Blog Posts by Real Simple Magazine

Elvis SwiftFootball is one sport where nosebleed isn't a dirty word. The game is full of elaborate plays, and having a bird's-eye view helps you see them all. But aim to sit as close as possible to the 50-yard line, where you'll have a good view of the action on both sides of the field. Avoid sitting near an end zone, where you might spend half the game watching the other team score, while your beloved Bulldogs' touchdown is a mere speck in the distance. You'll also lose perspective there. "When you sit in an end zone, an 80-yard pass can look like 18 yards because you can't judge the distance as well," says Lee Jenkins, a sportswriter for the New York Times.

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Setting a proper table is a perfect way to elevate even the most casual meal.

What You Need
Table, placemats, dinner plates, salad plates, napkins, flatware, glasses, salt and pepper shakers, casual centerpiece

Follow These Four Easy Steps

Time Inc. Studios1. Set placemats, plates, and napkins

Lay one placemat at each person's place, so that the mat's bottom edge rests an inch or two from the edge of the table. To create the first place setting, rest a dinner plate on top of the placemat. Center a salad plate on top of the dinner plate. Fold a square napkin in half lengthwise, creating a rectangle, and place it directly to the left of the dinner plate.

Time Inc. Studios2. Place flatware on both sides of the plate

Begin on the left side of the plate, laying the salad fork on top of the napkin, toward its outer edge. Place the dinner fork to the right of the salad fork. Place the knife to the right of the dinner plate. The teaspoon goes to the right of the knife. The bottom of each

Michael PaulThis recipe serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 sheet puff pastry
1 small onion, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and thyme and mix well.
2. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 9-by-13-inch rectangle and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
3. Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Fold over the sides. Place the onions on top and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
4. Bake until the pastry is light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining oil.

How to refresh a room using boxes, jars, and other household items

Antonis Achilleos 3 Clutter-Busting Concepts
These three key steps will get you on your way to making order in your home using basic everyday items:

1. Contain
Enough storage space is, of course, the Holy Grail of any household. But solutions to the problem are probably littering your closets and cupboards right now. Use monochromatic boxes, wooden crates, berry baskets, and empty jars to stash anything from mementos to old files, paper clips to dried spices.

2. Repeat
Transform stray containers or collectibles into a decorative tableau by clustering like objects. Consistency produces a neater look than a random assembly does -- and while one or two may look arbitrary, a group looks like art.

3. Repurpose
Although your lidless sugar bowl and your wobbly chair no longer serve their original purposes, they're far from useless. You can eke a second life out of idle treasures by assigning them new functions

Francesco Lagnese

1. With a serrated knife held at an angle, carefully cut an opening around the stem, making a small notch in the back (to guide you when replacing the lid).
2. Use a large spoon to remove the pulp and scrape the sides clean of stringy bits.
3. Draw on a face (washable markers allow kids to draw, rinse, and repeat).
4. Carve, then add a tealight.

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Kate SearsWith Halloween approaching, what better time to learn a few kernels of truth about a favorite fall treat? Candy corn has been made with the same recipe -- containing sugar, corn syrup, and marshmallow -- by the Jelly Belly Candy Company since around 1900. (View recipes containing sugar.) One serving (about 30 pieces) has 140 calories, the equivalent of three miniature Hershey bars. The National Confectioners Association reports that more than 35 million pounds were manufactured in 2005, amounting to almost 9 billion kernels.

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Jim Franco1 1-pound ball of dough
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup of any 2 of the following: sliced (cooked) Italian sausage, pitted olives, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed bell pepper, sauteed spinach
2 1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Roll the dough into a 10-by-14-inch shape. Leaving a 1-inch border, cover half the dough, lengthwise, with the tomato sauce and 1 cup of any 2 of the following: sliced (cooked) Italian sausage, pitted olives, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed bell pepper, sauteed spinach. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella. Brush the edge of the dough with water. Fold the 2 sides together, pinch the edge to seal, and roll the edge slightly. Prick the top several times with a fork. Transfer to a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Let rest 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with another cup of mozzarella. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: Makes 1 calzone (serves 4 to 5)

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This successful executive copped to trying on umpteen outfits in the morning before settling on a winner. Here's what happened when style expert Sam Saboura showed her how to put together a look in three minutes -- and stick with it. Watch show highlights from Real Simple Real Life.

Mark RoyceBefore

Cheryl's ensemble -- khakis and a dark top, both of which hid her figure -- needed a shot of color and personality.

After

A punch-colored dress amped up with multicolored beads works for the office, a weekend brunch. The v-neck elongates her upper body and draws attention to her decolletage.

A lesson in mixing and matching, this outfit incorporates four different, but complementary, colors: white, yellow, teal, and blue.

This bold dress has a subtle pattern and a flattering A-line shape. A patent-leather belt and metallic sandals completes the look.

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