Blog Posts by Good Housekeeping

For school-age children, a sturdy, well-designed, comfortable backpack is indispensable. We tested 48 - simulating the wear and tear they might get, loading them with gear to check capacity, and then having kids judge them for comfort and convenience. These made the grade:

Highest Honors
The ballistic polyester of The North Face Hot Shot ($89) survived being dropped and abraded, and proved water-resistant. Smartly designed compartments (such as bungee cord--secured water-bottle pockets) keep gear organized. In five colors. Ages 13-18.

Related: Top Picks for Tablet PCs

Pack-It-All Pick
If your teen's stuff won't fit inside the L.L.Bean Turbo Transit ($70), it's time for some serious decluttering. Two huge sections, plus front stretch cord and pockets, plus bottom space for sneakers give everything a place. In seven colors. Ages 13-18.



Simple Schlepper
The budget-friendly High Sierra Loop ($35) doesn't scrimp on amenities; it has three large sections and several specialized features

Outfit your little ones, tweens, and teens with the latest and greatest must-have supplies for fall, all vetted by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI):

Versatile Lunch Sack
Elementary school tikes and older children alike with love the Classmate Small Haul Deluxe Lunch Sack from Lands' End ($14.50). This rectangular soft-sided lunch box has a reflective strip, a pouch to stash a water bottle, and comes in chili pepper red, soft lupine blue, classic navy blue, dark sapphire, vintage olive green, and rich red.


Puddle Jumpers
With the glory of autumn also comes unpredictable fall weather. Keep your little one's feet warm and dry with L.L. Bean's stylish Puddle Stompers ($29). With its non-skid sole, natural rubber exterior, pull-on handles, and knit jersey fabric lining, this boot is built with comfort and durability in mind. Plus it comes in plenty of fun colors and patterns from royal blue to wild rose and ivy dot to lobster print.


Sleek Sneakers
Outfit your kids with our

No doubt you've made a purchase or sold an item on eBay, the uber-popular auction site that has more than 94 million users around the world. But it's not the only online marketplace for buying and selling goods (or even services). Here, five that have particularly unique concepts:

SHOP FOR CHARITY: ShopGoodwill.com and BiddingForGood.com
ShopGoodwill.com features jewelry, antiques and collectables, clothing, and more - in short, the higher-end items donated to the organization - and the sales benefit its education and job-placement services for the disabled and underprivileged. Since products are sold by Goodwill itself, you can be certain that the listings are accurate and (barring delivery problems) that you'll receive your purchases.

Another benefit-based site, BiddingForGood.com offers products (electronics, designer duds) as well as "experiences": vacation packages, tickets to sporting events and theater, and dinners at fancy restaurants. The auctions raise money for nonprofits

With over 400 million copies in print worldwide, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has worked its magic over an entire generation of readers. The cultural phenomenon draws to a close with the release of the last film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, at midnight this Friday, but the influence of Rowling's world can hardly be considered as over. After all, getting kids hooked on reading - millions of them - is no small feat.

As a sales associate at Barrett Book Store in Darien, CT, 70-year-old Dottie Brush knows firsthand the series' unique ability to inspire young readers. "[It used to be] that kids would come in and ask for the shortest book there was to get through it for school. But with Harry Potter, the thicker they got, the better they liked them."

The daunting length did not seem to deter young Potter fans, who tore through the pages with an appetite for Rowling's magical world. In a study by market research firm Yankelvich, 51% of kids aged 5 to 17

In the August issue of Good Housekeeping, we look at little girls in beauty pageants on the occasion of what would have been JonBenet Ramsay's 21st birthday. We were especially interested in talking to Peggy Orenstein to give us the big picture on princesses, pageant queens, and how we're raising (and failing) our girls today.

Eden Wood, 6, in her room among her trophiesIt is difficult to ignore the link between the flirtatious behavior exhibited by pint-size contestants in heavy makeup (it's not uncommon for toddlers to be encouraged to wink or blow kisses at the judges) and the naive sexuality that is becoming increasingly blatant among elementary school girls. Peggy Orenstein, who wrote about child beauty pageants in her latest book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, believes that pageant girls are being taught to see themselves as objects of others' pleasure. "I'm not saying that when they wiggle their hips and wink at judges at the age of 4 or 5, they have any idea

Now that it's summer vacation, this month struck me as the perfect time to work on my play. In an irony that didn't escape me, I was prepared to work doggedly at fun and be serious about joking around. Lately, I'd been feeling as if I was just turning from one chore to another; I was feeling drained and overwhelmed. I knew I needed to make time for fun - but how?

When I started to think about fun, I realized the importance of silliness; a happy atmosphere isn't created merely by the absence of nagging and yelling. I made a resolution to "make time to be silly." Studies show that in a phenomenon called "emotional contagion," we unconsciously catch emotions from other people - whether good moods or bad moods. Taking the time to be silly means that we're infecting one another with good cheer.

Related: 10 Secrets for Surviving a Family Vacation

It isn't always easy. For instance, my husband often plays a morning game with our younger daughter: While we're all getting ready for school

Having your email account hacked can be annoying (your address book could be spammed) - or dangerous if the perpetrator can gain access to personal info.

Protect yourself:

1. Set up a second email account for newsletters and the like: Mailing lists may give the address to others. The more unwanted email you get, the greater the potential for receiving malicious files.

Related: How to Use wi-fi Safely

2. Don't open attachments or click on links from unknown sources: Keep antivirus and browser software updated - don't hit Ignore when those update reminders pop up.

3. Be smart with your password: Ideally, it shouldn't be a word found in a dictionary. And don't choose an obvious security-question answer, like your mother's maiden name.

Related: Playing Video Games Online: The Parent-Friendly Guide

4. Don't trust public Wi-Fi: It's fine for general Web browsing, but avoid using it for anything that you log on to.

Do you have other concerns about your safety (and sanity) online? Share with

Even the most patient souls sometimes find themselves unable to get a customer service rep to set things right. While you know that screaming or threatening won't help, what should you do when you're at your wits' end? It's simple: Take a deep breath, then follow these four proven steps that will help you resolve a frustrating situation ASAP.

Related: 6 Rules for Being a Smart Shopper

1. Manage the Phone Tree
Talking to customer service is step one in solving every kind of complaint - and, in many cases, it's the only step needed. Still, that doesn't mean you have to spend hours on the phone. To cut time navigating endless phone menus, visit gethuman.com for free tips on reaching a live person faster. If the first rep you talk to isn't inclined to help, hang up and try again, suggests Bill Withers, Ed.D., a communications professor at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA, who specializes in customer service issues.
Whatever you do, don't skip this first step. The people you'll reach out