Health Tips Line

Confession: I don’t like swimming. (I hate being cold and I hate being wet, and swimming is both!) But I do love a good hotel pool: Sitting poolside, reading a book and watching my kids from my (dry) enclave is my kind of vacay. If I can snag a shady spot to save my skin from the blazing sun? Even better. Plus, the people watching is prime time. But there’s a particular sun-soaked sin my fellow travelers commit that takes my relaxing getaway from blissful to boiling in no time flat. And I’m not the only one: According to a new etiquette poll from Hotels.com, this major hotel faux pas is right up there with wearing pajamas in the lobby, blasting speakerphones in public spaces and hogging the breakfast buffet (which, frankly, is saying something). And yes, I’m speaking from personal experience: You do not want to mess with my pool time. So what is this rude poolside behavior that 60% of respondents said was their top pet peeve at hotels? Reader’s Digest broke down the results of the...

We’ve all found ourselves grooving to that grocery-store music (sometimes it’s actually good!), but why is it there in the first place? Is it a sneaky way to get us to spend more? A trick to take our mind off the price of eggs ? And is it our imagination, or do some supermarkets play way better music than others? Reader’s Digest talked to Benjamin Lorr, author of The Secret Life of Grocery Stores : The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket , and Phil Lempert, host of the Lost in the Supermarket podcast, to find out exactly why grocery stores play music when you shop. Read on to learn the whole jam on this toe-tapping trend. Get Reader’s Digest ’s   Read Up newsletter for more food news, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long. Why do grocery stores play music? There are good reasons supermarkets pipe songs through the aisles—and it’s not to catch you bopping on the security cameras. Music is part of grocery chains’ overall strategy to make this weekly errand ...

Flight attendants are basically the Navy SEALs of the skies. They know all the pro tips, like how to score the best seat on a plane, pack a carry-on like a Tetris champion and evacuate an entire plane in under 90 seconds. But some of their advice is a little less conventional. Case in point: You may have heard the old trick about tossing a shoe in your hotel safe so you won’t forget your valuables. Smart, right? Well, now there’s another safe-related travel hack, and it involves putting your toothbrush in there. “We don’t take any chances with anything that goes in our mouth,” said Barbiebac La Azafata, a 32-year-old Argentinian flight attendant, in a now-viral video. She then proudly revealed that she keeps her toothbrush in the hotel safe. That’s right—next to her passport and emergency cash, there’s her humble little toothbrush, just chilling with the valuables. But why? It’s better to be safe (ha!) than sorry, sure, but we were admittedly baffled. Is this really necessary? Reade...

VIA MERCHANT Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros $ 14.99 at Amazon Genre: Romantasy For fans of: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas If you’ve been meaning to read the BookTok smash Fourth Wing , then look no further—it’s one of the best Kindle Unlimited books. The Empyrean series opener, published in 2023, follows 20-year-old book nerd Violet Sorrengail, who’d like nothing more than to spend her days among the dusty tomes as a scribe. (Relatable!) But the commanding general, who’s also her mom, has other plans for her. She’s forced to join the battalion of Navarre warriors vying to become dragon riders at the War College. But could there be a chance of frail Violet bonding with one of these fierce dragons? VIA MERCHANT The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas $ 11.99 at Amazon Genre: YA contemporary For fans of: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Published in 2017, Angie Thomas’s debut YA novel The Hate U Give was an instant New York Times bestseller...

From swanky cocktail bars to swanky-in-sweatpants nights in, the espresso martini is a timeless, perpetually trendy tipple. This concoction doubles as a liquid dessert, delivering a jolt of caffeinated flavor in a fancy glass. And just like a classic martini would be nothing without its olive, a true espresso martini requires a garnish of three espresso beans. No more, no less! Believe it or not, this three-bean rule isn’t arbitrary or simply an individual bartender’s preference—there’s a very distinct reason for it. So what is that reason, and what’s the story behind those magic beans? Reader’s Digest did some (delicious) research and spoke with a mixologist to get the skinny on this trendy drink . Read on for the secret symbolism in your espresso martini. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more food news, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long. What’s the origin of the espresso martini? The origin story of the espresso martini is as int...