Life Kit Tools to help you get it together.

Life Kit

Tools To Help You Get It Together

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In this vector illustration, a young woman wearing a red swimsuit, a white wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses sits on sandy beach, sunbathing.

Denis Novikov/Getty Images

4 ways to design a dreamy summer, according to a happiness expert

June 24, 2026 • Don't let the season fly by. Gretchen Rubin, host of the Happier podcast, shares exercises to help you get what you want out of summer. Fill out the printable worksheet and stick it on your fridge.

A diptych image of a jump squat exercise. Margaret Cirino/NPR hide caption

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Margaret Cirino/NPR

Want to improve your agility? Try these exercises that combine speed and strength

June 21, 2026 • These simple movements combine speed and strength to train your body's ability to rapidly generate force. They can also help prevent injury and boost agility.

Today, many of us have a veritable beauty counter in our bathrooms. It's easy to feel that if you don't use the right serums, acids, creams and masks, you're doomed to wrinkled, splotchy and prematurely aged skin. Do we really need all this stuff to achieve healthy, attractive skin?
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Beck Harlan for NPR

We asked skin care experts which products matter. Here's what they said

June 18, 2026 • We asked half a dozen skin care experts: Which products do you really need to keep your skin healthy and attractive? Here's what they said.

Collage: a father seahorse faces three smaller seahorses, representing his children. A speech bubble with a heart comes out of the father's mouth, symbolizing the advice given by fathers to their children.

Photograph by David Clode/Unsplash; Collage by Kaz Fantone/NPR

Perspective

'There is always a way.' 8 pieces of wise life advice from dads

June 13, 2024 • To honor the dads in our lives for Father's Day, we're sharing some of the best life advice our listeners ever got from their dads.

A vector illustration of a young woman relaxing in a hammock while reading a book in a wooded area.

Paper Trident/Getty Images

5 ways to read more books this summer

June 12, 2026 • So you want to ignite a reading habit this summer. How do you get back into the groove? We talk to reading enthusiasts for their best tricks — like allowing yourself to read wherever, whenever.

Beck Harlan for NPR

Your essential guide to skin care. Sign up for the one-week newsletter

June 12, 2026 • Spending too much time and money on skin care? Find out what really works to improve skin health and appearance with our one-week newsletter guide. Sign up here.

Two different hands holding a "C" shape to form a heart. Behind the hands is a picturesque beach at sunset.

Hannah Churn for NPR

My husband planned our 'just us' trip and it was perfect. Here's why it worked

June 5, 2026 • For a smooth, rewarding and drama-free couples trip, take as much stress out of the equation as you can — and get comfortable with the fact that a fight may arise (and that's OK).

A close-up image of water pouring from a faucet and overflowing in a clear glass above the sink.

Drinking water is one of the main ways people are exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or "PFAS." These chemicals have been linked to negative health outcomes, including certain cancers. show999/Getty Images hide caption

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show999/Getty Images

5 ways to reduce everyday exposure to 'forever chemicals'

June 2, 2026 • Mara Hoplamazian has spent years reporting on 'forever chemicals,' or PFAS. Here's what they've learned about what may help limit everyday exposure to the contaminant.

IMAGE: Dad changing baby’s diaper. Baby toots. Arrow points to daughter: My daughter Elika.
NAVIED: Uh, read any good books recently?

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

COMIC: To raise a confident little talker, learn to speak 'parentese'

May 25, 2026 • So you've got a baby in your life. How do you talk to them, exactly? In this comic, experts explain why conversing with your baby is important — and share ways to help them develop their language skills.

A medium-shot collage-style image of a native garden featuring clusters of various plants including purple Ohio spiderwort flowers and pale green mountain mint foliage.

Three years ago, this garden near the Kansas City metro area was a lawn. Now it's full of Midwest native plants — like the Ohio spiderwort and mountain mint pictured here —that attract plenty of pollinators. Celia Llopis-Jepsen/KCUR hide caption

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Celia Llopis-Jepsen/KCUR