Good Housekeeping June 2020

Create a focal point in a hallway or game room with customized sports equipment or other objects you love. Paddles can become banister rails, wooden cutting boards make great bookshelf dividers and eye-catching birdhouses can liven up any empty wall. Paddle How-To: Use masking tape to mark off a pattern, then paint in striking colors and seal with polyurethane or shellac, says designer Christie Leu.…

Tally textures. Explore nature’s variety by keeping track of how many different textures you can find while you’re out. Look for items that are rough, soft, sticky, prickly and so on. Play critter copycat. This active game lets you talk about the animals that share the planet with us. The leader hops like a frog, flutters like a butterfly or darts like a squirrel, and everyone else follows suit. Make up animal actions to mimic faves: Wag your “tail” like a dog or take careful steps like a cat. Go on a scavenger hunt for sounds. We are often so focused on what we see that we forget to keep our ears open. Every so often, stop walking, ask everyone to close their eyes and listen. You might hear a…

TANGY SALAD Toss 1 shallot (sliced) with 2 Tbsp each white wine vinegar and olive oil and ¼ tsp salt. Cut 1 small cantaloupe and 1 seedless cucumber in pieces. Arrange on platter; spoon dressing on top. REFRESHING SLUSHIE Simmer ¼ cup water and 2 Tbsp sugar. Remove from heat; stir in 2 sprigs basil. Cool, then strain. In batches, puree one 6-lb cantaloupe (cut up) and syrup. Pour into a metal pan; freeze 8 hr. With fork, scrape into flakes. SWEET + SALTY APP Thread bite-size cantaloupe pieces, thinly sliced salami or prosciutto (folded into quarters) and fresh basil leaves onto skewers.…

RIVETING BEACH READ Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner After years of enduring a toxic friendship with society girl Drue Cavanaugh, Daphne Berg has found her niche as a plus-size Instagram influencer on the rise. But when Drue asks her for a big favor, Daphne has to decide how far she’ll go for a friend who has already hurt her. This tender novel explores the boundaries of female friendship, not to mention the beautiful mansions and charming dunes of Cape Cod. ENGROSSING FAMILY SAGA The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett The identical-twin Vignes sisters grew up to live very different lives, one back in her predominantly black hometown and one across the country passing as white with a husband who knows nothing of her past. This multigenerational story reveals how tightly…

I’ve accomplished more around the house in the past month than I have in years, and I know I’m not alone. All over social media, I’ve been admiring pictures of glorious loaves of sourdough, fresh coats of paint, handmade blankets, original artwork, fun crafts and more evidence of our urge to create. I’ve talked to enough yarn-loving colleagues and friends to think about starting a GH Knitting Club (if you’re interested, please email me at jane@goodhousekeeping.com!). Last month, my aunt started making fabric face masks, which in turn inspired my mom to fire up her sewing machine. And over 3 million of you, good readers, have visited our mask-making video tutorial at goodhousekeeping.com/facemask, ready to jump in and help with the shortage of masks. I am so impressed! Speaking of…

These days when I go to work I feel like I’m going into battle. I try to make sure to be hydrated, to be rested, to be ready. Once you go in there, you don’t really know when you’re going to get a chance to pause. Plus, when you’re wearing so much — a full gown, two masks, a shield and a head cover — there’s a major risk when you take off the gear to, say, drink from a water bottle or eat a snack. I probably wear it for six or seven hours before I take a five-minute break and take everything off. By that point, your face hurts. Your forehead hurts. Your ears hurt. I tested positive for COVID-19 myself and spent 12 days at home quite…