Blog Posts by Good Housekeeping

Holiday AppsPreparing for the holiday season can be overwhelming. There are gifts to buy, cards to mail, decorations to choose and more. Save time and avoid stress by having an app-y holiday with these top 5 holiday apps:

1. Google Shopper (iOS and Android) Find a gift for your loved ones and save on shopping time and money with this free app that pulls in information on more than a million products. Scan the barcode on items or find them by cover art, voice, or text, then compare local and online prices. Stumped on gift ideas? The app shows weekly sales and popular items of the week. You can also add things to a shopping list and share it with friends.

2. Christmas Gift List (Android) and The Christmas List (iOS) These apps are no-brainers when it comes to organizing your shopping list and funds. You can create a list with a per-person budget and share it via email, or twitter. Both also mark gifts purchased and keep stats on money spent and total budget and have password protection

The following home-sweet-homes captured our hearts in Good Housekeeping's annual gingerbread contest throughout the years. We've decided to visit with Christmas past and share some of our all-time favorite gingerbread houses. Get inspired by some truly tasteful architecture! Check out more winners at GoodHousekeeping.com!

Follow these 16 steps to a quick home clean-upNeed to clean up in a hurry? Whether you're expecting guests, the guests just left, or you want to at least pretend that yours is a life of clean and ordered bliss, pick a task, any task, for quick tips to fix your place up fast.

1. Brighten the Bathroom
First, flush. Next, grab some bleach. Pour a cup into the bowl; brush around the sides and under the rim. Next, fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and white vinegar. Spritz onto paper towels or a microfiber cloth, and hone in on those telltale soap drips and toothpaste spatters on faucets, mirrors, countertops, and in the sink - a definite dirty-bathroom giveaway. Next, shake out your rug or bath mat to fluff it up so it looks recently vacuumed. Now, flush the bleach that's been sitting in the bowl.

2. Put the Living Room in Order
Run a microfiber cloth over the coffee table and other dusty surfaces, like the TV screen. Pile magazines or books into neat stacks on the end tables; gather all of the stray remotes in

It's a time-honored holiday tradition: Friends and family are cozily gathered around a dining table laden with a yuletide feast worthy of Dickens - while you're racing around the kitchen half crazed. Not this year. With pared-down dishes (the pork roast practically cooks itself) and sanity-saving shortcuts (hello, store-bought pound cake), our low-maintenance dinner lets you enjoy the Christmas celebration without all the frantic preparation. And that's the best present of all.

Herbed Pork Loin


Herbed Pork Loin

Caramelized Onion and Fennel Relish


Caramelized Onion and Fennel Relish

Citrus Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette


Citrus Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

Corn Pudding


Corn Pudding

Related: 8 Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining

Red Cabbage and Apples


Red Cabbage and Apples

Roasted Sweet and White Potatoes with Rosemary


Roasted Sweet and White Potatoes with Rosemary

Snap Peas and Baby Carrots


Snap Peas and Baby Carrots

Cranberry Trifle


Cranberry Trifle

What are some of your favorite simple holiday recipes? Let us know in the comments!

More from Good Housekeeping:

• 10 Ways to Spice Up Your Relationship
  
• Easiest-Ever Christmas Cookies

A bit fattier than it looksThere's something about the holidays that makes us want to indulge a little - OK, a lot. But a couple trips down the buffet line can pack on the pounds. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the average person gains about one pound each year between Thanksgiving and New Year's (some studies indicate up to five pounds). But what if you could have your cake and eat it too? Here, some festive foods to avoid - and healthier substitutes that taste just as delicious.

Eggnog
The traditional version, whether homemade or store-bought, contains whole milk and cream, packing about 400 calories and 19 grams of fat into one creamy cup - and that's before it gets boozy.

Healthy Substitute: Make your own using low-fat milk and equal parts egg whites to whole eggs. (Add a bit of cornstarch to thicken it.) Homemade eggnog also allows you to adjust the seasoning and sugar to your taste. Or, try one of the store-bought beverages made with rice or soy milk. Thinner than regular

Holiday shoppingFor people like me, there's nothing like being out with the crowd trying to get the best deals, but I know it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Here are my insider tips for surviving the hectic holidays - and making it out of the mall unscathed.

Prioritize Your List You've likely already researched what's on sale for the holiday season (and hopefully checked out stores' inventories of the items on your list). Now rank your purchases by priority. If there's a must-have on your list, start your spree at the store that has it.

Be Mindful of Holiday Hours End your shopping excursion at the mall where stores are open the latest. You don't want to miss out on deals in the stores that don't stay open as late for the season.

Dress Appropriately I know it'll be cold outside, but don't bundle up too much. When you're out there shopping, you'll warm up quickly. Instead of carrying a purse, wear a small bag over your shoulder or a pack around your waist. There's nothing worse than

Here's one way to avoid a stressful holiday time crunch: Start baking Christmas cookies now! That's what I do. Certain cookies lend themselves quite well to baking, freezing and thawing - the trick is just finding the right recipes. That's where we come in: Here are our 9 best Christmas cookie recipes for baking and freezing until the holiday, plus a few extra cookie-freezing tips I use in my own kitchen each year.

1. These go-to Gingerbread Cutouts get their signature spiced flavor from molasses, nutmeg, clove, ginger and cinnamon.

Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

2. Spritz cookies are a Christmas classic! Don't have a cookie press? Transfer the dough to a resealable plastic bag, snip the corner and pipe shapes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, instead.

Spritz Cookies

3. These two-toned Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Stick cookies look and taste like candy canes!

Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Stick Cookies

Related: 30 Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

4. Give the standard thumbprint cookie a sweet-tart twist with our Chocolate-Raspberry

Burnt turkeyWe all know that gut-wrenching feeling: You're preparing the perfect meal when you realize you're missing an ingredient or misread the recipe. Luckily, there are easy fixes to common blunders, which means your mistake can be your little secret. Next time you "mess-up" in the kitchen, try one of these 11 solutions to turn your cooking catastrophe into a delicious dinner.

1. You Overcooked the Turkey

Don't worry that the star of your meal is ruined. That's what gravy is for, says Angela McKeller, an Atlanta-based chef and author of Passion on a Plate. Serve slices of turkey with the gravy already poured on top to moisten the meat. If only the skin is burned beyond the desired golden brown, peel it off. Your guests shouldn't second-guess what happened, but if they ask, remind them how much healthier turkey is without the fatty skin.

2. You Poured Too Much Wine in the Sauce

The result won't be the same, but it can still be equally delicious. "If it's in a stew or braised