Blog Posts by Reader s Digest Magazine

You fight. You don't want to, but you do. You fight because of things she does that you don't like and things you do that she doesn't like. The things themselves are not important; what's important is that you both always do them. You may say you are fighting about her habits, and she may say she is fighting about yours - that you are fighting over the nearly daily discovery that habits are inextinguishable. But really, you are fighting because you are married, and fighting is as intrinsic to marriage as sex. What do you fight about? Simple: You fight about what you always fight about. You fight about what you have always fought about.

If you want to stay married, you don't have to be able to stop fighting; you have to be able to keep fighting, in the same way.

Fights are not just arguments that don't end. They are arguments that enter a dimension different from the one in which they started. They're volatile, often imaginative, and always terribly personal. They are, in other words,

White lights: You ask houseguests to remove their shoes.

Multicolored lights: You're an extrovert.

Blinking Lights: You have attention deficit disorder.

Homemade ornaments: You have lots of children.

Strung Popcorn: You have too much time on your hands.

Red balls only: You wish you lived in a department store.

Yellow star on top: You're traditional.

Glowing Santa on top: You shop at Kitsch 'R' Us.

Cutoff top: You didn't measure the tree.

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Get more insider secrets and

In the spirit of giving, we assembled this guide to help you offend as few people as possible:

1. Should you get your boss a gift? No, says Letitia Baldrige, author of New Manners for New Times. You don't want to come across as an "apple polisher." A card saying how great it's been to work for her is enough. If she gives you a gift? "It doesn't mean you have to reciprocate," says Sue Fox, author of Etiquette for Dummies.

2. A friend gives you a gift; you didn't get her one Resist the urge to buy her something. "Just write the most beautiful thank-you note," Baldrige says. "Otherwise it means you're giving her a gift because you feel guilty." Next time you see her, just don't forget a plate of homemade brownies.

3. Dealing with ungrateful children Kids want fun stuff that makes lots of noise. And when they don't get it, outbursts like "Clothes aren't a present!" and "I don't like this!" can be embarrassing. "Humor is a great tool," says humor consultant Malcolm Kushner. "It

From weight loss to taming tummy troubles to whitening teeth, simple vinegars have healing powers you never dreamed of.

1. Weight loss
Japanese scientists reported in a recently completed study that when mice were fed a high-fat diet and given vinegar supplements, they developed about 10 percent less body fat than mice that got only the fatty food. They discovered that vinegar worked at a genetic level by influencing genes linked to fatty acid oxidation and energy-burning proteins. The scientists believe that vinegar suppresses body fat accumulation, though more studies are needed to see whether vinegar can have the same effect in people.

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2. Lower blood sugar
When you're indulging in high-carb foods (pasta, potatoes, or rice, for example), serve salad, too - and make sure the dressing contains vinegar. Consuming one and a half tablespoons of vinegar can lower your blood sugar by 42 percent, a small study showed last year.

3. Beat

Sometimes it seems as if no matter how much we have, we want more. But getting it isn't necessarily good for us - just look in the closet, the garage, or the rental unit at the U-Store-It Village. Or look at your middle in the mirror. In fact, let's start there, since food cravings can be especially destructive to your health. Here's how to control them.

Determine what you're really hungry for.
The next time you get a craving, ask yourself if you're stressed, sad, or bored. If so, you may be eating to fill an emotional void. Keep a "desire diary" for a week or more, and note your mood whenever you're hit by an irresistible urge to chow down. If stress is your trigger, exercise more to relieve the pressure. If loneliness drives you to the Doritos bag, call someone. Remember that true hunger is easy to satisfy; any food will do. Emotional hunger, on the other hand, often manifests itself in desires for specific things like ice cream and fast food.

Get off the energy roller

1. SECRET INGREDIENT: sour cream in chocolate cookies
Sour cream gives the cookies an irresistibly soft and tender crumb. Chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, and cocoa powder create a triple shot of chocolate flavor. Get the Triple Chocolate Cookies recipe.

2. SECRET INGREDIENT: peanut butter in chocolate chip cookies
Some people like oatmeal cookies. Some like chocolate chip cookies. Yet others prefer peanut butter cookies. This recipe combines all three! The peanut butter in the dough makes them extra rich and delicious. Get this delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe.

(l): © Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Thinkstock (r): © Pixland/Thinkstock

Hunch.com recently polled more than 200,000 pet owners to find out if they were dog people or cat people. The site then crossed those responses with lifestyle surveys and arrived at the following conclusions. Anything sound familiar?

Dog people: 15% more likely to be extroverts
Cat people: 11% more likely to be introverts

(l): © Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Thinkstock (r): © Dynamic Graphics/Creatas/Thinkstock

Dog people: 36% more likely to use a pop song as a ringtone
Cat people: 14% more likely to cling to friends at a party

© iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Dog people: 67% more likely to call animal control if they happen upon stray kittens
Cat people: 21% more likely to

Probably not, but it could annoy your co-workers. Whether you're the intern or the boss, learn how to be polite at work with basic office manners.

1. Don't check personal devices during a meeting attended by your boss or anyone else who can make her disapproval your problem.

2. Don't pop up and "prairie dog" beside someone's cubicle, holding a conversation as a disembodied head.

3. Don't use a speakerphone unless you're in your office and holding a meeting that's being attended by someone remotely. Alert the person you're speaking with that others are present, and close the door. FYI: Using a speakerphone at full volume to go through your voice mailbox is the definition of annoying.

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4. When answering the phone, state your name and place of business: "Widgets, Incorporated. Susan Smith speaking. How may I help you?"

5. When leaving voice mails, state your name, place of business, and number. Succinctly say why you're calling.