We couldn’t interview Brooke Shields and not ask her to help us settle some of our favorite low-stakes controversies. Partly because these things are always nagging away at us, but mostly because the CEO, actor, model, author, thinker, social media phenom, mom, friend, and wife has life experiences that, simply put, we do not. She started modeling when she was just 11 months old, was famous by the time she was 12 (for her role in the 1978 movie Pretty Baby), and TIME magazine named her the face of the decade in the ‘80s. She’s been in the spotlight her entire life—she graduated from Princeton!—and has some real thoughts on how things should be done. So we asked for her major opinions on some minor issues. REAL SIMPLE: When should you gas up the car? Before the fuel light comes on or after? BROOKE SHIELDS: I'm a before gasser, my husband's an after gasser. (That didn't sound right.) If I have three-quarters of a tank, I'm like, “I'm going to run out of gas!” I've got to have a full tank. I do this with the charge on my phone, too … I need to make sure all my bases are covered. I was an only child. I'm really edgy. RS: Is it OK to crack your knuckles? BS: I heard it makes them bigger, but it feels really good. But it can't be great for them in the long run. I stopped doing it, but my hands haven’t gotten any less manly. RS: Should toilet paper be hung so that it rolls over or under? BS: Toilet paper over. It's just the way it's done, people. RS: Is the five-second rule real? BS: Man, I had a half-hour rule for my kids. I'd be like, “Oh, here, you're fine.” Got to get those antibodies! RS: Wearing socks to sleep: Yay or nay? BS: Yay. [Whispers] Cashmere. RS: Is it OK to eat around the moldy parts of bread and cheese? BS: I have done it for both, and my husband was so appalled. He was like, “You're going to get sick. It's already living in there.” So then I got a little freaked out and stopped cutting it off, but I don't know … there's always a good part left! RS: Is it OK to let your dog lick your face? BS: I don't think so. My dog … still has puppy breath, but I know there's bacteria. But for some reason, her mouth seems so clean! It can't be that sanitary because they will eat garbage and gum from under a chair. You can't do it. RS: Is it OK to sit on a public toilet seat? BS: Oh, I don't sit on public toilets. I'm a hoverer. With my kids … I had this perfect baby hold, and I would hover them and they got real used to it. It's a little awkward now because one is 21, but it's a tradition for us … RS: Are top sheets necessary? BS: We just did away with our top sheet. We're just a duvet. Because we're very European.

The holidays are a perfect time to get cozy on the couch and binge your favorite TV shows. And although it’s common to opt for that familiar comfort show you can’t get enough of (we see you, Friends fans!), Netflix has launched a variety of new TV shows and follow-up seasons that are too good to miss. If you struggle to find time to watch new episodes during the hectic holiday season, your winter break could offer some much-needed leisure time to catch up on what’s new—especially if you’re hesitant to commit to movies. Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best Netflix series that you can binge—and finish—during the holidays. Whether you’re watching from start to finish or diving into a new season, these shows are sure to keep you entranced. 1. A Man on the Inside Based on the novel The Mole Agent by Maite Alberdi, Man on the Inside follows a retired professor—aka Ted Danson—whose simple life gets exponentially more interesting when a private investigator hires him to solve a theft case inside a retirement home. The show is packed with lighthearted comedy, mystery, and so much sincerity, managing to reach Netflix’s top 10 list during its first week. 2. Yellowjackets With a new season release in February 2025, Yellowjackets is another show you can’t miss—especially if you’re looking for something with more thrill. The show follows a high school girl’s soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness; with little to no resources and a high school-level set of survival skills, the girls are forced to make do on their own. The show plays with the passage of time, the longterm effects of trauma, and the sacrifices you make when faced with an impossible problem. Plus, Netflix just released the show’s second season in time to catch up during the holidays! 3. Territory Territory follows the world’s largest cattle farm as several people fight to inherit it. In order to determine the land’s owner, each character must go through a number of obstacles—and ambitious rivals—to reach the final decision. Each episode of this Australian, neo-Western show is packed with suspense. 4. Adoration Another excellent choice for those who live for the thrill: Adoration. This Italian show follows a 16-year-old girl who vanishes without a trace. As the months pass by, more secrets of the young girl’s life are revealed, forcing her community to put the puzzle pieces together in order to find out where she went. This suspenseful show will keep you on the edge of your seat, so if you’re reminiscing about spooky season, give Adoration a chance. 5. The Empress If you’re a Bridgerton fanatic, allow us to introduce you to the next chart-topping show following a glamorous monarch. Based on the true story of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, The Empress follows Elisabeth as she falls in love with the Emperor Franz and becomes his bride. After joining the intriguing yet rule-abiding Habsburg monarchy, Elisabeth soon realizes the overwhelming politics and social dynamics of her seemingly lavish life. You’ll quickly find yourself watching episode after episode, eventually hoping the show gets renewed for its third season in 2025. 6. Kaos Fresh off his role as the Wizard of Oz in Wicked, Jeff Goldblum stars in this dark comedy that re-imagines Greek mythology in a modern way. Kaos follows Prometheus as he attempts to overthrow the all-mighty Zeus—with a little help from mortal humans. Using the skills of Eurydice, Caeneus, and Ariadne, each episode of this high-energy show explores themes of power, gender, and life in the underworld, all with a star-studded cast.

A change in season often calls for swapping out your fun summer reads for cozy autumnal novels, and nobody knows how to do this better than Hollywood actress Emma Roberts. In fact, the multifaceted superstar spent the last few months traveling through Europe to attend the summer Olympics and collaborated with Trainline to curate a list of her favorite books to read while traveling from city to city. “This collaboration allowed me to blend my passions for travel and reading, which is a dream,” she says. “Nothing beats losing yourself in a good book, especially when traveling by train, which feels so magical.” While on the road, Roberts is sure to add some book-filled stops to her itinerary. “No matter where I'm going, I always find time to stop at a local bookstore to discover my next read,” she says. “Some of my favorites include John Sandoe in London, OFR Bookshop in Paris, La Bola in Barcelona, and Prospero’s Books in Milan.” Read on to learn more about Roberts’ overseas trip, why she always brings a book on the road, and her top picks for the perfect fall read. Why Emma Roberts Always Travels With a Book Roberts has loved reading for as long as she can remember. “I was home-schooled for high school because I was traveling for work,” she explains. “The habit of always having a book or two on me has never left me.” As her love for reading continued into adulthood, Roberts and her best friend, Karah Preiss, co-founded an online book club in 2017, called BELLETRIST. The club has featured over 75 books across social media platforms and has produced two TV series. “Even now, one of the first things Karah and I do when we catch up is discuss our current or recent reads and swap recommendations,” Roberts says. Emma Roberts’ Top 3 Book for Fall The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith is a psychological thriller that follows Tom Ripley, a New York City con-man who travels to Italy while struggling to make ends meet. “I love Highsmith’s descriptions of the Italian coast, and the adventures Mr. Ripley takes after inserting himself into the world of Dickie Greenleaf is so addictive,” Roberts says. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway is a memoir about the author’s expatriate life in Paris during the 1920s. “As we get into fall, I always seem to dive into non-fiction more,” says Roberts. “It’s a great book for inspiring creativity and the perfect read for a quick trip, like London to Paris.” My Husband by Maud Ventura My Husband by Maud Ventura follows a French woman with an unwavering romantic obsession for her husband; throughout the story, she questions whether he feels the same way for her, too. “It was big in France and just a great read if you’re traveling through Europe or looking for a little romantic intrigue with really smart prose,” Roberts says.

Who doesn’t love Ina Garten?! Like so many of us, I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember, and I have the rainbow of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks lined up on my kitchen shelf to prove it. The pages inside are dog-eared and splattered, evidence of their good use over the years. When I was in my early 30s, and in that stage of life when it seems like you’re attending a shower of some sort every weekend, her roasted shrimp and orzo was the dish I took to every party. I made her coconut cake for my husband’s birthday, the beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner, blue cheese coleslaw for summer cookouts, and her Italian wedding soup on chilly Sunday afternoons. Suffice it to say, Ina has taught me a lot over the years. (I never made bacon in a skillet again after she taught me how to bake it. As Ina would say, how easy is that?) Then I read her new memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, which is out now. One of the most anticipated books of the year, it delivers. This isn’t a “how I became a star” story but an honest portrayal of her life that does not shy away from the gritty details of an awful childhood. It’s also an ode to her husband, Jeffrey, and her commitment to building a life centered on happiness, first and foremost. In short, Ina has a lot of wisdom to impart beyond what she’s shared standing at her kitchen counter. Here are some of my takeaways. If you really love what you do, you'll be good at it In the early '80s, Ina was working in the White House, writing nuclear energy policy. It was a Serious Job that surely sounded impressive at cocktail parties, but she was bored to death. One day at work, she spotted an ad in the newspaper for a small gourmet store in the Hamptons. Even though she had zero professional culinary experience, she loved to cook and spent much of her free time doing it. When she mentioned the ad to Jeffrey, he gave her what she says is the best advice, something lots of us have heard but few actually follow: "If you really love what you do, you’ll be good at it." You can learn as you go There was nothing practical about Ina’s decision to quit her job and buy the store. She lived in Washington, D.C., and the store was in New York. She had no experience. But she didn’t let that stop her. Unlike so many of us, who get stuck in the “Should I/shouldn’t I?” decision-making loop, she just went for it. You don’t have to research every bit of minutiae to take your next step. You just need to start. What makes her leap so remarkable is that her difficult childhood (in which she was routinely criticized for not being good enough) led to a severe lack of confidence. She could have let her insecurity derail her, but she pushed past it. Play the part Ina noticed that some of her early customers weren’t treating her like the business owner she was. What did she do? She walked to the jewelry store across the street from her shop and bought a gold statement necklace to project more authority. As she shows, it helps to act like the person you want to be perceived as, even if you’re not feeling it on the inside. Don't settle Ina and Jeffrey are famously in love, but she graciously gives an honest account of their long marriage in her memoir. She reveals the growing pains they’ve felt, and how, once her business got rolling and they found themselves moving in separate directions, it took a period of separation and counseling for the two of them to create a life that worked for both of them, where neither would have to sacrifice their dreams. True partners, she taught me, work together to give each other the life they want. Take credit! At the end of her memoir, Ina says that even once she became a household name, she used to brush off people’s compliments about her success with some version of “I just got lucky.” Then another über-successful woman basically told her to cut it out. Too many people, and especially women, don’t acknowledge their hard work. You put in the time, so even if your success is so sweet that it feels like a stroke of luck, own that you were the one who made it happen.

Books are essential. Storytelling allows us to fill in the gaps of history, gain new perspectives, and orient ourselves and our place in the universe. Ironically, the power of books is affirmed by the recent efforts to suppress them. In 2023, compared to 2022, the number of book titles targeted for censorship surged by 65%, reaching the highest numbers ever documented by the American Library Association (ALA). Primarily targeting schools and public libraries, book challenges have been increasing exponentially since 2020 and they show no signs of slowing down. Some recurring themes show up on the banned books list. For example, books about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts, the ALA reports. In honor of those whose stories and lives have been deemed too sensitive, we’d like to give these books a fair chance. With the help of 10 published authors (whose newest books are linked below), we’ve put together a list of banned book recommendations that cover everything from enslavement and forced immigration to queer coming of age tales. 01 of 10 All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson “Vulnerable and honest, this memoir wrestles with some heavy themes but they are balanced out with really joyful family stories. When I first encountered this book it felt unlike anything else I'd read before, especially for a YA audience. I love a queer memoir and I hope the challenges against this book only bring it to a wider audience." —Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer, the most challenged book of 2023, according to the ALA 02 of 10 Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult “[Nineteen Minutes] is a novel about a school shooting, and it explores the nightmare that becomes real with horrifying frequency: A troubled, likely bullied, young person morphs into a monster. It’s a tale that could help discourage gun violence ... but, of course, that means people have to be able to read it.” —Chris Bohjalian, author of bestseller and banned book Midwives 03 of 10 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros "The House on Mango Street packs a punch for a short novel. Cisneros weaves together a medley of vignettes into one unified narrative that captures Esperanza Cordero’s childhood and adolescence in her Mexican American neighborhood of Chicago. Banned or challenged in schools for a myriad of themes including sexuality, racism, and poverty, this book brilliantly evokes Esperanza’s journey from girl to young woman. I love so much what Cisneros does in this book, from dialogue to characterization, but my favorite part is the language itself, which is so lush and bright it seems to shine right off the page.” —Shannon Bowring, author of Where the Forest Meets the River 04 of 10 Beloved by Toni Morrison “Toni Morrison's Beloved tells with such depth, beauty, and pain, the racial tensions that have long crossed—and still cross—the United States of America. But the value of Beloved goes far beyond the borders of a single country ... Toni Morrison makes the story of Sethe and Denver a universal parable, with sumptuous, elegant, magnificent prose ... Beloved moves us to tears, makes us participate in a circumstantial and timeless tragedy, elevates our spirit, infuses new strength into our desire for justice, makes us more human than we would be without reading it.” —Nicola Lagioia, author of The City of the Living 05 of 10 Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi “Yaa Gyasi's beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable Homegoing should be required reading for every American. A generational saga spanning three centuries, the novel begins with two sisters in Gold Coast Africa who are divided forever by slavery. Gyasi’s spellbinding storytelling and artful fictional realization of these difficult moments in our shared history offer an empathetic platform for facing and discussing the legacies of enslavement and forced immigration. The fact that it has been banned in many communities is testament to the power of the blow it lands.” —Juliet Grames, author of The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia, 06 of 10 A Time to Kill by John Grisham "A Time to Kill depicts the brutal, racially motivated rape of a very young girl and the trial of her father that follows in the wake of his grief-fueled murder of her attackers. In addition to being a riveting legal thriller, A Time to Kill is, importantly, an extremely accessible look at the complex intersection of racism and the American justice system. Counterintuitively and—I would argue, disingenuously—the book has been repeatedly banned precisely because of the racism and terrifying sexual violence it depicts. However, never has a society or its youth changed for the better by trying to pretend its greatest horrors do not exist." —Kimberly McCreight, author of Like Mother, Like Daughter 07 of 10 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov “One could say that Lolita should be read precisely because of the empathy it inspires for the character of Humbert Humbert, a pedophile—which demonstrates literature’s capacity to transport us into realities far removed from our own. Yet, this position would be as moralistic as wanting to ban Lolita. Instead, I think we should read Lolita to remind ourselves that, in a world where people and institutions seek to ban myriad works of art out of bigotry and prejudice, a native Russian speaker was able to emigrate to the United States and write one of the greatest masterpieces of English-language literature—a book so powerful that some still want to ban it seventy years after it was written.” —Irene Graziosi, author of The Other Profile 08 of 10 The Rabbits' Wedding by Garth Williams “One of my favorite children’s banned books was published in April of 1958, long before challenged books became viral. The Rabbits’ Wedding, by uber talented author and illustrator Garth Williams, depicts an enchanting woodland wedding ... The sweet story and glorious watercolor illustrations give children a first glimpse of true love. Unfortunately, it was banned when the White Citizens Council in Alabama challenged the book and had it removed from libraries because the male rabbit was black and the female rabbit was white. This white-supremacist group argued that the book would condition preschoolers to cross the color line.” —Nancy Furstinger, author of The Forgotten Rabbit 09 of 10 The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood “The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood has long been my favorite banned book. This gripping book positions you in a future of censorship and government control that feels all too possible. It follows the story of a woman whose fertility is so prized in a future of low birth rates that she has become the possession of a wealthy family, forced to bear children for them. The book is as tangible and moving today as it was when it was written in 1985 and the dystopian society of Gilead is fascinating and terrifying in equal measure. Margaret Atwood has produced an incredibly detailed, well-considered dystopian world that will pull you in and characters who will remain with you permanently as a chilling reminder of what could be.” —Lily Kingsolver, author of Coyote’s Wild Home 10 of 10 His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman "A trilogy of fantastical novels that are filled with the kind of adventures and oblong monsters one would expect, these books transcend by ultimately turning into examinations of a world without God. As our heroes come of age, they face rich and vital emotional conflicts which are buoyed by frank examinations of what it means to be a person, to be alive. Targeted in particular by the Catholic church, Pullman's oft-banned novels were my first true exposure to questions of existence, cloaked so perfectly in one of the most thrilling fantasy universes I've found." —August Thompson, author of Anyone’s Ghost

The Perseid meteor shower, which occurs annually from mid-July to late August, will reach its peak this year on the night of August 11 and the wee hours of August 12. If you're lucky, you could see as many as 100 meteors blaze through the sky per hour, according to NASA. Here's when, where, and how to catch the best show—plus a scientific explainer about the celestial phenomenon. The Best Time to Watch the Perseids You'll see the most meteors after midnight and before dawn on August 11–12. The meteor shower is active from July 14 to September 1 this year, but the peak night is when it's most intense. While you might see some meteors as soon as the sky is dark, the best visibility happens after the moon has set, around 12 a.m. If you're not free on August 11, or if it's cloudy or rainy, you can try for a good viewing on the night of August 10 or 12 instead (the shower will be close enough to its peak that there will still be a bunch of meteors). The Best Place to Watch the Perseids The best place to watch is somewhere without light pollution, if you can find it. Street lamps and other electric lights obscure our view of the night sky, so parks and rural areas tend to be darkest. To locate dark sites near you, check out the search tool from the nonprofit DarkSky International. And avoid spots with trees or buildings blocking the sky—especially the northeastern part of it, where the shower's "radiant" is (more on that below). The Best Way to Watch the Perseids No need for binoculars or telescopes; just look with the naked eye. The Perseid shower is known for its big, bright meteors, which streak across the whole sky. When you get to your dark spot, give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust, and bring along a flashlight for safety. You might also want a comfortable chair or blanket to lounge on, as well as a sweater or warm drink if the night gets cool. The Science of Meteor Showers What exactly are you looking at, anyway? Read on for a brief explainer and some interesting facts about meteors. What are meteors? Meteors happen when the rocks and dust in outer space—called meteoroids—collide with the earth's atmosphere at high speeds. The friction heats up the meteoroid, which causes the gases around the meteoroid to glow, leaving a streak of light in our sky (what we call a meteor). Space is full of meteoroids—pieces of comets, asteroids, planets, or even the moon that shed during orbit or get knocked off through collision. They range in size from a grain of sand to meter-length boulders. On any given night, as they crash into our orbit, they create meteors, and it's possible to see several an hour. (The brightest ones will be big, fast pieces.) When you spot a "shooting star," that's what you're seeing. What is a meteor shower? A meteor shower is when dozens or even hundreds of meteors fall an hour. This occurs when the earth passes through a particularly large number of meteoroids, usually because we're crossing paths with a comet. The Perseid meteor shower comes from the Swift-Tuttle comet, a big ball of rock, dust, and ice that takes 133 years to orbit the sun. As it travels, its sheds a stream of meteoroids (the "tail" of the comet), and we pass through this tail every summer and get a cool view. Meteor "storms"—when a thousand or more meteors fall an hour—are rarer and difficult to predict, though some scientists think the 2028 Perseids will produce a storm. What are the best meteor showers? Besides the Perseids, popular showers occur at predictable times every year. Here are some upcoming ones: The Orionids will happen this year from September 26 to November 22, peaking the night of October 20. The meteors come from Halley's comet. The Leonids will take place from November 3 to December 2, peaking the night of November 17. The meteors come from the Tempel-Tuttle comet. Fun fact: The Leonids are famous for producing storms (unfortunately, none is expected this year). In 1833, there was such a massive storm that people thought the world was ending, and the spectacle prompted scientists to figure out what meteors actually were. The Geminids will fall from November 19 to December 24, peaking the night of December 13. These come from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. The Lyrids arrive in the spring, from April 15 to April 29, 2025. They'll peak the night of April 21 and come from the comet Thatcher. How do meteor showers get their names? Every meteor shower has a "radiant"—a spot in the sky all the meteors appear to rain down from. It's an optical illusion, because the meteors are actually falling in parallel lines across the whole sky, but they seem to converge in the distance at a single location. They're named after this location, which is usually a constellation. So the Perseids seem to fall from the constellation Perseus, the Orionids from Orion, the Leonids from Leo, the Geminids from Gemini, and the Lyrids from Lyra. Why are meteors different colors? The color depends on what the meteoroid is made of. Iron gives off a yellow hue when it burns, a calcium-rich meteoroid can look purple, and one with lots of magnesium will be teal. When the nitrogen and oxygen in our atmosphere glow, they form a red streak. Do meteors ever fall all the way to earth? Yep! Most meteoroids are so small that they completely combust high up in the sky—30 to 50 miles above the earth's surface—but some large ones partly survive the journey through our atmosphere, and chunks fall to earth. When they land on our planet, they're called meteorites. About 80,000 meteorites have been found so far, mostly in Antarctica. Don't worry: The odds of getting injured by one are extremely small. In fact, only one person has ever been struck. (Ann Hodges, in 1954, was hit in the hip while napping. She survived!) Meteorites are a great way for scientists to study the history of our solar system, as some come from meteoroids that are billions of years old.

Laura Jarrett, co-anchor of Saturday TODAY and NBC News’s senior legal correspondent, and Poppy Harlow, author and former CNN anchor, are celebrating the start of summer in the best way possible: the pair just published their first children's book together! The Color of Love, a picture book illustrated by award-winning artist Elisa Chavarri, was a lovely collaboration between the two friends that unfolded during the pandemic. To celebrate the book's launch and the upcoming warm weather, we asked the two moms to share the summer essentials (including good books!) that help them and their families make the most of the season. 01 of 09 Cozy Earth's Bamboo Sheet Set "These sheets are incredibly soft and don’t get too hot during summer nights," says Laura. We have to agree with Laura on her sheet set pick—fun fact, we've tested almost 200 sheets here at REAL SIMPLE and this bamboo set from Cozy Earth was a top performer! Having the right sheets are crucial if you want a restful, not-too-hot summer. 02 of 09 Trader Joe's Matcha Green Tea Powder Of course, there has to be a Trader Joe's treat on this list! Poppy swears by the brand's matcha powder for a refreshing morning pick-me-up when the weather's warm. "I use this for a good iced matcha latte at home with unsweetened vanilla almond milk," she says. 03 of 09 The Color of Love Finding new reading material for the kids to keep their minds active over the long summer days can be a challenge, but Laura and Poppy's new title, The Color of Love, is the answer. The book explores love in its many forms as the young protagonist asks in a classroom project, "If love were a color, what color would it be?” “Sometimes people think children don’t see color—but they do. They just see the beauty in our differences and aren’t afraid of them. Poppy is fearless, and I'm so grateful to collaborate with my friend on this story," says Laura. 04 of 09 H&M Kids Sundresses This is technically Laura's daughter's choice, but clearly, the kid has good taste! A breathable cotton summer dress is a definite must if you want to stay cool and comfy. Laura adds, "My daughter loves a dress, even if it’s for playing in the sandbox. These H&M Kids sundresses wash well yet still feel pretty." (Something that washes well is also music to our ears!) 05 of 09 Sun Bum Kids SPF 50 Clear Sunscreen Face Stick Sunscreen is a non-negotiable for healthy skin, especially when the sun is blazing. Ensure your kids are well-protected from its harmful UV rays with a solid sunblock—literally. Poppy recommends this face stick from Sun Bum, saying, "This sunscreen goes on clear and lasts when the kids jump in and out of the water. Plus, it smells delicious." 06 of 09 BrüMate Era 40oz Tumbler Hydration is also key when the temperature rises! Laura stands by BrüMate's Era 40oz tumbler, which holds a lot of liquid and is leakproof—ideal for anyone on the go, especially parents juggling kids, grocery bags, a purse, a phone, a stroller...shall we go on? But seriously, you can flip the cup upside down when it's in the "locked" position and you won't see a single drop seep out. 07 of 09 Hair Ribbons Summer hair can be hard to style—it's too warm to whip out any hot tools and who wants to spend forever in a humid bathroom fussing around with frizzy strands? Poppy's genius solution? Stock up on ribbons! It's an easy fix when you just can't be bothered to do much to your hair. She says, "A good bow makes a ponytail so much fun! I buy a yard of each at our local fabric store." You can follow her lead and pick up some yardage or swing by Target for clip-ons. 08 of 09 Amazon Handheld Mini Fan A portable fan you can stash in your purse and bust out the second you break a sweat?! Sign us up! Of this super affordable find from Amazon, Laura says, "C’mon, so cute! This is great for when the New York City subways feel like a furnace in August." (Most REAL SIMPLE staffers commute on the subway daily to work, so we can totally relate...and will probably snag a fan too.) Oh, and even better, the fan features a backup power bank and a flashlight! 09 of 09 Birkenstocks People are naturally more active in the summer months, so with all the walking around you'll be doing, it's important to wear the right shoes—something Poppy fully agrees with. She votes for Birkenstocks as the comfiest pair to rock, saying, "These are an essential! They last forever and are beyond comfy. My favorite is the Arizona Big Buckle in patent leather—blue for fun!"

Is it just me, or is America getting...shoppier? Lately everywhere I look, someone’s trying to sell me something. They’re pitching me on Instagram, or I’m being upsold by that “Frequently Bought Together” list on Amazon, or the company I gave my number to for a discount is texting me about a new “can’t-miss” sale. Thanks to all these semi-bespoke bots matching me algorithmically with products, temptation abounds to acquire, well, more. I actually love shopping, but the idea of filling my home with junk does not appeal. What I’m looking for, and maybe you are too, is the good stuff. The things I really want or truly need. The June issue is all about that good stuff because—here’s my unabashed flex—REAL SIMPLE is aces at product recommendations. Our gift guides are world-class; our Clever Items are beloved. Our beauty picks are based on science, with proven ingredients and dermatologist-backed advice. We never miss, because we have the taste, the access, the editors, and our excellent testing labs. That all culminates in our June 2024 issue, which we’re calling Best and Brightest. It’s filled with the products, the people (hi, Busy!), and the ideas we’re currently crushing on, and nearly every page is shoppable. We've even created a Pinterest board with links to products, where inspiration meets action. As always, we stand by every single item in here. Anything with our seal has been rigorously tested in one of our three labs, our own homes, or both. (We spend almost 50,000 hours a year evaluating products—more than 5,200 items so far!) The rest has been thoroughly vetted by our editors, who have decades of experience among them. You probably don’t need another source yelling at you to buy something. But we’re not just another source. We’re REAL SIMPLE. The Best: Products Everything on this list has earned our seal of approval, which is not given out to just anything. Nope. We have three powerhouse testing labs in New York City, Des Moines, and Birmingham that span over 100,000 square feet and more than 50 test kitchens. And over the past two years, we’ve spent nearly 50,000 hours testing thousands of products. We’ve spread mud across tiles and cleaned it up, dropped containers full of soup from various distances, tested air quality, and so on. Then, in many cases, we brought top-performers home and into the real world for further testing. With all the data points in mind, we make our official product recommendations. These are some of our current faves that get two thumbs up—and, yes, that coveted seal. Our Cover Star: Busy Philipps Who belongs on the cover of a magazine when the issue theme is Best & Brightest? Busy Philipps, of course! The actress-slash-author-slash-advocate-slash-multihyphenate has literally gone on the record as being sparkly! Of course, she’s not wrong. There’s something just so fizzy and lovely about her. If you follow her on Instagram, you’ll totally agree. (If you don’t, you should! She uses the platform to talk about anything and everything including—but not limited to—new haircuts, her ADHD, bigger world issues, and dogs.) We caught up with her on a sunny day in Los Angeles to talk about her Insta account, her new partnership with the American Civil Liberty Union’s Artist Ambassador Program, personality hangovers, and more. The Brightest: People, Ideas & a Few More Things And everything on this list is, well, flat out awesome. To make it, we started with a crucial first step—a brainstorm doc. Everyone on the REAL SIMPLE staff made their nominations and we looked to see where there was overlap. Next, we weighed and we debated and we whittled. Ultimately, we’re pretty pumped about how it came out. The people, products, and ideas on this page are seriously giving us life right now. Scroll through!

Kristen Kish: The Chef Normalizing Raw Emotions She’s a brilliant chef, a restaurateur (Arlo Grey in Austin, Texas), a cookbook author (Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques), a TV personality (with shows on Netflix, National Geographic, and TruTV), and the new host of Bravo’s Top Chef. But for all her incredible success, Kristen Kish may be most inspiring when she’s admitting that life isn’t always rosy. “I’ve realized the power of saying what I feel, especially when everything’s not perfect,” she says. Kish is open about her lifelong challenges with anxiety and bouts of impostor syndrome, even in life’s most mundane moments. “I might be at the grocery store, look at my cart, and think, Oh my God, I’m not a chef. You never know what’s going to trigger those feelings.” Kish’s candor and story have won her many fans. A South Korean adoptee, she grew up in Michigan, attended culinary school, and honed her skills in Boston restaurants before competing on—and winning—season 10 of Top Chef. She became a regular guest judge, until the producers brought her on as host. Now, with Top Chef in its 21st season, she’s on her biggest stage yet. Remarkably, this job gives her less anxiety than you’d think. “I know what I know and what I don’t know,” she says. “At the end of the day, my role as host is simply to be me and be honest. That I can do.” —Jenna Helwig, food director Sherri Shepherd: The Talk Show Host with Oprah’s Blessing Late last year, Sherri Shepherd had a surreal moment on the set of her eponymous talk show. She’d spent her formative years watching The Oprah Winfrey Show, so when the original talk show queen agreed to appear on Sherri, it felt monumental. “I get emotional thinking about it because nobody has done it better than that woman did,” Shepherd says. “To have Oprah come on my show and say she was passing the baton to me? The 20-year-old girl inside me was screaming, but the grown-ass woman was like, You did it.” Shepherd’s story is one of talent, hard work, and hustle. She made her TV debut in 1995 with a short-lived sitcom on the WB and has since appeared on dozens of shows. She was a cohost on The View for seven years, helping to send it into the ratings stratosphere; she does stand-up comedy; she’s written two books (a memoir and a wellness plan); and she supports organizations that help people with developmental disabilities, in honor of her son. “Over the years, people have said no to me about things for various reasons,” Shepherd says. “But I kept at it and believed in myself—and that perseverance paid off.” Nearly 30 years into her career, Shepherd is still hustling. She’s filming season 3 of Max’s The Sex Life of College Girls (she plays a senator and the mom of a main character), and she’ll soon start taping season 3 of Sherri. “I have lots of people I want on the show: Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis!” Maybe Oprah again? —Bethany Heitman The Zero-Effort Paint Samples “Yay for the paint companies that realized how annoying it is to dirty—and clean!—a bunch of brushes any time you want to test out new colors. Peel-and-stick paint samples should win a Nobel Prize. Thanks, Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore!” —Lisa Freedman, executive editor The Washing Machines Made for Pet Owners “There are so many cool things happening in Laundry World. Take GEProfile’s UltraFast Combo washer/dryer, which now has a pet hair removal function. It blows air to separate hair from clothes before they’re washed, ultimately saving your dryer’s filter.” —Erica Finamore, home director The Customizable Palette “In my 17 years as a beauty editor, I had never found a makeup palette that checks all of the boxes. Until I met Renzoe Box. It’s sleek and compact—and it allows you to shop from different companies to build the palette of your dreams. Pick blush from Nars, an eyeshadow from Dior, a lipstick from Mac, and so on. While it’s certainly a splurge, it holds all of my favorites in one spot, making it easy to take my makeup on the go.” — Heather Muir Maffei, beauty director Charlotte Tilbury: The Thoughtful Makeup Maker Search for viral makeup products on TikTok, and chances are you’ll find at least one of Charlotte Tilbury’s golden goodies. Born in London, the makeup artist grew up in Ibiza surrounded by artists—her father was a painter; her mother worked in fashion. “I remember studying posters of Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn in my bedroom and being enthralled by the lighting and what made them look beautiful,” she says. When she was 13, after swiping some mascara onto her barely-there strawberry-blond lashes and feeling instantly more confident, she understood the transformative power of makeup. Now Tilbury is known as the goddess of glow, and her work lights up the runways. With more than 100 Vogue covers under her belt, she has a roster of ultra-famous clients, including Jennifer Aniston, Amal Clooney (she did her wedding makeup!), and Kate Moss. In 2013, Tilbury launched her own makeup and skin-care line with the goal of bringing the “Hollywood tricks” to the masses. “I wanted to bottle up that lightning and that feeling I had the first time I wore mascara,” she says. The line contains more than 500 products, many of which are top sellers at Sephora. If you doubt the life-changing impact of makeup, consider: “I’ve had women tell me that my products helped them get a new job or get out of a bad relationship.” And in 2019, her brand donated more than $1 million to Women for Women International, a charity that helps survivors of war gain the skills they need to be self-sufficient. —H.M.M. Jessica Knoll: The Novelist on a Mission Around the time survivors were telling their stories as part of the #MeToo movement, writer Jessica Knoll told hers. She’d written her bestselling debut novel, Luckiest Girl Alive, about a careerist who reinvented herself after a series of traumatic events during her teens. Knoll eventually admitted that the gang rape in the plot was loosely based on her own assault and the lack of support she received in the aftermath. “A narrative took hold about what had happened. I knew the real story, but no one was interested in my version of it,” she says. She wrote the screenplay (the 2022 movie features Mila Kunis), changing the ending in part to reflect the outpouring of responses she’d received from other women, who said they’d been through a similar trauma. She wrote her new novel, Bright Young Women, after watching back-to-back TV shows about serial killer Ted Bundy. Knoll was stunned that the judge who sentenced Bundy called him a “bright young man,” glorifying him and minimizing the women he had killed. “There was a different side of the story,” she says. So Knoll set out to tell it. The result is a fictionalized version from the victims’ perspectives that doesn’t give the killer any notoriety, never even using his name. The way it always should have been. —B.H. The Brilliance of Portable Lamps “I strongly dislike having to hide cords—and I hate the look of them when they show!—so portable table lamps might be my new favorite trend. You can put them anywhere, outlet or not, and they always look cool, stylish, and totally polished.” —E.F. The Default Salt “Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is the Goldilocks between coarse and fine. It’s easy to pick up with your fingers but not too chunky, and it’s less salty than many other kosher salts. Plus, it has a cleaner, more neutral flavor than table salt. It’s what most chefs use and what we used in culinary school, and that’s good enough for me!” —J.H. The Vending Machine with Salads “Farmer’s Fridge! It’s a brilliant concept because it’s fresh salads and grain and noodle bowls from a vending machine. There are more than 1,000 around the country, at airports and hospitals, some Costcos and Targets. They’re stocked regularly. If I’m traveling and my options for lunch are airplane food or airport food, Farmer’s Fridge wins out with good eats that are ready to grab and easy to tote. It’s even eco-friendly: You can return the jars to a machine for recycling.” —Lauren Iannotti, editor in chief Kara Swisher: The Button-Pushing Tech Journalist Kara Swisher has always lit fires in her work. The provocateur has chronicled the egos and excesses of Silicon Valley for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and now New York, making a habit of scorching its denizens. But somehow she’s still embraced by them. “They think I’m one of them sometimes, and that’s a mistake,” she says. One way she’s not like many of them? She gets it right. Swisher was smart enough to consider tech a worthwhile beat early on. She helped popularize podcasting and showed Big Media that live events were a path to growth. Now she does what she pleases. In her new memoir, Burn Book, which is just what it sounds like only more so, Swisher once again cuts those grotesquely wealthy, code-smart chuckleheads down to size. Elon Musk atop X is “a troll king at scale”; Peter Thiel is a “contrarian investor and persistent irritant.” How does she manage that cockiness in the face of all that, well, cockiness? “I don’t have an inner critic. I don’t know why,” says the pundit, whose latest podcast, On with Kara Swisher, features smart conversations with smart people (Ava DuVernay, Liz Cheney, Sam Altman). “And I don’t listen to other people either.” She credits her self-confidence at least in part to being gay. The fact that people didn’t like her for that made them, to her, stupid and not worth listening to. To be a woman in a bro’s world is impressive. To be a queer person who cut her own path and created a powerful role for herself in that world? Next-level. —L.I. Xochitl Torres Small: The Voice for Small Farmers In 2019, right before one of her first official meetings as the U.S. representative for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, Xochitl Torres Small was nervous. “I couldn’t psych myself up. It wasn’t enough to say, I am powerful; I can do this,” she recalls. “So instead I told myself that the people I represent deserve to be in this room. And it gave me this ability to walk in and do exactly what I needed to do.” Of course, she could do “this,” and President Biden recognized that, eventually tapping her for two jobs at the USDA. In her current role, as the deputy secretary of agriculture, “I spend a lot of time thinking about how we can make sure people feel like the USDA is something that’s for them. Because we all have a role in the food system,” she says. She spends time working on online portals for farmers to pay their loans, talking to college agriculture students, making sure soon-to-be moms can sign up for the WIC nutrition program, investing in smaller meat processors, and more. While she handles the policy side, she offers a few steps the rest of us can take: Lobby your school district to get local foods to kids’ classrooms, and buy your meat close to home. She also suggests chatting up the farmers at the markets. “The best conversations I have with farmers are about why they do what they do and what they want for their kids,” she says. —L.F. Dani Dazey: The Designer Who Uses Color Like It's Her Job Dani Dazey has always been bright. The designer was raised in a home filled with saturated colors and splashy paintings—and the vividness stuck with her. “Most people grow up loving color, but along the way, they become afraid of it,” she says. “I’ve just carried it with me.” As a kid, Dazey loved art, fashion, and interior design, but she thought she could only pursue one of them. She picked fashion and landed jobs designing graphics and textiles for companies like Urban Outfitters. Then she started her own line, Dazey LA. “It was all about color, self-expression, and vintage design,” she says. “About being bold in what you wear in your everyday life.” Her colorful style transferred over to her interior design, first in an industrial Los Angeles office space she turned into a vibrant peach palace, then in her home in the California desert, which boasted ’70s patterns and rich colors. She began posting photos of her spaces on Instagram (@danidazey), people took notice, and suddenly interiors were her full-time gig. Partnering with famed drag queen Trixie Mattel, she designed the incredible Palm Springs motel for the Discovery+ show Trixie Motel (now in its second season), and she’s about to launch collabs with wallpaper, furniture, and fashion brands—proof that you don’t have to pick a lane! Her tip for those who might be a bit color shy: Look in your closet. See a ton of green sweaters? “You’ll probably like that color on your walls,” she says. —E.F. The Idea of Integrated Grief “Society used to treat loss as something you could get over, but we all keep our grief with us for a long time—sometimes forever. One interpretation of integrated grief is that you’re letting go of the person you were before your loss and embracing the new person you’ve become. I lost my husband to brain cancer four years ago, and I’m starting to take pride in who I am now, even if I’m not the same as when he was here.” —E.F. The No. 1 Invention for No. 2s “Is a Tushy worth it? You bidet believe it! My bathroom breaks have turned into the VIP experience I deserve. The Tushy is sleek and easy to install, has an option for warm water, and helps you use less toilet paper. It makes me feel like I’ve been bumped up from economy to business class.” —Muzam Agha, photo director The Programs Keeping Food Waste out of Landfills “Three cheers for the expansion of food scrap pickup in U.S. cities, counties, and even some states— looking at you, Vermont! Less food in landfills, less methane gas in the air, and more compost for growing things!” —J.H. The Rise of Resale Sites “I’m thrilled about how sites like Poshmark and Depop are giving fast fashion a run for its money. Not only do resale sites save tons of clothes from landfills, they’re also full of incredible deals. I’m getting married this summer, and I found my silk wedding dress on Stillwhite (a site specializing in preowned wedding dresses) and an after-party dress on The RealReal. I saved so much money. And the clothes’ history only adds to their charm.” —Katie Holdefehr, associate editorial director The Water Stations Saving Us “When Elkay Bottle Filling Stations arrived at the office, in the airport, and at my kids’ school, I was elated. Single-use plastic bottles will take us all down! Now I can bring my Hydro Flask through security, tank up near the gate, and never have to beg for a refill of a tiny plastic cup as I dehydrate and slowly turn to dust at 35,000 feet.” —L.I. The Women Making Menopause Cool “Not so long ago, if ‘the change’ got any mention at all, it was just a hot flash joke in a birthday card. Now menopause mentions are in Super Bowl ads. Big-name celebs, like Halle Berry, Michelle Obama, and many others, have spoken openly about their experiences with it. Naomi Watts launched her own wellness brand for menopausal women, and the telehealth site Evernow raised $28.5 million in funding, with help from folks like Gwyneth Paltrow and Drew Barrymore. Suddenly hot flashes are cool!” —Amy Maclin, features director

If you've been seeing a bunch of AI-generated action figure dolls of friends, followers, brands, and experts all over your social feeds, you're not alone. Here's exactly how to create one of your own—for free. Plus, we've included a few helpful tips on how to make yours look even more like you. It's fun, it's free, and it's actually super easy. How to Make Your AI-Generated Doll Download the ChatGPT app and sign in If you don't have an account (I didn't!), it's easy to create one by going to chatgpt.com. You can sign up by logging into your email account or via your phone number, or by adding your email address and creating a password. Upload a photo of yourself Once you're logged in, you'll need to upload a photo of yourself into the chat. While this can be a full body image or a cropped headshot, the AI-generated doll is full-size, so uploading a full body pic will result in a more accurate depiction. If you don't have a full body photo handy (my husband did not), simply tell the AI tool what you want the body to look like. Input instructions for your AI doll Next, you have to tell the tool to create your doll by copy and pasting this text next to your photo: "Draw an action figure toy of the person in this photo. The figure should be a full figure and displayed in its original blister pack. She always has (insert objects of your choice here)." Into the parentheses, add any personal touches you'd like. I added my favorite drink, eyeshadow palette, cookie brand, and, of course, REAL SIMPLE magazine, where I work. This is where you should have fun and get creative so that your "starter pack" matches your personality and daily life. You can be as specific as you want: I asked for a pink iPhone case and for my name "Heather Muir" to be pictured at the top of the box. Once you've submitted your request, the AI tool will take about two to three minutes to create your AI doll, which you can then save and upload wherever you like. Once you see it, you can ask the tool to make changes. But know that you can only do this so many times before it needs a "cooldown" period. I know because this happened to me. After about 30 minutes, it was able to make the changes. Is it silly? Yes. But I'll admit it was actually really fun, and it looks like this social trend is sticking.