Reader's Digest

It was a bright spring afternoon along the Maryland coast, and Jonathan Bauer, 51, a technology executive at a hospital, and his 13-year-old daughter, Ava, were taking full advantage of it. They were driving with the windows down as they headed home on the 1.4-mile, two-lane Route 90 bridge, which spans the shallow waters of Assawoman Bay. Suddenly, the calm was disturbed by the squeal of tires.

When 16-year-old Grayden Brunet joined the Sackets Harbor, New York, volunteer fire department in 2017, he was the youngest on the squad by 20 years. He was so stoked to be following in his dad’s footsteps that he persuaded two classmates, Niklas Brazie and Dalton Hardison, to sign up too.

Steph Clemence always intended to go to college. But life has a tendency to throw obstacles in the way. Growing up, she led a nomadic life because her mother, who divorced and remarried several times, was always on the move. As a result, Steph attended five different kindergarten programs. By the time she was a senior in high school, Steph had lived in 25 places.

With news of gas and grocery costs continuing to skyrocket, it’s natural to want to cut spending however you can. Focusing on how to save energy and reduce home energy costs is a smart move, given that the typical U.S. household spends more than $2,000 per year on heating, cooling, powering electronics, lighting, and hot water.

Sometimes a little change is all you need. Our readers have formerly shared the family traditions that shaped their own parenting, and told us how they found a silver lining during the pandemic, but now they are telling us about the life-changing adjustments they made that warranted big results. These tiny tweaks made a huge improvement in their daily lives—and maybe they’ll spark some changes of your own.

Have you ever been cuddled on the couch with your dog and noticed him fixate on something on the TV? Maybe it’s another dog, a bird, or some other animal, or just some action taking place in your favorite TV show or movie. It sure looks like your pup is watching TV, but is it your imagination? We know that dogs experience color and light differently than humans do, so their eyes don’t see things the same way. So, do dogs watch TV? It’s one of those questions about weird dog behavior that pet lovers are always curious about, so we asked pet experts to weigh in.

Let’s be honest, fast fashion offers a quick thrill: cheap clothes that allow us to quickly refresh our wardrobes and follow the latest trends. However, these same fast-fashion brands have a lot of skeletons in their closets. You know how when something seems too good to be true it usually is? In this case, those low prices are made possible by shortcuts that harm the environment and the people who make the clothes.

Get ready to click “Add to cart,” because one of the most highly anticipated annual online shopping events is back. Mark your calendar, Amazon Prime Day 2022 kicks off at 3 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 12 and runs through July 13. You can take advantage of incredible savings from brands like Casper, De’Longhi, ELEMIS, iRobot, Levi’s, SharkNinja, SodaStream, Sony, and more.

If you’re online all the time (and we’re willing to wager most people are), you’ve no doubt been bombarded with the “accept cookies” pop-ups that appear on every website. And aside from wondering how to make them go away, the question you probably ask every time you hit “accept” is, “What are cookies anyway?” Some cookies are safe—there to offer you a more personalized user experience—while others are more nefarious, allowing you to be tracked and spied on, possibly without your consent.

Households across the country are feeling the financial squeeze of higher grocery prices. American families are dealing with food shortages and the highest inflation numbers at the grocery store that we’ve seen in 40 years. Everything from bacon and eggs to bread and juice costs a lot more than it did last year.

The benefits of online shopping are clear: Skipping the trip to the store saves time, doesn’t require a car, and affords access to a wider variety of products, often at better prices. And when you’re the shipper, there’s a distinct joy in shipping out your own surprises to friends and family, or the satisfaction of selling something online and sending it off to a new home. But all those packages we send and receive also use up resources and create a great deal of waste.

I’m a curly-haired girly, and my strands have undergone several phases through the years. First, there was the straight-hair-obsessed phase of my younger years, when the only power tools in my beauty arsenal were my flat iron and blow-dryer (the heat damage was REAL). Then after finally accepting that curly hair is a gift—not a curse—I leaned into all the masks, serums, shampoos for my hair type, and best frizzy hair products to feed my curls with the hydration it lacked. At this point, I’d mastered the curly-girl technique, but I wanted a break from my brunette roots.

If you thought your washing machine was self-cleaning, think again. Even if you have one of the best washers and use the best laundry detergent, it needs a proper scrub down every few months. Luckily, learning how to clean your washing machine doesn’t have to mean getting on your hands and knees. At least not when you have Affresh washing machine cleaner tablets, that is.

If there’s one thing that’s remained true over the years, it’s the old Irish proverb about friendship: “A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.” If you have pictures with your best friend, they’re surely cherished—maybe you’ve framed them, or you want to share them online for all to see. If you’ve pondered best friend captions for Instagram, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re a fan of achieving a dewy, flawless makeup look (and who isn’t?), there’s one beauty gadget to keep in your routine. And no, it’s not a makeup brush or primer—although they’re certainly essential makeup tools too. We’re talking about the Miracle Complexion...

Labor Day is when we honor (and celebrate) all those who work hard with a day of rest. Maybe you’re spending it at the beach for one last summer hurrah, giggling over Labor Day memes with your pals over a drink, shopping the best Labor Day sales, or just spending the day catching up on sleep. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, make sure you take some time to give yourself a pat on the back for all your success (and commemorate the success of those around you). Start with these Labor Day quotes that encompass what hard work really means, and why it’s important to raise a glass to all you do.

On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been set free. They were undoubtedly happy to receive this news about the legal discontinuation of slavery. But what a shame that the news of their freedom was so delayed.

The 4th of July is almost here, and you know what that means—throwing an epic barbecue, complete with 4th of July games, and catching the best fireworks display in your area. Or maybe it means planning a 4th of July weekend getaway with your besties…or ditching the crowds and watching a patriotic movie on your own. Of course, there’s no one way to celebrate America’s big birthday, and on your day off, you deserve to do exactly what makes you happy. What is that, exactly? Your zodiac sign can help you figure that out.

Let’s face it: Hackers love to prey on our weak and reused passwords. Most of us struggle to follow proper password hygiene, and using easy-to-guess passwords puts our online security at risk. That’s why Apple’s new “passkey” feature—which the company unveiled at its recent developer conference—might just be the solution to stopping cybercriminals and ditching weak passwords for good.

I’ve always considered myself “medium-maintenance” when it comes to my beauty routine. There are some products I simply won’t skimp on when it comes to quality—like prestige-brand foundation and high-end shampoo—which might make it seem as though I’m high-maintenance. But on the low-maintenance side of things, I’m honestly completely satisfied with my collection of affordable face serums and eyeshadows, and I often skip half the recommended steps in my daily skin care routine because I don’t have the energy at bedtime. See? It all equals out to medium-maintenance!