• Every year, Liftopia releases their best in snow awards.
• The awards use skier feedback and Liftopia data to identify the best ski resorts in North America.
• This year, resorts in Utah and Vermont dominated the list.
• The winner was Magic Mountain in Vermont.

There's plenty of reasons to love winter— one of the most obvious being the fact that it's prime ski season.

And while there are plenty of mountains around the world that should be on every skier and snowboarder's bucket list, some of the best are right here in the US.

Liftopia just released their picks for this year's "best in snow awards." The list combines feedback from skiers and snowboarders with Liftopia's dataset to find the best ski resorts in all of North America.

If you're wondering about the lack of certain big name resorts on this list, know that Liftopia surveyed over 12,000 skiers and snowboarders on criteria such as resorts' family friendliness, terrain, crowds, and snow quality, and then combined that information with its own data on resorts (visits annually, acreage, average true cost of skiing, and uphill capacity), collected over the past decade. This leveled the playing field between big resorts and smaller, lesser known ones, ensuring that all North American resorts were recognized equally.

This year, resorts in both Utah and Vermont dominated the list.

Keep scrolling to see the resorts that every skier should be visiting this winter.

10. Bald Mountain, Idaho

Bald Mountain refers to itself as "the best little ski hill in Idaho." Part of Idaho's Smoky Mountains, Bald sees around 100 feet of annual snowfall and includes 140 acres of terrain geared towards every level of skier. Forty percent is for intermediate skiers, 25% is for beginners, 20% is for advanced, and 15% for is experts.

9. Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole spans two mountains — Apres Vous and Rendez Vous — and boasts 2,5000 acres of terrain. The resort is ideal for more advanced skiers. Half of its 133 named trails are for experts, 40% are for intermediate skiers, and only 10% are for beginners.

8. Mount Bohemia, Michigan

Located on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Mount Bohemia claims to have some of the longest runs with the highest vertical and deepest powder in the Midwest, making it a favorite among backcountry skiers. The peninsula sees an average of 273 inches of snow per year, all of which Bohemia leaves completely ungroomed. 

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.

• Now is a great time to buy a smart speaker because the Amazon Echo and Google Home are on sale for $79.99 for a limited time.

• We tested the two smart speakers to determine which one is the best value for your money.

• The Amazon Echo wins with its 15,000+ skills, full compatibility with many smart home devices, and its simple design.

The Amazon Echo and Google Home are both on sale for $79.99 this holiday season, so if you've been waiting to choose a smart speaker for your home, wait no longer. Now is a great time to buy one.

The only hard part is choosing which one is best for you. Although we already have a full buying guide to the best smart speakers, we thought it'd be fun and helpful to pit the Google Home and the Amazon Echo against each other in a battle royale for the title of best smart home speaker.

To help you decide which one to buy, we've been testing both the Amazon Echo and the Google Home for months.

Each speaker has its advantages and its weaknesses. We break it down into a few key categories: compatibility with smart home devices and services, voice recognition and search, design and sound quality, as well as security and privacy. 

Keep scrolling to see which smart speaker wins each category and to read our final verdict on which one you should buy.

Buy the Amazon Echo on Amazon for $79.99 (originally $99.99)

Buy the Google Home from Best Buy for $79.99 (originally $129.99)

SEE ALSO: The best smart speaker you can buy: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple HomePod

Smart home compatibility and services

Winner: The Echo wins easily, thanks to Alexa's 15,000+ skills and Amazon's wide-ranging support for the most popular smart home products.

Anyone who's looking to build a smart home should grab the Echo instead of the Google Home. Amazon has significantly more partners than Google because the Echo has existed for a few more years than the Google Home. Alexa has 15,000+ skills, and new ones are added every day. Google is catching up, but it's still a long way off.

More smart home devices and popular services work with the Echo than the Google Home. The only reason why the Google Home might be better for some people is if they don't use Amazon and they're heavily into Google services.

Unfortunately for Google, literally millions of people are Amazon Prime subscribers who will get more bang for their buck with an Echo.

Amazon's Alexa supports the following:

• Smart home devices: Phillips Hue, Ring, Schlage Smart Locks, TP-Link Smart Home Products, Leviton, Insteaon, SmartThings, Wink, Caseta Wireless, LI-FX Smart Bulbs, GE Link Smart Bulbs, WeMo, iHome Smart Plugs, iDevices Switches, Nest, Sensi Thermostat, EcoBee Thermostat, Lyric Thermostat, August Smart Lock, Arlo Pro, Nest Cam IQ, Rachio Sprinklers, Gargeio Garage Door, iRobot Roomba Smart Vacuums, and so many more. You can browse all of the Echo compatible products on Amazon and buy them by clicking this link. 
• Services: Amazon's Alexa supports more than 15,000 skills, and it supports far too many services to list here. Big ones include Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Sirius XM, Uber, Domino's, StubHub, Audible, Dish, NPR, and so many more. You can also buy things from Amazon with a simple voice command.

Google's Assistant supports the following:

• Smart home devices: Chromecast, Chromecast-enabled TVs and speakers, Nest, SmartThings, Phillips Hue, LIFX Smart Lights, TP-Link Smart Home, Vivint Home Security, Rachio Sprinklers, Logitech Harmony, Geeni Connected Tech, August Smart Locks, Anova Precision Cooker, Insignia Wi-Fi Smart Plug, Belkin WeMo Insight Smart Plug, iRobot Roomba 960, Honeywell Wi-Fi Thermostat, Mr. Coffee Smart Coffee Maker, Lutron, Ring, and many more. See the full list here.
• Services: Spotify, Pandora, Google Play Music, TuneIn Radio, YouTube, IFTTT, Netflix, Google Services, Domino's, Food Network, Headspace, MadLibs, and more. See the full list here.

Voice recognition and search

Winner: The Google Home is slightly better with understanding accents and natural language, plus, Google's search prowess makes it the clear winner.

Google started out as a search engine, so it is absolutely no surprise that the Google Home is better at answering questions and searching for random info on demand. The company has also been working on voice recognition, natural langauge processing, and translation for years, so the Google Home is better at understanding accents and natural language than the Echo.

That's not to say the Echo is hard of hearing. Alexa also understands you very easily and what she lacks in search power, she makes up for with skills, which use the knowledge from other apps and services to serve your needs.

Both speakers are good at understanding requests, but you do have to use scripted commands still. Google is slightly better at dealing with pauses, hesitations, and awkward phrasing than Alexa, but it's close.

Design and sound quality

Winner: In terms of design and sound quality, there's no clear winner because both speakers come in multiple colors and sound decent for medium-sized Bluetooth speakers.

The new Echo certainly looks better than the original and it comes in a few fun colors and finishes, so clearly that's an improvement. The Google Home also offers a selection of colorful bases in cloth or metal that complement the white top portion of the speaker.

Neither one is what you'd call a masterpiece of design. In fact, both have been mocked — the Google Home for looking like an air freshener and the Echo for being a boring cylinder. In the end, good design comes down to taste, and tastes vary. I personally like the look of both speakers, but I don't have a strong reaction either for or against them. 

When it comes to sound quality, both speakers sound good for medium-sized Bluetooth speakers. You won't get audiophile sound out of either speaker, but both of them sound just fine for most people.

The new Echo did get some audio improvements, so it does sound better than the original one. The Google Home has always sounded decent. The only major difference here is that the Echo supports more music services, but since you can use both as Bluetooth speakers —and therefore play any audio from your phone — that advantage is negligible.

Want an all-natural way to lift your mood, improve your memory, and protect your brain against the decline that comes with aging?

Get moving.

Exercises that get your heart pumping and sweat flowing — known as aerobic exercise, or "cardio" — have significant and beneficial effects on the brain and body, according to a wealth of recent research, including a new study published this fall.

"Aerobic exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your heart," according to an article in a Harvard Medical School blog. Here are some of the ways cardio is such a boon for our bodies.

DON'T MISS: 18 'healthy habits' you should give up in 2018

SEE ALSO: What your daily routine should look like, according to science

Cardio tones your muscles.

It was initially believed that when it comes to building muscle, cardio paled in comparison to exercises like resistance training, which are specifically designed to help you gain strength. But a recent review of 14 studies published in the journal Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews found that on average, men who did 45 minutes of moderate to intense cardio 4 days a week saw a 5%-6% increase in leg muscle size.

“Aerobic exercise, if done properly, can lead to as much muscle growth as you’d expect with resistance exercise,” Ball State University exercise scientist Matthew Harber, who authored the study, told Men's Fitness. 

It also raises your heart rate, improving heart and lung health.

Aerobic workouts, especially swimming, train your body to use oxygen more efficiently, a practice that gradually reduces your resting heart rate and your breathing rate — two important indicators of cardiovascular health.

A 2008 study compared blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other heart health metrics across close to 46,000 walkers, runners, swimmers, and sedentary people. The researchers found that the regular swimmers and runners had the best metrics, followed closely by the walkers. 

Aerobic workouts appear to have a positive impact on your gut.

A small study published in November suggests that cardio exercise changes the makeup of the microbes in our gut.

Those microbes play a role in inflammation levels, which can be an early warning sign of illness.

The researchers had study participants exercise 3-5 times per week for 6 weeks, and observed increases in their concentrations of butyrate, a type of fatty acid that helps keep our guts happy by tamping down on inflammation and producing energy.

"These are the first studies to show that exercise can have an effect on your gut independent of diet or other factors," Jeffrey Woods, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois who led the research, said in a statement.

From contemporary hit dramas like "Game of Thrones" to iconic '90s classics like "Buffy," television shows have always been a hotbed for real-life romance. INSIDER has already rounded up a list of all the movie stars who fell in love on set, but now let's take a look at the TV counterparts.

Keep reading for a look at 18 couples who met while working on TV shows together.

SEE ALSO: The 14 shows Netflix has canceled, including recently announced 'Love'

"True Blood" stars Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin started dating after meeting on the HBO hit series, and were married in 2010.

Source: People

Blake Lively and Penn Badgley dated while playing the on-screen "Gossip Girl" couple Serena and Dan, but broke up in real life after three years.

Source: Elle

"The O.C." co-stars Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody also dated in real life while playing Summer and Seth.

Source: People

Although loving someone and having the seemingly perfect relationship both probably sound like enough for you to rush to the altar, getting married requires more than just love.

For many, there are some signs that let you truly know it’s time to say "I do" and cross the threshold into an eternity together.

Kevin Darné, founder of LoverAlert911.com and author of the relationship book "My Cat Won’t Bark," told INSIDER that although the perfect mate may not exist, finding the perfect person for you does.

"The goal is to find someone who shares your same values, wants the same things for the relationship that you do, naturally agrees with you on how to obtain those things, and last but not least, have a mutual depth of love and desire for one another," he told INSIDER. "Marriage is a lifestyle choice, not a requirement."

It may be easy to fall into the societal reasons of why you should rush to get married, but while you’re going down your list of points to prove why you’re ready, remember that a wedding is for a day, but your marriage — if you chose right — will last you a lifetime.

Here are some ways you can know that you're actually ready for a marriage — not just a wedding.

You're in love with someone you truly want to spend the rest of your life with.

Though many people may fantasize about getting married when they’re kids, Darné told INSIDER that anyone who says they’re ready to get married and isn’t even in a relationship is only chasing after marital status.

"Whoever you're with should be the catalyst or the reason whyyou are suddenly having thoughts about marriage," he said. "In other words, this person met the requirements of your must-haves listand successfully cleared the milestones in your mate selection process. Compatibility trumps compromise. Like attracts like and opposites attract divorce attorneys!"

It’s better to let your relationship evolve naturally into thoughts of marriage than to pursue every relationship with marriage in mind.

You know what they’re really like.

Does your partner seem to do everything perfectly? Are they always in agreement with you or seem to compromise with everything you say? According to Darné, that’s not always a good thing.

"One of the biggest mistakes anyone can make is becoming engaged or married to someone they really don't know,” he told INSIDER. "It's important not to make any lifetime decisions while you're still in the "infatuation phase" or early on during a new courtship. It's almost a cliché to hear someone say: 'He/she is not the same person I fell in love with.' It takes time to truly get to know someone! There are only two ways to experience joy and peace of mind in relationships. We either get what we want or we learn to be happy with what we have. Accept them as is or move on. The choice is up to you."

Realizing that your spouse is not perfect, but deciding to love them anyway is a clear indicator that a great marriage can be in your future.

You’re not trying to save them.

Regardless of the infatuation, you may have with your partner, if you’re trying to save them from their own issues including debt, drug/alcohol addiction, legal problems, or even their crazy exes, you shouldn’t be thinking about marriage.

"Life is too short to be taking on projects or trying to change water into wine. The goal is to find someone who already is what you want in a mate," Darné told INSIDER. "Too often when it comes to matters of the heart people are quick to dismiss practicality. They believe things will simply work out eventually. Never separate your mind from your heart when making relationship decisions. The purpose of the mind is to protect the heart. Suffering is optional."

Instead of romanticizing obstacles or challenges and turning a drama-filled relationship into a marriage, find someone that can give you the things you actually want and need without changing them.

Music streaming giant Spotify is already getting into the holiday spirit of giving by sharing its global data on the top Christmas music. 

Mariah Carey's seasonal staple, "All I Want For Christmas Is You," is the service's most-streamed Christmas song of all time, with over 217 million global streams, the company said.

Michael Bublé, whose cover of "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" came in at number three on Spotify's top five list this year, was also "overwhelmingly the most popular artist in Christmas playlists," Spotify said.

Check out Spotify's global list of its top 5 most popular Christmas songs of 2017 below, along with a breakdown of the most distinctive Christmas song for each age group:

SEE ALSO: Here are Spotify's top 5 songs of the year — one of which is its most popular of all time

5. Ariana Grande — "Santa Tell Me"

4. Justin Bieber — "Mistletoe"

3. Michael Bublé — "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"

With Week 15 of the NFL season nearly in the books, it's time for one last waiver cycle in the world of fantasy football.

This is it: in the majority of leagues, it's championship week. By the time Christmas is over, you or one of your opponents will get to breathe a sigh of relief and lay claim to the ultimate prize, whether that's a cool trophy, some free booze on New Year's Eve, or simply bragging rights.

At this point, most of the safe plays are already widely owned, but there are still some intriguing names out there for teams that need help. Below, read up on 10 potentially worthwhile waiver wire pickups as we wrap up the season.

Kerwynn Williams, RB

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Week 15 stats: 61 rushing yards

One thing to know: Williams doesn't pose a threat as a receiver, making just seven catches on the year, but with 15-plus carries in each of his last three games, he has appeal as a late-season streamer. He went for nearly 100 yards against the Rams earlier this month, and the Giants should be an attractive matchup in Week 16.

Keelan Cole, WR

Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 15 stats: 186 receiving yards, 7 receptions, 1 touchdown

One thing to know: This undrafted rookie out of Kentucky Wesleyan has been a pleasant surprise for the Jaguars. He has become one of Blake Bortles' favorite deep threats, with numbers like 607 receiving yards and a league-leading 19.0 yards per reception to prove it. His targets can be sporadic, but after scoring in each of his last three games, he looks like a great play against the 49ers.

Nick Foles, QB

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Week 15 stats: 237 passing yards, 4 touchdowns

One thing to know: He's no Carson Wentz, but Foles still did a credible impression on Sunday, hitting a wide variety of targets while leading his team to victory in a high-scoring thriller. The Raiders will present a tougher challenge in Week 16, but it would be unwise to bet against the Eagles' relentless offense.

Gwendoline Christie can rock a stormtrooper uniform just as well as a full plate of armor.

The Sussex-born actress, best known as the indomitable Brienne of Tarth on "Game of Thrones," reprises her role as the first female stormtrooper, Captain Phasma, in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."Captain Phasma commands the First Order's legions of stormtroopers.

In honor of Christie's meteoric rise to fame, we're taking a look back at her career.

SEE ALSO: These photos of 'Star Wars' ships on Earth are mesmerizing

Born October 28, 1978, Gwendoline Christie grew up in the countryside of Sussex, England.

Source: Stylist

Her first passion was rhythmic gymnastics, but she suffered a serious back injury at age 11. "I was told that I wouldn't be able to dance again at that level," she told Access Hollywood.

Source: Access Hollywood

"I decided I'd become an actress instead," she said. At age 15, Christie took on the role of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and felt she found her calling.

If the only thing in your spice cabinet is an old "Spice World" CD, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways you make your food taste better without breaking the bank.

Narrowing down this list down wasn’t easy. After all, dried herbs like basil, oregano, and rosemary are certainly helpful to have on hand. Garlic powder is good, too (although fresh garlic is usually better and more versatile flavor-wise. It can also come down to personal preference; your favorite blends (think lemon pepper or Montreal steak seasoning or even your favorite rib rub) might have a place of honor as well.

Assuming you’re just starting out, these are the most basic spices you should have in your cabinet or pantry, according to chefs. You can (and should) add to these as you try new recipes and find things you like. Then you can experiment and find new ways to use your favorites.

Salt and pepper

Look at virtually any recipe and it will tell you to season "to taste." The recipe might mention salt and pepper by name, or simply assume that everyone will have these two things on hand. Black pepper (or white, or pink, or any other preferred pepper you might have) is a seasoning choice, but salt is an absolute necessity.

From a purely flavor-fueled perspective, did you know that salt reduces bitterness while simultaneously enhancing the innate flavors and aromas of foods? No other spice cabinet member does all that, or even comes close.

"As a chef, I’ve had countless people ask me, ‘Why doesn’t the food I cook at home taste as good as I get in a restaurant?’ The answer is almost always [that] they aren’t seasoning their food properly with good old salt and pepper. They bring out the flavor in all food. Yes, even chocolate!" Sous chef Celeste Pasag of Lynfred Winery told INSIDER.

She continued, "Most think that if they add what a chef knows is the proper amount, they are adding too much. If the regular [home] cook watched chefs seasoning meats and such, they would think we’re trying to give everyone heart attacks! But really, we are making foods taste good.

Humans need a certain amount of sodium to live. Our doctors also warn against too much sodium. The good news is, very little of the salt in American diets comes from home cooking. Instead, you can thank industrial food processing practices for that.

"Without a doubt, once the home cook learns how to properly season with S&P, no one spice in your pantry will be your favorite," Pasag told INSIDER.It will open up your creativity and allow you to explore all kinds of different styles and cuisines!"

Cinnamon

Just saying that word might have you thinking about gooey cinnamon buns, your favorite cereal, or even a pack of gum. But cinnamon has been a staple of much more than just sweet dishes for thousands of years.

"Cinnamon was one of the first spices to reach the Mediterranean; the ancient Egyptians used it in embalming, and it’s mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament. Asian and Near Eastern peoples have long used cinnamon to flavor meat dishes, and thanks to the influence of the Arabs, medieval European cooks did too," wrote noted food science author Harold McGee in his classic "On Food and Cooking."

Cinnamon is a good warming spice that’s completely at home in savory lamb dishes, or in any number of biryani recipes. Blending it with other carefully selected spices can yield flavorful, memorable meals.

Bonus: New research suggests that a compound in cinnamon called cinnamaldehyde may aid in burning fat. Doesn’t that make you want to sprinkle that stuff on everything?

Nutmeg

This one is best used fresh, and in very serious moderation. A tiny pinch of fresh nutmeg can bring out the best in your béchamel, but be careful: Go overboard with it, and nutmeg will be all you taste.

Just like cinnamon, most people are already familiar with this spice’s sweet side. After all, nutmeg is a big part of the spice blend used in both pumpkin and sweet potato pies. It might even show up in your apple pie recipe as well. But if you’ve ever had hakka noodles, you may have already seen nutmeg’s savory side and might not even know it.

You can buy it ground, of course. But if you have a grater (like a trusty Microplane), this might be the single spice where grating it fresh every time yields the clearest flavor payoff over pre-ground.

As much as we’d all like to believe that acne is a uniquely-teenage problem, many adults still struggle with the occasional (or not-so-occasional) breakout. But the high-octane ingredients in prescription acne creams can easily zap moisture from post-pubescent skin, resulting in a dull and arid complexion. Luckily, you don’t have to resort to chemical-heavy (and budget-heavy) topical medicines … not when you have a whole suite of acne-fighting ingredients already in your kitchen cabinets.

Loaded with antioxidants and skin-soothing properties, these DIY treatments will banish your acne the all-natural way.

Honey

A kitchen workhorse that’s also a time-honored natural acne weapon, honey can be particularly effective in reducing the size and redness of a sudden blemish.

"Raw honey is antibacterial; [when] slathered on the face for ten minutes, [it can] be helpful for stubborn pimples," Dr. Rhonda Klein of Connecticut Dermatology Group told INSIDER.

Yogurt

When it comes to making a top-quality face mask from kitchen ingredients, Dr. Klein recommended plain yogurt as your base.

"Yogurt is rich in probiotics, B vitamins, calcium, lactic acid, and zinc," she told INSIDER, citing these qualities as beneficial for acne relief.

Don’t just start spreading berry-flavored yogurt on your face, though; Dr. Klein specifically advised the use of "plain, unflavored and unsweetened yogurt with live cultures". She also emphasized the importance of using full-fat yogurt for your mask, as low-fat versions "may cause irritation or aggravation of your acne."

Yogurt can also double as an anti-acne cleanser. According to Dr. Sejal Shah, a New York City-based dermatologist, the yogurt should be massaged into dampened skin and left on for 10 minutes before rinsing.

"Yogurt contains lactic acid — an alpha-hydroxy acid — which exfoliates the skin to reduce and prevent clogged pores," Dr. Shah explained to INSIDER. He cautioned the impatient among us that yogurt-based acne treatments take a few days to show results.

"It usually takes 4-7 days, but some may notice results earlier," he said.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar’s got a definite (and, possibly, undeserved) reputation as a cure-all, supposedly beneficial for weight loss, blood-sugar regulation, and gut health. But can it help combat an acne attack? According to Caleb Backe, Health & Wellness Expert for Maple Holistics, it absolutely can.

"[Apple cider vinegar] can help to cleanse your skin and strip it of any dirt or grime. It penetrates the skin and cleans it from the inside out, making your face an inhospitable environment for bacteria and oil build-up," Backe told INSIDER.

He recommended diluting the apple cider vinegar with water (in a 1:3 ratio) before applying it to the skin.

Americans did a lot of traveling in 2017.

Travel-booking site Expedia recently released its year-end look at travel trends, which revealed the most-booked destinations of the year, both domestic and international.

From Las Vegas and New York City to Cancun and Paris, here's where Americans traveled the most last year:

SEE ALSO: 26 things we always pack when we travel

DON'T MISS: The top 10 cities travelers want to visit in 2018

Chicago

The windy city has something for everyone.

With an almost endless supply of music festivals, Chicago is a wonderful city for entertainment. Illinois' biggest city is also a haven for sports fans as the historic Wrigley Field was home to the reigning champions of baseball this year, the Chicago Cubs.

Guadalajara

South of the border, the Mexican city of Guadalajara is a treasure for any traveler who wants beautiful weather year round. 

Guadalajara is a hip city renowned for its artistic culture and mystifying architecture. This trip also won't set your finances as far back as many other popular vacation spots. Plus, the city is celebrated as the birthplace of tequila and mariachi music.

Las Vegas

Gambling is synonymous with Las Vegas and plenty of travelers wanted to press their luck in 2017.

The neon-lit strip takes you from one glitzy hotel to the next. Some resorts have city themes — the Paris Hotel, Venetian Hotel, and New York, New York — while others are renowned for entertainment, like the Bellagio with its fountain show and Mirage with an erupting volcano.

• Kroger opened a new restaurant concept called Kitchen 1883.
• The company will open additional locations adjacent to its grocery stores if the concept is successful.

Kroger, the nation's largest grocery chain, is diving into the restaurant business. 

The grocer just opened its first standalone restaurant, called Kitchen 1883, adjacent to one of its stores in Union, Kentucky — and the meals look nothing like what you can find in one of Kroger's grocery stores. 

Check it out.

SEE ALSO: A judge is forcing Whole Foods to reopen its failed 365 store

Kitchen 1883, led by executive chef Chris Bushelman, serves a menu of what it calls "new American comfort food." The name of the restaurant alludes to the year that Kroger founder Barney Kroger started the grocery chain.

The full-service restaurant serves lunch and dinner on weekdays, as well as brunch on the weekends.

The "Union Benedict" features poached eggs, corned beef, hollandaise and tarragon over English muffins.

Kitchen 1883 also serves wine, beer and cocktails.

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead if you haven't seen "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" surprised fans with the return of an iconic character, but it also delivered a lot of unexpected cameos you may have missed from celebrities and actors.

2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" also had plenty of cameos ranging from superfan Simon Pegg to 007, Daniel Craig. So it should be of little surprise that more celebrities wanted in this time around. 

From princes to musicians and a second secret role for Mark Hamill, keep reading to see who popped up in "The Last Jedi."

We'll continue adding to this as more stars reveal their roles in the movie.

"The Leftovers" actor Justin Theroux played an important minor role on Canto Bight.

Let's start with an easy one. Theroux played the master codebreaker Finn and Rose were searching for on Canto Bight. You may have been thrown off by the accent and graying hair.

Model and actress Lily Cole plays the woman on his arm, Lovey.

Did you spot the actress on the master codebreaker's arm?

Carrie Fisher's dog, Gary, inspired a space dog on Canto Bight.

His cameo was first noted on Twitter earlier in December. You can actually spot Gary in one of the film's official photos.

Director Rian Johnson confirmed the "space Gary" role on Twitter to an eagle-eyed viewer. 

• The GOP has reached an agreement on their enormous tax overhaul.

• Congress is expected to pass the new plan, as early as this week.

• Career site Zippia broke down how the final tax bill could affect take-home pay in 2018 for people in various occupations.

Republican leaders released their final version of the tax bill on Friday, December 15.

Congressional Republicans are touting the new plan as a wage-boosting, job-creating boon to the middle class, as well as a means of simplifying the tax system. But the tax reform efforts have earned harsh criticisms from the public and experts. The conservative Tax Foundation found Republicans also overpromised on how much the bill would boost the economy, according to Business Insider.

Business Insider's Lauren Lyons Cole reported that while take-home pay is set to rise under the tax reform plan, most Americans won't see a ton of extra cash in their pockets. But how much you save also depends on how much you currently earn.

Career site Zippia's David Luther provided Business Insider with data breaking down how different occupations fare under the finalized tax plan. The estimated federal tax savings below are for a single, childless taxpayer who owns a house valued at three times their salary. Zippia's calculations factored in whether a given taxpayer would benefit most from taking the standard deduction or itemizing deductions.

Following is a look at how people in a number of occupations, from fast-food cooks to pilots to anesthesiologists, could see their taxes change next year if the tax plan becomes law.

SEE ALSO: From private school tax breaks to bigger inheritances, 7 ways rich people win big if tax reform passes

DON'T MISS: Taxpayers will get an extra couple of days before filing their taxes next year — here's when tax day is in 2018

Fast-food cooks

Average salary: $20,570

Current tax: $1,059

Tax under the Republican plan: $857

Percent tax cut: 19.1%

Cashiers

Average salary: $21,680

Current tax: $1,226

Tax under the Republican plan: $971

Percent tax cut: 20.8%

Waiters and waitresses

Average salary: $24,410

Current tax: $1,635

Tax under the Republican plan: $1,299

Percent tax cut: 20.6%

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.

The Insider Pick:

• Everyone needs a bathrobe. Whether it’s for after your shower, while lounging on a lazy weekend morning, or a cover-up to keep you warm before bed, this must-have garment is practically defined by its comfort. And if you want to take comfort to the highest level, you’ll love the Classic Bathrobe from Parachute.

Slipping into the right bathrobe is like getting a cozy hug — It makes you feel good. All too often, however, women settle for stained, torn, just-plain-ugly robes that passed their best days years ago. And here at Insider Picks, we don’t think that’s right.

That’s why we decided to bring you this gathering of the eight best women’s bathrobes, whether you prefer warm and fleecy, silky and sensuous, or just-right-after-a-shower terrycloth.

We think everyone deserves a comfortable, good-looking bathrobe that’s a pleasure to wear. So if you’re in the market for a new bathrobe — or looking to buy one for someone else — here are the robes to consider.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the Classic Bathrobe from Parachute is our top pick, and why you might also like the Spa Bathrobe from TowelSelections, PajamaMania’s Women’s Fleece Robe, the Women’s Hearthside Robe from L.L.Bean, the Alexander Del Rossa Lightweight Woven Robe, the Old Shanghai Kimono Robe, the TowelSelection Women’s Terry Robe, and the Stewart Plaid Robe from PajamaGram.

SEE ALSO: The best women's pajamas you can buy

The best women’s bathrobe overall

Why you'll love it: The Classic Bathrobe from Parachute is a touch of luxury at a reasonable price, and it's so cozy and warm, you’ll never want to take it off.

This isn’t the first time we’ve expressed our love for the Classic Bathrobe from Parachute. We tried it out and couldn't get enough of it. 

Made from 100% long-staple Turkish cotton, this is the bathrobe that will warm you after a shower, keep you cozy while lounging around the house, cuddle you when you’re feeling under the weather, and keep you covered when answering the door.

As the name suggests, the style is classic bathrobe: shawl collar, tie waist, two front pockets, and an easy-but-not-too-slouchy fit. It's fairly lightweight and comfortable to wear, so you won't overheat or catch a chill in this robe.

The Classic Bathrobe is available in white or gray and sizes small through X-large. It reaches mid-calf on most people, though if you're shorter, it may be longer.

Pros: Thick and cozy, highest quality cotton, absorbent

Cons: Only comes in two colors, more expensive than many other robes

Buy the Classic Bathrobe on Parachute for $99

The best spa-style women’s bathrobe

Why you'll love it: Slip on the waffle-weave Spa Bathrobe from TowelSelections, and you’ll feel like you’re at your favorite spa.

If you’ve ever pampered yourself with a day at the spa, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the white, waffle-weave, lightweight robes that most spas provide for your use during your treatments. Well, although the facial and massage, unfortunately, aren’t included, you’ll still get that pampered feeling from TowelSelection’s Spa Bathrobe.

A blend of 55% Turkish cotton, 45% polyester, the Spa Bathrobe is not too heavy or hot. It’s perfect for use around the swimming pool, après shower, while traveling, or anytime you want to lounge. It’s a popular robe on Amazon as well, with more than 800 reviews and a 4.5 star average.

Buyers praise the robe’s light weight and cozy comfort, but some mention that it runs large. There are lots of colors to choose from, including red, pink, green, blue, and navy.

Sizes run from small through X-large. The Spa Bathrobe hits around mid-calf on most people. It has two front pockets.

Pros: Lightweight, comfortable, flattering fit, lots of colors, great price

Cons: If you like your robes thick and fleecy, this one isn’t for you

Buy the TowelSelection Spa Bathrobe on Amazon for $29.95 (originally $52.95)

The best plush fleece women’s bathrobe

Why you'll love it: If you’re looking for a fuzzy, warm, and soft bathrobe, you’ll love PajamaMania’s Women’s Fleece Robe.

Plush, polyester fleece is so cozy and soft against your skin. While it isn’t super-absorbent — this isn’t the best robe for slipping on after a shower — it’s definitely going to be your favorite robe for cozying up while watching TV or lazing around on a weekend morning.

PajamaMania’s Women’s Fleece Robe has everything you expect from a bathrobe: a shawl collar, front pockets, inner ties, thick belt, and an easy fit. It’s also supremely soft and comfy. Says one happy Amazon customer, “Love this robe! So soft and fuzzy and warm. It's very nice quality fleece... very soft.” Plenty of other buyers agree with her, and the robe has nearly 500 reviews and an average of 4.5 stars.

You can get the robe in a number of different colors and patterns to match any style. Sizes run from small to XX-large, although some Amazon buyers mentioned that the robe runs a little small. On most people, the Women’s Fleece Robe will hit around mid-calf.

Pros: Fleecy and soft, cute patterns, reasonable price

Cons: Sheds a bit at first, runs a little small

Buy the PajamaMania Women’s Fleece Robe on Amazon for $29.99 to $32.99 depending on size and color

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.

• For a limited time, Omaha Steaks is offering free shipping on select combos and gift baskets in time for last-minute holiday shopping.
• Shipping normally runs close to $18, so it’s wise to take advantage if you have plans to gift something on-theme for a cook or steak-lover in your life.
• Combos start at just $60 and gift baskets at $55.

For many of us who like to cook — and for nearly all of us who like to eat — premium cuts of steak and juicy, flavorful burgers are hard to beat.

Whether used in a ruse to get the family all together for a cookout or just to satisfy a craving, quality meat is among the most decadent and gratifying of meals. Unfortunately, that can coincide with a high cost. But if you're looking for gourmet quality without the price tag of a dimly-lit steakhouse, it's a good practice to rely on brands you trust for deliveries — and for many, that brand is Omaha Steaks.

After all, if you can call yourself a New Yorker after spending 10 years in the city, you've probably earned the title of "steak expert" after spending the last century just on perfecting that craft. 

While their premium, hand-crafted cuts are a great gift for yourself anytime, they're also a particularly great value buy for loved ones this season.

Especially since they're offering free shipping (which normally runs around $18) for a limited time on select combos and gift baskets. If you're shopping last-minute, it's pretty much ideal: you don't have to worry about delivering it yourself, they won't need to cart it home, and Omaha Steaks will prepare and curate a gift of assorted gourmet ingredients in your stead. For about 30 seconds of your time, you can give a thoughtful and considerably inexpensive gift.

If you know somebody who loves steak, or want to take advantage of the deal yourself, check out some of the most popular options included below:

Shop the full selection of free-shipping eligible gift baskets and combos here.

DON'T MISS: 20 awesome gifts your foodie friends will love

Most popular: The Tasteful Gift

The most popular combo option, The Tasteful Gift includes their legendary Filet Mignons and Top Sirloins, meaty Boneless Pork Chops, Potatoes au Gratin, and Caramel Apple Tartlets, all for $70. If sold separately, the same ingredients would cost $141.

• Filet Mignons - 5 oz.  |  2 count
• Top Sirloins - 5 oz.  |  2 count
• Boneless Pork Chops - 4 oz.  |  2 count
• Potatoes au Gratin - 3 oz.  |  4 count
• Caramel Apple Tartlets - 4 oz.  |  4 count
• Signature Seasoning Packet - 0.33 oz.  |  1 count

The Tasteful Gift, $69.99

The Bountiful Gourmet

This option comes with naturally lean and beefy top sirloin steaks, chicken fried steaks, all-beef burgers and award-winning franks, their popular all-beef meatballs, and steakhouse-seasoned thick-cut fries for just $79.99.

• Top Sirloins - 5 oz.  |  4 count
• Chicken Fried Steaks - 4.5 oz.  |  4 count
• Omaha Steaks Burgers - 4 oz.  |  4 count
• Gourmet Jumbo Franks - 3 oz.  |  4 count
• All-Beef Meatballs - 1 (12 oz.) pkg.  |  ~12 meatballs
• Omaha Steakhouse Fries - 1 (16 oz.) pkg.  |  serves 4
• Signature Seasoning Packet - 0.33 oz.  |  1 count

The Bountiful Gourmet, $79.99

The Seasonal Special

The Seasonal Special comes with Omaha Steaks' most popular premium aged steaks, premium pork chops and chicken breasts, and a collection of other Omaha Steaks favorites, topped off with their popular sweet pastry tartlets. 

• Filet Mignons - 5 oz.  |  2 count
• Top Sirloins - 5 oz.  |  2 count
• Boneless Pork Chops - 4 oz.  |  2 count
• Boneless Chicken Breasts - 4 (4 oz.)  |  1 lb.
• Omaha Steaks Burgers - 4 oz.  |  4 count
• Stuffed Baked Potatoes - 5.5 oz.  |  4 count
• Caramel Apple Tartlets - 4 oz.  |  4 count

The Seasonal Special, $99.99

• Scientists who love Star Wars say the movies are science fantasy, not science fiction.
• That distinction means the audience is immersed in an alternate universe where not all forces act the way they do on Earth.
• But there are a few very believable ways the franchise employs technology and physics to craft a credible story. 

You might assume that "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which is still set in a “galaxy far, far away,” would have little to do with the physics life on Earth.

But a high-profile physicist disagrees. 

Kevin Grazier is a planetary physicist who designed the software NASA used to explore Saturn on its Cassini mission. Grazier, a computer science professor at West Point, also made sure the cinematic science was sound in films like "Gravity" and the TV series "Battlestar Galactica."

He acknowledges that you have to suspend a good deal of scientific disbelief to get on board with some parts of "The Last Jedi."

The idea that a lightsaber that can cut, melt, and burn through just about anything, and the notion that Jedis can use a force to project themselves into distant battlegrounds are both pretty far-fetched. For a devoted Star Wars fan like Grazier, that's okay.

“Does it matter if that science is inaccurate? No,” he told Business Insider.

But there are a few surprising ways that some of the franchise's boldest ideas are grounded in not-so-far-off scientific principles and technology.

Here are four of the coolest ways that the characters in Star Wars are (almost) like us. 

SEE ALSO: The wildest scientific discoveries of 2017

Robots like C-3PO and BB-8 are plausible future helpers.

The way the Star Wars crew employs artificial intelligence is not so far from reality.

“In the not too distant future we will probably have droids that are as smart as C-3PO and BB-8” Grazier said. 

Currently, Google’s AI is doing okay at a handful of languages — whereas C-3PO is fluent in over 6,000. But researchers are betting that Google’s AI is going to get much smarter in the coming years — in 2014, it was estimated to have an IQ around 26.5, but by 2016, Google AI had nearly doubled its smarts to an IQ of 47.3. That's still not as sharp as an average six-year-old, but it's an impressive leap.

Last week, scientists at NASA announced they’d successfully employed Google’s machine learning to track down two new planets. 

Meanwhile, a robot named Sophia managed to become the first AI of its kind granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Sophia still sounds very robotic, but it can converse without pre-programmed responses — a potential first step towards more robot helpers for humans.

Moving at warp speed is a possibility that can't be ruled out.

Is it possible to travel faster than the speed of light like the valiant Rebellion fighters do?

Grazier said there’s scientific evidence that other dimensions could exist beyond our familiar four dimensions of space and time. That's a potential reality that quantum physicists wrestle with every day. If the multiverse does exist, it’s possible that alternate universes and dimensions don’t share the physical laws of our own.

That idea is ripe for exploration in a fictional series like "Star Wars," since we don’t have definitive answers to properly refute it. Grazier said the question marks about the laws of quantum physics are big enough that "you can sell this as a way to travel faster than light."

'The Force' may actually be with you.

The forces we experience on Earth may not operate like the powerful, people-projecting, weapon-deflecting one in "Star Wars"— but force fields do happen here. 

“If there’s a magnetic field and a charged particle passes through it, it will experience a force,” Grazier said. "That’s a real-life force field."

But channeling enough force to project a hologram to a distant battle is, of course, unrealistic. 

“It’s the degree, amount, rate, that makes it impossible,” Grazier said. 

Still, some force fields on Earth are nearly as mysterious as those in the movies.

A report in The New York Times about the US government's efforts to investigate potential UFO sightings described an incident in which pilots saw something bizarre on their screens in flight.

“They’re seeing an object that seems to have a force field — as they describe it — around it, that’s hovering before it suddenly disappears out of the sky as soon as they think they’re getting a radar lock on it,” Times Reporter Helene Cooper said on The Daily podcast.

It may come down to the wire, but with a couple more big releases on the horizon (“Jumanji” and “The Greatest Showman”) and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” now in theaters, the movie industry might cross the $11 billion mark for the end of the year. That would be three straight years the biz has hit that milestone.

Regardless, though, there were some major performers, including three very different kinds of movies crossing the $1 billion worldwide mark — and a Stephen King adaptation performing beyond anyone’s expectations.

Thanks to Marvel hits (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Thor: Ragnarok”) and a live-action “Beauty and the Beast,” Disney passed the $5 billion total ticket sale mark for the third year in a row. Warner Bros. with “Justice League,” “It,” and “Wonder Woman” also hit the mark for the second time in its history.

Below are the 10 biggest worldwide box office earners of 2017.

Note: All figures are from Box Office Mojo. 

SEE ALSO: Matt Damon says we aren't talking enough about all the men in Hollywood who aren't sexual predators

10. “Justice League” — $635.9 million

Domestic: $219.4 million

For all the bashing the movie took from critics and the fans, this latest DC Comics movie was able to crack the top 10 (let’s check in a couple of weeks to see if “The Last Jedi” ruins the party). It’s the worst performer of any of the DC releases to date, but on the bright side, it likely won’t lose $100 million for Warner Bros. 

9. “It” — $697.5 million

Domestic: $327.4 million

WB couldn’t be more happy with how this adaptation of Stephen King’s book, made on a $35 million budget, performed at the box office. And it was a hit internationally, where horrors usually don’t do as strong.

8. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” — $794.8 million

Domestic: $172.5 million

People in the US may have had enough of the “Pirates” franchise, but it’s still working overseas. So expect more.

In January, around half a million people took to the streets for the Women's March on Washington, DC.

Stories about the march's mission, pink "pussy hats,"clever signage, and big-name attendees flooded Google News, and captivated the nation. 

The Women's March was just one of several protests — on all sides of the political spectrum — that made headlines in 2017. As the year comes to a close, Google is looking back on the top searches (i.e. terms that had the highest spike in traffic this year compared to 2016) in the US over the past 12 months.

Here are the the top 10 protests people wanted to know about:

SEE ALSO: Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar: Women speaking up about sexual misconduct is overdue

10. The May Day protests

Immigrant groups planned rallies nationwide on this year's May Day. The rallies and protests in major cities, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, drew tens of thousands of people.

The goal was to stand up against President Donald Trump's anti-immigration platform and policies.

9. The Women's March on Washington

The day after Trump's inauguration, an estimated 500,000 people attended the Women's March on Washington. Several other cities around the US and world held their own marches.

According to the DC organizers, the march's goal was to stand up for equality for all groups, especially women, LGBT folks, people of color, immigrants, and those with disabilities.

8. The Venezuelan protests

Venezuela is facing ongoing protests, which began in early 2017 after the arrest of multiple opposition leaders and after the country's Supreme Court dissolved Parliament and transferred all legislative powers to itself. 

Protestors (known as opposition activists) argue that the move signals the erosion of democracy in Venezuela. They also attribute the country's high levels of inflation and chronic scarcity of basic resources to corruption in Venezuela's government, led by President Nicolas Maduro.

• John Collison, the cofounder and president of Stripe, is the world's youngest self-made billionaire at 27.
• He started Stripe, designed to transform the way people make online payments, with his older brother when he was just 19.
• Originally from a small town in Ireland, he came to the US to attend Harvard — until he dropped out to focus on Stripe in Silicon Valley.

John Collison founded the tech company Stripe in 2010, when he was only 19.

Now Collison, 27, can call himself the youngest self-made billionaire in the world, with a net worth totaling $1.1 billion after Stripe's $9 billion valuation in 2016. The company was designed to transform the way websites accept online payments, and it's a favorite of huge companies like Lyft and Facebook.

Collison started the company with his older brother Patrick, Stripe's CEO. Though the siblings have struck Silicon Valley gold, they haven't forgotten their humble roots in small-town Ireland.

Today, Collison enjoys flying planes, running, and hiking with members of the Stripe team.

Read on to learn more about the world's youngest self-made billionaire.

SEE ALSO: 9 wildly successful people who were bullied as kids

DON'T MISS: 15 books Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk think everyone should read

John was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1990, and his family eventually settled in the small village of Dromineer.

Source: Bloomberg

Collison, a brilliant student, finished with the highest possible marks on his Leaving Certificate, the equivalent of final exams in the US.

Source: Independent

Collison was accepted into Harvard before even taking his final exams, which he aced anyway.

Source: Independent