Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 170
February 6, 2013
Wednesday Trivia: Your Ex and Facebook
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, everyone is thinking about love—especially those who have been jilted by an ex. It’s easy to get lost on a bad trip down memory lane: According to a survey from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, a whopping nine of out ten Facebook users employ the social networking site to check up on their [...]
Today’s Thought
Get the daily thought in your inbox. See more inspiring quotes on our Pinterest board. What’s Hot on RealSimple.com 20 Cute Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids New Uses for Food Make the Most of Small Spaces Filed under: Daily Thought
February 5, 2013
Teach Your Kids About Giving Back
Teach your little ones the importance of charitable giving by creating a jar to store money for charity. 
When Should You Sell Your Home?
Contrary to popular belief, selling your home during the spring might not be your best option. Recent data from RedFin suggests that you should put your house on the market sooner than later. The real estate website found that 59.2% of homes listed for sale now actually sell versus 53.1% that sell during the summer. Additionally, houses that go on the [...]
Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows for Valentine’s Day
How cute are these homemade, marbleized peppermint marshmallows from Say Yes to Hoboken? I’m quite intimidated by the idea of making homemade marshmallows, but this recipe is actually akin to our Fake It, Don’t Make It recipes from years past. To make these marshmallows, simply combine store bought whipped topping (like Cool Whip) with water and peppermint extract. Then add [...]
Repainting Your Kitchen? Opt for Semigloss Paint
If you’re thinking about freshening up your kitchen with a new paint job, here is tip number one to keep in mind. Stay away from flat or matte paint and choose semigloss (or high gloss, if that’s you’re style) instead. Why? Semigloss paint is the easiest of all the finishes to clean. So if you end up with grease splatters [...]
Today’s Thought
Get the daily thought in your inbox. See more inspiring quotes on our Pinterest board. What’s Hot on RealSimple.com The Best Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her Transform a Corner of Your Home Chopping Cheat Sheet Filed under: Daily Thought
February 4, 2013
Delicious English Muffin Recipe Ideas from HuffPost Taste
English muffins were a staple in our household growing up. I remember my mother, and even grandmother, eating an English muffin (with a little butter) most mornings. I was actually never a huge fan as a kid. I always preferred something a little more substantial like pancakes, waffles, or Cheerios. Maybe it’s a sign that I am growing up because I’ve noticed [...]
Love Your Pet? New Products to Swoon Over!
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and few relationships are less complicated and more fulfilling than those we have with our pets. (Or as one Shannon Martin greeting card claims, “Whoever said ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ never owned a dog.”) If you value companionship and comfort, you’ll be charmed as I was by the “never sleep alone” products [...]
Super Bowl, or Downton Abbey?
Just taking a show of hands to see who won. I watched the Super Bowl, but ironed napkins during the second quarter, just to get myself in the Downton mindset. And then the “power surge” (quotation marks because—really? You mean to tell me that the blackout was not caused by a Silicon Valley hacker wanting a reset button for the [...]
