Thoughts 10

The Simple List 12

Editor’s Note 33

Your Words

• This Month’s Question 35
  How do you stay on budget during the holidays?
• No-Obligation Book Club 40
  What book makes a great gift?

Trends Worth Trying

• Destined to Be a Classic 45
  Booties―the perfect pump/boot hybrid
• One Pick Fits All 46
  Decorative bobby pins
• Two Women, One Look 48
  Leather skirts
• Five-Minute Wow 50
  Making poinsettias prettier
• Everyday Indulgence 52
  Artful salt and pepper shakers
• 10 Seasonal Essentials 54

50 Gifts Under $50

• Everyone 59
  Universal crowd-pleasers
• Women 71
  For mothers, sisters, and best friends
• Men 80
  For fathers, brothers, and husbands
• Kids 91
  For tots, teens, and everyone in between
• Stocking Stuffers 98
  21 mini gifts for $15 and under

Life Lessons

• Good Read 107
  Karen Joy Fowler on watching her daughter grieve―and feeling helpless
• Modern Manners 113
  Julie Rottenberg on dinner-table texters. Plus, your holiday etiquette questions answered
• Expertise 117
  Amy Bloom on 10 truths she wishes she had known sooner

The Guide

Beauty

• Instant Improvements 123
  Skin-fixing gels, creams, and cover-ups that can give you great results in seconds
• Road Test 132
  Bar soap
• Beauty With Brains 135
  What exactly are free radicals?

Health

• The Decoder 141
  Determining the multivitamin that’s right for you
• You, Improved 144
  How to add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Plus, winter sunscreen tips and a permission slip to eat chocolate
• 15 Minutes and You’re Done 149
  Toned shoulders in a flash

Fashion

• True Velvet 155
  Four feel-good pieces you can dress up or down
• Fit Lab 165
  Find the best tuxedo pants for your body type
• Real Steals 171
  Party accessories: 17 dazzling finds for $90 or under
• The Guide to Ironing Ruffles... 179
  Expert tips for taking care of delicately detailed garments

Home

• Happy Wrapping 189
  21 inventive ideas to festoon your presents
• Road Test 199
  Holiday lights
• Decorating With 205
  Brown. Use this earthy neutral to add warmth or provide a base for brights
• Make Over My... 217
  Real Simple clears out and cleans up one reader’s jam-packed refrigerator

Money

• Moneywise 223
  How to save on seasonal decorations and avoid a holiday–air-travel charge. Plus, the price tag to purchase every gift in “The 12 Days of Christmas”
• Need Cash? 229
  Five kinds of loans and how they can help you come up with money―fast

Features

• What Makes My Life Real Simple 235
• What Goes Around Comes Around 236
  Take a style lesson from the past to find your look for tomorrow
• Homemade for the Holidays 244
  Nine easy, handcrafted gifts to delight friends and family
• Stealth Strategies for Better Skin 256
  How less-expected elements (air quality, what you eat) can affect your complexion―and what to do about it
• The Day After 262
  Flat club soda, cheese rinds, and sore feet: dealing with what’s left after the holiday party

Food

• Recipes for a Good Time  266
  Make-ahead hors d’oeuvres perfect for any party
• Secretly Simple 279
  Quick hollandaise
• Quick Takes 280
  One sugar cookie dough, 10 ways to use it
• Road Test 282
  Pancake mix
• Five Easy Dinners 285
• Nutritional Index 296

Credits 302
Where to buy the products featured in this issue

Discounts & Deals 308
Exclusive discounts on entertaining pieces

Real Simple to Go 310