleasing environment with fewer things, but ones that have more meaning and significance....

The downside to great-looking shoes is that something as small as a strangely placed strap or a blister-inducing back can lead to days of aching feet, which will discourage you from wearing them again. Nobody wants their once-covetable kicks to turn into a waste of money and closet space, so we’re sharing tips to make every type of shoe more comfortable. From heels to flip flops and everything in between, these tips will finally teach you how to make shoes more comfortable for good....

I recently relocated from Seattle to Montreal for my relationship, but after experiencing the much lower cost of living (COL) in Canada, I found myself wondering, why didn’t I do this sooner? This is a trend we’ll likely continue to see across the U.S. and world. That said, relocating because of cost of living comparison is not all sunshine and roses; you’ll want to keep in mind a few things during your choice to relocate to ensure it maximizes both your financial savings and your emotional well-being....

Some families may have saved more money than usual during the pandemic out of concern about what the future would bring. When the future seems uncertain, it’s natural to cut back and prepare for the unexpected, and the huge spike in the national personal saving rate recorded by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in April 2020 reflects that fear. Still, many of those savings—or the ease with which many families were able to stockpile cash—may have been more out of lack of opportunity than a sudden need to save....

There are plenty of ways to make regifting glamorous—whether it’s hanging on to a fashionable gift that doesn’t fit you but is just what your sister loves, or pairing eco-friendly gift wrap with personalized embellishments that breathe new life into old finds. Ahead, gifting and etiquette pros share a few easy tips to make save time and money this holiday season by simply giving gifts you already have. First, check for a gift receipt....

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds Before you begin preparing pumpkin seeds, you’ll need to choose a pumpkin that suits the number of seeds you want to munch on. You can use the seeds from either a carving pumpkin or smaller pie pumpkins. For 1 cup of seeds, purchase a 10- to 14-pound pumpkin. Test Kitchen Tip: You can also use this method to roast seeds from winter squashes, such as butternut squash or acorn squash....