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April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

Morning, go-getters! While you were sleeping, Zendaya endorsed bubble hems, a centenarian crushed a 3-minute plank, and a heroic dog babysat a wandering toddler for 16 hours.

Today we're serving up micro-habits that torch calories during commercial breaks, why your kids need less screen time (and more freedom), and cleaning hacks from a janitor-turned-TikTok sensation. Grab your coffee — we've packed this issue with everything from mental health resets to wine stain rescues.

WHAT WE’RE READING THIS MORNING

🧸 This "tantrum switch" has parents everywhere wondering where it's been all along

😌 Four emotional burdens you can finally stop carrying — despite what your anxiety says.

🩺 The breast cancer stage even Beyoncé's mom missed — what you need to know now.

👟 Is your daily walk secretly the perfect cardio? Experts finally weigh in.

🦸 They AI-transformed into action figures — the results shocked even them.

WELLNESS

Tiny tweaks, mighty results.

Ditching those extra pounds doesn't require a complete life overhaul. Small tweaks can lead to big results when you're juggling school drop-offs and endless snack requests.

THE HABIT STARTERS:

For the busy mom: Pay attention to portions. Your restaurant plate isn't the standard—it's usually 2-3x what you actually need.
For the multitasking maven: Turn commercial breaks into mini workouts. Two minutes of movement = 270 calories burned daily (that's 28 pounds gone in a year).

WHAT TO TRY: Fast-results techniques like putting your fork down between bites give quick wins. Smaller plates provide instant portion control — your brain's original diet trick.

BEYOND THE SCALE: These micro habits teach mindfulness in our eat-and-run world. When a strategy doesn't work (RIP, attempted diet overhauls), try another. Consider it health coaching disguised as simple tweaks.

BUDDY SYSTEMS: 2025's hottest accountability hack? A workout friend. Team up with another mom for stair-climbing sessions that strengthen both glutes and resolve.

PRO TIP: Pre-portion those snacks. Because we all know "just a few chips" somehow becomes an empty bag when you're helping with homework.

REMEMBER: You're not just losing weight; you're building habits that create sustainable change. Now that's worth putting down your fork for.

👉Looking for real-world inspiration? Discover one woman's remarkable journey through early menopause, the seven micro habits that helped her lose 50 pounds, and how you can apply these same techniques to your own health transformation.

PARENTING

The anxious generation.

That happiness U-curve researchers have tracked since the 1970s? It flipped in 2011, with today's kids experiencing unprecedented unhappiness. Jonathan Haidt's solution? Four digital-age norms to restore joy.

THE CHILDHOOD RESET:

No smartphones until 14 (flip phones are fine)
No social media until 16 (those "explosive drama" platforms can wait)
Phone-free schools "from bell to bell"
More independence in the real world (yes, like when we were kids)

The counterintuitive advice? Parent less. "The real work of brain development doesn't happen when you're with your parents," Haidt explains. That unsupervised play we enjoyed in decades past was actually crucial for development.

Don't mistake iPads for harmless entertainment either. Unlike TV, touchscreens are "behaviorist training devices" that work "the way a circus trainer trains an animal." When screens are necessary, choose 90-minute movies with moral storylines over 15-second YouTube clips.

TREND ALERT: 2025 is "our last year before AI really has a big impact on life," Haidt warns. The mission to "restore childhood" has never been more urgent.

REMEMBER: We're not just limiting screens; we're bringing back "that wonderful, fun, exciting childhood," complete with conflicts, failures, and adventures — away from parents. Now that's worth hiding the tablets for.

Remember bubble hems? Well, they're back with a vengeance and Zendaya's already on board. The poufy silhouette is bouncing down Simone Rocha and JW Anderson runways, officially making the "fashion don't" of yesteryear spring's hottest trend. Better grab one before this bubble economy pops.

SNIPPETS

This 10-year-old prodigy is about to make history with two college degrees and a near-perfect GPA — while most kids her age are still mastering multiplication tables.

While most centenarians celebrate with cake, this 100-year-old fitness phenom marked her birthday with a jaw-dropping 3-minute plank that's challenging people a quarter of her age.

A sports-loving dad transformed his daughter's pregnancy into the ultimate family betting pool, complete with brackets and predictions — and 7 million TikTok viewers can't get enough of his championship-level enthusiasm.

INFLUENCER HIGHLIGHT

Third-generation cleaning expert Brandon Pleshek is turning grimy into good times with cleaning hacks that actually work (and yes, he makes toilet scrubbing look fun). Our favorite recent tip? His ingenious method for rescuing wine-stained rugs without expensive products. Follow this janitor-turned-viral-sensation on Instagram and TikTok for "cleaning DNA" that's been perfected over 40 years of family business.

What kinds of influencers would you like to see highlighted next?

When a 2-year-old wandered 7 miles from his Arizona home, it wasn't the 40-person search party who saved the day — it was Buford, a Great Pyrenees/Anatolian mix who refused to leave the toddler's side for 16 hours until help arrived. Some heroes wear fur, not capes.

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