Blog Posts by Redbook

In what is often described as one of the most controversial topics among moms today, REDBOOK readers shared their thoughts on whether spanking your kids is appropriate or completely off-limits. It's hard to find a more polarizing and hot-button parenting topic. Parents are divided, with 57 percent of parents admitting to spanking their kids in a 2002 Public Agenda poll.

Most moms don't count spanking out completely - 55 percent of readers reported that they spank their kidswhen they feel it's appropriate. REDBOOK Facebook fan Nikki says, "Yes I sure did [spank] when they were 2 and 3 years old...and I have never had to do it since. Ask anyone about what WONDERFUL kids I have!"

Related: The 140-Pound Toddler and Other Shocking Kid News

But some readers are vehemently against physical punishment in any form, with 14 percent of moms stating that they never have and never will spank. Concerned reader Karrin puts it plainly, "Why do you think we have so much problems with domestic abuse?

Shannon GreerJeannie Kim was pretty down on Disney - until she and her family shared two fairy-tale trips to Orlando. Here's how this skeptic-turned-devotee made the most of the happiest place on earth. What she learned from her repeat visit can help you make yours more magical:

Have a plan. There are tons of books (I like The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World) and websites that can help you map out each day you spend at the parks, practically down to the minute. We hit the most popular attractions at each park first, before the lines got too long, and skipped the ones that weren't really to our taste (but that we might have accidentally wandered into if we hadn't known any better).

Related: Hilarious Vacation-Gone-Wrong Stories

Go early and go late. We like to sleep late. No, we loooove to sleep late. On our first trip, we never made it to the parks before 11. But this time around, we dragged ourselves out of our hotel room to get to Magic Kingdom soon after it opened at 9. We were rewarded by

JupiterimagesMany a Lifetime movie has been made about the overbearing mom who tries to get her daughter to lose weight and ends up driving her to developing an eating disorder. With childhood obesity tripling the past 30 years according to the CDC, it's an issue many parents are grappling with right now. How do you tackle such a sensitive subject with your child without hurting his or her self-esteem?

Related: The 140-Pound Toddler and Other Shocking Kid News

Earlier this week, we asked you to weigh in (pun intended) on a very touchy topic-putting an overweight child on a diet. While some moms saw nothing wrong with having their kids get more active and scale back on less-than-healthy-treats, others were adamant about not making their children body-conscious and taking the risk of them developing an unhealthy relationship with food in their later years. 34 percent of moms voted in favor of a structured diet for their children if necessary, as opposed to 53 percent of moms who offered non-diet

by Jessica Smith, REDBOOK

The mail is supposedly delivered in all weather conditions, so what about your workouts? We asked top experts for their best tips on what to do when old man winter zaps your workout mojo:

1) Too cold? Stay home! With options such as ExerciseTV on Cable on Demand, FitnessClass for your iPad Wii Fit, and exercise DVDs, there is no need to leave the house - and no excuse for not fitting in a workout when you are snowed in. Fire up your preferred technology and you are guaranteed to find your favorite way to break a sweat.

Related: What Really Counts as Exercise?

2) Get a workout theme song. Rocky had a theme song, so why shouldn't you? It sounds corny, but playing it LOUD while you get ready for your workout (even singing and dancing along to it) can really boost your spirits when you are feeling uninspired and get you out the door and moving. (My fave? "Spaceman" by The Killers - gotta love the line "It's all in your mind").

Related: The

You vs. your children: It's the classic game of chicken, parenting style. Last person still running in circles at the end of the day wins! The problem, of course, is that the little Energizer bunnies have the advantage of both age and numbers and all you have is your caffeine buzz. So at first blush it may seem like Starbuck's new Trenta -- "30" in Italian, for the 31 ounces the drink boasts -- is a frazzled mom's dream come true. But is it? Let's break it down:

1. Caffeine. This being the obvious selling point -- if you wanted to drink 31 ounces of cream and sugar you'd just throw back a few of your kids' yogurt drinks (hush, it's ok, we've all done it) - you might want to know how much bang you're really getting for your buck. Seeing as the Starbuck's site doesn't list the nutritional info yet for the Trenta I did a little math based on the Venti size and calculated that a Trenta of their signature Pike's Place roast will zip you up to the tune of 643 mg of caffeine. Most

By Marissa Gold, REDBOOK

Every new year means hundreds of new beauty products out there to tempt us. We know how it is -- you spot them from afar in CVS or Bloomingdale's and get lured in by the cute packaging and pretty colors. But which ones are actually standouts that are worth your money? Whether you've got $5 or $75 to spend, here are some beauty buys we've tried and tested. If you've been eyeing something on this list, go ahead and get it -- it'll be worth it.

$5 and Under: Maybelline Express Finish Nail Color, $4.25: Gorgeous colors, easy-to-use brush, and super-fasy dry time. What's not to love about these polishes?

$10 and Under: Korres Lip Butter, $10: These sheer lip balms give color like a gloss but feel like the most buttery, moisturizing treatments ever.

$15 and Under: L'Oreal True Match Roller Foundation, $14.95: We were foundation snobs until we tried this product. It covers better, lasts longer, and feels silkier than more expensive brands - sold! It

Photo Credit: Jamie VanBuskirk/iStockDiaper changing. That's what sold me on losing my cute little Honda and officially embracing my Minivan-Mom persona. I live in Minnesota and it only takes one icy draft to your backside while you're hunched over the passenger seat doing an emergency diaper change to make you realize the value of a small house on wheels (and also of high-rise pants). Even if that "house" does come with significant downgrade to your social status and self-image.

All this is changing though - if automakers have anything to say to about it, minivans are going to be the new "It" vehicle. Or at least, your 6th grader won't be embarrassed to be seen with you because of your ride. (Don't worry, he still thinks your haircut is uncool and your clothes are weird.)

Through a series of savvy ad campaigns, writes The New York Times, "Minivan makers are trying to recast the much-ridiculed mom-mobile as something that parents can be proud - or at least unashamed - of driving." Remember the Toyota Sienna's hilarious

by Jessica Smith, REDBOOK

Sugar and salt, like yin and yang, they are seemingly opposite tastes, but did you know that too much salt could be causing your sugar cravings?

Too much salt creates an imbalance in your body, which may in turn lead you to crave salt's yin cousin, sugar.

"Sodium acts as a buffer, raising PH as it draws water into the body,
sugary foods have an acidic-affect (PH-lowering) on the body",
says Registered Dietician Lauren O'Connor. "Though the body has set mechanisms in place to maintain a proper PH-balance, the sugar (yin) salt (yang) connection may be a way the body responds to a temporary shift in balance."

Not only may it make you crave sweets, but it could also be halting your weight loss efforts, too. "When we consume too much sodium, it upsets our electrolyte balance," says O'Connor. "This affects our metabolism -- throwing our bodies off kilter. When we feel a little off, we may crave sugars because they stimulate pleasure and give us a quick burst of