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12 U.S. Islands to Add to Your Bucket List—No Passport Required Maridav / Shutterstock You don’t need a passport to plan the vacation of a lifetime. In fact, you might not even need to board a plane. Traveling domestically means you don’t have to deal with customs and international airfare—and you might be surprised to learn how far U.S. borders stretch. From Caribbean islands to retreats in the Great Lakes, these destinations are as beautiful and diverse as they are convenient to visit....

12,000 Chairs Sold at IKEA Recalled Due to Fall and Injury Hazards Marlon Trottmann / Shutterstock When it comes to affordable furniture , there are few better options than IKEA. While mega-retailers like Walmart and Target have remodeled stores and introduced new furniture lines to attract more customers, IKEA is primarily focused on the home, meaning their warehouses facilitate one-stop shopping when it comes to outfitting your space. But if you recently scored some IKEA finds, you should know that the U....

14-Year-Old and Stepdad Die From Hiking in Extreme Heat—How to Know If You’re in Danger Lamyai / Shutterstock Warm weather is one of the best things about the summer season. But when temperatures reach extreme levels, it’s vital to consider your personal safety and the safety of your loved ones. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “extreme heat” applies to temperatures that are “ much hotter and/or humid than average,” which will differ depending on where you live....

15 Celebrities Who Were Nerds in High School Shutterstock Most people consider their favorite actors and musicians the epitome of cool. Sure, they might be famous and ridiculously good looking now, but some of these celebrities were the nerds the cool kids shunned—or even worse: didn’t even know existed—in high school. It’s not surprising to learn many former geeks-turned-A-list stars took refuge in their schools’ bands and drama club, but you’ll also find teacher’s pets and straight-A students who used the same dedication and drive to land on the honor roll to make it after graduation in Hollywood....

15 Songs That Will Instantly Boost Your Mood Halfpoint / Shutterstock There’s nothing worse than waking up on the wrong side of the bed or going through a day where it feels like nothing is going your way. We’ve all been there, and many of us turn to music to boost our mood in those low moments. You might not be able to explain why certain songs make you smile—even on the toughest days—but according to experts, there’s some science behind it....

17 Celebrities Who Adopted Children Shutterstock Conventional wisdom says that celebrities have it easy. Everything they want, they get. But parenthood—or rather, wanting to be a parent—is the great equalizer. For many people—including the 17 celebrities here—the journey to parenthood was one that required making a conscious choice to adopt a child in order to create what adoptive parents and children call “forever families.” As the mother of a daughter my husband and I adopted from China in 2005, I know firsthand that adoption is an emotional and often difficult road which often involves a lot waiting for a call or letter that can take years announcing that a child has, in fact, been matched to you (usually a completely random process)....

17 Genius Ways to Lie Like a Spy Shutterstock Unless you’re a compulsive liar or a professional con artist (honestly, we hope you’re neither), you probably find that lying doesn’t come naturally to you. Let’s be clear: that’s a good thing. Now, we’d never encourage you to take up the dark art of deceit, but there are cases in which lying is actually a good thing, and it would behoove you to be a little better at it....

17 Things to Know Before Googling Yourself Shutterstock Fact: Good, bad, or ugly, the pages that pop up when your name is entered into that search bar can influence what others think about you. In other words: if a potential date or employer wants to know anything about you, they’re heading to Google. And what pops up is the picture they’re going to get of you—so you should, at the very least, be aware of what that picture looks like....

17 Ways Retail Store Layouts Are Designed to Trick You Shutterstock You may consider yourself impervious to marketing tactics. But, as it turns out, every single time you set out on on a shopping spree, there are easily, at any given time, a handful of different behind-the-scenes endeavors deployed to ensure that you spend more money than you had first intended to upon entering the brightly-lit store. From inviting aromas to confusing layouts, nearly every retailer on the planet is guilty of using subtle tactics to persuade you to hand over all of your money....

20 Social Etiquette Mistakes You Should Stop Making by Age 50 Shutterstock There are few things more unpleasant than dealing with someone known for being impolite. Unfortunately, for many of us, not knowing the rules of etiquette when we’re younger often means we keep committing the same social faux pas over and over as adults, as well. So, what’s a person without a finishing school education to do? According to etiquette expert Karen Thomas, founder of Karen Thomas Etiquette , mastering some social graces, no matter what your age, will always serve you well....

2023’s Best Meteor Shower Lights Up the Sky This Week—How to See It iStock / Li Xiang Regular stargazers know there’s always something worth seeing in the night sky. Sometimes, it can be catching a surprise glimpse of a comet passing the Earth. Other times, it can be a special event like a solar or lunar eclipse. But when it comes to anticipated annual spectacles, most look forward to when the Geminids light up the sky with what can be the best meteor shower of the year....

21 Americans Infected With Mosquito-Borne “Sloth Fever”—5 Symptoms to Know <img loading=“lazy” src=“https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/06/2669098852_2472_featured.jpg?quality=82&strip=1&resize=640%2C360" onerror=“this.onerror=null;this.src=‘https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe7F7TRXHtjiKvHb5vS7DmnxvpHiDyoYyYvm1nHB3Qp2_w3BnM6A2eq4v7FYxCC9bfZt3a9vIMtAYEKUiaDQbHMg-ViyGmRIj39MLp0bGFfgfYw1Dc9q_H-T0wiTm3l0Uq42dETrN9eC8aGJ9_IORZsxST1AcLR7np1koOfcc7tnHa4S8Mwz_xD9d0=s16000';" alt=“21 Americans Infected With Mosquito-Borne “Sloth Fever”—5 Symptoms to Know - 1”> iStock This summer has been quite a doozy in terms of health news. A quick recap: COVID cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, the U.S. is dealing with concerns about bird flu , and there are new reports of West Nile . And now, unfortunately, there’s another insect-borne virus we need to be wary of: Oropouche, also known as “sloth fever....

22 Health Benefits Coming From Your Cup of Coffee Shutterstock If you can’t start your day without a cup of coffee, you’re most certainly not alone. According to a recent survey , nearly three in four Americans drink coffee daily, and 36 percent drink three to five cups of coffee a day. Moreover, nearly half of the respondents believe that coffee benefits their health—and, as it turns out, they’re correct. A new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that consuming a moderate amount of caffeine each day (about three cups of coffee) lowered one’s risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure....

27 Lies Everyone Puts on a Résumé Shutterstock According to a poll of more than 1,000 workers and 300 senior managers conducted by the staffing firm OfficeTeam, 38 percent of managers said that they have seen their company take a candidate out of the running due to catching them lying on a résumé . And yet, that same research showed that nearly 50 percent of workers are aware of someone in their lives having lied on their résumé, with that number rising to 55 percent for people between the ages of 18 and 34....

30 Home Decorations No One Over 30 Should Own Shutterstock Everyone wants a Pinterest-worthy home. And to get such a look, you may swap out your couch for a sumptuous sofa, or your floor lamps for tasteful sconces. But most people don’t realize that upgrading your abode—especially when you turn 30—has less to do with what you don’t have and more to do with what you do . For instance, getting rid of your vertical blinds is a far more chic move than simply covering them up with trendy curtains....

30 Subtle Signs Something’s Wrong with Your Cat Shutterstock While dogs make no bones about expressing their enthusiasm for their owners, treats, and toys, cats tend to be slightly more subdued when revealing their feelings. And while their notoriously aloof demeanor may make them the ideal companion for introverted individuals, it also means that signs they’re not feeling well can go overlooked. “Cats are very subtle animals. As a predator/prey species their instinct is to hide their symptoms and needs....

4 Major Carnival Cruise Line Changes, and How They’ll Affect Travelers Shutterstock Like airlines or hotel chains , cruise lines typically have their loyal customers. And if you’re partial to Carnival Cruises, there are a handful of major changes planned that could affect you in the coming months—some good, some bad. Read on to learn how future voyages will be different and how you can plan ahead for them. RELATED: Saying These Two Secret Words Will Get You an Instant Cruise Upgrade ....

4 Major Walmart Controversies That Led to Boycotts Shutterstock Despite being among the top retail giants (which reportedly rakes in over $610 billion per year in revenue), Walmart often finds itself under fire for shopper-experience issues, most notable among them self-checkout gripes . However, in recent months, customers have started calling for boycotts—and it’s not for the reasons you might think. Wondering what’s causing the chain’s fanbase to waver? Read on to learn the four major Walmart controversies that have recently caused a viral stir among customers....

4 Things You’re Eating That Could Be Making You Depressed SB Arts Media/Shutterstock Depression is an extremely common and complex mental disorder with many potential causes—genetic, biological, environmental, behavioral, and psychological—but one possible trigger may be something as seemingly benign as what you’re eating. Scientific research has linked certain foods with an increased risk of depression. “It’s not rocket science that healthy eating is associated with good health, but we rarely discuss the importance of healthy eating for the developing brain, arguably the most important organ in the body,” says psychiatrist Uma Naidoo , MD, who founded the first nutritional psychiatry service in the United States at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston....

40 Dumb Wordplay Jokes That Will Crack You Up Shutterstock Wordplay jokes are often derided as “lowest form of wit.” But they’re also the favorite form of humor for luminaries like Dorothy Parker, Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, Oscar Wilde, and even Shakespeare. How can an “art” form so groan-worthy be beloved by some many great brains? According to a 2016 study by University of Windsor psychologists, understanding and appreciating a punny wordplay joke requires both hemispheres of your brain, the left and right sides, to work together to decipher a joke’s meaning....