The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

What do you get for someone who's equally obsessed with style as she is with practicality? A beautiful handbag gift like a roomy tote, secure crossbody, or structured satchel is the answer.

Good handbags usually don't come cheap, but it pays to invest. If they're going to be carrying it at least a few times a week to work, school, and play, the bag should both look great (they don't call it arm candy for nothing) and carry all their important belongings with ease. 

Whether she likes luxury brands that have been revered for decades or enjoys discovering new brands that will become big soon, we have the gamut of names and prices covered below. 

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

Madewell

Madewell Eaton Two-in-One Leather Shoulder Bag, $133.50, available at Nordstrom

Make any outfit more interesting by adding a patterned accessory like a striped bag. Inside is a removable nubuck drawstring pouch she can transfer to other bags when necessary. 

Baggu

Mini Flat Tote, $120, available at Baggu

This soft mini tote is an easy-to-wear accessory for weekend shopping trips, whether to the grocery store or a clothing boutique.  

STATE Bags

Autumn Large Crossbody, $145, available at STATE Bags

Open this cute crossbody for a surprise: the lining is a map of Brooklyn, a nod to the brand's roots. Buy one bag and the company will donate a backpack to a child in need. 

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

When it comes to gifting, kids tend to be easy to shop for. With rampant imaginations and endless energy, pretty much any gift you choose will be exciting to a child. Sometimes, it's not even a gift, but a cardboard gift box or pretty wrapping paper that kids find the most interesting.

If you're looking at this article, chances are you're doing some last minute shopping — it's ok, we are too. To make it easy, we made a list of gifts any kid is sure to love. From comfy clothes, to toys that will spur their creativity, or the cutest mini-suitcase we've ever seen, this list has something for every kind of kid.

Building blocks that light up as they go

Electric Light Blocks, available at Uncommon Goods, $30 - $80

Help them bring their bright ideas to life with this set of light-up construction blocks. With either 36 or 102 blocks, they can build skyscrapers, robots, or any geometric sculptures they can dream up. When they pop the blocks onto the block base, they'll light up automatically. 

A mini carry on

The Kids' Carry-On, available at Away, $195

Traveling with kids usually means stuffing their packing list into an adult's big suitcase, or a sub-par version that's prone to breaking on the trip. Away is making luggage that gives little ones some of the responsibility of learning to care for their own things, with all the durability of the adult options. It has all of the same features as the bigger versions, like an ejectable battery, but is downsized so kids can manage rolling it around the airport. With eight different colors to choose from, and the option to add fun stickers, you can make a bag that any kid will love to carry. 

A stuffed animal surprise

Hatchimals Mystery, available at Amazon, $39.97

This Hatchimals toy comes as a big, colorfully speckled egg. Kids have to care for the egg until it hatches to reveal one of four fluffy stuffed animals. Once hatched, the animals can interact with kids, learning their owner's name and speaking to them. It's a fun interactive toy kids will love to play with and care for. 

• Trump administration officials have been trying to treat the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou and the US-China trade talks as two separate issues.
• Trump undermined that argument on Tuesday by suggesting Meng could be used as a bargaining chip in the trade talks.
• "I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary," Trump told Reuters.

President Donald Trump has once again created a potential headache for his economic team in talks with China and thrown a wrench into a dayslong effort to keep negotiations on track.

Since Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou — the chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei — Trump's economic team has taken pains to separate the issue from the ongoing trade negotiations. But Trump contradicted those efforts during an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.

"If I think it's good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made — which is a very important thing — what’s good for national security — I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary," Trump said.

The statement goes against comments from National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the leader of negotiations with Beijing.

"This is a criminal justice matter. It is totally separate from anything that I work on or anything that the trade policy people in the administration work on," Lighthizer told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "So, for us, it's unrelated, it's criminal justice."

Kudlow offered a similar assessment during an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

"I might be wrong," he said. "I can't predict the future on this thing, but there are different channels, and I think they will be viewed that way for quite some time."

Chinese officials have also attempted to keep the two issues separate, directing most of their ire at Canada since the arrest.

By quarantining Meng's arrest from the trade negotiations, the Trump team was hoping to achieve some success on trade while continuing a broader effort to address China's growing influence in technology and geopolitics. But with Trump mixing the two issues, advisers may find it harder to set the broader campaign aside in the trade talks.

Additionally, some analysts and observers have argued that Trump using a national security and justice issue as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations would undermine the US' justice system and rule of law. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referenced these fears when he was asked about Trump's comments on Wednesday.

"Regardless of what goes on in other countries, Canada is, and will always remain, a country of the rule of law," Trudeau told reporters.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada's minister of foreign affairs, pushed back even harder on Trump's comments.

"Our extradition partners should not seek to politicize the extradition process or use it for ends other than be pursuit of justice," she said.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross attempted some damage control Wednesday, telling reporters at the White House that the president had not made a decision.

"Let's see what he actually decides," Ross said Wednesday. "Let's see where we go from there. This is a matter that’s in litigation right now."

Meng was arrested in Canada on December 1 and charged with violating US sanctions on Iran. According to prosecutors at Meng's bail hearing, Huawei misled investors and others about connections to a second company that was still making sales to Iran.

A Canadian judge ordered Meng released on bail Tuesday but with tight restrictions, including ankle monitoring. The Huawei executive's extradition to the US is expected to take months.

The arrest came the same day that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had dinner at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and hashed out a preliminary trade agreement.

As part of the agreement, Trump delayed the escalation of tariffs on Chinese goods for 90 days while Xi agreed to increase purchases of US goods. The two sides also committed to working on a broader, more detailed trade agreement that addressed underlying Chinese economic practices like the theft of US intellectual property.

The agreement was the first concrete step toward ending the US-China trade war. Roughly $360 billion worth of goods moving between the two countries are now subject to new tariffs imposed over the past six months.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff that we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Everything seems to get more chaotic around the holidays — there's a rush at work and your calendar continues to fill up with events and parties to attend. Suddenly, it's the week before Christmas and you realize you forgot to find a gift. The good news is, you're not alone — plenty of us fall victim to last-minute gifting. You can still find thoughtful gifts that they'll appreciate, even just a few days before the holidays — we even have a list if you need some inspiration. 

So you don't need to worry about finding the right gift, but you do need to worry about making sure that gift ends up under the tree. Luckily, if you like to shop online, many retailers have "buy by" dates that let you know when you need to purchase a product to guarantee it arrives by December 25. 

Amazon is one of the major retailers that's released a detailed holiday delivery calendar.

It outlines what shipping options are available, and until when, to ensure delivery before Christmas. If you have Amazon Prime, you'll have a longer window for delivery. Even if you aren't a Prime member, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial of the service now, so you can take advantage of the holiday shipping options. The following dates only apply to the contiguous US, and of course, it's a good idea to double check the delivery dates in your cart at checkout to be sure you'll get your gifts in time.

• Monday, December 17: Last day for standard shipping (Free for Prime members on qualifying orders. Learn more).
• Saturday, December 22: Last day for Prime free two-day shipping (No minimum purchase. Learn more).
• Sunday, December 23: Last day for Prime free one-day shipping (In select areas, on qualifying orders over $35. Learn more).
• Monday, December 24: Last day for Prime free same-day delivery (In select areas, on qualifying orders over $35; items ordered before noon will arrive by 9 p.m. Learn more). Also the last day for free two-hour delivery with Prime Now (In select areas. Learn more).

Happy shopping!

• 32 last-minute gifts that are Amazon Prime-eligible and guaranteed to arrive in time
• 21 last-minute holiday gifts that are still thoughtful and unique
• 33 unique and interesting gifts you didn't know you could get on Amazon
• 29 clever gifts from Amazon that work for everyone on your list — all under $50
• 21 cool gift ideas from 'Shark Tank' that you can find on Amazon
• 22 unique and Prime-eligible gifts from Amazon's Etsy-like marketplace

Join the conversation about this story »

• An Australian businessman has undertaken a $500 million project building a replica of the ill-fated 1912 Titanic cruise ship.
• The design of the new vessel, dubbed Titanic ll, will be a close replica of the original, right down to the dimensions, architecture, and the layout of the rooms.
• The ship will be able to accommodate 2,400 passengers and will feature modern day navigation technology and safety systems, including an adequate number of lifeboats and life jackets for passengers. 
• Ticket prices are not yet available, but the ship could set sail as soon as 2022, USA Today reports.
• Here's how sailing aboard the Titanic ll could compare to the original Titanic.

The story of the Titanic is one that has intrigued many for years — and for those who are most entranced, there may soon be a way to relive the glory and wonder of one of the most luxurious cruise liners in the world.

By 2022, a new ship modeled after the Titanic could set sail for 2,400 passengers, thanks to Australian businessman Clive Palmer, who shelled out $500 million for the project.

The Titanic ll, though outfitted with 21st century navigation and safety technology, will be a close replica of the original vessel.

Here's how sailing aboard the Titanic ll will compare to how passengers aboard the Titanic in 1912 traveled.

SEE ALSO: A $500 million replica of the original Titanic could set sail across the Atlantic in 2022

The RMS Titanic was the largest passenger ship of its time in the early 1900s, and the Titanic's builders called it "unsinkable."

Source: CNN

The ocean liner spanned 882 feet in length and was 106 feet wide.

Source: CNN

Compare that to the largest cruise ship today, and it's dwarfed in comparison. The Royal Caribbean's gargantuan "floating city" Symphony of the Seas runs 1,188 feet in length and spans 215 feet across at its widest part.

Source: Cruise Mapper

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• FoundersCard is an exclusive membership for startup founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and just about anyone with that "innovator" mindset.
• In addition to getting access to private networking events, FoundersCard members get VIP perks, discounts, and extras from retailers and services ranging from airlines and hotels, clothing brands, and gyms to office services.
• Until December 31, 2018, FoundersCard is offering a discounted rate exclusively for Business Insider readers, and a waived initiation fee. To get the discount, you'll have to apply through this page.

If you're an entrepreneur, an innovator, a startup creator — in other words, a founder — there's a unique and exclusive program that you might be interested in joining. Beyond personal benefits, it can provide direct, tangible benefits to the business or project that you're trying to grow.

FoundersCard is a private membership club for — well, founders — designed to provide members with various elite statuses, VIP treatment, and top benefits. In addition, FoundersCard fosters an ambitious, social community of similarly driven people from different industries, helping to facilitate networking opportunities, connections, and more.

Despite its name, the FoundersCard isn't a credit card and doesn't involve transactions, which means that anyone can apply, regardless of what country they're from.

FoundersCard was founded in 2009 by Eric Kuhn, a new Austin-based venture for a veteran entrepreneur of the 1990s and early-2000s. While the card initially grew its network and offerings slowly — and had a few early bumps in the road — it's made leaps and bounds over the past few years as an organization. Since running into a few issues in its early years, it has bolstered its membership, and made connections with a lot of travel, lifestyle, and business services companies.

If FoundersCard sounds like something that could be useful to you, read on to learn more about how it works — and to take advantage of a discounted rate of $395 per year (compared to the normal $595) with a waived initiation fee (usually $95). This rate is a special exclusive for Business Insider readers who apply through this page.

How it works

To join FoundersCard, you have to complete an application — because the organization is designed to be exclusive and especially curated to be useful and enjoyable for members, everyone isn't always accepted. The process is fairly subjective, 

You can apply for a preview membership to get a better sense of which benefits are currently active. From there (or right away, if you don't care about the preview), you can fill out the complete application. You have to enter your personal details, including your company name and your title — FoundersCard is open to people other than strictly company founders — as well as your contact and billing information. If you're approved, your payment method will be charged the first year's annual dues — $395, with FoundersCard's exclusive offer for Business Insider readers, or $595 without — and a one-time $95 initiation fee — waived for Business Insider readers. 

Benefits of FoundersCard membership

FoundersCard offers a wide range of benefits that can be loosely broken into three categories: savings and discounts, VIP treatment and perks, and exclusive events.

FoundersCard hosts an ongoing series of networking events in cities with high concentrations of members — thanks to business travel, though, there are often different people and new faces at these mixers, even if you go to two in a row in the same city. Usually with 100–200 members, the networking events offer attendees an opportunity to mingle, make connections, and share experience with members from a wide spectrum of industries.

Other benefits tend to change as promotions become active, things become available, or FoundersCard negotiates a new partnership or improvement to an existing one, so it's difficult to share a comprehensive picture of what membership entails. There are also a ton of different benefits — this is a deliberate move to appeal to the widest possible cross-section of member, so that there are appealing things to many different people.

The following are examples of some perks available at the time of publication. FoundersCard provided Business Insider with a temporary active account in order to access the full benefits portal.

Airline discounts and elite/VIP perks, including:

• Cathay Pacific offers 5-25% off flights, as well as a complimentary upgrade to Silver elite status. That status includes priority check-in, complimentary advance seat reservations, access to business class lounges while traveling on the airline in any class, and an extra baggage allowance. The status is valid for a year, after which you'll need to re-qualify through normal methods.
• British Airways offers FoundersCard members up to 10% off most round-trip fares between the US or Canada and the UK.
• Alaska Airlines offers 5% off fares within the Continental US, Hawaii, and Canada.
• JetBlue features preferred flat fares for Mint (business class) transcontinental flights, plus up to 5% off coach and business class tickets. Mint fares are as low as $800.
• American Airlines offers a changing list of benefits, including extra frequent flyer miles, elite qualifying points, or the opportunity to receive complimentary Platinum status for three months, with the chance to keep it by flying a certain required amount within three months.
• Qantas, the Australian flag carrier, offers a whopping 10–25% off flights from the US to Australia or New Zealand.
• Emirates offers 5–10% off US originating fares. The airline serves more than 125 destinations around the world, and offers particularly useful routing for those traveling from the US to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
• Singapore Airlines discounts US originating flights up to 5%.
• JetSmarter, a service that helps members find available seats on private and chartered flights as an alternative to flying commercial — but for a much cheaper price tag than flying private normally carries — offers FoundersCard members a free three-month trial.

Rental car and chauffeur service discounts and elite statuses, including:

• Complimentary Preferred Plus membership at Avis, and up to 25% off rentals.
• Platinum membership at 15% off rentals at Sixt Rent a Car.
• 20% off all Silvercar reservations — the founder of Silvercar is a FoundersCard member.
• Credits and discounts with major car services including GroundLink, EmpireCLS, Carey, and Getaround.

Exclusive FoundersCard rates, elite statuses, and perks at various hotels brands, including:

• Starwood
• Marriott
• Kimpton
• Hilton
• Park Hyatt
• The Standard
• Mandarin Oriental
• Omni Hotels & Resorts, and more.

Lifestyle and retail discounts, including:

• Discounts when you buy or lease a new Audi.
• 20% off at John Varvatos.
• Up to $10,000 off when you buy or lease a new BMW.
• A complimentary $100 credit at Trunk Club— the founder and CEO of the company is a FoundersCard member.
• Complimentary Diamond Total Rewards status at Caesars resorts and casinos, plus 20% off most rooms.
• 20% off at 1-800-Flowers.
• 15% off headphones, speakers, and more from Bang & Olufsen.
• Discounts at other retailers including Adidas, Reebok, Indochino, Rent The Runway, Cole Haan, Tommy John, Todd Snyder, and Jonathan Adler, and more.
• Discounts or credits at gyms, fitness studios, and wellness centers, including Equinox, Crunch, SoulCycle, Bliss Spa, Peloton, CorePower Yoga, and more.

Business discounts, including:

• 15% off voice and data plans with AT&T Wireless.
• Up to 47% off UPS.
• Up to 50% off Dell computers.
• 20% off business card and stationary orders from MOO — the company's CEO is a FoundersCard member.
• A free year of service from the Phone.com virtual office service.
• A flat 20% discount off products and services from LegalZoom.
• Loyalty pricing at Apple.
• 40% off Lenovo computers.
• 25% off classes at General Assembly — one of the co-founders is a FoundersCard member.

This is far from a conclusive list. FoundersCard has hundreds of benefits, discounts, and offers available, and can offer enough value to outweigh the annual fee even if you're a sole proprietor just getting your idea off the ground, or even an individual who can take advantage of the retail and gym discounts.

If your small business has grown a bit, though, you can get tremendous value from discounts on shipping, IT services and gear, travel, and more.

Between that, and the opportunity to network with like-minded and similarly focused entrepreneurs, FoundersCard presents a unique and potentially valuable opportunity — whether it's worth the $395 annual fee (with the Business Insider discount) depends on you. 

Click here to learn more about FoundersCard's offer exclusively for Business Insider readers.

SEE ALSO: The best credit card rewards, bonuses, and perks

Join the conversation about this story »

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

We commonly associate the word "gift" with a neatly wrapped box holding a tangible product inside, but the best gifts can sometimes be more than a piece of jewelry, a phone accessory, or a home tech gadget. 

Don't forget about services and memberships as viable gift options. They're just as thoughtful and useful, sometimes even more so, because they tend to be more customizable and centered around convenience. 

With the following gifts, you can purchase a gift card with an amount of your choice, or gift the membership directly to your recipient. We found services and memberships you probably didn't think of, like a grocery delivery service and a city-wide studio fitness pass. 

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

SEE ALSO: 55 creative and unexpected gifts for her that are all under $50

A designer clothing rental membership

Rent the Runway Unlimited Membership, $159

This disruptive company has made a name for itself by changing the way women dress and approach clothing ownership. Instead of wasting money and letting seldom-worn clothes pile up in their closet, they can rotate through designer clothing for a set price each month. Use it for work, weddings, or just everyday life. 

An Amazon Prime membership

Amazon Prime Gift Membership, from $39

If you're tired of your sibling or roommate mooching off your Prime account, give the gift of their very own Prime membership this year. You'll find all the benefits of a membership here, but a few highlights are of course, free two-day shipping, movie and TV streaming through Prime Video, and access to Amazon Fresh.

You can gift a three-month membership for $39, or an annual membership for $119. 

The best way to help your parent friends find a good babysitter

UrbanSitter Gift Card, $25-$200

Parents who desperately need a night to themselves but have trouble finding a sitter will surely benefit from using nationwide service UrbanSitter, which is home to over 150,000 trusted babysitters.

A $34.95 one-month access pass (or $99.95 annual membership) allows parents to browse, interview, and book a sitter that meets their needs. The site also gathers mutual connections and recommendations from their community of fellow parents. 

• The Trump administration is once again seeking to deport certain Vietnamese immigrants with criminal convictions and deportation orders — including war refugees.
• The Atlantic reported on Wednesday that the White House wants to unilaterally reinterpret a 2008 agreement between the US and Vietnam that specifically bars such deportations.
• But Vietnam has largely refused to accept such deportees, and since the US cannot deport an immigrant to a country that won't accept them, it's unclear how the Trump administration's plans will fare.
• The former US ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius, resigned over the issue, and said, "The majority targeted for deportation — sometimes for minor infractions — were war refugees who had sided with the United States."

The Trump administration has renewed one of its early efforts to deport certain Vietnamese immigrants with criminal convictions, The Atlantic reported on Wednesday.

Citing an unnamed spokesperson for the US embassy in Hanoi, The Atlantic reported that the White House is seeking for the second time to reinterpret a 2008 US-Vietnam agreement, in order to allow it to deport roughly 8,000 immigrants who had removal orders and criminal convictions.

The Trump administration made the same attempt in March 2017, when it decided that those immigrants convicted of crimes, and who had yet not become US citizens, were exempt from the 2008 agreement preventing their deportation.

The agreement, signed by former President George W. Bush, specifically bars the US from deporting Vietnamese immigrants who arrived in the US before 1995 — the year the US and Vietnam reestablished diplomatic relations after the Vietnam War.

But the Trump administration backed down from its deportation effort in August, after a federal judge in California said "the removal of pre-1995 Vietnamese is not reasonably foreseeable." According to The Atlantic, the Trump administration has changed its mind again and decided to pursue the deportations.

While waiting for Vietnam to approve their deportations, the Trump administration has detained some of the migrants for months.

The judge made his remarks after partially certifying a class-action lawsuit a legal advocacy group representing the migrants.

'War refugees who had sided with the United States'

A Homeland Security spokeswoman told The Atlantic that it was a "priority of this administration" to deport immigrants convicted of crimes.

"We have 5,000 convicted criminal aliens from Vietnam with final orders of removal — these are non-citizens who during previous administrations were arrested, convicted, and ultimately ordered removed by a federal immigration judge," spokeswoman Katie Waldman said.

Read more: 'You constantly misstate how much of the wall is built': Schumer and Pelosi confront Trump over false claims during chaotic, on-camera debate

But complicating the Trump administration's efforts is the fact that the US cannot deport immigrants back to countries that refuse to accept them, and Vietnam has largely resisted the Trump administration's efforts to deport the pre-1995 immigrants, The New York Times reported last month.

The former US ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius, wrote in an essay in April 2018 that the Vietnamese government did not want to accept the deportees, and that he resigned shortly after the Trump administration directed him to press Hanoi officials.

"The majority targeted for deportation — sometimes for minor infractions — were war refugees who had sided with the United States, whose loyalty was to the flag of a nation that no longer exists," he wrote. "And they were to be 'returned' decades later to a nation ruled by a communist regime."

• Read more of INSIDER's immigration coverage:
• The Trump administration paid a private company $13.6 million to recruit thousands of Border Patrol agents, and they've hired 2 so far
• This stunning visualization of US immigration over 226 years will make you rethink how America's population has evolved
• Denmark wants to isolate its 'unwanted' migrants on a remote island that once housed contagious animals
• 81 migrant children have been forcibly separated from their parents since June, despite Trump's executive order

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Bob's Watches is the world's largest pre-owned and vintage online Rolex watch exchange. The company makes buying and selling luxury watches an easy and comfortable experience by listing true market value for every watch.
• For the holiday season, the site is holding its first ever 12 Days of Rolex auction event.
• Every day until December 21, Bob's Watches will auction off one vintage, rare, or sought after Rolex watch. Each auction lot begins at 8 a.m. PST and ends at 4 p.m. PST. 
• With the ability to place live bids, you can potentially save big while also keeping your budget in check if you're not willing to spend more than a certain amount.

Most people live under the assumption that they'll never own a luxury watch, let alone be able to buy one as a holiday gift for someone else. Now, the world's first and largest pre-owned and vintage watch dealer is convincing people to get rid of both preconceived notions by offering authentic Rolexes at fair prices.

For the first time ever, Bob's Watches is holding a series of holiday-themed public auctions with The 12 Days of Rolex. Every day until December 21, the site will auction off a different Rolex, starting at a far lower price than you'd ever expect to pay.

While you can get a great deal on Rolexes (and a slew of other luxury timepieces) year-round at Bob's Watches thanks to its transparency with buying and selling prices, the ability to bid means you can potentially get a watch for less than its listed market value. 

On top of that, Bob's Watches doesn't charge a buyer's premium and shipping is free, so you won't find any extra fees tacked on to your purchase.

Here's how it works: 

Each auction lot begins at 8 a.m. PST and ends at 4 p.m. PST. During that time, you can place live bids on the watch, which, like every watch Bob's sells, is guaranteed to be authentic with only genuine Rolex parts. Although there's plenty of room for savings, you shouldn't expect to steal a watch at auction for a few bucks. To make sure serious potential buyers are bidding, each watch has a starting bid and a reserve price to meet.

Some of the watches that will go up for auction during The 12 Day of Rolex include vintage Rolex Sea-Dwellers and Submariners, race-inspired Rolex Dayton as, an unworn Rolex Cellini, the iconic Rolex President Day Date, and more.

Whether you're looking to treat yourself with an end-of-year splurge or you and your family are chipping in to buy someone special the ultimate holiday gift, there's no reason not to check out the auctions.

Even if you're interested in buying a watch outside of the auctions, you can receive it before Christmas when you order by December 20.

To participate in The 12 Days of Rolex auctions, register here>>

Learn more about buying and selling luxury timepieces at Bob's Watches here>>

Join the conversation about this story »

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

As someone who recently moved into her first apartment, I've seen (and experienced) what shopping for a new kitchen looks like. There's a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing at the pretty pieces of decor and cool gadgets we find after hours of online shopping, but there's a lot less follow-through on the actual staples.

While shopping for your first kitchen sounds exciting, it can become a much more tedious — not to mention expensive — pursuit than expected. None of us had much to bring to the table other than what we'd collected through our college years along with the array of reject products that never made it in our parents kitchens and thus, become ours. 

If you know someone who recently moved into their first apartment or home, chances are their kitchen could use some love. Whether it's the necessities they don't want to spend money on themselves, gadgets they've probably never even heard of, or the staples that you swear by yourself — they'll appreciate a useful gift for their space. Not only are they practical, but these gifts will bring them one step closer to making their new space really feel like home — and that's a pretty cool thing to contribute to. Read on to find some of our favorite picks for kitchen gifts they'll be grateful for this holiday season.

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

DON'T MISS: Amazon gifts must be ordered by these holiday shipping deadlines to guarantee they arrive in time for Christmas

A bar tool set for mixologist hopefuls

5-Piece Stainless Steel Bar Tool Set, $69, available at Nordstrom

There's something about a well-made cocktail that just oozes sophistication. While they might still be perfectly content drinking the lukewarm Natural Lights of their college days, this tool set will be a welcomed gift that'll not only class up their space, but their drinking habits as well. If you want to add something more, throw in the cocktail shaker (pictured above) to help them complete their first bar cart. 

The only knife they need

The Santoku Knife, $75, available at Brigade Kitchen

When you're a young professional, there's a lot you could do with seventy five dollars. Spending all of that money on one kitchen knife? Not likely. 

They might scoff at the idea of purchasing this for themselves, but they'll surely appreciate if you get it for them. In the short tem, they'll be content using this high-quality, versatile knifeand in the long term this investment piece will keep them from continually repurchasing cheaper options, ultimately saving them some money down the road

A multi-functional panini press

Chefman Panini Press Grill, $39.99, available at Amazon

In a small space, every appliance has to prove itself to claim it's territory. So, while you may be tempted to get them an ice cream maker, you're better off going for something a little more versatile. A panini press that also functions as an indoor grill does just that, making it a great gadget they can use to make paninis, or even grill meat and vegetables easily. Plus, it's small enough to store when they're not using it.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Mirrorless cameras may be smaller than DSLRs, but they give you many of the same benefits, including great image quality, fast performance levels, and versatility in interchangeable lenses.
• Based on research and testing, the best mirrorless camera is the retro-looking Fujifilm X-T20 with its great price and excellent image quality.

If you’re someone who believes the world of digital photography is incredibly advanced versus what occurred a couple of decades ago with film photography, you’re right … to a point.

Digital photography simplifies the process of shooting photos, making them instantly shareable, versus having to haul your film to the Fotomat. By the way, if you actually have dropped rolls of film at a drive-through window at a Fotomat shack in your life, welcome to being old.

However, you might be surprised to learn that the most popular type of digital camera — the DSLR, or digital single lens reflex camera — is still using the same basic design from the days of film, when these cameras were called SLR cameras or 35mm cameras (because of the film they used).

So if you’re looking for an updated design in a digital camera, the best mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) represent the latest advancements in digital photography technology.

Mirrorless vs. DSLR

For those seeking the best quality photographs, mirrorless ILCs and DSLRs represent the two best types of digital cameras. They have some similarities and some differences, as shown by Tech Radar and Beach Camera.

• Similarities: Both types of cameras have larger image sensors and processing chips than simple point-and-shoot cameras or smartphone cameras, allowing for better image quality and faster performance. Both types of cameras use interchangeable lenses, which give you some versatility in the photos you can shoot. Both cameras usually have a hot shoe on the top, allowing you to add components, such as a large flash.
• Differences: The interior of a DSLR camera contains a mirror mechanism that sits in front of the image sensor, blocking the light traveling through the lens. The mirror lifts upward when you press the shutter button, allowing the light to strike the image sensor. Of course, in the days of film cameras, the mirror blocked the light from reaching the film, which would have caused it to be exposed. DSLR makers just kept this basic design after making the switch to digital. As Digital Photo Mentor explains, with a mirrorless camera, the mirror mechanism has been removed. After all, there’s no reason the light has to be blocked from reaching the image sensor anymore. The two types of cameras have several other differences, as Photography Life explains, but the removal of the mirror is the primary one.
• Lenses: With both types of cameras, you do have to purchase extra lenses separately, which can become expensive. A much wider variety of lenses are made for DSLRs than for mirrorless models. You have to pick a lens that specifically fits your model of camera in either case. Nikon DSLR lenses only fit Nikon DSLR cameras, for example.
• Size: Because of the removal of the mirror mechanism inside the camera, mirrorless cameras have a thinner, smaller, and lighter design than DSLR cameras.
• Image quality: As a general rule, DSLR cameras create better images than mirrorless cameras, especially at a professional level. But for beginner and intermediate photographers, you won’t notice a difference in most photos.

For a long time, DSLR cameras have outperformed mirrorless cameras. However, the gap between the two designs in terms of performance has shrunk considerably in the past few years.

Mirrorless camera terms to know

Many of the same terms that you’ll encounter with any digital camera, you’ll also find with a mirrorless ILC, as explained by Tom’s Guide and Digital Photography School.

• Burst mode: The burst mode measures how many photos you can shoot per second. Faster cameras provide better performance.
• Focus: With the lens on a mirrorless ILC, you should be able to pick between manual focus and autofocus, depending on your needs.
• Image sensor: Think of the image sensor as the equivalent of the film in a camera … minus the need for a Fotomat, of course. The image sensor measures the light from the scene and records it as digital data. Larger image sensors in physical size generally outperform smaller image sensors.
• Kit lens: A kit lens is a lens that ships with a mirrorless camera. You also can buy the mirrorless ILC separately as the body only, which means no lenses are included.
• Megapixels: This is the number of individual pixels (or dots) the image sensor will record. A larger number of megapixels will yield a better image quality, although the size of the image sensor is more important in terms of image quality.
• Video resolution: Depending on the mirrorless camera you select, you may be able to shoot full HD or 4K resolution video.
• Viewfinder: Some mirrorless cameras offer an electronic viewfinder and some don’t. You may be able to add a viewfinder separately, or you can use the display screen on the back of the camera to frame the scene.

We've done the research (and some testing) to bring you the best mirrorless cameras you can buy. Read on to see which one is best for you.

Here are the best mirrorless cameras you can buy:

• Best mirrorless camera overall: Fujifilm X-T20
• Best high-end mirrorless camera: Sony A7R III
• Best mirrorless camera for video: Panasonic Lumix G85
• Best mirrorless camera on a budget: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II
• Best mirrorless camera with the most lenses: Canon EOS M6

Updated by Owen Burke on 12/13/18: Added the Sony AR7III as a best high-end pick, alternate recommendations, and the best cameras and adapters for switching from DSLR to mirrorless cameras with the lenses you already have. Updated prices and formatting.

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

SEE ALSO: The best DSLR cameras you can buy

The best mirrorless camera overall

Why you'll love it: The Fujifilm X-T20 has all the features you could want in a mirrorless camera, including great image quality, fast performance, a retro look, and a decent price.

The Fujifilm X-T20 offers the best mix of photo quality, speed, and price in the mirrorless digital camera market. Then there’s the very cool retro design of this camera, which we love. It has silver trim across the top and bottom of a black camera body. You can also get it in all black if the retro look is too much.

Fujifilm is one of the best manufacturers of mirrorless cameras, as the company has had a lot of success in this arena, so the X-T20 is a trustworthy choice.

The X-T20 has 24.3 megapixels of resolution and an APS-C sized image sensor, which is comparable in size to what you’d find in an entry-level DSLR camera (or the comparable Sony Alpha A6300). DP Review highlights the quality of this image sensor and points out that the X-T20 can record 4K video, too. You won't be disappointed with the images this camera takes.

In addition, The Verge simply calls the X-T20 an example of everything that’s right with the world of technology. That’s high praise for a great mirrorless camera.

People who buy the camera generally like it as well. One Amazon buyer who has shot with a lot of DSLRs in the past was impressed with the build quality of this little Fujifilm camera.

However, another Amazon reviewer was disappointed in the ergonomics of the X-T20. Small right-hand grips are a common complaint among users of thin mirrorless ILCs, though.

If you're looking for a simple kit that does it all, the X-T20 is, in our opinion, the best overall mirrorless camera you can buy. But, if you're looking to upgrade further down the line, and kit out your camera with a host of lenses, consider the Sony Alpha A6300— and, at the time of writing, this kit is an excellent deal.

The X-T20's 18-55mm kit lens is superior, and "the best kit lens" Art of The Image claims they've ever seen, but when it comes to upgrading, Sony may be your better option. Also worth noting: the A6300 is rated as weather-resistant, while the X-T20 is not.

Pros: Comparable image quality to some DSLRs, 4K video recording option, stylish and retro camera body design, very good build quality, tilting LCD for odd-angle photos, fast performing camera, trusted brand name

Cons: Small right-hand grip area makes camera tough to hold, not the best camera if you plan to upgrade (there aren't as many lens options as there are for the comparable Sony Alpha A6300)

Buy the Fujifilm X-T20 mirrorless camera on Amazon for $699 and up (body only — price increases as you add lens kits)

The best mirrorless camera when money isn't a problem

Why you'll love it: It’s expensive, but if you need the highest level of image quality found in a mirrorless camera, the Sony A7R III delivers.

The Sony A7R III is an outstanding mirrorless digital camera, creating images that will rival intermediate level DSLRs that have a similar price point. The video quality with the A7R III is excellent too, and according to Gizmodo, “it does an excellent job of smoothly auto-tracking focus while recording.”

The camera's full-frame image sensor is the largest physical size of image sensor that’s found in a camera for the consumer market, so this Sony model’s image sensor sits at the top of the heap in mirrorless cameras. You won’t find another mirrorless camera that has 42.4 megapixels of resolution, either.

The A7R III has an extremely clear viewfinder along with a sharp main display screen you can use to frame the scene, which are two features praised in the Steve Huff Photo review.

The unit’s autofocus system works extremely fast, giving this Sony mirrorless camera a high level of performance.

Battery life is seriously improved from the previous model, the A7R III, allowing for about 650 frames — or one relatively full shoot (still, keep an extra charged battery or two on hand).

You will pay a lot for this camera, so we wouldn’t recommend it for beginners just looking at getting their feet wet. Furthermore, you’ll need to be an experienced photographer to take advantage of the Sony camera’s metering and white balance capabilities, as adventure photographer and photojournalist Chris Burkard explains (this is filmed by and for Sony).

But when you’re ready to step up your photography game and want a mirrorless ILC, nothing beats the Sony A7R III’s image quality.

If you want to spend a little less, and maybe give yourself a little more room in your lens budget, check out the Sony A7III, which is still a professional-grade camera but offers half (24.2) the megapixels of the A7R III, and is more than sufficient so long as you’re not looking to blow up billboard-sized images. — Kyle Schurman and Owen Burke

Pros: Full frame image sensor creates amazing photos, excellent viewfinder quality, works fast with a high-quality autofocus system, intermediate and professional photographers will appreciate the advanced features

Cons: Older model, extremely high price point, not really aimed at beginners, poor battery life

Buy the Sony a7R III mirrorless camera on Amazon for $2,798 and up (body only — price increases as you add lens kits)

The best mirrorless camera for video

Why you'll love it: If you’re looking to record both high-quality still images and video streams with a single lightweight camera, you’ll appreciate the Panasonic Lumix G85.

The Panasonic Lumix G85 has a great set of features for photographers looking to buy their first advanced interchangeable lens camera. This model ships with a kit lens, giving it a reasonable price point, but its greatest feature is the ability to shoot video at up to 4K resolution and 30 frames per second.

The G85 also can record full HD video at 60 frames per second, producing a strong combination of video recording capabilities. You don’t need a separate digital camcorder if you own this Panasonic camera.

The Camera Labs review mentioned the importance of having a long battery life in a camera that is designed for video recording, and the G85 delivers. However, one Amazon reviewer says the camera’s autofocus system doesn’t always work accurately when shooting video in tough lighting conditions.

The touchscreen simplifies the process of operating this Lumix G85 camera, making it run a lot more like a smartphone camera. The G85 includes a viewfinder, too, which gives it a leg up on some other mirrorless cameras, according to TechRadar.

The image sensor in the G85 delivers 16 megapixels of resolution in an image sensor that is similar in size to an APS-C sized sensor. The Steve’s Digicams review says the still image and video quality are both excellent with the G85.

One Amazon buyer mentioned the low weight of the Lumix G85, which makes it easy to carry with you anywhere.

Pros: Excellent video quality and frame rate with 4K resolution, good still image quality, LCD has touch capabilities for easy operation, long battery life, good price point as it also contains a kit lens

Cons: Still image resolution limited to 16MP, some autofocus problems in tricky lighting conditions

Buy the Panasonic Lumix G85 mirrorless camera (with kit lens) on Amazon for $897.99

• Lilian Rincon is the director of product management for the Google Assistant.
• She runs a team of about 20 people at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, with more team members around the world.
• She wakes up at about 5:30 a.m. every day to get in a quick workout before her kids wake up.
• Rincon attends 10 to 12 meetings every day.

Lilian Rincon, the director of product management for the Google Assistant, runs a team of 20 people at Google's campus in Mountain View, California.

Rincon said her team at Google, called the features team, is "at the heart of the Assistant."

"The way that we're organized, there are other teams that kind of handle the mobile surface and the speakers and the hardware, etc.," Rincon told Business Insider. "But my team is that one that really thinks about what are the types of things that the Assistant should be able to do?"

A bonus just for you:Click here to claim 30 days of access to Business Insider PRIME

Before starting at Google nearly two years ago, Rincon worked at Skype, and before that, at Microsoft.

Rincon, who recently spoke at a Latinas in Tech summit in San Francisco, said she tests features of the Assistant in her own life, from cooking along with her smart display to letting her kids request songs from "Coco" on the Assistant in the car.

Here's what a day in her life looks like, from waking up at 5:30 a.m. to fit in a workout before her kids wake up to ending with emails and wine.

SEE ALSO: A Google director who runs a team of 150 people says she doesn't hire people who act like 'rock stars' but can't back it up — here are 3 qualities she looks for instead

Lilian Rincon is the director of product management for the Google Assistant. She runs a team of about 20 people at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, with more team members around the world.

"My team is that one that really thinks about what are the types of things that the Assistant should be able to do?" Rincon told Business Insider.

She lives in San Carlos, California, with her husband, Nik, and their two children, Hudson, 5, and Bela, 2.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Ironing is a real hassle, but you can get the wrinkles out of your clothes much easier with a great steamer.
• All of our research points to the PurSteam PS-910 Fabric Steamer as the best clothes steamer you can buy to keep your clothing wrinkle-free.

Unwrinkled clothes simply improve your look, whether you’re trying to attract someone or score a job, but getting perfectly pressed clothes takes time and effort. By most standards of thinking, your options for fresh pressed clothes are to A) send your clothes out and have a laundromat or dry cleaner make them wrinkle-free, which can weigh down on your wallet quickly, or to B) bring out the ironing board and iron your clothes each day, which requires time as well as some level of skill. Luckily there’s a third, often-overlooked option: steaming.

Steaming clothes is a less complicated process than ironing that achieves equally wrinkle-free results. Steaming is the go-to choice in various professional industries such as fashion and broadcast where items may need to be packed up and moved often.

There are various types of garment steamers, but they all generally function the same way. Water is placed in a base or reservoir, heated to produce steam, and that steam is released through a wide nozzle which you hover over whatever it is you’re looking to de-wrinkle. Usually, pressure or direct contact with the wrinkled fabrics is not required as the high heat of the steam is what removes the wrinkles.

Steaming saves time, reduces wear and tear, is safe for nearly any fabric, sanitizes your clothes, helps you avoid chemicals, and best of all, steaming your clothes saves you money. That's why we've picked out the best clothes steamers you can buy.

We evaluated each of the following garment cleaning models by looking at the steam production, heat-up time, wrinkle removal efficacy, and durability. We referenced online recommendations from industry leaders, and sites that specialize in the cleaning of household industries, as well as Amazon rankings and customer reviews, and personal experience. Read on to find out which clothes steamer is best for your needs and budget.

Here are our picks for the best clothes steamers:

• Best overall: PurSteam PS-910 Heavy Duty Powerful Fabric Steamer
• Best handheld steamer : Rowenta X-Cel Steam Handheld Steamer
• Best budget handheld steamer: URPOWER Garment Steamer
• Best steamer for travel: OXA Portable Travel Steamer
• Best heavy-duty steamer: J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer

Updated on 12/13/2018 by Malarie Gokey: Updated formatting, pricing, and added clothing organization guides.

Read more about our picks in the slides below.

The best clothes steamer overall

Why you'll love it: The PurSteam PS-910 Fabric Steamer produces perfect steam for 60 minutes to remove wrinkles from all your clothes.

The PurSteam PS-910 Heavy Duty Powerful Fabric Steamer accomplishes two vital tasks with perfection: It removes wrinkles and makes steaming easier. It’s Amazon's number one best-seller, plus it comes with a money-back guarantee and five-year warranty, so you know it’s made to last. While it's not a professional unit, it can handle a family’s worth of clothes with the 61-ounce tank that heats up in just under a minute and provides 60 minutes of stable steam.

The design is part of what makes this steamer so appealing. It has a handy, adjustable hanger that is expandable from 15 to 17 or 19 inches. That means no more holding up your clothes or searching for a hook just to steam. It also has clips to help hold other fabrics, such as small children’s clothing, pillowcases, and more in place. The hanger is collapsible and the top hanger part can be replaced with a brush hook which makes for easy storage.

It comes with a convenient handheld steam board to de-wrinkle collars, pockets, and sleeves, that also doubles as a crease attachment to provide a more polished, or what one might call dry-cleaned look that gives structure to collars, sleeves, plackets, hems, and other clothing areas where a completely steamed, flat finish would just appear odd. 

It can handle delicate to heavy materials, as it provides steam up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit that penetrates deep and relaxes fibers. The high temperature means it works faster than ironing and allows it to freshens clothes killing up to 99.9% of germs. Finally, the cost is actually reasonable, especially compared to other standing steam steamers.

The PurSteam PS-910 Heavy Duty Powerful Fabric Steamer is featured in Parents Need, where the author notes it can even disinfect your carpet. It’s listed in Smart Home Guide and Best Advisor, too.

The PurSteam PS-910 Heavy Duty Powerful Fabric Steamer has a 4- out of 5-star average rating based on over 2,000 customer reviews. Many reviewers comment on the quality of the product, and its many uses, such as this reviewer. Others like all the features it comes with such as this reviewer who enjoys the steam board and this reviewer who says that the accessories are "wonderful.” 

The critical reviews mostly center around the product not having a consistent flow stream, but it’s worth noting that on every critical review, there’s a response from Amazon or the manufacturer extending help information and offers to resolve the issue stated.  

Pros: Reasonable price, quality customer service/guarantee, handy built-in hanger, steams for 60 consecutive minutes, convenient add-ons and accessories, sanitizing features   

Cons: May not provide a consistent steam flow

Buy the PurSteam PS-910 Heavy Duty Powerful Fabric Steamer on Amazon for $69.99 (originally $134.99) 

The best handheld clothes steamer

Why you'll love it: Rowenta X-Cel Handheld Steamer emits powerful steam to make wrinkles disappear, plus, it's not too big.

Rowenta's X-Cel Handheld Steamer is a small, handheld steamer that's just the right size for anyone who needs to quickly steam some wrinkles out of tomorrow's suit, dress shirt, and tie. It's not a huge steamer, but it gets small jobs done quickly with little fuss.

The steamer emits 1500 Watts of steam for 10 minutes straight and heats up in about 40 to 45 seconds. The stainless steel head has several holes for even steam distribution, and it comes with fabric brush, lint pad, and steam bonnet attachments so you can steam any fabric without destroying it.

Because it's not overly large, Rowenta's steamer is easy to hold and fairly lightweight. I use it to steam my clothes on a regular basis and find it very easy to use. The water tank may be small, but I've never had trouble refilling it and I rarely use it for 10 minutes straight, so I've never exhausted the water supply mid-steam.

If you don't steam too many clothes or fabrics all at once and you want a small steamer that you can pack away at a moment's notice, this is it. Buyers at Bed Bath & Beyond give it mostly good reviews. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Strong steam, small size, easy to hold, not too heavy

Cons: Pricey, small tank

Buy the Rowenta X-Cel handheld Garment and Fabric Steamer on Amazon for $59.90

The best affordable handheld clothes steamer

Why you'll love it: More powerful than a travel steamer but still mobile enough to carry, the URPOWER Garment Steamer eliminates wrinkles faster than your average iron.

The URPOWER Garment Steamer makes steaming anywhere a quick and easy process. The 1.2-pound device heats up and provides steam in only two minutes, yet with a 130-milliliter tank, it provides a constant steam for 7 to 10 minutes. This upgraded model has a new nozzle design that distributes steam more powerfully and consistently, making it easier to remove stubborn wrinkles. Whether you don’t have room for a heavy-duty steamer or simply prefer a lighter, portable design, this handheld steamer can remove wrinkles from clothes, as well as from cushions, beds, and other fabrics around the house.

Even if you’re new to steaming, you won’t have much trouble learning how to use this steamer. It conveniently features an automatic shut-off function when the unit gets too hot or the water level is too low, which protects your clothing, as well as the longevity of the unit, which already comes with a two-year warranty.

Because it measures 3.7-by-8.8-by-6.2 inches, it’s smaller than an iPad 2, so you could carry it around without much of a hassle in case your steaming needs take you out of your house. It comes with a handy travel pouch, too.

The URPOWER Garment Steamer is the number one best-seller on Amazon in both the Travel Garment Steamers and Garment Steamer categories. The steamer has a 4 out of 5-star rating in the Parents Need, is listed in BestSeekers, and is ranked number one in an AOL article.

On Amazon, the steamer has a 4.2 out of 5-star average rating based on 2,321 reviews, which include a handful of helpful video reviews. The majority of reviewers are impressed with the product, such as this one who states that the steamer pays for itself. Multiple reviewers comment that the steamer is smaller than expected. The critical reviews mainly state that the steamer doesn’t completely replace their iron as they hoped, or that it stopped working sooner than it should have.

Pros: Price, built-in safety features, easy to use, small enough it’s portable, upgraded nozzle design

Cons: May spit water occasionally, questionable longevity

Buy the URPOWER Garment Steamer on Amazon for $19.99 (originally $69.99)

• Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, operating in 75 destinations all over the world.
• Though the airline is only 15 years old, it has built a stellar reputation due primarily to its long-haul flights on new planes like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A380 superjumbo.
• It is also well-known for its extravagant business and first-class offerings, like The Residence, a $23,000 ticket that comes with a literal apartment-in-the-sky.
• With Gulf airlines like Etihad, Emirates, and others becoming more popular, I decided to try out Etihad on a recent flight from Abu Dhabi to Cairo. I was curious whether Etihad's reputation would hold up in economy-class on a non-long haul. 

SEE ALSO: I flew 13 hours nonstop on the world's biggest passenger plane, the $446 million Airbus superjumbo jet, and it's about as good as economy can get

DON'T MISS: I saved $500 on international airfare by flying a top-rated airline most people overlook, and it was one of the best economy trips I've had yet

The UAE is a bit unique in that it has two flag carriers: Emirates for Dubai and Etihad for Abu Dhabi. Since I had an itch to try out Etihad Airlines, I had to drive an hour to Abu Dhabi International Airport.

While a handful of Asian and Middle Eastern airlines operate out of Abu Dhabi's airport, it is dominated by Etihad Airways. Terminal 3, where my flight was leaving from, is the newest terminal and almost exclusively Etihad flights.

There's a giant sign on the side of the building to remind you which airline is boss here. I can't say that I saw signs for any other airline.

• On Wednesday, Google released its "Year in Search" rankings.
• Demi Lovato, Meghan Markle, and Brett Kavanaugh were among the breakout people searches in 2018, according to Google. 
• Here's a look at the top 10 celebrities, politicians, and public figures who also made the list.

Every year, Google rounds up the top-trending searches for the year. 

Google shared with Business Insider who the trending people searches were in 2018. Notably, this isn't a list of the "most-searched" people in 2018 — rather, it's who spiked in traffic this year, compared to last year. 

Here's who everyone wanted to know more about in 2018:

SEE ALSO: 

10. Cardi B

This year, Cardi B became the first female rapper with two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s. "Bodak Yellow" topped the charts for three weeks in 2017, then "I Like It" reached top status over the summer of 2018.

9. Rick Ross

The rapper was hospitalized and placed on life support in March 2018. Ross was released from the hospital a few days later.

8. Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande's fourth studio album "Sweetener" received critical acclaim this year. The pop star also generated buzz with her (now broken) engagement with comedian Pete Davidson — as well as her speedy release of the breakup anthem "thank u, next."

• Fashion Nova is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about brands on the internet. It was ranked the most Googled fashion brand of 2018.
• Thanks to endorsements from celebrities including Cardi B and Kylie Jenner, the brand has shot to fame and now has 14 million followers on Instagram. In Piper Jaffray's recent survey of teen spending habits, it was voted the No. 6 preferred website, beating out Adidas and Forever 21. 
• Find out more about the brand below. 

Fashion Nova is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about brands on the internet.

On Wednesday, Google released its 2018 Year in Search report, which showed that Fashion Nova was the most searched-for fashion brand of 2018; in 2017 it was ranked in fourth place, beating out Chanel and Dior. 

The company has shot to fame in a relatively short period of time thanks to a host of endorsements on Instagram from influencers and celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Cardi B.

In October, it ranked as the No. 6 preferred website for young people in Piper Jaffray's semi-annual survey of teen spending habits.

Find out how this brand grew to have 14 million followers on Instagram in just five years: 

SEE ALSO: These are the 10 clothing brands teens are obsessed with right now

Fashion Nova is known for its Kardashian-esque aesthetic, selling affordable bodycon dresses and tight, high-waisted pants.

The majority of its clothing costs between $20 and $50. However, there are some more pricey pieces.

Dresses cost between $9.99 and $299.99.

While the brand is best known online, it actually started off in the mall. Its founder, Richard Saghian, opened the first store in 2006, in Panorama Mall in Panorama City, California.

Source: Paper

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

It's the most wonderful time of the year for anyone who enjoys exchanging gifts with their friends and family. And as someone who gets a special satisfaction from picking out the perfect gifts for everyone in her life, whether they're her coworkers, her in-laws, her dad, or her boyfriend, I'm very lucky it's essentially my job to help other people do just that.

If you need some inspiration for what to get for him this holiday season (whether he's your brother, father, husband, son, or otherwise), the Insider Picks team has you covered with some truly excellent gift ideas. Though you can never go wrong with a new leather wallet or festive, holiday-themed socks, we've also included some more unique gifts, like a custom Xbox controller and a cookbook by Snoop Dogg (yes, really!) in our list.

Check out all 66 gifts for him, and happy shopping! 

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

READ MORE: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

SEE ALSO: 20 cool gift ideas from 'Shark Tank' that you can find on Amazon

DON'T MISS: 25 creative and unexpected gifts for 'Star Wars' fans of all ages

A classic leather wallet

Bellroy Slim Sleeve Wallet, available at Bellroy and Amazon, $79 (7 colors)

A wallet doesn't have to be a boring gift when it's from Bellroy. The gorgeous Slim Sleeve fits everything he needs in a slim, efficient profile. We love it so much we named it the best men's wallet in our buying guide.

A flask that'll keep his coffee hot

Hydro Flask 20 oz. Coffee Flask, available at Hydro Flask and REI, $28 (11 colors)

This insulated coffee flask keeps hot drinks hot (and we mean hot) for up to 12 hours, and cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours. 

A stylish and comfortable pair of sneakers

Allbirds Wool Runners, available at Allbirds and Nordstrom, $95 (4 classic colors, 10 limited-edition colors)

Popular shoe startup Allbirds came out with a new high-top sneaker this month, dubbed the Tree Toppers, but for the uninitiated (and honestly really anyone), the classic Wool Runners make an excellent gift. 

• Maria Butina, who is accused of being a Russian agent, pleaded guilty on Thursday to engaging in a conspiracy against the US.
• Butina has long been suspected of working with a high-ranking Russian government official to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and influence US policy in favor of Russia.
• Butina was indicted earlier this year, and prosecutors said she and the Russian official worked to create a "back channel" between Russia and the US by using the NRA as a conduit.
• The NRA has been the subject of heightened scrutiny from congressional investigators since last year.

Maria Butina, who is accused of being a Russian agent, pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to engaging in a conspiracy against the United States.

Butina is accused of infiltrating the National Rifle Association and trying to sway US policy in favor of Russia.

A plea agreement submitted to the court Thursday said Butina would "cooperate fully, truthfully, completely and forthrightly with … any and all matters as to which the Government deems the cooperation relevant."

It added that Butina's cooperation would include but not be limited to answering questions, providing sworn written statements, taking government-administered polygraph tests, and participating in covert law-enforcement activities.

Butina was charged in July with two counts related to conspiracy and acting as an agent of the Russian government. The indictment said Butina and a high-ranking Russian official, believed to be the Russian politician Alexander Torshin, worked to create a "back channel" between Russia and the US, using the NRA as a conduit.

Read more: Robert Mueller's Russia probe looks like it's speeding up, and could lead to big indictments soon

"Butina sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over US politics," the plea agreement said.

Butina admitted to drafting a proposal in Russian in March 2015 called the "Description of the Diplomacy Project," which implied that "Russia could use unofficial channels of communication" to build relationships with the Republican Party, denoted as "Political Party #1" in the document.

Indeed, Butina has long been cultivating ties with American gun-rights activists, like the Republican strategist Paul Erickson, with whom she has been acquainted since at least 2013. Prosecutors accused Butina of pursuing a sexual relationship with Erickson to make inroads with the NRA.

Erickson appears to fit the description of an individual denoted as "US Person 1" in an affidavit submitted along with the criminal complaint against Butina in July. The plea agreement said this person helped Butina write her proposal.

The affidavit said Butina and US Person 1 worked together to arrange introductions to other Americans who are influential in US politics, "including an organization promoting gun rights … for the purpose of advancing the agenda of the Russian Federation."

Prosecutors said Butina told another person, listed in the affidavit as "US Person 2" and described as a US citizen who was included in a series of emails in 2016 and 2017, that the Russian official was "very much impressed by you" and that the "Russians will support the efforts from our side."

The affidavit said that in another email, sent on October 4, 2016, US Person 1 told an acquaintance, "Unrelated to specific presidential campaigns, I've been involved in securing a VERY private line of communication between the Kremlin and key [GOP] leaders through, of all conduits, the [NRA]."

Butina's plea agreement said that she told the Russian government she believed the Republican Party would win the 2016 election and that she had "laid the groundwork for an unofficial channel of communication with the next US administration."

The NRA has been the subject of heightened scrutiny from congressional investigators since last year. McClatchy also reported in January that the FBI was investigating whether Russia attempted to use the NRA as a vessel to funnel Russian money into the 2016 campaign.

The NRA was a central topic of interest when Glenn Simpson, the cofounder of the opposition-research firm Fusion GPS, testified last year before the House Intelligence Committee.

At one point, Rep. Jackie Speier of California asked Simpson why Russia appeared so interested in the NRA.

"It appears the Russians, you know, infiltrated the NRA," Simpson said. "And there is more than one explanation for why. But I would say, broadly speaking, it appears that the Russian operation was designed to infiltrate conservative organizations."

Simpson added that Fusion had spent "a lot of time" investigating Torshin, who has been accused of money laundering, among other things.

"He is one of the more important figures, but, you know, another woman with whom he was working, Maria Butina, also was a big Trump fan in Russia, and then suddenly showed up here and started hanging around the Trump transition after the election," Simpson said.

SEE ALSO: Accused Russian spy Maria Butina's Instagram revealed what her life was like as she allegedly laid the groundwork to conduct high-level espionage

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NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

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• Allbirds, one of the most popular online shoe companies right now, has released its best-selling sneakers in throwback colors. 
• Though the startup sells a simple selection of silhouettes and styles, it keeps its loyal customers engaged and draws in new ones with periodic color updates. This limited-edition collection bringing back fan-favorite colors is no exception to the strategy. 
• You can check out some of the throwback colors below, which include a speckled "Starry Night" navy and an eye-catching "Kotare Lemon" yellow. 
• New colors often sell out, so if you want a style in your size, you should act quickly. 

Ever the expert at generating renewed interest in its already-popular footwear, online shoe startup Allbirds released "throwback" colors today. This collection of popular past colors was brought back from the Allbirds archive to include bright corals, dusky pinks and purples, and a gray collaboration with fitness brand Outdoor Voices. 

You can find these colors only in its signature Wool Runner. Since launching this popular, minimalist style, the company has expanded into Wool Loungers, Tree Runners, Tree Loungers, and Tree Skippers. These shoes have drawn acclaim from shoppers and media far and wide for their use of innovative materials (merino wool, eucalyptus, and sugar cane), all-day comfort, and simple yet instantly recognizable look. 

While Allbirds' classic colors like black, white, and charcoal are excellent basics to own, they'll always be available to purchase. It's the limited-edition colors that you need to be on the lookout for because they can sell out quickly. 

Whether you've always wanted to try the sneaker that everyone knows and talks about, or you (like us) already own multiple pairs and need to add to the collection, this "new" color collection is a great opportunity to do so. There are 24 colors in total, though not all are available in both Men's and Women's styles. 

Here's a first look at the colors dropping today. 

Shop men's Throwback colors at Allbirds here before they sell out

Shop women's Throwback colors at Allbirds here before they sell out

Dark Kea Red with Black Sole

Men's Dark Kea Red (Black Sole) Wool Runners, $95

Tuke Chili with Cream Sole

Men's Tuke Chili (Cream Sole) Wool Runners, $95

Women's Tuke Chili (Cream Sole) Wool Runners, $95

Kea Red with Kea Red Sole

Men's Kea Red (Kea Red Sole) Wool Runners, $95

Women's Kea Red (Kea Red Sole) Wool Runners, $95

• President Donald Trump took to Twitter Thursday to assert his innocence after his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, admitted to violating campaign-finance laws at his boss's direction.
• Trump said it is Cohen's own fault if he did anything on Trump's behalf that was illegal.
• Trump's defense is known as the "advice of counsel" defense, and DOJ veterans told INSIDER it is a rarely invoked and rarely successful strategy.
• The defense doesn't apply if both the lawyer and the client are on the same page that what they're doing could be illegal.
• If a client invokes the defense, it also means they waive attorney-client privilege, meaning Cohen could open up to prosecutors about any other legally problematic work he did for the president.
• Prosecutors also have a mountain of corroborating evidence that appears to back up Cohen's claims.

As federal prosecutors encircle the White House, President Donald Trump took to Twitter Thursday to deny directing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to break the law, and said that it is Cohen's own fault if anything he did on Trump's behalf was illegal.

"He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law," Trump said of Cohen. "It is called 'advice of counsel,' and a lawyer has great liability if a mistake is made. That is why they get paid."

He added: "Despite that many campaign finance lawyers have strongly ... stated that I did nothing wrong with respect to campaign finance laws, if they even apply, because this was not campaign finance. Cohen was guilty on many charges unrelated to me, but he plead [sic] to two campaign charges which were not criminal and of which he probably was not ... guilty even on a civil basis."

"Those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did-including the fact that his family was temporarily let off the hook," Trump continued. "As a lawyer, Michael has great liability to me!"

Read more: Trump denies directing Michael Cohen to break the law, says it is Cohen's fault if anything illegal happened

Justice Department veterans told INSIDER Trump's legal argument is shaky, at best, and that prosecutors have a mountain of evidence that suggests Trump played a direct role in Cohen's crimes.

Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor who was part of the team that convicted Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, said Trump's tweets represent a "standard, if not cliche, response of many persons accused of participation in [or] ordering a crime carried out by someone who has now confessed to the crime."

Jens David Ohlin, a vice dean at Cornell Law School who is an expert on criminal law, echoed that view.

Trump's defense — known as the "advice of counsel" defense — is "rarely invoked and even less rarely successful," he told INSIDER.

In the Michael Cohen case, it could hurt Trump in more ways than one.

The advice of counsel defense "doesn't apply if both the lawyer and the client are on the same page that what they are doing is illegal in some way," Ohlin said. "According to Cohen, both he and Trump understood that they were paying hush money to influence an election, and then covered it up to hide the illegality."

Moreover, when a client invokes the advice of counsel defense, they must waive attorney-client privilege.

"Does Trump really want to do that?" Ohlin said. "Everything that Cohen did for Trump would then be subject to inspection, which might open up new avenues of legal scrutiny. It would be a very risky litigation strategy."

Prosecutors have corroborating evidence that could point to 'compelling evidence of a conspiracy'

Cohen pleaded guilty in August to several counts of tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations. The campaign finance violations stemmed from two payments made to women who allege to have had affairs with Trump.

The first was made to the former Playboy model Karen McDougal by American Media Inc., the parent company of the National Enquirer. The company spent $150,000 to purchase the rights to, but not publish, the account of McDougal, who said she had a 10-month affair with Trump.

Cohen has admitted that he and Trump were both involved in coordinating the payment to McDougal. The second payment was made to the porn star Stormy Daniels, who Cohen paid $130,000 in October 2016 to keep her from discussing what she says was a 2006 affair with Trump.

Trump's attorneys argued the Daniels payments were a "simple private transaction" and did not constitute campaign finance violations because they were made to protect Trump's family and businesses. But Trump's lead defense attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has previously insinuated that if Daniels had broken her silence so close to the election, it could have swayed the outcome in Hillary Clinton's favor.

And the nonprosecution agreement that the Southern District of New York reached with AMI says the company "admitted that its principal purpose in making the payment [to McDougal] was to suppress the woman's story so as to prevent it from influencing the election."

Prosecutors also have tape recordings of Trump and Cohen discussing the payments and setting up shell companies, as well as referencing David Pecker, the head of AMI. Media reports have suggested that Pecker has a history of burying potentially damaging stories about Trump.

Cohen's and AMI's admissions about the payments, moreover, were made under penalty of perjury.

"This is what prosecutors, jurors, and sentencing judges call 'compelling evidence of a conspiracy,'" Jeffrey Cramer, a longtime former federal prosecutor in Chicago, told INSIDER.

Read more: Federal prosecutors are blowing holes through all of Trump's defenses in the Michael Cohen case

'Now they are caught'

Trump's tweets suggest that his defense to charges that he violated campaign-finance laws rests on the fact that he did not directly use campaign funds to pay off McDougal and Daniels.

But Cotter pointed out that this defense doesn't apply in Trump's case. The president is not accused of using campaign funds to pay the women. His legal liability stems from prosecutors' findings that the payments exceeded legal contribution limits.

"The resulting illegal contribution was either made by Cohen, or by Trump’s private organization when they re-paid Cohen," Cotter said. "That Cohen and Trump did not bother to pass the illegal contribution through the campaign bank accounts doesn't matter legally."

"Doing it the way they did simply made it a little harder to catch, as a 'contribution' in the amount of the payoffs directly to the campaign would have been immediately apparent as illegal," he added. "So they did it the way they did it. And now they are caught."

SEE ALSO: Michael Cohen is set to spend 3 years in a 'cushy' prison that's been called a 'castle behind bars'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'