Featured in May 2003

See what was in this issue of Real Simple.

Features

My Mother Told Me So, pg. 158
Mom was right on target. Collected wisdom from mothers around the country on looking good, loving your kids, and, yes, having it all.
 
 Room Revivals, 166
Every house has at least one space that has never felt quite right. Real Simple makes over a bedroom, a bathroom, a foyer, and a home office―the easy way.
 
 Dress the Part, pg. 176
Show off your best feature with flattering summer fashions. Plus exercise suggestions for targeted toning.
 
 A Life in Boxes, pg. 182
Trash it or treasure it? Kirsten Allen Major sorts through 22 years of memorabilia to find what’s meaningful and to get rid of what’s not.
 
 Eat Your Vegetables, pg. 188
They’re good for you, and now they taste good, too, with these 12 appetizing side-dish recipes.
 
 Meals Made Easy, pg. 197
Three delicious spring dinners: Ginger Chicken, Spring Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto, and Chicken Meat Loaf.
 

In Every Issue

Thoughts, pg. 12
Grass
 
 Why Not..., pg. 18
 
 Editor's Note, pg. 34
 
 Contributors, pg. 42
 
 Your Words, pg. 47
Which activities keep you connected to friends, neighbors, and the world?
 
 Credits, pg. 231
 
 Real Hard, pg. 232
Bad Dieters on the Road to Ruin
 

Solutions

Garden Guide, pg. 55
A window box, a few minutes, and a season of flowers
 
 New Uses for Old Things, pg. 56
Getting more out of a dustpan, a candle, and a cocktail shaker
 
 Space-Saving Storage, pg. 60
Pack up winter clothes efficiently
 
 The Organized Life, pg. 62
A station for stationery
 
 Products of the Month, pg. 64
From a compact dish rack to flexible bakeware
 
 Easy Upgrade, pg. 66
Liven up a hallway with a faux runner
 
 Fake It, Don't Make It, pg. 68
Pasta Primavera
 

Life Guide

Style 

• Lightweight sweaters for cool summer days, pg. 75
• Seasonal shoes for the office, pg. 81
• Swimsuits for every body type, pg. 85

Beauty 

• What will keep your feet smooth and soft, pg. 91
• Quick lipstick tips, pg. 95

Home 

• The best step stools, pg. 99
• Nontoxic pest control, pg. 103
• CD player-radios that bring tunes to any room, pg. 107

Food 

• Food professionals’ favorite cookbooks, pg. 111
• High-quality kitchen staples to stock, pg. 117

Body 

• Increase your metabolism to lose weight and feel better, pg. 121
• Take your exercise routine to the great outdoors, pg. 127

Life 

• Five steps to taming e-mail, 133
• On-line airline tickets, pg. 137
• Big secrets of small talk, pg. 143

The Organizer 

• Three versatile, easy-to-install shelves that look great and free up precious space, pg. 149

 

Soul

Life Lessons, pg. 207
Closing one of life’s doors often opens another. Poet Molly Peacock reflects on her decision not to have children―a road less traveled, but one she realized was her ideal journey.
 
 Wise Woman, pg. 214
Public-garden designer Lynden B. Miller on the comforts of green space and her favorite plants.
 

Priorities

Home Near the Range, pg. 217
A Virginia couple want to give their kitchen a major overhaul. Our advisers tell them how to go about it and how they can afford it.
 

Life Coach

Three Little Words, pg. 225
 I’m really sorry. It’s hard to say it, and sometimes even harder to mean it. Why apologies matter.