Good Housekeeping August 2019

Why relegate green garlands to the holiday season — or even to banisters and mantels?! Take a cue from Amanda Campbell, founder of the design blog The Ginger Home, and use them to spruce up your home year-round. “I’m always sad when it’s time to take garlands down after winter,” she says. “So this year, I hung a fresh one over the window in our mudroom to create a dreamy, garden-style reading nook. It’s an unexpected and fun way to bring the outside in!” MY HOMETOWN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI Psyche Southwell, social science researcher and creator of the fashion blog Economy of Style, shares all her favorite spots. stay “At the Angad Arts Hotel, you can book your room based on what they call ‘emotion of color,’ like Passionate Red…

FLAVOR LEMONADE In a saucepan, simmer ¼ cup sugar with ¼ cup water (without stirring) until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add ½ cup tarragon and let cool; strain into a large pitcher. Add 1½ cups fresh lemon juice and 4 cups cold water. Stir in 2 sprigs fresh tarragon and sliced lemons, then fill with ice. BOOST BUTTER Combine 1 stick unsalted butter (at room temp), 1 small clove garlic (pressed), 2 tsp lemon zest, 1 cup parsley (chopped), ¼ cup tarragon (chopped), ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Spoon on seared chicken, pork or steak or sautéed shrimp or fish. SHAKE UP SALAD Tear leaves off sprigs and toss into salad along with your greens.…

Earring Backing Pull off the eraser from a pencil top and pop it onto your earring in a pinch. Silver Polisher Rub your eraser on the surface to remove tarnish from silver items. Scuff Remover Clean scuffs or marks off suede boots. Opt for a big eraser (instead of a pencil top) and test an inconspicuous area first. Check out nbcnews.com/better/a-better-way for more genius ideas. quote of the month I DON’T THINK any day is worth living without thinking about what you’re going to eat next AT ALL TIMES — NORA EPHRON, #QOTM…

Just two weeks after Katie Page adopted her son, Grayson, now 2, in May 2017, she got a call about another baby in need of a foster home. She eagerly took in the infant, Hannah, and made her part of the family. But then she started to notice something odd: Grayson and Hannah had a lot of similarities, almost like they were biologically related. A DNA test found that Grayson and Hannah were, in fact, biological siblings, and Katie was able to officially adopt Hannah in December—something Katie now believes was meant to be. Keep up with Katie and her crew on @woodandgraceblog.…

LEAVING A CLASS EARLY Let the instructor know ahead of time and position yourself by the door. If it’s an emergency or you’re not feeling well, exit as discreetly as possible. UNSOLICITED ADVICE Say “Thank you for the advice,” and leave it at that. It’s not appropriate for anyone to offer tips unprompted, but keep in mind that they’re often given with good intentions. If the behavior continues, don’t engage, and alert a gym employee. WAITING FOR A MACHINE If a crowded gym doesn’t have sign-up sheets but enforces time limits, stand near the machine a couple of minutes before the current user’s time is up to indicate that you’re “in line.” If you notice she isn’t finishing up, politely mention the limit and ask, “How much longer do you…

A few years ago, Good Housekeeping hosted a writing contest that invited readers to send in personal stories in which a potential wrong turn somehow led them to an unexpectedly right place. We referred to the theme as “Silver Linings,” and your stories flooded in. You did not disappoint, opening up about your lives and sharing emotional, heartwarming (and sometimes heartbreaking) moments that eventually brought an important someone or something closer. I had a recent “silver lining” incident myself. My hometown posse typically get on planes to spend a weekend together once or twice a year. This month, the gathering was to be at my house outside New York City. Of course there were plans to take advantage of local food, entertainment and shopping. But on Friday, I got an urgent…