Blog Posts by Good Housekeeping

Put your marriage firstLike other couples we know, my husband and I have fallen into a pattern: Our kids have become our life. Dave and I go out to dinner and spend a good chunk of it talking about them. We center our weekends around their activities. And - dare I admit it? - they often sleep in our bed.

My husband and I are still very much in love. He's the greatest guy I know. Yet I miss him. I really miss him. So I set out to find ways of reconnecting.

I wasn't surprised to learn that this kid-focused life isn't healthy for our marriage - and it turns out that it's not so good for the kids, either. "These days, many parents seem to be married to their children instead of their spouses," says David Code, an Episcopal minister, family coach, and author of To Raise Happy Kids, Put Your Marriage First. "This creates stressed-out parents who feel disconnected from each other and demanding, entitled kids who act out. Some might become overly dependent on parents as a result of all the attention."

Read More »from Why You Should Put Your Marriage Before the Kids

Perfect Hair Color"I'm a big believer in at-home haircolor - it can look impressively natural," says colorist Louis Licari, who owns salons in New York City and Beverly Hills and is a member of our Advisory Board. Here, his tips for gorgeous color every time.

• Wash a day earlier Especially if you have a sensitive scalp. If you shampoo the same day, the chemicals are more likely to make your skin tingle and cause irritation.

• Do a test strand If you're not confident about your color choice, test a length of hair on the back of your head. You can see how the color will turn out, and any "oops" results will be hidden. A test also lets you make sure a new dye doesn't cause an allergic reaction.

Related: 5 All-Time Best Haircuts

• Team up This is one case where DIY is not easier. It's simpler for someone else, who can see the back of your head, to nail an even application. Ask a girlfriend over, or make an evening of it and trade off helping each other.

• Protect your skin Hair dye

Read More »from 8 Steps for Perfect Hair Color at Home

smartphoneIn today's digital age, we're all used to carrying around one device that has multiple functions and features. Smartphones, with their host of built-in features and available apps, offer you the ability to do pretty much anything you can dream up. In fact, it's probably easier to list what a mobile phone can't do than what it can! But that wouldn't make for as interesting or educational reading, so here are some of my favorite surprising uses for your smartphone:

1. PC/Mac Webcam You can use your phone in conjunction with messaging applications (Skype, Google+, Yahoo, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, etc.) and Wi-Fi for video chatting. Applications to download: Mobiola WebCamera by Shape (free) is available for the iPad and iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile or Symbian smartphones.

Related: The Best Smartphones

2. Scanner Whether you want to scan a receipt for tax purposes, a business card for work, a barcode for a price check, or a check to be deposited, there are a host

Read More »from 12 Things You Didn't Know Your Smartphone Could Do

Our children bring much joy to our lives, but it's hard to focus on that when you just stepped on another Lego with bare feet. Kids are the cause of much of our homes' clutter, so what can we do to prevent some of that, or at least feel better about how we're preparing them for their own adult lives?

1. Primarily, we want to be a good example for our kids in many ways, and organizing habits are something that kids do observe and absorb. Start pointing things out to them as they are old enough to understand. "Mommy is checking my calendar first before I say yes to Aunt Judy about the picnic." "I write everything down so I won't forget." "Every day I clean up the toys so I won't step on them and get hurt."

Related: Etiquette for Parents

2. Kids should know that just as we have homes for ourselves, things also have their own homes. The old saying, "A place for everything and everything in its place" is a great adage, but I don't quote that to promote a perfectionistic ideal. Read More »from 5 Things to Teach Your Kids About Organizing

So many people have told me that they prefer flour tortillas over corn ones. For a long time, I couldn't understand why. I grew up in East LA, where soft, delicious corn tortillas were made fresh and sold warm. When I later tried the crackly cardboard varieties sold in most supermarkets, I understood why. But all corn tortillas can be tasty when prepared properly. The key is to not eat or use them straight from the fridge.

Here are 5 ways to make them delicious:

1. Buy the freshest you can find. If you live near a tortilla factory, get them there or in local stores that carry them. Otherwise, check the sell-by dates on the supermarket packages and get the newest ones. If they smell rancid, return them to the market.

Related: 5 New Ideas for Bacon

2. The quickest way to soft, pliable tortillas? Wrap a small stack (no more than 4) in damp paper towels and microwave in 30-second increments.

Microwave Tortillas

3. The tastiest way to supple tortillas? Heat them on a grill, over an open flame

Read More »from 5 Expert Tips for Tasty Corn Tortillas

How Good Housekeeping surveyed 900-plus readers to find out which synthetic ingredients topped their list of concerns. Then we asked experts to weigh in on which are simply annoying (for example, merely skin-irritating) and which may lead to more serious trouble (endocrine problems, or even cancer). Unfortunately, because research in humans tends to be scant, the risks in many cases are not well-known. But here is what we do know, and what you can do about five of the ingredients that worry you most.

1. PARABENS

Listed on labels as methylparaben, benzylparaben, or other ingredients ending with the same word, these effective preservatives are used in cosmetics from lotions to lipsticks.

Since many parabens appear to mimic the activity of estrogen in the body, there's concern that they may affect the endocrine system (hence the term "endocrine disruptor") and lead to decreased sperm counts in men and even breast cancer in women. A much-debated 2004 study found parabens in a

Read More »from 5 Scary Cosmetic Ingredients Explained

Best Natural MascaraMASCARAS

OUR MISSION: Natural mascaras are notorious for their so-so performance (flaking and smudging) and steep price tags. So GHRI set out to find the best of the bunch on store shelves - for $20 or less.

HOW WE SCREENED: Our scientists first performed a lengthy evaluation of the ingredients in mascaras claiming to be natural. Any containing triethanolamine (an emulsifier), added parabens, or synthetic dyes, waxes, or fragrances were eliminated.

THE WINNER: In a close race, Lavera Volume Mascara ($20, lavera.com) came in first. It oomphed up lashes without flaking, smudging, or eye irritation, reported testers. " "It was easy to apply and didn't clump on the brush," said one.

Related: 10 Weight Loss Myths You Shouldn't Believe

HONORABLE MENTION: Second-place finisher 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara ($18, 100percentpure.com) scored for its pleasant scent. While it ranked a smidge behind Lavera in flaking and smudging, testers liked how it made their

Read More »from 6 Best Natural Beauty Products

When it comes to eating well for the planet and my health, I try and do my best to educate myself and stay up-to-date on the latest research. However, there's so much information out there that it can be a chore to try and remember it all! Listed below are a handful of my favorite apps for accessing all the knowledge I need to make the right choices when I'm out and about.

Locavore (Free; iPhone and Android)
One of the advantages of modern transportation is the availability of different fruits and vegetables year-round-regardless of what season (or hemisphere) you're in. Mango salsa on your salmon in the dead of winter? Not a problem! Not in Australia? No worries, mate! Unfortunately, we often lose sight of the carbon footprint that results from those exotic fruits offered at your local grocery store. Using GPS, Locavore searches for in-season, local food by pinpointing farmers' markets near you.

Related: 10 Weight Loss Myths You Shouldn't Believe

Seafood Watch

Read More »from Best Green Apps for Foodies