Real Simple

I mean, the gift guides of yesteryear, right, where you got these great catalogs, like the Sears catalog, and it had all the gift ideas and things like that.

And a lot of magazines still... kind of follow that a little bit, right? So like Real Simple and Good Housekeeping, they'll have gift guides in their magazines.

And those are great.

Like, you know, getting into one of those gift guides, high quality problem to have, right? But the gift guides, but we really want you to think outside because for those of you listening, well, You know, if you're listening in October when we launch this – when we release this episode, I think it's still going to be October.

Yeah.

So we sort of like, it's been funny to stand back after six or seven months and be like, oh my God, we've done events with Real Simple Magazine, who's owned by people, right? What people would know better.

And so you...

You stand back and you're like, oh, my God, the scrolling of logos that I'm getting is just so crazy.

You're listening to Radio Cherry Bomb, and I'm your host, Kerry Diamond, coming to you from Newstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City.

Today's guest is the delightful Jenna Helwig, Real Simple magazine editor, five-time cookbook author, and founder of the Cookbookery Collective on Substack.

Jenna has added something new to her resume, novelist.

as her debut novel was published last week.

And that's part of the reason that I love cookbooks.

But I love being part of this other book world.

In fact, at Real Simple, I've kind of added an additional job onto what I do there.

I'm the food director.

Really, really? Yeah, your jack-o'-lanterns.

They deserve a spa day too, right? An article in Real Simple Magazine recommends a multi-step skincare routine, including a cleansing step, a soaking step, and then sealing your jack-o'-lantern with petroleum jelly.

It's a long...

Like the holes of the eyes and the top...

I mean, really micro-adventures.

This real simple story had me kind of giggling.

Here's the headline, folks, and I want to know what you all think about this.

Ten mood-boosting micro-adventures for when you don't have time for a vacation.

Does that mean you're listening to the show or you're on your own excursion? Or are you

microdosing? That's possible too.

We got on this conversation because the magazine Real Simple has an article saying, a story if you will, 10 mood boosting micro adventures for when you don't have time for a vacation.

And apparently researchers tell us that novelty is good for our mental health.

She conducted research at Columbia University's National Center for Children and Families.

and the Families and Work Institute, and has written for the Washington Post, the New York Times, Wired, Business Insider, and Real Simple.

Envy is her first traditionally published book, and I loved it.

You're going to so enjoy this conversation.

She is a social scientist, life coach, and founder of Life Junctions, LLC.

She conducted research at Columbia University's National Center for Children and Families and the Families and Work Institute, and has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wired, Business Insider, and Real Simple.

Her first book titled Envy, Why Wanting What They Have is the Key to Getting What You Want, out October 2026.

Her website, stacyskim.com, and she is on Instagram at stacykim.phd.

And then we started building component libraries for digital publication lifestyle magazines.

So [laughs] we ended up working for Real Simple.

We ended up doing some projects for Condé Nast, ended up doing some projects for, uh, Time Inc.

And then so kind of felt like there's something to this.

Some of the stuff comes through email, some of it comes from you all, uh, different places, news, and so on.

So there's a article here in Real Simple, and title is People Are Sharing the Adult Cheat Codes That Make Life So Much Easier.

Here are nine that are worth trying.

So first one is let it be easy.

I couldn't figure it out before that.

You know, I, I bought this magazine, Real Simple, and it just had all these ads of very expensive things [laughs] and I was like, "To make your life simple, I guess?" [laughs] It just didn't seem like that was gonna be the answer.

[laughs]

Yeah.