Blog Posts by Redbook

Check out these tiny truths guaranteed to bring couples closer in a big way.

1. "The heart of marriage is memories."
--Actor Bill Cosby, married to Camille Cosby

2. "If I wake up at night, I watch my wife sleep and fall in love with her again."
--Colin, via email

Happy Marriage: How to Have (and Keep) One

3. "My husband introduces me as his 'lovely bride.' It's silly because we've been married 10 years. But he tells me, 'I love you so much, I still feel like a newlywed.'"
--Kenya, Uniondale, NY

4. "The difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid."
--Author Harlan Miller

12 Secrets of Super Happy Couples

5. "A pasta dish with a glass of wine and candlelight keeps our romance sparked. We'll just sit there and relax."
--Actress Kate Capshaw, married to director Steven Spielberg

6. "I would like to have engraved inside every wedding band: Be kind to one another. This is the golden rule of marriage and the

What do happy couples do right in the bedroom? These moves aren't exotic, they don't defy gravity -- they're not even all sex moves, per se -- but they'll make you feel closer to him than ever before.

1. They get busy, period.
You don't have to do the deed every day -- or every six days, for that matter -- to have a great marriage. But there's no way around this fact: "One of the primary ways a man feels close to his partner is by being sexually close to her; it's how he arrives at intimacy," says Laura Berman, Ph.D., director of the Berman Center in Chicago. When a guy doesn't get that regular body-bonding, he isn't inspired to be romantic, which tends to cause his wife's libido to wane, creating a vicious circle, explains Berman.

2. They never withhold nooky as punishment.
Why? Besides the fact that it turns what should be a loving and giving act into a commodity, once sex becomes part of a couple's power struggle, so much resentment builds that soon neither partner wants sex. So

Downsizing rumors at the office, slashes in health and retirement benefits, and fewer projects (or way too many!) landing on your desk can all lead to feeling uninspired on the job. Here, Bonnie Kelly and Teresa Walsh, cofounders of Silpada Designs, a $190 million home jewelry sales business, offer five tips for how to keep your chin up when work starts to feel like a downer.

1. Take on new projects. From brainstorming cost-cutting initiatives to volunteering to helm a project, one of the best things you can do to lift your spirits is to pitch in where help is needed. Why? Taking action will give you a sense of control over your work life, while expanding your skill set will keep you motivated and energized.

2. Say no to negativity. Coffee-break chatter about layoffs or pay cuts will only fuel your uncertainty, say Kelly and Walsh. Save your griping for outside the office - with your husband or friends - and keep the conversation with office buddies neutral.

3. Create your own

The alone time you crave is good for your kid, too. Here's how to make it happen.

Training your kids to play on their own is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow. "It's the downtime for scribbling, making a car out of a cardboard box, or exploring the backyard that fosters the skills your child needs to be successful and fulfilled: creativity, critical thinking, and confidence," says psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., coauthor of Einstein Never Used Flash Cards.


The Best Rainy-Day Activities for Kids Real moms share their tried-and-true ways to entertain stir-crazy kids on rainy days.


Show Them How It's Done
The first step in teaching your child to be okay with being alone is showing him how fun it can be. This process begins even before he can crawl. "To a certain extent, being alone is a learned behavior, and if you never leave your baby, he won't learn to settle himself," says Cynthia Chandler, Ph.D., assistant professor of early childhood education at Black Hill State

M.F. Chapman's flexible work schedule was a little too flexible: She couldn't find childcare for her unpredictable hours. So she came up with a clever way to help other working moms like her.

M.F. opened Cubes & Crayons, in Mountain View, CA, where children from 6 weeks to 5 years old play in a bright, open space, with lavender walls, piles of board books, climbing toys, and a staff of caretakers. In the next room, their parents tap away at laptops in a quiet, professional work space with office perks like free Wi-Fi, copy machines, and coffee. Members pay anywhere from $15 an hour for drop-in child care to $749 for 60 hours of child care and office space. "We also do $10-per-hour Fridays," M.F. says.

7 Secrets of Low-Stress Families

M.F. finally figured out how to achieve what she calls the "balance and flow" of happily managing both her family and her business, which is now in its third successful year and has 170 members. Here's how she does it.

1. She taps in to the mom

By Alice Bradley

Eight years ago, when I found out that I was pregnant with my son, Henry, I was thrilled. For approximately five minutes. And then I began to worry.

My default worry is my son. There's no rational cause for concern here. Henry is a great 7-year-old. We are, by all objective standards, incredibly lucky. But still my brain goes around and around, like a hamster with a furrowed brow on his Wheel of Doom: What am I not doing right? How am I failing as a mother? Didn't I forget to do... I don't know... something?

"Oh, just you wait until he's a teenager," my sister, Liz, cautioned me. Liz has two grown sons. Liz is a positively tranquil soul compared to me, but being a mom will, it seems, knock the calm right out of anyone. "Wait until Henry is driving, or until he has friends who drive. That'll take years off your life."

"Oh, Henry won't be allowed to hang out with people who drive," I explained to her. "Or with any people. We're going to buy him a pet rock. A soft

Bed bugs tap-danced their way across New York City this summer, and now there's news of more bed bug infestations across the country.

Fall and winter mean holiday travel, and travel presents some of bed bugs' favorite opportunities to spread: They love taxis, hotel rooms, seats on subway platforms, coat checks, airplane cargo holds...if you thought bed bugs spiked this summer, just wait until the season gets into full swing. (Get a head start on the season with these fun ideas!)

There's no foolproof way of keeping bed bugs out of your life (and thinking you're immune makes you a fool), but there are ways to minimize your risk and catch infestations before they get serious. Here's what you need to know.

Bed bugs are skilled travelers. They can hitch a ride into your home on used furniture (upholstered AND wooden pieces; they love small spaces, and can both hide and lay eggs in the tiniest crack). They can infest your luggage via hotel rooms and taxi trunks (a favorite hiding place).

What's the secret to a long, successful marriage? These well-known couples share the little things that keep their love strong. What do you think is the best happy-marriage advice?






Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, married 12 years
This A-list couple flaunts their secret: "Have great sex to have a great marriage," Jada told REDBOOK.

Related: Sex Secrets of Really Happy Couples









George and Barbara Bush, married 65 years
When it comes to handling life's stress, Barbara has said, "You either grow apart or together. We always turned to each other."

Related: Couples Confess: What You Really Need for a Happy Marriage









Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Fink, married 11 years
"You have to make time to spend together and to work through your issues," the heartthrob has said. "The more we grow and learn, the closer we get."

Related: How to Communicate Better as a Couple









Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, married 22 years
How do they keep the sizzle going? Bacon said just last year, "I think you've