Health Tips Line

Costco’s wine and spirits department doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves. The warehouse club is always stocking quality brands at really great prices, but some of the best buys in this part of the store come with a Kirkland label. Take Kirkland Signature vodka , for instance. Shoppers swear it rivals Grey Goose, and many believe it’s even better than the brand name at a much lower price point. Personally, I’ve been known to stock up on Kirkland prosecco for celebratory occasions because it’s an affordable alternative to Champagne. But some news dropped on my desk that made me pause: Kirkland also makes Champagne. Or rather, Costco sells Champagne under the Kirkland label . So who makes this stuff? And more important, is it any good? Keep reading as we pop the cork on this story. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more Costco news, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long. Is Kirkland Champagne really Champagne? Indeed it is! For a beverage to e...

No matter your age, what’s on your Christmas list or where you’re from, you probably have a favorite Christmas tradition. From watching Christmas movies to decorating your tree to making Christmas treats, there’s always that one thing you do that instantly puts you in the holiday spirit and says that Christmas time is finally here. All up and down your block, your neighbors are likely enjoying some of the same traditions. That’s part of what makes the holiday season so special. Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition? Most of us do, and it turns out that where you live can have a big impact on the way you celebrate. The folks at Innerbody, a health-and-wellness information website, decided to find out just what Christmas traditions were the most popular across the nation, and we have the results right here. So turn on some Christmas music, settle in by your twinkling Christmas tree and read on to learn which Christmas tradition was tops in your state. Get  Reader’s Digest ’...

Americans work long, hard hours and look forward to kicking back on the sand or slopes for some much-needed R&R. But, unfortunately, a few fellow travelers are utterly clueless in the deportment department—and their behavior can ruin a carefully planned vacay . Yup, the facts speak for themselves: People have some annoying travel habits. That’s according to a new report by Saily, a company that offers mobile data plans for travelers, and their survey reveals just what irks Americans and people around the globe too. “Nobody wants to start a trip by becoming someone else’s travel horror story,” says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO of Saily. Wondering if you commit some of these sins yourself? (Yikes!) Ahead, we reveal the top rude habit that annoys travelers, break down the rest of the survey results and take a look at all the icky behaviors people actually fess up to. Keep reading to see if you agree with the findings. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more travel,...

If your New Year’s resolutions include traveling more or finally booking a trip that feels truly exciting, congratulations—you’re officially in the right mindset. There’s something about a fresh calendar that makes going on vacation feel less like a splurge and more like an act of self-care. At the same time, deciding where to go can feel overwhelming. Every year brings a flood of destination roundups, trend forecasts and “must-visit” lists, all competing to define what travel should look like next. With so many opinions in the mix, the real challenge isn’t finding inspiration. It’s figuring out which recommendations are actually worth trusting. That’s where Expedia comes in. Drawing on real booking data and traveler behavior—not just hype—the brand’s newly released Destinations of the Year report offers a grounded look at the places people are genuinely planning to visit. And this year’s results point to an unexpected standout that’s poised to shine in 2026. To better understand w...

This time of year, we’re all grumbling about the days getting shorter. We leave for work in the dark and get home … in the dark. And it’s not easy to drag yourself out of bed on a cold morning—or get anything done when the sun sets before dinner. To share a personal example: I’m writing this in New York in mid-December (aka ahead of the winter solstice), and the sun is already setting before five o’clock. It’s made me wonder: How can the sun possibly set any earlier? It’ll be, like, 3 o’clock! Well, the good news is that the U.S. has already had its earliest sunset. That’s right—the earliest sunset doesn’t actually coincide with the winter solstice. Intrigued? I was too, so I called up Jack Drake, a meteorologist with CT Weather Center in Danbury, Connecticut, to hear more. As it turns out, this is one of those strange science phenomena that seem to make no sense, until you hear the “aha!” explanation. Read on to learn why the earliest sunset does not sync up with the winter solstic...

From Philadelphia to Salt Lake City and Minneapolis to Denver, I’ve lived in some very cold places. (Minneapolis was by far the coldest, and I know this because it froze the snot inside my nose—I’m not joking.) So I take my winter gear seriously. Priority No. 1: a really good coat. It needs to be long, heavily insulated, hooded and armed with zippers so airtight you could use them in space. The problem? Great coats are bulky, and once you step into the climate-controlled miracle that is an airplane cabin, they instantly become a nuisance. So what do you do with your puffer coat when boarding a plane? As it turns out, there’s a very wrong answer, and it is one of the most common mistakes passengers make during winter travel. I recently learned this fact while chatting with Loretta Hill, a flight attendant friend who’s been flying with JetBlue for more than a decade. “You’re not the only one confused. Big coats are a problem every winter,” Hill says. And as any seasoned traveler know...

When a celebrity dies, it’s not just their friends and family who grieve. Even though we never knew them personally, these public figures were still part of the fabric of our lives. Some were there for us during our lowest moments, while others made us cheer, laugh, think, cry and sing out loud. A noteworthy passing also reminds us of our own fragile mortality: An untimely death leaves us shocked and heartbroken; the ones who passed after a long and fruitful life remind us that time stops for absolutely nobody. The famous people who died in 2025 hit us especially hard. Several dearly departed artists, such as Brian Wilson, Diane Ladd, Julian McMahon, David Lynch, Roberta Flack, D’Angelo and Giorgio Armani, led to newfound appreciation for their boundary-pushing talent and accomplishments. (I binged several seasons of Cheers after its Emmy-winning breakout star, George Wendt, died in May.) And sometimes the news of a beloved high-profile legend this year hit us so hard that we stopped...