Blog Posts by Good Housekeeping

Tips for Increasing HappinessLately I've been thinking about the importance of "small treats." By small treats, I mean ordinary, minor indulgences that we don't give ourselves every single day. Small treats are a lovely source of momentary pleasure in our everyday lives, of course, and I think they also have a deeper role to play in happiness. I've vowed to make time to treat myself.

Why do small treats matter? When we feel depleted and drained, and when we have no time or energy left to devote to little activities that give us pleasure, we start to feel exhausted, resentful, and angry. Indulging in a small treat helps refresh and energize us. It's easier to be patient with your children in the afternoon if you had coffee with a friend that morning. It's easier to tackle a big project when you're looking forward to making a trip to the office-supply store. (Though perhaps I'm the only one who loves a trip to the office-supply store.)

Related: How to Increase Your Happiness

But even when you want

How to Wash Your CarBy the end of the summer, most cars have probably accumulated a few extra layers of dirt and grime on their exteriors from road trips and other seasonal activities. Don't want to spend money on a car wash? Here are 5 DIY steps to make the outside of your car look like new.

1. Before applying any water, park your car on your lawn in the shade. Washing your car in these areas, respectively, helps prevent water spots from forming and prevents the dirt and soap from going down storm drains.

Related: Easy Car Overhauls

2. As you would pre-treat your laundry stains, pre-wash the sections that have dried on bugs and road tar with a cleaner formulated for these sticky messes, like Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover.

3. Spray your car down with cool water and wash with an automobile cleaner. Never use household cleaners, like hand dish soap. Not only will these products strip the wax off your car, but they need hot water to really cut through grease and grime.

4. Be sure to rinse

Tips for Grilling PizzaGrilled pizza is the ultimate Evel Knievel-esque stunt for a backyard cookout.

A crowd gathers around you as you sidle up to the grill, double-checking your equipment. Hot, clean grill? Check. Rounds of dough? Check. Toppings all ready to go? Check.

As your friends look on with anxious eyes, you lift your round of dough into the air and deftly lay it onto the grill. Your guests hold their breath while you serenely gaze at the dough as it begins to puff gently. Flipping it over and admiring the perfect grill marks, you garner amazed smiles, even perhaps some light applause and a high-five or two. Take a bow, you've just pulled off quite the daredevil stunt.

Related: Tastiest Frozen Pizzas

Of course, in reality, your guests will never fully understand just how simple and easy grilled pizza is, once you become familiar with the technique. Here are a few tips for making this impressive dish a breeze:

1. Make sure your grill is hot and clean. This goes for grilling

As senior food editor at Good Housekeeping, I create recipes and write about food and cooking to help our readers enjoy their time in the kitchen. My work here is influenced as much by my professional culinary training as it is by my home life. I'm a working mom with three kids. I've got about 30 minutes each night to get dinner on the table before a meltdown begins. Of course, I want my dishes to be delicious, but they also have to be quick and nutritious.

Now that my daughters are back in school, I have to think about snack time, too. Though I enjoy making some snacks from scratch, I also hit the market for tasty, healthy store-bought goodies that won't spoil any appetites before dinner. Here are our 10 of my family's favorites.

Related: 50 Best Low-Calorie Snacks

Prune PlumsPrune Plums
Also known as Italian plums, these dark purple oblong beauties are in season for the start of school. They're less tart than regular plums and don't burst easily inside lunch boxes.

Tips to Help Kids at SchoolPaige Zimmer was so proud of one of her third-grade students - the boy had saved up his allowance to buy books at the book fair - that she decided to contact his parents and tell them. The task should have been easy, but it wasn't. Why? "Because parents always get so nervous when they hear it's me," says Zimmer, who teaches in Elkridge, Maryland. "I do sometimes call with good news. I wish parents knew that."

What else do teachers want you to know? And what do they need you to do? Good Housekeeping went into classrooms at schools around the country and talked to the teachers who spend their days with your children. Here's what they said about how you can help them help your kids:

Related: How to Communicate with Your Child's Teacher

1. Don't be a stranger!

Talk to your child's teacher early and often. Back-to-school night shouldn't be the only time you connect, says Tracy Weinberg, associate director of the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented in Austin

Chances are, you've noticed the dizzying array of yogurts lining the dairy case, but now, trendy Greek yogurt is making its way to the freezer. Several notable companies, like Ben & Jerry's and Healthy Choice, just launched frozen Greek yogurts into their lines of sweet treats. And it's no wonder why: Greek varieties pack more protein than regular frozen yogurts and many brands contain probiotics, bacteria that aid in digestion and immunity (look for "Active Live Cultures" on labels). But reach into the freezer case with caution: Just because they're yogurt, doesn't mean they're healthy. To help guide you through the frozen aisle, some coworkers and I had the particularly tasty task of sampling these products. Here's what we thought:

Related: Top Taste-Tested Greek Yogurts

Healthy Choice Greek Frozen YogurtHealthy Choice: In handy, can't-overscoop-individual portions, its new Greek Frozen Yogurt, available in Vanilla Bean, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Blueberry, comes in at only 100 calories, 1.5 to 2 g fat,

Want glowing skin, a revved-up metabolism, nonstop energy? These nutrient-packed meals, loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, slow the clock with every bite.

Spaghetti with Pesto VerdeSpaghetti with Pesto Verde
Studded with just-picked zucchini and tomatoes, this basil-pesto pasta is stellar for skin: Selenium in the whole wheat spaghetti thwarts sun damage, and a day's worth of vitamin C from the veggies fights wrinkles.

Related: 13 Superfoods to Keep You Young

Grilled Pork and Apple Salad
Need some serious go power? With grilled apples supplying complex carbs and pork tenderloin contributing lean protein, this vinaigrette-tossed salad will keep you energized all day. Because it's low in saturated fat and high in antioxidants, it's also heart-healthy. This meal has 100 percent of your daily quota of hunger-busting fruits and veggies.

Two Bean Harvest Chili
The combination of two different beans in this spoon-licking classic chili provide a lot of protein to keep you

Tips for Buying VacuumsVirtually all the visitors that tour our Home Appliances department in the Good Housekeeping Research Institute ask us about vacuum cleaners. They usually want to know which brands tests best, which pick up pet hair best, and what features they should look for when shopping for a new one. Here are the top tips I share with every GHRI visitor that asks me these questions:

Related: 4 Dirt-Sucking Vacuums

1. Determine whether you need an upright or a canister Both will be able to clean carpets and bare floors, so which configuration to choose is ultimately up to you. But keep in mind that uprights have a slight advantage if you have large areas of carpeting and your home is basically one floor. If you have bare floors and still want an upright, choose one with a switch to turn off the brush roll to keep debris from scattering as you vacuum. Canisters make quick work of vacuuming stairs, are easier to tote around if your home has multiple levels, and usually come with a long