Posts

Preparation Bad habits come in all shapes and sizes, and as much as we all wish we didn’t have one, chances are, we do. While some habits are a bigger detriment to your health, others have a more cosmetic effect. To help you break your bad beauty habit—from picking your skin to biting your nails—we chatted with board-certified cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman. Ahead, the the five worst behavioral patterns she encounters regularly at her practice, and her top tips for kicking them to the curb....

Preparation Just over three months after their whirlwind engagement, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are officially married! The couple tied the knot during an intimate ceremony in Las Vegas, which the singer and actress confirmed Sunday evening in her newsletter, On the JLo. “We did it. Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient,” she wrote. Their decades-long romance kicked off in the early 2000s, when they met on set while filming the romantic comedy Gigli....

Preparation If you’ve been to the grocery story lately and noticed that the price of basic kitchen staples, like eggs, fruit, and cereal, were higher than usual, you’re not imaging things. According to the latest monthly Consumer Price Index report, which was released on Tuesday, consumers are paying 11% more for food items than they were last year. Unfortunately, costs are still on the rise: All major grocery store food group indexes increased during August....

Preparation Have you ever wondered how to turn your dreams of owning your own business into a reality? We can help. Each week, as part of our Self Made series, we showcase female entrepreneurs—as well as their quality, handmade goods—and share their best advice related to starting, maintaining, and growing your own business. Jaclyn Johnson, CEO and founder of Create & Cultivate, believes that encouraging entrepreneurship in women is simply good business....

Preparation We’ve all heard the phrase “there’s no place like home,” but to some Americans, this is far more than just a saying: A new survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Little Passports reveals that 14 percent of United States residents have never traveled outside of the country and 16 percent have never left their home state at all. Of the survey participants that have ventured outside their birth town, many believe expanding their horizons at a young age encouraged them to travel as adults....

Preparation Whether you want to preserve your summer bounty or save money on pantry staples, canning is an excellent skill to add to your kitchen repertoire. But if you’re new to the practice, you might be considering the pros and cons of water bath canning versus pressure canning—or wondering if you need to bother doing either. Here, learn about the two different types of processing used to ensure homemade canned foods are properly vacuum sealed (plus, when to use each)....

Preparation Although ordering a pizza may be a classic pre-trick-or-treating ritual, you may want something more substantial to help keep you and your squad going as you head out for a night of costume-clad doorbell ringing. The recipes we’ve pulled together here will definitely provide that sustenance, but they won’t have you working in the kitchen for hours or worrying how you’ll be able to take a break from cooking to answer your own doorbell....

Preparation Freshly washed hair and cleansed skin should make for a healthy scalp and clear complexion, but this isn’t always the case. If you have ever noticed the appearance of breakouts after using a new hair product, for example, you’re not alone. Dr. Camille Verovic, FAAD, a dermatologist and the founder of Girl+Hair, explains that acne starts out as a micro blackhead or whitehead, which is essentially a clogged pore, and then culminates into actual acne after it becomes more inflamed—and a leading cause of this condition could very well be the formulas you apply to your hair....

Preparation After the frenzy of planning and preparing for November’s and December’s holidays, throwing together a New Year’s Eve party at the last-minute can mean a generic aesthetic: lots of black and metallics, Champagne glass-shaped décor, and hats and glasses emblazoned with the new year to come. But putting a more creative spin on your gathering allows you to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new with thought and care....

Preparation A mainstay of many Easter dinners, a large burnished roast of savory ham is a beautiful and low-effort way to anchor just about any holiday menu. It’s an all-around crowd-pleaser, everyone will want to scoop a slice or two of this classic onto their plate. What’s more, hams typically come in larger weights, so you won’t need to worry if there will be enough to feed your crew. You’re more likely to have generous leftovers for everyone to take home....

Preparation Wouldn’t you like a bowl of French onion soup right now? It’s cozy, comforting, and feeds the soul on a cold day. Eating the cheese toast-topped soup is like enjoying a bowl of rich, deeply beefy onion soup and a grilled cheese. French onion soup is a bistro classic that you might have enjoyed at French restaurants or, if you’re lucky, on trips to Paris, but it’s actually quite simple to make at home....

Preparation Learning how to peel hard-boiled eggs is key when you’re making recipes like deviled eggs or shoyu ramen—you want your eggs to look perfect, with no dings, dents, or divots. And even when you’re peeling eggs for a dish that might disguise the flaws, like gribiche or an egg-salad sandwich, you want to avoid the frustration of gouging your eggs or scattering pieces of shell across the countertop. There are many factors that go into how an egg looks once cooked and peeled: the age of the egg, the cooking method (stovetop?...

Preparation Martha has provided her fans with delicious recipes for decades, but now, some of her favorite gourmet dishes are even easier to make. Our founder is bringing a series of frozen meals to over 10,000 grocery stores across the country via her new line, Martha Stewart Kitchen. “We’ve had great success with our Martha and Marley meal kits and many people were asking, ‘Why don’t you do stuff like this that’s already prepared?...

Preparation Do you ever feel like your pooch knows exactly what you’re saying? Turns out, they just might. A new study from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, used two dogs that are popular on social media— Whisky, a Border Collie from Norway, and Vicky Nina, a Yorkshire terrier from Brazil—to determine how quickly gifted dogs may learn new words. “To test this, we exposed Whisky and Vicky Nina to the new words in two different conditions, during an exclusion-based task and in a social playful context with their owners....

Preparation It’s no secret that getting a good night’s sleep helps you feel more alert and ready for the day, but how much shut eye you need is less straightforward. However, thanks to new guidance from the American Heart Association, we can now say that seven to nine hours of quality sleep is best for your overall heart health. The recommendation comes as the AHA updated its checklist that’s used to measure cardiovascular health....

Preparation Along with the correct shampoo, conditioner, and styling products, the right hair brush goes a long way towards keeping strands strong and healthy. Ultimately, you can’t use just any brush—and these tools aren’t one-size-fits-all. It’s best to select an option with your hair type in mind, says Annagjid Kee Taylor, a celebrity hairstylist and the owner of Deeper Than Hair. “Certain bristles, such as synthetics, are better for thicker hair types—they cause less static....

Preparation The right home renovations can do more than upgrade the aesthetic of your space—they can increase the resale value of your property, too. “Rather than demolishing your entire house to start fresh, tackling certain areas of your home can immensely improve its value and make it more attractive,” says Breegan Jane, interior designer and Trane Residential partner. “Some renovations can increase the interest of prospective buyers or simply make your home the oasis you’ve always dreamed of having so you can continue to grow your family and make the most practical and efficient use of your home....

Preparation If you aren’t already growing ground cherries in your home garden, then now’s the time to start. “Ground cherries are in the nightshade family that also includes eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes,” says Christopher Landercasper, director of farming operations for Sonoma’s Best Hospitality Group. “The most commonly consumed plant people think about when they are talking about ground cherries is the tomatillo.” While tomatillos differ from ground cherries, according to the University of Minnesota, they stem from the same genus, making them a not too distant cousin of the fruit....

Preparation If a bridesmaid didn’t show up on the wedding day, her friends would go into panic mode, especially if she wasn’t a disgruntled bridesmaid in the days and weeks preceding the wedding. Texts would be sent, calls made, and a search party formed. But when a groomsman is the no-show, there’s much less fanfare. Still, when any member of the bridal party is nowhere to be found on the wedding day, alarm bells will likely ring....

Preparation A comfortable temperature, clear skies, and extended sunlight—there’s nothing like a day spent outdoors. When Mother Nature’s elements align so seamlessly, we waste no time preparing our exterior spaces. Well-appointed patio furniture? Yes, please. An outdoor fireplace? Of course. A kitchen al fresco? If your footprint allows it, absolutely. Getting these outdoor fixtures into tip-top shape as the weather warms is, of course, a key seasonal priority—and offsetting them with beautiful gardens and landscaping is, too....