Do you consider yourself well read?

If you read the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in school, you might want to read it again. 

It made the list of the ten greatest books ever written, according to authors. Norton Anthologies asked 125 of the greatest living writers to select their top 10, compiled that list and broke it down to these final must-reads:

10. Middlemarch - George Eliot

9. The Stories of Anton Chekhov - Anton Chekhov

8. In Search of Lost Time - Marcel Proust

7. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald 

6. Hamlet - William Shakespeare

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain 

4. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov 

3. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

2. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

1. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

If you’re wondering where George Orwell’s 1984 is, that made the top 10 list from Goodreads at number 2, behind their favorite, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was number 4.

The next time you’re offered a receipt, say “no thanks.”

The paper used for receipts really is bad for us – and we shouldn’t be touching it. 

That’s because receipt paper has the same hazardous chemical that has already been banned in baby bottles and sippy cups. The BPA used in that paper is especially dangerous because it rubs off easily and is absorbed through the skin. That same BPA has been linked to an increase in breast and prostate cancers and other serious health concerns.

Thermal paper is also used for other things like airline boarding passes, tickets for trains, movies, sporting events and amusement parks, labels on prescription bottles or packaged supermarket items such as deli meats and cheeses, fax paper, and lottery tickets. If you scratch the printed side of the paper and see a dark mark, it’s thermal paper. 

When possible, decline the receipt, especially at ATMs and gas stations. If you must handle them, wash your hands as soon as you can.

You’ll need to be in the right place at the right time to meet that special person. Where that is...

In order to meet the right person, being in the right place at the right time is a good place to start. 

There’s an app for that now. Jetpac City takes your type and location into consideration and scans the area for likely spots to meet people with similar interests. Users of the app can upload Instagram pictures of where they are and what they’re doing for fun. 

Searching by type, it tends to find intellectuals at art galleries or museums, jet setters at airports lounges and sandwich shops, hipsters in coffee shops and pet lovers and the nearest dog park. Searching by gender it may guide you to the best bar or bike shop in town for men or find your girl down the street at the gym or salon.

If you’re planning a vacation, don’t book it from work.

Anyone booking flights and hotels for a vacation may be tempted to do some of that planning from work. 

But a recent study found that those who made their reservations from home ultimately wound up with a better trip for less money. The researchers found that travelers booking trips from work were in a bigger hurry, fatigued, and were more likely to settle for the best looking vacation rather than the right vacation for their budget and time. They also tended to book trips that involved more travel and unnecessary extras than those who considered all the details from the comfort of home. 

Do you have a knife block in your kitchen? Better read this...

When was the last time you washed your can opener or that knife block? 

Those are a few potentially gross gadgets in your kitchen that could be harboring Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. Microbiologists at NSF International, a global public health and safety organization, set out to find the filthiest spots in our kitchens and found these top 10 culprits of contamination:

1. Refrigerator water dispensers

2. Rubber spatulas

3. Blenders

4. Refrigerator vegetable compartments

5. Refrigerator ice dispensers

6. Refrigerator meat compartments

7. Knife blocks

8. Rubber seals of food storage containers

9. Can openers

10. Refrigerator insulating seals

Most of these spots are perfect breeding grounds for germs, which love dark, moist areas. A lot of us either don’t clean the spots that we don’t see or put certain utensils away in their dark spots before they’re thoroughly dry – and could slice, dice, dispense or blend contamination into our next meal.

Could you be headed for a mid-life crisis? The likely trigger...

If you know someone in the throngs of a mid-life crisis – don’t blame their age, blame their kids. 

According to Temple University psychologist Laurence Steinberg, having teenagers can significantly increase the odds you’ll experience mid-life angst. Dr. Steinberg studied more than 200 families and found that 40% of parents suffered a decline in mental health once their first-born hit adolescence. About one half of the mothers and one third of the fathers reported feelings of rejection and low self-worth, a decline in their sex lives and an increase in headaches, insomnia and upset stomachs. 

The good news is the terrible teens aren’t as hard on the kids as some might think. Dr. Steinberg says the hormonal changes of puberty have only a modest direct effect on adolescent behavior. Rebellion during adolescence is atypical, not normal and few adolescents experience the tumultuous identity crisis they’ve triggered for their parents.

Calling all musicians: How about putting those talents to good use?

If you’re a musician who would like to do a good deed – here's your big chance. 

Musicians on Call is an organization that helps deliver the healing power of music to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds in healthcare facilities. They encourage both amateur and pro musicians to get in on the gigs across the country. They could use the help of non-musicians too, in the form of donations of money, time or talent organizing the performances. To learn more about volunteering your musical talent, go to MusiciansOnCall.org.

Are you about to get fired? Watch out of these pink-slip red-flags in the workplace...

If you feel like you’re being set up to fail at work – you probably are. 

That’s one of the tell-tale signs that you might not be working there much longer. Here are some more to watch for from the HR pros:

• You get the cold shoulder. Bosses often become emotionally detached once they know you’re leaving. There will be less chatting and joking around. The same may go for your co-workers who are in the loop.

• Your considered negative. If you’re reputation for complaining or griping is growing, you’re days are probably numbered.

• Your projects are dwindling. If your workload suddenly gets lighter or more trivial, you’re probably not being considered for a promotion.

• You’re given a performance improvement plan. Most HR people will tell you that’s the last stop before you get off.

• Everyone else gets a raise but you. That's usually the beginning of either being managed out or set up for termination.

Do you have those family stickers on your car? What they’re telling the world...

Do you proudly display your stick figure family on your car? 

Law enforcement thinks you’re asking for trouble. Some of the more detailed stickers say a lot about your private life. Do you really want the potentially creepy character in the car behind you to know what gender your children are and what after school activities they enjoy? Do you want to advertise someone in the family is in the military and not at home to protect you? After all, your personal pride mobile will eventually be rolling right into that school or home driveway.

If you must adorn your vehicle with your adorable stick family, keep it generic. And add that sticker of a big attack dog next them.

Some of our favorite foods could wind up on the endangered list.

Did you know some of our favorite foods are actually at risk of becoming extinct someday? 

Because of changing eating habits, viral diseases and global weather patterns, some crops could become endangered or disappear in a matter of decades:

• Maple syrup: Production is declining due to lower levels of rain acidity, extreme weather conditions, and pest infestations.

• Chocolate: Changing temperature and rainfall patterns are hindering suitable growth conditions for cocoa. 

• Honey: Without honeybees, there would be no honey. Over the last several years, more than one-third of honeybee colonies in the United States have been wiped out from a disease called Colony Collapse Disorder. If honeybees ever disappear, countless varieties of plants and crops that depend on them will be doomed as well.

• Bananas: The devastating Panama disease is threatening the whole world now. It already wiped out popular banana crops in Latin America the 1950s. Now it’s jumped continents and is threatening plantations in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 

If you know you’ll be suffering with allergies this spring – start taking medicine now.

Spring has sprung and allergies are about to strike. 

If you’d like to stave off the watery eyes and runny nose, take your allergy medicine now, before symptoms start. According to allergist Dr. Jonathan A. Bernstein, by taking medicine early, you can prevent the inflammation from starting. Pre-treatment can significantly reduce your suffering. If you wait for symptoms to set in, they’re harder to treat and you’ll probably need more heavy-duty medicine to get them under control. 

Start taking your allergy medicine a few weeks before the season is in full swing. The pollen seasons are fairly predictable and if you know your triggers, you can pre-treat your allergies accordingly. 

Feeling Grumpy? Good. How to make the most of your misery...

If you’re having a bad day, here’s some good news. 

Researchers have determined that we can actually get more done when we’re grumpy. It turns out that a bad mood and negativity can boost our judgment, memory and communication skills. Miserable people tend to be better at decision making and less apt to be gullible or get taken advantage of. The study also found that disgruntled people make fewer mistakes and are more productive than the happy-go-lucky types.

When it comes to your boss and coworkers, do they like you? Do they really like you?

How would you rate yourself on a likability scale? 

Professional likability can go a long way and people who are liked by their boss and coworkers are more likely to get raises and promotions. Professional likability traits are hard to fake. They include being trustworthy, agreeable, caring and friendly. While you might not list those on your resume, you’ll need to convey those qualities to your peers and to higher ups. 

An effective way of gauging your own likability is with video. Record yourself having a conversation with the camera for a few minutes. When you’re done, watch it back – but turn down the sound. Do you appear interesting, warm and likable? Most of us can find something in our own body language we might choose to stop doing – or do more of. After that, listen to it without watching. Do you sound monotone, boring or insincere? You'll want to work on that to be more likable. 

Your last name could help pay for your child’s college tuition.

Is your kid scholarship material? 

There are some pretty wacky opportunities out there including some for short students, tall students, students who knit, surf or commit random acts of kindness. And believe it or not, your child could be eligible for a scholarship based on their last name. 

• The Zolp Scholarship is for students at Loyola University in Chicago who are Catholic and whose last name is Zolp. The student’s last name must appear on their birth certificate and confirmation certificate.

• If your last name is Gatling, you’re in luck at North Carolina State University. The John Gatling Grant provides scholarships for students who were born with a surname of Gatling or Gatlin to attend NC State.

• If you prefer Harvard, and have the last name, Hudson, Thayer, Downer or Bright. There’s a scholarship with your name on it.

• The Van Valkenburg Memorial Scholarship awards a scholarship to a descendant, by birth or legal adoption, of Lambert and Annetje Van Valkenburg. They’ll also consider variations of the name including Van Velkinbergh, Van Falkenburg, Valkenburg and Vollick.

If nothing but the best will do for your spring cleaning, here's the list...

If you’re ready to get down and dirty with some spring cleaning, you’ll want to stock up on the best cleaning product for the job. 

Consumer Reports put some must-haves to the test and has your list of what to buy:

• Paper towels: You’ll need a lot of those, and Bounty’s Dura-Towel wipes out the other brands.

• All-purpose cleaners: Pine-Sol Original is an oldie but goodie. At just $2.50 a bottle, it doesn’t leave streaks and is the best at removing soap scum.

• Garbage bags: Go with Hefty’s The Gripper or the Glad ForceFlex Tear Resistant Drawstring bags.

Martha Stewart’s cleaning team has also chimed in with their cleaning musts. To spring clean in style you’ll need a stainless steel bucket, a bamboo scrub brush, some natural sponges and plenty of lint free cloths and vinegar to clean your laminate floors and chandeliers.

Do you bundle your cable bill? How to cut those costs...

If you’re a bundler with your cable, phone and Internet bill – it’s time to call the cable company. 

While bundling might save us money on the three basics, there are usually several charges, taxes, and add-on fees bundled into your bill. 

A recent survey found that disgruntled bundlers who called their carrier usually struck a deal and either saved some money or got more for it. 92% of hagglers wound up with a lower rate, a new promotion deal, more channels or a discount on their bundled bill. 

We Americans LOVE Greek yogurt. So what do Greeks think of it?

Greek yogurt is all the rage in the United States and in Europe. But in Greece – not so much. 

As a matter of fact, most Greeks have never even heard of Greek Yogurt. In Greece, strained yogurt is called Straggisto. It was Turkish entrepreneur Hamdi Ulukaya who decided to label the yogurt from his company, Chobani, as Greek Yorgurt. In just seven years, Chobani became the best-selling yogurt brand in the United States and several competitors jumped on board the Greek trend.

Fage, an authentically Greek yogurt company actually took Chobani to court for falsely labeling its products as “Greek.” They lost the case in the U.S. but won on appeal in the British courts. In Britain, Fage can now label their product as “Authentic Greek Yogurt.” Chobani has to label its yogurt as “strained” in Britain, but it’s all still Greek in the U.S. 

You have two nostrils – so use them.

Chances are, you’re only using one nostril. 

For most of us, the nasal cycle is automatic, and switches between the two every few hours. Some experts say it’s why we roll over in our sleep, when it’s time to give the other nostril a turn. You can override that auto nostril cycle and actually put them to good use. Each nostril has a slightly different effect on the brain. Breathing through the right nostril taps into the left, creative side of the brain while the left nostril activates logical thinking.

Because most of us have a dominant nostril that handles the heavy breathing, it’s a good idea to force the other one into action every once in a while. We use more oxygen and raise the blood sugar when breathing through the right nostril and alternating them can help balance the metabolism. 

Get out your shopping list – and cross these “healthy” items OFF your list...

Some of the seemingly healthy items in your grocery cart are anything but. 

Reader’s Digest has a list of what to put back:

• Veggie Burgers: The processed, frozen varieties have more fillers than actual vegetables.

• Sliced Ham: Most brands have about 1/3 of your daily sodium in one serving.

• Energy Bars: Praise the marketing geniuses who figured out a way to sell these “healthy” snacks that often more sugar and calories than some candy bars.

• Bran Muffins: Depending on the size, a bran muffin can have more calories and sugar than a doughnut.

• Multigrain Bread: Words like “multigrain” “wheat” and “7 grain” don’t mean all that much. Refined grains can actually spike your sugar and trigger cravings.

• Reduced-fat Peanut Butter: The fat from nuts is GOOD for us. Get the real deal.

• Couscous: This exotic-looking grain is really just a tiny pasta.

• Sushi: One California roll is equivalent to eating two sandwiches filled with imitation crab meat. A spicy tuna roll is like adding another one and a half tuna sandwiches with full-fat mayo.

• Rice Cakes: So light and so airy—and chock full of sodium and carbs.

Do you actively participate in your child’s education? Why that might backfire...

If you hate helping with homework and teacher’s conferences, you’re going to love this study. 

Researchers from the University of Texas and Duke looked at three decades of statistics and measured the levels of parental participation with their children’s educational success. Their findings determined that no amount of volunteering at school or helping with homework resulted in measurable improvement in grades for the student. In some cases, it can actually backfire. Other essentially useless parenting interventions: observing a kid’s class; helping a teenager choose high-school courses; and frequently meet with teachers and principals. 

Parental involvement did not help with standardized test scores and at the middle school level, parents helping with homework sometimes even brought test scores down. The researchers did find that academically enthusiastic parents can be a great asset to the school system at large, securing extras such as better text books, playgrounds and after-school activities – but their children didn’t necessarily academically outperform those with school slacker parents.

Will you be donating clothes after your spring cleaning? Where they’ll likely end up...

Donating perfectly good clothes to the needy is the right thing to do. 

Unfortunately, the needy may never ever end up wearing your great suit or sweater. According to sustainable apparel consultant Shannon Whitehead, part of the 4.7 billion pounds of clothing donated by Americans annually actually end up in landfills. Some of them get recycled into rags and insulation and much of the clothing ends up in the markets of sub-Saharan Africa. 

After dropping off your clothes in public charity bins or drop boxes, the load is delivered to charity shops such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army. The clothes are then sorted, with only about 10 percent deemed good enough for sale in the retail shop. The rest is sold to textile recyclers, which ship tons of clothing in good enough shape for resale to countries including Ghana, Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

If you want to be sure you’re hand-me-downs will wind up on someone in need here, do your homework before dropping off your duds. Donating directly to a homeless shelter is a good choice. You can also give used business attire to organizations such as Career Gear or the Women’s Alliance, which provide interview-worthy outfits to disadvantaged individuals seeking employment.

You’re almost there high school and college seniors – what you NEED to do before you graduate...

If you know someone who will be graduating and looking for a job in the next few months, remind them to scrub their social media. 

This goes beyond the inappropriate spring break or frat party post. 94% of potential employers will be checking social media and hopefuls should be visible and prepared to look professional. Miriam Salpeter, author of “Social Networking for Career Success,” has some potential deal breakers to get rid of:

• Complaints. If you have used your social-media account to vent anger at businesses, bad drivers, former employers, your current boss or anyone else, remove as many of those posts as possible. 

• Political commentary. Refrain from political posts that make you seem extreme or inflexible in your views. 

• Anything that could be interpreted as insensitive to other people. You don’t want to give employers any reason to even consider the possibility that you might say or do something racist, sexist or otherwise discriminatory.

• Arguments. Employers might worry that people who become embroiled in heated debates online won’t do for most companies. Don’t show your temper online.

If your Wi-Fi is wimpy, try these tricks to improve your connection...

Does your home have Wi-Fi dead zones? 

When the signal is weak, streaming movies and downloading can be frustrating and most homes have some Wi-Fi barriers built in. Here are some tips from Eric Geier, author of “Geeks on Call” to beef up your browsing:

• Make sure that the router signals aren't impaired by barriers like brick walls, heavy furniture and metal objects such as tall filing cabinets. 

• It's usually best to place the router in a high position, such as on a high shelf or on top of a bookcase, to avoid barriers such as furniture.

• Use a Wi-Fi Analyzer app to locate the strongest signal in your home. That’s where your router should be, assuming there’s an Internet cable or phone jack nearby. 

• Pay your Internet service provider for more speed. To stream HD movies, you’ll need at least 10 megabits per second to avoid having the picture freeze up, especially if you’ve got multiple streamers at home. 

• Add a wireless repeater. It’s a small device that plugs in at the outer range of your router’s coverage, extending it. It costs about $40.

There are a lot of choices in the egg department. Which taste best...

Do you pay more for premium eggs? Save your money. 

Consumer Reports put several cartons to the test including white, brown, organic, free range and vegetarian fed. They served them all scrambled and the results found little or no difference between variety and price. They did, however, find one noticeable difference. Older eggs had a slight spinach or hay like taste. 

The best carton of eggs to choose is the one with the most recent “placed in carton” date. This is a three digit number on the end of the carton which represents the day of the year, out of 365. For example, if they were packaged on January 1st that code would be 001. December 31st eggs would be marked as 365.

You may be willing to live a green lifestyle – but are you willing to die green?

There’s a new “green” trend on the rise – environmentally friendly funerals. 

Some cemeteries are encouraging families to skip the embalming and elaborate caskets and do it the old fashioned way. Paul Williams, president of the Historic Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC, says green burial options are popular with pre-planning baby boomers and other socially and environmentally conscious individuals.

Green burials don’t allow for embalming or the use of any concrete vault. You’ll need an eco-friendly container such as wicker casket or plain wooden box without hardware. Flowers are still acceptable. If you’d like to save a green spot at Congressional Cemetery, they still have 2,000 available plots. Mr. Williams says you don’t have to be a lawmaker or Supreme Court justice, like many there; you only need to be dead.

There’s a brand new device on the market that staves off migraine headaches.

People who suffer from migraine headaches would do just about anything to make them go away – even if it looks a little odd. 

There’s a brand new product just approved for sale by the FDA that may provide significant relief from migraine headaches. It’s called Cefaly (SEH-fa-lee), and it’s a lightweight, plastic headband, worn like sunglasses – but on the forehead. It looks a bit like Wonder Woman’s tiara and may just be the superpower needed to battle migraines. Cefaly administers an electric current to the skin and underlying tissues which feels like a tingling or massaging sensation. 

In a trial of the device, those who used it for 20 minutes a day experienced significantly fewer days with migraines per month and used less migraine medication. Cefaly costs $295 and will likely be covered by insurance.

Keeping anger bottled up is bad idea, or is it?

The next time you feel the need to vent some anger – resist that urge. 

Venting anger and frustration can actually worsen our psychological state. According to Brad Bushman, author of “Social Psychology and Human Nature,” venting to reduce anger is like using gasoline to put out a fire--it only feeds the flame. He says it's drug-like, because there are brain chemicals and other behavioral reinforcements at work. If you get accustomed to blowing off steam, you become dependent on it.

If you feel you’re ready to blow, the best approach is to delay your reaction. Even just a few minutes can start to defuse the anger. If possible, remove yourself from the situation and do something completely different to distract yourself. 

Most animals are promiscuous creatures. A talk about the birds and the bees and some chimps...

When it comes to mating, most animals behave like, well, animals. 

More than 90 percent of the animal kingdom enjoys multiple partners – and some species are downright promiscuous. Queen bees, for example, may have as many as 40 partners. The male bees don’t get jealous because after mating with the queen, they die. Bonobo chimpanzees love to monkey around. They get quite creative with positions and tend to have several partners, both male and female.

The list of monogamous animals is a short one and includes swans, turtle doves, black vultures and termites. Wolves are also usually faithful to their mate. A typical wolf pack consists of a father, a mother and their young, much like a traditional human family.

Could you spot a good liar?

Bad liars are easy to spot. 

They generally fidget, avoid eye contact or just can’t keep their story straight. A good liar, however, can be a much harder nut to crack. Certified fraud examiner Pamela Meyer has some dead giveaways they often slip up on:

• They smile. A good liar often subconsciously displays a subtle grin during or right after the lie. It’s a reflex they can’t control if they think they just got away with something.

• They swear on a stack of bibles – or their mother’s grave. A good liar has no problem pulling out all the sacred stops to get away with a whopper.

• They repeat your question. If you throw them a curve, a good liar may need to stall for time. Repeating the last thing they heard gives them a moment to gather their dishonest thoughts.

Unlike bad liars, good liars often maintain a little too much eye contact. They also tend to freeze their upper body, as they concentrate on the details of their deception.

Are doctors any healthier than the rest of us?

Doctors may be good at doling out healthy advice, but do they practice what they preach? 

In some respects - yes. A recent study found that doctors, in general, are a bit healthier than the average person. They are less likely to engage in risky behavior such as smoking or drinking too much. They’re also less likely to be obese or suffer from diabetes than the average American. 

On the other hand, doctors are actually at greater risk than the average person for some dangerous conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, depression and suicide. 

A cat bite can be really serious. What most cat owners don’t realize...

If you play rough with your cat – don’t. 

Most people, and even some doctors, aren’t aware of just how dangerous a cat bite can be. According to Mayo Clinic surgeon Dr. Brian T. Carlsen, a seemingly minor bite from a cat can do some real damage, especially in the hand. Whether playing or defending themselves, cats typically go for the hand that feeds, pets or threatens them and feline bites are particularly dangerous in that area. Cat’s small, sharp teeth can easily penetrate the skin there, injecting aggressive feline bacteria. The tendons, joints and nerves are very close to the surface in our hands, increasing the risk of damage or infection. 

Dr. Carlsen says one-third of people who seek medical attention for cat bites on the hand wind up in the hospital. They often develop complications such as an abscess, tendon problems or nerve problems. Bites on the wrist or on a knuckle are three times more likely to lead to hospitalization than bites into soft tissue.

If you are bitten by a cat, it’s a good idea to see your doctor right away, especially if it’s on a joint in the hand - or if you experience any signs of infection such as swelling, redness, warmth or reduced range of motion. You’ll need to get started on antibiotics right away.

Got Raw Milk? Why the new healthy trend is not so healthy...

Some people go out of their way to find raw milk. 

But experts say they’re not doing themselves any favors. Raw milk is unpasteurized and not homogenized. While raw milk fans say it’s healthier and tastes better, the FDA disagrees. They say raw milk pose serious health risks, including foodborne illnesses from bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. 

If you think you need raw milk because of allergies or lactose intolerance, think again. The FDA also claims that pasteurization does not cause lactose intolerance or allergic reactions, nor does it reduce milk’s nutritional value.

Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear?

As the saying goes, liquor before beer, you’re in the clear. 

That’s a myth. The order in which you drink will have little or no bearing on how you’ll feel the next day. The words “liquor” and “never fear” just don’t belong in the same sentence. Here are some more drinking myths not to fall for:

• Hangovers are no big deal. Heavy drinking rocks the central nervous system. Along with feeling awful, you’re at risk of dehydration and a weakened immune system.

• You’ll be fine with just a couple of drinks. Even just a few can trigger hangover symptoms. Have water or a nonalcoholic drink in between if you’re having more than one.

• You’re off the hook with red wine. The tannins in red wine can trigger headaches in some people. Malt liquors, like whiskey, also tend to cause more severe hangovers. 

Do you have restless legs? What can be done to calm them down...

If you’ve got restless leg syndrome, or RLS, your parents may be to blame. 

One in ten of us suffer from RLS and the most common form runs in families. You are twice as likely to have restless legs if one your parents do – and six times more likely to suffer if your sibling does. So what can you do to stop that creepy, crawly, cramping at night? Change your daily routine. You’ll need a balanced diet and regular exercise. You’ll also want to cut back on alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, all triggers of restless leg syndrome. Compression socks and massage can help relieve symptoms too.

RLS can range from mild to intolerable and can come and go throughout your life. No one is immune. It can strike at any age from childhood on. For women, RLS is often due to low levels of iron and for men and elderly, it often goes hand in hand with a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. If you’re RLS is really bad, consult your primary physician. A vitamin or mineral supplement could help. There are some sedative drugs for severe RLS, but those come with their own set of risks.

Some apples are healthier than others.

What’s your favorite apple? 

It’s probably not the healthiest one available. According to apple research the crabapple wins in the nutritional value department. They’re the highest in antioxidants. Here is the list of the healthiest apples from the best pick to the worst, nutritionally speaking:

1. Ida Red

2. Red Delicious

3. Honeycrisp

4. Granny Smith

5. Courtland

6. Braeburn

7. Gala

8. Empire

9. Golden Delicious

10. McIntosh

11. Fuji

12. Golden Nugget

The Fuji and Golden Nuggets have less than half the antioxidants than the top picks, Ida Red and Red Delicious. Of course none of this matters if you peel your apples because all of the good stuff is in the skin.

If you use mouthwash, you need to hear this warning...

You could be rinsing your mouth with a health hazard. 

A recent study found that using an antiseptic mouthwash twice a day could increase your blood pressure – and your risk of heart attack and stroke. The study suggests that the mouthwash is killing off the good oral bacteria which helps to control our blood pressure. 

The American Dental Association does not recommend the use of mouthwash without a dentist’s advice. It is recommended for patients with oral issues such as bleeding gums, infections or post-surgery to promote healing, but most people don’t need it on a regular basis.

Excuse me, is this seat taken? That’s one of the top pickup lines of 2014.

If your go-to pickup line is “What’s your sign?” it’s time to freshen that up a bit. 

AskMen has a list of the most effective pickup lines of 2014:

• Excuse me, is this seat taken? This one gives the other person the opportunity to take control of the situation. 

• Would you like to dance? Don’t use it on someone who clearly doesn’t want to dance, or on someone who’s already dancing with their friends. Wait for a good opportunity.

• What are you drinking? Buying someone a drink is a standard. Asking them what types of wine or ale they like can actually be a good conversation starter.

• Do you come here often? This sounds cheesy but asking someone’s opinion about local hot spots or attractions is another good starter topic.

• Excuse me, can you help me with…? Have a specific question relevant to the location or atmosphere.

• Don’t you find this place…? Fill in the blank with what you think the other person is feeling, and you’ve already got something in common.

• Would you like an escort to your…? Car, table, elevator – again, fill in the blank. This could be scary to some people. Keep it light and innocent to avoid sounding creepy.

• Wow, I really like that. Comment on an article of clothing or a fragrance. Everyone likes a compliment, just be sure it’s sincere. Letting someone know they have nice eyes or a great smile can work wonders. Keep it non-sexual.

Falling asleep in that meeting? How to stay awake...

If you’ve ever been caught sleeping on the job, in a meeting or in school, it can be embarrassing. 

There are a few tricks to help you stay awake, even in the most boring situations. Try squeezing yourself. Really tense your elbows and your knees for about 10 seconds. This pressure will increase your blood flow and help you stay alert. You can also try rubbing your earlobes or wrists. Those are some other key pressure points that help to stave off sleep. 

If you’re planning a garden this spring – follow these golden rules...

It’s still early to plant – but it’s a good time to start planning your garden. 

Reader’s Digest has the golden rules of gardening you’ll want to follow:

• Near the house, you’ll need to leave room for growth and drainage. Planting things too close to your foundation can lead to long-term damage. 

• When choosing trees, do your research. Be sure your choice isn’t prone to disease in your area. Also, consider what they’ll drop. Some ornamental flowering and fruit trees can be a mess and a lot of work to clean up after.

• Think beyond flowers. Evergreens and shrubs add color too and are much lower maintenance than re-planting annual flowering plants every year.

• Don’t leave out the ground cover. Planting hardy varieties will save you lots of weeding, watering and money.

It’s a good idea to take pictures of the areas you plan to plant in. Find a good local nursery who can really help guide you with the right plantings for your taste, sun and soil.

Do you squeeze the very last bit out of your toothpaste? Don’t bother. Last drop values...

Frugal people may be tempted to use every last bit of toothpaste or shampoo – but it’s hardly worth the effort. 

The people at The Simple Dollar did some last drop math and for most products, you’re only saving fractions. For example, the average tube of toothpaste costs $3 and there are 50 uses in there. That last use which may take a lot of effort to get out of the tube will save you about six cents. You’ll save even less on the last drop of shampoo. Bargain brands boil down to about five cents per use and the more expensive stuff may be worth leaving the bottle upside down for.

Do you cross your legs? Cut that out.

If you’ve heard crossing your legs is a bad idea – you heard right. 

If you do that a lot you’re stressing the hip joints and compressing the veins. It’s a dangerous habit worth breaking. Here are some other postures to avoid.

• Locking your knees: Standing with knees locked puts undo pressure on the knee joints because the muscles around them aren’t being used efficiently.

• Your purse: Carrying it the same way every day can leave you with muscular imbalances and shoulder pain. Switch shoulders regularly.

• You slouch: Poor posture compresses the rotator cup against the shoulder blade and can lead to shoulder neck and back pain. The more you slouch, the more damage you’re doing. 

What do social media and plastic surgery have in common?

Do you like your looks on social media? 

According to a study by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, plastic surgery procedures are on the rise – thanks to social media. People who use a lot of social media like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook see a lot more of themselves and are tempted to photoshop what they don’t like, for real. Of the doctor’s surveyed, 58% reported an increase in plastic surgery requests in the under-30 age group, one in three of these patients claiming to be unhappy with how they look on social media.

According to plastic surgeon Dr. Edward Farrior, young men and women are looking at selfies which force them to hold a microscope up to their own image and often look at it with a more self-critical eye than ever before. The women are opting for cosmetic surgery and injectables and men are asking for things like rhinoplasty, acne scar removal and chin implants.