Woman in sunglasses lying on a striped beach towel, smiling on sandy beach.
The 5 Books You Don’t Want to Miss This Summer
September is fast approaching—don’t let Labor Day pass without catching these great beach reads. Amazon MEM by Bethany C. Morrow 18 Buy now Let’s start with a book that showed up around Memorial Day weekend, and now you can read it over Labor Day. In this inventive dystopian story, a scientific breakthrough means humans can have memories removed from their brains. These extracted memories, also known as Mems, experience that memory on loop until they expire.
Samantha Zabell
May 3, 2019
Check Out These Other Books By 2018’s Most Buzzed About Authors
Whether you’re on an eternal library waitlist for this year’s hottest novels, or you’re already through 2018’s most popular books, the reading doesn’t stop there. In fact, if you liked what you read this year, you’ll be happy to know that many of this year’s buzziest authors have written before! I’ve rounded up a few favorites.
Samantha Zabell
May 3, 2019
January Is Going to Be a Great Book Month—Here’s What I’m Preordering
January is looking to be a great month for books—so much so that I’m preordering six novels right now. Here’s a little mystery, a little family drama, and a little dystopia to keep you occupied during your winter hibernation. There is a solar eclipse in Iran in 1979 and in France in 2012, and those two timelines run through the novel.
Samantha Zabell
May 3, 2019
4 Bestselling Books Getting the Hollywood Treatment in 2019
Yes, we know: Everyone says you have to read “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” before its adaptation arrives in theaters this August. But in case you’re looking for others, here are a few more to get through before they hit big (and small) screens near you. West’s hilarious and intelligent essay-collection-slash-memoir is being turned into a Hulu series starring SNL’s Aidy Bryant, coming out on March 15.
Samantha Zabell
May 3, 2019
New Study Says NYC Has ‘Teflon’ Mice, And Here’s Why That’s Terrifying
Here is an entirely true story about my first week in my NYC studio. I was cleaning the kitchen (because I am a certified grown-up), and I got out the vacuum to get the nooks and crannies beneath the dishwasher and cabinets. Before moving in, I had gone a full year without experiencing more than a spider in my living quarters and I was not going to entice any new friends with crumbs from my Cheerio-based dinner. As I moved the vacuum under the stove, it caught something.
Samantha Zabell
Apr 30, 2019
What Book to Read Next, Based On Your Zodiac Sign
Happy World Book Day!
Samantha Zabell
Apr 29, 2019
The Biggest Souvenir You Buy On Vacation Could Be Your Whole Hotel Room
Some people can look at an empty room and visualize where every furniture item will go, what fabric will work for the curtains, and what planter they should buy for the corner by the window. Others need real, tangible inspiration—spaces they can shop like you might buy clothes off of a mannequin. And while there are showrooms for that, they can feel cold and uninviting—it’s hard to picture living in a showroom. Enter: the shoppable stay.
Samantha Zabell
Mar 28, 2019
A Home Without Women Is Almost Unrecognizable
Imagine a realtor showing a modern home in 2019 with no dishwasher, no refrigerator, no infrastructure for a home security system. Imagine waking up in your apartment on a Saturday morning and having no easy way to brew a cup of coffee. That would be a home without women. It makes sense that women made such significant contributions to improving the efficiency, safety, and productivity of the home—that’s where they spent most of their time, given that other work options were limited.
Samantha Zabell
Mar 28, 2019
Mindy Kaling’s Closet Looks Nicer Than Any Apartment I’ve Ever Been In
Anyone who has seen “Sex and the City”has coveted Carrie Bradshaw’s overflowing closet, but at least it was fake—no one could have such a perfect room in real life! Except, apparently, Mindy Kaling. When prepping with her team for this year’s Producer’s Guild Awards, Kaling took a few getting-ready photos in her dreamy closet.
Samantha Zabell
Jan 30, 2019
Here’s How Women Are Changing the Most Important Workspace in America
Many homeowners know the experience of moving into an outdated space and planning some much-needed renovations. For the 102 women elected to Congress during the 2018 midterm elections (a record, by the way), they may not be able to gut the place but they could influence some major building changes. Now that nearly one in five legislators on Capitol Hill will be a woman, the building needs to prepare for these leaders and their teams.
Samantha Zabell
Dec 4, 2018
The One Thing You’re Throwing Away, But Definitely Shouldn’t
When it comes time to move, you will be grateful you have these.
Samantha Zabell
Oct 3, 2018
5 Lazy Person-Approved Ways to Declutter Your Space
With a move on the horizon, chances are you have a massive closet clean out on your schedule or the vision of redecorating your living room (and finally discarding that sofa from college) is in your head. But when moving day gets closer (and you realize how much stuff you really have), all you want to do is lie down. Well, there are actually easy ways to make sure your discarded items and furniture go to worthy causes—and in many cases, you don’t even have to take off your slippers!
Samantha Zabell
Sep 9, 2018
The $10 Buy That Will Refresh Your Shower
If you moved in a rush, you probably just tossed everything in a box. But while you’re setting up the bathroom in a shiny new apartment, one look at your shower curtain liner sends you into a panic: You suddenly notice the bottom of the liner is brown or gray or cloudy. When was the last time you cleaned this curtain? If you have to ask, then it’s time to treat yourself and your new space to a fresh curtain liner.
Samantha Zabell
Sep 2, 2018
The 1 Thing You Shouldn’t Pack When Moving
When I moved into my studio apartment in New York, I was lucky enough to have my mom with me to help facilitate the move. And she did facilitate everything—from how to efficiently pack a box to how furniture should be oriented; she was a one-woman moving machine. But the most important lesson I took from her was this: Never pack your cleaning supplies! Why?
Samantha Zabell
Aug 26, 2018
Buying a Home Can Really Make You Cry, Says New Study
How many times did you burst into tears when buying your first home? Tears are apparently very normal—a new survey from Homes.com found that one in three Americans ended up crying during the home buying process. In fact, of the 2,000 home buyers surveyed, 13 percent of respondents cried “a lot.” Why is the process so difficult? The survey points to a few key reasons that adults may be overwhelmed by the search.
Samantha Zabell
Aug 25, 2018
One Simple Way to Reduce Visual Clutter All Over Your Space
You may have only heard of decanting when it comes to wine, but this technique is a game-changer for organizing your home. By moving everyday products into containers, you’re eliminating the visual clutter created by clunky shelf packaging—which was never meant to fit neatly on your shelves. This is also great for those who buy—or want to buy—in bulk. No need to store the extra-large box on your shelves, instead, decant into a usable jar and refill as needed.
Samantha Zabell
Jul 16, 2018
7 Powerful Things You Can Do with Just an Ice Cube
Dare we say these hacks are… really cool?
Samantha Zabell
Jul 8, 2018
Michelle Obama Shares Heartwarming Photo from Her Childhood Apartment
Though Michelle Obama spent eight years in one of the biggest houses in the country, she didn’t always live such a spacious lifestyle. In promoting her new book, Becoming (out November 13), Michelle shared a sweet photo of her with her parents on Instagram, reminiscing about her “cramped apartment on the South Side of Chicago.
Samantha Zabell
May 22, 2018
6 Super Stylish People on How They Set a Modern Passover Seder Table
The Passover Seder is one of the most important meals that Jewish people eat all year, and there is no arguing that the symbolism and ritual associated with the dinner is far more meaningful than the décor. That said, given that family and friends use the first two nights of the eight-day holiday to gather around the table, it would be nice if that table looked beautiful.
Samantha Zabell
Mar 29, 2018
Self-Care Obsessed? Here are 8 Books You Need to Read
If you’re feeling burnt out by your career, sleep deprived and stressed about the future, or even insecure about how your life looks on Instagram, then it’s time to start practicing self-care. It’s a simple lifestyle change that encourages you to prioritize your mental health without taking up an expensive new habit or learning how to become an advanced meditator.
Samantha Zabell
Feb 20, 2018