Blog Posts by Redbook

Farnoosh Torabi is an ace number-cruncher, but you don't have to be to handle your finances intelligently. Just know these figures to feel calm and confident about your future. REDBOOK.

$7,400: That's the amount that gets withheld from the median household income of $46,000. Do you know how big a bite gets taken out of your paycheck for federal tax withholding, Social Security, and Medicare combined? How about the amount that's left after state and city taxes and other deductions for insurance and retirement? To calculate how much you net, pull out your pay stubs for the past month (if you're married, grab your spouse's docs too). You can't even begin to get a grip on spending and saving if you don't have a clear picture of what you're bringing in. Now you know.

100 minus your age : The difference equals the percentage of your investments that should be in stocks; the rest should be in bonds. So a 35-year-old woman ideally has 65 percent of her money in stocks and 35 percent in bonds.

Read More »from The 10 Numbers You Need to Be Smart with Your Money

Every man - like every woman - is different, but this may explain what's going on next time you find him analyzing his fantasy team like his life depends on it. Not included: why he's taking so long in the bathroom. After all, some things should remain mysteries. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

Husbands need to feel needed
"For husbands, not being able to impress your wife from time to time is like Kryptonite for Superman," says Lois Barth, a relationship and career coach based in New York City. "Just think of the movies most men love to watch: lone hero in the town against the bad guys saving the day. That hero chip is hardwired into most men - as long as we let them be." Don't rush to do the jobs you dread just to tick another item off on your to-do list - asking for help can bring you closer.

Husbands show their love through actions rather than words
Men aren't as direct in expressing their love as women, and they aren't mind readers. They want to know what women like

Read More »from 10 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Husband

What's the best thing between sliced bread? Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien's guide to the yummiest low-cal sammies from your favorite restaurants. By Lisa Lillien, REDBOOK.

Panera Bread

SMART: The best way to keep calories in check here and still feel full is to go for the You Pick Two option, which lets you pair a half-sandwich with a cup of one of Panera's low-fat soups. Try a half of the Smoked Turkey Breast (210 calories, 1.5 g fat), Smoked Ham & Swiss (290 calories, 8 g fat), or Tuna Salad (250 calories, 8 g fat).

NOT SMART: Don't even think about the Chicken Caesar sandwich, which comes in at 750 calories and 33 grams of fat for a full size. The Italian Combo With Ham? That's almost a thousand-calorie lunch--and 41 grams of fat.

Related: Fall Shoe-spiration: 100 Must-Buy Shoes

Cosi

SMART: You can't go wrong with the tasty and not-too-spicy Tandoori Chicken Sandwich Light (376 calories, 3 g fat), which is topped with fat-free vinaigrette and roasted red

Read More »from Low-Cal Sandwiches from Your Favorite Restaurants

Do you work for someone buttoned-up or more laid-back? Between these two very different head honchos -- Marjorie Kaplan, president of Animal Planet Media and Michelle Visser, CEO of Burt's Bees Baby -- you'll get the answers you need on three common work dilemmas. REDBOOK.

1. You're talking to your boss when you start to feel tears coming on: Let 'em fly, or run for the ladies' room?

VISSER: "It's absolutely okay to cry in front of your boss, but it shouldn't become a habit. A few years ago, someone came into my office sobbing because she was overwhelmed. Coincidentally, a promotion was in the works for her, and a few days later I gave her the good news. Maybe she thought her tears had helped her, because from then on, she kept coming into my office to cry. You want employees to feel free to express themselves, but work isn't the place for therapy."

KAPLAN: "Do your best to get away--but calmly. Excuse yourself by saying, 'May I have a moment?' More often than not, crying is

Read More »from What Your Boss is Really Thinking When...

With the back-to-school madness in full swing, it's easy to feel overwhelmed as a parent. You're not alone. Our Mamarama bloggers admit that although they don't always know best, they always do their best. Here's what they've learned along the way. REDBOOK.

Mother and sonOn mommy instincts:
"We moms get good at reading our kids - I can tell just from the look in my son's eyes if he has a fever, and I can see a toddler tantrum brewing in my sweet daughter like a storm on the horizon." - Charlotte Hilton Andersen

On teaching lessons:
"I work hard to teach my children to be responsible for their actions, to think before they make rash decisions, and to always remember that there are real people on the other end of those feelings. These are lessons that I wish I hadn't learned with life experience but had absorbed the first 10 times they were told to me." - Carmen Staicer

Related: Top 5 Worst Lunch Foods for Kids

On defining parenthood:
"Parenthood was thrilling and challenging in so many ways…What I

Read More »from 12 Mom Quotes that Will Make You Crack Up and Tear Up

For her book One Good Deed (Abrams Image), Erin McHugh did one good thing every day for a year and found that those small generosities made her a happier person. "I used to get cranky, and then I'd get this 'not nice' hangover. Now, no hangover!" McHugh says. Try out these good deeds if you're stuck in a rut - happiness is contagious! By Ashley Niedringhaus, REDBOOK

Help someone stay in the game: somebody's got to win
"After combing through 53 pieces of paper included in a Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes, I found the correct information to send in Aunt Tessie's sweepstakes form." - October 24th

Enter someone you care about into a contest but don't tell them you've submitted their information. If they win, they'll be so touched that you thought of them, and if they don't, they'll be none the wiser!

Related: Top 5 Worst Lunch Foods for Kids

Make a big deal out of something little
"Geez, remember how big a deal it was to get your Halloween costume when you were little? How many

Read More »from 6 Good Deeds that Could Change Your Life

Give your biggest diet saboteurs a healthy makeover with these ideas from Molly Morgan, R.D., owner of Creative Nutrition Solutions in Vestal, New York and author of The Skinny Rules. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

Healthy makeoverInstead of a banana-split sundae...

Try...sliced bananas topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel and slivered almonds. The potassium in bananas helps maintain fluid balance to ward off dehydration, and the almonds will deliver healthy fats for beautiful skin.

Instead of apple pie...
Try…baked apples. To make, bake a small apple and top with 2 tbsp low-fat plain yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon. You'll get the same tart taste sans the fatty butter from the crust.

Related: Fall Shoe-spiration: 100 Must-Buy Shoes

Instead of tortilla chips and salsa... Try…1 cup jicama with 8 ounces salsa for a fat-free, low-calorie fix when you're craving something crunchy.

Instead of salty mixed nuts... Try…a few pretzel rods with 1 ounce roasted pistachios (about 44 nuts)Read More »from Junk Food Swaps for Every Craving

Hollywood's all-time most famous faces have us green with makeup envy. Thanks to these step-by-step instructions, you too can look like you stepped right off the silver screen. By Sarah Weir, REDBOOK.

• Fall Shoe-spiration: 100 Must-Buy Shoes
  

• 50 Totally Shoppable Fall Finds

• Don't Make These Hairstyle Mistakes

Become of a fan of Redbook on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
Read More »from How to Master 8 Iconic Beauty Looks