Many people aspire to one day be homeowners but aren’t sure how to make it a reality. The home buying checklist is a long one, and coming up with the money for a down payment on a house—the initial deposit you make on your property—is no small effort. It’s dependent on a landslide of factors—mainly your income, debt, and responsibilities. Experts agree it’s possible to save for a house in one year....
Next, assess the quality of what’s left. Any change in texture, color, or smell is a telltale sign that a product is past its prime. If the color is separated on your nail polish, even after you shake it, it’s time to get rid of it. Skin-care items often come with expiration dates, so anything that has expired should go. This quality assessment is important not only for hygiene reasons but also for efficacy purposes, especially when it comes to makeup....
Keep It Shelved The best way to keep ground coffee or whole beans fresh is to store the coffee on a pantry shelf in an opaque, airtight container. It should be away from light, heat, and moisture, says Scott McMartin, who has tasted more than half a million cups of coffee as a member of the Starbucks Green Coffee Quality group. (If you don’t have a canister, close the top of the bag with a rubber band, then put the bag in a resealable plastic bag....
While we’ve seen some pretty close replicas of burgers and barbecued meat dishes, there hasn’t been a good plant-based pick for the unmistakable texture and feel of seafood—until now. As it turns out, the perfect replacement for flaky, fresh seafood grows on trees and is a by-product of banana production. It’s true! If you’re looking for the next innovative, plant-based swap to fish and seafood, get ready to meet the mighty banana blossom....
“Vitamin A compounds help the skin cells to differentiate—or ’turn over’—which helps to renew the epidermal layer,” says Anthony Rossi Jr., MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “Retinols and retinoids have been shown to reduce signs of photoaging and UV damage, and they also work well for conditions such as acne and hyperpigmentation.” But there’s a small catch. Retinoids have some unsavory side effects, including flakiness, redness, and sensitivity....
In culinary school, washing mushrooms under running water was basically considered a sin punishable by the culinary gods. We were taught to always use a damp paper towel to “wash” mushrooms, and gently rub off the almost guaranteed-to-be-there dirt. We were promised this was enough, and if we swayed toward the washing route, the mushrooms would absorb the water, turn soggy, and never achieve the desirable browning that makes them so delicious....
But preparing a bowl of nourishing oatmeal for breakfast can take some effort. So with the rise of instant oatmeal cups, we simply had to put them to the test. Oatmeal cups are super convenient: They stash well in the pantry for mornings on the go, in the car, or even at your desk, and they’re portable, too. The best part is that there is no microwave needed. Just hot water and a couple of minutes can make a great travel meal....
The FDA has issued strict guidelines regulating CBD, and last November, the agency warned 15 companies selling CBD products that they were in violation. What are some potential violations? Marketing a product as a dietary supplement, touting a health benefit or therapeutic use, or claiming a product is suitable for kids. The FDA also prohibits adding CBD to food, saying the ingredient hasn’t been proven safe for consumption by humans or pets....
There’s nothing quite like a big, steaming bowl of pho (pronounced “fuh”)—typically made up of a meaty broth, white rice flour noodles, beef or chicken, and spices and topped with a medley of herbs, bean sprouts, hot chiles, and a lime—on an icy winter day or night. (In Vietnam, it’s usually eaten for breakfast like Cheerios.) It’s deeply comforting and filling, but you don’t walk away from the meal feeling stuffed as you might after eating a meal of pizza and pasta or fried foods....
“Magic in a bottle. My face literally healed in 24 hours,” writes one formerly skeptical shopper, who was handed a tube of the moisturizer when their hormonal skin was bouncing from dry and flaky to greasy and breaking out. “18 months later, [and] I’m on my fifth bottle. My face is supple, even, and I barely wear makeup.” Those with rosacea say the comforting formula dispelled redness and blackheads that wouldn’t budge, and shoppers with dry, sensitive skin say it’s the be-all, end-all skin product....
Highlights*Her work has appeared on SFGate, Well + Good, BuzzFeed, Byrdie, and PureWow.*She has a BA in economics and psychology from UC Berkeley and an MBA from UCLA Anderson.
The Sactional comes from Lovesac, the company behind the soft-as-a-cloud Sacs that are dorm-room must-haves for many college students. While the Sacs are relaxed and casual, Sactionals are a little more mature and sophisticated—but just as comfortable. There’s a lot to love about the Sactional, but the most obvious appeal is its versatility. Each Lovesac Sactional is built around a seat and a number of sides, which serve as the arms and back....
