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During conversations with a particularly verbose friend, I’ve often realized I haven’t really been listening. She’ll ask me a question , my wandering mind will suddenly snap back to the present, and I’ll have no idea how to respond. My instinct is to cover up my mistake and pretend I heard what she said, but is that really the best strategy? It seems I need to learn how to be a better listener . We’ve probably all had a similar experience in which we’ve heard the words coming out of someone’s mouth without fully appreciating or understanding their meaning. “Often, we reflexively build solutions or tune out when we feel we’ve ‘heard it all before,’ causing us to miss vital nuances,” says conversation expert Debra Fine, author of The Fine Art of Small Talk . “Instead, practice staying fully present to absorb every word.” As a repeat offender, I asked Fine for some advice on listening. Read on to learn how to talk to anyone and truly give them your full attention. Get  Reader’s Di...

Like death and taxes, mortgage-rate fluctuations are a certainty of life. From year to year, and even within a calendar year, rates fluctuate so much that it can be challenging to figure out the best time to buy a house . If you bought a home five years ago, you may have benefited from the Federal Reserve’s efforts to stimulate the slumping economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortgage rates plummeted to record lows, and by the end of 2020, the rate was 2.65%. But over the next three years, rates crept back up—to a high of 7.79% in October 2023, a rate we hadn’t seen since 2000. Combine that with astronomically high house prices, and homeownership felt out of reach for Americans. Inflation went up. Rents skyrocketed . Fast-forward to 2026. Even if rates aren’t at historic levels, they’re still too high for many people to afford a home. So when can would-be home buyers expect mortgage rates to drop? A new report by LendingTree predicts that this year will finally bring interest-rate r...

This is  not  a drill: A big batch of Jellycats is dropping for spring! And much like last year’s holly jolly holiday releases , there’s well over 10 precious new pals to pick from. This season’s charming characters come in all sorts of spring-inspired styles , from carrot cake to adorable warm-weather animals—and even lovable veggies sporting soft sprouts. What a harvest! With most new releases dropping on January 13, we recommend shopping before the seasonal shift to ensure you snag all your favorites. If the Valentine’s collection is anything to go by, we expect these sweet and snuggly buddies to sell out faster than you can say “April showers bring May flowers.” Here’s everything to know about the latest assortment from our favorite collectible plushie brand! GETTY IMAGES, VIA JELLYCAT.COM Jellycat Spring Collection Welcome in the new season with a new plush pal. Shop on Jellycat What are the 2026 spring Jellycats? Those unfamiliar with Jellycats, ...

Remember the game 20 Questions? Many of us used to play it as kids to pass the time during long car trips. We may be older, but the setup can still be useful in a slightly different way: as a means of getting to know a special person a little better. Deep questions to ask might help take a crush to the next level, strengthen your relationship with your spouse or allow you to turn a casual acquaintance into a close, trusted friend. Curious about the kinds of deep questions to ask the people in your life? We’ve got you covered with a range of ideas, from lighthearted conversation starters to more serious, thoughtful probes. To truly strengthen your relationship, don’t speed through the questions—take your time and ask follow-ups. Remember, this is a jumping-off point for a discussion, not an interview. So the next time you’re spending some quiet moments with a boyfriend , girlfriend, partner or pal, use these deep questions to ask the stuff that’ll get them talking and bring you clo...

We’re not the only ones setting New Year’s resolutions this month. As people around the world usher in 2026 with bold proclamations about eating better or being nicer to their co-workers, businesses are setting their own goals. Costco may not be committing itself to a new workout regimen or daily affirmations, but it does have a plan in place for growth. And that means making some big changes that Costco members will want to know about. We’ve seen this movie before, right? Every year, Costco switches things up, at least a little bit. Look at January 2025, when it eliminated coffee grinders from warehouses. Or last summer, when it switched the food court soda options from Pepsi to Coca-Cola. It’s these little things (or big ones, depending on your perspective) that keep Cosco evolving—whether you agree with the swaps or not. Keep reading, and let’s see what Costco HQ has in store for the rest of 2026. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more Costco news, cleani...

Emily Henry wasn’t actually on vacation when it happened, but still . During a recent layover in the bustling Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the author was taken aback to spot someone poring over her 2021 bestselling novel, People We Meet on Vacation. “It was a really fun and meta feeling,” she says. And yet she resisted the urge to make the approach: “I wanted them to have the reading experience that they want and not be like, ‘Hey, what do you think?'” (The book’s devoted 2 million readers have already told her, anyway.) And now,  People We Meet on Vacation has been adapted into a fun and frothy Netflix film , which you can stream starting Jan. 9. The story follows Poppy (Emily Bader, My Lady Jane ) and Alex (Tom Blyth, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes ), two platonic, longtime pals with contrasting personalities—she’s an extrovert; he’s a bookworm—who take an annual trip together. Two years after a falling-out, the pair reunite in Barc...