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

• The carpets in our homes add style and keep our feet warm but they take lots of abuse and spills. What's the best cleaner to keep them stain-free?
• Carbona 2 in 1 Oxy Powered Carpet Cleaner, with a built-in scrubbing applicator and active foam technology, can tackle whatever hits the carpet.

Whether your carpet is a plush wall-to-wall installation or an accent area rug, it's going to get dirty. Accidents happen: We dribble drinks, drop food, startle a pet, and simply bring in soil on our shoes. Replacing carpeting is expensive and unfeasible, so when stains happen, we need to use the best products available to tackle the problem.

There are three basic types of stains: water-based, organic, and oil-based. Food and drinks are the main culprits for water-based stains, but if it's addressed immediately with an oxidized, water-soluble cleaner, these stains are among the easiest to remove.

Organic stains are the bodily fluids excreted by pets and humans. These stains need an enzyme-based stain remover to literally consume the protein stain and odor molecules. Finally, there are oil-based stains that require a solvent to break apart the grease molecules so that they can be lifted away from the carpet fibers. This is one of the hardest stains to remove because the majority of carpets sold today are made from petroleum-based fibers like polyester and olefin that trap and hold onto grease molecules.

With any type of carpet stain, there are several steps to take for successful removal.

• Identify the stain: Knowing what caused the stain will help you select the best cleaner.
• Act as quickly as possible: Fresh stains are much easier to remove than older, set-in stains.
• Use the right tools: In addition to using the best stain remover, always use a white cloth or paper towels to blot and treat the stains. Colored cloths and napkins can transfer dye to the carpet giving you another difficult stain to remove.
• Rinse the treated area: Once the stain has vanished, be sure to blot the area with a cloth dipped in plain water to rinse away any cleaning product residue. If soapy products are left, they can actually attract soil. Your carpet could actually look dirtier than before you cleaned it.

Regular vacuuming and stain removal can help a carpet look better and last longer. Fortunately, there are products available that do a great job in removing stains from carpet. During my testing, I must say that finding stains to treat was not difficult. With a pet, a toddling grandson, and my own clumsiness, I had loads of opportunity to find the products that are the most effective, easiest to use, and offer the best value for your money when removing stains from carpets and area rugs. And, another little tip: These stain removers work well on most upholstery fabric.

Here are the best carpet stain removers you can buy in 2019:

• Best carpet stain remover overall: Carbona Oxy-Powered 2-in-1 Carpet Cleaner
• Best carpet stain remover for pet stains and odors: Mister Max Anti Icky Poo Odor & Stain Remover Combo
• Best carpet stain remover for grease stains: ChemDry Grease & Oil Carpet Stain Extinguisher
• Best carpet stain remover for ground-in soil: Resolve Pet Carpet Cleaner Powder 
• Best eco-friendly carpet stain remover: Simple Green Naturals Carpet Cleaner

Read on in the slides below to discover our top picks to remove stains from your carpets.

The best carpet stain remover overall

Why you'll love it: No need to hunt a scrub brush with Carbona Oxy-Powered 2-in-1 Carpet Cleaner, it's right there at the top of the bottle to help remove food and drink stains and general soil.

We all know that when a stain happens, a quick response is required. But when you have to hunt for the stain remover and a brush or sponge, it can be tempting to let it go until later. With Carbona Oxy-Powered 2-in-1 Carpet Cleaner, it's all in one place. The sponge and bristle brush applicator are attached; just give the bottle a gentle squeeze and you're ready to clean.

The formula contains a mild oxygen-based bleach that helps to break apart the stain molecules so they can be lifted from the carpet fibers. After applying the solution to a red wine-stained area, I stepped back and let it do the work. No need to remain on my knees, scrubbing away: After letting the formula do its work, the stain came right out by just blotting with a white paper towel. I finished the job by "rinsing" the area with a cloth dipped in plain water. After the carpet dried, there was no hint of the mishap.

Always follow the directions and use only a small amount. You don't need to saturate the carpet, just let the formula do the work directly on the stain and you'll have less residue to clean up. This Carbona carpet cleaner is great for removing specific stains but would be difficult to use for overall wall-to-wall carpet cleaning.

The product has received five stars from 84% of Amazon reviewers. One customer said it also works for cleaning up pets' messes.

Pros: Built-in sponge bristle applicator, only a small amount needed, light fragrance, safe to use on all colorfast carpet and upholstery, removes most common stains

Cons: Does not remove all stains, bottle is not refillable, not ideal for cleaning an entire room of carpet

Buy Carbona Oxy-Powered 2-in-1 Carpet Cleaner (two-pack) on Amazon for $17.12

The best carpet stain remover for pet stains and odors

Why you'll love it: With the Mister Max Anti-Icky-Poo Odor & Stain Remover Combo, not only will the visible stains disappear, the lingering odors will too.

It's a good thing we love our pets because they can cause stains on carpets that have a double whammy. First, there is visual evidence, obviously. But the real problem is the odor that often lingers on carpet and upholstery. That's why the Mister Max Anti-Icky-Poo Odor and Stain Remover Combo is such a winner.

My precious rescue pup tends to urinate (or worse) when startled. When it happens, I clean up the accident and grab the Mister Max stain remover and give the area a good spray. After getting rid of the stain (follow the directions), one more spray with the Mister Max Anti-Icky Poo-Odor— with its live bacteria and enzymes to destroy the odor molecules — there is no residual odor remaining that attracts the pup or her friends to the same spot. Using the two together is the best of all worlds.

Mister Max offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and the product comes in both a light scent and an unscented formula, in several sizes. Here's a tip for new parents: It also takes care of odors from diaper and vomit accidents on carpet or upholstery.

While you can buy the two products separately, the combo pack has a 5-star rating from 100% of its buyers on Amazon. One customer wrote, "This is the only brand I used for years and usually ordered it from my local pet shop. Very pleased to find it on Amazon. Great product."

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

Cons: Not readily available in most mass-market stores

Buy Mister Max Anti-Icky-Poo Odor and Stain Remover Combo in two 32-ounce spray bottles on Amazon for $30.96

The best carpet stain remover for grease stains

Why you'll love it: Tackle the toughest grease stains with the ChemDry Grease & Oil Carpet Stain Extinguisher.

Oil and grease stains are some of the toughest to remove from the carpet but ChemDry Grease & Oil Carpet Stain Extinguisher does an excellent job. I am not sure how I did it, but I tracked some heavy motor oil or axle grease onto the carpet in my car. It not only looked bad, it also smelled bad.

After doing a bit of research, I settled on ChemDry to treat the stain. I was familiar with the ChemDry carpet-cleaning franchise, and I like how the company uses carbonation to penetrate stains and lift them to the surface without a great deal of water and soap. I also wanted a product that is nontoxic and would not leave a heavily perfumed scent.

I was very pleased with the results. After giving the can a quick shake, I sprayed the ChemDry on the stain and waited a couple of minutes to allow it to penetrate the oil. With just a light scrubbing with a paper towel, the oil was lifted away.

Majority of Amazon reviewers (76%) gave it a 5-star rating.  If you have oily stains from mascara, crayons, food, makeup, or automotive work, this is the product for you.

Pros: Nontoxic, removes oil and grease stains, safe to use on all colorfast carpet and upholstery

Cons: Does not effectively remove all types of stains

Buy ChemDry Grease & Oil Carpet Stain Extinguisher (two 18-ounce cans) on Amazon for $30.21

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

• Gifting on a budget doesn't have to be stressful. Here are 30 Mother's Day gifts under $25 that make gift shopping this year a breeze. 
• From small leather accessories to home decor, none of these gifts look or feel cheap. 

Our moms deserve everything in the world, but maybe yours is the type to insist that you don't get too extravagant for Mother's Day, or you're on a budget and want to make every dollar count. Either way, it's still important to show her that you're thinking of and appreciate her this Mother's Day. 

We know that finding affordable gifts that don't look and feel cheap can be tough, so we rounded up a great array for you. From the fun and light-hearted to the ones that could just make her cry, these under-$25 gifts are thoughtful yet friendly on the wallet. 

If you do find yourself with some extra cash on hand, be sure to check more of our Mother's Day gift ideas:

• Mother's Day gifts for every budget
• The best online-flower-delivery services
• Mother's Day gifts under $50
• Mother's Day gifts under $100
• Mother's Day gifts for new moms
• Customizable Mother's Day gifts
• Funny Mother's Day gifts
• Amazon Prime-eligible Mother's Day gifts

See 30 of the best Mother's Day gifts under $25 below.

SEE ALSO: UrbanStems delivers fresh, beautiful bouquets with free one-day delivery — we tried it and think it's a great Mother's Day gift

A cutting board in the shape of the state she calls home

Gift a Totally Bamboo State Cutting & Serving Board, $19.95

Available for nearly all 50 states as well Puerto Rico, Long Island, and the contiguous US, this uniquely shaped cutting and serving board doubles as kitchen decor.

A scalp massager

Maxsoft Scalp Massager Shampoo Brush, $7-$9

This small brush delivers the everyday dose of soothing relaxation she never knew she needed. It's comfortable to hold and stimulates blood flow to the scalp and oil glands. 

The starter set for a smoother shave

Gift the Flamingo Shave Set, $16

If she shaves and you know she's been using the same rusty, dull razor for way too long, give her the upgrade she deserves with shaving tools from Flamingo, the sister brand of Harry's. She'll be a quick convert to its sharp blades, ergonomic handle, and luxurious shave gel. 

• In a Twitter thread Thursday, Tock founder and Chief Technology Officer Brian Fitzpatrick shared one of his top pieces of advice for booking a table at a busy restaurant: make a reservation for four instead of two.
• Tock is an online reservation management platform that also offers guests and table management systems for restaurants.
• Fitzpatrick also suggests diners look for reservations at 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. to increase the odds of landing a table at popular restaurants.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

When a new restaurant opens with major fanfare, reservations become a hot commodity. Restaurateur Nick Kokonas knows this first hand -- he opened Alinea, one of the world’s top restaurants that receives multiple Michelin stars each year, in 2005.

But when he realized they were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on reservation management and losing even more in no-shows, he cobbled together a rough system to track and manage diners more efficiently. Kokonas joined forces with Brian Fitzpatrick, founder of Google’s engineering office in Chicago, to turn the homemade system into a viable business for restaurants to track and manage guest reservations, called Tock.

According to Crunchbase, Tock has raised $17.5 million since Kokonas and Fitzpatrick founded the company in 2014, and most recently closed $9.5 million Series B funding round in December 2018.

Read More:Chase is pushing Chase Pay adoption

In a Twitter thread Thursday, Fitzpatrick, now the company’s Chief Technology Officer, shared one of his top pieces of advice for booking a table at a busy restaurant: make a reservation for four instead of two.

Business Insider caught up with Fitzpatrick to hear what other words of wisdom he had for getting a coveted table at the hottest restaurants.

Bring your friends

Make a reservation for a table of four instead of two. According to Fitzpatrick, the demand is much higher for tables for two because couples often go out to dinner just the two of them more often than with another couple or friends.

“Even restaurants that are ‘completely sold out’ usually have inventory, you're just looking for the sold out stuff,” Fitzpatrick tweeted.

Shake up dinner time

Fitzpatrick said the one thing most people get wrong when making reservations is choosing a popular time like 7 p.m.

“Shoot for 6 or 8 and you’re going to have much better luck getting a seat,” Fitzpatrick said via email.

Know when to book

Many restaurants release reservations at a consistent schedule, according to Fitzpatrick. Diners who check in consistently are more likely to get a reservation for their preferred time and table size.

Fitzpatrick told Business Insider that Tock created a cheat sheet that tracks upcoming reservation releases so diners are able to plan ahead.

• It only takes one conversation to make others like you.
• Making eye contact, actively listening, and keeping your hands off your phone are all subtle tricks to get people to like you.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Being likable is entirely under your control.

All it takes is the ability to pick up a few key social skills that build emotional intelligence.

To help you out, we sifted through the Quora thread "What are useful social skills that can be picked up quickly?," talked to an etiquette expert, and looked to some social psychology researchers.

Read more:Why dressing like a CEO no matter your job level will prime you for career success

Here are 21 simple ways to start crafting a "million-dollar personality" and become the most likable person in the room:

Kathleen Elkins and Natalie Walters contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: 11 things unsuccessful people do over the weekend

Keep eye contact

As Heidi Grant Halvorson explains in her book "No One Understands You And What To Do About It," the very first thing people will try to decide about you when they meet you is if they can trust you — and it's fairly hard to like someone if you don't trust them.

Their decision is made almost entirely unconsciously, and it usually comes down to how well you can balance conveying two things: warmth and competence.

"Above all else, really focus on what is being said to you — people need to feel that they have been heard, even when you can't give them what they are asking for or can't be of particular help," Halvorson writes. One simple way to show you're paying attention is to make eye contact and hold it.

"It is an idiotically simple thing, but it remains one of the most impactful life hacks around," writes Quora user Brad Porter.

Halvorson says that making eye contact is also an effective way to convey competence, and studies have shown that those who do so are consistently judged as more intelligent.

Start this habit immediately, says Porter. It requires no practice or special skill — just the commitment to meet someone's gaze and look them in the eye while conversing.

Smile

Don't underestimate the power of smiling, another simple and effective way to convey warmth.

Additionally, laugh and tell jokes, recommends Quora user Craig Fraser. People unconsciously mirror the body language of the person they're talking to. If you want to be likable, use positive body language and people will naturally return the favor.

Show enthusiasm

"Along with a smile, show some enthusiasm and energy, also known as charisma," suggests Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility expert and the author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom.

"This not only draws people to you, but it is contagious," she says. "After spending time with you, people will walk away with a warm and fuzzy feeling, which most likely, they'll pass on to someone else."

• Egypt's most famous site is the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World still standing and one of the new seven wonders of the world, introduced in 2007.
• On a recent trip to Egypt, I found that the city of Luxor, once the ancient capital of Thebes and often called the world's "largest open-air museum," held far more fascinating ancient Egyptian ruins, burial sites, temples, and hieroglyphs than Giza.
• Luxor is home to the Valley of the Kings, a valley of over 60 rock-cut royal tombs filled with colorful hieroglyphs and cave paintings, the temple of Karnak, a complex built over the course of 1,500 years, and dozens of other tombs, temples, and statues.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Lots of tourists think of Egypt as a stop-over: Spend a night in Cairo, get up early, check the Great Pyramid of Giza off the bucket list, and head to the next destination. What a mistake they make. 

Though Egypt's most famous site dating back to ancient times is the Great Pyramid of Giza, the sights in Egypt's south are perhaps even more awe-inspiring. In particular, I'm talking about those in the city of Luxor.

Luxor is often called the world's "largest open-air museum." The city sits on what was once the ancient city of Thebes, the capital of unified Egypt for hundreds of years. At the height of Egypt's powers, it was world's center of art, business, and culture. 

This past December, I visited Luxor over the course of two days, far too short a time to experience it all, and found it to be the highlight of my month in the country.

Here's what it was like.

SEE ALSO: Travel guides will tell you to skip Cairo, but the Egyptian capital is a fascinating city bursting with amazing food and culture

DON'T MISS: Visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza is as incredible as you'd expect for the only wonder of the ancient world still standing, but a rookie mistake could ruin it all

I got to Luxor in a roundabout way. I took a 12-hour overnight train from Cairo to Aswan, a town near the southern border of Egypt, and then meandered up the Nile on a multiple-day cruise to Luxor, stopping at various temples along the way. The vistas along the Nile were spectacular.

The cruise arrived at Luxor in the middle of the night. As it is for many, my introduction to the area was a hot-air balloon ride as the sun was rising. We were packed thirty to a basket as the sky was colored in pastel purples and pinks.

As we rose over the city, I got glimpses of many of Luxor's ancient sites. Luxor is often called "the world's greatest open-air museum." When you see 60-foot granite statues, colonnades, and sprawling temple complexes beneath you, the moniker makes sense.

• The iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris has caught fire.
• Politicians and public figures around the world are expressing their sympathies.
• President Donald Trump, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and European Council President Donald Tusk have all weighed in.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Politicians and public figures around the world are expressing their sympathies amid a massive fire at the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

On Monday evening, the 856-year-old house of worship caught fire, with the blaze quickly tearing through the iconic structure. The cause of the fire is not yet clear, but it has already caused devastating damage, with the spire of the cathedral collapsing.

French President Emmanuel Macron has canceled a planned speech to the nation as a result of the fire and tweeted: "Like all our compatriots, I am sad this evening to see this part of all of us burn," according to a translation from Reuters.

President Donald Trump tweeted his reaction and suggested an approach for tackling the blaze: "So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!"

Trump later said that "it's one of the great treasures of the world," according to CNN's Abby Phillip. "It might be greater than almost any museum in the world."

First lady Melania Trump tweeted: "My heart breaks for the people of Paris after seeing the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Praying for everyone's safety."

Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, wrote: "This is truly devastating. What a cultural tragedy, not just for Paris and France, but for the world. #NotreDame."

And European Council President Donald Tusk said, "We are all with Paris today."

British Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: "My thoughts are with the people of France tonight and with the emergency services who are fighting the terrible blaze at Notre-Dame cathedral."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan also expressed solidarity. "Heartbreaking scenes of Notre Dame cathedral in flames. London stands in sorrow with Paris today, and in friendship always," he wrote.

The cathedral had been in the middle of renovations at the time of the fire.

• Read more:
• The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is on fire — and now the entire frame is burning
• Watch the moment the iconic spire on top of Notre-Dame cathedral collapsed
• Before the Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire, it was undergoing renovations
• Trump suggests sending 'flying water tankers' to put out the massive fire at the Notre-Dame Cathedral

Join the conversation about this story »

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

• You can set up Apple Pay on your Apple Watch using the Watch app for iPhone.
• You can add multiple cards and change your default card for purchases via the app.
• To use Apple Pay, simply press the side button twice and hold your Apple Watch near a contactless reader until you feel a soft tap.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Apple Watch allows you to do many things without having to take out your iPhone (like peeking at notifications, sending quick text responses, and dismissing iPhone alarms), and using Apple Pay is one of them.

Here's how it's done.

First, set up Apple Pay on your Apple Watch

You can add credit, debit, and prepaid cards to Apple Watch.

1. Open the Watch app for iPhone. Go to the My Watch tab.

2. Tap "Wallet & Apple Pay."

3. Tap Add Card, then Continue.

4. For cards that have already been added to your iPhone, you'll be prompted to enter the card's security code to add it to Apple Watch. For completely new cards, you can have the information entered via a photo by positioning your card inside a square on the screen or by entering in your card information (name, card number, expiration date, security code) manually.

5. After entering your card information, you'll be brought to a Terms and Conditions page. Review this page, then tap Agree to continue the setup process.

6. As your card is set up for Apple Pay, "Your bank or card issuer will verify your information and decide if you can use your card with Apple Pay," an Apple support page reads. "If your bank or issuer needs more information to verify your card, they'll ask you for it."

• In the case of my Capital One card, it required a verification code that was sent to my iPhone. As I was using the iPhone that the code was sent to via text message, it was automatically entered and completed the setup process.

7. Once you've successfully added a card to your Watch, you'll see a confirmation screen and the card will appear under "Payment Cards On Your Watch."

How to use Apple Pay on Apple Watch

Once you've added cards to your Watch, you can use Apple Pay in a variety of ways.

1. When you're ready to pay at a store that accepts Apple Pay (indicated by these symbols), press the side button twice. This will pull up your default card.

2. Hold your Apple Watch near the contactless reader, within a few centimeters, until you feel a soft tap.

3. Apple notes that "Depending on the store and transaction amount, you might need to sign a receipt or enter your PIN."

4. To pay with a different card, swipe left or right until you reach the card you'd like to use. Hold the Watch near the contactless reader.

5. To change your default card, go to the Wallet & Apple Pay page of the Watch app for iPhone and scroll to the Transaction Defaults section. Tap Default Card, then select a new default card. You can also enter a default shipping address, email, and phone number for autofill purposes in future transactions.

How to check your transaction history

1. Open the Watch app for iPhone. Go to the My Watch tab, then tap Wallet & Apple Pay.

2. Tap on the card you'd like to see transactions for, then tap Transactions.

3. Make sure Transaction History is turned on. You'll see a list of latest transactions here.

4. Note that the amounts you see may be initial authorization amounts, which may differ from the final transaction amount. To see final transaction amounts, check your credit or debit card statement.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• A beginner's guide to the Apple Watch: How to use its buttons and gestures, start workouts, and more

• How to add app complications to your Apple Watch, and customize them for optimal use

• How to reset your Apple Watch and unpair it from an iPhone

• How to update your Apple Watch and get the device's latest features

SEE ALSO: The best smartwatches you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling console of the current generation — here's why Nintendo is dominating video games

• Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule is a simple, highly effective template for improving your productivity.
• Even though it was created over 300 years ago, it contains timeless principles that will help you to avoid the distractions of the modern world, and stay focused on your most important tasks.
• He always went to bed and woke up at the same time and made sure he had plenty of downtime — and he wasn't obsessed with perfection.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Benjamin Franklin is best remembered as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, but he achieved much more in his lifetime.

During Franklin’s 84 years alive, he invented the lightning rod, made significant discoveries in physics and population studies, wrote best-selling books, composed music and played the violin, harp and guitar at a high level, founded many civic organizations, including the University of Pennsylvania, and much more.

How did Franklin achieve so much more than his contemporaries, given he had the same 24 hours each day to get things done?

The answer to this question lies in Franklin’s daily schedule. Here’s how it worked, including 10 lessons that will double your productivity this week.

First, create a list of values to live by

Before putting pen to paper on his daily schedule, Franklin created a list of virtues to live by.

He referred to these as his 13 virtues: a list of values designed to help guide his daily schedule.

Here’s the list of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues:

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve. 
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.
11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Franklin arranged each virtue in order of importance, and instead of tackling all of them at once, he planned to, "Fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro’ the thirteen.”

Each day, Franklin would track his progress on one virtue, in a little book — which had a page allotted for each of the virtues — and in the evenings, he would put a mark next the virtue if he committed a fault.

At the end of each week, Franklin would review the number of faults committed against the virtue, and would only move onto building the habit of the next virtue, if no faults were committed.

By creating a list of values to live by, Franklin laid a solid foundation to build a daily schedule that aligns with them, and directs his time and energy in the right direction.

Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule

“You may delay, but time will not.” In Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, he breaks down his simple daily schedule for peak productivity.

Now, here are the 10 most important productivity lessons from Franklin’s daily schedule.

SEE ALSO: Richard Branson on the 'million-dollar lesson they don’t teach in business school' — plus 12 more secrets from highly successful people

1. Keep it simple

The first thing to note about Franklin’s daily schedule is its simplicity.

There are only six time blocks scheduled for each day, and one of these blocks includes sleep — an obvious necessity.

There’s no overwhelming to-do list of things to get done. It’s simple, ruthlessly focused on the essential, and highly effective.

It’s easy to underestimate the power of simplicity, even though it’s the hidden driving force behind peak productivity.

2. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day

One of Franklin’s most popular mantras was “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,”and according to this schedule, he definitely lived up to it.

Each day, Franklin woke up early at 5 a.m. and went to bed at 10 p.m, for a total of seven hours of sleep each night.

It’s important to note however, that what matters most isn’t the time you go to bed or wake up, it’s the consistency of your sleep schedule.

By going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, you’ll train your brain to fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep.

3. Spend quiet time alone

Shortly after waking up, Franklin would take a shower and then “address Powerfull Goodness.” In other words, he’d spend some time in prayer or meditation.

This daily habit of solitude gave Franklin the much needed clarity and focus to plan the day, and follow through on his plans.

• The Coachella Music & Arts Festival takes place over two weekends in April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
• I decided to go to Coachella for the first time this year.
• Before attending, I had heard that Coachella restricts all alcohol consumption to designated 21-plus areas away from the stage. I thought I would hate that rule, but it ended up creating a festival experience with fewer rude drunk people, less trash, and an overall nicer atmosphere.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories or take a look at more coverage on this year's edition of Coachella.

I didn't know what to expect from the Coachella Music & Arts Festival.

If I were to listen to every news story written about the festival, I would assume that it's both a glittering entertainment-industry party for influencers and a hell world of Orange County teenagers skipping school to drink.

While both of those elements are certainly there, there's also a music festival happening, and a well-organized one at that.

Before attending the festival, I had heard about Coachella's alcohol policy: You're allowed to buy or consume alcoholic beverages only in designated 21-plus areas. A variety of fenced-in beer gardens and cocktail spaces dot the sides of the main stages.

The policy has drawn a lot of ire from festivalgoers. In some respects, it's understandable: Lots of festivalgoers over 21 like to drink throughout the weekend. I would think that many people view a music festival as a drinking event, as evidenced by all the alcohol sponsors (Heineken, Cupcake, etc.) put front and center on the grounds.

As far as I know, the alcohol policy is atypical for the industry. No other festival I've attended has restricted alcohol consumption in this way.

By the end of the weekend, I realized the restriction is a brilliant move.

The result of such a policy is that it forces festivalgoers to make a choice: Are you drinking, or are you listening to the music? During nearly every performance at other festivals I've attended, there's a constant jockeying in the crowd as people push to either go buy beers or bring them back in. It's distracting for people trying to enjoy the music.

On another level, merely making drinking slightly more inconvenient most likely reduces how much festivalgoers drink. It did for me.

While I didn't have plans to get sloshed over the weekend — I was working, after all — I wasn't above getting a few drinks toward the end of the night. But when I was in the crowd standing in the perfect position to watch Janelle Monae, I had to ask myself: Is getting that drink worth missing part of her unbelievable set? For me, the answer was a no-brainer.

Further, taking the drinks out of the crowd means there's less trash underfoot and no one is spilling drinks on each other. Keeping the drinks restricted to the 21-and-over area reduces the chance that drinks get handed off to minors. Unfortunately, the policy can't do anything to prevent underage people from drinking before getting to the festival, which I saw plenty of.

Overall, though, I noticed fewer rude drunk people at Coachella, a common occurrence at other festivals and concerts I've attended. Maybe Coachella has a uniquely nice and responsible crowd, or maybe there's some well-thought-out policymaking happening at Goldenvoice, the organizer of the festival. I'm guessing it's the latter.

The move puts the focus for the average attendee directly where it should be: on the music and the art.

SEE ALSO: I got a free, last-minute ticket to Coachella, and it still cost $2,000 to go. Here's exactly what I spent for a weekend at the notoriously expensive festival.

DON'T MISS: 15 unbelievable facts that show just how much people are willing to spend on Coachella, from $430 tickets to $9,500 campsites

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A mathematician gave us the easiest explanation of pi and why it's so important

• Roku Express is a streaming device from Roku that turns your ordinary TV into a "smart TV," able to stream Netflix, Hulu, and hundreds of other streaming channels.
• The least expensive streaming device in the Roku family, the Roku Express was originally intended to compete with the Google Chromecast.
• The Roku Express is a small device about the size of a deck of cards. It can be hidden out of the way by affixing it to the back or bottom of your TV with an included adhesive.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

The Roku Express is Roku's least expensive streaming device for budget-minded shoppers looking to upgrade their "dumb" TV to watch Netflix,Hulu, and other streaming services.

Currently priced at just under $30, it's the cheapest streaming device that Roku offers, originally intended to be a more attractive alternative than Google's Chromecast. (When the Roku Express debuted in 2016, it was several dollars less than the then-new Chromecast; today, the two products are essentially the same price.)

What you can do with a Roku Express

The Roku Express does essentially all the same things as any other streaming device in the Roku family; it plugs into your television via an HDMI port and adds thousands of streaming channels to your TV viewing options – it includes all of the usual mainstream channels like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO, YouTube, and others, but many less common channels as well.

Many of these are channels you may be familiar with, like Crackle, Adult Swim, and Vevo. But with so many channels in the Roku library, there are hundreds that you probably haven't heard of which cater to very niche interests.

Note that while many channels are free, some — like Netflix and Hulu — require a monthly subscription. Others, like streaming versions of certain TV channels, may require you to enter proof that you are a cable subscriber to get permission to watch that channel.

But while the Roku Express has the same basic capabilities as other streaming devices, its position as an "entry level" streamer in the product family means that it makes some compromises. Thanks to a somewhat slower chipset, users may find it is not as fast in responding to commands and displaying menus.

How to set up a Roku Express

Unlike the Roku Streaming Stick, which is a completely self-contained device shaped like a USB flash drive, the Express is a box that plugs into your TV via an HDMI cable.

But rather than positioning it on a shelf or rack behind your television, Roku includes some adhesive so you can attach the Roku Express to the back or bottom of your TV. And like the Roku Streaming Stick, it's not a 4K device, which means that it can only display video in the relatively lower-quality HD format (720p or 1080p resolution).  On the plus side, it is quite small (it is only about 1.4 by 3.3 by .7 inches).

Setting up a Roku Express is easy. After you connect the Roku Express box to the TV via the included HDMI cable and power the Express with the included AC adapter, turn the TV on and set it to the correct HDMI input for the Roku Express. Insert batteries into the included remote control. Finally, using the remote, follow the on-screen instructions to connect your Roku Express to your Wi-Fi network, create a Roku account, and then add the channels you want to watch.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• The best Roku channels you can add to watch free movies

• How to watch local channels on your Roku device

• A beginner's guide to the Roku Streaming Stick: How to install and use the device

• How to make the most out of the YouTube app on your Roku device

SEE ALSO: The best streaming sticks and boxes you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What's going on with Jeff Bezos and Amazon

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

• Makeup removers for sensitive skin use gentle ingredients to dissolve clingy cosmetics without leaving an unpleasant stinging or stripping sensation behind.
• Our favorite is Glossier’s newly launched Milky Oil, a combination of micellar water and oil that eradicates hard-to-remove eyeliners and mascaras in seconds, with minimal residue.

I think I’m the only person in the world who can’t use most popular micellar waters to remove makeup. They work just fine on my face, but they burn the heck out of my eyes — not ideal when I'm trying to scrub off stubborn eyeliner and long-lasting mascara at the end of a long day.

When I first looked into skin-care, I quickly realized I preferred oils, balms, and bi-phase removers with a lot of slip to them. The kind you can really massage into your face without tugging at gentle skin, especially around the eyes and mouth. Lots of tugging not only encourages wrinkles but can also cause irritation.

“Oil-based or cream-based removers are recommended [for sensitive skin] and then a mild face wash to get off the makeup remover,” Dr. Purvisha Patel, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, told Insider Picks.

It can be challenging to figure out which products could irritate your skin just by looking at the bottle, especially if you’re experimenting with a new ingredient. For some general guidelines, Dr. Patel recommends steering clear of “alcohol-based astringents and foaming cleansers” or removers that contain “strong acids, sulfates, and parabens,” all of which can have a sensitizing effect on reactive skin.

Through trial-and-error (and lots of burning eyelids), I’ve narrowed it down to five favorites that I can count on to remove my makeup quickly, minus any unpleasant side effects.

If you have concerns, consult a dermatologist before applying a product on your sensitive skin.

The best makeup removers for sensitive skin you can buy in 2019:

• Best makeup remover overall: Glossier Milky Oil
• Best oil-free makeup remover: Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover
• Best waterproof makeup remover: Cetaphil Liquid Makeup Remover
• Best oil-based makeup remover: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil
• Best makeup cleansing balm: Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

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

The best makeup remover for sensitive skin overall

Why you’ll love it: Glossier Milky Oil is a micellar-water-and-oil-in-one that dissolves waterproof makeup, minus the sticky residue or eye-stinging effects of other removers.

Glossier does it over and over again. Most products the brand launches quickly become staples in my makeup and skin-care routines and the brand-new Milky Oil is no exception. Like fine wine and cheese, it pairs beautifully with the Milky Jelly Cleanser.

Yes, the bottle is precious, with a rounded baby-bottle shape that cleverly mirrors the cleanser’s design. But the formula inside also packs a powerful punch. It contains micellar water and castor oil to dissolve waterproof makeup, and Pro-Vitamin B5 and comfrey root extract to hydrate and soothe skin — absolutely no stinging or irritation.

The packaging is functional as well as adorable, with a tiny squeeze nozzle that lets you dispense just the right amount of product — which is great because you really only need a few drops at a time. Milky Oil is geared toward targeted makeup removal around the eyes and lips, but it works just as well on face makeup.

The directions say to use a cotton pad, but I’ve also tried applying with my fingertips because it wastes less product — not to mention saving the cotton pad for something else. The bottle is on the smaller side at 3.4 fluid ounces, so conservation is key.

The Strategist’s Rio Viera-Newton called Milky Oil, “the only thing that got my stubborn Fenty eyeliner to budge.” Editors at Cosmopolitan, The Cut, and Elite Daily are also on board.

Pros: Effective micellar water/oil combo, dropper packaging is convenient and good for travel, inoffensive scent, doesn’t sting eyes or leave much residue

Cons: Small bottle for the price

Buy Milky Oil from Glossier for $12

The best oil-free makeup remover for sensitive skin

Why you’ll love it: Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover uses poloxamers to remove makeup without the addition of oil. It’s safe for contact lens wearers, too.

Prefer to avoid oils in your skin-care? Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover is an excellent oil-free option. It performs just as well as most oil-based removers I’ve tried, but is formulated with poloxamers (polymers used in cosmetics and skin-care) and other non-oil ingredients to breakdown makeup.

With a couple of swipes, the bi-phase (two in one) formula is gentle enough to use while wearing contact lenses yet powerful enough to erase waterproof mascara. Perhaps a little ironic, I find this heavier and greasier than the Glossier Milky Oil, but any residue is easily rinsed away with my usual face wash.

Aloe and cucumber extract round out the formula, ensuring that sensitive skin recovers nicely from all that makeup and scrubbing. While best for eye makeup removal, as its name suggests, you can use the remover on the entire face if you don’t mind the texture.

Experts and shoppers love this drugstore standby. It has a 4.5 rating from Ulta based on 1459 reviews and has been featured by Allure, Stylecraze, and Byrdie. "It's gentle, has been tested by ophthalmologists, and is relatively cheap,” Danielle Trief, a Columbia University assistant professor of ophthalmology, told Allure.

“This is my go-to makeup remover. I have my friend and Mom using it now too. They tried it and loved it. Gets everything off from concealer to mascara. Good thing is it doesn't dry out your skin and is good for sensitive skin too,” an Ulta reviewer wrote.

Pros: Oil-free, affordable, safe for contact lenses

Cons: Best for eyes, slightly greasy residue

Buy Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover from Ulta for $7.99

The best face makeup remover for sensitive skin

Why you’ll love it: Cetaphil Gentle Makeup Remover uses ingredients that soothe and condition your face while removing makeup.

Many makeup removers are marketed for the eyes, but what about the rest of your face? If you wear foundation, blush, or concealer, you’ll probably want to scrub it off before going in with your cleanser.

Cetaphil Gentle Makeup Remover is designed for use on all over the face. It’s a bi-phase, oil-free formula similar to the Neutrogena, but it's gentler. Aloe, ginseng, and green tea help balance and condition the skin. Not only does it effectively remove makeup, but it’s also noncomedogenic (doesn't block pores) and fragrance-free.

This remover leaves skin feeling super-soft. It may take a little more effort to get sparkly eyeshadow or long-wear lipstick to disappear, but you won’t be able to stop touching your face afterward.

Editors at PopSugar, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Real Simple rave about the Cetaphil Gentle Makeup Remover. The product is also an Allure Best of Beauty winner for its ability to “[spirit] away makeup without stinging our under-eyes or blurring our vision.”

“This is a great makeup remover. It really takes everything off and is very gentle on the skin. It does leave somewhat of a film, but my skin absorbs it pretty quickly. It seems to moisturize also, I haven't had a problem with dry skin since switching to this,” one Ulta shopper wrote.

Pros: Very gentle, contains soothing ingredients, removes all makeup

Cons: Takes a bit more effort to remove waterproof makeup

Buy the Cetaphil Gentle Makeup Remover from Ulta for $10.99

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

• Giving flowers on Mother's Day is a time-honored tradition, though many of us have horror stories of buying arrangements online, only for them to turn out to be mediocre bouquets in person.
• UrbanStems wants to close the gap, making the process of ordering beautiful flowers a seamless, pleasant experience for both the buyer and the recipient.
• The company offers affordable floral bouquets and plants (starting as low as $35) sourced from ethical farms around the world. Arrangements are created by in-house floral designers and delivered straight to your door in just one day.
• We've both given and received flowers from UrbanStems and think it's the perfect Mother's Day gift. Keep reading to learn more about the service, or check out the rest of our Mother's Day gift guides for more inspiration.

This Mother's Day, millions of flowers will be wrapped into beautiful bouquets and sent to moms nationwide. 

Gifting flowers is a timeless tradition — and for good reason. A nice bouquet of flowers is beautiful to look at, smells wonderfully refreshing, and actually has the power to make us happier. 

Giving flowers should be a simple process, yet for many of us, it's not. You may not have time to go into your local flower shop and have a bouquet made, or your florist just might not have time to put together a bouquet with such short notice. You could order one online, but you've heard too many horror stories of botched bouquets bought on the internet. 

With Mother's Day fast approaching, we figured it was high time to tell you about UrbanStems, the company many of us personally use to order flowers for our friends and loved ones. 

This flower-delivery service was born out of the same concerns many of us have about ordering flowers online — there's a lack of trust, awareness, and transparency that makes it difficult to know what we're really getting into. UrbanStems founder Ajay Kori was fed up with sending flowers as gifts. Every experience he had doing so ended in catastrophe. Instead of giving up on the gesture altogether, Kori enlisted his college classmate to try and fix the floral industry.

What they've created is an easier, more affordable way to order beautiful flowers online — one that ensures your bouquets actually are delivered in time for those special moments. 

How the service works

When you head over to the UrbanStems, you'll find a small but diverse selection of bouquets. UrbanStems is a member of the fewer, better camp, which is reflected in their selection — a few beautifully-crafted bouquets and potted plants, rather than a mass of mediocre arrangements. All of the flowers and plants are sourced from sustainable farms, which UrbanStems' in-house floral designers collaborate with to create unique bouquets. With prices that start at $35, UrbanStems is a pretty affordable option as well. 

Once you've picked which bouquet you like, put in your desired delivery address and choose from the delivery date options listed. UrbanStems provides a calendar that shows which delivery dates are available, as well as notes when the bouquet will be back in stock if it has been sold out. UrbanStems also suggests vases that compliment each bouquet, should you want to spend a little extra to send a vase as well. 

Moving to checkout is simple. UrbanStems has you sign up with your email  so they can inform you on the status of your order. Then all you have to do is fill out the delivery information, and my favorite part — a cute note to go with your flowers. If you're stumped, UrbanStems has some sweet prewritten options for you, but you can completely customize this part on your own.

UrbanStems bouquets can be delivered anywhere in the US — if you're living outside of the US but want to send flowers to someone who does live here, you can do that, too. One of the best parts of UrbanStems is its simple delivery process. If your recipient lives in DC or NYC, an UrbanStems courier will deliver their flowers by bicycle or car, any day of the week. If your recipient lives anywhere else in the US, your order will get free one-day FedEx delivery, which can only be delivered Tuesday-Friday — something to note if you're planning for flowers to be delivered for a specific occasion.

These quick delivery options make UrbanStems a great last-minute gifting option, but you can also use it to plan gifts far in advance. If you know you want to deliver someone flowers for their birthday in a month, you can order bouquets up to three weeks out from the current date. 

When your recipient receives their flowers, they'll be packaged up in a beautiful box that's hiding a lovely bouquet and a sweet note from you. It's thoughtful and easy way to surprise someone special and make them smile. Whether it's your partner, sister, brother, parent, friend, or coworker, UrbanStems makes a great gift for just about any occasion.

If you'd like to know more about the experience, here's what two of our editors have to say about UrbanStem's service:

Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor: I've now both ordered and received bouquets from UrbanStems, and both experiences felt seamless and rewarding. Sending bouquets is easy; you just pick which one you want, select a vase (these cost a little extra, just so you know), and write a card to your recipient. Receiving them is even easier; just open the box, follow the instructions to care for your flowers, and, if you're anything like me, pop the special note that comes with on your refrigerator door with a magnet. If you properly take care of the flowers, they'll last for around a week or so. I got a bouquet with lots of white flowers in it, which tend to age a little faster, so mine lasted about four or five days before they started to wilt and discolor.

Ellen Hoffman, Insider Picks director of editorial content strategy: I was looking for a new flower-delivery service a few months ago since my go-to, BloomThat, was acquired by FTD Companies and paused its services in September 2018. Sally recommended UrbanStems. So far, I've ordered two bouquets from the company and have found it offers a lot of the same conveniences as BloomThat, for both the person buying the flowers and the recipient. The constantly rotating, seasonal-flower selection is robust, but not overwhelming, and while the prices are on the higher end ($55 is currently the cheapest bouquet price), they're justified by the quality you get. The flowers I've sent were vibrant and fresh, and more unique than what you'll find elsewhere.

Surprise the mother figure in your life with a flower bouquet or plant from UrbanStems this Mother's Day.

Read more Mother's Day gift guides from Insider Picks

• 30 inexpensive, but thoughtful Mother's Day gifts under $25
• 27 unique Mother's Day gifts you can find on Uncommon Goods
• 35 unique Mother's Day gifts new moms will undoubtedly appreciate

Join the conversation about this story »

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

• As with all gift shopping, you might run the risk of giving Mom a gift that someone else already has. 
• These 27 personalized gifts, however, would undeniably belong to her, whether because they're personalized with her name or they feature her favorite combination of colors. 
• Find more Mother's Day 2019 gift ideas here. For the interesting and out-of-the-ordinary, try the fun selection at Uncommon Goods. If there's a new mom in your life, she'll appreciate these useful gifts geared for new motherhood. And good, old-fashioned flowers are never a bad choice. 

A personalized item, even if it's the simple addition of a monogram, goes a long way in showing that you put thought into the gift. It makes the recipient feel special whenever she uses or wears it, and one person in our lives who undoubtedly deserves to feel special is Mom. 

From monogrammed suitcases for the world traveler to photo gifts and special maps that could only belong to her, these personalized gifts take the extra step to make a big impact. 

If you're on a budget or looking for more ideas, you can also shop best Mother's Day gifts under $25, under $50, and under $100.

Get creative in personalizing these 27 Mother's Day gift ideas: 

A gift box that combines sweets, home decor, books, and other small accessories she'll love

Personalize a gift box at Boxfox, price varies

While Boxfox does offer pre-curated gift collections, the best part of the service is the ability to make your own. Coming from brands like Herbivore Botanicals, Voluspa, and Corkcicle, the products are actually high quality, so she can enjoy a thoughtful gift that doesn't look hastily thrown together. 

A letter charm necklace

Personalize the Mini Gold Letter Charm Pendant at AUrate, $200

This 14k piece of gold jewelry is sure to make your mom feel special every day. 

A 'bento box' of gourmet sweets

Personalize a 4-Piece Candy Bento Box at Sugarfina, $34

Pack this gift set with only candies she likes, be it rich chocolates, tart gummies, or a mix of both. There are a little over 100 gourmet choices, from the popular Rose Bears to limited-edition Easter and Barbie candies. The sizes go all the way up to 32-piece candy trunks. 

• All Roku devices require the internet to stream video content to your television.
• Roku devices are streaming devices that connect to your television via an HDMI cable and allow it to behave like a "Smart TV," streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and thousands of other channels without the need for cable or over-the-air broadcast television.
• Most Roku devices rely on WiFi, but the Roku Ultra also features an ethernet port, so you can connect it directly to a router by cable.
• Roku needs the internet to stream video, but it's also possible to download content to other devices to play back without WiFi.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Do you need the internet to use a Roku device? In a word, yes — a wired or wireless internet connection is required to power any Roku product.

Roku offers a large line of video streaming devices that give your ordinary television the ability to display content like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, and more. In other words, they turn "dumb TVs" into "smart TVs."

In order to use a Roku product in your home or office, you'll need to connect the Roku to the internet so the device can stream video to your TV.

How to connect your Roku device to the internet via a wired connection or WiFi

There are two ways to do this: You can use wireless internet (WiFi) or wired internet (by connecting the device directly to a router or hub using an Ethernet cable).

Not all Roku devices support wired Ethernet, though. Any Roku will connect with WiFi, but if WiFi isn't an option for you — or your WiFi is too slow or spotty to stream video reliably — you might consider getting the Roku Ultra. This streaming box is currently at the top of the Roku product line (it costs $100), but has an Ethernet jack and can be connected to your router directly.  

Regardless of which Roku model you choose, setup is quite simple.

1. Connect the Roku device to your TV via an HDMI cable, and plug in the AC adapter. Turn on the TV on and set it to the correct HDMI input for your Roku; you should now see the Roku welcome screen and setup instructions.

2. Insert batteries into the included remote control, and using the remote, follow the on-screen instructions to connect your Roku to your WiFi network. Note that you will need your WiFi network's password to complete the setup process.

If you have a Roku Ultra, you won't need to set up WiFi; instead, plug the Ultra into your network router or hub at the same time as you are connecting it to HDMI and power. It'll automatically detect the network and you won't need to enter any sort of network password.  

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• The best Roku channels you can add to watch free movies

• How to watch local channels on your Roku device

• A beginner's guide to the Roku Streaming Stick: How to install and use the device

• How to make the most out of the YouTube app on your Roku device

SEE ALSO: The best streaming sticks and boxes you can buy

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• SommelierSara Lehman says that a good wine has "personality," or a quality that's more than the expected.
• She determines wine personality by looking at the wine-making techniques and overall finish. 
• Watch the video above to learn how to determine personality in wine.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Following is a transcript of the video.

In order for a wine to just be more than just itself, it has to have a personality. When I look for a personality in a wine, I look for something that's big and bold. I look for a wine that not only expresses the grape varietal that it's being made from.

So if it's, say, this pinot grigio, I look for all the qualities that I would expect in a pinot grigio, but in order for a wine to be more than just itself, it has to have a personality.

So I look for minerality. I look for different wine making techniques. Did they use oak? Did they use stainless steel? I also look for pairability. Does it have enough acidity to age? Does it have enough acidity to pair well with foods that I think in the season would be well with it? Overall, I look for the finish. If it doesn't really have a strong finish, it can fall flat, and I find that those wines tend to be not as much fun to drink. Sure I'll have a glass, but if it doesn't finish right, and if it doesn't finish out strong, I find that that's not a glass I'm going back to afterwards.

Obviously, whatever it is that you like to drink, so always drink what you love, but when you're looking for new wines and exciting things to try, I think that having a wine with a little bit more personality and something that really speaks to you is what I look for.

Join the conversation about this story »

• My Gmail inbox recently hit its maximum storage amount of 15 GB.
• I either had to clear out some space or start paying for email.
• I opted to clear out the space. Here's a good trick I used to delete emails that I didn't need anymore in bulk.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

I arrived at work on Monday to a daunting warning. My Gmail inbox had reached maximum capacity, and unless I did something about it, I'd no longer be able to send or receive emails.

I'm generally an "inbox zero" kind of person, meaning I try to clear my email inbox out every day and let my inbox serve as a kind of to-do list. But when I get rid of emails, I generally archive them and rarely ever delete them. That means the emails are still available and accessible if I need to find them, but they don't clutter my inbox.

One of the main reasons I love Gmail is that you can archive emails but still keep them forever. If I really wanted to, I could look back at email exchanges between my husband and me that we sent back when we were still "just friends." I can easily find emails I've received from my accountant and doctors. Things such as tickets, receipts, and itineraries are all still there.

In other words, my Gmail archive serves as an accessible record of my life. But as I realized on Monday, there is a limit to that archive. And that limit is 15 GB.

Monday morning, I was at 14.8 GB, or 99% of my limit. After that, you have to pay. The cheapest plan is $19.99 per year for 100 GB of space, and that seemed unnecessary considering how much garbage I have in my inbox. 

You can see how much of your free storage you've used in the bottom left-hand corner of your Gmail inbox.

If you've reached your max and need to clear out space quickly, you're going to want to find a way to delete emails en masse. The best way to do that is to set some parameters so you can delete emails you don't need anymore in bulk. 

Here's what I did:

1. I searched my inbox for "promotions" emails that are older than two years.

Google already does a great job of grouping emails into helpful categories. The "promotions" category includes all those emails from services such as Groupon on retailers such as J. Crew. I hardly ever open these emails because I get a ton of them, and I tell Gmail to filter them out of my primary inbox.

I figured I'd never need to find these promotional emails again — especially the ones that are more than two years old. 

To run this search, copy and paste this text into the search field at the top of your inbox:

category:promotions , older_than:2y  

2. Click the "Select All" box, seen here.

3. Click "Select all conversations that match this search."

4. Then, click the trash-can icon.

5. Your work here isn't done. You still have to delete the emails from your trash.

When you delete emails, Google saves them for 30 days in your trash. If you want to clear space in your Gmail, you need to make sure you delete these emails from your trash, like so:

It might take some time for all of these emails to delete, but once you do it, you should see a big chunk of your free storage return. I deleted 40,000 emails and got my storage down to 11.68 GB.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to add any email account to your iPhone

• How to optimize your Google account's security settings

• How to permanently delete your Google account (and save your data)

• How to clear the cache on a Google Chrome browser to make it run more efficiently

SEE ALSO: How to change your Google password, or recover it if you've forgotten it

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The Coachella Music & Arts Festival takes place over two weekends in April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
• I decided to go to Coachella for the first time this year.
• While I loved the musical performances and felt that the event was well-organized, I probably won't be attending again as it is too much of a pain and too much money to arrange all of the logistics necessary to attend the festival.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories or check out more of our coverage on this year's edition of Coachella.

Let's get this out of the way: The folks over at Goldenvoice, the organizers behind the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, know how to put on a great event.

I attended the festival for the first time this year and found it, in many ways, to be as good as or better than advertised. The performances, from Janelle Monae to Kacey Musgraves, were out of this world.

While great artists usually put on great shows wherever and whenever they perform, the atmosphere at Coachella definitely influences artists to take their performances to the next level. I got the sense that each performer took the responsibility of being on the Coachella bill very seriously. They want to blow the fest's 50,000 attendees — and the celebs, influencers, and industry bigwigs in the VIP section — away.

The production value, from Childish Gambino having a runway that stretched deep into the crowd to Ariana Grande bringing out NSYNC, was unmatched by any other festival I've attended. Coachella is really in a class of its own for sheer star power and A-list talent.

All that said, I probably won't be attending again. My decision has nothing to do with how the event is organized or the quality of the art and music. It all comes down to how much of a production it is to get there.

Lots of what I'm going to say doesn't really apply to the car-owning people of Los Angeles. As someone coming from out of state, however, getting to the festival is a major pain.

I had to fly in from New York on a Wednesday two days before the festival and fly out two days after the festival. Flights any closer to the event were prohibitively expensive. That left me sleeping on a friend's couch to save a few bucks.

Then, on the day of the festival, I had to drive three hours (including traffic) to get to Indian Wells to pick up my wristband and drive 45 minutes back the other way to Palm Springs to check into my hotel (which was conveniently double or triple its usual price for the weekend). The only hotels closer to the festival at a reasonable price (i.e. $300-$400) looked like they'd seen better days.

To get to the festival from Palm Springs, I bought an $80 pass for the Coachella-approved shuttle. The shuttle itself is well-organized and fairly priced, but there's no getting around the fact that it takes an hour for the shuttle to drive from Palm Springs to the festival grounds.

Taking the shuttle on the way home once the music ends was a more trying experience. There's simply no good way to manage 50,000 people exiting an event at once, but the result is that it takes an hour or more to walk with the milling crowd to get on the line for the shuttle home. On the first night of the festival, I started to leave the grounds around 1:00 a.m. and didn't get home until after 3:00 a.m.

Skipping the shuttle in favor of Uber or Lyft is an easy way to unnecessarily empty out your bank account. It's not much faster, with wait times exceeding one hour when the festival ends each night.

The best way to mitigate all this driving back and forth (and spending lots of money on overpriced hotels) is to camp onsite. But as someone traveling to the festival with only my partner and no local friends attending, it would be an even more exhausting effort to try to cobble together the camping equipment necessary to make the festival a comfortable experience.

I could be one of the few to feel this way. Most of the attendees I met had traveled long distances to attend the festival, from Denver to the U.K. to Australia. One of the first things I noticed while attending was how many different languages I heard attendees speaking. Many of the attendees I met were at Coachella for the third, fifth, or even tenth time.

Due to its far-out location in the desert — an admittedly beautiful canvas for a music festival — Coachella tests how much nonsense you are willing to suffer to experience some of the best performances the music industry has to offer. Add in the $2,000 that I had to pay for lodging, car rental, flights, and other logistical extras, and it simply feels like too much effort for me to do again.

Next year, I'll probably check out a festival within driving distance of New York City, like Firefly Festival or Bonnaroo, to see how it compares.

SEE ALSO: I got a free, last-minute ticket to Coachella, and it still cost $2,000 to go. Here's exactly what I spent for a weekend at the notoriously expensive festival.

DON'T MISS: I spent a weekend at Coachella, and my favorite part of the festival is a rule most people over 21 would probably hate

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Gift cards can get a bad rap — they can feel impersonal, last-minute, and a little lackluster when placed next to a big box dressed in colorful wrapping paper. Yet, gift cards are really the only gift that ensures the giftee will get exactly what they want. 

Most recent grads are occupied with the financial and day-to-day transition from college to the real world, so gift cards are actually pretty ideal. They're not only a safe bet, but also offer real value in areas that recent grads will benefit from. We rounded up 17 gift cards that any recent grad will find really useful. Whether it'll lessens the financial burden of their move to the real world, help them keep up with their favorite hobbies, or pick up a new one, we thought of options for every kind of grad. You can find our list below, or head to Amazon and check out their list of gift cards.

If you're looking to get a gift card for a recent grad, you can find 17 great options below.

Brooklinen

Get a Brooklinen gift card

It's probably about time they upgrade that dorm room bedding. Help them out with a gift card to Brooklinen, one of the internet's favorite bedding startups, where they can find high-end sheets in timeless, minimalist styles.

Find our full review of Brooklinen here.

Starbucks

Get a Starbucks gift card at Amazon

Millennials get a lot of flack for their expensive coffee habits, so helping them get their caffeine fix will be much appreciated. 

Everlane

Buy an Everlane gift card

Everlane's minimalist basics are the perfect addition to any wardrobe — including your recent grad's. A gift card will help them stock up on some of the brand's cult-favorite pieces like their durable denim, super-soft tees, and puffers made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Find some of our favorite Everlane styles, here.

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

• Car dash cameras serve the important purpose of constantly recording in the event of an accident, but they can be finicky and annoying to operate and access properly.
• Owlcam is one of the few that isn't. It's a smart dash camera that uses LTE service to live stream and store both interior- and exterior-facing videos that can be accessed from anywhere with your smartphone. You'll never have to worry about if something was captured or not.
• Additionally, the Owlcam acts as a security system when your car is parked. You'll get notifications for possible impacts or burglary attempts.
• Priced at $349, Owlcam is a bit more expensive than most other dash cameras, but considering all the features and convenience, I think it's worth it. If it can protect you from being accused of being at fault for one accident or from one theft, it'll pay itself off.

If you own a car, you should do everything in your power to protect it. 

But even if you're the safest driver on the road, accidents are unfortunately not always avoidable — and they're expensive to fix. Beyond having car insurance (which every driver should have), the next best thing you can do to protect yourself and your ride is to install a dash camera.  

The premise of dash cameras is simple. You mount a camera on your dash to record 24/7 just in case an accident occurs. It's a smart way to cover yourself from reckless drivers or even those that made an honest mistake.

But a not-so-smart device with grainy video, poor audio, and limited storage space for recording can easily turn out to be more of a headache than an added safety measure. That's where Owlcam comes into play.

Designed to work with all cars model year 1996 or newer with the exception of Teslas, the Owlcam is a smart dash camera that plugs into your car's OBDII port. What separates it from most other dash cameras is its two HD cameras (one road-facing and the other interior-facing), its LTE connectivity for video storage, and its integrated smartphone app.

These features address issues of capturing footage that's hard to clearly make out and the constant need for clearing SD cards for storage space. Additionally, it provides a level of security and vehicle monitoring that most dash cameras lack altogether.

Read more: This $70 scanner can diagnose your car's issues and save you money on repairs

How to set it up

The first step to setting up the Camera is downloading the Owl Car Cam app on the App Store or Google Play. It's worth noting that you'll need an iPhone 6 or newer with iOS 11 or an Android with the Oreo or Pie operating system. The brand has tested models including Google Pixel 2/2XL, Samsung Galaxy S8/S9, and LG V30, but comparable newer models like the Google Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy S10 should work fine, too.

Next, you'll need to locate your car's OBDII port, which can usually be found on the driver's side of the interior on the lower dash. I used my mom's 2007 Honda CR-V to test the camera out (my vintage cars are too old) and the port was located almost directly underneath the steering wheel. If your car's port is not immediately visible, check your car's owners manual or do a quick Google search. Once you've located yours, it's time to install the camera on your dash and run the wire to your OBDII port.

In the box, you'll find the camera, the camera mount, the OBDII port adapter, power wire, and a tool used for tucking the wire in the crease of the dash and windshield. Owlcam says you can complete the entire installation process in six minutes, but I wanted to make sure my camera was precisely in the middle of the dash and that the wire was neatly hidden, so I spent a little bit more time than that. Once the camera is plugged in and your car is on, the on-screen directions will guide you through pairing it to the app. I really like that the installation doesn't require any hard-to-reverse modifications, so if you ever decide to take it out, you won't be left with sticky adhesive on your dashboard.

How it works on the road

A driver's worst nightmare is getting into an accident, only to be wrongly accused of being at fault (well, maybe this is the second worst nightmare). While all dash cameras, in theory, serve the main purpose of capturing footage you need as proof for insurance companies or police, they can be inconvenient to use and are often unreliable. Having to constantly make sure they're actually on and recording with enough storage space to capture footage can easily render many dash cameras useless when they're needed the most. But with Owlcam, that's never an issue. As long as it's plugged in, both HDs cameras are recording, and since the device uses LTE service, it's automatically saved to the Owlcam app.

In addition to road safety, the Owlcam can also be used for fun on the road. If you see something cool on the road like a rare supercar or you and your passengers decide to have a car karaoke session, simply say "Ok Presto" to begin recording a clip from either camera that will be sent directly to you — there's no need to go into the app to retrieve it.

How it works when you're parked

What really separates the Owlcam from most other dash cameras on the market are the many features it has when you're not in the car and on the road. While it doesn't continuously save video recordings as it would when your car is on (for the sake of not draining your car battery), the Owlcam is prompted to save the video if an impact or break-in is detected. If your car is parked and someone hits it, you'll be immediately notified of a possible impact, and it will send footage starting from before the impact to the app. If your car is parked and is left uninterrupted, that footage isn't actively saved.

Additionally, the Owlcam does a really great job at deterring thieves. If the green flashing light isn't enough to make a would-be thief think twice and they do break into your vehicle, they'll be welcomed by two bright LED flood lights to let them know they're visible and on camera. Once you're notified of the break-in, you can use the live video stream and two-way audio function to see what they're doing and to yell at them until they flee.

Although I haven't had to deal with car thieves or burglars, I can confirm that this function works well. Owlcam pairs to your smartphone via Bluetooth as a way to detect you entering. Since I installed the device in my mom's car, I'd get a notification to my phone when she entered her car, which would be much more alarming if I knew someone else wasn't supposed to be driving. I tried the two-way audio with her and it works without fault.

The bottom line

It's been several months since I first received the Owlcam review and it's been a great addition to the car. Aside from uninstalling it to test and review other products that require an OBDII plug-in, it's been used daily by my mom on her commutes to and from work.

Thankfully, I've never been in an accident, but I felt a lot more secure with Owlcam installed when I drove the car. Priced at $349, Owlcam isn't the most affordable dash camera, but it's well worth it — especially if you're behind the wheel a lot like my mom. You'll have peace of mind knowing that your car is better protected at all times — whether you're on the road or not. And, if it can save you from being accused of an accident that wasn't your fault or from having your car burglarized or stolen altogether, the price tag is outweighed tenfold.

Owlcam Smart Dash Camera, $349, available on Amazon

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