Every year, the National Geographic Society sponsors a geography contest called The National Geographic Bee, wherein students in the fourth through eighth grades compete to see whose geographic knowledge will reign supreme.

In anticipation of the big day, National Geographic Society's website features an online study tool that helps prepare participants for the annual event. INSIDER has compiled a sample test of 10 questions from topic areas that frequently appear in the Geobee, courtesy of the National Geographic Society's free quiz — and they're surprisingly difficult.

See if you can pass all 10 questions listed down below.

1. In May 2002, an invasive species of predatory fish was found in a pond about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Chesapeake Bay, alarming scientists and wildlife managers in which state?

a. Michigan

b. Maryland

c. Maine

Hint: The TV series "The Wire" is based in this state's capital.

Barack Obama has cited"The Wire" as one of his favorite television shows.

The answer is... Maryland!

In July 2002, an angler caught the fish in question: commonly referred to as a snakehead fish, they are able to breathe air, travel across land, and eat native species.

• The Money Wizard, who goes by the pen name Sean, is a 20-something blogger and financial analyst.
• Sean is saving and investing his way toward early retirement.
• Between April 2016 and April 2018, Sean grew his net worth by more than $105,900, to $233,194.
• His best advice for others who want to build wealth: buy assets instead of things, prioritize your 401(k), track all of your spending, keep your investments simple.

Two years ago, almost to the day, I started my blog with a daring goal.

Not only was I going to talk about money, a subject that most surveys indicate is more taboo than sex, but in true obsessed-money-blogger fashion, I was going to publish my net worth every single month. Down to the cent. For the whole world to see...

Sound crazy? Probably. But I also felt like money was too hands-on to leave to theory. Without a real-life example, I'd be no better than the boxing analyst who's never actually stepped into the ring.

At some point, I felt I needed to put my money where my mouth was. So, I started sharing everything — good or bad. I hoped this level of transparency would not only help others find takeaways for their own situations, but also hold myself accountable.

And… the accountability must have worked! From April 2016 to April 2018 my net worth grew from $127,259 to $233,194. That's a $105,935 increase in two years!

But this level of precision provides another cool benefit. With detailed monthly records, I can pinpoint the exact actions I took to grow my net worth and the actions I took to hurt it. And then we can roll up those patterns to highlight the most important steps anyone can take to improve their situation.

So even if you don't want to track everything down to the cent like a money-obsessed-OCD-money-blogger, here are the most important steps I took (that you can too!) to supercharge your savings.

SEE ALSO: I'm 27 and I've saved $200,000 — here are the 7 best pieces of advice I can give you about money

DON'T MISS: A 27-year-old with $181,000 in the bank explains the simple calculation that keeps him from overspending

1. Stop buying stuff, start buying assets

I've got a confession: In order to save $105,935 in two years, I cheated.

You see, I had some serious help. Two years ago, I already had over $100,000 of income-producing assets.

And those income-producing assets made saving that $105,000 exponentially easier. As I worked hard to make and save money, so did they. And if I'm being honest, they worked a whole lot harder.

While I was limited to sleeping away one-third of each day, and I struggled earning money after a 40-hour work week, my $127,000 of mostly stock market investments had no problem pulling all nighters on my behalf.

As the saying goes, compound interest never sleeps. Talk about employees of the year!

Plus, as I continued to save, I bought even more productive assets. Those assets made more money, allowing me to buy even more productive assets. The whole cycle continued to repeat itself, again and again, and the result was a waterfall of savings that's hard to comprehend.

All told, I estimate roughly $70,000 of my net worth increase was due to my own savings, while the remaining $35,000 was from the compounding effect of my assets.

Even better, that compounding effect will only become stronger over time.

Consider this: It took me 25 years to save my first $100,000, and just two years to save the next. Thanks to the effects of compound interest, each subsequent $100,000 will only become easier and easier over time.

So quit wasting money on expensive cars, overpriced jewelry, and big houses. If you're serious about getting rich, income producing assets are the ultimate status symbols.

2. Track ALL of your spending

To be fair, you could increase your savings without tracking your spending. Just like you could drive somewhere by closing your eyes and hoping you don't crash.

But we all know how that's likely to turn out. So quit hoping for the best, and start making the best.

I'm not even suggesting the tooth-pulling boredom of creating a detailed budget and sticking to it. What I'm suggesting (and what's worked amazingly well for me) is to simply record your spending.

Whenever you spend money, write it down. That's it.

I keep an old-school spreadsheet on my phone, and I can literally whip out my phone and record the transaction before the cashier is finished ringing me up. Or, you can outsource the job to fancy money apps, like Personal Capital or Mint.

This sort of tracking slapped me in the face with some harsh surprises. I realized I eat out way too much. I found out how much it actually costs to adopt a dog. And I had plenty of time to regret those four extra trips to the brewery each month. (What was I thinking??)

But tracking my spending meant that I could highlight those areas needing improvement, and over time, I could whittle down my expenses. I'm now able to live off about $20,000 to 24,000 a year, which means I can save over 60% of my take-home pay.

If you're anything like me, you'll notice the same amazing effect. Right there on the paper (or the screen, if you're real high tech like that) you'll see where your money went. And ultimately, just by knowing your spending is being recorded you'll instinctively find yourself slashing your expenses and boosting your investments.

3. Keep it simple, stupid

Sorry for the insult. But if it makes you feel any better, that was mostly directed at myself.

You see, like most new investors, I started my investing career as an eager beaver. I was going to make the perfect investments, and I was gonna be rich. I studied, I researched, and I analyzed financial statements like my financial life depended on it.

But one day, I stopped trying to outsmart the market, and I noticed something interesting: My net worth started growing like I'd never seen.

As John Bogle, Vanguard's founder and rare financial good guy, once said, "Don't look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the whole haystack."

These days, nearly all my investments are in low-cost index funds, and I couldn't be happier. My financial life is lower stress than ever before, and you know what? My investments are performing better than ever.

When you try to make "the perfect investment" you create two big risks for yourself. The first, and most obvious, risk is that your perfect investment ends up being not-so-perfect. It doesn't take a very big mistake to lag the index, and once you're behind, it becomes exponentially harder to catch up.

But the second, and much less talked about, risk is the risk of paralysis by analysis. By putting so much pressure on yourself, you may find that you don't even know where to start investing. You sit on the sidelines, and you lose precious time for your investments to grow.

So, relax. Stop trying to be the next Warren Buffett, and just take his advice instead:

"My advice to the trustee couldn’t be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard’s.)"–Warren Buffet, 2014 Letter to Shareholders

• The average work day differs vastly worldwide: Printerland.co.uk examined the daily habits of office workers around the world.
• Employees based in Nigeria, Cameroon, and South Korea endure 12-hour daily shifts.
• British staff work shorter hours and days than the majority of Europe.

When you're having a bad day, even a typical work day can seem to drag on forever — but in some regions around the world, the concept of working day-in and day-out hits closer to home.

Printerland.co.uk surveyed a panel of respondents from each of the 65 countries included in their study, examining the daily habits of office workers around the world. The study took commute times, breaks throughout the work day, and cultural factors into account to create an infographic representing what an average work day looks like around the world.

Keep reading to learn about the world's most — and least — hard-working countries, below. 

Nigerians have the longest commutes of all.

According to Printerland, an average commute can last up to three hours — that's six hours in total per day — due to the catastrophic road conditions, a plethora of potholes, and constant traffic jams. Then, the typical work day is a full 12 hours.

Here's the kicker: while Nigerian workers tend to spend around 18 hours of their days commuting to and at work, they're only entitled to around a one-hour lunch break, on average.

Commuters in Japan only have a two-hour round trip — but they often cram themselves sardine-style into trains.

The average work day starts at 8.30 a.m. in Japan, and ends at about 7 p.m, typically including a one-hour lunch break.

However, after-work drinks often run late, and passing on them is considered rude. Japanese workers are also typically expected to arrive early and work overtime, for no compensation, which perhaps explains why there is a lot of pressure on Japanese companies to eradicate the risk of karōshi (過労死), or "overwork death."

A work day in the United Kingdom closely mirrors one in the US.

In the UK, the day begins at 8:50 a.m. — 20 minutes after the US work day begins — and ends at 5 p.m., which is 30 minutes earlier than in the US.

British and American work days vary quite a bit — click here to see just how much.

While the world of Disney films may have began with animation and princess' castles, Walt's kingdom has become much, much more.

Since its first film in 1937, the company has released some of the most iconic blockbusters ever, packing out cinemas across the globe.

At the end of 2016, Disney provided Business Insider with a complete list of every single feature film it has released throughout history, compiled by year of release.

We then researched the box office numbers for the films on the list — as well as the top-grossing film in 2017 — in order to determine which was most successful each year since 1937.

Only films that went straight to theatre, and have publicly available box office figures, have been included in our ranking. The numbers are based on US lifetime gross figures provided by Box Office Mojo and IMDB.

Scroll down to see the highest-grossing Disney film every year since 1937, from oldest to newest.

Note: Years where there was no theatrical release, or box office figures were not available have been excluded from the list. These are: 1938, 1939, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1958, and 1972.

1937 — 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs': $184.9 million

Source: Box Office Mojo

1940 — 'Pinocchio': $84.2 million

Source: Box Office Mojo

1941 — 'Dumbo': $1.6 million

Source: IMDB

• Half of the world's iPhones are made at a sprawling factory complex in Zhengzhou, China that employs as many as 350,000 people and has spawned a mini city residents call "iPhone City."
• Thousands of residents' livelihoods rely on the success of Apple and Foxconn, though they don't even work at the companies.
• We spent the day with a 31-year-old woman whose entire life has been shaped by Foxconn and Apple, having worked at the Foxconn's Shenzhen factory in her 20s and then moved to Zhengzhou to open her own business catering to factory workers.
• She told us that the lives of ex-factory workers like herself, who open businesses when they save enough money, is often harder than that of the factory workers. Her life is better now than when she was growing up, but she sees little opportunity to escape the grinding lifestyle she currently lives.

Liu Fei, a 31-year-old Chinese woman, lives just outside the gates of the biggest iPhone factory in the world, the Foxconn Zhengzhou Science Park.

Liu's livelihood depends on the factory's prosperity — and, in effect, Apple's — despite the fact that neither the factory nor Apple will ever pay her a cent.

The factory, run by the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn, employs about 350,000 people during the busy summer months before the fall release of a new iPhone. At its peak, the factory produces 500,000 phones a day or up to 350 a minute — about half of the world's iPhones. More often, it has a workforce of about half that, or less.

Though the factory is nominally located in Zhengzhou, a city of 9.5 million people, the factory is actually more than 20 miles outside downtown, separated by freeways, suburbs, and dirt scrublands.In the years since the factory opened, an entire city has sprouted up to serve Foxconn’s workforce.

A decade ago, the area had only dirt and fields of corn and wheat. In 2010, the government bought out local farmers, and the factory was up and running within the year.

Much of this newly sprouted city, which residents and factory workers have dubbed “iPhone City,” sits in the alleyways below the 10 or 12-story dormitory buildings, where workers live eight to a room.

Below, a migrating workforce of entrepreneurs and vendors has set up shop below to make a living cooking street food, offering massages, or selling socks or other knicknacks.

Most of the vendors in iPhone City, Liu said, are former factory workers like herself. Liu is one of the luckiest. She has a large restaurant in a makeshift district just outside the factory’s gate. It’s relatively clean and spacious. It could probably serve 40 or 50 people during breakfast or dinner, when day shift and night shift workers converge before or after their shift.

“We don’t make special food here. We just make whatever is cheap and will fill the workers up,” Liu, whose name has been changed to protect her identity and business, told Business Insider on a recent afternoon that we spent in the city.

Liu's entire life has been shaped by an American company whose products she will likely never own. Here's how:

SEE ALSO: Inside 'iPhone City,' the massive Chinese factory town where half of the world's iPhones are produced

Liu was 18 years old when she and her husband decided to leave their hometown to work at Foxconn's then-flagship factory complex in Shenzhen.

Liu was 18 years old when she and her husband decided to leave their lao jia, or hometown.

Liu is from a small village called Qian Hou in Henan, long one of China’s most impoverished provinces.

In 2008, The New York Times described the province as one untouched by China's boom, where people are too poor to heat their homes in winter or have running water, and mobile phones are an "impossible luxury." 

Three years earlier, the two moved to Shenzhen, the electronics manufacturing capital of the world, and got jobs at Foxconn’s flagship factory in the Longhua Science and Technology Park, a 15-factory complex employing hundreds of thousands of workers amidst a campus that was its own mini-city.

Apple and Foxconn's fortunes and prosperity have become increasingly intertwined since 2005, when Liu started working at Foxconn's Shenzhen factory.

In 2005, Foxconn was growing into its status as the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer. The company had contracts with major electronics companies like Dell, Sony, and, most importantly, Apple.

At the time, Apple’s best selling product was the iPod.

The couple worked at the Longhua factory for five years. Over that time, Foxconn and Apple’s relationship deepened and so too did the companies’ fortunes become intertwined. In 2005, Foxconn’s revenue totaled $21.54 billion. In 2007, the year Apple introduced the iPhone, the company’s revenue jumped to $38.11 billion. In 2010, it nearly doubled to $79.38 billion.

Foxconn’s reliance on Apple has increased with revenue growth. In 2009, Apple products accounted for around 25% of Foxconn’s revenue. By 2012, it was up to 60%. It has hovered between 50-60% in the years since and, while revenue grew to $110.79 billion in 2012, it has hovered between $130-$140 billion in the years since.

Today, Foxconn is by far the country's largest private employer, with 1.3 million employees in mainland China. Apple claims it supports 4.8 million jobs in China.

Foxconn has faced accusations of labor abuses, poor working conditions, and harsh penalties for workers who make mistakes throughout its recent history. Investigations of working conditions at Foxconn during Liu’s time (2005-2010) found workers to be both underpaid and overworked.

The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) reported in 2005 that the average worker works 27 days per month for 10-11 hours per day and earns 1000 RMB ($157) per month, including overtime. In 2008, SOMO found that workers had to work compulsory overtime leading to 70-hour work weeks on average.

There was a wave of suicides among Foxconn workers in 2010 and 2011, prompting Apple and Foxconn to make changes at the factories.

When Foxconn opened its massive factory complex in Zhengzhou, it started a massive migration of Henanese returning to their home province. Liu was one of them.

When most people think about the economic impact of a large company, it usually stops at the jobs at the factory or the office park and the tax revenue. But Foxconn’s immense labor needs have the ability to shift an entire population to a new place.

As Liu Miao, the head of a private recruiting center in Zhengzhou, told The Times in 2016 of Foxconn's labor needs, "Every city's department of labor and ministry of human resources is involved" in sourcing workers from the province.

In the case of the Foxconn Zhengzhou Science Park, it had the effect of bringing home a migratory workforce.

In 2010, Liu and her husband decided to leave the Longhua factory when they heard that Foxconn was setting up a factory complex, even bigger than the one they worked at, on the outskirts of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan.

They packed up their life and headed home. As happens whenever Foxconn or another manufacturer opens up a factory in China, hundreds of thousands migrated for the work. Many, like Liu and her husband, were Henanese returning home.

One night in iPhone City, we had dinner with a table of Foxconn workers eating and drinking beer at an outdoor restaurant. All four — whose ages ranged from 22 to 40 — were Henanese who returned to the province after working in factories in other parts of the country.

They emphasized that, in a workforce ranging from 120,000 to 350,000, there is bound to be diversity, but most of their coworkers were Henanese who moved to Zhengzhou to be closer to home.

"People like to work at this factory because you are close to your family if you are from Henan," Liu said. "You get Sundays off and you can go home and visit your family. That’s the perk."

Many people who work at factories farther from their hometown see their families only twice a year, on Chinese New Year's and National Day.

Royals tend to follow a strict protocol to maintain a sense of formality when they're out and about on engagements, keeping a polite distance as they greet members of the public.

And then there's Prince Harry. 

Here are 20 photos of Prince Harry cracking jokes at formal events, making kids laugh, and poking fun at his older brother. Whether or not he'll maintain a serious demeanor at his upcoming royal wedding is yet to be seen.

Ever since he was young, Prince Harry has had a playful sense of humor.

Prince Harry enjoys a joke prior to the Rugby Union International match between England and France on September 6, 2003, at Twickenham in London, England.

At his father's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005, he shared a joke with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Queen Elizabeth smiles as Prince Harry pulls a face as they watch Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle April 9, 2005. 

He often cracks jokes during formal events at the palace.

Prince Harry jokes with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Kate Middleton, and Princess Eugenie as they stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony on June 15, 2013, in London, England.

• Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel are two of the top retailers in home furnishings. 
• Even though the stores also have to compete with online retailers like Amazon and Wayfair, both Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel saw revenue growth in 2017.
• The stores have similar return policies and both offer free shipping for tons of products.
• Even though the stores are incredibly similar, we found that one of them was slightly less expensive and had much more to offer. 

Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn compete to be the top seller of home furnishings.

Even while facing competition from e-commerce giants like Amazon and Wayfair, Crate & Barrel saw an 8% sales growth in 2017, with 47% of its sales taking place online. CEO Neela Montgomery told the Wall Street Journal that 95% of Crate & Barrel's products are unique to the store. In addition, the brand has recently partnered with Reese Witherspoon to sell an exclusive collection.

Williams-Sonoma, parent company of Pottery Barn, also saw an increase in sales in 2017, with about 53% of the company's revenue coming from online sales. Like Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn has focused on how it can set itself apart from online sellers like Amazon and Wayfair. One of these innovations is an augmented-reality app called 3D Room View, which allows customers to see how products will fit in their home. 

The two stores are similar in many ways. They both have relatively strict return policies, with Crate & Barrel accepting non-furniture items within 90 days with proof of purchase, and furniture within 30 days. Pottery Barn accepts returns on eligible items within 30 days with a receipt. In addition, both stores also have a ton of products that qualify for free shipping on their websites.

Though the stores appear to be remarkably similar, we visited both and found one to be better than the other:  

SEE ALSO: We visited H&M and Zara to see which was a better fast-fashion store — and the winner was clear for a key reason

My first stop was Manhattan's only Crate & Barrel store.

Immediately in the entryway was a sign advertising 20% off outdoor dish sets.

The environment of the store was very inviting. The dim yellow lights and soft music created a very mellow atmosphere, making it feel homey. There was a ton of decor at the front of the store.

While we all have those habitual food habits that may seem harmless, it's definitely safe to say that there are some sneaky food mistakes out there which you are making every day without even realizing it.

These dirty food habits tend to cause unintentional weight gain, unhealthy sugar levels, and can be pretty bad for our health generally speaking.

To see what other kinds of sneaky food mistakes should be on your radar, we spoke to dietitians and other medical professionals about some of those seemingly innocent (yet really damaging) habits you really should leave behind going forward. Here are some of the things they advise looking out for.

1. You are eating way too much sugar.

Sugar can be quite detrimental to your health, as Brooke Alpert, registered dietitian and author of "The Diet Detox" told INSIDER that excess added sugar is terrible for your waistline, heart, and skin. To avoid eating too much sugar throughout the day, Alpert recommends carefully (and thoroughly) reading your nutrition labels, as you're likely missing out on the really important parts (where you can see if there is sugar in your food) on the ingredient list.

2. You are waiting too long between meals.

Although she's not the biggest fan of grazing, Alpert said that waiting too long in between meals can set up a failure to eat in a controlled manner at your next meal. To avoid waiting too long, she recommends eating a snack or a nutritious meal every four hours.

3. You are turning your salad into a Big Mac.

There's no doubt that a salad can make for a very healthy meal, but Alpert said some salads can turn into a nutrition nightmare when overloaded with breaded chicken, tons of starchy vegetables, dried fruits, and too much salad dressing. To avoid packing on too much fat and calories in your salad, Alpert recommended filling your plate with lots of fresh veggies and with healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, and cheese.

Continuing its record-setting run, "Avengers: Infinity War" cracked the top ten of the highest-grossing movies of all time at the worldwide box office this week. 

Just over three weeks since its release, "Infinity War" has surpassed global totals from fellow Marvel properties like "Black Panther" and the first "Avengers." 

"Infinity War" could still make a run at another Disney-owned blockbuster, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." But it's unlikely to reach the top spot here. 

For this list, we turned to Box Office Mojo for its all-time data on worldwide box office grosses. 

Here are the 10 highest-grossing movies of all time worldwide:

SEE ALSO: The 10 highest grossing movies at the domestic box office, adjusted for inflation

10. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II" (2011)

Global box office: $1.341 billion

9. "Black Panther" (2018)

Global box office: $1.342 billion

8. "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)

Global box office: $1.405 billion

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:

• It's not a picnic without a picnic blanket, so we've done the research to find the best ones you can buy. The Picnic Time Outdoor Picnic Blanket Tote XL is our top pick because it's big, soft, and easy to carry around for any outdoor fun you can imagine.

Don’t let the name fool you — A picnic blanket can be many things to many people. Sure, you can have a picnic on one, but you can also watch a concert, take it camping, sunbathe, lie your baby on it, and so much more. In recent years, the classic red and white checked picnic blanket has gotten a serious upgrade with waterproof linings, weighted corners, and other handy innovations. 

There are a lot of different picnic blankets in all shapes and sizes these days. You can get one that rolls up and attaches to your backpack or turns into a tote, a blanket that folds up into a package that's small enough to stuff in your pocket, or one that's somewhere in the middle. Regardless of your preferences, we have a pick for you in our guide.

Here are our top picks for the best picnic blankets you can buy:

• Best picnic blanket overall: Picnic Time Outdoor Picnic Blanket Tote XL
• Best picnic blanket for comfort: Nemo Victory Blanket
• Best picnic blanket for kids: MIU Color Blanket
• Best picnic blanket for colder weather: Down Under Stadium Blanket
• Best compact picnic blankets: Matador Pocket Blanket and Mini Pocket Blanket
• Best picnic blanket for camping: 3S Compact Blanket
•  

Read on in the slides below to check out all our favorite picnic blankets.

SEE ALSO: The best sunscreen you can buy

The best picnic blanket overall

Why you'll love it: The Picnic Time Outdoor Picnic Blanket Tote XL is a double-sized blanket that folds up easily, plus, it has a soft fleece interior and a water-resistant backing.

The Picnic Time Outdoor Picnic Blanket Tote XL has a little something for everyone. It has polyester fleece on one side and a water-resistant backing on the flipside. The blanket measures 70 x 80 inches when unfurled and it folds up to a package that's just 18 x 5 inches. Plus, it only weighs one pound, so it's easy to carry.

Up to six adults can sit on the blanket without being crowded, and two adults can lie on it comfortably (three if you don’t mind cuddling). The fleece is soft and lightly padded and it comes in 10 different colors and patterns. 

The water-resistant underside is perfect for wet grass and helps keep the blanket clean. It comes with a lifetime guarantee, too. Best of all, once you fold it up, it becomes a convenient carry bag with a zippered pocket. You can stash your keys, phones, books, or small electronics in it and forego carrying an extra bag along with your blanket.

On Amazon, buyers rate this blanket highly with most reviews coming in at 4 or 5 stars. Reviewers say it holds up well in different environments, feels soft and cozy, folds up easily, and keeps light moisture out. It's also quite affordable given its large size.

Reviewers at the Wirecutter liked how easy it was to carry this blanket, but disliked that it left lint on clothes.

Pros: Large size, water-resistant back, folds into handy tote, affordable

Cons: Not well-padded, can be hard to refold, not machine washable

Buy the Picnic Time Outdoor Picnic Blanket Tote XL on Amazon for $25.99 to $29.99 (originally $40)

The best picnic blanket for comfort

Why you'll love it: The Nemo Victory Blanket is a cozy and comfortable picnic blanket, thanks to its extra padding, waterproof bottom layer, and easy-to-fold design.

With more padding in its soft, flannel top than any other blanket in our guide, we recommend the Nemo Victory Blanket for picnics on harder ground or for families with smaller children and babies who want more comfort.

Because the bottom of the blanket is made of waterproof polyurethane, you can easily take it to the beach or even use it as the floor of your tent. When you’re done, just roll or fold it up and use the attached elastic bands to secure it for simple carrying. It even has storage pockets for phone, keys, and snacks.

The blanket is soft and cozy, plus, it's machine washable, so if you spill anything on it, it's easy to clean. The Nemo Victory Blanket comes in a two-person size or a larger four-person size to suit most people's needs.

It is a bit heavier than some of the other blankets in our guide, with the 4-person size weighing in at about 3 pounds and the 2-person size weighing about 2 pounds, but that's to be expected from a well-padded blanket.

Most buyers on Amazon are happy with the Nemo Victory Blanket. It gets mostly 5-star ratings. The only negative reviews center on quality concern, but those comments are very rare. Expert reviewers at the Wirecutter recommends this picnic blanket as the best one you can buy.

Pros: Soft flannel doesn’t trap dirt and dust, waterproof bottom, easy to carry without a separate case

Cons: Expensive, can create static, doesn’t come with stakes so will blow in wind

Buy the Nemo Victory Blanket on Amazon for $49.95 (2-person) or $79.95 (4-person) 

The best picnic blanket for kids

Why you'll love it: The easy-to-clean MIU Color Blanket is perfect for families with kids because it resists stains and liquid spills.

The MIU Color blanket is very hard to destroy, so it's the perfect blanket for families with young, messy children. Whether you just spilled juice, milk, or red wine on the blanket, you can easily wipe it off with a wet towel, and voila! Your blanket is clean again.

The blanket's polyester surface is lightly padded, waterproof, and stain resistant. Although it's not as soft as flannel or fleece, it’s still soft enough for kids and adults to lay down on. The blanket also makes a great pet seat cover since it's so durable and stain resistant.

When you unfold it, the blanket measures 78.7 x 57.1 inches, so it's perfect for 2 to 4 people to sit on and enjoy a picnic.

The blanket doesn’t come with a bag, but it can be folded down to a smaller size and carried with the attached handle. When folded, it measures 12.5 x 10.6 inches, and it's fairly lightweight for its size, coming in at 3 pounds.

Most buyers on Amazon love it and give the MIU Color Blanket 4 or 5 stars, though some do complain that it's not a "blanket" per se because it has a vinyl, plasticky feel. Experts at the Wirecutter also recommend this blanket.

Pros: Simple to clean, lightweight, waterproof

Cons: Not well padded, thin, fabric not very comfortable to lie on

Buy the MIU Color blanket on Amazon for $18.99+ (originally $29.99)

"Fortnite" is a free game — stop wondering.

There's a paid version of it, and you can buy stuff in it, but it costs nothing to jump into the game's wildly popular "Battle Royale" mode that pits 100 players against each other in a fight to the death.

If you are going to buy something in "Fortnite"— or you want to give a "Fortnite" fanatic a great gift — there's one item that's more important than anything else: the so-called "Battle Pass," which costs roughly $10.

Here's why it's such a crucial item.

SEE ALSO: There's a simple, obvious reason 'Fortnite' is the biggest game in the world right now

DON'T MISS: 15 tips and tricks to play and win at Fortnite Battle Royale, the most popular game in the world right now

1. The Battle Pass makes "Fortnite" into a much more rewarding experience.

The draw of "Fortnite" is the game's "Battle Royale" mode, no doubt, but part of what keeps people playing is the game's progression system. The more you play the game, the more stuff you unlock for your character — outfits, dances, and a variety of other cosmetic inanity.

Crucially, none of these unlocks offer a competitive advantage.

They're intended as a fun addition — for personalizing your avatar, and showing off a bit. Maybe you've got a rare backpack, for instance! Experienced players will know it's something you could only get by playing a ton of the game, or mastering a specific challenge, or whatever else. 

By buying the Battle Pass, the game's progression system instantly becomes more complex and rewarding. You'll unlock far more stuff in a far shorter period of time, and the stuff is also much better. 

2. Better still: There are a ton of challenges to complete with the Battle Pass, which turns the game into something much more interesting.

In buying the Battle Pass, you unlock Battle Pass challenges, which are lengthy lists of objectives that turn each round of "Fortnite" into something different. 

Tired of trying (and likely failing) to reach first place? Why not tackle some challenges!

Go collect the letters that spell out "Fortnite," for instance, or loot eight different chests in Tilted Towers — whatever the objective may be, however silly.

It's a subtle layer of additional objectives, and one you could fully ignore, but why would you? It's a ton of fun, and it's a nice additional push that keeps me playing. 

Even if you're not interested in tackling specific objectives, it's entirely likely you'll accidentally complete some just by playing the game. Often, challenges are as simple as, "Kill two players using shotguns."— the kind of thing you're likely to do in the course of play.

Thus: Having the Battle Pass is a worthwhile purchase even if you're not interested in tackling side objectives.

3. The stuff you get is beyond worth the $10 asking price for the Battle Pass.

You can buy some pretty swanky stuff for your avatar in the "Fortnite" digital store. 

• America is home to some of the most iconic buildings in the country.
• But some of the country's most notable buildings are the ones that have fallen from grace.
• They include demolished skyscrapers like New York's Singer Tower and abandoned wonders like Houston's Astrodome and San Francisco's Sutro Baths.

American cities are always being rebuilt.

While cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco boast some of the most iconic buildings in the country, they also contain some notable buildings that have fallen from grace.

New York City's Singer Tower, for example, was once the tallest building in the world, but was knocked down in 1968 to make room for an even taller skyscraper.

The Astrodome in Houston, once a marvel of stadium design, is still standing, but fell into disrepair and has been closed for nearly a decade.

Read on to learn about some of America's iconic buildings that have fallen from grace:

SEE ALSO: The tallest building in every US state

DON'T MISS: A video filmed in 1911 shows everyday life in New York City 100 years ago — see how it compares to Manhattan today

New York City was home to many of the country's iconic buildings that have fallen from grace. They include the media offices that comprised "Newspaper Row" near City Hall.

Source: Business Insider

Only the New York Times building remains standing today. It was purchased by Pace University in 1951 and is used for classrooms and offices.

New York's Hippodrome Theater was hailed as the world's largest theater when it was completed in 1905. Seating 5,300 people, the theater hosted circus performances, plays, and one of Harry Houdini's most memorable magic shows.

Source: Business Insider

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

According to the NRDC, America doesn't end up eating about 40% of its food. That's a lot when looked at as a hard number, but probably comes as less of a shock after the fourth week in a row that you've thrown out soggy, black lettuce from the back of the refrigerator. 

The good-ish news is that because we waste about 50% more food today than we did in 1970, it should be relatively easy to cut back on it (especially with the innovations of the last 45+ years) if we just devote a bit more effort to it. Or, if we just bought smarter products that do some of the magical life-lengthening preservation for us.

In turn, we'll save resources, refrigerator space, and more money for other things we enjoy. 

It could be as simple as a weekly "use it up" dinner, where you try to concoct a delicious Instant Pot meal of your leftovers from the week, or as low-maintenance as getting an inexpensive device to suck up the ethylene gas (which causes ripening) in your fruit and veggie drawer. It all depends on your lifestyle, budget, and what you find yourself most often wasting. 

Below are 18 kitchen tools and tricks to cut down on food waste: 

SEE ALSO: The go-to coffee-brewing equipment for baristas is surprisingly affordable

A little apple that absorbs the gas that speeds up ripening

A colorful vegetable saver that extends shelf life and contains odors

The Hutzler Onion Saver extends the shelf life of a cut onion and contains onion odors. You can get it in the shape of various fruits and vegetables so it's always easy to distinguish between them in the fridge. 

Eco-friendly, reusable food wrap

Technology companies continue to be some of the most valuable private companies in the world, according to PitchBook's most recent list of the highest valuations of VC-backed companies. 

Uber tops the list as of May 2018, but it's followed closely by its Chinese competitor, DiDi. In fact, there are a total of five ride-hailing companies on the list; Lyft, Indonesian GO-JEK, and Singapore's Grab are also on there.

Of the 26 tech companies on the list, 12 are based out of the US and 10 are headquartered in China. Eight of the companies' most recent deals were led by SoftBank Capital — the US-based venture capital firm that invests heavily in technology — and ranged from $20 million (Palantir) to $4.6 billion (Didi).

Here are the most valuable tech companies in the world, from lowest valuation to highest: 

Ubtech: $5 billion

The Shenzhen, China-based maker of entertainment and educational robots last raised $820 million in a deal led by Tencent Holdings on May 4, 2018.

Machine Zone: $5 billion

Machine Zone is based out of Palo Alto and develops multi-player mobile games. Its latest deal was a $330 million funding round in 2016, led by undisclosed investors. 

Coupang: $5 billion

A Korean e-commerce marketplace for consumer products, tickets, and more that raised $1 billion in 2015, in a deal led by SoftBank Capital. 

While beaches might steal the summer vacation thunder, America also has some incredible lakes. 

From famous names like Lake Tahoe, which straddles the California-Nevada border, to hidden gems such as Oklahoma's Lake Tenkiller, here are the 20 most beautiful lakes in America, ranked. 

20. Lake Eklutna, Alaska

Less than an hour outside Anchorage, Lake Eklutna is an under-the-radar destination that can be explored byhiking, biking, and even by ATV. Kayaking is also popular. It's located inside Chugach State Park, whichspans 495,000 acres of rugged Alaskan terrain.

19. Lake Ouachita, Arkansas

Lake Ouachita (pronounced Wash-ah-taw), the biggest manmade lake in Arkansas, boasts 40,000 acres of pristine water and is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and diving. Development was prohibited along the lake's 600-mile shoreline, leaving a tree-lined sanctuary that features a geo-float trail— the first water-based interpretive trail in the National Trails System — and one of the world's largest crystal veins.

18. Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire

Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake, spans 20 miles at the foot of the White Mountains. About 275 islands dot its surface.

On TripAdvisor, one user calls Lake Winnipesaukee the "most beautiful lake in New Hampshire," while others note that it's a great destination for activities such as kayaking, boating, and swimming. 

Though offices have been around since what seems like the beginning of time, our experiences in them have drastically changed. Gone are the days of fax machines, Rolodexes, and smoking in the office. Now things are done on smartphones, snacks are more often free, and more workplaces are open plan. 

We rounded up some of the biggest changes in offices in the last 50 years.

Lots of machines did the work of one computer.

Before computers became ubiquitous in offices, employees relied on a variety of gadgets to get their work done. Today most tasks are done electronically and online. 

You don't need to be in the same room with someone to sign a document.

From signing paychecks to offers of employment, it all usually had to be done in person or copied by a Xerox machine. 

Now, you can use apps and programs to send a document and sign it in the palm of your hand. 

Pregnancy was a fireable offense.

That’s right—prior to the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, employers could fire expectant moms to save the company’s bottom line from the added expense of time off and health benefits. In the mid-1960s, only 44% of first-time mothers worked during pregnancy, compared to more than 65% today, according to the Department of Labor.

Michael Jordan's competitiveness is as legendary as his career.

Jordan was known as one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA, unafraid to talk trash and mix it up with other players. 

However, that competitiveness extended beyond the court. He was known to be ruthless in golf and would look to make everything a competition — even drinking water.

Here are 21 examples of Jordan's insane competitiveness.

Actor Will Smith said he's never met anyone as competitive as MJ.

"Mike will compete with anything, though. If we're drinking water, Mike will be like, 'I'll race you!'"

Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live

He trashed all his doubters in his Hall of Fame induction speech, saying of former Bulls GM Jerry Krause: "I don't know who invited him … I didn't."

Watch the video here >

He punched former Bulls teammate Steve Kerr in the face during a scrimmage.

Kerr said he talked back to MJ during training camp, and then:

"He punched me in the face … It was one of the best things that ever happened for me. I needed to stand up and go back at him. I think I earned some respect. But, we have a great relationship ever since … you gotta prove it, and then once you prove it, you're fine."

Source: Dan Patrick Show

• Phone use right before bed could be negatively impacting our sleep quality due to the way blue light affects our circadian rhythms.
• Since I often have trouble sleeping, I decided to stop looking at my phone for two hours before bed for a two-week period.
• As a result, I slept better, spent more quality time with my husband, and felt less anxious about my work.
  

As someone with generalized anxiety disorder, I often struggle to get restful sleep. I’ve tried it all: a weighted blanket, a white noise machine, earplugs. Though some remedies have helped temporarily, I’m always in search of a more permanent solution.

I’m well aware of the negative effects the blue light emitted from our phones can have on our sleep quality. So I decided to embark on an experiment: I wouldn’t look at my phone for two hours before bed for two weeks.

It turns out the benefits of not using my phone extended beyond just better sleep. Here’s how my no-phone-before-bed experiment went.

SEE ALSO: I swapped TV for books for 2 weeks, and it didn't have the effect I expected

1. I struggled at first, and instinctively reached for my phone

I’m not going to lie: The first few days were difficult. My fingers felt restless, and a couple of times I unconsciously reached for my phone.

2. I slept better

Despite being a notoriously bad sleeper, I got infinitely more restful sleep when I didn’t surf my phone before bed. Research has shown that people who use their phones before bed may get worse sleep than those who give their eyes a break from their phones at night. This one benefit inspired me to continue putting my phone out of reach for an hour or two before bed each night.

3. My husband and I spent more quality time together

The biggest impact this week-long challenge had on my life was in my marriage. Without our phones attached to our hands all night, my husband and I had deeper, more meaningful conversations. And instead of putting on Netflix and surfing the internet on our phones, we played cards or worked on a puzzle.

• The proper way to greet someone at a formal British occasion is "How do you do?"
• The royal wedding dress code includes tights, floor-length dresses that cover the shoulders, and hats.
• Dining etiquette, such as holding the fork and knife correctly, is essential.
• Holding the pinky up while drinking tea is considered rude.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming royal wedding will bring together the British elite and high society (as well as some lucky commoners) for an event that will be broadcast around the world, so it's important for guests to be on their best behavior.

Royal expert Myka Meier of Beaumont Etiquette shared her knowledge with INSIDER regarding etiquette rules at formal occasions in British society, like a royal wedding.

Here are 10 rules that guests will be expected to follow.

The proper greeting when meeting someone is "How do you do?"

Meier said that while the correct formal greeting varies throughout Great Britain, in London you would say "How do you do?" The formal reply would simply be "How do you do."

As for gestures of greeting, the correct way to say hello depends on context.

"In the British culture, it’s a handshake when meeting someone in business or social circumstances," Meier said. "You could offend someone by hugging upon an initial greeting. In more social situations with those you already know, a cheek kiss may be appropriate. While it's one kiss in America, it's two kisses in the UK — always start with the right cheek in both the US and UK."

Women attending the wedding must wear hats.

"Hats are considered the most important accessory for a lady when dressing for a traditional British wedding," Meier said.

Women wearing hats is a tradition that dates back to before the 1950s, when women rarely showed their hair in public, according to the BBC. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011 featured an eclectic display of fascinators. The upcoming royal wedding surely will, as well.

Pantyhose or tights are also essential for those wearing dresses.

Markle herself doesn't seem to be abiding by this rule just yet, as royal expert Victoria Arbiter previously told INSIDER that Markle appeared not to be wearing tights in her engagement photos. But at her wedding, guests wearing dresses will be expected to wear tights or stockings with them.

Network TV is setting up their schedules for the new year — getting rid of some of the old, bringing back some favorites, and adding what they hope will stick.

New shows for the 2018-2019 season are being unveiled this weeks at an annual event known as upfronts.

This year's new shows have several name actors attached, including Nathan Fillion, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Taran Killam, and Leighton Meester.

Here are the new shows that have just been picked up by the networks:

Note: updated as networks announce decisions and release photos and trailers.

"Abby's" (NBC)

Stars: Natalie Morales, Nelson Franklin, Kimia Behpoornia, Jessica Chaffin, Leonard Ouzts, and Neil Flynn.

Network synopsis:"From the producers of 'The Good Place' comes a hilariously aspirational new comedy about the best bar in San Diego, home to good prices, great company, and, of course, Abby. This unlicensed, makeshift bar nestled in her backyard is the opposite of everything annoying about today's party scene. There are rules at Abby's: no cell phones (not even to 'look something up'), earning a seat at the bar takes time, and losing a challenge means drinking a limey, sugary 'not-beer' drink. As the oddball cast of regulars will tell you, hanging out at Abby's is a coveted honor. But once you're in, you're family."

Expected premiere: Midseason

"America's Got Talent: The Champions" (NBC)

Stars: N/A

Network synopsis: A brand new in-season spin-off "America's Got Talent,""The Champions," comes from executive producer and key judge Simon Cowell.

Expected premiere: Mondays in January and February 2019

"A Million Little Things" (ABC)

Stars:  David Giuntoli, Ron Livingston, Romany Malco, Allison Miller, Christina Moses, Christina Ochoa, James Roday, Stephanie Szostak, and Lizzy Greene

Network synopsis: "They say friendship isn't one big thing, it's a million little things; and that's true for a group of friends from Boston who bonded under unexpected circumstances. Some have achieved success, others are struggling in their careers and relationships, but all of them feel stuck in life. After one of them dies unexpectedly, it's just the wake-up call the others need to finally start living. Along the way, they discover that friends may be the one thing to save them from themselves."

Expected premiere: Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET, fall 2018

Watch the trailer.