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eBay launched an authentication program that makes it safer to buy and sell big-ticket items like watches, designer handbags, and collectibles on the site — here's how it works

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eBay authenticate

  • eBay Authenticate helps users shop for authentic luxury items like watches, handbags, jewelry, and collectibles like comic books, sports trading cards, and gold coins.
  • Every item listed with eBay Authenticate is meticulously inspected and verified to be authentic by experts and is already in eBay's possession when you purchase it. That way, you can shop without worrying about getting scammed or being sent a fake.
  • Below, I break down how it works for both buyers and sellers.

I know it's widely accepted that eBay has a bit of a reputation for being fishy, filled with scammers and counterfeit goods. But I want to clear something up here: With all the strides the company has made to protect buyers, that reputation is undeserved.

While there have, in fact, been instances of fraud and fakes on eBay (unfortunately, you can expect that on any platform where independent buyers and sellers have the autonomy to do business without a ton of oversight), the company has made amazing strides to improve the user experience for buyers and sellers and ultimately drive smoother transactions. From having plenty of brands sell products directly through the site to offering extensive buyer protection, eBay is a surprisingly safe place to shop.

Now, the brand is continuing its safe-shopping efforts with a new program called eBay Authenticate.

As a sub-section of the site, eBay Authenticate was designed to help users shop for luxury items like handbags, watches, and jewelry and collectibles like gold coins, sports trading cards, and comics with 100% confidence. Each item listed for sale has been verified to be authentic by an expert and is fairly priced based on factors like condition, rarity, and current market value.

eBay

To fully understand eBay Authenticate, it's best to learn how it works as a seller first, because that's where the inventory you will shop as a buyer comes from.

Here's how it works as a seller:

Let's say you have a designer handbag that you want to sell. The first step is to check if your item is eligible to be sold on eBay Authenticate by entering the brand, item type, and condition. If your item is eligible, you can then send it into eBay for authentication using a prepaid shipping label. From there, independent experts authenticate, price, and list your items for sale on eBay Authenticate. When your item is purchased, you get paid and eBay handles shipping the item to the buyer.

It's worth noting that eBay takes a 20% transaction fee when authenticated items are sold. Although that's quite a bit more than eBay's standard 10% transaction fee, it's worth it. You will find that the verified authenticity almost always makes it easier to sell your item, rather than listing it yourself — or using another avenue of sale. Buyers want to shop with confidence, and this is an easy way for them to do it.

eBay authenticate

Here's how it works as a buyer:

If you're accustomed to shopping on eBay, using eBay Authenticate isn't much different — you shop, pay, and receive your items in the mail. However, there are several key benefits that alleviate the concerns associated with buying big-ticket, rare, or collectible items online. 

Since all of the items are professionally authenticated and in the possession of eBay at the time of your purchase, you can guarantee that the item you receive is the same item in the listing. There's no chance of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars only to never hear from the seller again or to receive a counterfeit item in return (granted, there are protections for that, but it doesn't make getting scammed any less frustrating). 

In the rare instance that you do have doubts about the authenticity of an item you've received, you can contact the seller, return the item in the same condition you received it in with the eBay Authenticate tag still attached, and the experts will re-authenticate your item. If they can't confirm the authenticity of your item, you'll receive a full refund. This is a major benefit as some sellers on eBay don't offer returns. If you purchase something on eBay outside of eBay Authenticate and it turns out to be counterfeit, you run the risk of being stuck with that item and not getting your money back, unless you ask eBay to step in and they're able to remedy the situation.

The best part is that shopping on eBay Authenticate costs you zero extra dollars. With all of the added benefits, there's really no reason not to shop — or at least browse — on eBay Authenticate for those high-end luxury items and collectibles you've been nervous about buying online.

eBay Authenticate

How eBay Authenticate can save you money:

Generally, the safest way to get authentic items is to buy it directly from the manufacturer's retail store or website, but that's usually not the best option — or an option at all. For example, if you want a Rolex watch or a Chanel handbag, you will absolutely spend more at retail locations compared to shopping on eBay, since the items listed on eBay are generally going to be lightly used. 

eBay Authenticate

The bottom line

I've never purchased a high-end watch or designer handbag on eBay, but I have made many successful purchases on the site in the past. My personal purchases mostly include collectible sneakers and rare BMW car parts, and much of my confidence in buying those things came from my own expertise.

Before I learned about this program, I would have steered clear of buying a watch, bag, or anything else that's highly collectible simply because I'm not an expert in those areas, but with eBay Authenticate, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. 

If you've come to terms with never owning your dream watch or designer handbag because of an egregious retail price, eBay Authenticate can make it a feasible reality. You'll also find many giftable items for the upcoming holiday season. 

Start shopping on eBay Authenticate now

Join the conversation about this story »


The best comforters you can buy

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  • Comforters keep you extra warm and cozy at night and they can also add a fun splash of color or pattern to your bedroom.
  • Of all the comforters we researched, our top pick is the cozy, comfy, and well-made Topsleepy Luxurious All Size Goose Down Comforter.

When you're shopping for a bed, salespeople will tell you not to skimp on the quality of the bed. After all, you spend eight hours per day in bed – maybe more if you're lucky. That's equal to one-third of your life.

With so much of your time spent in bed, you might as well be warm while you're there. For those times when your significant other won't let you steal body heat, you'll want to make sure you have the best comforter on hand. 

A wide variety of comforters are available for a wide range of prices, depending on the type of fill they use, the colors available, the insulation level, the size, and the construction quality.

Understanding terms for comforters

When shopping for a comforter, you will encounter a few different pieces of terminology, according to The Wirecutter. Understanding the purpose of each of these terms will help you find a comforter to meet your needs.

  • Baffle box vs. sewn-through: A baffle box comforter is sewn with flexible boxes into the comforter that create pockets. The fill inside the comforter cannot shift out of its box, ensuring the fill remains properly spread throughout the entire area of the comforter. The fill sometimes does shift within its box, though. Meanwhile, a sewn-through comforter has sewing through both the top and bottom layers of the comforter, creating patterns such as diamonds, channels or curved rectangles. The fill does not shift at all with a sewn-through comforter, performing slightly better than a baffle box comforter in terms of keeping the fill spread throughout the comforter.
  • Duvet vs. comforter: For most comforters and duvets sold in North America, the terms are used interchangeably, as the bedding company Crane & Canopy explains. Technically, a duvet is very similar to a comforter but doesn't have an outer shell, meaning it's usually placed inside a duvet cover. Duvets often are not used with other types of bed linen, such as sheets or blankets, while a comforter is used with those types of bed linen. Some of our picks can also be used with duvet covers.
  • Fill power: This measures the amount of volume that one ounce of down occupies. A larger fill power number equals a comforter that provides a greater level of insulation. In other words, the comforter with the higher fill power number offers greater warmth without being heavier. Fill powers of around 600 provide average warmth and durability, according to Good Housekeeping. Higher numbers for fill power have greater durability and insulation; lower numbers won't provide as much warmth, which may be desirable in warmer climates or in the summer.
  • Thread count: Similar to a bed sheet, the thread count in a comforter indicates the number of yarns within an inch of the fabric. Higher thread counts equal finer yarns, which are more comfortable and softer than larger yarns. Because a comforter probably won't be touching your skin, thread count for softness isn't quite as important as with a bed sheet. More importantly for a comforter though, a higher thread count ensures the fill will remain inside the comforter, rather than leaking out through bigger gaps between yarns.

Types of fills for comforters

brooklinen duvet

The fill used inside the comforter plays a key role in your enjoyment of it, as explained in Sleepedia, Good Housekeeping, and The Wirecutter

  • Down alternative: If the comforter doesn't use goose down or duck down as a filler, you may see down alternative listed in the specifications. This can include cotton fibers, cotton-polyester blend fibers, and gel fibers. Gel fiber is the most expensive type of down alternative, as it provides the most softness.
  • Down cluster: The down cluster is the fluffiest portion of a duck feather or goose feather, existing under the main part of the feather. When used in a comforter, it provides greater warmth than the main part of the feather. A comforter manufacturer may list the percentage of down cluster used in the fill in the blanket's specifications. A higher percentage of down cluster equals a higher quality comforter and a higher fill power number.
  • Duck down: Duck down is a more common fill material used in comforters made in North America than goose down. As a general rule, duck down is not as fluffy as goose down, so it's not found in the highest end comforters as often as goose down.
  • Goose down: For comforters made in Europe, goose down is the most common fill material. It provides a little more fluff versus duck down on average, although exceptions do occur. 

Look at the specification list for a particular comforter, and you should see the percentages of the types of fill it contains. Now on to our top picks for the best comforters.

Here are the best comforters you can buy:

Updated on 10/14/2019 by Caitlin Petreycik: Updated prices, links, and formatting. 

SEE ALSO: The best duvet covers you can buy

The best comforter overall

The Topsleepy Luxurious All Size Goose Down Comforter provides just the right level of warmth at a great price point.

The Topsleepy Luxurious All Size Goose Down Comforter will keep you warm and cozy all year round with its 50% goose down filling and baffle stitching. It's not too heavy or too warm, so you can use it most of the year. 

Since it's a plain white comforter and it doesn't have the highest thread count at 300, you may want to put it inside a duvet cover. A duvet cover will protect the comforter from staining and losing feathers and it'll also add some color or a fun pattern to your bed. You can check out the best duvet covers on Insider Picks for some ideas.

Additionally, the Topsleepy Luxurious Goose Down Comforter is very easy to clean. Just use lukewarm water to spot clean the comforter and air dry it. A duvet cover will keep it even cleaner and ensure it lasts longer, though.

Should you have any problems with it, Topsleepy says it's guaranteed for 15 years. You can check the instruction book it comes with for information on how to send the comforter back for a refund or exchange. The price is also much more reasonable than most other comforters, making it a good pick for most people.

Pros: Low price point, good construction quality for the money, provides comfort in all types of weather, easy to clean, goose down fill, baffle design keeps down from shifting

Cons: Low thread count allows some fill to escape, only 50% goose down fill



The best from a new bedding brand

The Brooklinen Down Comforter is super luxurious and well made with a 700 fill power and 400 thread count.

If you don't like buying from big-name companies and you'd much prefer checking out a startup, Brooklinen is our favorite new bedding brand. Its down comforter is a great buy.

It's hand-made in the Hutterite communities of Northwest Canada, so you know it's high quality. The comforter is filled with a 700 fill power of real white down, making it extra cozy and warm. The fill is covered by a 400 thread count cotton sateen shell that's soft to the touch, just like Brooklinen's sheets, which are among our favorites.

Brooklinen has a lifetime warranty, too, so if you don't like it for whatever reason, the company offers free exchanges or replacements. If the buyer reviews are anything to go by, you will love this comforter. Expert reviewers at Wirecutter love it and name it the best comforter for most people.

Pros: Made in Canada, 700 fill power, real goose down, 400 thread count cover, lifetime warranty, affordable for the quality

Cons: None



The best colorful comforter

The LaCrosse Down Comforter from The Company Store works great in all seasons and it comes in fun color choices.

If you're tired of boring white comforters, The Company Store LaCrosse Down Comforter is a smart choice. It carries a slightly above average price point, but you'll be able to find just the right shade to go with your bedroom's décor. 

You can get the comforter in colors like ivory, russet, bubblegum, walnut, navy, chino, coal, guava, and silver. It has a 250-thread-count combed cotton shell that's Oeko-Tex certified, so you know it's chemical free. It's made with a sewn-through 12-inch box construction that ensures the 100% duck down filling never spills out.

If you do want to pop it in a duvet cover, the comforter has corner loops to attach duvets with ties. You can check out the best duvet covers on Insider Picks for some ideas. Additionally, the LaCrosse comforter is machine washable for easy cleaning.

In the Home Construction Improvement review of the LaCrosse comforter, the reviewer appreciated the high-quality sewn through design, as well as its warmth in cold weather. Even though this comforter provides a good deal of warmth with its fill power of 500 to 550, one Amazon customer reviewer found it worked great in summer, too.

Pros: Large number of color options, good option in all kinds of weather, includes loops to keep comforter in place on the bed, high-quality sewn-through design

Cons: Price is a little higher than average



The best luxury comforter

The Highland Feather Carmel Hutterite Goose Down Comforter offers well above average stitching, fill power, and comfort.

Those of you who are seeking a high-end comforter know that it's going to cost you a pretty penny to get full goose down with a high fill power. However, you can save a little bit versus some other high-end comforters and still receive a tremendous comforter with the Highland Feather Carmel Hutterite Goose Down Comforter.

The comforter comes with a 15-year warranty, a 725 fill power, and 100% imported goose down fill. Highland Feather applies an anti-microbial treatment to the goose down fill to prevent problems with allergens. It's pillowy soft, warm, thick, and luxurious.

It's a plain white comforter, so you may want to add a duvet cover for protection and style. Duvet covers will add another layer of softness, a fun color or design, and durability to your pricey duvet. You can check out the best duvet covers on Insider Picks for some ideas.

This is not a lightweight comforter. The super king size of the Highland Feather Carmel Hutterite Goose Down comforter with a deluxe fill weighs 50 ounces, so it's better suited for use in the winter when you want to be cozy than for use in the summer when you get hot at night.

One Amazon customer reviewer loved the warmth of the Highland Carmel Hutterite comforter, as well as its softness and 700-ply cotton outer shell. However, the reviewer was a little disappointed in the overall size of the comforter, wishing it would hang over the sides of the bed a little farther.

Nonetheless, there's no denying that this is a well-made, high-end goose down comforter that'll keep you snuggly warm in bed for years to come. That alone makes it worth the high price tag.

Pros: High-quality construction, high fill power number, all goose down fill, anti-microbial treatment to combat allergens, extremely soft, excellent for providing warmth in winter

Cons: High price point, heavy comforter for summer usage 



The best affordable comforter

If you can't afford the luxury of a down comforter, the LinenSpa All-Season Down Alternative is an excellent, affordable option.

Those of you who are seeking an inexpensive comforter that will keep you cozy will love the  LinenSpa All-Season Down Alternative comforter

Although it doesn't have goose or duck down inside, the LinenSpa comforter features a down alternative, which is hypoallergenic and quite warm. It's machine washable and sports box baffle stitching to keep the fill inside where it belongs. In addition to classic white, it comes in black, navy, sand, and charcoal, as well as blue and white striped. 

One Amazon customer reviewer was disappointed because the comforter's fill poked through the threads, but it seems to be a rare occurrence. The fact that it's on the thinner side (meaning you might need to pair it with an extra blanket in the winter) was another Amazon complaint. 

Despite the quibbles, it's still a solid down alternative option for those who are on a budget. 

Pros: Extremely low price point, multiple sizes and colors available, machine washable design, hypoallergenic materials in the fill, comfortable and soft

Cons: Fill may leak out, on the thinner side



The best hypoallergenic down alternative comforter

The Superior Solid White Down Alternative Comforter has a soft poly-fill that will be more comfortable if you are allergic to feather or goose down.

Finding a comforter with just the right mix of fill that's also hypoallergenic can be a challenge, but we like the Superior Solid White Down Alternative Comforter with its warm design and affordable price tag.

The king size Superior Solid comforter includes 100 ounces of fill weight, which is sure to keep you warm during cooler months. One Amazon buyer says the fill weight isn't going to feel too hot in the summer, either, which is another nice feature.

The soft fill makes no noise as you move the comforter around, which The Best Mattress Topper's review says will help you get a full night of sleep. NY Mag also loves everything about the Superior Solid comforter, especially its softness and its bright, white color.

Cozzy appreciates the double stitching used to make the comforter more durable. However, a few Amazon reviewers say it doesn't hold its shape and stitching after a couple of trips through the washing machine.

Pros: Good price point, hypoallergenic poly-fiber fill, plenty of fill weight for warmth, extremely soft comforter, fill doesn't create noise as you're moving around during the night

Cons: Comforter is shorter than average, stitching and shape may show some wear after multiple trips through the washing machine

 



The best goose down comforter

There's just something luxurious about a true goose down comforter, and the Puredown Goose Down Comforter fits that description perfectly.

For those who do not have any allergies to goose feathers, a down comforter is a great option for a luxurious bed covering that also looks great. Our favorite goose down comforter is the Puredown Goose Down Comforter because it's incredibly soft and warm with its 600 fill power

The comforter uses a baffle box stitching design that's subtle and attractive. The stitching also helps keep the goose down in place so there are no cold spots.

A word of warning: while most Amazon reviewers found the Puredown adequately warm, one customer said the goose down filling was thinner than expected. In other words, you may want to add an extra blanket if you're not a warm sleeper. 

Pros: Good price point for a goose down comforter, works equally well in summer and winter, good stitching design to hold fill in place, high build quality that means comforter should last a while

Cons: Thin filling that won't provide enough warmth for some people, price is a little higher than average



The best 1,200 thread count comforter

If you want a soft fabric to go with a great fill weight in your comforter, the Egyptian Bedding 1200 Thread Count Goose Down Comforter is a great buy.

Perhaps you like the idea of a high thread count in your comforter because you like to pretend you're spending the night in a five-star luxury hotel. (Trust us, your partner's dirty underwear on the floor and the snoring dog in the corner kind of ruin the illusion.)

Once you've eliminated those distractions, we'd suggest the Egyptian Bedding 1200 Thread Count Goose Down Comforter to provide luxury style and comfort in your bedroom. Thread count measures the number of threads that can be woven into a square inch of fabric, with higher numbers yielding better comfort and quality.

The Egyptian Bedding comforter includes 90% down and 10% small feather fill, which yields a lightweight, yet warm and comfortable, product. Its 750 fill power is pretty high, too.

One Amazon buyer says the Egyptian Bedding comforter overhangs the bed nicely, ensuring that there's no fighting over the blanket.

However, another Amazon reviewer says the baffle box stitching is not of a high quality, meaning the fill doesn't stay in place well, leading to cold spots.

Pros: Excellent thread count equals high-quality fabric, looks like a luxury hotel comforter, 90% goose down fill, size of comforter has plenty of overhang for a king size bed, warm and comfortable comforter

Cons: Price is a little high, weak baffle box stitching may not allow fill to remain properly spread throughout comforter



Check out our other great guides for bedding

The best mattresses you can buy

A great mattress can be the difference between a good night's sleep that results in a productive day or a horrible night that makes you feel like you didn't sleep at all. Here are our top picks for the best mattress you can buy: 


The best mattress toppers you can buy

Although a mattress topper isn't a must-have for your bed, it's one of the easiest ways to up your sleep quality and comfort. We researched dozens of mattress toppers and determined that these are our favorites:


The best pillows you can buy

A good pillow means a good night's sleep. We reviewed dozens of pillows to narrow down the choices to the ones you'll love best. Here are our top picks:


The best flannel sheets you can buy

Flannel sheets are warm, soft, and cozy for cold nights during the fall and winter months.

nothing beats a nice warm set of flannel sheets, especially in the winter. On the other hand, flannel sheets can go so wrong, so quickly and, unfortunately, you never really know until you sleep on them whether they are soft as a cloud or just a scratchy, pilly mess.

These five picks are the best-reviewed flannel sheets on the market, chosen because they are beloved by both experts and everyday shoppers. All of them will give you a warm and cozy sleepytime experience — without the uncomfortable trial-and-error period. Here are the best flannel sheets you can buy: 



I've been using this kitchen utensil set for almost 3 months — each piece performs well and is less than $7

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  • Potluck is a direct-to-consumer startup that makes simple, smart cookware that's sold in bundles.
  • The company sent me their 12-Piece Utensil Set ($80) and it was an easy upgrade and overhaul while I moved.
  • Potluck's designs were informed by interviews with chefs about how they cook at home and in a professional setting, and its basics benefit from the tiny upgrades. 

The last thing I want to think about while moving in New York City is which kitchen utensils are mine, and which are the relics of past and current roommates. By the end of a lease, a kitchen drawer looks like a squirrel's springtime garage sale. Rusty peeler, but no cheese grater. 

In a place like New York City, such energy must be reserved for dragging a dresser up four flights of stairs. 

Ideally, I could click a button and somebody else would ship me everything I need. In this fantasy, they'd be affordable, best-in-class, and thorough. I'd open the box, put things away, and never think about them again — until I'm wielding lightweight tongs I didn't know I owned four weeks later, admiring how easy they make the job.

This is what actually happened when I discovered Potluck and was sent their $80 Utensil Set during my latest life-sapping move. It included everything I didn't want to think about buying: a colander, mixing bowls, wooden spoon, and more. It looks nice. It performs really well. And on average, each item costs under $7. 

We wrote about Potluck earlier this year. It's an affordable cookware startup, which was founded by two former Glossier senior managers, Minsuk Kim and Jessica Sheft-Ason, to deliver on affordable, exceptional kitchen basics. The company says their offerings are made in the same factories that make kitchenware for other top brands, but Potluck is priced at about half the cost.

The best basics, backed by insights from professional cooks

To make the smartest use of simplicity, Potluck consulted cooks to understand how they cooked at home and how they cooked in professional kitchens. The insights led to strategic product design, like opting for tri-ply stainless steel construction over five-ply because one cook from Chez Panisse told them it was all she used during her time there. In the end, it's a line of the best of the basics. Nothing flashy or especially Instagrammable, but the products you'll nonetheless reach for time and time again.

Like many other startups, Potluck's offerings are simultaneously sparse and a great deal. Shoppers can choose between a few bundles — the kind of structure that lowers your average cost by mixing high-end hero products with lower-lift essentials.

Potluck's complete offerings are as follows: a comprehensive 22-Piece Essentials Bundle ($270), a seven-piece Cookware Set ($160), three-piece Knife Set ($60), and a Utensil Set ($80). The downside is, of course, that you can't buy items a la carte; you have to commit to a set. This means replacing an item won't be as simple as reordering it, though that shouldn't be an issue with how long the items are meant to last. And, on the flip side, bundling can save money, time, and keep you prepared long-term. 

Below, I walk you through each of the utensils included in the Utensil Set. Overall, I highly recommend checking them out if you're looking for easy, well-designed cookware without a big price tag. 

Here's everything included in the Potluck Utensil Set.

Colander

This may be my favorite item in the set. Its micro-perforated mesh drains all the water quickly but doesn't let nearly any strands of pasta escape. It's durable and extremely lightweight. 



Fish spatula

Potluck's fish spatula is made from a flexible steel blade and an attractive riveted wooden handle that aids in temperature control. It's thin and adaptive and allows you to maneuver easily in the pan with delicate foods (as well as thick foods).

As Insider Picks editor Sally Kaplan can attest, fish spatulas are arguably the only spatula you need. Her $7 purchase from Amazon — which looks identical to this one — is what she considers the best of many tools in her kitchen



Grater

This is a good example of an exceptionally designed basic. It has a rubber pad at the top to keep it from skidding, a comfortable no-slip grip on the handle, and super sharp medium-size holes that can easily take down a bag of carrots or a Mount Rushmore-sized parmesan block. 



Ladle

This is a no-frills, stainless steel ladle with a 5-ounce capacity and a handle hook that keeps itself from falling sideways into your soup.

It's also one product I wouldn't have bought for myself but needed — and happily used — a few weeks after I unboxed the set. One of the major perks to a bundle is ending up with a full toolkit of above-average products for a low average cost. That was the case here. 



Measuring cups

A set of lightweight stainless steel measuring cups in ¼ cup, ⅓ cup, ½ cup, and 1 cup sizes.



Measuring spoons

A set of lightweight stainless steel measuring spoons in 1 teaspoon, ⅓ tablespoon, ½ tablespoon, and 1 tablespoon sizes.



3-quart mixing bowl

A lightweight, stainless steel mixing bowl. It's a good size for mixing batter. 



4-quart mixing bowl

Another lightweight, stainless steel mixing bowl. It's a good size for tossing salads. 



Peeler

This is your average stainless steel peeler with a U-shape to accommodate your wrist and knuckles. It's ergonomic, works smoothly, and the peeler doesn't flip over on itself.



Silicone spatula

This 10-inch spatula is heat-resistant up to 500 degrees and gets the job done well. However, the design here — though standard — may not be the best option available overall. Since the top paddle is inserted on top of the handle, it leaves room for food particles and ingredients to become wedged in the hard-to-clean space in between. 

We typically recommend checking out the GIR silicone spatulas, the result of a Kickstarter campaign aimed at making the single, perfect silicone spatula. Among other upgrades like a fiberglass core that keeps the handle cool, its most important feature is that it's made from a single piece of non-toxic, BPA-free silicone. 



Tongs

These 12-inch tongs are made from durable stainless steel, with a sliding ring for easy storage. Thankfully, I haven't noticed the ring slipping into place by accident. 



Wooden spoon

This is a 14-inch birch spoon that stays cooler than metal in a pot and won't scratch nonstick pans. 

Order the Potluck 12-Piece Utensil Set, $80



If you need more cookware inspiration, check out one of the links below.



A United Airlines passenger wore a shirt that referenced lynching journalists, worrying other passengers and raising a debate over threats on planes (UAL)

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United Journalist T-Shirt

  • A passenger on a United flight complained after he say a fellow passenger wearing a T-shirt that advocated lynching journalists, in an incident that went viral on Twitter and was first reported by CNBC.
  • The complaining passenger was given the option of moving to a different flight, but the passenger with the threatening shirt was not confronted and was allowed to fly.
  • The episode highlighted the inconsistencies in how airlines enforce dress codes and assess threats on board.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A United Airlines passenger was boarding his flight from Los Angeles on Friday when he noticed a fellow passenger wearing a threatening T-shirt. But when he complained, the airline didn't remove him.

The passenger's sister, Jessica Sidman, a food editor at Washingtonian magazine, tweeted an image that her brother sent her from the jetway. 

The T-shirt read "Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required."

CNBC reported that the complaining passenger, who did not wish to be named because he was worried about receiving threats, told a flight attendant about the shirt as he made his way to his seat, saying that "he considered it a death threat."

 

However, the passenger who complained about the threatening shirt was given the option of switching to a different flight, while the man with the shirt was allowed to stay on board and fly.

Ultimately, both men stayed on the flight to Boston.

The issue reflected the delicate balance that airlines walk when enforcing dress codes and discerning threats from passengers.

United's contract of carriage, which all passengers agree to when they book flights, says that "passengers who are barefoot or not properly clothed" may not be allowed to board flights.

Similarly, flight crews are given broad leeway when it comes to addressing possible security concerns and threats.

However, application of rules has been inconsistent and led to several high-profile incidents in recent years.

In 2017, United made headlines when it denied travel to two young female passengers for wearing leggings; in that instance, they were traveling on employee "non-rev" guest passes, which have stricter dress codes.

In July, American Airlines was criticized after flight attendants forced a Houston-area doctor to wrap a blanket around herself on a flight from Kingston, Jamaica, because they said her summer outfit was "inappropriate."

Last month, two Muslim men said their American Airlines regional flight was cancelled because the crew "didn't feel comfortable" flying with them aboard.

According to CNBC, the t-shirt was available at Walmart until it stopped selling them in 2017.

United did not return a request for comment. 

SEE ALSO: A woman got her arm cut off by a propeller on a plane that her husband was preparing to fly

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How NASCAR's banked turns help cars go faster

Ancestry's DNA test has traced the family histories of more than 15 million people. Now the genealogy giant wants to map out your health history.

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Margo Geogriadis

  • Genealogy giant Ancestry is getting into the business of healthcare.  
  • On Tuesday, the company announced two health products: AncestryHealth Core and AncestryHealth Plus, which can help users of the company's DNA test get a sense of their family health history.
  • The company has long avoided healthcare, even as personal-genetics companies like 23andMe have made it a key part of their businesses.
  • AncestryHealth Core will cost $149 — or $49 if users have already taken an Ancestry test — while Plus will cost $199, and additional quarterly updates after the first six months will cost $49 every six months.
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Ancestry, the family-history website, is preparing for a big move into healthcare, an area the 36-year-old firm has largely avoided.

The company is planning to start selling two new products: AncestryHealth Core and AncestryHealth Plus. Both products will provide information like carrier status for genetic conditions, cancer risk and wellness reports and can help users get a sense of their family health history as well as ancestry. Unlike tests from rivals like 23andMe, Ancestry will require a doctor to be involved in ordering the tests and interpreting the results.

Ancestry's DNA test, designed to map out your genetic roots going back generations, has been growing quickly since launching in 2012. In 2015 the company hit 1 million people tested, and in May 2019 it said it had run tests for more than 15 million people. Until now, those users haven't received reports on health information.

"We didn't want to be just another company issuing lab reports," Ancestry CEO Margo Georgiadis told Business Insider. Georgiadis said there were several key considerations that fell into place that convinced her it was time to jump in: the science and the consumer had to be ready, and the tests needed to be affordable to run. 

Healthcare is just the latest evolution for Ancestry, which was founded in 1983 to publish magazines about family history. The company later built family-tree software and launched Ancestry.com in 1996. It has focused largely on family histories and family-tree products, as well as on detailing migration patterns.

While 23andMe paved the way for health-focused consumer genetics tests, other firms have struggled to figure out a business model that works. The DNA-testing startup Helix cut its workforce in May as it moved more into working with health systems and health plans rather than going directly to consumers.

Color, a consumer genetics company that provides a physician-ordered test, has been partnering with health systems and life sciences companies like Verily to provide genetic screenings. 

DNA Testing 23andMe

Why Ancestry's working with doctors

Georgiadis, who joined Ancestry in 2018 after a brief stint running the toymaker Mattel, said the company had avoided health because there wasn't much it could provide that would spur users to act on their health information.

"For a long time, I think the company was very focused on how do we make sure that anything that we're doing is truly actionable for consumers," Georgiadis told Business Insider in an August interview.

She said that right now, consumer genetic health testing is report-driven. Once a person gets the report, it's often unclear what to do with the information.

"The reality is while people find lab reports interesting, it's not helping them get to action and that's really what they crave," Georgiadis said in an October interview. "They crave actual insights where they can take steps with their healthcare providers to live longer and healthier lives."

To see where Ancestry could be different, Georgiadis hosted a barbecue in the backyard of her Palo Alto home early on in her tenure as CEO, inviting doctors from various medical specialties. The doctors filled her in about the concerns they had about consumer genetics tests and told her what they'd like to see instead. 

Read more: Genetic testing is the future of healthcare, but many experts say companies like 23andMe are doing more harm than good

By the end of it, Georgiadis came back to her team with a three-page summary of what Ancestry would have to do. That included making sure Ancestry gave back reports that doctors could do something with. For instance, Ancestry will test for hereditary cancers in which the doctor could take a preventive step, but won't report on a predisposition for a condition like Alzheimer's where there's not as much a doctor can do for that individual.

It also meant AncestryHealth would have to provide a clinical-grade test that could be used by doctors. 

"This is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done," Georgiadis recalls telling the team. 

An example of Ancestry's health report

What's included in an AncestryHealth test

To order an AncestryHealth test, Ancestry will link consumers up with a doctor via the company PWNHealth. Next, the user will fill in information about their family health history that users can bring to their doctor. After getting the results, they're presented one at a time, incorporating the family health history into the conversation about risk.

From there, users can choose to better understand the results via videos, text, interactive webinars, or directly talking to a genetic counselor. The report can be printed out and taken to a doctor.

It's a different route than rival 23andMe has taken. 23andMe's health reports are available directly to consumers once they're cleared by the Food and Drug Administration

Ancestry plans to offer two health products: 

  • AncestryHealth Core, which will provide health reports about carrier status for rare conditions parents could pass on to kids, like cystic fibrosis, inherited cancers, and heart disease. It'll also provide wellness information about nutrition and metabolism. Georgiadis characterized it as reports that doctors consider the most actionable. AncestryHealth Core will cost $149, or $49 if users have already taken an Ancestry test. 
  • AncestryHealth Plus will offer more reports and the plan is to add additional info over time as the science advances. The test will be run on next-generation sequencing technology rather than the genotyping technology Core and the standard AncestryDNA test is run on. Unlike genotyping, which looks for specific parts of DNA and pieces them together, next-generation sequencing looks at only the protein-encoding parts of your genome, called the exome. The next-generation sequencing analyzes roughly 2% of those 3 billion base pairs. The test will cost $199, which includes six months of quarterly updates and additional educational resources. After that, it's $49 every six months for the quarterly updates, or $100 a year. 

Users who have already submitted their spit to Ancestry before don't have to submit a new samples. The products will take about 6-8 weeks to report after ordering, even for those who have already taken the Ancestry test. The company said it plans to have the Plus program available widely in 2020. To perform the next-generation sequencing test, Ancestry's partnering with lab-testing firm Quest Diagnostics

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Ancestry just came out with 2 new DNA tests focused on health. Here’s what you can learn from them.

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ancestry kit

  • Genealogy giant Ancestry is getting into the business of healthcare.  
  • On Tuesday, the company announced two health products: AncestryHealth Core and AncestryHealth Plus, which can help users of the company's DNA test get a sense of their family health history.
  • AncestryHealth Core will cost $149 — or $49 if users have already taken an Ancestry test — while Plus will cost $199, and additional quarterly updates after the first six months will cost $49 fee every six months.
  • Here's what's included in the reports. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For the first time, family-history website Ancestry will tell you about your genetic health.

On Tuesday, the 36-year-old firm known for its family tree resources announced that it'll offer two new products: AncestryHealth Core and AncestryHealth Plus.

Both will provide information like carrier status for genetic conditions, cancer risk and wellness reports and can help users get a sense of their family health history as well as ancestry.

Read more: Ancestry's DNA test has traced the family histories of more than 15 million people. Now the genealogy giant plans to get into healthcare.

What's included in an AncestryHealth test

To order an AncestryHealth test, Ancestry will link consumers up with a doctor via the company PWNHealth. Next, the user will fill in information about their family health history. Results will be presented one at a time, incorporating the family health history into a conversation about health risks.

From there, users can choose to better understand the results via videos, text, interactive webinars, or directly talking to a genetic counselor. The report can also be printed out and taken to a doctor.

It's a different route than rival 23andMe has taken. 23andMe's health reports are available directly to consumers once they're cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. 

Ancestry plans to offer two health products: 

  • AncestryHealth Core, which will provide health reports about carrier status for rare conditions parents could pass on to kids, like cystic fibrosis, inherited cancers, heart disease, and wellness information about nutrition and metabolism. Georgiadis characterized it as reports that doctors consider the most actionable. AncestryHealth Core will cost $149, or $49 if users have already taken an Ancestry test. 
  • AncestryHealth Plus will offer more reports and the plan is to add additional info over time as the science advances. The test will be run on next-generation sequencing technology rather than the genotyping technology Core and the standard AncestryDNA test is run on. Unlike genotyping, which looks for specific parts of DNA and pieces them together, next-generation sequencing looks at only the protein-encoding parts of your genome, called the exome. The next-generation sequencing analyzes roughly 2% of those 3 billion base pairs. The test will cost $199, which includes six months of quarterly updates and additional educational resources. After that, it's $49 every six months for the quarterly updates, or $100 a year. 

Users who have already submitted their spit to Ancestry before don't have to submit a new samples. The products will take about 6-8 weeks to report after ordering, even for those who have already taken the Ancestry test. The company said it plans to have the Plus program available widely in 2020. To perform the next-generation sequencing test, Ancestry's partnering with lab-testing firm Quest Diagnostics

An example of Ancestry's health report

Here are the conditions the tests will screen for:

Ancestry will also provide carrier screenings for three conditions: 

  • Sickle Cell Anemia, a red blood cell disorder. 
  • Cystic Fibrosis, a condition that affects the lungs's ability to function. 
  • Tay-Sachs Disease, a condition in which the body destroys nerve cells. 

Competitor 23andMe offers many of the same tests for about $200, including carrier status reports for those three conditions, as well as more than 40 others. It also reports predisposition for conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia and some variants associated with inherited breast and ovarian cancer.

23andMe's consumer genetics test can also tell users if they have an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, tests that Ancestry did not choose to include. 

The report also comes with wellness screenings that show based on genetics how individuals might process caffeine or lactose, the sugar found in milk. Here's what's all included:

  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin B12
  • Vitamin C
  • Omega-3
  • Beta carotene
  • Lactose tolerance
  • Caffeine Metabolism

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Air Canada will no longer call passengers 'ladies and gentlemen,' and will use the gender-neutral term 'everybody' instead

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Air Canada Boeing MAX 8

  • Air Canada is changing its onboard announcement policies to refer to passengers as "everybody" instead of the gender-specific "ladies and gentlemen."
  • The policy is "part of our commitment to respect sexual identity, diversity, and inclusion," the company said in an internal memo published by La Presse news site.
  • The Canadian government recently started allowing non-binary citizens to mark their gender as "X" rather than male or female.
  • US airlines including American, United, and Southwest have also introduced the "X" option on boarding passes.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Air Canada flight staff will no longer greet passengers by calling them "ladies and gentlemen," the company announced, in an effort to include all genders.

Instead of the gender-specific "ladies and gentlemen" (or French "mesdames et messieurs"), flight attendants are to address passengers as "everybody" or "tout le monde" instead.

The announcement was made over the weekend, according to the country's CTV News and La Presse. The airline has not specified when the change will be implemented, and has not yet responded to Business Insider's request for comment.

"The change will be reflected in the transmission of the Onboard Announcement Manual as part of our commitment to respect sexual identity, diversity, and inclusion," La Presse cited an internal memo as saying.

A spokesperson for the company also told CTV: "We work hard to make sure all employees feel like valued members of the Air Canada family, while ensuring our customers are comfortable and respected when they choose to travel with us."

Read more:The 10 best airlines to fly in North America

trudeau

The policy change came four months after Canadian authorities started to allow non-binary citizens to mark their gender as "X," rather than male or female, on their passports.

Many airlines have taken steps to recognize gender neutrality in recent months.

Earlier this year, US airlines represented by the Airlines for America trade group — including American, United, and Southwest — announced that they would add an "X" option for non-binary passengers on their boarding passes from June 2019.

In March, United Airlines also became the first in the US to launch non-binary gender options for customers booking flights — it now offers the gender-neutral title "Mx" alongside "Mr" and "Ms."

Join the conversation about this story »

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Greenland's real-estate prices are on the rise, and the increased interest in the area mirrors the shifting interests of luxury buyers and travelers around the world

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greenland

Greenland may be cold, but its real-estate market is anything but. 

Prices in the country's big cities, like Ilulissat and Nuuk, its capital, are rising, reported Candace Taylor for The Wall Street Journal. They're most expensive in Nuuk, she wrote, where luxury housing starts at $589,000 and the highest-priced home sold for $1.25 million in 2018.

The increase in attention and the price hikes stem from a variety of factors, Taylor wrote: people leaving Greenland's smaller towns for better opportunities; an increase in Airbnbs (although Airbnb told Taylor there's no correlation between Airbnb listings and housing affordability); and President Trump's recent comments about buying Greenland. Interest is also coming from international buyers, she added.

But Greenland's exclusivity also holds a major appeal.

It has one airport, limited developable land, and areas so remote that some places "are reachable only by boat, plane, or dogsled," Taylor wrote.

That's not to mention the country's air of mystery. "They think we ride polar bears and live in igloos," Kenneth Mortensen, a Nuuk real-estate agent told Taylor.

It's all indicative of a shifting interest among luxury real-estate buyers, who look not only for aesthetics or a high price tag, but an experience that others can't buy.

Luxury is about experience and exclusivity

In a June interview with Mansion Global, New York-based designer Andrew Kotchen, founding principal of architecture and design firm Workshop/APD, said that luxury is more about experience than being a place, thing, or product.

And experience can take many forms. In the case of luxury condo developers in the US, pouring money into "well-being" amenities is currently the trend. Los Angeles condominium 1030 Kings, for one has an outdoor yoga deck; Arbor18 in Brooklyn boasts not only a zen garden but also an infrared sauna with built-in chromotherapy.

For others, experience as a luxury revolves around heading to unknown destinations.

"There's no more formality in luxury and hotels need to understand our guests," Jenni Benzaquen, vice president of luxury brands in Europe for Marriott International, told Deanna Ting of Skift. "They want what's unforgettable and unique, and they have a thirst for the unknown and they are going to markets where their friends haven't been before."

It's the same thing affluent travelers seek: an exclusive experience. As Business Insider's Lina Batarags previously reported, the elite "want personalized experiences that are either inherently unique or specifically tailored to them."

Between its far-flung location and its scenery, Greenland real-estate is the perfect exclusivity-meets-experience combination that luxury buyers and luxury travelers are seeking.

Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal »

SEE ALSO: Israel's luxury real estate market is booming, and it's driven in part by Jews buying 'insurance homes' to flee political strife in Europe and South America

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My husband and I saved $36,000 in 2 years to quit our jobs and travel the world. These are the offbeat ways we cut costs.

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Mary Kearl sunset

  • In early 2019, Mary Kearl and her husband left their full-time jobs to travel the world with their 1-year-old.
  • To prepare for this trip, the couple saved $36,000 over two years.
  • Kearl broke down exactly how they did it, from keeping food and shopping spending low to freelancing on the side to cutting costs in other places, such as their car and their apartment.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Work. Retire. Then travel. That's the natural order of things — or at least that was what I was raised to believe.

That all changed for me in 2016, when I took my first break from working full time to bike across the US for a month. My parents worried. They said I should wait, get a job first, then ask for time in between. But I wanted to move to Los Angeles, and I wasn't getting bites with a New York City address on my résumé.

Because I entered the workforce at the start of the recession, walking away from the job I had at the time and the security it gave me was one of the biggest risks of my life. It also turned out to be one of the most rewarding. As terrified as I'd been at the thought of starting over and having to explain my résumé gap to employers, I ended up securing a new job at a tech startup, one that came with a jump in title and pay — all while also getting a boost in quality of life, being able to trade New York City winters for year-round sunshine in LA (one of the top 10 places in the US for weather, according to US News & World Report).

Still, the open road and the chance to spend more time with family and friends called to me. So when my husband and I made plans to have a baby at the beginning of 2017, we also began exploring the idea of taking time off to travel the world as a family of three. We wanted to see more of each other and less of the inside of an office, and neither of us wanted to miss our future little one's milestones.

Inspired by "The Happiness Project,""Nomadland,""The Year of Less," and "Flat Broke with Two Goats"— all books that explore the theme of spending less and getting more out of life — and armed with data from the Budget Your Trip website and individual traveler blogs, we began saving in 2017.

At the end of the year, as a pre-New Year's resolution, we kicked things into high gear by starting our own "year of no shopping" that's still in effect. By the time we both stopped working full time in January 2019, we'd managed to achieve our ultimate savings goal: $36,000.

Here are some of the strategies that helped us reach our target.

Setting a monthly savings goal

As someone who has always freelanced in addition to working full time, I hoped to work while traveling to offset our costs. In the end, I was able to. (And as a result, we spent only $288.30 of our $36,000 savings on our seven-month world travels.)

But in the planning stages, we saved as if I wouldn't be able to.

Since I was little, my parents always encouraged me and my sister to save half of our money from babysitting or doing chores, or from gifts from family. Throughout the years, that saving mentality has helped me cover the cost of my food, books, and other daily expenses during college and pay for my MBA without taking any loans. But even still, I'd never set or stuck to a budget or set a monthly savings goal before.

Based on our research, I calculated that we needed to set aside $36,000 to pay for our adventures. To make that happen in two years, we planned — and managed — to save:

  • Total travel-fund goal: $36,000
  • Annual savings goal: $18,000 a year
  • Monthly savings goal as a couple: $1,500 a month
  • Monthly savings goal per person: $750 a month

Over these two years, we were making a combined annual income of over $150,000, so we were setting aside roughly 10% of our pretax pay in our travel fund.

Creating our own 'year of no shopping'

After I read about Ann Patchett's "no shopping" challenge in The New York Times in December 2017, I instituted one of our own — right before giving birth and welcoming a new baby into our household. Not the most ideal timing.

That said, there are no hard and fast rules defining what "no shopping" means. We decided it would mean nothing new unless what we had was broken or worn out beyond repair, or we had a new need.

For baby and me, there were a lot of new needs. And later, when it came time to pack our suitcases to travel the world, a few more arose.

Here were some of our big purchases, by category:

  • Maternity and nursing clothing: $105, compared with the almost $500 the average expecting parent spends on new clothes per pregnancy, Fortune reported in 2015. Since I had already been biking to work, I had a mostly athletic wardrobe consisting of stretchy leggings and loose-fitting tops that didn't need many additions. Most of my spend went toward nursing bras, which I later passed on to other family members so they wouldn't have to incur the same expense.
  • Travel clothes for two people: $240, compared with the $1,866 the average person spends on clothing annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This included $150 worth of UV/sports clothing, two pairs of water shoes for $60, and two pairs of walking shoes for $30.
  • Sports gear for our traveling: $290.50, compared with the $487 the average American spends on sporting gear, a 2017 survey conducted by CreditCards.com found. Specifically, we purchased binoculars at $27.50, a refurbished sports watch (OK, this was a want) at $178, and a SteriPEN at $85.

In the end, we didn't exactly forgo shopping. But I did consider each purchase over time, adding them to wish lists on Amazon and boards on Pinterest — and reviewing, deliberating, and narrowing down before completing my online checkouts to get the best price. Still, compared with the annual averages, we saved $395 on nursing and maternity clothing, $3,492 on clothing for two adults, and $683.50 on sporting gear for two adults — or a total of $4,570.50.

Having only one car

While living in LA for two years, I biked nine miles per day between work and home and sometimes extra to run errands or hang out with friends after work. Even when I was pregnant, I kept biking until I was seven months along, when I switched to taking the bus to keep costs low.

Mary Kearl bikingWe spent $264.20 per month on transportation as a one-car household, including:

  • Gas: $81
  • Insurance: $153.20
  • Monthly payment: $0 (paid off)
  • Parking spot: $0 (one free spot included with our rent)
  • Ride-sharing-app rides and buses: $30

By not having a second car, we saved up to $839.20 a month, or $10,070.40 per year, by not incurring the cost of insurance, car payments, and an extra parking spot.

Keeping food costs low

As with many tech companies, the startup where I was working at the time provided lunch — five days a week my first year, and four days a week the second year. There were often leftovers, which I was happy to bring home to avoid food waste and help keep our family's overall food bill low.

As a result, here's what we spent on food in a typical month:

  • Groceries: $280
  • Restaurants: $350
  • Total: $630

Our monthly spend was nearly $100 below what the average household spends on food in LA per month: $727. And these savings added up to $1,164 on a yearly basis.

Still, we spent more when we ordered in or went out to eat than if we'd cooked for ourselves. For the one to two nights a week that we made these splurges, the costs added up — highlighting big room for improvement in our cost-cutting.

Sticking with a one-bedroom apartment after our baby was born

We were living in the fifth-most-expensive city for renters in the country, where the monthly rent for a median one-bedroom apartment is $2,250 and the median two-bedroom costs $3,030, the Los Angeles Daily News reported in July.

Because of our apartment's proximity to our jobs (both in LA's more expensive west side) and the major tourist draw (the beaches), our apartment was pricier than the city's median, at $2,700, but still lower than the 2017 median for a one-bedroom in our neighborhood ($3,320.26) and lower than the lowest price available for a two-bedroom in our building (starting at $3,373 a month).

So not switching to a two-bedroom helped us save $673 per month, or $8,076 per year, in rent.

Freelancing on the side

Throughout my career, I've always freelanced on the side. From 2017 to 2018, I was fortunate to have a few steady clients and earned about $30,000 in addition to my annual salary.

Mary Kearl freelancingFor one of my regular gigs, every Thursday night, after working an eight-hour day, I would log on for another several hours to tackle the team's weekly social-media calendar. This involved planning, writing, and scheduling tweets and Facebook posts for the week ahead.

It was a routine I was able to maintain throughout my pregnancy — including after an emergency surgery I had at 22 weeks — and my maternity leave. I scheduled the client's content right before going into labor, and by the time I came home from the hospital and was settled, it was time to get back at it again. (I wouldn't recommend everyone do this, but it worked for me.)

Not paying for daycare or a babysitter for a year

Planning a year's worth of babycare without daycare or a babysitter required a lot of creative scheduling.

To make things work, my husband and I staggered our parental leave and paid time off to care for our baby across eight months. Throughout the rest of the year, my husband worked evenings, early mornings, weekends, and holidays, while I worked roughly 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.

Between my parents' and my sister-in-law's generous support, we were able to cover almost the remainder of our baby's first year. During the last month before we left for our world travels, my husband switched from full time to part time.

All in all, these scheduling logistics helped us save $16,542, the average (and staggering) cost of infant care in California, CNBC reported, citing data collected by Child Care Aware of America.

How did all the small efforts add up?

Overall, these saving strategies may have helped us save as much as $40,332.90, while freelancing on the side brought in an extra income that allowed for more flexibility in saving:

  • $16,542, by avoiding a year of childcare
  • $10,070.40, by being a one-car household
  • $8,076, by staying in a one-bedroom apartment
  • $4,570.50, thanks to our year of "no shopping" (or spending less)
  • $1,164, by keeping our food expenses low

What saving $36,000 meant for our family

Having spent half a year traveling and experiencing the wonders of this world, we've now had nine months (and counting) together as a family without commutes and full-time work schedules competing for our time. That's a real privilege in this country, where paid vacation and holidays are in short supply and where employees who have vacation time feel pressured not to take it off. Where others — as my husband has experienced for most of his career — are unable to have the same two days off in a row from week to week. And where others yet, as has been the case for both my husband and me, feel the pressure to be on call and complete work outside of typical office hours.

Mary Kearl sealsThis travel life may not last forever, but I hope we carry these lessons with us — of how to spend less, save more, live together in the moment, and appreciate each other and the world around us even more — wherever life takes us next.

SEE ALSO: Our family of 3 traveled the world for 7 months and only spent $288.30 from our savings — here's how

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Not a day goes by that you won't find us playing with these little magnetic balls at our desks — here's why Speks are the best fidget toy

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speks update 2

  • Speks makes small productivity desk toys out of magnets to help you focus or practice creative building skills. 
  • Its most popular Original Speks toy ($24.95) is made up of 512 tiny magnet balls that you can mold, mash, and build with. 
  • You can find us regularly playing with Speks at our own desks because they're quiet and they can be manipulated in a variety of ways. 

 

The explosive popularity of the fidget spinner and fidget cube a couple years ago has, for better or for worse, shown us that kids and adults alike enjoy having something tangible to play around with in their hands.

Thankfully, the fidget spinner fad has died down, ushering in a new generation of attention aids: squishable toys. 

They vary in material (some of the more popular options are made out of slime), but the ones we're always playing with at our desks are called Speks, a set of 512 small spherical magnets that you can mold, mash, and build with.

The simple but surprisingly effective concept is brought to you by the creators of Buckyballs and Zen Magnets. They're two popular magnetic desk toys made to help adults "mash and smash stress away while building and creating — with no spinning and no batteries." 

512 mashable, smashable, buildable, and fidgetful magnets from the creators of Buckyballs and Zen Magnets.

A post shared by Speks (@getspeks) on Apr 5, 2017 at 5:18pm PDT on

Our team was initially a little skeptical about the claim that playing with Speks "is like doing yoga for your fingers," but we were still intrigued enough to try them for ourselves. Since trying them for the first time in 2017, not a day goes by without seeing at least one of us build with the Speks as we brainstorm pitches or take a few seconds away from writing a review to mash the magnets into different shapes.

The cool thing about the Speks is that there are enough magnets to use them in a variety of ways. Personally, I often found myself picking up my set as I worked through an article. Instead of getting carried away clicking at different browser tabs or spending too much time on Spotify, I get my mind back on track by squishing the Speks between my fingers. 

You can also get creative and make sculptures (see the tiny purse our editor made below) if you need a hands-on activity that will get you away from your screen for a few minutes. 

speks update

Here's how some of my colleagues on the Insider Picks team enjoy their Speks: 

Remi Rosmarin, reporter:

I always find myself fidgeting with pens, hair-ties, and other small items anyways, so it's nice to have some toys designated for just that. Speks are fun to play with mindlessly or if you just want to give your brain something else to focus on for a while.

Sally Kaplan, editor:

I love playing with Speks — they give me something quiet to fidget with when I'm thinking, and they're easy to set down and return to later on. Though, I will say, I have an impossible time setting them down.

Breton Fischetti, vice president: 

Depending on the type of person you are, Speks can either be fun or frustrating. If I'm at my desk, I like to mash the whole set around in my hand absentmindedly. However, because it's made up of magnets that come in this perfectly shaped cube when the set arrives, I could also spend hours trying to get them back into that shape. It's something you can use as either a game that demands your full attention or something to keep your hands busy. 

 

speks set

The creators are serious about your use of the Speks. Each Speks set includes the 512 rare-earth magnets, a metal building base, plastic splitter card, 16-page starter guide, and carrying case. For the safety of small children, Speks should be enjoyed by customers ages 14 years and older.

Other than these Original tiny magnets, the company makes a super-sized version ($14.95) and building blocks ($29.95). Though they look and feel different, they're both designed to inspire you to build. 

speks update 3

If you find yourself getting distracted or fidgety through the work or school day, these magnetic balls might be the solution for you. Speks are also the perfect stocking stuffer for teens and adults. 

Shop all Speks toys at Amazon here

 

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19 places we shop for women's workwear — and the best styles to buy

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  • At Insider Picks, we test out hundreds of products each year. That volume makes us particularly discerning shoppers in our own lives, especially when it comes to what goes in our closets.
  • I asked seven women on the Insider Picks team to share where they personally shop for workwear, and what they recommend buying from each store. 
  • Below, you'll find our 19 go-to brands, like M.M.LaFleur, Everlane, and Dagne Dover, plus our favorite styles to buy.

The day that I realized I would spend most of my adult life in workwear is the same day I found myself sweating, rolling bags of ill-fitting blouses, scratchy wool skirts, and too-tight blazers into a donation bin. If you aren't strategic in picking out workwear you actually like, then an alarming percentage of your closet will one day be drab, unflattering, and uncomfortable. 

Thankfully, there is no shortage of great places to find the kind of workwear that you'll actually want to wear — the kind that feels and looks good, but also makes you more comfortable at your desk and more confident in your day-to-day life. 

I asked the women on the Insider Picks team to divulge the stores they personally shop at, and what they buy. We see and test hundreds of products every year, which makes us extremely critical shoppers — especially where our own small closets are concerned. Below, we share some of our favorite places to buy women's workwear and a few tips and tricks about what to buy from each brand.

Read on for 19 places we go to for women's workwear, and what we buy from each:

Everlane

Shop Everlane

Everlane is the internet's darling for its transparent pricing in an industry that often thrives on arbitrary markups. We shop here primarily for basics that are above-average in quality and below-average in price. We like Everlane's shoes, leather bags, cotton shirts, and $50 work pants.

The Work Pant, $50:

Insider Picks reporter Connie Chen calls the $50 work pant the one thing you can't pass up at Everlane, adding, "Fifty dollar work pants is all I need to say. They're comfortable, flattering, and go for double the price elsewhere. You might even want to buy more than one pair since they come in versatile neutrals and cute greens and blues."

The Day Shoe Collection, from $115:

In terms of footwear, we typically recommend the Day shoe family, though you'll want to size up a half size for your order. We're unanimously fans of the company's $115 Day Glove (I wear it at least three times per week in the summer) and we also love the Day Heel ($145), Day Loafer ($155), and Day Boot ($225). And, if you're open to knits, the comfort of the Day Glove ReKnit flats ($98) and Glove Boot ($155) is hard to beat. You can find a review of the flats here, and of the boots here.

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Authentic Stretch Denim, $68:

If it's a business casual office, Everlane's $68 Authentic Stretch Denim is one of our all-time favorite pairs of jeans because they are comfortable and liberating like stretch denim, but feel slightly rough to the touch like true denim. We've happily worn them both to the office and on plane rides. 

The Day Market Tote, $175:

We also ranked the Everlane Day Market Tote the best tote bag you can buy, as well as the best work bag you can get for under $200.  

The Pima Micro Rib Crew Tee, $30

Everlane's basics rarely fail to disappoint. This extra-fine ribbed pima cotton crew has the perfect thickness and stretch to make it feel nicer than average and look very flattering. I have it in almost every color. 

Read more:



Dagne Dover

Shop Dagne Dover

Dagne Dover makes stylish bags with the best internal design hacks for an organized professional life.

The Classic Tote, $245

The Classic Tote ($245) is our top pick for the best work bag you can buy— and it has earned its spot. Insider Picks freelancer Erin Mayer compared its specialized pockets to the clown car effect. Inside, there's a neoprene water bottle sleeve, phone pocket, pen holder, padded laptop sleeve, notebook or tablet sleeve, and an interior side pocket — as well as a detachable key holder. Its praises have been sung across the internet, from Harper's Bazaar to Best Products. Insider Picks' own director of content strategy Ellen Hoffman also loves the brand's leather Allyn Tote ($305-$345) for a work bag, though it costs more.

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Ryan Laptop Bag and Weston Laptop Bag, $135-$155

Insider Picks reporters Connie Chen, Remi Rosmarin, and I all swear by the brand's Ryan Laptop Bag and Weston Laptop Bag. As Remi put it, "this bag feels like it was designed with every one of my commuter frustrations in mind." It's stylish, hyper-organized, and sleek enough to stay out of the way in a crowded subway car. Both run for $135-$155 depending on the size you select. 

Read more:

The best women's work bags you can buy

This $155 laptop bag is one of the smartest we've ever carried to work — here's why professionals will love it

This tote that keeps selling out is the ultimate work bag for professional women



M.M.LaFleur

Shop M.M.LaFleur

M.M.LaFleur is the name to know for high-end, stylish, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. workwear. Most clothes are machine-washable and wrinkle-resistant, and the brand's design hacks are helpful rather than gimmicky, like internal clips to keep bra straps in place and adjustable pant hems for different shoes. Miyako Nakamura, former head designer for Zac Posen, is a master at flattering, easy silhouettes.

The brand's newest collection for fall 2019 is made for business travelers and features machine-washable, wrinkle-resistant, packable suiting staples like the sleek, doubled-breasted Yan Jacket ($325) and the Doris Dress ($225) that's been treated with an anti-odor finish so you can wear it multiple times before needing to throw it in the wash. 

Morandi 2.0 Sweater, $265

Both Ellen Hoffman and I use the brand's cozy, flattering Morandi 2.0 Sweater ($265) as our go-to "desk sweater" — even though the price is much more than either of us would typically spend on a sweater. It's flattering, versatile, and goes with everything. According to Ellen who did the math, "If I wear the sweater three times a week for 49 weeks out of the year, it comes out to $1.80 per wear after one year. After two years, its cost per wear drops to $0.90." In the end, it's worth it.

The Foster Pant, $195

M.M.LaFleur also makes ingenious pants that adjust for different shoe heights: The Foster Pant ($195).

Read more:

My 'desk sweater' goes with everything I own and keeps me comfortable when the office is too cold

We tried these cult-favorite work pants with an adjustable hem for heels or flats — and we loved them



Nordstrom

Shop Nordstrom

Nordstrom is, unsurprisingly, always a solid one-stop-shop, and it's one we use frequently. It carries a large variety of top brands, including some of our favorite startups, and has a few major sales events, a good rewards program, and a great customer service department. The site will also put together styling suggestions which is helpful for figuring out what goes with what.

Cool, online-only startups

Popular online startups like AllbirdsCasper, LIVELY, and Dagne Dover have been available to shop on Nordstrom, with Nordstrom's considerable perks — like free shipping and easy returns. 

Trunk Club, $25 styling fee

Nordstrom also technically owns Trunk Club, a personal styling service that can update your wardrobe with the help of a stylist and the wide offerings available on Nordstrom, with little effort on your part. There's a $25 styling fee, but it's waived if you choose to buy anything they send you.

Read more:

25 cool online startups you might not have noticed are now at Nordstrom



Tommy John

Shop Tommy John

Tommy John has made best-in-category men's underwear for over a decade. Unsurprisingly, it's been fielding requests for women's underwear since its launch. But, it wasn't until a Facebook post of a woman wearing Tommy John boxer briefs caught co-founder Erin Fujimoto's attention that the company issued its own women's line — and we're extremely glad they did

Air Thong, $26

There are plenty of good underwear options for women these days that are pretty and extremely comfortable (Everlane and MeUndies come to mind). But, Tommy John makes the best. Its Air styles are the best I own (feather-light, never roll, bunch, or pill), and if they didn't cost $26 each, they're the only ones I'd buy.

Air "Stay Tucked" Camisole, $36

The Air "Stay Tucked" Camisole ($36) is another of its best offerings. You can also find it at Nordstrom.

Read more

A Facebook post prompted this popular men's underwear company to finally launch a women's collection — and they're worth every penny



Spanx

Shop Spanx Tights

Spanx is best-known for their shapewear, and — to nobody's surprise — the same things that make their shapewear great (intuitive design, savvy understanding of women's bodies, and high-end materials) also make the best tights we've tested. 

Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights, $28

Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy, calls Spanx her all-time favorite tights: "The Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights ($28) are a true workhorse in my fall and winter wardrobe since that never rip, never pill, and hold me in in all the right places, without suffocating me in the process. I wear and wash them many, many times throughout the season and am consistently impressed by how well they hold up compared to tights from other brands." You can also find them at Nordstrom.

We also ranked the Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights ($28) the best tights you can buy overall. 

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Read more

The best black tights that don't rip — these are the 5 pairs we swear by

The best women's tights you can buy

 



J. Crew

Shop J.Crew

J. Crew seems to be hosting a sale every other day in 2019 — and that's great news for anyone looking to pick up high-quality office basics at a discount. We love the brand's preppy-retro blazers, classic-fit button-ups, and fun-but-still-professional prints and patterns. If you're looking for a fresh, leopard pencil skirt or a houndstooth blazer, you may want to check here first. 

Regent Blazer, $198

I'm always surprised by how few people take advantage of J.Crew's uniquely well-made desk-to-drinks basics. They're professional without ever approaching dowdy. The best example of this is the company's longstanding Regent Blazer ($198)— sleek, stylish, and great dressed down for coffee on a Saturday afternoon or up for a big meeting. Plus, the store seems to be in an eternal 40%-off sale. 



MZ Wallace

Shop MZ Wallace

MZ Wallace was created by two native New Yorkers as a way to bring to life stylish, thoughtfully designed essentials for the modern woman. You'll know them by their signature quilted-nylon bags. 

Large Sutton bag, $245

Insider Picks reporter Remi Rosmarin swears by MZ Wallace. "My MZ Wallace tote is my favorite weekday bag. It comes with me from work to the gym to dinners and everything in between. The brand really knows what it's doing when it comes to blending fashion with function, making cute pieces with versatile features like organizational pockets, key ring straps, and detachable pouches."

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This bag comes with me from work to the gym to dinner — it's no wonder why NYC women love them

 



Club Monaco

Shop Club Monaco

Multiple reporters recommended Club Monaco as a reliable spot for chic, on-trend pieces appropriate for work and life in general. Its clothes can be classified as sophisticated — but not dowdy or overly formal. Dress them up for work, or down for the weekend.

Hayzehl Halter Top, $79

Club Monaco is especially good for tops that are cute enough to like wearing every day. This top is a slim-fitting knit halter that's an easy and flattering option for days when you may be going from your desk to drinks later.

Pro tip: they have some good ongoing sales, so it's worth checking out the sale section first. 

 



Rent the Runway Unlimited Membership

Shop Rent the Runway

Rent the Runway lets you rent designer clothes so you can have a more versatile, sustainable, and high-end closet. Pay per rental, or pay a flat fee per month and get a constantly rotating selection of styles. 

Rent the Runway Unlimited, $159 per month ($99 for the first)

Rent the Runway (RTR) Unlimited may be the only subscription — aside from mainstays like Hulu or Amazon Prime— that multiple Insider Picks reporters have. It's also the most expensive by far. You can see the $4,862 of clothes we rented in a week here.

We're willing to pay the high $159 per month fee because RTR Unlimited delivers on variety, style, and convenience. They take care of shipping and dry cleaning, and you get unlimited access to a vast selection of high-end clothes you wouldn't be able to afford (or willing to buy) to wear in everyday life. You can rent unlimited pieces on rotation of four at a time and swap whenever you're done wearing a piece (there are no return dates). That means you don't spend 75% of your clothing budget on professional wear or vice versa, only to stress over outfit repeating. It also means you can try trends you wouldn't otherwise be willing to drop cash on. And, as director of content strategy Ellen Hoffman put it, "I'm actually spending far less on clothes these days" even with the monthly fee. 

It's one of the many things we've bought based on a colleague's glowing review

Read more

I've used Rent the Runway's unlimited subscription for a year — and it's completely changed the way I shop

17 products and services we bought based on glowing reviews from our coworkers



Saks Off 5th

Shop Saks Off 5th

As Insider Picks reporter Remi Rosmarin notes, Saks Off 5th can be hit or miss, but you can find some great deals on workwear from high-end brands if you're ok with skimming pages. 

"Since this is the discount branch from Saks, the selection can be all over the place in terms of what sizes and styles are available at any given time, but that's not a bad thing. Pretty much all of my work pants are from here or Nordstrom Rack— and they've all been about half the cost of retail."

Rag & Bone Simone Pinstripe Ankle Pants, $119.99

These Rag & Bone pants are 60% off on Saks OFF 5th. Since Rag & Bone is one of my favorite pricier stores to shop at, and I'm familiar with my sizing in most of their pants, finds like these are a great way to fill my closet with better options without going over budget. 



ThirdLove

Shop ThirdLove Bras

Point blank, Thirdlove makes the most comfortable everyday bras you can buy. The women-led company offers half-cup sizes, has a great return policy, and recently extended its offerings to 70 sizes. We ranked them the best bra you can buy in the Insider Picks Buying Guide. 

24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra, $68

Personally, the super-soft 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra ($68) is the first time (other than my experience with the more casual True & Co Racerback ($58)) that I've felt excited to put on a bra. It's smooth under T-shirts, comes in eleven skin-tone adjacent colors, and is so comfortable I feel real gratitude for it during transatlantic airplane rides.

Read more

The best bras you can buy

This popular bra startup known for creating half-cup sizes garnered a 1.3 million-person waitlist for their extended sizing launch — and they just came out with 24 new sizes

 



DSTLD

Shop DSTLD

LA startup DSTLD started by making premium denim under $100. It has since expanded to a huge variety of sleek basics — including leather jackets. 

High Waisted Skinny Jeans, $85 - $95

Insider Picks editor Jada Wong recommends DSTLD for high-quality jeans that won't cost you $200 per pair: "DSTLD has really nice classic styles that can pass for work pants, and don't let the low price point fool you in thinking that it's not high-quality. They're just as good, if not better, than ones that have cost me $200." A pair of high-waisted skinny jeans will probably cost you $85-$95 instead.

Wool Blanket Maxi Coat, $180

I also rely on the brand's $180 Wool Blanket Maxi Coat as a budget-friendly on-trend coat in the colder months. 

Leather Moto Jacket, $350

If your office dress code allows for leather jackets, this is the best affordable, high-end option I've found.

Read more

This LA startup is selling premium denim for under $100 — and it's inviting fans to be investors



Cuyana

Shop Cuyana

Cuyana makes stylish, high-end leather bags and basics for reasonable prices. 

Classic Leather Tote, $175 

Insider Picks freelance editor Jada Wong prefers Cuyana or Madewell for leather work bags since they can take the daily beatings of your life while lugging around a laptop, book, makeup bag, and workout clothes. 

Work Satchel, $475

Cuyana makes our top pick for the best satchel work bag. The Work Satchel ($475) has a laptop sleeve to fit both a 13-inch and 15-inch computer, a zipper pocket, and adjustable crossbody strap. It'll also age well, making a $400+ price tag a little easier to justify. 

Tote Organization Insert, $95

You can also buy the portable Tote Organization Insert ($95) that has the organizational pockets that cavernous, minimalist totes do not. 

Read more:

The best women's work bags you can buy

This $95 tote insert can turn any tote bag into a more organized work bag — people have caught on, and it keeps selling out



Banana Republic

Shop Banana Republic

Insider Picks editor Jada Wong says that Banana Republic is one of the best foolproof workwear stores. 

Sloan Skinny Fit Pant, $28.99

Jada swears by the brand's basic black pants: "I stock up on basic black pants at LOFT or Banana Republic whenever I can. They're just so versatile and chic! They're also a no-brainer on dreary-eyed mornings."



Madewell

Shop Madewell

Madewell is responsible for some of the best jeans on the internet, and the rest of its styles include everything you'd wear with a great pair of jeans — like boots, tees, and keep-forever bags. 

High-Rise Skinny Jeans (nine-inch), $128

These Madewell jeans are like a slightly thinner and more moldable version of Everlane's Authentic Stretch denim, though no less flattering. They look great on, and they're never uncomfortable to wear. Madewell is also one of few quality denim options that offer a high enough high-rise for tall people (nine-inch or 10-inch).

Regan Boot, $178

Insider Picks freelance editor Jada Wong says she's bought a pair of Madewell booties every fall for the past five years, "not because I needed to, but because I want to."

The classics are about $168-$298 and season-less. Plus most feature chunky two-inch heels, so they're walkable enough that you don't need to bring in a separate pair of shoes to commute to work in.



Commando

Shop Commando Tights

Commando's main selling point is that its line of tights has a patented, raw-cut waistband that won't dig into your skin.

Ultimate Opaque Control Top Tights ($38)

Commando's raw-cut waistbands mean the Ultimate Opaque Control Top Tights ($38) are one of very few that don't give me a bizarre stomach ache while wearing. They're more expensive than a $10 pair from Uniqlo (which freelance editor Jada Wong recommends) but they're worth the extra cost to me. I can wear them comfortably all day, and they've far outlived cheaper pairs I own.

Read more

These $40 tights aren't cheap, but their patented waistband that won't dig in makes them worth the cost

 



Old Navy

Shop Old Navy

Old Navy is the go-to for cheap basics that don't require a heavy compromise on material or style. In fact, content producer Francesca Rea says about 90% of her closet come from Old Navy.

High-Rise Rockstar Skinny Jeans, $20

Francesca says the Old Navy gateway product was the hidden gem $15-$30 jeans which come in virtually every style and cut. She also recommends the brand's affordable sweaters, basic tees, and blouses.



Uniqlo

Shop Uniqlo

Uniqlo has a few solid collections to shop — including its Wear to Work collection and its collaborations. Multiple Insider Picks reporters placed Uniqlo as one of their first stops for restocking basics like tights and tops, as well as stocking up on its effective HeatTech for winter.

The HeatTech Collection

In the winter, you'd be hard-pressed to find better innerwear than the HeatTech collection— clothes that generate heat from your body.  As Insider Picks freelance editor Jada Wong says, "In the winter, I have a foundation layer of all-Uniqlo-everything underneath my outfit. Can they make a HeatTech onesie already?"

Read more:

 



The best odor eliminators for your home

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  • Stinky sneakers, pets, kitchen concoctions, forgotten gym bags: Our homes are inundated with unpleasant odors. What can you do to breathe more easily?
  • Hamilton Beach TrueAir Room Odor Eliminator traps dust and uses three carbon filters to eliminate odors, sending fresh air back into your home.

With odors from cooking, pets, our bodies, and the environment in general, our homes can be really smelly places. There are scented air fresheners that temporarily mask odors, but what we really need to do is eliminate them completely.

Since most of us don't want to get rid of our loved ones (well, not permanently) or pets, we've put together a list of some of the best odor eliminators on the market. I started my testing by having a very good (and very honest) friend come into my home and give it a sniff. We all become used to the odors around us and can no longer detect them, but an outsider will catch that whiff of the litter box, last night's stuffed cabbage, or stale-smelling carpet.

Our sense of smell is powerful and causes many reactions. Some odors are pleasant and evoke good memories and emotions; others cause distress. Malodors come from a variety of sources including bacteria (spoiled food and body odor), fungus (mold and mildew), and volatile organic compounds or VOCs (paint fumes).  The secret is to find a way to eliminate the bad smells and keep a balance of pleasant scents that are not overwhelming.

The definition of clean is "free from dirt, pollution, or pollutants." But maintaining a sterile home is impossible. Regular cleaning with disinfecting cleaners is the first step in maintaining an odor-free home. And, fortunately, there are products available that do a great job in eliminating odors. In my testing, I chose to focus on the toughest odors to control and the products that are the most effective, easiest to use, and offer the best value for your money. These are the tried-and-true products I've tested and recommend.

Here are the best odor removers you can buy:

Updated on 10/15/19 by Les Shu: Updated prices, links, and formatting.

The best home odor remover overall

Reasonably priced, small, and quiet, the Hamilton Beach TrueAir 04532GM Room Odor Eliminator will neutralize odors in a room automatically for three months.

I'm not a big fan of simply masking malodors with another scent. No one wants to smell lilac-scented fried fish. I want to eliminate the odors, and the easiest way to do that, I found, is with theHamilton Beach TrueAir 04532GM Room Odor Eliminator. This little 8-inch cube is a powerful odor eliminator.

Just plug it in and using less energy than a 15-watt light bulb, the TrueAir fan pulls in air and puts it through three carbon filters to trap dust and malodors sending fresh air back into the room. I've been using the device for several months and my home is less dusty and smells fresh. There are two settings and I keep it on low, which makes very little noise. You can increase the speed if your home is really smelly.

The product claims to cover a 10-by-10-square-foot room for three months. After that point, the filters should be replaced. Changing the filters is very simple and if you don't use it all the time, the filters are effective for more than three months. For strong scents, there are special filters designed for tobacco smoke or pet odors. It also comes with a fragrance cartridge, Green Meadow, that you can use or skip.

With more than 2,700 reviews on Amazon, 71 percent of buyers gave the product either 4 or 5 stars. One had a similar experience like mine: "We live in an old house next to a creek. I keep it very clean, but it constantly smells musty... My daughter has a kitten and therefore a litter box in her room. This air purifier eliminates the smell entirely. We have two large dogs who stay in the master bedroom when we are gone during the day. This really keeps the room smelling fresh."

Pros: Continuous odor elimination, can be used with or without fragrance filter, low wattage, quiet, covers 100 square feet

Cons: Replacement filters not readily available in all mass-market stores



The best odor remover for pet odors

If you want to keep the pet but not the smells, Mister Max Original Scent Anti Icky Poo Odor Remover is your best bet.

Pets have accidents but even if you thoroughly clean after them, the odor often lingers in the carpet, upholstery, tile grout, and hardwood floors. And once the animal catches a whiff of that spot, it will return to the scene of the crime. Mister Max Original Scent Anti Icky Poo Odor Remover to the rescue.

I have a precious rescue pup that tends to urinate when startled or when she feels threatened. While her accidents have become fewer, there are still those moments. When it happens, I simply grab Mister Max and give the area a good spray. Thanks to the live bacteria and enzymes in the formula that destroy the odor molecules, there is no residual stench remaining that attracts the pup or her friends to the same spot.

Safe to use on all types of floors (it even penetrates concrete), carpets, and fabrics, the nontoxic Mister Max offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The product comes in both a light scent and an unscented formula, in several sizes. Here's a tip for new parents: It also takes care of odors from diapers and up-chuck.

Pros: Eliminates the toughest pet odors, environmentally safe to use around humans and pets, 100% money-back guarantee

Cons: Does not remove visible stains, not readily available in most mass-market stores.



The best odor remover for carpets

Simply sprinkle Arm & Hammer Extra Strength Carpet Odor Eliminator and vacuum it away for a fresh-smelling home. 

Soft surfaces like carpets, area rugs, and upholstery are magnets for odor molecules. The fibers grab hold of the molecules and simply won't let them go. This is particularly true for natural fibers like wool that are barbed, and synthetic fibers made from petroleum products that like to hold onto greasy molecules. Needless to say, with so many soft surfaces around, that's why our home may smell funky.

Arm & Hammer Extra Strength Carpet Odor Eliminatorcombines baking soda and oxygen-based bleach to remove odor and leave your carpet and upholstery looking cleaner and brighter. Baking soda is a known odor fighter, and Arm & Hammer has been selling sodium bicarbonate (its scientific name) for more than 150 years, so it knows a thing or two. 

To get the most benefit from this product, I sprinkle a very light dusting and then use a slightly-damp sponge mop to work it into the carpet fibers (use a damp sponge when cleaning upholstery) and then step away for an hour or so. When I come back and give the area a good vacuuming, it is amazing to see how much soil is trapped in the powder.

Pros: Eliminates odor from carpet and upholstery, brightens colors, helps remove pet hair, inexpensive

Cons: Scent can be overpowering if too much is used



The best odor remover for small spaces

When your closet, car, or even the inside of your sneakers is less than fresh, toss in an environmentally friendly Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag to absorb the odors.

Small spaces packed with lots of clothes, shoes, or linens can begin to smell stale. The same thing happens in a car where food, body, and environmental odors become trapped. The last thing you need is another strong scent layered on top. Opt for an odor-absorbing air freshener instead, like the Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag. The small fabric bag contains 200 grams of bamboo charcoal; simply place the Moso bag in the desired space and the charcoal will absorb the odors.

Moso bags come in several sizes to fit any space and will last up to two years. They can be "recharged" by placing them in the sun for one hour per month. This helps remove the moisture that has accumulated in the charcoal. Since this is a natural product, after two years the charcoal can be composted for the garden.

I love that the bags come in several colors and I use them to freshen clothes and linens in every closet, in the laundry room near the dog's crate, and in my car to keep it fresh.

Pros: Nontoxic, natural product containing no petroleum-based chemicals, available in a variety of colors and sizes, reusable for two years

Cons: Does not remove odors immediately, takes several hours for effects to kick in



The best odor-removing air freshener

Renuzit Snuggle SuperFresh Gel Air Freshener provides continuous odor elimination in a long-lasting gel formula.

There are dozens of air fresheners in the market, and they're available in various forms — from sprays and oil diffusers to plug-ins and gels. The problem with almost all of them is that they only add fragrance to the air and don't eliminate odor. I don't want "tropical sweat socks." Instead, I use Renuzit Snuggle SuperFresh Gel Air Freshener that contains odor eliminating technology.

Housed in a contemporary-looking container, the air freshener can be opened as much or as little as you'd like to release the Snuggle fragrance. There is no need for batteries or an outlet, so there is no risk of fire from overheating.

The science is similar to that in fabric refresher sprays, where offensive odor molecules are trapped by ring-shaped cyclodextrin molecules (imperceptible to the human nose). The 98% biodegradable gel in the formula traps malodor molecules and eliminates odors.

While Renuzit and Snuggle have been around for decades, this is a relatively new product, so you may not find it everywhere. I don't love strong perfumed scents, but I thought I would give it a try. I've been using this gel for more than a month and the bathroom still smells fresh and clean even when it has had plenty of traffic. 

Pros: Biodegradable gel, stylish container, no batteries needed, scent level is adjustable.

Cons: Not readily available everywhere



8 companies that offer free or inexpensive interior design services — from in-person consultations to online chats

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  • Interior design is not a skill everyone has, and that's one reason why traditionally hiring an interior designer to maximize your space is so expensive.
  • But a few major retailers and a handful of startups offer free or radically affordable services that do everything from workshopping paint colors with you to rendering 3D models of your bedroom and filling it with shoppable products.
  • Below, you'll find eight free or affordable interior design services that will help you make the most of your space.

Some people have the gift of interior design. They can look at a blank space or, even more challenging, a half-decorated space and know upfront how to evenly weight the practicalities of life and objects and personal style in one design. They can mix patterns you would have never thought could go together, add storage in dead space you hadn't considered, and suggest new materials and tools that were unknown to you, simply because they hadn't come up in the first five pages of West Elm results for "decor."

Not everyone has this skill. I don't. But everyone wants to enjoy the one spot on earth that's really theirs. They want to see themselves represented in it. They want friends and family to see themselves in it. They want to experience something along the lines of sanctuary — coming and going from a place that actually feels like home. 

But, as is often the case with uncommon skills, hiring an interior designer is too expensive for most people.

Luckily, there are cheap or free services available online. A few startups and major retailers will help you design your ideal space for under $100. For some, it's as simple as making their email and in-house designers publicly available. For others, it's making a 3D model of your room and filling it with shoppable products they think you'll like.

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And some companies won't respond to you directly but have design tools you can use for free. Houzz and Ikea are among them. Others have personalized quizzes you can use, like Clare's Color Genius, to mimic customized interior design advice. 

If you're looking for a way to maximize your space both uniquely and within your budget, you should start with the list below. These are the companies and services available for getting the most out of your money and space, for affordable or nonexistent fees. 

Below are the online interior design services, both free and affordably priced, that will respond to you with a human. 

Modsy

Shop Modsy

Find a full Modsy review here

Modsy makes a 3D model of rooms in your home and fills them with shoppable products handpicked for your budget and taste by an interior designer. There are four pricing options, but the basic plan (currently $79) means you'll get two drafts of different designs for your room, and two rounds of updates that you can request from an interior designer. I've used the service twice, and I highly recommend it.



Havenly

Shop Havenly

Like Modsy, Havenly will connect you with an interior designer who designs a mockup of your space and fills it with shoppable products specifically selected for your needs, budget, and style. Its lowest package is currently $69, and it gets you design inspiration and custom solutions for a room refresh. The second now-$99 option lets you collaborate with a Havenly designer to start from scratch.



The Inside

Shop The Inside

The Inside, a digital furniture startup cofounded by interior designer Christiane Lemieux, makes customized furniture pieces on-demand. With over 100 fabric options — from sleek white to exuberant pops of color — it focuses on making wild, beautiful patterns more accessibly priced. 

The team is lean and passionate like many startups, and that's matched by a generous customer service offering. If you love the look of The Inside furniture but don't know how to make it work for your home, email The Inside for interior design advice. They'll answer your questions, even if it means sending a query directly to an in-house designer. 



Framebridge

Shop Framebridge

Framebridge is a company that has made professional framing relatively more affordable. In terms of interior design help, there are a few options. For free, Framebridge offers five presets for gallery walls, and a designer will send you four frame style recommendations to choose from. You can also opt for a gallery wall consultation that includes working with the team to design the perfect gallery wall for your space. This last option costs $199, and you get $39 in framing credit. 



Clare

Shop Clare

Clare is a paint startup founded by an interior designer that sells safe and eco-conscious paints ($49/gallon) in a tightly curated variety of colors, as well as paint supplies like brushes and rollers. 

The company has features like Clare Color Genius, the Paint Calculator, and cheap peel-and-stick swatches to make sure you wind up with the best possible selection, but you can also email them for everything from help choosing a paint color to questions about the products. You can find out more about the company and its origins here.



West Elm

Book a free design service

West Elm offers free design services that will help you do everything from floor plans to finishing touches. The company says you can do it in-store or in your home, but at least the first appointment appears to be exclusively offered in-store. You can book it online here.



Crate and Barrel

Book a design service

Crate and Barrel's design service has three options. For free, you can shoot a quick design question to a designer via chat or email a store and get a free mood board and shoppable product list. The company's premium option includes a professional floor plan, digital 3D render of your design, and optional in-home design consultation. It comes with a $99 design fee, but once your design is complete, you'll receive a code for $99 off any single purchase at Crate and Barrel, which you can use either online or in the store. 



Pottery Barn

Book a design service

For free, you can book a one-on-one consultation with a designer in your home or at a nearby store. The designer will recommend products based on your style, needs, and space, and can also help you place the orders, coordinate delivery, and arrange installation services if you want. 



How to log into iCloud on your iPhone with an Apple ID, to access and manage your iCloud account

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woman using iphone

Your iCloud account is a personal portal to several of your iPhone's most important features and functions.

Within iCloud, you can access documents in iCloud Drive, find a lost device with Find My iPhone, or manage your app purchases and subscriptions. 

Here's a step-by-step guide for how to sign-in, access, and manage your iCloud account through the Settings app on your iPhone.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to log into iCloud on your iPhone

1. Open your iPhone's Settings app. The silver icon, stylized like a mechanical gear, comes pre-installed on all iPhones and can't be removed. If you're unsure where you've arranged the app on your screen, swipe left to search for it. 

2. Tap the blue text reading "Sign in to your iPhone." (If you're already signed into iCloud, your name and information will appear here.)

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3. Sign in with your Apple ID. Your username will be an email address.

4. You'll see a blank screen with the text "Signing in to iCloud…" Be patient. The process can take several minutes. 

5. When prompted, enter your iPhone's four-digit passcode. 

IMG_5315.PNG

6. Once signed in, you'll now see your name at the top of the Settings app, next to a personalizable icon and above the words "Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes & App Store." Tap it. 

7. You'll be redirected to a screen titled "Apple ID." Tap iCloud.

IMG_5307

You'll now be able to enable and edit programs that use iCloud, and monitor your storage usage.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Amazon is reportedly seeking a new space in New York City. Here's why the giant canceled its HQ2 plans 5 months ago.

A nearly abandoned town in California could sell for around $6 million. It's been 'trapped in time' for decades.

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Campo California town

  • The historic center of the former Army town of Campo, California, is for sale. The listing agent expects the town to go for between $5.5 million and $6 million.
  • Campo hasn't changed much since the 1940s: It's scattered with vacant properties, though around 100 residents still occupy its historic center.
  • The sale has captured the interest of movie directors, CEOs, and big tech companies. A Hollywood producer already put in an offer. 
  • Visit Businessinsider.com for more stories.

Real estate agent Conor Brennan had never heard of Campo, California, until he got a call "out of nowhere" from the man who owns most of it, Las Vegas investor John Ray.

"He said, 'I have my own town if you want to check it out. I'm thinking of selling it," Brennan said. "I had no idea he was serious."

The area is almost a ghost town, though it's not entirely empty — its center is home to around 100 people. It comes with 28 buildings, including a post office and Baptist church.

Brennan said that at first, Ray said he wanted to work on a different listing, but that turned out to be a kind of test. When Brennan proved he was easy to work with, Ray handed him the golden goose — 16 acres of Campo.

After the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Wednesday that the town's historic center was up for sale for the first time since the early 2000s, Brennan was quickly inundated with calls from movie directors, CEOs, big tech companies, and even horse breeders. He said he's planning to sell the town center for between $5.5 million and $6 million, but he hasn't reached a deal yet.

Here's what Campo looks like today.

SEE ALSO: I stayed in one of Italy's ghost towns that's selling off homes for $1, and I was treated like royalty

Campo is about a mile away from the US-Mexico border. Many residents work for US Customs and Border Protection.

Three of the listed properties are occupied by US Border Patrol.

The town is also about an hour east of San Diego. Brennan thinks that's why he has received so many calls from interested buyers.  

"It's probably one of the only opportunities that I've heard of as a broker for somebody to own not only a town, but a town that's within an hour drive of the Pacific Ocean," he said. 

Read more:A real-life Westworld in California sold for over $1 million to a group of Los Angeles investors who plan to use it for festivals and photoshoots

 



Most of the buildings were erected in the 1940s. The town has seen only minor changes since.

Campo has a military history: The area was home to the Buffalo Soldiers, all-black regiments of the US Army, during World War II. After the war, a base in Campo housed Italian and German war prisoners.

When Ray bought the town in around 2000, he didn't do any major renovations, Brennan said. 

"There's an onsite manager who lives in one of the buildings and she lets him know when things need be done," Brennan said. "He just keeps it repaired as needed. It's kind of still trapped in time."

 



In addition to the church and post office, the future buyer will gain ownership of a thrift store, cabinet store, and supply shop.

Seven of the listing's properties are commercial units, Brennan said. That includes East County Lumber & Ranch Supply — a one-stop-shop selling everything from gardening tools to cat food to cowboy hats. 

The store's co-owner, Bob Marks, told the Union-Tribune that he's fond of the shop's "old-time" vibe.

"I'd like to keep it, basically, the same," he said. 



Some Campo residents live in converted Army barracks.

The former Army barracks have been divided into single-family homes and apartments. The listing includes eight multi-family units, two of which are vacant. Brennan said there are 28 residences in total. 

"The town is very, very tight. Everybody knows each other," he said. "It's a place where they feel safe and if anything happens, everybody knows about it."

 



Residents are entitled to stay in their homes until their leases run out, Brennan said.

The new buyer could choose not to renew those leases, but Brennan thinks the future owner will be a hands-off investor like Ray.

"It appealed to him that he was taking over a whole town," Brennan said. "I'm assuming there would be a similar buyer now."



A Hollywood producer has already put in an offer.

Since the Union-Tribune article came out, Brennan said he has received "a bunch of ego-driven calls" from people who want to own Campo. But Ray's ideal buyer, he said, would "keep the history of the town while modernizing it and bringing all of the abandoned buildings up to speed."

Brennan added that he has already signed a non-disclosure agreement with a Hollywood producer who put in a serious offer. 

"Whoever owns this and invests in it — they're going to decide the future for the town," he said. 




Bartenders share 13 things they'd love to tell customers but can't

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bartender

  • Bartenders see and hear it all — and there are a few things they wish they could tell customers.
  • Business Insider asked real bartenders to share what it is they'd like to tell patrons, but can't.
  • "Stop hitting on your bartender" and "please don't order vodka" were among their answers.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

While you may have the liquid courage to say whatever you want in a bar, there are some things that bartenders just won't tell you, even if it's to everyone's benefit.

So Business Insider asked more than 30 bartenders to weigh in on what they'd love to tell customers but can't.

We've anonymously included some of the more constructive insights here:

FOR MORE ON ALL THE WAYS BARTENDERS ARE SECRETLY JUDGING YOU: Bartenders reveal what customers' drink orders say about them

DON'T MISS: Flight attendants share 25 things they'd love to tell passengers but can't

'Please don't order vodka'

"You're nice when you stick with beer, but a demon on spirits."



'Use cash to pay for a single drink'

"Running credit cards is more time consuming than a cash transaction, and the tiny tip from one drink is not worth my extra time."



Proceed ordering mixed drinks with caution

"Almost no restaurants or bars clean their ice machines as regularly as they're supposed to. "



'I'm a person — please treat me like one'

"I am not a servant. I am not a potential date. Please don't take advantage of the fact that I have to treat you in a professional manner. This is my place of employment, not your house. You are the guest here. Please behave like one."



'Order everything at once'

"Don't have me make a margarita, then order your buddy a beer only to realize his girl wanted a margarita, too."



'I'd love to tell people just how disgusting they are when they're eating'

"I hate seeing your chewed up food all over your face while you're dripping ranch all over the bar top. How messy could you possibly be?"



'I see you and I will get to you the second I can'

"I know you have been waiting for a while. If I haven't taken your order, it is for a good reason. Wait just like everyone else! Everyone wants their drinks asap."



'Stop hitting on your bartender'

"The bartender does not want to date you."



'Put your laptop away — you’re not fooling anyone'

"Stop trying to 'work' at a bar. You're a functional alcoholic. Cram your drinking in now and your work in tomorrow."



'Money talks and bulls--t walks'

"Time is money and your bar stool is real estate.

"Don't ask me to hold your seat. Did you ask with a $10 bill? If not, then the answer is 'no.'

"And do not get annoyed when people order over you if you are sitting on a bar stool. Again, you're on very expensive real estate. The bar is a place for transactions, not private dining."



'That girl will not go home with you just because you bought her a $9 shot'

"Some people will buy loads of expensive shots when out in groups. They're trying to look flash."

But it often has the opposite effect.

"You look stupid when you order expensive shots." 



'You're overpaying for super expensive cocktails'

To figure out just how much you're overpaying for your favorite fancy cocktail, check out Quartz's handy cocktail calculator. You could be paying 400% more than the cost of the ingredients to have your drink made.



'I'm judging you on your drink order.'

"You can tell what type of person someone is by their drink order in specific bars."

"If you're in a bar with tons of other people and it's loud and you order something complicated, you clearly don't value people's time. How you react to the bar being out of your 'usual' is also very indicative of your personality."



How to update your Mac computer to macOS Catalina, to get the latest features and software fixes

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macbook pro (1200 wide)

  • You can update your Mac computer in a few different ways, and the method you need will depend on the operating system your device is currently running.
  • It's a good time to update your Mac now that the new macOS Catalina is out.
  • If your Mac is running macOS High Sierra or earlier, you should update through the App Store; if you're running macOS Mojave or later, you should update through System Preferences.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In many ways, Macs are built for convenience: They have backlit keyboards, there's the option to use split-screen viewing for different apps, and they come with a wide assortment of shortcuts that can speed up your work.

When you're in the thick of an important assignment (or just in the middle of streaming a good movie on Netflix), the option to put off an automatic software update is just another convenience.

Unfortunately, doing so also means working with outdated apps that don't have the latest software patches in place to protect your Mac. And if you put those off long enough, it may even slow you down.

With macOS Catalina, the newest and fastest Mac update yet, now out for all users, it's a good time to update your Mac computers. 

Here's your quick guide to doing so.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

MacBook Pro (From $1,299.99 at Best Buy)

How update your Mac computer

There are two major ways to update your Mac, and which one you use will depend on what macOS version you're currently running. For information on how to check which macOS version you currently have, read our article, "How to check which version of macOS your Mac computer is running in 3 simple steps."

And remember that before going forward with updates, it's a good idea to backup your computer to ensure no data is lost in the process. After that, keep in mind that the updates may take several minutes to install, depending on how many of your apps are due for updates.

Update a Mac running macOS Mojave or later

1. In the top-right corner of your screen, click the Apple icon to open a dropdown menu.

2. Click "System Preferences" and then click "Software Update." 

3. If an update is available (and an update to macOS Catalina should be available if you're running macOS Mojave), click "Update Now." 

software_update

You can also choose to enable automatic updates from this screen by checking the box "Automatically keep my Mac up to date," if for some reason you had previously disabled the feature.

Update a Mac running macOS High Sierra or earlier

It's a simple three-step process that should take less than a minute to complete:

1. Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen.

2. Select "App Store…"

SCREENSHOT UPDATE MAC 1

3. Click "Updates" in the left sidebar of the App Store.

SCREENSHOT UPDATE MAC 2

From the above screen, you'll be given the option to update your Mac. Any Mac computer released in 2012 or later can host and should feature an update to macOS Catalina. 

And, for future reference, don't worry about accepting an update and then having your computer unexpectedly restart — you'll be notified beforehand if a restart is required.

 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: These 2 cases will keep any MacBook protected for under $25

Join the conversation about this story »

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The best online deals and sales happening now

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best online sales deals

We rounded up the eight best sales and deals happening online today, with savings on KitchenAid stand mixers at Best Buy, clothing at Gap, and Fire TV Sticks on Amazon.

Deals in this story are subject to change throughout the day. The prices listed reflect the deal at the time of publication. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out Business Insider Coupons.

The best sales and deals happening today at a glance:

SEE ALSO: The best mattresses you can buy

DON'T MISS: I got my teeth straightened through an online service called Candid for under $2,000 — here’s how it works

1. Save $220 on a KitchenAid Stand Mixer at Best Buy

KitchenAid KSM85PBER Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, $179.99 (Originally $399.99) [You save $220]

For casual home-bakers and pro-level chefs alike, KitchenAid's stand mixers make it easier to mix, whip, and knead with barely any effort. For a limited time, you can save $220 on the KitchenAid KSM85PBER tilt-head stand mixer at Best Buy. With a 4.5-quart bowl and 10-speed motor, it has the size and power needed to make large batches. The mixer is available in Empire Red and Silver Metallic, so you can choose whichever color best fits your kitchen. 

 



2. Save 40% on everything, plus 10% at Gap

Shop the Gap sale now

From business-casual pieces like chinos, button-ups, and blazers to fall essentials like sweaters, fleeces, and outerwear, Gap has everything you need for work and weekends. While the store has pretty regular sales, a really good one is happening right now. Today, you can save 40% on everything, plus an extra 10% off by using the promo code "WARMUP" at checkout. 



3. Save 50% on the Fire TV Stick 4K

Fire TV Stick 4K, $24.99 (Originally $49.99) [You save $25]

With the ability to access thousands of TV shows, movies, all of your favorite streaming services, and thousands of Alexa skills, the Fire TV Stick 4K is worth every penny of its $49.99 price tag — and for a short time, the deal gets even better. Right now, you can save $25 on the device with the promo code "4KFIRETV" at checkout.



4. Save an extra 30% on sale styles at Fossil

Shop the Fossil sale now

Ranging from classic analog displays to hybrids and smartwatches, Fossil has a watch style for almost every preference. Now through October 31, you can save an extra 30% on sale styles for men and women by using the promo code "LETSGO" at checkout.  Whether simplicity is key for your style or you like smartphone integration and fitness tracking, you won't have trouble finding something that works for you. In addition to watches, the sale also includes handbags, sunglasses, wallets, belts, and more.

 



5. Save 30% on select styles at Cole Haan

Shop the Cole Haan sale now

For the past week, Cole Haan has been holding its semi-annual sale event, but it's finally coming to an end. Until tomorrow, October 16, you can save 30% on bestsellers, new arrivals, and sale styles automatically. Cole Haan's collaborations with Rodarte, Chinatown Market, and GreyLayers are excluded from the semi-annual sale, but other than those collections, basically everything else is marked down.



7. Get $750 worth of travel points when you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred from our partner The Points Guy.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a great option if you're new to earning points and miles, as it has a reasonable $95 annual fee. You'll earn 2 points per dollar on all travel and dining purchases and 1 point on everything else, and the card includes some valuable benefits like trip delay coverage and primary car rental insurance.

You can earn 60,000 Chase points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred when you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. That's worth at least $750 toward travel. Read our review to learn more about the card's benefits.

Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network if you apply for a credit card, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.



8. Save 15% on mattress and bedding at Allswell

Shop the Allswell sale now

Mattress and bedding brand Allswell was founded with the firm belief that a good night of sleep shouldn't be expensive to attain — and its affordable prices are a direct reflection of that.  While their prices are generally lower than other bedding companies, we teamed up with the brand to create an exclusive offer for Business Insider readers. You can save 15% sitewide by using the exclusive promo code "INSIDER15" at checkout. 



9. Save 15% on all orders at Framebridge as a new customer

Shop the Framebridge sale now.

In addition to offering customizable framing options for your prints and original paintings, Framebridge will turn your favorite digital images and smartphone pictures into beautifully framed artwork that's suitable for display. Simply pick a frame, upload your image, and Framebridge will ship it to you ready to be hung and shown off. Right now, new customers can save 15% sitewide by using the exclusive promo code "INSIDER15" at checkout. 



How to go live on Facebook from your computer or mobile device

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facebook live

  • You can go live on Facebook to livestream video using your mobile device's camera or computer's webcam.
  • To go live on Facebook, create a new post and tap "Live" or "Live Video."
  • You can go live on Facebook at any time, as long as you have a cellular connection or Wi-Fi.
  • You can also control who can watch your Facebook Live video, and whether to publish it to your Facebook page after recording is completed.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Facebook Live lets you livestream video anytime and almost anywhere – from home, at work, on vacation, or while walking down the street.

It's a way to talk directly to your friends, or to show something on Facebook in "real time" as it's happening.

You can go live on Facebook from a mobile device or computer. While a Wi-Fi connection is recommended for the best video quality, it isn't absolutely needed; you can go "Live" on your phone with just a cellular connection.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

HP Pavillion x360 2-in-1 (From $499.99 at Best Buy)

MacBook Pro (From $1,299.99 at Best Buy)

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $899.99 at Best Buy)

How to go live on Facebook on a mobile device

While this process depicts how to go live on Facebook from your iPhone, you can follow the same steps for an Android phone or any other mobile device like a tablet. 

1. In the new post field, tap "Live" (it's next to a red camera icon). If you prefer, you can tap on "What's on your mind" and then tap "Live Video."

facebook live

2. If this is your first time, Facebook may ask for permission to use your camera and microphone. If so, grant permission.

3. Select who should be your audience. Tap the downward arrow to the right of "To:" and choose who can see your video – it can be everyone (Public), just your friends, specific groups you belong to, and more. Then tap the X to close this window. (If you want to test Facebook Live without letting anyone see you, you can choose "Only me.")

live 2

4. Enter a short description for your video.

5. When you are ready, tap "Start Live Video."

live 3

6. After a moment, you should see a red indicator in the corner of the screen labeled "Live," along with indications of anyone who is watching your video.

7. You can use the tools at the bottom of the screen while you are broadcasting. You can add filters to the video, flip to the front-facing camera and back again, and more. If you need additional light, the lightning bolt will brighten the screen, which will reflect off your face for a brighter video. You can also type comments while you broadcast as well.

8. When you are done, tap "Finish."

After broadcasting, you can tap "Share" to post it to your Facebook page, where it will appear with all of your other content. Anyone with permission to view it can watch the complete video. If you don't want to post it, tap "Delete" instead.

How to go live on Facebook on a computer

You can go live from a PC or a Mac as well – as long as you have a webcam connected to your desktop computer or laptop.

1. Go to Facebook in your web browser.

2. In the Create Post section at the top of the screen, click the button with the three dots. Your posting options should enlarge.

3. Click "Live Video."

facebook live

4. If this is the first time you've tried going live from your computer, you may need to give Facebook permission to use your camera and microphone. Grant permission as needed.

5. You should now see yourself in a video window. On the right, enter a description of your video event, and choose your audience (such as Public, Friends, or a group you belong to).

6. When you're ready, click "Go Live."

live 5

7. When your video is done, click "End Live Video."

8. The video will automatically be added to your timeline when you click "Done." If you don't want to publish it, click "Delete Video" instead.

 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Facebook's scandals aren't enough for people to stop using it. Here's how the company has held up through data hacks, lawsuits, and massive security threats.

How to buy Kindle books on your iPad using Amazon's website

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iPad 2018

Amazon's Kindle app is a popular app for reading books, but it has an unexpected and frustrating omission — you can't use it to purchase Kindle books. 

Because Apple claims 30% of all in-app content sales, Amazon doesn't offer in-app purchases for Kindle books. Instead, you have to make the purchases on the Amazon web site — you can't do it in the Amazon store app, either. 

Here's exactly how to do that. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPad (From $329.99 at Best Buy)

How to buy Kindle books on your iPad

1. Start the Safari app on your iPad

2. Open Amazon.com and sign into your Amazon account. 

3. If you prefer, you can do this in a browser on a computer. It doesn't matter where you log in — the important point is that you log into Amazon using the same Amazon account that is associated with your Kindle app on the iPad.  

4. Find the book you want to purchase and make sure that you choose the Kindle version. 

How to buy Kindle books on iPad

5. Follow the usual steps to complete the purchase.

6. You may see a dropdown menu to choose where to deliver the Kindle book to. This menu will list all the devices on which you've installed a Kindle app. It doesn't matter which one you choose. 

How to buy Kindle books on iPad

7. After the purchase is complete, start the Kindle app on your iPad. 

8. Tap "Library" at the bottom of the screen and then tap "All" at the top of the screen. 

9. If you don't see the book you just purchased, tap "Sort" at the top right of the screen and then in the dropdown menu, tap "Recent." 

  • You might also need to swipe down from the top of the screen to refresh the app.

How to buy Kindle books on iPad

10. Tap the book to download and begin reading it.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best iPads you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

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