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New Jersey lawmakers postponed a critical vote to legalize marijuana — here are all the states where pot is legal

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states where marijuana legal map

  • New Jersey lawmakers on Monday postponed a vote to legalize marijuana.
  • Democratic Governor Phil Murphy couldn't marshal enough support for the bill in the state's 40-member Senate.
  • Despite the bill's failure in New Jersey, marijuana legalization initiatives swept the US last year. 
  • Recreational marijuana is now legal in 10 states; medical marijuana is legal in 33.

New Jersey lawmakers on Monday postponed a vote to legalize marijuana, despite support from the state's governor, legislative leaders, and 60% of residents (according to recent polls). 

The bill, which would have legalized the use and sale of marijuana for adults over the age of 21 and expunged the criminal records of New Jersey residents convicted of possessing marijuana, was a centerpiece of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy's campaign.

Despite the support, New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney pulled the vote at the last minute, as Murphy could not marshal enough votes to get majority support in the state's 40 member Senate.

"Certainly, I’m disappointed, but we are not defeated," said Murphy, per The New York Times. "Justice may be delayed, but justice will not be denied."

The bill's failure may not portend well for New York, where some lawmakers have said they will block any marijuana legalization bill that doesn't provide a pathway for minority entrepreneurs to share the new industry's profits. 

Read more: One of the largest publicly traded marijuana companies says the Farm Bill provides a 'pathway' for entering the lucrative US market

It's not yet clear when Murphy will hold a new vote to legalize marijuana. It's possible that the state's legislature will revisit the issue before the June 30 deadline for the next state budget, reports NJ.com

Despite the bill's failure in New Jersey, marijuana legalization expanded throughout the US and the world last year.  

President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan Farm Bill into law in December of last year, which legalized hemp — a plant that's roughly identical to marijuana but doesn't contain THC, a psychoactive compound in marijuana — nationwide. 

Hemp is also a source of CBD, or cannabidiol, a popular, if scientifically untested ingredient in many cannabis-infused products. 

In last year's midterm elections, Michigan became the 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana, and Utah and Missouri voted to legalize medical marijuana.

Deep-red Oklahoma also voted to legalize medical marijuana last year, joining numerous other states that have such laws on the books.

Read more: The top 12 venture-capital firms making deals in the booming cannabis industry that's set to skyrocket to $75 billion

Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana through its Legislature last year as well, rather than a ballot initiative when the governor signed the bill into law.

Ten states and Washington, DC, have now legalized marijuana for recreational use for adults over 21. And 33 states have legalized medical marijuana.

Marijuana prohibition began 80 years ago when the federal government banned the sale, cultivation, and use of the cannabis plant. It remains illegal at the federal level.

Overturning prohibition is one of the few hot-button topics with widespread support.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that 62% of Americans, including 74% of millennials, said they supported legalizing marijuana.

Last year was also a banner year for marijuana legalization globally. 

Last, October Canada legalized marijuana federally, becoming the first G7 country to do so.

Mexico's Supreme Court also ruled that marijuana prohibition is unconstitutional, paving the way for the country's new leader, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to follow Canada's lead.

Melia Robinson contributed to an earlier version of this post. 

SEE ALSO: Marijuana companies are using a 'backdoor' strategy to tap the public markets — and it's fueling an M&A boom

Alaska

Adults 21 and over can light up in Alaska. In early 2015, the northernmost US state made it legal for residents to use, possess, and transport up to an ounce of marijuana— roughly a sandwich bag full — for recreational use. The first pot shop opened for business in late 2016.

Alaska has pounced on the opportunity to make its recreational pot shops a destination for tourists. More than two million people visit Alaska annually and spend $2 billion.



California

California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana back in 1996. California became even more pot-friendly in 2016 when it made it legal to use and carry up to an ounce of marijuana.

The law also permits adults 21 and over to buy up to eight grams of marijuana concentrates, which are found in edibles, and grow no more than six marijuana plants per household.

Getting Californians to buy legal weed — rather than from the black market — has been challenging since the law took effect, The New York Times reports



Colorado

In Colorado, there are more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks and McDonalds locations combined. The state joined Washington in becoming the first two states to fully legalize the drug in 2012.

Residents and tourists over the age of 21 can buy up to one ounce of marijuana or eight grams of concentrates. Some Colorado counties and cities have passed more restrictive laws.



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The Frywall made famous on 'Shark Tank' is a game changer that reduces the mess of cooking — here's why I like using it

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

frywall splatter guard

  • Making delicious fried foods and other oil-intensive dishes comes at a cost: the mess of oil splatters on your body and surrounding kitchen space. 
  • The Frywall ($17.95-$28.95), a silicone kitchen accessory that fits into your pan like a funnel, is a twist on the traditional splatter screen.
  • It does a better job of containing oil splatters, doesn't cause condensation, and lets you easily access your food, so you can enjoy your food with less danger and less clean-up. 

Crispy bacon is an indulgence as integral to homemade brunch as pancakes doused in maple syrup and mimosas with a concerning OJ-champagne ratio. What usually precludes the excitement of digging into my plate of grease, however, is pure anxiety. As I dance around my stove avoiding the splashes of oil — sometimes successfully, most of the time not — I think, maybe one day I'll be able to cook bacon without breaking a light sweat. 

I know splatter screens exist but a few problems run common with traditional designs. They're made from the wrong materials and aren't heat-resistant enough, they cause condensation to form and weaken the frying intensity, or they block your pan so you can't check on or otherwise access your food. 

A new approach to the splatter screen, made famous by the show "Shark Tank" in 2018, is a better way to protect yourself and your kitchen from oil splatters. More appropriately described as a splatter guard, the Frywall is a BPA-free silicone funnel that fits into your pan and forms a protective wall around it. 

frywall splatter guard 2

Founder Yair Reiner created the Frywall in his kitchen after a "particularly splattersome duck breast" proved to be the last straw. His innovative solution provides protection from splatters while allowing steam to escape and you to access your food at all times. 

The Frywall works in all types of cookware (pans, sauciers, skillets, etc.) and materials (cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic, etc.), and there are three main sizes (8", 10" and 12"). It can withstand temperatures up to 450°F, meaning you can use it in the oven (as long as it's kept away from the open flame), and it's also safe to clean in the dishwasher. 

Read more: 18 "Shark Tank" home products that are actually useful

frywall splatter guard 3

I tried the Frywall in my own kitchen and can confirm it's a game-changer that reduces the mess of cooking. 

I used more oil than normal to see just how much the Frywall could handle. To my relief, most of the splatters that would normally hit me or the adjacent wall, which has received its fair share of greasy oil stains, stayed within the Frywall. It's not a completely perfect catch-all, but it worked better than splatter screens I've tried in the past to do its job. 

In general, it was larger than I expected. The walls are tall, obviously to catch the splatters, though that did make reaching tongs or a spoon into the pan a little difficult. But I could still see and access everything I needed in the end, and the overall cooking experience was easier because I didn't have to keep lifting up a screen to check on my progress. 

frywall splatter guard 4

Other than preventing splatters and bubbling oil spillage, the Frywall is great for keeping your food contained. I sometimes underestimate the number of ingredients I put in the pan, so I'm left with an overflow of vegetables or diced meat threatening to escape. With the Frywall, my inability to select the correct-sized pan wasn't as crucial because my food had extra vertical surface area to bump up against. 

All in all, I'm glad to have this $20 accessory in my kitchen now because I'm less nervous about cooking foods with a lot of oil. It saves the time and frustration spent cleaning up my stove and countertop after I cook, plus the Frywall itself is easy to clean. I don't have a dishwasher, but the silicone can be hand-washed, and the flexible shape makes it easy to roll or fold up for storage. 

Shop the Small 8" Frywall (4 colors) for $17.95 at Amazon here

Shop the Medium 10" Frywall (3 colors) for $21.95 at Amazon here

Shop the Large 12" Frywall (4 colors) for $28.95 at Amazon here

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REI is having a member-exclusive sale with 20% off — and more of today's best deals from around the web

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out our coupons page.

REI wedding registry couple

1. Save 20% on one full-price item and 20% on one outlet item at REI

Now that spring is here, it's time to head outside — but first, you'll need to stock up on the right gear. Luckily, REI is running a great promotion that'll help you save on outdoor gear and apparel. Until April 8, REI Co-op members can save 20% on one full-price item and 20% on one outlet item by using the promo code "MEMPERK2019" at checkout. If you're not already a member, you sign up for the lifetime membership. Although there's a $20 fee for becoming a member, it will pay for itself with all of your future savings.

Shop the REI sale now

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2. Save $400 on an ASUS Gaming Laptop at Best Buy

Normal laptops are usually not powerful enough to run PC games at peak quality, so gaming laptops are a must for hardcore players. Today only, you can save $400 on a 17.3-inch ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop at Best Buy. You'll also receive three free months of Trend Micro Internet Security and the Fortnite Frenzy Game GeForce GTX Bundle, which includes 2000 V-Bucks and a Fortnite counterattack set. For more deals and savings at Best Buy, visit Business Insider Coupons here

ASUS TUF Gaming 17.3-inch Laptop, $999.99 (Originally $1,399.99) [You save $400]

Cole Haan

3. Save up to 70% on sale styles at Cole Haan

If you're shopping for shoes that are equally stylish and comfortable, Cole Haan is a brand you should definitely look at — especially with the current sale. Now through March 29, you can save up to 70% on sale styles. Prices are as marked, so you won't need a promo code to save. Whether you're looking for casual spring shoes, comfortable dress shoes for the office, workout sneakers, or heels, you'll find many impressive pairs at reduced prices at Cole Haan. For more deals and promotions at Cole Haan, visit Business Insider Coupons here.

Shop the Cole Haan sale now.

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4. Save $24 on a Bosch drill kit on Amazon

Using quality power tools will make any DIY, repair, or home improvement project easier to tackle. It goes without saying that every handyman should own a drill and Bosch's 18-volt cordless drill is on sale now. As an Amazon Deal of the day, you can save $24 on the kit, which includes the drill, two cordless batteries, a charger, and a carrying case.

Bosch Cordless Drill Kit, $74.99 (Originally $99) [You save $24.01]

BirchboxMan

5. Get a free Harry’s Grooming Starter Pack when you sign up for a 6-month BirchBoxMan subscription

Rather than spending money on full-size grooming products, BirchBoxMan allows men to learn about and try new grooming products through a monthly subscription service. Right now, you can get a free Harry's Grooming Starter Pack, including a full-size face wash, shave cream, and moisturizer, when you sign up for a six-month BirchBoxMan subscription. Simply use the promo code "HARRYUP" at checkout to receive the promotion. For more deals and savings at BirchBox, visit Business Insider Coupons here

Sign up for a BirchBoxMan subscription now.

J.Crew

6. Save 40% on your order at J.Crew

With everything from spring casual apparel to workwear, J.Crew has stylish clothes that just about anybody will like — and the prices are really hard to beat right now. Until March 27, you can save 40% on full-price and sale styles by using the promo code "POPUP" at checkout. For more deals and savings at J.Crew, visit Business Insider Coupons here

Shop the J.Crew sale now.

butcherbox thumb 2

7. Get free ground beef for life when you sign up for a ButcherBox meat subscription

ButcherBox is a subscription service for grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and pasture-raised beef, chicken, and pork that lets you choose from one of the few curated boxes or create your own. Regardless of which box you choose, new members can now get two pounds of ground beef for free with every delivery for the life of your subscription.

Sign up for ButcherBox now.

Bear Mattress

8. Save up to $200 on Bear Mattresses and get two free pillows

Named the best mattress for hot sleepers in our buying guide, Bear Mattresses are designed to keep you cool and comfortable at night. Additionally, the mattresses feature Celliant, a material that converts heat from the body into far infrared — a type of energy that’s been proven to help rebuild cells. The technology can help you wake up feeling well-rested and free of aches and pains, plus, you won't break a sweat in your sleep. Right now, you can save $100 on any purchase of $500 or more by using the promo code “SPRING100” or get $200 off any purchase of $1,200 or more by using the promo code “SPRING200” at checkout. Plus, you’ll receive two free pillows.

Shop the Bear Mattress sale now.

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17 top-rated products to clean every room in your house

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Household cleaning products 4_3

  • Cleaning your entire house isn't as intimidating a process when you have all the right cleaning products for each and every room. 
  • We found 17 top-rated cleaners, appliances, and tools that people swear by to clean their bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms.
  • They include a high-tech robot vacuum, a classic hand duster, and multi-use tools designed to save time, energy, and space. 

Even the thought of cleaning tires me out, and I usually have to spend a few hours (ok, more like days) mentally preparing for the chore. 

However, I've found that once I start cleaning one of the rooms in my apartment, I get into a productive groove that whisks me from bathroom to kitchen to living room to bedroom with montage-like ease.

Having both the mental strength to clean and a proper toolkit of products on hand will help you reach this cleaning groove and get the chore over as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

If you're equipped with thorough, durable, and easy-to-use cleaners and appliances, you can clean your entire home and barely break a sweat in the process. 

What products should you fill your cleaning basket with? We looked to the top-rated ones first to see what everyone else swears by to catch dust bunnies, clear out clogged drains, and make their countertops sparkle as much as when they first moved in. 

These 17 cleaning products are all highly rated best sellers you can use throughout your house, from the bathroom to the living room. 

SEE ALSO: 11 top-rated bathroom cleaners and tools to get rid of mold and grime in your shower

Anywhere: Dyson V10 Absolute Cordless Vacuum

Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner, $526.33, available at Amazon | Also available at: Best Buy, Walmart, and Target

Though $500 can seem like a lot to pay for a vacuum, the V10's powerful and thorough cleaning capabilities make every dollar worth it. The battery only runs when you push on the trigger and it lasts for up to 60 minutes, letting you clean your whole apartment more efficiently than ever before. It comes with two cleaner heads (one for hardwood floors and one for carpet) and four additional tools so you can reach every inch of any surface. 

 



Anywhere: iRobot Roomba 690 Robot Vacuum

iRobot Roomba 690 Robot Vacuum with Wi-Fi/Alexa, $297.49, available at Amazon | Also available at: Best Buy, Target, and Home Depot

If you absolutely hate cleaning, let a robot vacuum do the work for you. While you're outside of the house, it can make use of all that empty time to clean your house and even automatically return to its docking station to recharge. It senses where there are concentrated areas of dirt and moves around your furniture so you won't return home to find it jammed in a corner.

The app lets you schedule cleaning sessions anywhere, while Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility integrate it seamlessly into your smart home set up. 

 



Anywhere: Clorox Wipes

Clorox Value Pack Scented Disinfecting Wipes (3-pack, 225-count), $10.59, available at Target | Also available at: Walmart

You'll see these bleach-free wipes in nearly everyone's cleaning cabinet because they're thick and durable, kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, and come in three fresh scents. They dispense easily out of the canister and dry quickly, plus they're safe on hard and nonporous surfaces like finished hardwood, sealed granite, and stainless steel. 



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AmEx Platinum cardholders get up to $200 in airline fee credits each year — here's how to use them

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Personal Finance Insider writes about products, strategies, and tips to help you make smart decisions with your money. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

AmEx American Express Platinum

One of the major benefits that comes with the AmEx Platinum Card is up to $200 each calendar year in airline fee credits.

You can also get up to $100 in airline fee credits with the American Express® Gold Card, or up to $250 with the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express.

Unlike many of the other credits offered by the AmEx Platinum Cardup to $200 annually in Uber credits, for instance — or on other cards — a $300 annual travel credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example — the airline credit is based on the calendar year, not the card membership year. That means that depending on when you open the card, you may be able to earn it twice in one cardmember year.

Using the airline fee credit is potentially easy, depending on how often you fly. 

Each year, you have to select one airline for the credit to apply to— Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or United Airlines. If you don't make a selection, it will default to the previous year's airline. Then, any time you use your card for eligible purchases, the statement credit will be automatically applied until it's used up.

The airline fee credit is meant to be used for things like checked bags, lounge day passes, change fees, on-board food or drinks, and other similar incidental expenses.

Users have reported that there are a number of other things that the credits will apply to. Because these are technically not supported by AmEx, there's no guarantee that they continue to work, but as of now, they seem to.

The best "off label" option seems to be purchasing gift cards at certain airlines, according to travel website The Points Guy (an Personal Finance Insider affiliate partner). $50 gift card purchases at Delta seem to work (when you use the desktop website to buy them), along with Southwest gift cards — American Airlines gift cards under $100 used to trigger the credit, but this appears to no longer be the case. Flights under $100 at JetBlue and Alaska Airlines seem to count, while the best options for United and Hawaiian Airlines users may be seat upgrades for future flights.

Try Googling your airline of choice to find tips and reports on what triggers the credit. If you play your card right, you might be able to get $600 in value from just the airline credit within your first year of card membership.

Click here to learn more about the AmEx Platinum from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

SEE ALSO: The best credit card rewards, bonuses, and benefits of 2019

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This automatic espresso machine makes customized drinks with just one button — here's why it's worth $1,500

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Saeco PicoBaristo

  • A high-qualityespresso machineshould be easy to use, require minimal maintenance, and make a broad array of coffee drinks.
  • I like the Saeco PicoBaristo Super Automatic Espresso Machine because I don’t have to grind coffee beans, try to get used grounds out of the filter, or purchase a separate milk frother — it does it all. 
  • Though it’s on the expensive side (currently $1,499 on Amazon), it makes eight drinks that are endlessly customizable to suit your preferences, and more importantly, easy enough for a person dealing with incredible caffeine withdrawal to use.

I drink between two to eight shots of espresso every day — and it’s been this way for more than 15 years. I figured out pretty early on that if I was going to sustain my low-key addiction, I would have to make my own drinks, so I purchased a cheap espresso machine and called off my long-term relationships with the local baristas. Since then, I’ve used electric units that range from $40 to $2,400, and in my experience, you get what you pay for.

One top name in high-end espresso machines is Saeco, an Italian company that was the first to launch a fully automatic espresso machine. Saeco bought another legacy espresso brand, Gaggia, in 1999, and as of 2009, it became a subsidiary of Philips, the Dutch electronics company.

Recently, Saeco sent me a PicoBaristo Super Automatic Espresso Machine to test out at home. Here are my experiences with it.

Design

There are two main styles of the Saeco PicoBaristo: the HD8924/47 (“the 24”) and the HD8927/47 (“the 27”), which I tried out. The main differences have to do with the number of drinks the units can make and how milk is dispensed — the 27 makes more drinks than the 24 and the 24 doesn’t come with a milk carafe. Instead, you put the tube from the milk frother into your own cup to create that frothy goodness, while the 27 comes with a removable carafe that is conveniently attached to the machine itself. The 27 is also currently about $600 more expensive and has better reviews on Amazon.

The design of the 27 is fairly straightforward albeit slightly clumsy. The water tank and bean hopper are located at the top of the unit. You can remove the tank and fill it at your sink, though I prefer using a pitcher since the tank’s awkward shape makes it hard to maneuver without spilling. The bean hopper isn't removable so you have to dump beans into it and then adjust how coarse or fine you prefer your grind.

Read more: The best espresso machines you can buy

Specs

The overall size of the 27 is about 13-by-9-by-17, so it takes up a fair amount of counter space but will still fit under most cabinets. You can also fit coffee cups up to four inches tall under the spout.

The PicoBaristo can make eight different drinks, like a latte macchiato, ristretto, and flat white. The brand says that you can make 11 drinks with the machine but there are two sizes for cappucinos and espressos as well as a hot water option for tea or ramen, so technically, it's just eight different coffee drinks. 

The unit gives you the ability to choose from five brew strengths, three different temperature options, and 10 different levels of granularity. The drink size — which it calls “length” — is also adjustable. Because there are so many customizable aspects, if you have a particular drink you enjoy regularly, definitely save it using the "Memo" function.

Saeco PicoBaristo

Setup process

The overall set-up process took me about 15 minutes and was quite easy except for one hiccup. After you remove the packaging, the first step is to fill the water tank. Then inexplicably, you’re told to “Press the OK button to confirm.” At this point, I hadn't been instructed to plug in and turn on the machine so I did that in order to register my button press which led to a series of other missteps that caused me to complete the set-up out of order. This didn’t result in any real problems, but my advice is to skip pressing the OK button entirely, but if you do, you’ll be fine.

The rest of the steps include selecting a preferred language, adding coffee beans, inserting the hot water spout, priming the machine with water, and installing the AquaClean water filter.

Read more: The best milk frothers you can buy

What makes this espresso machine stand out

The milk frothing process is incredibly easy. You just fill the carafe with milk — cow, soy, almond, whatever — and plug it into the unit where the hot water spout is located, then open the milk dispensing spout and choose a drink. Once the milk is done frothing, one press of another button cleans the spout. You can also put the entire carafe in the refrigerator to keep your milk fresh. The results rivaled what you might get at a good, independent coffee shop; I was impressed with the light, fluffy froth the PicoBaristo produced.

The PicoBaristo takes about two-and-a-half minutes from when I turn on the machine to the moment I have my double espresso in hand. The shots are strong, dark, have the level of bitterness I look for, and are also topped with a nice, thin layer of crema.

Keeping the PicoBaristo clean is effortless too. The machine tells you when to empty the drip tray underneath the unit or the grounds drawer, which is around every 15 shots of espresso for me, or you know, two days. There's also a user manual that provides a schedule for cleaning the brew group and milk carafe (both weekly), lubricating the brew group (monthly), replacing the AquaClean filter (about every 600 shots), and descaling (varies). This may sound like a lot, but each maintenance step takes only a few seconds or minutes to complete.

Lastly, I like that the machine tells me when it needs more beans or water. Cheaper machines will just run without these key ingredients, which can be harmful to the machine and annoyingly increases the time until I get my espresso. Bean and water level aren't the only warnings though; the unit will also let you know if the grounds drawer is full or the filter needs replacing, or even if the milk carafe isn't properly inserted.

Saeco PicoBaristo Super Automatic Espresso Machine

Cons to consider

For espresso, I usually use the Saeco Xelsis Super Automatic Espresso Machine, which puts everything else I’ve tried to shame. But at around $2,400, it’s impractical for most buyers. I don’t bring this machine up to brag but I do mention it so you’ll take my criticisms of the PicoBaristo with a grain of salt.

The first of which is that the design of the PicoBaristo’s bean hopper could use some tweaking. The Xelsis has a  conical hopper that allows the beans to feed easily into the grinder while PicoBaristo’s hopper is long and very narrow at points, which doesn’t allow gravity to do its work guiding the beans into the grinder. This means that you have to “mind the beans” more often than with a conical design. That being said though, I like that the PicoBaristo automatically grinds the beans for me and indicates when it needs more.

The positioning of the milk carafe and espresso spouts are also a little awkward. If you want to make a drink with milk, you need a cup that is sized just right to catch both the frothed milk and espresso, otherwise the left spout will likely miss your cup all together and send half of your espresso into the drip tray. This happened a couple of times before I wised up and made the milk and espresso separately by removing the milk carafe to get better access to the espresso spout. On the other hand, you might consider purchasing special mugs, such as the Libbey Tempo Glass Mugs.

The bottom line

The Saeco PicoBaristo is not the best espresso machine I’ve ever used (that title goes to the Xelsis), but it is the best I’ve used at its price point. The PicoBaristo delivers a wide range of coffeehouse-quality drinks in a matter of minutes with minimal effort, mess, clean-up, or maintenance. If you have room for it in your budget, I strongly recommend the Saeco PicoBaristo.

Pros: Eight coffee varieties, ability to customize the strength and size of drinks, grinds beans, collects used grounds, easy to clean and maintain

Cons: Bean hopper is small and oddly shaped, larger mugs may not fit under the spouts correctly

Buy the Saeco HD8927/47 PicoBaristo Super Automatic Espresso Machine on Amazon for $1,499.99

Buy the Saeco HD8924/47 PicoBaristo AMF Automatic Espresso Machine on Amazon for $903.86

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Forget the hotel bar: Champagne vending machines are making their way into hotel lobbies, and people are paying as much as $25 per mini-bottle for the perk

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champagne vending machine

  • The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida recently unveiled a champagne vending machine in its hotel lobby.
  • Guests purchase a $25 gold coin at reception, which is inserted to dispense one of two Moët & Chandon varieties. The historic brand is a part of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH.
  • The machines, stocked exclusively with Moët & Chandon, are growing in popularity. Currently, other locations include hotels in New Orleans, Baltimore, and Las Vegas, along with temporary installments at several bars.
  • Champagne vending machines are one of many ways in which hotels are reinventing the way they serve guests drinks.

Forget the hotel bar: The latest in luxury is the Champagne vending machine.

According to a recent report from Robb Report, the Naples Ritz-Carlton is the latest hotel to feature the luxury amenity. The vending machines are stocked exclusively with Moët & Chandon Champagne, a major house of luxury goods brand LVMH. Machines offer two types in 200 mL bottles — Imperial Brut and Imperial Rosé — and are dispensed with a complimentary flute.

Read more: You're probably opening Champagne the wrong way — and serving it in the wrong glass. Here's what you should be doing instead, according to an expert

The vending machine requires a $25 gold coin — emblazoned with the Moët & Chandon logo — to dispense the drink of choice. Guests visit the front desk for a coin, where they are required to show identification, but the perk comes at a premium.

For price comparison, a non-vending-machine-dispensed 200 mL bottle of the same Champagne retails for around $17 to $22, while similarly sized bottles (187 mL) can be found across the US for as little as $11.

The Naples location is the second Ritz-Carlton to unveil the luxury service: The Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans debuted a machine last year. The machines are permanently installed at several other hotel locations, including the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore and The Mandarin Oriental Hotel — now called the Waldorf Astoria — in Las Vegas. 

High-profile events have also featured the vending machines — which hold 320 bottles — as a luxury rental, such as the Golden Globes. Just this month, Business Insider's Hillary Hoffower observed a Moët & Chandon vending machine at the glamorous Shops at Hudson Yards opening.

Though the machines are fairly new to the United States, they first appeared at a Selfridge's Christmas display in 2013, with special bottles adorned with Swarovski crystals. Since then, they have slowly appeared elsewhere, including celebrity posts on social media. In addition to hotels, the vending machines have appeared temporarily at bars, including Arnaud's French 75 in New Orleans, Mama Lion in Los Angeles, and All Bar One in London.

Champagne vending machines are just one of the many ways high-end hotels are reinventing how their guests are served drinks. As Business Insider's Lina Batarags previously reported, "Offering expanded drink options to guests at their own convenience is just one of many ways hotels work to provide services that make them feel comfortable and noticed."

Those expanded offerings come in the shape of the Landmark Mandarin Oriental's "Cabinet of Delights," which puts boutique wines on tap and a mixologist booth right in the guest's suite; the Darcy Washington DC's "cocktail butler," who, as reported by Bloomberg, comes to a guest's room and spends up to 30 minutes mixing up craft cocktails; or the many high-end hotels that offer drink trolleys in the hallways and expanded in-room minibars.

SEE ALSO: The vest vending machine at San Francisco's airport is getting mocked, but it rings up $10,000 in sales every month

NOW READ: This is why you should always decant your wine — Champagne included

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I spent a week asking parents to share their top parenting tips — here are the 9 best things they told me

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parents with new baby

  • Becoming a new parent can be an overwhelming experience.
  • I spent a week asking parents I knew for their best pieces of parenting advice.
  • They told me to make mistakes in front of my child, let them take risks, and not to forget to save some time for just myself.

Parenting is as overwhelming as it is gratifying — and it’s overwhelming long before it’s gratifying, in my opinion.

I remember preparing to be discharged from the hospital one day after my daughter was born. My husband and I looked at each, our faces distorted in confusion, and then we looked at the nurses.

They were letting us go? With the baby? Who would take care of her? How would she survive?

For new parents, gathering wisdom from people in a similar situation can provide some comfort. That's why for the past week, I asked every parent I knew for their best parenting advice. Their advice ranged allowing your child to take risks to remembering to take some time for just yourself.

Here are the nine best pieces of advice I got from parents.

SEE ALSO: We give our child at least half an hour of playtime before school, and it's made all our mornings better

DON'T MISS: Prince Harry is reportedly asking the queen for paternity leave — here are 6 things millennial dads do that their parents didn't

Have dinner with your kids

Between work, school and extra-curricular classes, life with kids can feel incredibly busy. Treating a single part of your day as sacred family time is one way to help slow the pace down and prioritize connecting with one another.

For Kekona, a statistician and a father of two, that dedicated time is dinner — without screens, toys or other distractions. He told me he and his family might share the day’s highs and lows around the table. The idea is simply to be present and together.

If dinner doesn’t work in your schedule, pick another time of day. Beatriz, a preschool teacher, said she makes the morning special with her young daughter, even if it’s just 20 minutes. She sings a good-morning lullaby, opens the curtains with her child, looks at a wall of family photos, gets her dressed, and so on.

“Having this focused time together allows for joyful conversation each day and makes our mornings that much smoother,” Beatriz said. “And it really does help lessen my stress each morning.”



Talk about your emotions with them

Research shows that conversing with young children promotes brain growth and verbal aptitude. It’s not the volume of words that matter, rather that the verbal connection involves some authentic back-and-forth between parties.

Jordan, a writer and a father, recommended talking with your child about emotions in particular. Name and be honest about your own emotions, he says. This follows the teachings of author and psychiatrist Dan Siegel, who coined the phrase “name it to tame it.”

The idea is that when children — and adults — can name the feeling they’re dealing with in a given moment, they are more likely to respond in a reasonable way. Parents can model this through their own emotional conversations.

“Children are shockingly intuitive, and nothing will undermine their confidence like a parent trying to save face by saying ‘everything is fine,’ when it is not," he said.

"Kids understand and appreciate honesty. Putting (your) feelings into words isn't just setting an example for your child to be comfortable with their own emotions, it's also good practice to step back and reassess your own self when it's needed most.”



Make mistakes and keep trying

For Caro, an entrepreneur and dad of two, the business world has informed his parenting philosophy: Make mistakes, and be OK with those mistakes.

When kids see the adults in their lives try and fail, then get up and try again, they are more likely to embody a similar flexibility and sense of resilience.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The White House will get the Mueller report before the public does in case it wants to make redactions, Barr says

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Donald Trump

  • Attorney General William Barr will send the special counsel Robert Mueller's report on the Russia investigation to the White House before the public sees it, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Tuesday.
  • Graham said Barr told him he would send the report to the White House first in case it wants to claim executive privilege over any parts.
  • Mueller's full report is likely to contain crucial details about the motivations behind the myriad contacts and meetings President Donald Trump's associates had with Russians, as well as Trump's repeated deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
  • Trump's defense lawyers have previously said they want a chance to review and "correct" the Mueller report before it's made public.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Tuesday that Attorney General William Barr told him he would send the special counsel Robert Mueller's final report on the Russia investigation to the White House before the public sees it, in case it wants to claim executive privilege over any parts.

Graham, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, also said Barr told him it would most likely take "weeks, not months," to make a version of Mueller's final report public.

Barr on Sunday released his own summary of Mueller's report, saying it found no evidence that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Barr said Mueller declined to come to a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice in the investigation and instead laid out all the evidence prosecutors had collected before handing in his findings to Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Barr and Rosenstein said there was not sufficient evidence to determine whether Trump obstructed justice. Their conclusion alarmed legal experts, who said Barr's past comments on the obstruction inquiry may have compromised his ability to make impartial decisions about that aspect of the investigation.

Read more:William Barr's summary of the Mueller report is a 2-edged sword that could both help and hurt Trump

Last year, Barr sent a memo to the Justice Department, the White House, and Trump's legal team criticizing the obstruction inquiry as a "legally insupportable" investigation that should not be sanctioned by the Justice Department.

House Democrats are now pushing for the full release of the Mueller report, arguing that it is likely to contain crucial details that could answer lingering questions about the myriad contacts and meetings between Trump associates and Russians, as well as Trump's repeated deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the campaign and after taking office.

Barr's summary did not provide any details about Mueller's findings in an FBI counterintelligence investigation, later folded into the broader Russia inquiry, into whether Trump was acting as a Russian agent; that investigation was launched in May 2017, after Trump fired James Comey as FBI director, citing "this Russia thing" as his motivation. But Justice Department veterans have said the special counsel's full report is likely to answer many of the questions the public still has.

Trump's lead defense lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, told INSIDER last year that Trump's team would want a chance to review the Mueller report before it's made public to correct any inaccuracies.

SEE ALSO: William Barr's summary of the Mueller report is a 2-edged sword that could both help and hurt Trump

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being praised for her line of questioning at Michael Cohen's hearing — watch it here

The best kids' cameras you can buy

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

best kids cameras

  • Photography is a fun and easy way to teach kids about creativity, and there’s no better way to start them on that path than putting a camera in their hands when they are young.
  • Kids don’t only want to be able to shoot stills and videos, though. They want fun features and sharing capabilities.
  • While most cameras will do the job, the GoPro Hero7 Black is the best for kids, thanks to its ease of use, versatility, ruggedness, and advanced functions for when they become more experienced.

Kids have the wildest imaginations, and a camera is a great tool for letting them unleash their photographic creativity. Sure, cameras are fun to play with, but it’s the images they take that are the most rewarding. Imagine a child’s eyes light up after seeing the pictures that they captured through a lens, come to life.

Of course, you wouldn’t want to give a young child an advanced camera that’s too complicated to use and pricey to replace. Depending on their age, you may not want to give a smartphone either. It’s not because smartphone cameras aren’t capable, but it’s because kids might do other things with a phone that you may not want them to be doing. And, a camera designed specifically for kids may be more toy than tech.

But buying a kid-friendly camera isn’t difficult, whether it’s for a 5-year-old or a preteen. The camera should be robust to protect against any accidental drops or spills. It should be easy to use, but it should have fun and unique features that make it special. If your child shows signs of being a budding photographer, consider a camera that can grow with them.

Ultimately, the camera should allow a kid to be creative and expressive.

The following are the best cameras you can buy for kids. How do I know? Having researched and tested cameras for more than 15 years as a consumer tech journalist — from low-end compacts to high-end DSLRs — I can recommend models which are the best models based on user type, including kids. In addition, I back my research with other expert and customer reviews.

Here are the best kids' cameras you can buy:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best kids' camera overall

Why your kids will love it: The GoPro Hero7 Black is small yet mighty, can handle falls or water and live to tell about it, and it can be mounted almost anywhere you can think of.

There’s good reason why GoPro Hero cameras are the leaders in their category. Despite their size, the small cameras are capable of recording some of the best quality videos and still images. They are even used by Hollywood studios to film entire movies. The Hero7 Black is the latest flagship model in the Hero7 series. It’s more affordable than previous high-end Hero cameras, but it’s not lacking in performance and features.

In fact, it has the most advanced features yet. It can record 4K, 2K, and Full HD videos that look incredibly smooth and sharp, or take vivid 10-megapixel photos that are more than suitable for social media. It can shoot vertically, too, which is perfect for Instagram. It has one of the best gimbal-less internal image stabilization systems ever in a camera, and the responsive touchscreen has a revamped menu system that’s as intuitive as a smartphone. The killer feature is voice control. You never have to touch the camera to start recording.

For kids, the Hero7 Black is fun to use. The 33-foot waterproof rating means you can take it into the pool to capture some underwater action or try filming slo-mo or take fast-moving videos for some creativity. You can then upload that content natively to Instagram via the GoPro app on a smartphone.

With the numerous GoPro mounting accessories available, you can strap it to a helmet, skateboard, or even the family dog to capture unique points of view. The Hero7 Black is easy to use out of the box, but it’s also advanced enough for when your kids want to go to the next level.

You’ll also love GoPro’s optional subscription program. For $5 a month, GoPro offers unlimited cloud storage, hefty discounts on accessories, and lower prices for replacements.

I’ve tested and owned Hero cameras since the Hero3 series. In terms of longevity, I still use the Hero4, which came out in 2014, so the product has a long lifespan. There are people still using the original Hero camera.

Mashable’s Raymond Wong describes the image stabilization “crazy smooth,” while James Trews of Engadget calls it “the action camera for the social age” (i.e., kids). On average, the Hero7 Black garnered ratings four or more stars from reviewers and consumers.

Pros: Great image stabilization, robust waterproof body, easy to use, fun shooting features, 4K video, voice control, live streaming, basic-to-advance usability

Cons: Battery won’t last more than hour, older GoPro cameras are still great and may be cheaper

Buy the GoPro Hero7 Black on Amazon for $377 (originally $399.99)



The best underwater camera for kids

Why you'll love it: You can beat it, freeze it, and dunk it, and theOlympus Tough TG-5 will come out unscathed.

The TG-5 is a rugged point-and-shoot camera that can dive down to 50 feet of water, work in temperatures down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, drop from a height of 7 feet, and stay intact under 220 pounds of pressure.

The camera is designed for adventure and travel photographers who want something compact and lightweight versus a larger DSLR. It has image stabilization, which is great for the 4x optical zoom lens. The lens also has a f/2.0 aperture, which means it can take in more light, and more light equals better picture quality.

The TG-5, therefore, is ideal for kids who may be a bit careless with their gear, but all those rugged attributes open up a new world of shooting opportunities — at least, places where smartphones can’t go.

Jim Fisher of PC Mag awarded the camera an Editors’ Choice award, adding that autofocus is quick. Digital Trends’ Hillary Grigonis recommends the TG-5, saying images are “sharp and punchy.” Ken McMahon of Cameralabs says “there isn’t a better rugged camera around.”

Having used Tough-series cameras since the original, I can say no camera maker is putting out rugged models that are as strong as those from Olympus.

Pros: Extremely rugged, fast lens, RAW support for post-editing

Cons: LCD resolution is weak

Buy the Olympus Tough TG-5 on Amazon for $399 (originally $449.99)



The best instant camera for kids

Why your kids will love it: The Polaroid Mint Instant Digital Camera not only prints photos for immediate gratification and sharing, but the prints' sticky-back paper makes for fun decorating.

Instant photography, a medium once popular with baby boomers, is seeing a renaissance with millennials and younger kids. Our favorite instant camera is made by the company that invented instant photography, Polaroid.

The Mint Instant screams “we are for kids.” It comes in five colors and has a small, stylish, and pocket-friendly design. It uses a technology called Zink, which applies heat to activate “ink” already embedded in the Zink paper. Once printed, you can peel off the back of the photo and stick it anywhere your heart desires.

Despite its old-world approach, the Mint is a digital camera. You can save photos onto MicroSD cards, which you can later transfer to a computer for editing and sharing on social media.

I also love Fujifilm’s instant cameras, called Instax, but for the price, which also applies to the film, the Mint has a lower cost of ownership. Kids wouldn’t care about the price, but parents will appreciate the savings.

I was never a fan of Zink, but technology improvements in both camera and paper, which I saw at the 2019 CES show, changed my tune — it’s gotten much better. Caitlin McGarry at Tom’s Guide says the Mint “brings fun back to instant photo prints.”

Pros: Affordable, instant photos that double as stickers, compact and lightweight

Cons: No wireless or companion smartphone app, no LCD, short battery life

Buy the Polaroid Mint Instant on Amazon for $99.99



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How to silence your Apple Watch in four different ways

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apple watch silence/mute

  • There are several ways to silence an Apple Watch.
  • Muting your Apple Watch only turns off sounds, Theater Mode keeps the display from turning on when raising your wrist, and Do Not Disturb silences calls and notifications.
  • A Cover to Mute feature also allows you to silence incoming alerts on the device.

 

As someone who can't remember the last time their phone was on ring (or even vibrate at this point, thanks to Do Not Disturb), figuring out how to silence my Apple Watch was high on the agenda upon first using the device.

It turns out there are a few ways to silence your Apple Watch, which we've outlined below:

How to mute your Apple Watch

Muting your Apple Watch will only silence sounds on the device. Here's how to do it. 

1. Swipe up on the Watch face to reveal the Control Center.

2. Tap the bell icon to activate Silent Mode. Once this feature is turned on, the icon will light up and have a slash through the bell.

IMG_7871

3. You can still receive haptic notifications (taps on your wrist) on Silent Mode, and alarms and timers will still sound while Apple Watch is charging.

4. Turn off Haptic Alerts in the Settings app on Apple Watch or the Watch app on iPhone by tapping Sounds & Haptics and switching Haptic Alerts off.

How to turn on Do Not Disturb

This feature keeps calls and alerts from sounding or lighting up your Watch screen.

1. Swipe up on the Watch face to reveal the Control Center.

2. Tap the crescent moon icon.

IMG_7883

3. Select an option to determine how long this feature will be activated. "On" will keep Do Not Disturb on until you manually turn it off, and options like "On for 1 hour" and "On until this evening" automatically turn off Do Not Disturb after a set period of time.

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4. Once Do Not Disturb is activated, the moon icon will appear in the center of the Watch face.

5. Alarms will still sound on Do Not Disturb mode.

6. Turning on or off Do Not Disturb also activates or deactivates the feature on iPhone, and the same goes for turning the feature on and off on iPhone.

How to turn on Theater Mode

Theater Mode is another option for silencing your Apple Watch. When Theater Mode is on, Silent Mode is also activated and it temporarily disables the Wake Screen on Wrist Raise feature.

1. Swipe up on the Watch face to reveal the Control Center.

2. Tap the icon with the two masks.

apple watch silence/mute

3. When Theater Mode is activated you'll see the masks icon at the top of the Watch display.

4. You will still receive haptic notifications in Theater Mode.

5. To wake the Watch screen while Theater Mode is activated, tap the display or press the side button or Digital Crown.

How to silence an incoming alert

If you've forgotten to mute or otherwise silence notifications beforehand, you can silence an incoming alert or notification thanks to a feature called Cover to Mute.

1. Make sure Cover to Mute is on by going to the Watch iPhone app, tapping the My Watch tab and selecting Sounds & Haptics. Turn on Cover to Mute.

2. To silence an incoming alert or notification, cover the display with your palm until you feel a tap (about three seconds).

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech

SEE ALSO: The best smartwatches you can buy

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NOW WATCH: Watch Google's Stadia video-game-platform event in 5 minutes

This small bedding startup just beat out heavyweights like Patagonia and Nike to become the biggest consumer of organic cotton worldwide — here's why that matters

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Before a retail company becomes the most anything in the world — especially when ranked alongside heavyweights like Patagonia and Nike you'd expect to have heard of it before.

But, given the prevalence of direct-to-consumer companies, that's not always the case.

Take five-year-old startup Boll & Branch, for instance. The company makes luxury sheets via a chemical-free supply chain and sells them online. Insider Picks has named them one of the biggest viral-marketing successes of the past several years and dubbed their sheets among the most luxurious we've ever tried.

Recently, Boll & Branch was also named the world's largest consumer of Organic Fair Trade Certified cotton, ahead of longstanding companies like Patagonia and Nike — the latter of which has been working for decades to move to 100% organic cotton by 2020.

For Boll & Branch — and the customers that propelled it to exceed a $100 million run rate in less than five years — using organic materials is important for overall comfort as well as for social and environmental impact. 

Why is organic cotton better? In short, it's better for you, the environment, and the people that make whatever you're buying. Organic cotton doesn't use pesticides or other harmful chemicals, it requires far less water to produce, and organic growing systems often emphasize the ability to maintain soil fertility and encourage biologically diverse agriculture — replacing systems that typically heavily exhaust and degrade the soil.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, approximately half of all textiles are made of cotton, and cotton growing's pollution and diversion of water has had severe impacts on major ecosystems already — including the Aral Sea in Central Asia and the Indus Delta in Pakistan. Thus, it's not just that organic cotton is a sustainable improvement — it's that organic cotton makes much-needed ecological strides in a high-impact industry.

"Before selling a single product, we spent a year and a half ensuring we built out a transparent and ethical supply chain," said Boll & Branch CEO and Co-Founder Scott Tannen in a 2018 press release.  "From the very beginning, we made the conscious choice to use only 100% organic cotton and worked very hard to ensure Fair Trade — meaning safer working conditions, no child labor, and fair treatment and pay for all of our workers.” Tannen told Business Insider in 2017 that this ultimately amounts to farmers earning a living wage that's usually two to three times the commodity price of cotton, and that factory workers are paid a living wage — meaning, not just the minimum wage in their area.

Boll & Branch sheets are great: “Luxurious in every sense of the word — soft to the touch, thoughtfully designed, and premium in looks” as Insider Picks senior editor Ellen Hoffman wrote in her review. And that's why the company has experienced such rapid and continued success.

But their customers have also been willing to spend $200 and up on sheet sets in part because they want to own something that feels good to own — a luxury, like diamonds made in labs with solar energy, that didn't include ecological and social damage in the price tag. The combination has created the largest purveyor of organic cotton on earth — from a five-year-old, homegrown startup from New Jersey.

If your bedding could use an upgrade — and you can afford the premium — Boll & Branch may be a good bet. To skip the browsing, head straight to the company's bestseller: the Solid Hemmed Sheet Set ($200-$295).

You can check out everything Boll & Branch has to offer here.

Join the conversation about this story »

8 lucrative credit-card deals new cardholders can get this March — including up to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles

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Personal Finance Insider writes about products, strategies, and tips to help you make smart decisions with your money. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Best credit cards March 2019 4x3

  • Credit cards frequently offer large sign-up bonuses to try and entice new customers.
  • Opening a new credit card and earning these bonuses is the fastest way to build your stocks of credit card rewards, hotel loyalty points, and frequent-flyer miles.
  • This March 2019, there are a few fantastic limited-time bonuses available on co-branded cards Delta, IHG, and Marriott credit cards. Hurry, though; some of these end in a few days.
  • Plus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Cardraised its sign-up bonus for the first time since 2015 from 50,000 points to 60,000 — its highest-ever.

The fastest way to earn rewards points, cash back, and frequent-flyer miles is to open a new credit card and earn its sign-up or welcome bonus.

Credit card issuers like Chase and AmEx offer huge bonuses to attract customers, while designing card features with long-term, continuing value in an effort to keep them. This offers consumers a chance to take advantage of these bonuses, perks, and features.

You can read more about earning new card-member bonuses and how that will affect your credit score here, or scroll down to find some of the best offers available this month.

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which can far outweigh the value of any rewards.

When you're working to earn credit card rewards, it's important to practice financial discipline, like paying your balances off in full each month, making payments on time, and not spending more than you can afford to pay back. Basically, treat your credit card like a debit card.

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Puerto Rico Jan 2019_Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card 25

Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points (after spending $4,000 in the first three months).

The Sapphire Preferred is one of the most popular all-around rewards credit cards, and it's easy to see why. This card earns 2x points per dollar spent on just about all travel and dining purchases, and 1x point on everything else. It also comes with a ton of travel and purchase protections, such as rental car insurance, trip delay coverage, and extended warranty.

The card's sign-up bonus was just raised for the first time since 2015— it's now 60,000 Ultimate Rewards (UR) points. That's worth, at the very least, $600 as cash back or gift cards. However, if you book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and use points to pay, you'll get a 25% bonus, making points worth 1.25 cents each. That means that the sign-up bonus would be worth $750.

Even more lucrative — the Chase Sapphire Preferred lets you transfer your UR points to a few different frequent-flyer and hotel-loyalty programs. This comes in handy because in many cases it costs fewer points to book a trip if you go through one of those programs, as opposed to using the points as cash. You can read more about why transferring points to frequent-flyer programs gets you more value here.

This all comes for a fairly standard annual fee of $95, which is not waived the first year.

Click here to learn more about the Sapphire Preferred from Insider Picks' partner, The Points Guy.

2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

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Welcome bonus: 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (after spending $5,000 in the first three months). Offer ends April 24.

Last month, Marriott wrapped up a major rebranding of its loyalty program, combining it with the Starwood Preferred Guest program to create a single entity: Marriott Bonvoy.

The various terms and benefits of the program are virtually unchanged from what took effect in August, when the two separate programs were brought under a new single set of benefits.

The biggest changes under February's rebrand came to the Bonvoy's rewards credit cards, which are issued by American Express and Chase. To mark the occasion, both are offering a big, limited-time promotion on the personal cards they issue.

AmEx issues the premium version of Marriott's credit cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, formerly called the SPG Luxury Card. Until April 24, new cardholders can earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when they spend $5,000 on the card in the first three months.

While the card has a high $450 annual fee, it's easy to get much more value from it than you pay for that fee — especially if you stay at Marriott hotels semi-frequently.

Right off the bat, the card offers up to $300 each year in statement credits for purchases at participating Marriott hotels, which can apply to room charges. That effectively brings the fee down to $150.

It also offers a free night award each year on your cardmember anniversary, which can be redeemed at any hotel that costs 50,000 points per night or under. The card also offers complimentary Gold elite status, and comes with a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership.

The card earns 6x points at Marriott hotels, 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with the airline, and 2x points on everything else.

Click here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card from Insider Picks' partner, The Points Guy.

3. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Sign-up bonus: 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (after spending $5,000 in the first three months). Only available for a limited time.

Between the yearly $300 of credits, and the annual anniversary free night, the Bonvoy Brilliant card from AmEx tends to represent a better deal for cardholders.

However, the downside to that card is that you'll have to pay a $450 annual fee. Sure, you'll get the value back from the various benefits and rewards, but you'll still have to float that fee at the top of each calendar year.

For people in that camp, Chase offers the mainstream version of the personal card: the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card.

The Bonvoy Boundless currently offers the same sign-up bonus as the Bonvoy Brilliant — unlike with the Brilliant's, we don't know the Boundless offer's end date, but we do know it's only available for a limited time.

Like the Brilliant, the Boundless offers a free night award each year on your cardholder anniversary; the difference is that it's only good on rooms that would cost up to 35,000 points per night, rather than 50,000. Fortunately, that still includes plenty of properties.

The Boundless card comes with complimentary Silver elite status. Silver doesn't get you as much as Gold, but it's still something. You'll get a 10% bonus on points earned, priority for late checkout, access to a dedicated customer service line, free Wi-Fi, and more. While it's not a published benefit, you may also be given preferential rooms. You can get Gold status if you spend $35,000 or more in a calendar year. You'll also get 15 qualifying nights' worth of elite credit each calendar year, making it easier to earn Gold status or higher through hotel stays.

The card earns 6x points per dollar spent at Marriott hotels, and 2x points per dollar on everything else.

Click here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card from Insider Picks' partner, The Points Guy.

4. Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

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Welcome offer: 75,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) (after spending $3,000 in the first three months). Ends April 3.

The Delta Platinum SkyMiles card is one of my personal favorites, because even though it has a $195 annual fee, it pays for itself. The first year, you can earn a welcome bonus — right now it's 75,000 SkyMiles when you meet the spending requirement, as opposed to the normal 35,000 miles — which more than makes up for the year.

Every year after that, on your card-member anniversary, you'll get a companion pass good for a domestic round-trip flight in economy (or "Main Cabin" as Delta calls it). The companion pass is essentially a "buy-one-get-one-free" certificate. When you book an economy-class flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second flight for free, other than minimal taxes and fees.

For me, the value of the pass at least cancels out the annual fee, and in some cases offers enough value to mean I'm making a profit. Although I've heard from a few readers before that they felt the companion pass' terms were too restrictive, I respectfully disagree (for what it's worth, I live near a Delta hub). For instance, last year I used my companion pass to book a flight for my wife and I to pick up our new puppy — the tickets were about $225 each, and when I redeemed the pass, we only had to pay $24 of taxes and fees for her ticket.

The card also offers plenty of perks for Delta flyers, including one free checked bag for each person on the cardholder's reservation; priority boarding so that you can settle in sooner and snag space in the overhead compartments; discounted access to Delta Sky Club lounges; a 20% discount in the form of a statement credit on Delta in-flight purchases; and no foreign-transaction fees.

If you aren't interested in the companion pass, you can also consider the Gold version of the card (the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express). The card offers similar benefits, except for the companion pass, and only has a $95 annual fee that is waived the first year. Its limited-time welcome offer is 60,000 SkyMiles when you spend $2,000 in three months — also ending April 3.

You can read more about the limited-time offers and the differences between the two cards here. Even if you've had one of them before, you can still get the bonus on the other one.

The welcome offers on these two cards are tied for the highest-ever made publicly available, in terms of SkyMiles. 

Click here to learn more about the Gold Delta Amex card from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy

Click here to learn more about the Platinum Delta Amex card from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy

Learn more: The best credit card rewards, bonuses, and benefits of 2019

5. IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

Sign-up bonus: Up to 120,000 points (80,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months; an additional 40,000 points after spending a total of $5,000 in the first six months).

IHG is the parent company of a handful of hotel chains, including Holiday Inn. The company has more than 5,600 properties around the world, making it the second-largest hotel brand, behind Marriott. IHG has a wide range of properties from budget options like the Holiday Inn Express, to luxurious Regent and InterContinental hotels and resorts. 

IHG's Rewards Club program is often overlooked— I know I'm guilty of passing it over without a second look in favor of Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy (and back in the day, Starwood Preferred Guest).

However, the program is worth a second look, and a newly increased sign-up bonus on its primary credit card offers a perfect opportunity.

Right now, the IHG Rewards Club Premier card has a sign-up bonus of up to 120,000 points that is broken up into two parts. First, you'll earn 80,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first three months. Then, you'll earn the remaining 40,000 points when you spend an additional $3,000 within the first six months (for a total of $5,000).

Rooms can cost as little at 10,000 points per night, depending on the property and its location within a city. The bonus is enough to cover almost two weeks' worth of nights at a Holiday Inn Express — even some in prime markets — or two to four nights at top InterContinental locations.

The card earns 10x points per dollar spent at IHG hotels, 2x points per dollar spent at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants, and 1x point on everything else.

It also comes with automatic Platinum elite status, which entitles you to a 50% bonus on points earned during a stay, complimentary room upgrades, late checkout when available, and guaranteed room availability with 72 hours' notice — helpful if you have a last-minute trip.

The Premier card offers an annual anniversary free night certificate that can be used at any category 1-7 hotel (hotels that cost 40,000 points per night or less). While that means that some of IHG's most premium locations are excluded, the certificate is still valid at a ton of locations all around the world.

For instance, I didn't have trouble finding properties in major cities like New York and Chicago during peak travel season — all charging well upward of $200 — that accept the free night certificate. That more than makes up for the card's $89 annual fee.

Click here to learn more about the IHG Rewards Club Premier from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

6. Platinum Card® from American Express

amex biz plat

Welcome Offer: 60,000 points (after spending $5,000 in the first three months).

The American Express Platinum card has one of the highest annual fees of any consumer credit or charge card — $550 — but as AmEx's flagship product, this premium credit card offers a tremendous amount of value to offset that fee. For example, I got more than $2,000 worth of value in my first year with the card.

The card earns Membership Rewards points, the currency in AmEx's loyalty program, which can be exchanged for statement credits or cash back, used to book travel through AmEx's travel website, or, to get the most value, transferred to any of 17 airline and three hotel transfer partners (transferable points are among the best). Travel website The Points Guy lists a valuation of 2¢ per membership rewards point; based on that, the welcome offer is worth about $1,200.

The Platinum Card earns an incredible 5x points on airfare purchased directly from the airline, and offers an airline fee credit of up to $200 each calendar year, and up to $200 in Uber credits each card member year.

It also grants the cardholder access to more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world, including Delta Sky Clubs and AmEx's own Centurion Lounges.

Other benefits include automatic Gold elite status in the Marriott and Hilton loyalty programs, a statement credit up to $100 to cover enrollment in Global Entry/TSA PreCheck, concierge service, access to exclusive events, and much more.

If you're an active military servicemember, you can get the AmEx Platinum Card's fee waived.

You can read our complete review of the card here.

Click here to learn more about the American Express Platinum from Insider Picks' partner, The Points Guy.

7. Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card

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Welcome offer: 30,000 Go Far points (after spending $3,000 in the first three months).

This card from Wells Fargo has one of the more attractive rewards offerings you'll find from a no-annual-fee card. The current Propel card is a relaunch of an old product — Wells Fargo stopped accepting applications for the old card a year ago, before announcing the new product and reopening applications this summer.

The card earns 3x points on all travel, dining, and select streaming services (and 1x point on everything else). If that sounds familiar, it's because it's almost the same as the popular Chase Sapphire Reserve.

There are key differences between the cards. The Propel lets you redeem points for 1¢ each toward cash back, merchandise, travel, or more, while the Sapphire Reserve offers a range of more valuable redemption options — it's easy to get at least 50% more value for Chase points. Plus, the Sapphire Reserve offers a number of premium perks that the Propel doesn't, like airport lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit travel delay insurance, and more.

Of course, the Sapphire Reserve also comes with a $450 annual fee, while the Wells Fargo Propel doesn't have a fee. Between the new member offer, and the solid earning rate on popular spend categories, the Propel makes a decent option for those who don't travel often, or who aren't comfortable floating a large annual fee.

We named the Propel the best no-fee card of 2018.

Click here to learn more about the Wells Fargo Propel card from Insider Picks' partner, The Points Guy.

8. Chase Sapphire Reserve

Card Group — Chase Sapphire Preferred Chase Sapphire Reserve_21 1

Sign-up bonus: 50,000 points (after spending $4,000 in the first three months).

The Sapphire Reserve is basically a beefier version of the Preferred. While the card comes with the same sign-up bonus, it earns points on everyday spending faster, nabbing a higher 3x points per dollar spent on travel and dining purchases, and 1x on everything else. It also offers similar, though in many cases, enhanced travel and purchase protections.

Unlike the Preferred, the Sapphire Reserve comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you and any travel companions free access to more than 1,000 airport lounges around the world.

You can use points from the Reserve the same ways as with the Preferred, except that you'll get a 50% bonus when booking travel through Chase, making your points worth 1.5¢ each.

The card carries a higher annual fee than the Preferred: $450. However, it also comes with a $300 travel credit each card member year. Each year, you'll get statement credits for the first $300 in travel-related purchases you make, including things like subway fare, taxis, parking, and tolls, as well as airfare and hotels — naturally, you don't earn points on the purchases covered by that credit. When you subtract this credit from the annual fee, the card is effectively only $150 each year.

If you're not sure whether the Preferred or Reserve is the better card for you, take a look at this breakdown. Also keep in mind that you can typically only earn the sign-up bonus for one Sapphire-branded card every two years.

Click here to learn more about the Sapphire Reserve from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

SEE ALSO: American vs. Delta vs. United — we compared the 3 most popular airline credit cards and named a winner

Join the conversation about this story »

The glamorous life of Tiffany Trump, the president's lesser-known youngest daughter

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Tiffany Trump

  • President Donald Trump's children have enjoyed a bigger spotlight thanks to their father's political success.
  • While Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. have all seemingly reveled in their semi-newfound fame, Tiffany Trump has kept a lower profile.
  • Here's a look at the 25-year-old's life.

President Donald Trump's family make up some of the top members of his administration and frequently voice their opinions to an eager media.

It's not uncommon to see Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. flash across your TV screen or splashed across the pages of international newspapers.

But Tiffany Trump, 25, who has been called Trump's "wild-card" daughter, has kept a lower profile than her older siblings.

Here's a look at the life of the president's most elusive adult child: 

SEE ALSO: From rich kid to first daughter: The life of Ivanka Trump

DON'T MISS: Meet Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former Fox News star, prosecutor, and model who's dating Donald Trump Jr.

Tiffany Ariana Trump was born on October 13, 1993, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Source: US News



She was the first and only child of Donald Trump and his second wife, Marla Maples.



She was named after the Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in Manhattan at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, adjacent to Trump Tower.

Source: Town & Country



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Minnesota-based startup Yardbird makes affordable outdoor furniture from ocean plastic — it has intercepted more than 100,000 pounds to date

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

yardbird outdoor furniture

  • Yardbird is an outdoor furniture startup with an environmental conscience, making stylish and affordably priced pieces from intercepted ocean plastic. 
  • The hand-woven wicker used in Yardbird furniture incorporates plastic collected from beaches in the Philippines. It's the company's way of helping you enjoy the outdoors with a material that would otherwise hurt the earth and take away from that enjoyment. 
  • While comparable sectional sets can cost around $5,000, Yardbird's costs less than $2,500. They look just as good and are durable and weather-resistant. 

As the weather warms up again, it just doesn't feel right to spend all night after work or all weekend staying cooped up inside.

We're not saying you need to go far in order to enjoy the warm sun and refreshing breeze. If you have a backyard, you can have a wonderful and relaxing time right outside your home, with a drink and book in hand, or friends and neighbors on speed dial. 

Until recently, the new companies entering the direct-to-consumer space focused on all the things that go inside your homemattresses, sheets and towels, cookware, furniture, and the like. Considering we spend the majority of our time indoors, whether we're cooking, sleeping, or relaxing, this makes sense, but if you wanted a new store to improve your outdoor space, it was difficult to find. 

Yardbird, founded in 2017 by a father-son duo, is the direct-to-consumer outdoor furniture company you've been looking for. Evidently, it's what other people have been, too, because it sold out of $1 million worth of inventory less than a month into its launch. In 2018, it sold out of $4 million of inventory a few months into the year. 

yardbird outdoor furniture 2

Yardbird's start and how its furniture is made 

Fascinated by why high-end furniture companies were charging at least $5,000 for an outdoor wicker sectional, cofounder Jay Dillon talked to his father (who had experience in the furniture industry) and eventually ended up in factories in Asia, where over 95% of all outdoor furniture is manufactured. There, he was quoted products at one-seventh the retail price, and he knew there was potential for a business. 

What makes Yardbird even more noteworthy isn't only that it sells high-quality and stylish outdoor furniture for less. It's that the pieces are sustainable, made from intercepted ocean plastic. 

As outdoors lovers who wanted to enjoy these outdoors for years to come, the Minnesota-based founders sought to create products that reduced human impact on the planet. Dillon had heard of large brands incorporating recycled plastics into their products, but discovered the process took too many steps and plastic resale prices were too high.

Instead, he met directly with plastic experts and established relationships with a recycling plant in the Philippines. Together, they spent 2.5 years collecting plastic from beaches, waterways, and other susceptible locations in the Philippines. 

According to Dillon, this is how the plastic goes from floating by the shore to a piece of Yardbird furniture: 

"After the recycling plant processes the plastic, we then ship it to our wicker extrusion plant and make all-weather outdoor resin wicker out of the plastic, and then hand weave it onto the frames." 

Though it may look like traditional wicker, Yardbird's wicker contains 50% recycled plastic and lasts longer. As an eco-friendly company, Yardbird also partners with Carbon Fund to offset 100% of its carbon footprint, and its packaging contains 50% recycled materials. 

Read more: 11 smarter buys that can help curb your plastic bottle use — from a $32 reusable water bottle to a $210 filtration system

yardbird outdoor furniture 9

Durability and quality to withstand the outdoors 

Outside of the all-weather wicker, the other components of the furniture are also strong and long-lasting, and backed by impressive warranties

The commercial-grade aluminum frames (which come with a 10-year warranty) are lightweight and rust-proof. The foam cushions are comfortable and supportive, and they're covered in a high-performance outdoor textile called Sunbrella that's water- and sun-resistant. To take a closer look at this fabric, you can order up to three free swatches from the site. 

How to shop at Yardbird

Other services and policies to make shopping for these large furniture items easy and convenient are the 30-day return policy and free curbside delivery on orders over $1,500 (a flat rate of $95 applies otherwise). Shopping for outdoor furniture is a significant commitment, but Yardbird makes it less of a headache from start to finish, from offering curated collections of high-quality furniture to care and maintenance tips once you have your piece. 

On its site, you can shop by Collection, which categorizes furniture by style, or Type, such as Loveseats, Sectional Furniture, and Dining Furniture

If you're ready for new outdoor furniture that will allow you to enjoy your backyard and don't want to wonder whether it'll hold up until summer of next year, you should check out the stylish options from Yardbird. We've also rounded up a variety of best sellers and favorites from the startup below. 

Shop all outdoor furniture at Yardbird here

A classic wicker sectional with a modular design

Langdon Outdoor Small Sectional Set, $2,080, available in 2 colors at Yardbird

Set includes:

  • 1 Left Arm
  • 1 Right Arm
  • 1  90°
  • 1 Armless Insert
  • 1 Coffee Table


Rounded sofas to gather around a warm fire pit

Elliot 8-Piece Fire Pit Table Set, $4,545, available in 2 colors at Yardbird

Set includes: 

  • 3 C Couch Sections
  • 4 Side Table/Storage
  • 1 Round Pit Fire Table


A sofa set with a handsome, faux-weathered teak finish

Eden Outdoor Set with Fixed Chairs, $2,445, available in 2 colors at Yardbird

Set includes:

  • 1 Sofa
  • 2 Fixed Chairs
  • 1 Coffee Table


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Apple Card is Apple's biggest announcement of 2019 so far (AAPL)

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apple card

  • Apple held a big event on Monday at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, and much of the focus was on its new TV service, Apple TV Plus.
  • Apple invited Hollywood A-listers like Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and even Oprah Winfrey to help celebrate the launch this fall of Apple TV Plus, which will feature Apple's original programming.
  • But the biggest announcement Apple made on Monday wasn't original TV shows, or even its new subscription services for magazines and video games. It was a credit card, called the Apple Card.

Forget Apple's new TV service coming this fall — the biggest announcement Apple made this week, full stop, is the Apple Card, an extension of the Apple Pay service that's been around for almost five years now.

On September 9, 2014, at the same event where Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 6, Apple introduced a service called Apple Pay.

Apple said it created Apple Pay because plastic credit cards felt "outdated and vulnerable." A credit card can be stolen, and its important numbers and security codes are exposed by default.

apple pay apple watch

Apple Pay offered a more elegant, secure way to pay for goods. A couple of button presses could summon your favorite payment method — credit card, debit card, gift card, you name it — on your iPhone or Apple Watch, which you'd then touch to a merchant's NFC panel to pay. That's it. All the identifying information on your card is kept private and secure from merchants, but also from Apple.

On Monday, Apple took its vision of Apple Pay one step further by partnering with a pair of financial institutions (Mastercard and Goldman Sachs) to offer a credit card unlike any other out there.

The Apple Card brings Apple's trademark simplicity to the credit-card system. Apple not only redesigned the card itself, but reimagined what it looks like to pay for goods, get rewards for those goods, and pay off the card.

Here are the tenets of the Apple Card, and why it's Apple's biggest announcement of 2019 so far:

SEE ALSO: Apple just announced a slew of original TV shows — check them out

The Apple Card lives in your Wallet app on your iPhone.



Unlike with other credit cards, you don't have to wait days to get it — you can register in minutes.



The Apple Card works worldwide, in any store with Apple Pay, across all Apple devices.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 affordable products that have helped me deal with back pain and muscle tension

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

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Chronic back and neck pain is not something I thought I'd be dealing with at the age of 27.

It's an awful feeling, but one that I've been determined to mitigate. Almost every day, I find myself not just lamenting my own discomfort, but actively seeking ways to manage it. This can be a stressful and emotional process, fraught with panic and uncertainty (Is this a waste of money? Will this really help my pain?). If you also deal with chronic pain, or even just muscle tension or soreness in your back, I'm sure you've experienced these feelings too — at least to some degree. 

Though there's no one-size-fits-all solution for dealing with pain since it varies so widely from person to person, I thought it might still be helpful to share a list of some of the products that have really helped me and others in dealing with discomfort, be it chronic or acute. Hopefully they'll help you find some relief like they've done for me.

SEE ALSO: This $60 posture corrector from 'Shark Tank' might seem gimmicky — but it actually eliminated my back pain at work

The BetterBack

$49.99, available on Amazon

I am a huge fan of the BetterBack, which I discovered while watching "Shark Tank" at home. Though it looks a little silly to have on (almost like a rock climbing harness), it's actually incredibly effective at correcting posture and removing back pain while you're seated. 

There's a soft pad that rests behind your back and a connects to a set of straps that are placed over your knees. It uses the tension from the straps to correct your posture and relieve pressure from improper spinal alignment, effectively eliminating discomfort. 

I use mine almost every day while sitting at my desk, and it has kept me from having near meltdowns from back pain at work. 

Read my full review of the BetterBack here.



Zyllion Shiatsu Pillow Massager

$49.95, available on Amazon

Back pain comes in all different forms, but for me personally, it's exacerbated and amplified by the intense muscle tension in my shoulders. Tension can affect posture and alignment, and can make injuries like slipped discs feel more excruciating. Even if you don't have any sort of spinal issues, it's likely that you've experienced the discomfort of shoulder tension simply from to sitting at a computer all day or working a stressful job. If that's the case, you should keep reading.

Since I can't afford to spend $200 on massage therapy every week, I decided instead to spend $40 on this at-home shiatsu massager, which was maybe one of my best purchases ever. With two heated notes per side that continually rotate, changing directions every few minutes, you'll feel like you're getting a deep tissue massage right in the comfort of your own home. It melts away the stress and tension, and leaves me feeling so much more relaxed. Just keep in mind that if you use it for too long, it can cause bruising — so start with just one cycle at a time.

Read more about my experience with the Zyllion at-home shiatsu massager here.



ProSource Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set

$16.99, available on Amazon

You can read about the science of how and why these mats work in my review below, but I'll just say that the mat really does help with my tension — it just may be for a different reason than advertised. After speaking with a doctor, it seems that this mat, which is covered in shallow plastic spikes, can help with pain by essentially distracting your brain from other types of discomfort.

Personally, I've found that after laying on it either bare-back or with a thin shirt on, I end up experiencing a wave of relaxation that makes me feel like I just woke up from a nap. If you can imagine that blissful feeling when you sink into a hot bath and feel your stress melt away gently — that's sort of what it's like to sit up after 30 minutes of lying on this mat. 

Read my full review of the ProSource Acupressure Mat here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

5 things rich millennials do differently with their money than the rest of their generation

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rich millennials

  • Rich millennials have different financial habits than the rest of their generation.
  • Having come of age during the Great Recession, many millennials are wary of investing— but rich millennials are more embracing of it, especially when it comes to cryptocurrency and investing outside of the US.
  • Compared to their peers, rich millennials also sit on less cash and have a different picture of debt.

Rich millennials are of a different ilk.

Not only do they spend and display their money differently from rich baby boomers, they also have financial habits that distinguish them from the rest of their own generation. It's a unique distinction considering that life is, in general, more expensive today for millennials than it was for previous generations. 

Investing is another area where rich millennials significantly differ from the rest of their generation. Being risk-averse is a hallmark of the generation that came of age during the Great Recession— but affluent millennials are more open to investing, SmartAsset reported. Specifically, they embrace investing outside of the US and investing in cryptocurrency.

Take a closer look at how the financial behavior of rich millennials sets them apart from the rest of their generation.

SEE ALSO: 7 ways rich millennials spend and display their money differently than rich baby boomers

DON'T MISS: 7 ways life is more expensive today for American millennials than previous generations

They are more open to investing.

It makes sense that the wealthy, regardless of age, are open to investing — but it's particularly significant for rich millennials. As the generation coming into the workforce following the recession, most millennials are risk-averse when it comes to investing: In fact, 93% say they're wary of investing, according to Rebecca Lake of SmartAsset, citing a Capital One study.

Millennials are more cautious investors, partly due to trauma from past financial crises, reported Rachel Butt for Business Insider

Wealthy millennials differ from their peers in that they're more embracing of investing and more likely to put their money in private equity and hedge funds, Lake reported: "Rather than being afraid that they'll lose money, many wealthy millennials seem to be confident that their assets will perform at the level they're expecting and that their investments will continue to gain value over time."

And according to a study by OppenheimerFunds and Campden Research, ultra-high-net-worth millennials are taking more calculated risks with investments.



They carry less money in their checkings and savings.

Because many millennials are risk-averse, many are also sitting on cash, according to a Bankrate.com report. This could be one of the costliest investing mistakes in history because it's one of the worst ways to earn any returns, reported Business Insider's Akin Oyedele

A UBS report found that the typical millennial keeps more than half of their assets in cash, but less than two-thirds of affluent millennials do the same, reported Lake.

Rich millennials carry much less of their wealth in checking and savings compared to their peers, according to Shen Lu of MagnifyMoney, which analyzed data from the Federal Reserve's 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances.

"Although wealthier families carry eight times more in savings and checking than the average family — $84,000 vs. $10,300 — that's just roughly 14% of their total assets in cash, while for the ordinary young family that figure is around 20%," Lu wrote.



They're investing money outside of the US.

Rich millennials are open to investing money outside of the US, according to Jake Halladay, a private wealth adviser for Bel Air Investment Advisors, who works with millennials with an average net worth of $25 million.

"Because of social media and the continued globalization of the world economies, millennials are becoming more familiar and comfortable with investing outside of the US," he wrote in a post published on Business Insider. "By expanding your investments across the globe you can increase your diversification and not become subject to the performance of a single country."

He added: "For example, our firm currently overweights Developed International and Emerging Market equities versus the US, as valuations in the US have become expensive relative to the world. Millennials are increasingly more comfortable with this outlook."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We taste-tested 7 of Costco's Kirkland wines and found this one offered the biggest bang for your buck (COST)

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Costco Wine 1

  • Costco wines have a reputation for being both high-quality and reasonably priced.
  • Business Insider's retail desk recently did a wine tasting with several Kirkland wines.
  • Here's the wine that I thought was the best buy from Costco.

Costco's Kirkland rioja wasn't just a good wine. At just $6.99, it was a great buy, too.

Business Insider's retail section recently did a wine tasting with a number of wines from Kirkland, Costco's private-label brand. I was only able to get my hands on seven different bottles, so keep in mind that this wasn't a comprehensive survey of every single Kirkland variety.

I ended up selecting the Kirkland malbec as the top wine after the tasting. But I'm giving the "best value" prize to the rioja, which I bought based on a recommendation from Costco Wine Blog founder and editor Andrew Cullen.

Read more: We taste-tested 7 of Costco's Kirkland wines and were blown away by their price and quality. Here's how they ranked from worst to best.

Both bottles cost $6.99, and both were highly drinkable reds. I enjoyed them both quite a bit. But Argentinian wines, like the malbec, are famous for being reasonably priced, so I figured getting an Old World wine for the same amount was neat.

For example, when you search for "malbec" on the website Wine-Searcher, selections pop up listing average prices from $7 to $198. A search for "rioja" pulls up a price range of $13 to $302. 

So I figured that the rioja's low price was even more impressive, given that context.

The Kirkland rioja we sampled belonged to the 2014 vintage. My colleagues and I especially liked the wine's "nice acidic bite," "notes of cinnamon," and its "classic rioja finish," not to mention its "incredible" pricetag.

Two coworkers found the beverage a bit too "light-bodied," but the majority of us agreed that we'd at least serve it to friends. And with a pricetag under $7, I imagine most red-wine-loving Costco members would have a hard time saying no to this spicy little number.

Do you like Costco wines and have a story to share? Email acain@businessinsider.com.

SEE ALSO: Experts dish on what makes Costco wines such a good deal

DON'T MISS: Costco wine experts dish on their favorite picks and deals that you can only get at the warehouse chain

SEE ALSO: 8 mistakes you should avoid when shopping for wine at Costco

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Pricing effect: Why a higher price tag makes wine taste better

The worst fad diets for your brain and body, from the bible-inspired Daniel Fast to the werewolf diet

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Diet

  • Fad diets are popular ways to lose weight, but they don't all have science on their side. 
  • Yo-yo dieting can be dangerous, and set people up for long-term heart trouble.
  • Nutritionists agree it's best to stick with a diet plan that you can adhere to for life, instead of zig-zagging in and out of restrictive plans that set people up for failure.

Fad diets are nothing new. The first modern fad diet, which touted the benefits of going low-carb, was invented by funeral director William Banting in 1862. Since then, the world has seen its fair share of dieting trends, from eating cabbage soup for a week straight to consuming foods based on your blood type.

Despite the ridiculousness of these fads (and lack of research supporting many them), fad diets continue to play a role in how people eat and attempt to take control of their health, for better or worse.

Here are the fad diets that can be worst for your brain and body.

SEE ALSO: A Harvard doctor says it's harder than ever to lose weight right now, but there are 5 ways to do it well

The Daniel Fast, or Shepherd diet, requires dieters to fast and pray in the pursuit of better health.

Actor Chris Pratt has done the Daniel Fast, which requires eating only fruits, vegetables, and unleavened bread for 21 days, as well as praying every day.

The goal of the diet, according to its website, is to help dieters "focus on their health using Christ-centered teachings," but limiting food intake so severely could prevent a person from getting all of the nutrients they need. There is no science-backed evidence this diet works, either.



Whole30 dieters cut out sugar, alcohol, dairy, grains, beans and other banned foods for a month.

Created in 2009 by then husband-and-wife pair Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, the premise of the monthlong Whole30 regime is that if you put only "good" things in your body you'll feel better, reduce inflammation, and transform your relationship with food. Whole30 dieters are restricted to eating only fruits, veggies, meat, seafood, eggs, and some fats including avocados, cashews, and olive and coconut oil.

It's a tremendously popular plan on Instagram, where people post colorful photos of their veggie and fruit-filled #Whole30 plates.

But Whole30 isn't really supported by science; nutrition experts say it takes more than 30 days for your body to perform a truly complete re-set if you want to reduce inflammation. Besides, fiber-rich foods, which the Whole30 diet strictly limits, can actually improve inflammation markers and help stave off all kinds of diseases. 



For those who like to howl at the moon, the werewolf diet follows a fasting regimen tied to lunar cycles.

Madonna and Demi Moore are both reportedly fans of this loony lunar plan, which dictates when dieters should eat based on the sky above. 

"The basic iteration calls for 24 hours of fasting during the full moon or new moon, when you’re permitted only water and freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice," according to US News and World Report

But remember, just because the moon helps push around the Earth's tides doesn't mean it has any effect on your own body weight. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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