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Carrie Bradshaw had us believing that high heels were appropriate for just about everything—cocktail parties, first dates, running around Manhattan and, heck, probably a quick grocery-store run too. And even if sky-high stilettos aren’t your thing, there’s something about slipping into a good, old-fashioned kitten heel that can make an ordinary Tuesday feel a little more fabulous. (Your feet may have some thoughts a few hours later, but that’s another story.) Yet for all the glamour and wobbling over cobblestones those shoes have given us, the history of high heels is a lot more surprising than you might expect. For starters, they weren’t even originally made for women. Yes, really! So how did high heels become a fashion statement and a fixture in women’s closets? And after centuries of being revered, are they on their way out? To get to the bottom of it all, we spoke with Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum in ...

Aries (March 21–April 19) As the first sign of the zodiac, you’re a natural starter, Aries. Ruled by energetic Mars, you’re at your best when there’s a challenge to conquer, a goal to chase or someplace new to go. Unfortunately, adult life involves an awful lot of maintenance. Paying bills, doing laundry and having the same meeting every Tuesday can make an Aries want to crawl out of their skin. If you’re in a rut, don’t try to transform yourself into someone who loves routine. Instead, give yourself something new to conquer . At work, volunteer for a project that stretches your skills, pitch an idea or set a goal with a finish line you can actually see. If your relationship feels stale, plan a date that gets both of you off the couch. Take a boxing class, go hiking or make a reservation at that restaurant across town you’ve been dying to try. You can even turn mundane chores into a competition with yourself. Set a timer for 30 minutes, put on s...

We all have that one thing we’d hate to be without. Maybe it’s tucked into a kitchen drawer or sitting within arm’s reach at all times. It might not look particularly important to anyone else, but to us? Absolutely essential. So we asked our readers to share the things they simply can’t live without, and their answers prove that sometimes the most ordinary objects carry the best stories . The list ahead includes practical picks, sentimental treasures and a few items we didn’t see coming. Some will make perfect sense the second you read them. Others may have you thinking, Wait, that’s what you can’t live without?! And they will definitely all prompt you to consider of your own must-haves. Read on to discover the nostalgic and wonderfully relatable things our readers can’t live without, along with the heartwarming stories that make them so special. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more true stories, fun...

In 2017, Reader’s Digest launched the Nicest Places in America with a single goal: to shine a spotlight on communities that demonstrate what’s possible when people look out for their neighbors. A decade later, our annual search is still going strong, and we couldn’t do it without our readers, who point us in the right direction by nominating the places they think are the “nicest” each year. (Send in a nomination for 2027 below!) This year, we found a very special place to commemorate our 10th Year Special: Liverpool, New York! This tiny village near Syracuse has a heart the size of a city, and its people truly inspire us. Read on for more about Liverpool—along with the rest of 2026’s finalists—and see how we spent 24 hours in the Nicest Place in America. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more heartwarming stories, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long.  Meet Our 2026 Winner A ...

About 10 years ago, my husband and I loaded our kids into the car and drove to what was billed as a destination family resort with an indoor water park . The ads promised a magical, kid-friendly escape worth the drive. We booked it without a second thought. We should have had at least one second thought. When we arrived, the parking lot was empty. Not “offseason quiet” empty— more like “the last guests left under mysterious circumstances and nobody came after them” empty. The lobby carpet was torn up in patches. The hallways were dim and echoey. And the indoor water park, advertised with glistening slides and splashing families, consisted of exactly one broken slide standing in an otherwise empty pool. My kids’ faces broke my heart. The concierge was pleasant enough. She advised us to just wander the halls and pick whatever room looked good to us. So we chose the least creepy option, pushed the bureau in front of the door before bed, and left first th...