Health Tips Line

We tend to leave home in two modes: slightly rushed or slightly paranoid. Either way, the exit routine usually looks the same—quick checks, double checks and a lingering sense that you might be forgetting something important. Most of us know to turn off the stove , close the windows and lock the doors. But there’s one simple habit that can make your routine even more reassuring. Not only that, but it can produce something genuinely useful if things go wrong while you’re away. And all it involves is taking a photo. I spoke with Paul Grattan, a licensed home inspector and security expert who founded Graypoint Strategies, to learn more about the easy step you can take to bring you peace of mind when you leave your home. Read on for what to do and when. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more home tips, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long. Which room should you take a picture of before leaving the house? It turns out the m...

Who doesn’t love a fun viral trend? Looking at you, Roman Empire and Socrates vs. Skeleton ! No, baby-name trends aren’t usually quite that wild or random, but the ones just released by BabyCenter surprised us. In fact, these 2026 trends have it all, combining global flair and throwbacks to beloved TV shows with names that are kind of on fire. For help explaining these out-of-the-box baby names , we turned to Rebekah Wahlberg, a specialist on the topic at BabyCenter, who notes these mid-year groupings differ a bit from what was predicted when 2026 began. Back then, NBA stars, Cowboy Carter and Francis (the Pope) variations, among others, were trending for baby names. Still, in both cases, “pop culture is prevalent—it always has our attention,” she explains. “As such, it holds a significant amount of front-of-mind real estate in people’s consciousness, so it makes sense that what parents are watching and listening to plays a big role in their b...

For most of my life, I’ve enjoyed blissful, refreshing sleep. Once I hit 30, things changed. Suddenly, I could no longer self-regulate my temperature at night. Almost overnight, I went from glorious, restful sleep to ripping off my sweat-soaked sheets and changing my pajamas in the middle of the night. I woke up each morning dehydrated, confused and desperately searching for relief. I tried everything: cooling sheets , blankets, you name it. While they worked fine for the non-summer months, they did nothing for me in sweltering temperatures. Eventually, I began looking at proper bed cooling systems . One specific product, known as the Sleep.me Chilipad , caught my eye. The prospect of lying on a network of cooling water tunnels sounded like something out of science fiction, but I was willing to try anything by that point. And folks, I’m so glad I made the leap. Here’s my experience testing the Chilipad—and why I’m a customer for life. VIA MERCHANT We Tried...

Another season, another Jellycat collection! While the weather may have finally started to warm up, the Jellycat team has been thinking ahead to the cooler months. Dropping ahead of autumn, the fall 2026 Jellycat collection brings with it nine new pals, all with a fun forest vibe. If you’re anything like us, you’re already planning your purchases ahead of the June 16 launch . Like the rest of the Jellycat family, these nature-inspired pals look positively cozy to cuddle—just check out that fuzzy signature fabric! As with the Summer Jellycat collection , we expect these to sell out fast. If you fall in love with a specific Jelly, plan to pop it in your cart on launch day! What are the fall Jellycats? Boasting botanical details, the cuddly critters from the newest fall Jellycat collection are channeling nature. This new crop of Jellies features forest-themed friends like a hiking Bartholomew and a peanut yeti. There’s even a sweet little s’mores duo! We poll...

If I have a fatal flaw , it is that I need to be right—especially when someone else is wrong. As a child, I was an absolute menace about correcting people, and in case you’re wondering whether that’s a great way to make friends, I can confirm it is not. So as I got older, I learned to bite my tongue. Sometimes literally. Tasting a little blood and having friends is preferable to the alternative, because quite often, being right is not worth the social cost. Take a recent dinner party where a friend confidently announced that we only use 10% of our brains. Just said it, like it’s a fact. It is not a fact. As a science writer who has covered this topic, I could feel my eye beginning to twitch. This is one of the most thoroughly debunked health myths—brain scans show activity across virtually the entire brain—and yet here it was, being delivered with complete confidence over dessert. I managed to stay quiet for approximately 45 seconds before I could...