• Bodrum, Turkey, is a an increasingly popular luxury travel destination.
• It's been compared to European hotspots St. Tropez on the French Riviera and Mykonos in Greece.
• Both Condé Nast Traveler and Bloomberg named Bodrum one of the best places to travel in 2019.
• It's seen a recent influx of trendy five-star hotels, including Six Senses Kaplankaya and Ian Schrager's Bodrum Edition. 

Forget Bali, Mykonos, and St. Tropez.

The hot new under-the-radar luxury travel destination is the seaside city of Bodrum, Turkey.

The port city has been dubbed the "St. Tropez of Turkey" for its luxury hotels, beach clubs, food scene, and the abundance of superyachts drifting in its turquoise waters. While Europeans have been vacationing there for years, it's been long overlooked by American travelers.

Both Condé Nast Traveler and Bloomberg named Bodrum one of the best places to travel in 2019, with Bloomberg suggesting travelers skip "overdeveloped Bali in favor of Bodrum, where a five-star-resort renaissance is under way." The publication pointed out the recent high-profile openings in Bodrum of trendy luxury resorts such as Six Senses and Edition Hotels. 

"With slick infinity edge pools facing the Aegean, celebrity-approved beach clubs, spas with steamy hammams, and sunbathing nooks shrouded by olive groves, the see-and-be-seen destination is a revitalized alternative to St. Tropez and Mykonos," Bloomberg wrote of Bodrum.

Here's what it's like to vacation in Bodrum. 

SEE ALSO: An ultra-luxe retreat in the Maldives has been named the world's most romantic resort 6 times — here's a look inside the secluded island

DON'T MISS: The top 14 boutique hotels in the world that should be on every luxury traveler's list

Bodrum, Turkey, is an increasingly popular luxury travel destination, earning comparisons to European hotspots St. Tropez on the French Riviera and Mykonos in Greece.

The city is located on the Bodrum Peninsula on Turkey's southwest coast, on the shores of the Aegean Sea.

Source: Google Maps

Bloomberg named Bodrum one of the best places to travel in 2019. "With slick infinity edge pools facing the Aegean, celebrity-approved beach clubs, spas with steamy hammams, and sunbathing nooks shrouded by olive groves, the see-and-be-seen destination is a revitalized alternative to St-Tropez and Mykonos," the publication wrote of Bodrum.

Source: Bloomberg

• Delivery pizza is a huge industry in the US — and at the top of the food chain are Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's. 
• We compared each of the big three chains' cheese pizzas, supreme pizzas, pepperoni pizzas, and breadsticks. 
• Each chain ended up being best at something — but some results were surprising. 

Americans adore pizza.

According to a 2014 study by the US Department of Agriculture, about one in eight Americans eat pizza on any given day. That's a lot of pizza.

And today is an important day for pizza facts: February 9 is National Pizza Day. Should it be a national holiday? Perhaps.

Of all the delivery chains out there, acolytes of the Pizza Big Three are steadfast in their preferences: Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's.

The Big Three have been busy over the past few years revamping menus, recalibrating ingredients, and resetting brand images in order to gain an edge in the cutthroat delivery pizza game.

But the question is, from which chain to order? We decided to take the matter into our own hands and test the Big Three pizzas head-to-head to see, hands down, who has the best pizza.

Who is crowned the classic-cheese champion, and who snags the supreme-pizza prize? Keep scrolling to see the results.

SEE ALSO: A food scientist explains how Doritos are engineered to be the perfect snack

DON'T MISS: We tried the new value menus at McDonald's and Taco Bell to see which is a better deal — and the winner is clear

Our test has three categories: the classic cheese pizza, the supreme pizza, and breadsticks — the pizza palace essentials.

First, the cheese pizza choices — still hot and cheesy.

The smell of mozzarella and tomato fills the room. No matter how disappointing, all pizza is still good, so this will prove tricky. Are any pizzas truly bad?

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.

• Bluetooth headphones have become an essential tool for commuting, working out, and staying entertained at your desk without any pesky wires getting in the way. 
• There are countless numbers of premium Bluetooth options in the marketplace, but if you're looking for something more reasonably priced, there are also several solid headphones available under $150. 
• I recently tried the Klipsch R5 Neckband headphones ($115). They are incredibly comfortable — to the point that I forget I have them around my neck — and the sound quality is fantastic.

Bluetooth headphones are one of those luxuries you didn't realize you were missing until you've had the chance to experience them yourself. For too long, I was walking around the world with a slew of wires protruding from my pocket, draping across my entire torso, and getting constantly jerked out of my ears. After my most recent pair of wired headphones randomly stopped playing in one earbud, which has happened to every pair I've ever owned, I decided it was time to finally enter the world of wireless listening. 

I'm not very picky when it comes to sound quality and I knew I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of headphones, so that eliminated premium brands like Bose. The three main factors that were influencing my decision beyond avoiding a major payday were in-ear comfort, noise cancelling technology, and the ability to take and make phone calls. I wound up choosing the Klipsch R5 Neckband headphones because of the sleek leather design on the neckband, the long battery life, and the high-tech calling feature that vibrates when you're receiving a call.

The first thing I noticed when I put on the headphones was how incredibly lightweight they were around my neck. The leather around the neckband is edge-treated, so there is no irritation when it comes in contact with your skin. One downside is that they are not very transportable, because they don't fit in your pocket and should not be tossed haphazardly into an overly stuffed backpack. However, I did wear them around my neck while traveling to different happy hours after work, stuffing the wires under my shirt to avoid any funny looks, and hardly noticed that I had them on throughout the evening. 

In addition to the comfort of the Klipsch neckband, the noise-cancelling technology is true to its word. The earbuds themselves have Klipsch's patented contour tips that provide a complete seal within your ear canal, while also offering a comfortable and pain-free experience even if you wear them for the entire eight-hour battery life. Whether I'm listening to a podcast, the new J. Cole single, or nature sounds, I am completely immersed into whatever I am playing. If you are planning to wear these at work, I recommend loosening one earbud so your boss doesn't sneak up behind you while you're perusing Reddit during working hours. 

Finally, the headphones also deliver excellent sound quality when completing a call. The left module noticeably vibrates when you have an incoming call, and there are no issues with hearing the other person on the line because of the noise cancelling technology. Additionally, the Klipsch R5 Neckband headphones actively reduce external sound so that your speech is clear to the other person. 

If you are looking for headphones to use while working out, these are definitely not the right choice. While I have intentionally avoided sweating on the leather neckband, I have had to sprint to catch an incoming subway train and the neckband was uncomfortably bouncing up and down on my neck as I ran to the stop. There are other inexpensive Bluetooth headphones out there better suited for physical activity that I would recommend buying in addition to the Klipsch R5 Neckband Bluetooth headphones. 

Overall, these headphones are great for working at your desk or traveling because they are incredibly comfortable, offer a seamless calling experience, and effectively filter out any unwanted sound. 

Buy the Klipsch R5 Neckband Bluetooth headphones for $112.16 from Amazon 

Join the conversation about this story »

• Facebook has 2.3 million users — more than followers of Christianity. 
• Despite various privacy scandals, studies have shown people are steadily loyal to the site. 
• The company's mantra has always been about bringing "the world closer together," yet the number of new users being added to the social media platform has slowed in recent months. 

Monday marks the 15th anniversary of the website once known as Thefacebook.com. In the decade and a half since Mark Zuckerberg created the social network with some classmates in his Harvard dorm room, Facebook has exploded in popularity. 

It's reigned as the world's largest social networking service for years. But as of the end of 2018, Facebook has a new claim to fame: It now has more monthly users than there are followers of the world's largest religion, Christianity.

With 2.32 billion monthly users, Facebook's audience tops the world's roughly 2.3 billion Christians (though the number for Christians is from 2015).  

From an early stage, the company, and Zuckerberg himself, made it a priority to bring "the world closer together" — a sentiment echoed so widely the site is often referred to as internet itself in some parts of the world.

But while Facebook's flagship social network now counts the equivalent to nearly one-third of the world's population, there is widespread discussion about whether it's reach has peaked. 

After a year of bruising privacy scandals and evidence of orchestrated disinformation campaigns on the network, Facebook's reputation has taken a hit. Studies have shown steady loyalty to the site, but declining engagement rates.

And Facebook itself is moving away from using its user-count as the yardstick by which its success is measured. During the company's recent earnings call, management said the company would gradually switch to reporting the total number of users for Facebook's "family" of apps, which includes Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. 

By that measure, the Facebook family now counts 2.7 billion monthly users. 

Whether or not the users of Facebook's various apps consider themselves "followers," there's no denying the massive influence of the 15-year-old company. 

SEE ALSO: Microsoft stole the show with its Super Bowl ad about a customizable Xbox controller that lets anyone game

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 science-backed ways to a happier and healthier 2019 that you can do the first week of the new year

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• When it comes to blenders, you get what you pay for. The cheaper blenders suffer from a lack of power and durability. Yet, the top-of-the-line models are built to last and backed by strong warranties.
• Vitamix blenders are widely considered the best on the market, and their price reflects their track record of performance.
• I was impressed with how easy the Vitamix was to use out of the box and the wide variety of tasks it could complete that would normally be reserved for a heavy-duty food processor or stand mixer.
• The Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender is not cheap (currently $549.96 on Amazon), but it can replace a number of other household appliances while providing seamless operation and cleanup.

If you rely on a cheap blender you received as a housewarming present or picked up on sale at a big-box store, you likely have an adversarial relationship with it. The low-cost blenders currently on the market have trouble pureeing anything but the softest items. I've had blenders like these. I'd look at the appliance with disgust as I chose to eat a whole apple rather than bother with a smoothie. A bad unit just takes up counter space and causes you to shy away from recipes that call for a blender.

With this in mind, I jumped at the chance to test a Vitamix.

The company recently launched the "Ascent Series," and their representative sent me the A3500 model to test. This model "has all the bells and whistles." Below, I will explore what makes Vitamix blenders so great, share my experience with the A3500, and let you know if it's worth your money.

Why consider Vitamix blenders?

Based in Ohio, Vitamix is a privately owned and operated company that specializes in high-performance blenders for consumers as well as the restaurant and hospitality industries. The company was founded in 1921 by William Barnard, and the current President and CEO of Vitamix, Dr. Jodi Berg, is the fourth generation of the Barnard family to head the organization.

Today, Vitamix is one of the most reliable blender brands available. According to a Consumer Reports reliability study, the likelihood of a Vitamix experiencing mechanical problems within the first four years of ownership is about 6%. This is significantly lower than any other brand. For example, two other high-end brands, Breville and Blendtec, had problem rates of 16% and 15% respectively.

Still, even though they are reliable, you may want to skip the high-priced Vitamix blenders if you are on a tight budget, or you just don't get very adventurous in the kitchen. On the other hand, any home chef who spends a significant amount of time crafting tasty meals would benefit from having this tool available. That's why, whenever you look at the set of your favorite cooking shows, you will inevitably see a Vitamix.

What's special about the Ascent Series?

The main features introduced in the Ascent Series blenders that are not found in other Vitamix blenders are Self-Detect technology and built-in timers. The Ascent Series blenders come with a 64-ounce container but are compatible with Vitamix's 48-, 32-, 20-, and 8-ounce containers. And, the Self-Detect technology uses built-in wireless connectivity to sense the size of the container being used and adjusts the program settings and times accordingly.

When you are busy hustling around the kitchen preparing a large meal, you don't want to babysit the blender. This is where the built-in timer comes in handy. You just start the blender, and you can easily monitor how long your ingredients blend on the digital display.

The Ascent Series is also unique in that it offers the longest warranty of any Vitamix blenders at 10 years.

There are four models in the Ascent Series:

• A2300 (currently $399.95 on Amazon) – This is the basic model with all of the above features along with what you might expect from any Vitamix blender: variable speed control, pulse, clear lid, powerful motor, and four color options.
• A2500 (currently $499.95 on Amazon) – The A2500 is a step up from the A2300 with three pre-programmed settings for frozen desserts, hot soups, and smoothies. Just set the dial to one of these programs, and the A2500 senses the container and runs at the ideal speeds for the predetermined amount of time.
• A3300 (currently $399.95 on Amazon) – The A3300 doesn't have any of the pre-programmed settings, but it does have touchscreen controls, and you can program the digital timer to stop after your desired amount of time.
• A3500 (currently $549.96 on Amazon) – This is the model Vitamix sent me. It has five pre-set programs: cleaning, purees, frozen desserts, hot soups, and smoothies. Plus, you operate the programs using touchscreen controls.

My first experiences with the Vitamix A3500 Blender

As I removed the A3500 from the box, I was first struck by how simple it seemed. The blender consists of a low-profile 64-ounce container and a motor base. My previous blender, a Ninja, had mechanisms for locking the lid to the container and the container to the base. This is not the case with the A3500. The lid snaps into place, and the container simply sits on the base's centering pad. The entire set-up is 11" deep by 8" wide by 17" tall so it fits under the cabinets on most kitchen counters.

A low-profile classic tamper, quick start guide, and a hard-cover recipe guide with dozens of recipes that test the range of the appliance were also included with the blender. I liked that the tamper was sized so that when you use it through the lid hole, it falls just short of touching the blades. This helps you avoid destroying the tamper and possibly hurting yourself.

If I was intimidated by the prospect of using such a powerful and expensive device, those feelings went away fast as I picked up the quick start guide. They recommend starting with a classic smoothie and offer a handy guide on how to properly load different types of smoothie ingredients with liquids first and frozen ingredients last.

For the initial smoothie, I went a little wild with the frozen berries and neglected to add anything more fluid than yogurt. The Vitamix handled it for a little bit then the blades stopped. Criticism accepted: I introduced some actual liquids to my smoothie, and the rest of the blending process proceeded without a hitch. I appreciated that the blades stopped rather than simply trying to plow ahead and potentially burning out the motor. Motor burn out is pretty rare with Vitamix blenders.

How the Vitamix A3500 Blender performed

I had a fairly straightforward process for testing the Vitamix A3500 Blender. My goal was to make as many different dishes as possible with it. For ideas, I reached out to friends, leafed through the slick recipe book that came with the blender, and searched the 500+ recipes on the Vitamix app. In addition to making various foodstuffs, I closely tested the self-clean function of the device and noted its effectiveness.

When I brought up Vitamix blenders in conversation, people would often ask if it was able to heat up soup. And, I can now answer from firsthand experience that it does indeed. For this experiment, I made Cauliflower Soup. I simply added the ingredients – which included raw cashews, leeks, and of course cauliflower - to the container and pressed the Hot Soup button. The soup is heated by the friction created by the blade so it runs at high speeds for about six minutes. The resulting soup was piping hot and delicious.

A vegetarian friend asked me to make a vegan cashew cheese sauce. This was another no-brainer recipe that simply involved loading up the container and blending. The results were excellent. My sons had no idea that it was made of cashews (though they didn't mistake it for cheese.)

One of my biggest culinary challenges is making pizza dough. I've had a few failed attempts and have resigned myself to a life of buying premade dough from the store. So, when I saw the recipe in the app, I had to give it a try.

The Vitamix app is supposed to work with your blender and a smart scale. I didn't have a smart scale but was still able to enjoy the benefits of the app. The app pretty much holds your hand as it takes you step-by-step through the recipes. First, put the dry ingredients in the container, then press the blend button in the app and the play icon on the touchscreen, and the blender will automatically run for the right amount of time. You then add the wet ingredients, blend again, and voila! You have a ball of dough that is ready to rise.

The pizza dough turned out delicious. My only qualm was that the recipe was supposed to be for one large pizza, but it was easily enough for two. I didn't recognize this right away, so we ended up with one incredibly thick crust. I had even more success when I used the A3500 to create a cauliflower pizza crust.

Smoothies are a regular afternoon treat in my home. And, the smoothie button is enough to blend the ingredients well. However, when I served others before adding a greens powder and running the smoothie mode again, my beverage ended up a somewhat less-refreshing lukewarm. I mention this so you will learn from my mistakes and not over-blend your smoothies!

I'll share one more surprising trick: coffee. My espresso maker was being temperamental recently (turns out I needed to delime it), and in order to have my morning cup of joe, I followed the Mocha Spiced Coffee instructions in the recipe book using instant espresso, milk, and flavorings. After five minutes of high-speed blending, I had a hot, frothy caffeine fix. Feel free to take the day off, espresso maker!

The A3500 has a pre-programmed self-cleaning setting. Basically, after you are done making your concoction, you put a drop of dish liquid in the container, fill it about halfway with warm water, pop it back on the base with the lid on, and run the self-clean program. In under a minute, the container and lid are clean.

For the most part, this process worked well. However, there were a couple items that didn't come off easily, even after running the self-cleaning mode twice. The pizza dough and cashew cheese sauce both required some additional, by-hand cleaning. Also, the self-cleaning function obviously doesn't clean outside of the container. But, a sponge, detergent, warm water, and a little elbow grease finished the job quickly.

Some concerns about the blender

The Vitamix A3500 is better than any blender I've ever used. That said, there are a few limitations. I found removing thicker foods from the container, such as the cashew cheese sauce or nut butters, is a pain. You need a good silicone scraper or spatula to get the finished product out.

The app was incredibly user-friendly, except for one flaw. All of the recipes were either listed in ounces, grams, or milliliters depending on how you set up your profile. Online, Vitamix has the same recipes listed in classic US units of volume (e.g., cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc.) It would have been nice if the app had these same measurements.

Lastly, I would like to see Vitamix produce an automated pulse program. With the app's smart blending, many of the recipes would not blend automatically. Others would only do one or two pulses. I understand that this is done so that you can properly assess the consistency of your ingredients, but it gets tedious when a recipe calls for pulsing 50 or 60 times.

Bottom line

Overall, if you have some extra money to spend and you love to cook, then treat yourself with the best blender on the market. If someone were to steal my Vitamix tomorrow, I would eventually replace it once I saved up enough money. It makes so many tedious DIY kitchen projects so much easier and inspired me to eat healthier.

But, since the Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender costs about $600, you may want to consider one of the more affordable Ascent Series models. This is especially true if cost is important to you and you don't mind sacrificing features like pre-set programs and a programmable timer.

Buy the Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender on Amazon for $549.96

SEE ALSO: The best blenders you can buy to make delicious smoothies and more

DON'T MISS: The best juicers for your kitchen

Join the conversation about this story »

• A Floridamansion recently hit the market with a listing price of $26.2 million.
• The eight-bed, eight-bath house was put on the market by owner by Christian Jagodzinski, CEO of Desdemona Capital.
• Located on an exclusive island just three miles from Florida's most expensive zip code, the house has its own movie theater, an outdoor volleyball court, and a chef’s kitchen.

A Mediterranean-style mansion known as"Villa Contenta" recently became the latest of many luxury Florida homes on the market. 

Located on the exclusive Palm Island, the house is listed withEngel & Völkers realtors for $26.2 million.

Read more: Tour the most expensive zip code in Florida — the mysterious members-only island where millionaires pay $250,000 for access

The mansion was put up for sale by current owner Christian Jagodzinski. Jagodzinski is both the CEO ofDesdemonaand the founder ofluxury rental company Villazzo, where his property was previously listed.

Custom-built in 2002 with entertainment in mind, Villa Contenta features many luxury amenities, including a library and a billiard's room.

Keep reading to browse the property and surrounding area.

SEE ALSO: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard just listed their 4-story Brooklyn townhouse for $4.59 million — here's a look inside the home and its private garden

A multi-million dollar mansion officially known as “Villa Contenta” is one of Florida’s newest luxury listings.

Source: Engel & Völkers

The house is listed for $26.2 million through realtor Lourdes Alatriste with Engel & Völkers.

Source: Engel & Völkers

The current owner of the property is German multi-millionaire and CEO of Desdemona Capital, Christian Jagodzinski. Jagodzinski is also the founder of Villazzo, a luxury rental company.

Source: Desdemona Capital, Villazzo, The Interview Series: Christian Jagodzinski

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.

You found the perfect gift for your partner— now it's time to find something special for your little one. As a parent, you show your kids you love them every day with your kindness, support, and all that good stuff, but Valentine's Day is a unique time to show your little ones you love them with some good old-fashioned gifting. 

Whether you're looking for a gift for a newborn, a rambunctious toddler, or an intelligent elementary-schooler, we've got you covered. We rounded up 21 Valentine's Day gifts that work for all kinds of kids — think books, crafts, and lots of sugary treats. 

Keep reading for 21 Valentine's Day gifts that any kid will love:

An adorable new stuffed animal

Lulu the Llama, available at Brooklinen, $38

Brooklinen's aptly and adorably named baby line, Brooklittles, has everything you need to make the cutest nursery ever, including this soft and cuddly stuffed animal that your little one will love snuggling with. 

A festive pair of pajamas

Rainbow Heart PJ Top, available at Primary, $16

Rainbow Heart PJ Pant, available at Primary, $16

Any kid will love getting these cozy pajamas with a festive twist in the form of lots and lots of colorful hearts. 

A personalized name puzzle

Personalized Wooden Name Puzzle, available at Etsy, from $23.44

This puzzle is a nice piece of decor, fun game, and keepsake all in one. It's an especially sweet gift for little ones that are learning how to spell their own name. 

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.

• Coconut flesh is rich in nutrients, including healthy saturated fats that may boost your body's fat burning capabilities and increase the healthy HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream.
• While coconuts are a staple dietary item for residents of many tropical regions, people in other areas shy away from this palm seed due to the misconception that they are hard to open.
• With our foolproof technique and a few tools, you can open a coconut quickly and safely.

Coconuts are delicious, nutritious, and always a welcome treat — that is, if you can crack one open to get at the edible stuff inside. And guess what? You can.

Although many people think coconuts are hard to open, they're actually not too tough to crack if you use the right technique and a few simple tools like a screwdriver, mallet, and knife.

Sure, if you are working with your bare hands alone, then a coconut's thick husk is pretty difficult to break through, though you can always just throw the thing down onto some concrete.

Since we gather you'd rather use some tools instead of banging a coconut against a hard surface until it opens, we've put together this guide on how to open a coconut three different ways.

With this little arsenal of common household items on hand, you'll be more than ready to crack that coconut open. 

Here are the tools you need to open a coconut:

• A Phillips screwdriver: Black & Red Phillips Screwdriver ($7.57)
• A sharp paring knife: Saken 3.5-inch Paring Knife ($25)
• A mallet: KitchenAid Stainless Steel Meat Tenderizer ($10.66)
• A sturdy vegetable peeler: OXO Good Grips Y Peeler ($10)
• A chef's knife: J.A. Henckels 8-inch Chef's Knife ($53.29)

You'll also ideally have access to an oven, a baking sheet, and for an alternative technique, a dish towel and a plastic bag. We'll get to that. 

Read on to learn how to open a coconut three different ways.

How to open a coconut using a step-by-step reliable method

Take your coconut and look at the end with the three little spots, also known as the eyes. One of those eyes is going to give way rather easily when stabbed. Your first step, then is to...

1. Use the tenderizing mallet to tap the screwdriver through the softest eye in the coconut.
2. Drain the fluid found within, making sure to shake out as many drops as you can.
3. Place the coconut in an oven heated to 375º Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until a crack appears.
4. Tap the coconut along the crack to fully split it.
5. If no crack appeared, tap a split into the husk with the screwdriver and mallet.
6. Use a pairing knife or a butter knife to separate the husk from the flesh.
7. Use the peeler to remove the rough brown exterior from the flesh.
8. Enjoy!

Buy the Black & Red Phillips Screwdriver  on Amazon for $7.57

Buy the Saken 3.5-inch Paring Knife on Amazon for $25

Buy the KitchenAid Stainless Steel Meat Tenderizer on Amazon for $10.66

Buy the OXO Good Grips Y Peeler on Amazon for $10

How to open a coconut using the two-step, one-tool method

For this technique, you'll need only one tool, but you will likely need some practice to perfect it.

The tool is your large chef's knife. Ironically, you won't be using the cutting edge of the blade.

1. Carefully pierce the softest eye of the coconut and drain its fluid.
2. Holding the coconut in one hand (your non dominant, ideally), crack the blunt backside of the knife against the "equator" of the coconut repeatedly, rotating it slightly after each whack.

With a few solid hits, a crack will form, and soon the whole husk will split.

Buy the J.A. Henckels 8-inch Chef's Knife on Amazon for $53.29

How to open a coconut without tools

This one isn't pretty, and unless you do use a tool to drain the water beforehand (which you should!) you'll lose all that precious fluid within, but here goes...

1. Wrap the coconut in a thin dish towel, then place it in a plastic bag.
2. Smash it against concrete, a brick wall, or lamppost until the thing is cracked wide open.

For the record, yes, these coconut cracking techniques are listed in descending order of efficacy and wisdom.

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• KitchenAid attachments make an already useful appliance even better.
• Both KitchenAid and several third-party companies make attachments you can use to grind meat with your stand mixer.
• With our foolproof tips, you can have freshly ground burgers, sausage, and other ground meat treats.
• If you don’t have a meat grinder attachment yet, we recommend the KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder Attachment because it’s easy to use, cleans up effortlessly, and is built to last.

It seems like everyone who owns a KitchenAid stand mixer swears by it. Owners proudly display their unit on their kitchen counter, rather than stored away in some cabinet. And, each holiday season you see plenty of pictures on social media of happy new KitchenAid owners.

There’s a good reason for this appliance’s popularity. You can use it to make just about anything from pizza dough to fresh pasta and ice creams. Below, we will look at how you can use your KitchenAid stand mixer to grind meat.

What You’ll Need

• Meat
• Meat grinder attachment
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Mixing bowl

First, you need a meat grinder attachment. There are several out there made by KitchenAid and other manufacturers. My favorite is the relatively new KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder Attachment. It’s made entirely of steel so it's durable and easy to clean. Be sure to wash your grinder before you use it for the first time.

You will also need some meat. For burgers, you generally want a mix of chuck and sirloin. Bobby Flay recommends 85% chuck to 15% sirloin, but if you want a leaner and drier burger, add extra sirloin. If you want to kick the flavor up a notch, add some brisket to the mix. I like to buy whatever cheap roast is available — hopefully something with plenty of fat — and use that for my ground beef concoctions. Feel free to experiment. I’ve had fun making 75% ground beef/25% ground bacon burgers.

For sausage, you generally want a combination of pork and beef or veal. Consider using pork fatback for extra juicy sausages. We’ll explore sausage more closely in an upcoming guide.

A cutting board is a must for cutting the meat into smaller, more manageable chunks. A good, sharp knife is the ideal device for cutting the meat, and I recommend the 8-inch Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife.  

Lastly, you’ll want a large mixing bowl to catch the meat as it leaves the grinder.

Get Everything Ready

First, assemble your meat grinder. With the KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder Attachment, you insert the grind screw into the main housing, attach the blade to the end of the screw, select and attach the grinding plate, and secure it all with the collar. Then, put the removable tray on top of the housing feed tube.

The KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder Attachment has three grinding plates: fine (3-millimeter holes), medium (4.5-mm holes), and coarse (8 mm). The coarse plate is best for grinding raw meat for burgers and chili, the medium plate is great for sausage meat, and the fine plate is ideal for cooked meats that you want to spread.

A few hours before grinding, consider putting your attachment in the freezer. This is supposed to be helpful from a food safety perspective. It keeps your meat from heating up when coming into contact with the grinder. Harmful bacteria are more likely to grow on raw meat as the temperature rises so the cold is your friend. I store my meat grinder in the freezer so it’s always ready to go.

A half hour before grinding, put your meat in the freezer. It’s unclear whether this helps from a food safety standpoint, but it does help the meat grinder work better. Cold meat is firmer and easier to grind than warmer, mushy meat.

Cut the meat into cubes that are slightly smaller than the feed tube. On most devices, this opening is usually about one or two inches. If you’re feeling lazy, you can sometimes get away with cutting the meat into long, narrow strips and feeding the strips into the grinder. I haven’t noticed an appreciable difference between cubes and strips.

Here’s how to grind meat with a KitchenAid

Now that you have all of your elements prepared, attach the grinder to the stand mixer. First, make sure the mixer is turned off and unplugged. Next, depending on the model you have, you will either remove or flip up the attachment hub cover located on the very front of the gear case.

Then, insert the shaft of the housing into the attachment hub until the power shaft fits into the square hub socket. Lastly, tighten the hub knob so the grinder is secure. It’s a lot easier than it sounds.

Now, you can plug the mixer in and turn it on. Speed 4 is the ideal setting for meat grinding. Once you have your mixer set at 4 and a mixing bowl under the attachment where the meat will come out, you can start putting meat into the tray on top and use the food pusher to tamp the meat down into the feed tube.

Keep feeding meat into the feed tube until there is no more meat left to grind. Let the grinder run until no more meat is coming out. Then, turn your KitchenAid mixer off and unplug it. Or, if you want more tender meat, put it through the grinder a second time. However, you should not do this if you are using fatty meats.

Don’t Forget to Clean Up!

The grinder is much easier to clean if you take care of it immediately after you are done processing your meat. Otherwise, tiny pieces of meat dry onto the attachment, and it’ll take some work to remove all of the little flakes. Most of the parts of the Metal Food Grinder Attachment are not dishwasher safe, and even if your grinder is considered dishwasher safe, we recommend washing by hand to increase its longevity.

Remove the grinder from the mixer. Then, take the housing apart and remove each of the pieces. Put them in a sink of warm, soapy water. Wash each element with a sponge using a cleaning brush to get any stubborn bits of meat. Once each of the components is clean, dry them thoroughly. I like to put the grinder back together and store it in my freezer, but you are free to store it however you like. Just make sure it stays dry.

As with anything you do in the kitchen, have fun with your creations. Once you get the hang of grinding your own meat, you will never buy ground meat again. It’s just too easy and tastes so much better to do it yourself. Enjoy!

Buy the KitchenAid Meat Grinder Attachment on Amazon for $74.96 (originally $129.99)

Buy the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife on Amazon for $44.95 (originally $54)

Buy the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set on Amazon for $24.98

Check out our full guides to the best KitchenAid stand mixers and the best KitchenAid attachments.

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NOW WATCH: Sea cucumbers are so valuable that people are risking their lives diving for them

• The royal family tree of Britain's monarchy is enormous and complicated.
• The more famous royals, like Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, and Prince Harry— who married American actress Meghan Markle — are easily recognizable to most people.
• But there's a whole host of distant cousins that are part of the British royal family tree chart.
• Here's a look at some of the other families that are descended from King George V — the UK's first Windsor king.

The royal family tree of Britain's monarchy is quite a thing to behold.

King George V, the first monarch from Britain's House of Windsor, and his wife Mary of Teck had six children. Four of those offspring proceeded to have kids of their own.

As a result, well-known royals like Prince George of Cambridge and his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have tons and tons of less-famous cousins.

The House of Windsor is a relatively young dynasty. King George V, a grandson of Queen Victoria, inherited the throne in 1910. Like his father King Edward VII, he was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The German dynasty was injected into the British monarchy by Albert, Prince Consort, the husband of Queen Victoria.

But by 1917, English attitudes towards Germany had soured considerably, thanks to the First World War.

In response to rising anti-German sentiments, George V decided to make a considerable PR move. He swapped out Saxe-Coburg and Gotha for the far more English-sounding name of Windsor. The royal family's website said the new name was inspired by Windsor Castle — where George V's granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II still resides on weekends.

Here's an in-depth look at the British royal family tree, beginning with the family that started it all:

SEE ALSO: The third royal baby has a name — here's where Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis got their names

DON'T MISS: 8 things you probably never knew about Queen Elizabeth II

SEE ALSO: 15 iconic photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton as parents

King George V was the first monarch of the House of Windsor

King George V and his wife Mary of Teck had six children together between 1894 and 1905. One of their children didn't survive into adulthood. Prince John, the baby of the family, had severe epilepsy and a learning disability. He died in 1919 at the age of 13.

Their eldest son, King Edward VIII, inherited the throne upon his father's death in 1936. Had he remained king, Edward VIII's hypothetical descendants would have inherited the British Crown.

But Edward VIII abdicated in 1937 in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. The controversial couple — who were rumored to harbor Nazi sympathies— never had children.

King George VI's descendants dominate the current line of succession

After his older brother's abdication, King George VI took to the throne for a reign of nearly 15 years. He and his wife Queen Elizabeth had two daughters, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

George VI's descendants are set to continue to inherit the throne in the foreseeable future. His eldest daughter Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning British monarch in history. Her son Charles, Prince of Wales, is reportedly set to succeed her when she turns 95 in 2021.

The Lascelles family is descended from King George V's only daughter

Mary, Princess Royal, was George V's only daughter.

She had two sons with her husband, Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood. The princess's sons went on to produce six grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and nine great great grandchildren. The Earldom of Harewood is still held within the Lascelles family.

The eldest two children of David Lascelles, the current 8th Earl of Harewood, were born before Lascelles married his first wife. They were therefore unable to inherit his title.

Leo Cyrus Anthony Lascelles, the only son of Alexander Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles, is also not eligible to inherit his family's royal title, as his parents were not married at the time of his birth.

• Officials in Clark County, Washington — across the river from Portland, Oregon — have declared an emergency after identifying at least 49 cases of measles, most of which are in kids who aren't vaccinated.
• At least two more measles case connected to the outbreak have been identified: one in the Seattle area, and another in the Portland area.
• Before the US developed a measles vaccine in 1963, the contagious infection was a common childhood illness. Hundreds of children died every year, and millions more had symptoms.
• As vaccination rates plummet around the US, officials are worried that outbreaks like the one near Portland will become increasingly common.

It's a public health emergency, and it's spreading fast: At least 49 kids and young adults are sick with the measles in an area of Washington state just north of Portland, Oregon. 

On Tuesday, January 22 the public health department of Clark County, Washington, announced that at least 23 people were sick with the viral illness, which incubates for a week or two before prompting fevers, coughing, runny noses, and little red bumps that break out on the face and body. 

By that Thursday, the number of confirmed measles cases had ballooned to 25, with 12 more suspected cases. A day later, the number rose to 30 confirmed cases. There are now at least 49 people with the measles in Clark County.

The infection can be deadly.

Thirty-four of the sick people are age 10 or under, and so far the public health department has confirmed that 42 of the 49 didn't get their measles vaccine. One person has been hospitalized.

Even though the vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated kids, at least one person who had received a single dose of the measles vaccine is now sick, too. It's a harsh reminder that the vaccine is not perfect. Still, a full course of two doses is about 97% effective at stopping the measles, while that single dose is 93% effective.

The sickness is also spreading beyond county lines. One man in his 50s who said he'd been in Clark County took measles home with him to King County, Washington. He's since recovered, but county health experts are still worried. 

"Measles is a highly contagious disease and if you don’t have immunity, you can get it just by being in a room where a person with measles has been," Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health in Seattle and King County, wrote on a blog that detailed locations where the man had been while he was infected. 

The outbreak is not confined to Washington State. Across state lines in Oregon, a resident of Multnomah County (the Portland metro area) has also contracted the measles, the Oregon Health Authority confirmed Wednesday. Two infected, unvaccinated kids recently traveled from Washington to Hawaii, but they were quickly quarantined and have since left the Big Island, The Oregonian reported. Two more of the people who contracted the measles in Clark County have since moved to Georgia, where vaccination rates are higher.

This is exactly the kind of scenario public health experts have been warning about. In 2018, the World Health Organization said measles cases had surged by 30% around the globe, with some of the biggest hikes in places like the US and Europe, where more parents are opting not to give their kids recommended shots like MMR (protecting against measles, mumps, and rubella).

"This is something I've predicted for a while now," Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told The Washington Post. "It's really awful and really tragic and totally preventable."

A perfectly good, safe measles vaccine

The measles vaccine was developed in the US in 1963. Before then, measles was a common childhood ailment that would kill 400 to 500 people every year in the US and sicken 3 million to 4 million others. As more kids got shots and oral doses of the vaccine in the decades after 1963, measles rates plummeted.

In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said measles was effectively eliminated in the US, because the virus was not being transmitted year-round anymore and there were fewer than 100 cases per year. But increasingly, kids in the US are going without their shots.

Read more: Bill Gates says investing in 4 simple plans has saved millions of lives and provided a better return on investment than the stock market

Outbreaks in the US have more become common where unvaccinated people cluster and parents sometimes forgo shots for religious or personal reasons. There was one in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn late last year and in Amish communities in Ohio in 2014.

Other parents mistakenly believe that there's a link between autism and the measles vaccine. This is chiefly because of discredited research by the scientist Andrew Wakefield. His main paper on the subject has been retracted, and many other studies since then have found no link between autism and vaccines. But the spread of misinformation and anti-vaccine campaigns (like those that targeted a Somali-American community in Minnesota) have led to more frequent outbreaks.

A 2018 report on the state of the US "social movement" not to vaccinate children found that Portland was one of the more dangerous "hotspots" where people weren't vaccinating their kids despite doctor recommendations. (Other spots of concern included Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Detroit.)

"Without urgent efforts to increase vaccination coverage and identify populations with unacceptable levels of under- or unimmunized children, we risk losing decades of progress in protecting children and communities against this devastating, but entirely preventable disease," Soumya Swaminathan, a deputy director general at the WHO, said in a recent statement.

2014 and 2018 were both banner years for measles in the US, with 667 and 349 confirmed cases.

What a measles infection looks like

There's really no way to prevent someone from getting the measles other than a vaccine. The virus can easily spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or breathes on others.

It takes one to two weeks after the infection for measles symptoms — which can include, fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes — to show up in a kid.

Often, parents notice white spots, called Koplik spots, appearing in an infected child's mouth about two to three days after the onset of symptoms. After a few more days, a rash breaks out, and flat red spots that may first appear on the face can cover the child from head to toe, developing into raised bumps.

With any luck, the rash and fever persist for only a few days before the child gets well again.

But deadly measles complications affect about one in every 1,000 people with measles. These can include pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and a rare disease called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis that doesn't show up until seven to 10 years after a person has had the measles.

Before 1963, about 4,000 Americans developed brain swelling from measles every year. The encephalitis, when it didn't kill them, sometimes left people deaf or with brain damage.

Update: This story was originally published on January 23 and has been updated with the latest measles case counts.

SEE ALSO: Bill Gates says investing in 4 simple plans has saved millions of lives and provided a better return on investment than the stock market

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch Jeff Sachs destroy the anti-vaccine movement in under two minutes

This post is sponsored by The Florida Keys & Key West. 

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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.

• ChefSteps' Joule sous vide hasn't been this cheap since Black Friday. It's on sale for just $159, so you save $40 on this handy cooking tool.
• The sous vide uses water circulation to cook your ingredients to the perfect, uniform temperature. The result is restaurant-level food that requires only a few minutes of prep or effort.
• I've been using the Joule for almost two years, and it's the ace-up-my-sleeve when cooking important meals and expensive cuts of meat. It's also the top pick in our buying guide.

Going out for dinner on Valentine's Day is a recipe for stress and anxiety.

The easy solution is to cook a meal at home, and the Joule sous vide from ChefSteps can help. The tool is currently $40 off on Amazon, which brings it down to its Black Friday price of $159.

Sous vide cooking makes it easy to get perfect results without much effort when cooking meat or vegetables. Instead of cooking on a direct heat source like a pan or inside a hot oven, you put the ingredients in a sealed plastic Ziploc bag and submerge it under water.

The Joule circulates the water and keeps it at the exact temperature you set using an app on your phone. The app also tells you the cooking time and sends a notification when your food is ready.

The advantage to sous vide cooking is that it's impossible to burn anything, and very difficult to overcook the food because it never gets above your set temperature. You can typically leave your food cooking for an extra hour without any consequences. Another upside is that you can use the Joule to cook frozen food without having to thaw it first.

The only downside to cooking sous vide is that it does take a lot longer than traditional cooking methods, because it takes a while to get your ingredients to a uniform temperature.

Many consumer-level sous vide tools have popped up over the past couple of years, but my experience with the Joule has been so positive that it's the one I always recommend. I've achieved restaurant-quality results every single time I've used it. 

If you're looking for a way to impress your Valentine's Day date or make a weekday steak night part of your regular routine, the Joule sous vide is the right tool for the job — especially at this price.

Joule Sous Vide, $159 (originally $199), available at Amazon [You save $40]

Read our buying guide to the best sous vide machines you can buy

SEE ALSO: 30 appliances and tools that we swear by in the kitchen, from a $6 fish spatula to a $340 Dutch oven

Join the conversation about this story »

• Luxury real estate in New York City isn't selling, a New York-based developer and architect told Mansion Global.
• That's not the only thing he finds surprising: Gimmicks, he said, are being used to sell luxury property, and it's working.
• It's part of a larger trend in which luxury apartment buildings are going to greater lengths to attract tenants by offering over-the-top amenities.

In the world of New York City real estate, luxury is lingering on the market a hair too long. 

"Nothing's selling," Cary Tamarkin, New York City developer and architect of Tamarkin Co., told Mansion Global when asked what the biggest surprise is in the luxury real estate market right now. Tamarkin's designs include a luxury condo in the Upper West Side with penthouses worth $18 million and $22.5 million, reported The Real Deal.

"No one has a crystal ball, so there’s always a cycle at the end of the development. Sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised, sometimes you’re not," he said.

According to The Real Deal, supply outweighing demand is the culprit behind the slowdown of the city's luxury real-estate market. 

Just consider New York's surplus of penthouses. Many have been sitting on the market for months, even years, and eventually receive a drastic price cut or are carved into two smaller apartments, Business Insider's Katie Warren previously reported.

"Like any commodity, when the market is saturated with them, their value declines," Jason Haber, an agent at Warburg Realty in Manhattan, told Warren. "If under every rock you found a diamond, diamonds would decline in value. That's what is happening right now."

Read more:There's a big difference between what 'penthouse' used to mean and what it actually means now, according to a luxury real-estate broker and 'Million Dollar Listing' star

More than half of luxury homes in Manhattan — priced at $4 million or above — were sold at discounted prices in the first five months of 2018, Warren wrote, citing Mansion Global. And at 432 Park Avenue, New York City's tallest residential building, a 95th-floor penthouse listed for $82 million was split into two apartments, 95A and 95B, for $41.25 million and $40.75 million, respectively, after being on the market for two-plus years, Curbed reported.

Efforts to get luxury properties off the market have continued into 2019: A SoHo triplex penthouse was slashed from $65 million to $59.5 million, Warren reported in another article.

But it's not just penthouses. A townhouse on the Upper East Side, dubbed "Versailles in Manhattan," has been on and off the market for 15 years. Its highest asking price was $35 million, but in May, it was slashed to $19.75 million by Douglas Elliman and Corcoran.

Luxury apartments are using 'gimmicky' perks and amenities to attract buyers

That doesn't mean that luxury buyers aren't being enticed, though. There's just a new way of swaying them and it involves wild perks.

"I was surprised by the Annabelle Selldorf building [on the Far West Side in Manhattan] with the cars that go up to your apartment," Tamarkin said. "It felt gimmicky and I was surprised that it worked so well. When people started using international starchitects, I was surprised that that worked to sell apartments."

It's a similar tactic to those used in an $85 million Hell's Kitchen condo, which comes with tickets to outer space and a couple of Rolls-Royces.

Read more:8 of the craziest perks we've seen in luxury real estate listings

These gimmicks are part of a larger trend in which luxury apartment buildings are going to greater lengths to attract tenants by offering increasingly lavish amenities. Think rooftop running tracks and dog parks, outdoor movie theaters, and residents-only bars and restaurants. 

And the trend is not unique to New York City. 

In Miami, one luxury building provided its residents with Tesla-driving chauffeurs. In Baltimore, 414 Light Street is also loaded with amenities, including an al fresco dining space, yoga and meditation room, and business lounge. And Oceanwide Plaza in Los Angeles, a three-tower development, will feature a two-acre "sky park" with two dog parks, a basketball court, lawns, a swimming pool, and a running track.

That's not surprising considering New York also isn't the only city where luxury isn't selling — an LA mega-mansion listed at $250 million recently received a price cut of $100 million, and it's still on the market.

SEE ALSO: A Palm Beach real-estate agent says she's surprised by the latest request from her multimillionaire clients

DON'T MISS: The New York City real estate market has gotten so bad that people are paying millions to live in the basement

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Sea cucumbers are so valuable that people are risking their lives diving for them

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.

• Staying focused at work can help you work smarter, not harder.
• The right tools can amplify your attention or decrease distractions like clutter while you work.
• I polled my coworkers to see what tools they keep on their desks to help them stay focused and comfortable in the office, and produce better, faster work. 

The catch-22 of a communal office space lit by fluorescent light bulbs is that, in order to be your most productive, you first need to feel somewhat at home there. Stiff chairs, back pain, clutter — they’re all distractions that contribute to a longer and less enjoyable workday. Staying focused can help you work smarter, not harder, and hopefully compounds into a better position at work, greater job satisfaction, and shorter days. 

The Insider Picks team tests and reviews hundreds of products — many of which are geared towards comfort and productivity. Below, you’ll find the 25 products we personally trust to keep us focused, productive, and comfortable at our desks all day.

A subtle vertical phone charger

Anker PowerWave 7.5 Fast Wireless Charging Stand, available at Amazon, $49.99

I use Anker’s PowerWave wireless charger to charge my iPhone at my desk every day. It holds my phone up vertically, so I can see when notifications pop up even when it’s charging. It’s a great, subtle-looking charger and it doesn’t cost much, so it’s a great addition to any desk, provided your phone charges wirelessly (most of the new ones do). — Malarie Gokey, Insider Picks Buying Guides editor

A stainless steel travel mug

Hydro Flask 12 oz Double Wall Travel Coffee Mug, available at Amazon, $29.95

I often end up running around to unexpected meetings and chats in the morning, and sometimes I'm forced to leave my coffee behind — or I just don't have time to drink it immediately. This insulated mug keeps it hot for hours, so even if a meeting runs long or I get so focused on something that I forget to drink it, it always seems to stay nice and steamy. — Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

A posture belt for back pain

BetterBack Support Posture Belt, available at Amazon, $49.99

I swear by the BetterBack for helping me to maintain good posture at my desk and relieving both upper and lower back pain throughout the day. I have a few slipped discs in my spine, so I deal with pretty chronic discomfort. This is the only tool (not counting stretching and acupuncture) that has ever helped mitigate my pain, which helps me focus on my work instead of on my back. You can read my full review of the BetterBack here if you're interested. — Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said that the Alexa smart assistant was kept "very busy" over the holidays.
• There's a lot you can do with Alexa to keep her busy and working for you, beside the obvious. Here are 5 ideas. 

As Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said last week during the company's fourth quater earnings: "Alexa was very busy during her holiday season."

She has also been busy since then too, as the Echo Dot smart speaker was the #1 most sold product on Amazon in all of 2018.

With 80,000 Alexa skills (a skill is the Alexa equivalent of a smartphone app), there is so much you can do with her.

Here are 5 ideas:

1. Whisper to Alexa when you don’t want to wake someone

Why? So you don’t wake up the [insert husband / wife / friend / roommate / baby / cat / you get the point]. It’s also pretty cool that Alexa can whisper.

How? Say anything to Alexa in a whisper like “Alexa, set alarm for 6:30am,” and she will whisper back at a lower volume.

Set-up (less than 30 seconds): Enable whispered responses by opening your Alexa app, tapping the hamburger icon in the upper left corner > Settings > Alexa Account > Alexa Voice Responses and toggle “Whispered Responses” on.

Pro Tip: While you don’t have to be right next to your Echo smart speaker for Alexa to understand your whispered commands, if you have any background noise or you’re really far away (a distance where you’d normally be shouting a command so she could hear you), Alexa probably won’t understand you.

2. Turn your regular lights into smart lights with a smart plug

Why? Because turning lights on and off with your voice is magical. And setting up an Alexa smart plug with your current lights is so much easier than setting up smart lights. The smart plug is essentially a voice-activated on/off switch that you control by talking to Alexa.

How?“Alexa, turn on living room light”

Set-up (easy): The Amazon Smart Plug (which is normally $25 but currently on sale for $15) is the easiest smart plug to set up (you pretty much just have to plug it in and open the Alexa app), but there are some cheaper options that also work with Alexa from Gosund, Teckin, Etekcity and others.

Pro Tip: The one downside of a smart plug versus smart lights is that, since it’s really just a smart on/off switch, you miss out on the ability to set different lighting scenes like dimming your lights (although there is a simple (partial) workaround to dim your lights with an Alexa smart plug).

3. Upgrade your wake-up routine with lights and music

Why? Imagine a world in which you can wake up peacefully as your lights gradually come on to coax you out of bed while your favorite morning music plays softly. Once you live in that world, you’ll never want to go back.

How? If you set up an Alexa wake-up routine that kicks off at a certain time, all you have to do is sit back and let it happen. Here is my wake-up routine…

• 6:35am: Alexa turns on my bedroom smart lights dimmed at the lowest level
• 6:40am: She turns them on slightly brighter
• 6:45am: Alexa plays my Otis Redding Pandora station — this usually gets me up out of bed
• 7am: The lights come on at full brightness — so if I'm not up, I now have no choice but to get up

This is ten times better than waking up to a loud beeping alarm clock and hitting the snooze button, which is how I used to get up. It also means I no longer have to sleep with my phone on my night table for a dependable alarm clock.

Set-up (it’s a lot easier than you might think): Open your Alexa app, tap the hamburger icon in the upper left corner > Routines and tap the + icon in the upper right corner. This will take you to the “New Routine” tab where you can follow these instructions on how to set up Alexa routines to choose a trigger (could be a specific time or a voice command like “Alexa, good morning”) and the things you want to happen in response to the trigger (could be the lights coming on, music playing, weather and traffic updates or even Alexa telling you a joke).

Pro Tip: I also have a routine that turns the bedroom lights off at 9am. I love that I no longer have to remember to turn the lights off when I leave the house because Alexa just does it for me.

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

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

1. Save 40% on women's workwear at J.Crew

Filling your closet with clothes for work can quickly become expensive, but J.Crew is helping the ladies save with a big sale. Until February 11, you can save 40% on select women's workwear by using the promo code "COFFEE" at checkout. The sale includes suits, blazers, pants, dresses, skirts, blouses, bags, and other accessories. Whether you have to wear business attire or can dress casually at work, you'll find many great pieces here. Check out other J.Crew coupons and deals here.

Shop the J.Crew sale now.

2. Get the Southwest Companion Pass when you open any of the airline's personal credit cards

When you open a new personal Southwest credit card, you can earn the best-ever sign-up bonus offered for the cards: 30,000 points and an unlimited Companion Pass, which is valid for travel through 2019 (to earn the bonus, spend $4,000 on any eligible purchases during the first three months with the card).

The Companion Pass lets you book a free ticket for a companion whenever you travel — all you'll have to pay is taxes and fees (which are typically as low as $5.60 each way). It's valid an unlimited number of times through 2019. This deal ends on February 11, so make sure to apply before then.

Learn more about the Southwest Companion Pass now.

3. Save up to 70% on clearance items at L.L.Bean

While L.L.Bean goes on sale from time to time, the brand currently has a sale with its deepest discounts. Now through February 13, you can save up 70% on clearance items including apparel, footwear, outdoor gear, and home goods. Prices are as marked, so you won't need a promo code to save. For more coupons and deals at L.L.Bean, check out our coupons page.

Shop the L.L.Bean sale now.

4. Save $120 when you buy three Fire HD 10 Tablets

As Amazon's most powerful tablet, the Fire HD 10 features a brilliant 10.1-inch 1080p display, hands-free Alexa voice control, and up to 32GB of storage. With the capability to stream videos, surf the web, and utilize Alexa, there's not much you can't do with them. If you want to get one for everyone in the family (or stock up now to have gifts on hand later), you can save $120 when you buy three. If you're interested in a smaller display, you can also save $60 when you buy three Fire HD 8s or $40 when you buy three Fire HD 7s. 

Shop all Fire Tablet deals on Amazon here. 

5. Save $40 on an Apple iPhone Xs Max Folio Case and get 3 months of Apple Music for free

If you own an iPhone Xs Max, chances are you decided not to buy an Apple case because of the price. But now, during Best Buy's Apple Shopping Event, you can get a (Product)Red Folio Case for $40 off. It's made of premium European leather with a soft microfiber lining and doubles as a wallet with slots for cash and cards. Plus, you'll also receive three months of Apple Music for free. Check out more coupons and deals at Best Buy here.

Apple iPhone Xs Max (Product)Red Folio Case, $89.99 (Originally $129.99) [You save $40]

6. Save 30% on the second generation Amazon Echo

Compared to its predecessor, the second generation Echo Dot has a sleeker design and much better audio quality with powerful Dolby speakers and dynamic bass response. While it has many of the same smart features as the Echo Dot or older Echos, this is the device music lovers will want in their home. For a limited time, you can save $30 on the second-generation Echo. You'll also receive three months of Amazon Music Unlimited for free with your purchase.

Amazon Echo Second Generation, $69.99 (Originally $99.99) [You save $30]

7. Save an extra 20% on final sale styles at Mr. Porter

If you have expensive taste in clothes but your budget doesn't exactly match up, Mr. Porter has the sale you've been waiting for. During the retailer's clearance sale you'll find massive savings on high-end designer brands like Dries Van Noten, Valentino, Prada, Burberry, and Lanvin. Prices are already marked down up to 70%, but right now you can save an extra 20% at checkout. 

Shop the Mr. Porter sale now. 

8. Save up to $210 on a Leesa Mattress

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• Vermont, Colorado, and California lead the list of top American winter destinations to buy a vacation home.
• That's according to a report by rental property management company Vacasa.
• The report ranks markets by high cap rates, which ensures buyers a high return on their real estate investment.

Americans interested in investing in a winter home this year should consider taking a look at Vermont, California, and Colorado.

In a recent report, Vacasa — the largest vacation rental property management company in North America — broke down the top 10 destinations for buying winter homes this season.

The list includes markets on both the east and west coasts, with an emphasis on mountainside or lakeside locations with access to outdoor activities.

While skiing was a major factor for most locations, the list also features some notable exceptions. Lesser-known locations such as Leavenworth, Washington are not located next to major ski lodges, while Mount Hood, Oregon and Pagosa Springs, Colorado are considered local gems with smaller crowds.

Read more: The 25 best ski resorts in America according to skiers and snowboarders

This season's Winter Market Report is based on cap rate, or the rate of return on a real estate investment. Thaddeus Hanscom, Vacasa's data trend analyst, told Business Insider that cap rate is calculated by income, minus expenses, divided by purchase price. To finalize the list, Vacasa first looked at markets with the highest average occupancy during winter months, and then ordered the list based on cap rate to find a top 10.

Keep reading to see the top locations for buying vacation homes this winter. We ranked markets in descending order and noted the median home price along with the rate of a one-year return on investment. Entries have been rounded to the nearest tenth.

SEE ALSO: These are the best places to visit if you don't mind the winter cold

10. North Lake Tahoe, California

Median home price: $646,200

Rate of one-year return on investment: 3.9%

9. Stowe, Vermont

Median home price: $593,200

Rate of one-year return on investment: 4.3%

8. Flagstaff, Arizona

Median home price: $349,900

Rate of one-year return on investment: 4.5%

• Avianca is Colombia's national airline.
• I recently flew with Avianca round trip from New York City's John F. Kennedy airport to Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport.
• I found the flight comfortable yet lacking in many aspects.

I recently flew with Avianca roundtrip from New York City's John F. Kennedy airport to Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport.

Avianca is Colombia's national airline, and it's actually the second-oldest airline in the world. The airline was founded in 1919 as the Colombian-German Air Transport Company. Because the oldest airline in the world is the Netherland's KLM, it's the Americas' oldest airliner. 

It's the second-largest airliner in South America, after Chile's LATAM. As Business Insider's Benjamin Zhang reported, the two airlines are vying to edge each other out in the continent, particularly in Brazil.  

With the understanding that Avianca was one of South America's biggest, and the Western Hemisphere's oldest, my expectations for the airline was high.

Here's why I was more disappointed than impressed with my flying experience.

I reached out to Avianca for a response to some of my issues on the flight and they responded in the article below.

SEE ALSO: 2 super airlines are fighting for supremacy over the skies of South America

After a delightful trip to Bogotá, I made my way to El Dorado International Airport, which is Avianca's hub in Colombia. The line to drop off one's bag and check in looked hectic, but luckily I didn't have a bag to check and I had checked in online.

But, if I had packed a bit more, Avianca has a pretty forgiving baggage policy. I could have checked two bags as an Economy passenger, which Avianca calls "Tourist Class." And business class travelers get *four* bags checked for free, two of which can be up to 70 pounds.

After a relatively speedy immigration and security process, I was in Bogotá's international terminal. The airport was definitely one of the nicer ones I've been to — the signage was clear, the facilities looked new, and there was an array of dining, shopping, and beverage options.

• Deleting unused or unwanted iPad apps can free up space on your device, allowing for more storage and clearing clutter on your home screen.
• If you delete a paid app you later decide you want back, you can re-install it from the App Store without paying again.
• Here are two quick and easy way to remove apps from your iPad.

An app-cluttered home screen on an iPad makes using the device much less pleasant, forcing you to comb through dozens of little icons in search of Instagram, your calendar, or some other app that you actually use.

Deleting unwanted iPad apps cleans up the home screen's appearance and improves your interface experience. It also frees up storage space so you can save more photos, songs, videos, and other downloads, and for other apps. With more free space, you won't have to worry about waiting to download a new app or app update.

There are two ways to delete apps from an iPad, but before we do the step-by-step, note that if you accidentally delete a paid app (or later change your mind and want an intentionally removed app back), you can sign in to the App Store, navigate to the list of purchased apps, and reinstall apps without a charge.

Any data stored within the app, such as levels beaten in a game, will be lost, though, so delete with care. You can also check the game's settings to see whether it allows for progress backups over iCloud, though not all games allow this.

The basic way to delete apps off your iPad

1. Open up your iPad and swipe to the screen with the app (or apps) that you want to delete.
2. Gently press down on the first app to be removed, holding your finger in place until all apps on the screen begin wiggling.
3. A gray circle with an "X" will have appeared at the top left corner of the app; tap it, and then hit the red word "Delete" to complete the process.
4. Repeat as needed to delete other apps, then press the home button.

Note that if an "X" does not appear on an app while it jiggles, it cannot be deleted.

The advanced way to delete apps from your iPad

If you want to delete multiple apps at once, or you want to "Offload" an app — removing it from the iPad but archiving its data, allowing you to pick up where you left off if you reinstall the app — you should go through this process instead of the tap-hold-jiggle-X deletion.

1. Open your iPad's settings (the icon looks like black gears on a gray box).
2. Tap the "General" tab.
3. Tap "iPad Storage."
4. Scroll down to find a list of apps and tap the one in question.
5. Tap "Delete App" then confirm by hitting "Delete."
6. Alternately, hit "Offload App" and then confirm by hitting "Offload App," as depicted below. 

The app deletion process will take a matter of seconds once you are comfortable with it, so don't hesitate to clear away unused apps and free up space. And for the record, the same process of deleting an app of an iPad can be used to remove them from iPhones and iPod Touches, as well.

• Read more:
• Here's when and how you can download the new Apple software that makes old iPhones faster
• You might be paying for iPhone app subscriptions you're not using — here's how to cancel them
• How to get ebooks on your Kindle — and other expert tips and tricks
• These smart light bulbs are one of the best ways to upgrade any home — here's what they're like to use

SEE ALSO: Here are the top iPhone apps and games of the year, according to Apple

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