“I thought I knew my marriage well before I had kids,” writes Jaclyn Greenberg. “We’d been together for 15 years. I’m Type A, someone who’s a bit anxious but feels comforted by organizing and making plans. My husband has always been calmer, my rock, somebody who doesn’t get rattled when life shifts gears. We stayed up late to binge TV shows, hiked our favorite spots with our rescue pup, and experimented with new recipes.”

And then they had kids, and she really learned about herself, her husband, and how to make her marriage work. It’s very real!

— Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

“When summer hits, it ushers in so many bright and happy things: days at the beach, unnaturally hued fruity drinks, fluorescent mani-pedis, and clothes in every color of the rainbow,” writes Julie Sprankles. “The season itself serves as a major mood booster, yet how many of us actually give our homes a summer makeover the way we do with the other seasons?” So she rounded up some key pieces to give your home a mood-boosting makeover.