Blog Posts by Redbook

By REDBOOK

Before you decide to stay up for just one more rerun of Law & Order, consider this: Getting fewer than seven hours of sleep takes a heavy toll on your looks. "Decreased blood supply makes your skin's color a little green; overall fluid retention shows up as puffiness around your eyes," says David J. Goldberg, M.D., director of Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey. "And there's that intangible quality of just looking unhealthy when you don't sleep." Yikes.

On the flip side, getting a full eight hours (or more) gives your skin the time it needs to renew itself: "While you sleep, the reparative nutrients in your blood are delivered to your skin," says Goldberg. To make the most of your pillow time, apply a night cream before bed. "When that blood is pumping, your skin is most receptive to the ingredients," says Goldberg. "Also, the product is less likely to rub off while you sleep than when you're running around." Here, our top overnight creams, plus a

By Heather Cocks, REDBOOK

Our summer vacation, a family get-together in the North Carolina coastal hamlet of Duck, is rapidly approaching-and with it, a cross-country airline odyssey. We've flown with the kids before (three times before they turned 1 and then again in April), but the trouble with kids of this age is that we can rarely use the previous trip as a blueprint for what's to come. Every time, they're that much older, more developed, more mobile, more independent-and thus, more fidgety, more independent, more impatient, more likely to throw something right where an unsuspecting passenger is trying to rest his head. Maybe Peter Pan was onto something with that "never grow up" shtick. The older these two get, the more it's like wrestling an alligator to get them to observe social conventions.

Related: The Stress-Free Summer Getaway Guide

I've learned that the most beautiful sound in the world when you're on a plane is the sound of someone else's kid crying.

By Patty Onderko, REDBOOK

We can't help with baggage fees, zero leg room or the fact that you don't get served so much as a free peanut on flights these days, but follow this expert advice and at least you'll feel healthy when you land!

1. Stay Limber: Sitting in one place-especially if it's wedged between two large men in coach-for hours can leave you stiff and sore. "When you get up to go to the bathroom, stand on your toes and go up and down, pumping your calves; then grab each foot behind your butt, bending your knee to stretch your thigh," Biali says. You'll head off muscle pain and help prevent blood clots by boosting circulation.


Related: 18 Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

2. Unbloat Your Belly: The rise in air pressure during a flight can slow digestion, leaving you feeling...inflated. Counteract "airplane gas" with magnesium, says Ashley Koff, R.D., a Los Angeles dietician. "It's nature's muscle relaxant-it loosens muscles in the gut that control digestion and can ease

By Rebecca Davis, REDBOOK

Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder or building your own home business, harboring negative feelings about your job can poison every aspect of your life. Here's the good news: "While it may not always feel like it, we are each in charge of our own work-life balance," says Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines (which publishes REDBOOK!) and author of the new book Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life). Read on for Black's tips on how you can call the shots-and create success-in your own life.

Related: Your Secret Shopping Addictions and How to Curb Them

1. Break the rules once in a while: You've had a brilliant brainstorm-but it's a tough sell to your boss. You may have more luck if you buck protocol-skip the memo your boss usually prefers and get your plan off the ground without getting a green light first. "If you know your boss well, what's the worst that's going to happen?" asks Black. "Someone's going to

By Anna Davies, REDBOOK

"Work" is never going to be synonymous with "play"-heck, that's why they pay you. Still, you can find inspiration and purpose even in a ho-hum job. Bonnie Kelly and Teresa Walsh, cofounders of Silpada Designs, a direct-sales jewelry company with thousands of representatives around the country, offer tips to help you cultivate passion for your work.

Related: Refresh Your House in One Weekend

1. Tap into your talents: Bonnie and Teresa had always loved jewelry, but it wasn't until the duo started helping their friends pick out the perfect baubles that they realized what they were doing was not only fun-it could also be a viable business. "Uncover your own skills by noticing what tasks you love to do," says Teresa. Do you lose track of time when you're scrapbooking? Do you actually look forward to organizing your closets? Once you know your strengths, meet with your manager to figure out ways to capitalize on them-or scout out a new work environment where you can

By Ayana Byrd, REDBOOK


Wanna get to your 50th anniversary? Steal these to-do's from pairs who've been together for years (and years!).

1. Have crazy adventures: "We never wanted to be the couple that does the same thing every night. Recently, we went to the airport without a plan-and ended up in San Francisco."- Gloria and Herb Schoenfeld, married 52 years

Related: 10 Things Never to Say to the Man You Love

2. Set aside time just for you: "When we had kids, an older friend told me, 'When the kids leave, it's just you and him; don't be strangers.' So we created Friday-night dates and we still do it 30 years later. Friends call it 'Harvey-and-Delores time.'" - Delores and Harvey Brown, married 41 years

Related: 5 Dresses Every Woman Should Own

3. Wake up and fall asleep to a kiss: "We kiss every morning and night, though I've been guilty of going to bed angry. But whenever we don't kiss, I can tell the difference; the day feels incomplete. A kiss is a very powerful thing!" - Fairley and

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK


DEAR WHYS GUY:

Good evening Aaron, fellow Philadelphian male. I actually stumbled upon your article in REDBOOK. My sister buys the magazine, and it was in the bathroom (she's my roommate). So I read your article about male friendships. I thought it was pretty funny and informative, even though I don't have kids or a wife. On February 13, 2009, I lost my best friend. His name was John Pawlowski. He was a Philly cop who was killed in the line of duty. I met John on the first day of the Philadelphia Police Academy. I am not gonna go into the details or give you the sad story. You're from Philly and probably already know it. I find myself at 30 and single, with great career as a police officer, a nice car, a motorcycle, and a good group of friends. I am a pretty positive dude considering what life has thrown at me. I am writing you about one of life's age old questions. When is it time to grow up, and when the time comes, how do you? I have been in my career of

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK


DEAR WHYS GUY:

Whenever we walk around our neighborhood and I'm telling a story or talking about something, my guy interrupts me to point something out he wants me to see like a vintage car or a funny bumper sticker. He insists he's not being rude by interrupting and that if he waited until I was done talking, I'd miss it. Does he just think whatever I'm talking about is boring?

Related: 12 Hot New Things to Try with Your Guy

DEAR REDBOOK READER:

No, he probably believes that, "If he waited until {you} were done talking, {you'd} miss it."

However, if he's always in a position where he's interrupting you, then maybe you're not letting him get a word in edgewise.

Related: 5 Outfits Guys Secretly Hope You'll Wear

Instead of assuming the worst and deciding that he's acting rude and disinterested, really listen to one of your conversations and see whether you both need to work on how you communicate.

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Need help decoding odd male behavior? Redbook