Blog Posts by Redbook

Teach Your Kids the Gift of GivingOf course kids love getting presents at the holidays, but what truly makes the season special is the genuine sense of goodwill all around them. That's why now is the best time to show a child how to spread that warmth by helping others. Yes, it's great for the needy, but it's even better for your kid. Read on to learn all the ways that volunteering boosts your child's self-image, plus strategies for keeping him motivated and projects he can dive into right now.

When Your Child Gives, He Gets...

Courage to initiate change.
When a child improves someone else's life, he sees that he can change the world around him -- and even himself -- for the better, says Cathryn Berger Kaye, author of The Complete Guide to Service Learning. For 6-year-old Cleo Payne of Pelham, NY, volunteering at her local park has shown her the big impact of a small gesture. "A park is nice and relaxing, but if it's all messed up, no one wants to come there," she says. "I like burying the bulbs so there can be

Ever wonder if you are the only mom in the world who hates playing Candy Land, or is secretly thrilled that she requires a scheduled C-section?

Then be thankful for Dirt Is Good for You: True Stories of Surviving Parenthood, a new collection of brutally funny, nakedly confessional essays that originally appeared on the Website babble.com. In these excerpts, moms reveal the parenting evils they've committed:

• Snubbing the mommy community: "My breaking point occurred one drizzly afternoon, when the baby and I were on our way to a [new moms] group. Instead of heading to the host's apartment, I found myself driving to my favorite bar, enjoying a glass of wine and a few minutes of reading with Roscoe sleeping in his stroller. There was...not a single word about bouncers or strollers or acid reflux.... It was beautiful - like listening to the ocean at night." -Kim Brooks

• Spoiling thy sons: "As I began lightheartedly pulling the soppy clothes out of the dryer so that my boys

You may not be hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but that's no excuse to turn up empty-handed.

Don't stress - you can be a gracious guest without totally slaving away by bringing one of these super-easy side dishes or desserts. The best part? They look so impressive and elegant, your friends and family will never know you slacked off!


Simple Side Dishes:

This No-Cook Cranberry Relish is a cut above canned cranberry jelly, but only requires three ingredients, and about five minutes of your time. It doesn't get much simpler than that!

No time to whip up the old fave, candied yams? Our Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Pecans are cinch to prep, take an hour to bake, and make a great stand-in - the warm, buttery taste is oh-so-yummy.

Don't even mess around with a green bean casserole! These fifteen-minute Orange and Almond Green Beans are light, flavorful, and ready before you know it.

No-Sweat Sweets:

Save time - and everybody's waistline - by assembling a fresh fruit dessert. Our recipe

Candied yams are to Thanksgiving dinner what fruitcake is to Christmas treats - we're sick of it already! But your Turkey Day meal doesn't have to be similar to the snooze-fest that follows shortly after everyone has cleaned their plates.

From fruit-inspired stuffing to mashed potatoes with a touch of bacon, here are a few recipes to add some pizazz to your dinner. Give guests the perfect finishing touch by serving up our new spins on classic desserts, and they are sure to leave with satisfied bellies.



THE BIRD:

There's really no competition for the centerpiece of any Thanksgiving table - the turkey. But there is a way to make sure the main event is a crowd-pleaser...

Tired: just basted or brined
Inspired: This Pomegranate-Lacquered Roast Turkey recipe is a little sweet, a lot juicy, and with only five ingredients, totally takes the fuss out of the feast.


THE SIDES:

Tired: Roasted carrots
Inspired: Their similarly hued brother, our Roasted Garlic Squash with Crispy Sage Brown Butter,

Nutrition guru Lisa Young, R.D. reveals 4 easy tricks to keep you in your sexy skinny jeans while still enjoying all of the yummy foods Thanksgiving has to offer.

Fancy Photography/Veer

1. Don't arrive famished. Instead of saving your appetite for the big four o'clock feast, make sure to have a healthy breakfast and a light lunch (such as fruit and yogurt). Starving yourself earlier in the day will just lead to major bingeing - and uncomfortably tight pants - at dinner.

2. Limit hors d'oeuvres. Rather than blowing your calories on finger foods - after one mini quiche, a cracker with cheese, and a Swedish meatball you've already downed 230 calories - pace yourself. Dig into the crudités, have one or two of the must-try nibbles, then wait for the main event.

3. Keep portion size in mind.
Knowing what a serving really looks like will help you to set limits. Some useful visuals to keep in mind: one serving of turkey measures about the size of a deck of cards (tip: white meat has less fat than dark); one

Attention, shoppers: Your day has arrived! The leftovers are stored, dishes are piled high, and you're exhausted. Yet, today is the day, the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday. Smart shoppers need to remember that along with the hustle and bustle, the steals and deals, comes pitfalls that you need to avoid. Follow these 12 tips to shopping success.



1. Shop with cash! It is much easier to stick to your budget if you are paying with cash instead of credit. Studies have shown that shoppers spend 25 percent less if they pay with cash.

2. Most stores will be offering tremendous deals, but compare which store will be offering the best deal for the item you are looking for. You may find the same item on sale at two stores, but one store may still be selling it for less.

3. Don't assume online coupons are just for groceries. You can print up online coupons on everything from toys and DVDs to beauty supplies and portraits. Use them - it's like free money!

4. Before you sign up for

Credit: Craig Honeysett/iStockOkay, so, it's sort of a trick question, but I as I was reading "5 Couples Reveal: 'The Extreme Ways We Saved Our Marriages'," I couldn't help but wonder how far I'd go to keep it together with the wonderful man I'm dating now.

The article leads: "Would you send your husband to boot camp? Install a stripper pole in your bedroom? As these five couples discovered, when love is on the skids, sometimes you have to take a big risk to get it back on track.

Every marriage has its ups and downs, but when you hit a really rough spot, where do you turn? Sure, there's couples counseling, but not every couple (and definitely, let's face it, not every guy) takes to it. In fact, just as every relationship is different, so is the recipe for fixing it. When you've got a good thing going - even if your relationship isn't as solid right now as you know it can be - it's worth taking some risks to hold on to it. And for people ready to try anything, there are some awfully imaginative ideas out there.

Cold and Flu? Not You!Go ahead - wash your hands 20 times a day and avoid anyone with the sniffles like the plague. You'll lower your odds of getting sick, but now more than ever germs are everywhere, and you can't dodge them forever. The key to staying healthy: strengthening your immune system to fight against the winter bugs you do come in contact with. Here are five easy methods to boost your body's defenses during cold-and-flu season.



Get a massage.
Massage lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which destroys immune cells, according to a study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School. It only takes a 20-minute weekly rubdown to reap the benefits, so solicit a backrub from your guy, buy a vibrating massager, like the Buzz Mini Massager ($20, brookstone.com), or book a professional massage (massage-therapy schools may offer discounted prices; find one at naturalhealers.com).

Take vitamins C and E.
You've probably heard that vitamin C helps you get over a cold