Real Simple: Home Decor Ideas, Recipes, DIY & Beauty Tips

tricks-for-saving-1000-holiday-season: piggy bank with Santa hat

20 Tricks for Saving $1,000 or More This Holiday Season

During the holidays, it can feel like our wallets flap open and stay that way until the New Year’s confetti has settled. There are gifts to buy, meals to prep, and unexpected expenses to cover (overnight shipping will cost how much?). Luckily, you can rein in your spending with these expert hacks.

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Manage Your Holiday Spending

5 Things to Do With Your Money Before the Year Ends

9 Genius Tips for Saving Money During the Holidays

5 Ways to Get Your Pandemic Holiday Spending Under Control

Should You Pay for Your Holiday Shopping With Debit, Credit, or Cash? We Asked the Pros

Today's Must-Reads

25 Great Shows on Netflix to Watch While You Wrap Presents or Shop Online This December

Give yourself the gift of a good binge-watch this holiday season.

51 Christmas Crafts to Brighten Up Your Holiday Decor (and Fill Your Winter Hours)

Christmas crafts and holiday crafts can be whatever you want them to be, but standard crafts and DIYs around this time of year fall into some noticeable patterns. Festive shapes—think holly leaves, evergreen trees, snowmen, wreaths, and ornaments—are common among Christmas crafts. Tinsel and metallic or sparkling elements are also popular, and DIYs for place card holders, gift decorations, tree decor, and centerpieces are everywhere. Thanksgiving crafts have the turkey and cornucopia, Valentine’s Day crafts have the heart, and Christmas crafts have snowflakes and evergreens.

Whether you’re seeking out crafts for kids to keep little ones entertained or you want a few DIY activities for yourself (and friends) to fill the wintry hours, our list of great Christmas crafts for all ages and skill types has you covered. From easy to ornate DIYs for adults, our collection of crafting ideas and artsy inspiration will help you fill your home with holiday decor while filling a few happy hours with glitter and kraft paper.

Between picking out Christmas gifts and baking Christmas cookies, a little crafting and creativity can help your holiday season feel even more merry and bright.

The Definitive Amount of Exercise You Need to Make Up for Sitting All Day

Here's how to reverse the curse of a sedentary lifestyle, according to science.

The Latest

How to Properly Take Someone's Temperature—and How to Know When It's a Fever

How to Make Manchego and Fig Jam Crostini, Our Favorite Fuss-Free Holiday Nibble

Shoppers Say They Stopped Wearing Concealer Thanks to This Anti-Aging Eye Cream Packed With Gold and Vitamin C

Sending Pears as a Present? Here's the Most Effective Method for Shipping Them, According to Experts

13 Creative Ways to Decorate Your Christmas Tree This Season

14 Alternative Christmas Trees Perfect for Small Spaces

Guide to Gifting

54 Unique Gift Ideas for Women Who Have Everything

32 Great Gifts for Your Sister (That She Would Never Dream of Returning)

51 Holiday Gifts for Your Amazing, Loving, Fabulous Mom

24 Gifts Under $25 (That Still Feel Special)

“Jarcuterie” Is the Cutest Take on Charcuterie We’ve Seen All Year

15 Delicious Hot Chocolate Hacks That are Over-the-Top Decadent //

How to Decorate Your Small Space for the Holidays

You Can Watch the New York City Ballet’s Performance of 'The Nutcracker' at Home This Year

For the First Time in 800 Years, a “Christmas Star” Will Illuminate the Skies This Month

6 All-Natural Remedies for Common Skin Woes (and They're Probably in Your Pantry Already) //

Winter Skin Solutions

9 Common Winter Beauty Problems—and How to Fix Them

Winter beauty woes getting you down? Dropping temperatures can cause skin to change—and not always for the better. We consulted with some of the top experts in the biz to ensure you have everything you need to glow through the upcoming winter.

6 Dermatologist-Approved Ways to Get Rid of Dry, Flaky Skin

Winter skin? Never heard of her.

Here’s Why Your Skin Is So Dry This Time of Year—and What to Do About It

Before you call the dermatologist, here's how to manage your seasonal skincare issues, including the best products for dry skin and more.

How to Air-Dry Fine, Thin Hair So It Looks Like a Blowout //

6 Easy Ways to Make Your Hanukkah Meal a Healthy Feast

Shoppers Say This $6 Witch Hazel Toner Miraculously Tightens Pores and Lightens Scars //

If You Love Quinoa, You Need to Try Amaranth—Here’s Why //

8 Fun and Easy Ways to Practice Mindfulness With Your Kids, Because It’s Never Too Early to Start

This Is a Smarter Way to Buy Tampons, Pads and Other Menstruation Products

Countdown to the Holidays

15 Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas That Take Five Minutes or Less

7 Stylish Holiday Decor Ideas You Can Leave Up All Winter Long

8 Decorating Tips We Learned From Binge-Watching Netflix's 'Holiday Home Makeover With Mr. Christmas'

14 Great Christmas Movies You Can Watch Right Now on Netflix If You Need a Little Early Holiday Cheer

6 Clever Items to Simplify Your Life //

I Sit at a Desk for 8 Hours a Day, and This Posture Corrector Changed My Life //

How Healthy Are Sweet Potatoes, Exactly? The Answer May Surprise You //

Do You Really Need to Wash New Sheets (and Clothes) Before You Use Them? We Asked an Expert //

This ‘Genius’ Foldable Cutting Board Is the Secret to Mess-Free Chopping //

Your Can Opener Is Probably Covered in Germs—Here's the Right Way to Clean and Disinfect It //

Come Together

Everything You Need to Know About Buying, Hanging, and Storing Christmas Lights This Year

Make your home merry and bright with this expert advice on how to hang Christmas lights.

Holiday Traditions in the Pandemic Age

Holiday gatherings and celebrations don’t look the way they used to, but maybe that’s just an opportunity to create new holiday traditions. Here, we’ll walk you through safe and celebratory activities you can do this year to keep things merry and bright.

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18 Fun and Festive Activities to Do in December

Breathe in the crisp December air or stay in for hot hazelnut toddies—whatever your pace, here’s how to fill December with the perfect mix of good times and down time.

This Steam Mop Kills 99% of Bacteria Without Any Chemicals //

32 Great Gifts for Your Sister (That She Would Never Dream of Returning)

54 Unique Gift Ideas for Women Who Have Everything

This Super-Powered Body Balm Is Saving My Hands This Winter—and It’s Just $6 //

9 Small Space Essentials You Can Buy on Amazon for Under $50 //

6 Foundations With the Most Inclusive Shade Ranges (So You're Sure to Find Your Perfect Match) //

Smart Finds

9 Small Space Essentials You Can Buy on Amazon for Under $50

5 Easy-to-Care-for Plants to Cheer Up Your Home This Winter

Spanx’s Reversible Bra Is So Comfortable, You’ll Forget You’re Wearing One at All

This Steam Mop Kills 99% of Bacteria Without Any Chemicals

Joy to the World: 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' Will Air on PBS This Year

Amazon Shoppers Are Replacing Their Electric Blankets With This Best-Selling Heated Mattress Pad //

51 Holiday Gifts for Your Amazing, Loving, Fabulous Mom

25 Great Shows on Netflix to Watch While You Wrap Presents or Shop Online This December //

Spanx’s Reversible Bra Is So Comfortable, You’ll Forget You’re Wearing One at All

Many States are Underpaying Unemployment Benefits. How to Know If You’re Underpaid, And Get More Money.

Get It Done

Check Your Cleaning List (Check It Twice)

Cross off everything on your to-do list with expert advice, product picks, and more. This month: Get your home clean, organized, and germ-free before the holidays, no matter if you're hosting at home or going virtual.

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6 Brilliant Holiday Cleaning Hacks

Make your home shine, in half the time.

The Last-Minute Cleaning Strategies That Will Save Your Sanity This Holiday Season

Make the most of the time you have before the holidays hit with these expert cleaning tips.

21 Easy Christmas Breakfast Casseroles to Make Ahead (or the Morning Of)

This Genius Soap Dispenser Is One Less Thing You Have to Touch //

Shooting Stars Will Light Up the Sky Like Celestial Christmas Lights This December

This Is the Only Rug My Cats Can’t Destroy, and It’s Half Off Today //

Goat Butter Is the New Holiday Baking Staple I Can’t Live Without //

Amazon Shoppers Say This Best-Selling Throw Is the ‘Most Comfortable Blanket I’ve Ever Owned’—and It’s on Sale //

The Latest From Millie

‘The Tension Just Rose’: Money Was Tight, So This Divorcing Couple Was Forced to Live Together For Months

Divorce rates are expected to jump significantly in the second half of 2020—and that’s coming at a time when we can least afford it. Plus, how to divorce when money is tight.