• "Gossip Girl" ended nearly a decade ago, but its fashions are still relevant and trendy.
• Insider spoke to two stylists and had them rank characters' looks from least memorable to most iconic. 
• Stylists liked Vanessa Abrams' style but felt it was forgettable. 
• Blair Waldorf, Chuck Bass, and Nate Archibald all earned high honors for their wardrobes.
• Both experts agreed that Serena van der Woodsen's style deserved top marks.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Gossip Girl" ended nearly a decade ago, and it is still considered to be one of the most stylish shows of all time— but which character is the real Queen Bee when it comes to fashion? 

To figure out who deserves a spot at the top, Insider consulted Vanessa Menendez, a celebrity stylist and fashion historian based in Miami, Florida, and Jené Luciani, a style consultant and published author based in upstate New York.

Here's a ranking of "Gossip Girl" characters' style, from least memorable to most iconic.

Vanessa's style was low-key and often forgettable.

When Vanessa Abrams shows up during the first season, she's just returned from living with her sister in Vermont for a year. And even though she, like Dan, grew up in Brooklyn, Menendez finds her to be the least quintessentially "New York" of the characters. 

"Let's just say.... 'small-town girl living in a lonely world' replays in my head," Menendez said, speaking of Vanessa's fashions. 

And although she wasn't poorly dressed by any means, Vanessa had some questionable and forgettable outfits. 

"Her Vermont look is ever-present throughout the show. Vanessa isn't one for high fashion or bold looks, she likes to play on the fact that she's a small-town girl who doesn't care about money," she added. 

Lily may not be the biggest fashionista, but her style still wins points.

Lily van der Woodsen (formerly Lily Rhodes and Lily Bass), is positioned as the former "It Girl" who has mostly retired from the spotlight by the time her kids are in high school. 

But that doesn't mean Lily's not stylish — Luciana said she admires the simplicity of her looks.

"Lily was the classic mom we all aspire to be: elegant, sophisticated, and chic. Definitely still relevant for today," she added. 

"Underestimated hipster" Dan consistently wore stylish, casual looks.

Dan Humphrey may be at the bottom of the Upper East Side food chain, but his style actually translates really well.

Menendez praised Dan Humphrey for his cool, outsider look.

 "He's just got that handsome, mysterious, grunge look to a T. His style is smart and sexy, a reader-writer vibe. He can pull off oxfords, relaxed-fit jeans, a basic tee, and vest like no one else," she told Insider. 

Jenny earned respect from both experts.

Jenny Humphrey starts off the series as an unsure high-school freshman who is trying to find her footing on the Upper East Side, but she eventually becomes a total style icon who knows what she wants. 

Menendez told Insider that Jenny's style was probably the most dynamic of the whole cast. 

"One of the most evolved characters if you ask me. She starts out with an innocent, quirky, and preppy look," she added. "She later finds a style all her own, and with her natural-born creativity, stemming from her ex-rockstar dad and artist mom, it's no wonder she broke out of her shell."

Luciani said she also admires Jenny's DIY-style approach to fashion. 

"Jenny was the cutting-edge girl — trying to keep up with the others, but didn't have the budget so she made her own," she explained. 

Georgina made an impression with her dark, rocker style.

Both fashion experts commented on Georgina Sparks' dark, bad-girl style, befitting of the recurring villain's conniving and chaotic behavior.

"When the rest rocked bright colors, Georgina brought it back down to reality with her all-black ensembles — after all, this was New York City," Luciani told Insider. "Biker jackets with fringe, studded boots, and tons of accessories piled on at once were her style staples."

Menendez praised Georgina's dark, neutral color palette as well.

"She's extra chic in blacks and grays, playing with jewelry in the same color schemes, layering necklaces with cross embellishments, and rings. She's elegant in a mysterious 'Don't mess with me' kind of way," Menendez added. 

Blair made an impact on the fashion of the mid-aughts.

Menendez described Blair Waldorf's style as "Parisian Prep," always put-together with a romantic, European spin on prep-school chic.

"She loves to look prim and polished — you may never see a hair out of place," she explained. "Blair adds her own touch of Paris chic, with her love of stockings, headbands, cardigans, and a classic mini pump."

Luciani also pointed out Blair's penchant for strong looks, like bold prints, silhouettes, and accessories, even while remaining polished.

"Whatever trend she tried, she brought it to the extreme. That made for lots of drama, and not just in the storyline," Luciani told Insider. 

Blair also made a major fashion impact with her iconic headbands  — she made them a trendy statement piece of the early 2000s. 

Menendez ranked golden boy Nate as her favorite of the guys.

Nate Archibald takes the preppy vibe of the Upper East Side and puts his own romantic, sensitive spin on it.

And even though many of his looks are understated, Menendez said they stand out and hold up. 

"He has an effortlessly cool style," Menendez told Insider."Nate is edgy but oh-so chic. Button-ups (not tucked in) with blazers and loafers are Nate's best look." 

Chuck also received high marks from the stylists.

Luciani said Chuck Bass has the second-best style on the show, giving the brooding bad boy points for always looking polished and dapper.

"I love a good scarf and Chuck was the king of the scarf," she told Insider.

Menendez also agrees that his signature accessory seals the deal: "The scarf is Chuck's signature. It's not true 'Chuck Bass' fashion if it doesn't have a scarf."

"He loves a good suit, paired with the right button-up, vest, tie, belt, cuff links, and dress shoes. He loves to layer and [he] does it oh-so well," Menendez added. 

Both experts agree that Serena's style deserves top marks.

Both Luciani and Menendez said Serena van der Woodsen was their top pick in terms of fashion.

"She's the most in line with high fashion and the biggest risk-taker," Luciani told Insider. 

Menendez described Serena's look as "rebel princess," adding that her style is effortless and bold.

"Her party-girl past is always present even in her finest looks, from wearing her prep-school ties undone to mixing sequins in her black-tie-affair, or even daytime, looks. Her style is extremely bold, gutsy, edgy, and says 'Here I am' in the most effortless way possible," she told Insider. 

Read More:

• 8 relationship lessons you can learn from 'Gossip Girl,' according to a therapist
• We had interior designers critique 10 famous apartments from shows like 'Friends' and 'Gossip Girl'
• The first and last outfits of 12 characters on 'Gossip Girl'

• Getting your girlfriend a meaningful gift doesn't require hours of internet research on your part.
• The reporters and editors on the Insider Picks team spend every day covering the latest, greatest, and altogether best products you can buy, and we put together a list of thoughtful gifts for your girlfriend.
• Find all of our holiday 2019 gift guides here.

For couples, gifting can be especially enjoyable. You know what your partner loves, what small daily annoyances of theirs that you can solve with a thoughtful gift, and how much they'll appreciate knowing the gesture came from you.

Odds are you want to give them something wonderful — whatever your price range is. All you need is a little direction, and a few great options to choose from. Most of these have expedited shipping options too.

The top 5 best gifts for your girlfriend:

1. A beautiful candle from Otherland, a cool startup
2. A personalized gourmet coffee subscription from Driftaway Coffee
3. An Aquis towel that makes her hair dry faster
4. A gourmet Cozymeal cooking class with a renown chef 
5. A pair of wireless Apple AirPods

Check out all 49 gifts for your girlfriend:

SEE ALSO: 17 cool gift ideas for the music lover in your life

DON'T MISS: 25 affordable kitchen gifts under $50 that any home cook or baker will love

A beautiful cashmere sweater in tons of colors

Cashmere Crew, available on Everlane, $100

Everlane is a cult-favorite startup, and its $100 cashmere sweaters are one of its most popular products ever. Thanks to the company's transparent pricing, you get a really nice cashmere sweater for the price of a not-so-nice one — and this classic crewneck comes in 18 colors. 

If she's especially environmentally conscious, check out Reformation's cashmere. It's more expensive ($148), but it's made from 70% recycled cashmere. If you're looking for something even less expensive, cashmere startup Naadam has fantastic cashmere sweaters for $75, but they're prone to sell out. 

A camera lens kit for her phone

Olloclip Lens Kit, available on Olloclip, from $99.99

If she loves taking photos and wishes her phone's camera could do more tricks, pick up an Olloclip lens kit with a fish-eye, wide-angle, and macro lens inside. They work well and they're easy to use. Plus, the company even has a universal mount in the works.

Comfy, high-end sheets at the best price on the market

Luxe Hardcore Sheet Bundle, available on Brooklinen, from $219

Brooklinen is one of our favorite companies, point-blank. We think they make the best high-end sheets at the best price on the market, and most of the Insider Picks team uses Brooklinen on their own beds.

The Luxe Hardcore Sheet Bundle comes in 14 colors and patterns, and you can mix and match them to suit your taste. Grab a gift card if you want to give her more freedom. If you opt for a sheet bundle, she'll receive a core sheet set (fitted, flat, two pillowcases), duvet cover, and two extra pillowcases in soft, smooth 480-thread-count weave.

Beautiful candles from a cool startup

Manor House Weekend Candle, available on Otherland, $36

Otherland is a candle company started by Abigail Cook Stone, a former art buyer for Ralph Lauren. If you want to give your girlfriend a candle that burns for 55 hours, looks beautiful, and comes from a startup that she's probably seen (or coveted) before, this is a great option. Find a full review here.

A mug that keeps hot drinks hot for up to six hours straight

Hydro Flask Mug, 12 oz, available on Amazon, $29.95

This mug is a common desk companion for the Insider Picks team. The 12-ounce coffee mug has the company's proprietary TempShield insulation that made its water bottles famous. This mug will keep hot drinks hot for up to six hours, and cold drinks cold up to 24 hours. Read a full review of it here.

The internet's favorite olive oil

Awake Olive Oil, available for pre-order on Brightland, $37

Brightland's olive oils make great gifts for cooks and anyone who loves to entertain. The white bottles protect the EVOO from light damage and look nice displayed on a countertop. Find a full review here. 

The convenience of Apple AirPods

Apple AirPods, available on Amazon, $144 (originally $159)

When it comes to convenience, truly wireless earbuds are the best. And Apple's AirPods are very popular with iPhone and Android users alike. They look subtle compared to other bigger options, and they're incredibly easy to use. For the latest option, you can pick up AirPods Pro for $234.98 on Amazon too. 

A gift card to a popular wine subscription club

Gift Card, available on Winc, from $60

Winc is a personalized wine club — and we think the best one you can belong to overall. Members take a wine palate profile quiz and then choose from the personalized wine suggestions. Each bottle has extensive tasting notes and serving recommendations online, and makes it easy to discover similar bottles. 

Gift her a Winc gift card, and she can take a wine palate profile quiz and get started with her own customized suggestions. 

A high-tech towel that keeps her from slipping around during yoga classes

Manduka Yogitoes Yoga Mat Towel, available on Amazon, from $25.99

Manduka is known for making the best yoga products, and their Yogitoes towel is one of the most loved. It has tiny 100% silicone nubs on one side that grab yoga mats and keep yogis from slipping around during the exercise. Having a good towel can make a big difference. 

It also comes in 19 great colors and gets eco-friendly points. Each Yogitoes towel is made from eight recycled plastic water bottles, and made with dyes free of azo, lead, or heavy metal. 

The "world's most comfortable shoes"

Women's Wool Runners, available on Allbirds, $95 

Allbirds' newest collection is a line of water-resistant shoes, but for the uninitiated (or anyone looking for comfortable sneakers for casual wear), the classic Wool Runners make a great gift. 

A nice gold vermeil and sapphire zodiac sign necklace

Zodiac Necklace, available on Mejuri, $80

Mejuri is a Canadian startup created in 2015 to make fine jewelry affordable to buy — and it has racked up wait lists with more than 40,000 people on them before. Their popular Zodiac Necklace is cool, minimalist, and something she can wear every day. It's made in gold vermeil with AAA quality white sapphires. Mejuri's affordable pricing means the estimated traditional retail price of the same necklace elsewhere would be closer to $235.  

A popular fitness tracker

Fitbit Charge 3, available on Amazon, $139.99

The Fitbit Charge 3 isn't the newest model the company has released, but it is perhaps the best and most popular. It has a lot of useful activity tracking features without a big, clunky screen or an exorbitant price. It has a built-in heart rate monitor, in-depth sleep tracking, advanced workout features, and real-time workout tracking on the screen. The battery life lasts around six days. 

A monogrammed jewelry case from a minimalist fashion startup

Leather Jewelry Case, available on Cuyana, $115 (+ $15 for monogram)

Keeping track of tiny and delicate jewelry is difficult — but jewelry cases are a pretty and useful solution. Especially if you've gotten her jewelry in the past, or plan to in the future, this is a thoughtful and personalized gift. It's made from premium leather, comes in six colors, and can be monogrammed with her initials. Cuyana is also a cool leather bag startup she may have already heard of. 

A customized map of her favorite place

Custom Map Poster, available on Grafomap, from $49

Grafomap lets you design custom maps of anywhere in the world — like the first place you met, the best trip you ever took together, or the hometown she couldn't wait to show you. It's unique, thoughtful, and pretty inexpensive.  You can find the full Insider Picks review here.

Plan a trip for the two of you to take together — and maybe use this online travel concierge to help

Journy Gift Card, available on Journy, from $50

Airbnb Gift Card, available on Airbnb, from $25

If you want to gift an experience for the two of you to enjoy together, grab a card, a gift card to Journy or Airbnb, and come with a few location ideas in mind. 

If you haven't heard of Journy, it's a startup that matches you with an expert travel planner to design the ideal trip for $25 per day — complete with booking hotels, making restaurant reservations, and keeping landmarks and local haunts in mind. If you want to surprise her with a trip already planned, go through Journy yourself and present her with the full, detailed plan.

You can also book a hotel in your city on Booking.com or Expedia for a sweet staycation. 

A new waterproof Kindle Paperwhite for reading anywhere

Kindle Paperwhite, available on Amazon, $129.99

Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhite is its thinnest and lightest yet, with double the storage. Perhaps the best features are that it's waterproof and has built-in adjustable light for the perfect reading environment indoors or outdoors, day and night. If she loves a nice, relaxing bath, pair this with a caddy, bath bombs, and a glass of wine for a relaxing night in that you've already taken care of.

A cult-favorite hair towel that reduces damage and cuts drying time by 50%

Aquis Rapid Dry Hair Towel, available on Amazon and Sephora, from $20.99 

A funny and unique handmade card

You've Stolen a Pizza My Heart Handmade Card, available on Etsy, $4.25

You can pick up a card from Walgreens on your way to exchange gifts, but it'll mean more if you think just a few days ahead. Etsy has great options for cheap, unique, handmade gifts that are cool and thoughtful. This one is handmade watercolor print, and it's lovably funny and sweet. 

A fun, unique local date

Airbnb Experiences, available on Airbnb, from $25

Local pasta-making classes, wine tours, pottery workshops, secret concerts, nature outings — you can book from thousands of fun classes and experiences on Airbnb Experiences to make wherever you live feel new, exciting, and full of possibilities. It's also an under-utilized part of Airbnb, making it a thoughtful and unusual gift — and one you may keep using yourselves for out-of-the-box date nights in the future. Find out more here. 

A 100% silk pillowcase that reduces frizz and keeps skin hydrated overnight

Celestial Silk Pillowcase, available on Amazon, from $35.99

Silk pillowcases reduce frizz and damage to hair and make it look shiny and healthy. It also reduces the likelihood of wrinkles and keeps skin hydrated overnight by absorbing less of the moisturizer in her skin as she sleeps. 

This particular Celestial Silk pillowcase is one of the internet's hidden gems. It's $40 on Amazon (lesser quality options go for $85), but we rated it the best silk pillowcase you can buy in the Insider Picks buying guide. It's the one I personally own, and it makes a big difference for frizzy hair.

A houseplant that arrives already potted and is easy to care for

Silver Evergreen, available on Leon & George, $109

Leon & George is a San Francisco startup that will send beautiful plants — potted in stylish, minimalist pots — to her door. All she has to do is to occasionally add water. Flowers are wonderful, but houseplants have a much longer shelf life, and most of Leon & George's options are very easy to care for. 

Beautiful earrings she'll own forever

Triple Threat White Topaz Huggies, $150

Stone and Strand is a one-stop shop for affordable fine jewelry. According to the site, the Triple Threat White Topaz Huggies are limited edition and 100% ethically mined, and no two pieces are exactly alike. 

A membership to a popular skin-care and makeup subscription that sends new, cool, and best-selling products once per month

Birchbox 3-Month Gift Subscription, available on Birchbox, $45

Birchbox is a skincare and makeup subscription that sends tons of samples of new and cult-favorite products to subscribers so they can find products they love without much commitment or cost upfront. Makeup and skin-care products can be expensive, so this is a particularly helpful service. 

A stylish leather makeup pouch that's thoughtful and easy to travel with

Lola Toiletries Pouch, available on Dagne Dover, $75

Dagne Dover is quickly becoming one of the best women's handbag companies to know, and their Lola Toiletries Pouches are a great and relatively affordable gift. The small size ($75) is perfect for everyday makeup essentials, and the large ($105) can be used for toiletries, makeup, or as a small purse. It's made from beautiful pebbled leather, and you can pick from seven foolproof color choices. 

The new Sonos Move portable speaker

Sonos Move, $399

The Sonos Move is one of the best speakers on the market. It's powerful, can be controlled by your voice or an app, and has Amazon Alexa built in so on WiFi you can play music, check the news, set alarms, get your questions answered, and more, without much effort.

A small skin-care tool that removes 99.5% of dirt, oil, and makeup residue

Foreo Luna Facial Cleansing Brush, available on Amazon, $99

Our team swears by these gentle yet effective cleaning brushes. They have hygienic silicone bristles and come in five different models for different skin types. The Luna is small enough to bring on the go, so they can maintain their skin-care routine while traveling. 

A leather wallet from the same manufacturer as Prada for a fraction of the price

Brynn Zip Around Wallet, available on Italic, $100

Italic is a startup that makes unbranded luxury goods from the same factories that produce designs for brands like Givenchy or scents for Le Labo — minus the markup. The Zip-Around Wallet is made from soft, calfskin leather and comes in four classic colors. It comes from the same manufacturer as Celine and Prada, and Italic estimates it would cost $295-$300 in traditional retail. It's also good to note that the company plants one tree for every order. You can find a full review of the company's leather goods here, and of their candles here. 

A subscription to a coffee service that sends coffees specifically for her taste preferences

3-Month Subscription, available on Driftaway Coffee, from $44

If she loves coffee, she'll probably love to try Driftaway. It's a gourmet coffee subscription that gets smarter the longer you use it, remembering your preferences and steering you towards increasingly accurate brews for your specific tastes. The first shipment will be a tasting kit with four coffee profiles, which she'll rate online or in the app to start getting personalized options.

A book of love letters written by history's great men

Love Letters of Great Men, available on Amazon, $12.56

It can be hard to do yourself justice in words — whether they're spoken or written in a card. This compilation of love letters written by great men can help you say it without actually technically saying it. Bonus points if you write your own, or mark the ones in the book that most closely resemble your own feelings.  

A beautiful diamond necklace she'll have forever

Diamond Bezel Necklace, available on AUrate, $320

A diamond necklace doesn't have to be thousands of dollars, as fine jewelry startups like AUrate are proving. This necklace is something she can keep and wear forever, and both the solid gold and conflict-free diamonds are of the highest quality. 

Cozy fuzzy socks and the tools for a great night in

UGG Australia Chenille Crew Socks, available at Bloomingdale's, $20

Pair these with her favorite comfy products for an ideal "night in": bath bombs, sheet masks, candles, wine, and maybe a gift card to her favorite place to order take-out from. 

A cooking class from one of the nation's top chefs

Gift Card, available on Cozymeal, from $50

With a Cozymeal class, they'll learn how to make anything from fresh pasta to Argentinian staple dishes from the nation's top chefs. In addition to cooking classes, Cozymeal offers food tours in various cities. 

You can also book a cooking class through Sur La Table depending on your location. 

A pair of leggings from an eco-conscious startup

Seamless LITE High-Rise Legging, available on Girlfriend Collective, $78

Girlfriend Collective is an affordable, unique fitness startup that makes stylish workout gear — which also happens to be made out of eco-friendly materials like recycled fishing nets and plastic water bottles— in ethical factories. 

The best bathrobe that money can buy

Bathrobe, available on Snowe, $98

Snowe's $98 unisex bathrobe has been called the best and most absorbent terry robe on the market, and I'm just one more fervent believer. The cotton fiber traps air for extra absorbency, is soft and plush, and the unisex sizing means it will feel like a blanket-turned-robe. Perfect functionality, and extra points for coziness.

a personalized passport cover and luggage tag set

Passport Cover and Luggage Tag Set, available on Leatherology, $65 

Beautiful passport sets are a great gift for plenty of reasons. They're useful, likely something she won't have already bought herself, and are often associated with the joy and excitement of travel. Sometimes, you want to own one thing for a long time — and luggage tags and the memories that accompany them are one of those items.

You can get this monogrammed starting from $20 for a bit more personalization, too. 

A gift set of a dozen decadent bath bombs

Bath Bomb Gift Set, available on Amazon, $26.80

This bath bomb gift set comes with 12 handcrafted bath bombs that range from mango-papaya to lavender in scent, and some of which include flower petals. They're a great addition to a long bath, as is a bamboo bathtub tray. 

A plug-in that adds voice-control to outlets

Wemo Mini Smart Plug, available on Amazon, $21.96

These plug-ins will turn a "dumb" outlet into a smart outlet. Plug in the WeMo Mini Smart Plug, download the free app, and that's it — you control your lights and appliances from your phone anywhere and your voice through Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Home Kit. It only needs WiFi — no expensive hub. 

A subscription to a famous book club that sends her great hardcovers once per month

3-Month Subscription, available on Book of the Month, $49.99

If she loves books, Book of the Month is an especially thoughtful and unique gift — it's a book club that has been around since 1926, and it's credited with discovering some of the most beloved books of all time ("Gone with the Wind" and "Catcher in the Rye" to name a couple). 

If you gift her a subscription, she'll receive a hardcover book delivered to her door once a month. Books are selected by a team of experts and celebrity guest judges.

If she's really more into audiobooks or e-reading now rather than hardcovers, check out a gift subscription to Scribd (full review here).

A gift bundle of the best hair dryer ever invented and popular hair products from a celebrity hair stylist's line

Dyson Blown-A-OUAI Set, available at Nordstrom, $399

This gift may seem inexplicably expensive, but it's actually considered a steal to those with either product on their wish lists (retail value: $466). The award-winning Dyson blow dryer is covetable, and lauded as the best one ever invented; It prevents hair damage by measuring air temperature 20 times per second, has a specially designed Dyson motor for fast drying, and reduces static, breakage, and makes hair look smooth and shiny.

The Ouai products are from celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin's personal line. She's best known for stylish the Kardashians, Jessica Alba, and Sofia Vergara.  

A gift card to ClassPass so she can go to tons of boutique fitness classes without the expense

Gift Card, available on ClassPass, from $1

Boutique fitness classes are expensive. ClassPass makes them less so. With ClassPass, she can drop into diverse exercise classes at tons of different specialized studios for $15 or less per class (about half their traditional cost). If she likes to be kept active, is looking for a newfound favorite class, or likes yoga as much as barre classes, this is a great gift she'll actually use.

Lush, subtly scented body wash

The Body Wash, available on Necessaire, $25

New startup Necessaire formulates its body care products with nourishing vitamins and clean ingredients. The subtly scented Body Wash will leave their skin feeling clean, soft, and nourished. 

A stylish, savvy carry-on with an external battery pack

Carry-On, available on Away, $225

Away's hyper-popular suitcases deserve their hype. Their hard shell is lightweight but durable, their 360° spinner wheels make for seamless traveling, and the external (and ejectable and TSA-compliant) battery pack included can charge a smartphone five times over so she never has to sit behind a trash can at the airport for access to an outlet again. It's also guaranteed for life by Away. Find our full review here.

A stylish weekender to keep her organized on the go

Caraa Sport Studio Tote Large, $250

Caraa Sport makes some of the most functional and best-looking gym bags on the market. This one can transition from tote to backpack by adding straps, has a hidden shoe compartment, and has a waterproof and antimicrobial lining.

An award-winning but pricey at-home facial

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial, available on Sephora, $80

This is an award-winning mask with a big following in the beauty and skin-care community. It's $80, but it's an at-home pro-quality facial she can use anytime — which is a fraction of the price required for regular facials.

A framed keepsake of a favorite memory

Framed photo, available on Framebridge, from $39

Gift Card, available on Framebridge, from $25

Framebridge makes custom framing for not-custom-framing prices. You can print or paint something on your own and have it framed, or have them print and frame it, and you can take advantage of the team of designers for help deciding what frame to get. 

A gift card for delicious healthy meals she can make in about 30 seconds

Gift Card, available on Daily Harvest, from $25

Daily Harvest is a food startup that makes it possible to eat healthy, delicious meals for less than $10 each even if you only have 30 seconds to spare for prep time. Meals are pre-portioned, delicious, and designed by both a chef and a nutritionist to make sure they're tasty and good for you. It addressed all my healthy eating roadblocks. 

Fancy popcorn and a movie night

Popcorn Seasoning Set, available on UncommonGoods, $30

Fandango Gift Card, from $15

Grab these handmade popcorn seasonings (white cheddar, salt & vinegar, buttery garlic, and smokey BBQ) from Uncommon Goods and make some fancy popcorn for a movie night. Or, make a reservation at a nice restaurant, stock up on her favorite movie candy and some fun drinks ahead of time (wrap them for an extra wow-factor), get a Fandango gift card, and take her out for a dressed-up version of the classic movie date. 

Kitchen towels that rate wines by how well they pair with certain foods

Wine Pairing Towel Set, available on Uncommon Goods, $28

If she loves having a nice glass of wine and/or cooking, she'll appreciate the thought behind these unique wine pairing towels. Grab a bottle and some corresponding ingredients for a fun night in for the two of you.

16 highly-rated sheet masks

Sheet Mask Set, available on Amazon, from $9.99

Grab her 16 sheet masks to make it easier for her to have a frequent and well-deserved "treat yourself" day. These 16 are highly-rated and have both vitamin E and collagen included for healthy, happy skin.   

Looking for more gift ideas? We've got you covered.

• Our master list of every gift guide you'll ever need
• 50 creative gift ideas under $25
• 50 thoughtful gift ideas under $50
• 76 clever gift ideas under $100
• 44 cool stocking stuffers on Amazon
• 26 affordable tech gifts under $25
• 51 thoughtful gifts for her, all under $50
• 65 cool gifts for him on Amazon

• President Donald Trump's impeachment hearing went public on Wednesday, and it's a foreign landscape compared to the two presidents who went before him.
• He's the fourth president to face impeachment proceedings, after Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Andrew Johnson. But Johnson's was hugely different since it took place in 1868.
• Media coverage makes a big difference. For Nixon, since coverage was mostly in television and print, it was communal, and the nation gathered together to watch his hearings unfold on primetime TV.
• For Clinton, television news was becoming more politicized, and the internet and talk radio were just beginning to flourish.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A president facing impeachment might be America's greatest drama.

President Donald Trump's impeachment hearing went public this week, and it's a foreign landscape compared to the two presidents who went before him.

It won't be the communal experience of a nation watching, like it was with former President Richard Nixon. But it's still going to hold the nation's attention.

In 1973, when the Watergate impeachment hearing was happening, America only had three television networks. It's estimated that 80% of Americans tuned in for at least part of the telecasts. Variety called it "the hottest daytime soap opera."

When former President Bill Clinton's impeachment proceedings were broadcast in 1998, television news had become politicized and diversified, and the internet was in its infancy. It was the first proper ratings competition for CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.

For Trump, there'll be no singular television audience. Instead there'll be a direct channel to the president through his Twitter account. There'll be live-streaming, blog updates, and 24/7 news. It's going to be a spectacle.

These historic photos show what the last two impeachment proceedings looked like, and how they compare to Trump's.

SEE ALSO: What happened when US presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton faced impeachment, and how it compares to today

DON'T MISS: The public Trump impeachment hearings begin Wednesday. Here's who's testifying and how to watch.

In the summer of 1973, millions of Americans gathered in their living rooms to watch former President Richard Nixon's impeachment hearings on television at 8 p.m. ET for weeks on end.

Sources: Washington Post, Senate

Almost 25 years later, in 1998, America still watched former President Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings, but they did it from a variety of places. No more popcorn on the couch — people could work out while watching the latest developments.

Source: Forbes

With Nixon, people become obsessed, watching the saga unfold day after day, seeing disclosures about the cover-up to get dirt on his political opponents come one after another that summer. They got to decide who was the villain and who was the hero.

Source: Washington Post 

Clinton's impeachment proceedings were less about villains and heroes. The special counsel Ken Starr's probe into Clinton's real estate investments morphed into an investigation into his affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Updates on Watergate came through the television, or in newspapers. Variety called the hearings the "hottest daytime soap opera." ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS televised the hearing. But while most networks rotated coverage to make space for soap operas and game shows, PBS televised all 250 hours.

Source: CBC

Since Fox News and MSNBC had only launched in 1996, Clinton's televised hearing became the first proper ratings competition between the three networks, including CNN, which launched in 1980. All three rose during the heights of the hearing, and all three networks' ratings dropped right after the trial.

Source: Forbes

PBS anchor Robert MacNeil said the televised broadcast of Nixon's impeachment was a Shakespearean drama. "The forces hostile to the king are rising on all sides," he said, as "messenger after messenger rushes in with bad news."

Source: Washington Post

Clinton's impeachment, by contrast, was a strange time for the media and the public. Some felt queasy about having a national debate over the president's sex life.

Source: The New York Times

But as the editor in chief of The American Spectator said, "If you have a tabloid president, you're going to be tabloid."

Source: The New York Times

The key piece of evidence of Nixon's wrongdoing was secret White House tapes, edited transcripts of which are seen here. He refused to release them, only acquiescing after the Supreme Court ruled he had to turn them over to Congress.

Clinton's inquiry was summarized by the reveal of Lewinsky's semen-stained dress. The dress destroyed his claim that he'd never had sexual relations with her.

Source: The Washington Post

Dramatic testimonies were given about burglaries and lies, and Nixon struggled to communicate his own message to the public. In retrospect, some people thought Nixon was buried by the controversy because he talked about it so often.

Sources: The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The New York Times

Clinton and his staff didn't make that same mistake. They tried to do their jobs and never talk about it. The New York Times reported that Clinton's chief of staff John D. Podesta told staff he'd break their necks if they talked about Lewinsky. In Clinton's 1998 State of the Union address, he didn't mention his scandals at all.

Source: The New York Times

Television and print journalists flocked to the spectacle around Nixon.

Sources: The Washington Post, Forbes

And it was the same for journalists covering Clinton.

Sources: Forbes, Politico, The Washington Post

Except his impeachment trial happened during the boom of the internet. For the first time, people could find salacious details about a president's love life online. And news was unfolding in real time there. The Drudge Report, an online news site, broke the story about the Lewinsky affair before Newsweek.

Sources: Forbes, Politico, The Washington Post

The other big player was talk radio. In 1987, the FCC had abolished a rule requiring broadcasters to provide multiple perspectives on issues, allowing politically leaning radio personalities like Rush Limbaugh to rise to prominence. It changed the way news was delivered. Radio hosts like G. Gordon Liddy could joke crassly about Clinton sitting in the "Oral Office."

Source: Forbes

There were similarities between the hearings themselves, too. Those working on Nixon's hearing weren't extraordinarily diverse back in 1973.

They weren't much more diverse in 1999.

Lengthy petitions were hand delivered. This one, demanding Nixon's impeachment, was filled with 10,000 signatures and went for 80 yards.

Here, a woman stacks boxes filled with letters and petitions urging Congress to stop impeaching Clinton and censure him instead.

Transcripts of Nixon's Watergate conversations were so bulky the men appear to be struggling to carry them.

Evidence for Clinton's hearing came in large boxes, just like with Nixon.

As Nixon's inquiry progressed on television, the public wanted him to be impeached more and more, politics professor Arthur Sanders told the Washington Post.

Source: The Washington Post

Nixon did have his supporters. This group prayed and fasted while the House Judiciary Committee continued its impeachment inquiry. But they weren't the majority.

In comparison, as Clinton's impeachment hearing progressed, he had most of America on his side.

Source: Washington Post

Although he didn't have everyone. Here, protesters demanded his impeachment, with one sign reading, "Impeach Butthead."

Source: The Washington Post

For Clinton, as the coverage of the trial continued, the nation's interest wavered. By the time the Senate voted on impeachment, more people were watching the NFL on CBS than the combined total of viewers watching the vote on all of the other networks.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Nixon didn't lose attention in the same way. When he resigned to avoid being impeached, there were more than 60 million copies of weekday newspapers in circulation. Here tourists read a historic headline: "Nixon Resigning."

Source: Forbes

When the Senate acquitted Clinton, it was also on every newspaper front page.

On August 9, 1974, 110 million viewers tuned in to watch Nixon resign. At that time, it was the most-viewed show ever, except for the Apollo 11 moon landing. The population of the US that year was 214 million.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, US Census

After Clinton was acquitted, NBC's jumbotron in New York's Time Square declared the president was "Not Guilty."

People on the streets took a moment to let it sink in.

Now, it's Trump's turn. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives launched public hearings about whether he should be impeached. They're being televised, because the Democrats want to take control of the news cycle and garner as much support as they can get before formally impeaching him.

Sources: Reuters, BuzzFeed News

Differences are already noticeable. Journalists' notepads have been put aside for the recording functions of their phones.

Viewers will be able to stream the hearings on their phones and laptops, from a variety of networks, including Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and C-SPAN throughout the day, plus YouTube. Social media and news sites will deliver a constant flow of information.

Follow along here for live updates on the Trump impeachment hearings »

But some are worried about the coverage. Journalists Michael Winship and Bill Moyers, who worked for PBS during Nixon's reign, called on PBS to broadcast the hearings, like they did with Nixon, in a full-page New York Times ad. However, a spokeswoman for PBS said "we live in a vastly different media universe than we did 45-plus years ago."

Source: Washington Post

C-SPAN started in 1979, so it didn't exist during Nixon's impeachment hearings. It broadcast Clinton's, though, and is broadcasting Trump's.

Source: C-SPAN

Trump has already been harnessing social media to ensure he keeps his base locked down. His daily output on Twitter will add another dimension as the hearing goes public.

Sources: Washington Post, Los Angeles Times

Fox News' coverage could also change the public's perception. Since 2002 it's been America's most-watched cable network. And it's going to be providing two forms of coverage, one during the day of factual news, and one by night, from its opinion hosts like Tucker Carlson, which will likely spin things in Trump's favor.

Sources: Adweek, The Guardian

What happened to Nixon and Clinton is important for Trump's future. Sanders told the Washington Post that Democrats are hoping for a repeat of the Nixon model, while Trump's hoping for a repeat of the Clinton one.

Source: The Washington Post

Stay tuned. It's going to be a spectacle.

• Jennifer Aniston received the "People's Icon" career achievement award at the People's Choice Awards on November 10 and credited her role on the hit sitcom "Friends" for her success in her acceptance speech.
• On Tuesday, Deadline reported that a "Friends" reunion special is in the works at HBO Max.
• Forbes reported in August that Aniston is the fifth highest-paid actress and made an estimated $28 million before taxes from June 2018 to June 2019.
• She spends some of her fortune on real estate, beauty rituals, and philanthropy.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In her People's Icon acceptance speech at the People's Choice Awards on Sunday, Jennifer Aniston credited "Friends" with her career success.

"If I have any claim to this word 'icon,' it's only because I was able to be on an iconic show, with an iconic cast, and an iconic haircut," she said.

Now, it appears that iconic show may be making a long-anticipated return of sorts. Deadline reported on Tuesday that a "Friends" reunion special is currently in the works at HBO Max, the network's upcoming streaming platform.

Aniston separately made headlines when she joined Instagram on October 15 with a "Friends" reunion selfie and set a Guinness World Record for reaching one million followers in under six hours. But unlike most would-be influencers, Aniston likely won't be needing to cash in on Instagram ads and other #SponCon anytime soon.

In August, Forbes listed Aniston as the fifth highest-paid actress of the year, estimating that she made $28 million before taxes between June 2018 and June 2019 — and the potential "Friends" reunion special is likely to boost that number even higher next year.

Here's a look at how much Aniston made as a cast member on "Friends," what we know about her income post-show, and how she spends some of her fortune.

SEE ALSO: Jennifer Aniston's record-breaking debut on Instagram highlights 'The Aniston Effect' as her 'Friends' costars each gain over 1 million followers

NOW READ: Jennifer Aniston joined Instagram, broke it, and set a Guinness World Record — all in less than 6 hours

On Sunday, Jennifer Aniston received the People's Icon Award at the People's Choice Awards for her career achievements in film and television.

"Jennifer Aniston is a tour de force, who has portrayed some of the most iconic, unforgettable, and relatable characters of our time," said Jen Neal, General Manager, E! News, Live Events and Lifestyle Digital in an October People's Choice Awards press release. "For gracefully conquering comedy and drama on both the small and big screen, we're honoring Jennifer Aniston with 'The People's Icon of 2019.'"

Before joining the cast of the hit TV show "Friends" that launched her into the spotlight, Aniston got her start in the 1993 horror film "Leprechaun," in which her character is chased by a killer leprechaun.

Source:The Independent

Aniston joined the cast of "Friends" in 1994 and has made millions from the show, which aired for 10 seasons.

Source:Business Insider

In 2002, riding the tide of high ratings, the six principal "Friends" cast members banded together to negotiate $1-million-per-episode pay raises that amounted to $22 million per season.

Source:Business Insider

By the time "Friends" wrapped in 2004, Aniston made close to $1.25 million per episode, Forbes estimates.

Source:Forbes

Aniston still receives a considerable paycheck from reruns. In 2015, USA Today reported that each cast member receives $20 million annually from syndication profits.

Sources:USA Today, Business Insider

After the show, Aniston's film career took off. Her hit comedies include "He's Just Not That Into You" (2009) and "The Bounty Hunter" (2010), which grossed $178 million and $136 million in global box office sales respectively.

Source: Variety, IMDb, IMDb

Most recently, Aniston starred in the 2019 Netflix film "Murder Mystery."

Source:IMDb

Aniston has also secured a slew of endorsements and partnerships, working with Glaceau Smartwater, Aveeno, and Emirates, among other companies.

Source: Business Insider

Speaking with Elle magazine for a July 2018 story about Aniston's business ventures, Forbes editor Natalie Robehmed estimated that Aniston makes more than $10 million annually through endorsements.

Source: Elle

This year, Aniston returned to television, starring in and producing "The Morning Show," an Apple TV+ original series that follows the lives of morning news broadcast journalists.

Source:Forbes, Business Insider

The show, whose cast also includes Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, debuted November 1.

Source:Forbes

In August, Forbes named Aniston the fifth highest-paid actress of the year, estimating that she earned $28 million before taxes between June 2018 and June 2019. In 2017, Forbes pegged her net worth at $200 million.

Sources:Forbes, Forbes

The actress spends some of her millions on real estate and interior design. In 2011, Aniston purchased an 11-bedroom mansion in Bel Air for $20.97 million and spent two years renovating the place with interior designer Stephen Shadley.

Source:International Business Times, People

Aniston also has a notoriously large beauty budget. In 2012, Total Beauty estimated that Aniston spends over $140,000 a year on her beauty and skincare routines, based on previous reports of her spending.

Aniston's beauty products reportedly include an in-home infrared sauna and a 24-carat-gold-plated facial sculpting wand.

Source: Vogue, Business Insider, Total Beauty

Aniston's haircuts alone are a pretty penny, costing her just shy of $1,000 per visit. Business Insider reported in 2012 that Aniston visits celebrity hair stylist Chris McMillan every six weeks.

Source:Business Insider

While Aniston invests heavily in self-care, she also gives back.

In 2017, she made headlines for donating $1 million to aid hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. She has also been a longtime supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, among other organizations.

Sources:Look to the Stars; Refinery29

• Value stocks outperformed momentum in October and have continued to outperform in November, according to analysis by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. 
• It's likely that this trend will continue, according to BAML, even if the S&P 500 doesn't continue to edge higher. 
• Here are seven reasons that BAML gives for favoring value stocks. 
• Read more on Business Insider.

Value investing, the strategy of stock picking popularized by Warren Buffett, is having a moment. 

"Despite struggling in early October, Value recovered and ultimately outperformed, advancing 0.9% in October, and remains ahead in November," wrote a group of Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts led by Savita Subramanian. 

Value investors pick stocks that they think the market is underestimating, and are thus trading below their intrinsic value. This trend outperformed momentum investing, another strategy where investors look to capitalize on market trends. 

"We think this trend could continue," the analysts wrote. That's because value stocks are inexpensive relative to stocks that fit into the momentum category, and recent stabilization in macro data paints a positive picture going forward, according to the analysts. 

In addition, value investing looks more stable than quality investing, according to BAML. "Quality has led in 2019, but now looks risky," the analysts wrote. "It's expensive, crowded and likely to lag if macro data inflects higher."

Value, on the other hand, performs well in "early cycle" environments, which the analysts think is the next market phase. 

"The only time in history that value has gotten this cheap was in 2003 and 2008, when Value outperformed Momentum by 22ppt and 69ppt, respectively, over the subsequent 12 months," the analysts wrote. 

In addition, value stocks could outperform even if the broader market stumbles, according to BAML. "When values shrank to all-time lows in Sep. 2000, value outperformed by 24ppt in next six months but the S&P 500 sported losses," the analysts wrote. 

Here are the seven main reasons to favor value, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch: 

1. 3Q is likely the trough in S&P 500 profits

In a note Monday, BAML analysts wrote that "with 92% of S&P earnings reported, bottom-up 3QEPS is pointing to a 2% beat, driven by tech and healthcare."

Given that those results were better than feared, and that capex is accelerating — up 4% in the third quarter — third-quarter earnings is "likely the trough," according to the analysts. 

2. Valuation dispersion has reached post-crisis highs

"Amid macro uncertainty, valuation dispersion has risen to the highest levels since the Financial Crisis," the analysts wrote in a September note. 

"When valuation dispersion was this high or higher, value stocks have consistently outperformed Growth (95% of the time) over the subsequent 12 months, by 24ppt on average," the analysts wrote. 

3. The correlation between value and momentum has hit near record lows

The negative correlation between value and momentum fell below the 20th percentile in early September, a team of BAML analysts wrote in a September note. 

"Since 1986, 77% of the time that correlations between momentum and value fell below where they are today, value outperformed momentum over the next 250 days," the analysts wrote. 

4. Financials (as a value sector) is BAML's highest-conviction sector pick

Financials have led the value sector since October 28, when the S&P 500 broke out to new highs, according to a November 7 note from BAML. 

In addition, financials saw the highest growth in capex in the third quarter, up 11%, according to a Monday note. And, financials led all sectors with the highest revisions to third-quarter consensus sales, according to BAML. 

5. Value has never been this cheap relative to momentum stocks, and is under-owned

Value stocks have never been so cheap compared to momentum stocks, the analysts wrote in a November 7 note, "suggesting the value rotation can continue." 

"Value also has never been this cheap vs. momentum, with the relative forward P/E of value vs. momentum at two standard deviations below the average," the analysts wrote. 

The last time value stocks were so cheap compared to momentum, value stocks outperformed momentum by as many as 69 percentage points in the next 12 months, the analysts wrote. 

6. BAML's US Regime Model indicates that "early cycle" may be near

The "downturn" phase in BAML's US Regime Indicator has historically lasted eight months on average, according to a November 7 note from analysts. 

It's currently in month eight, which suggests that the next phase, "early cycle," is coming soon. 

In this phase, value typically outperforms, according to the analysts. 

7. Value stocks have shrunk to near record lows

"The median market cap of the lowest P/E decile has closed in on record lows - 0.6x the median index market cap," the analysts wrote Wednesday. 

"When value has shrunk below 0.7x, the factor has outperformed by 6.5% on avg. (67% hit rate) over the next 6 months," according to the note. 

• Ford unveiled its latest motorhome, The Big Nugget, in the summer of 2019, and it will be released to just the European market in 2020.
• It's the latest proof that Ford has a lot of love for Europe, and the feeling is mutual. 
• Ford fan clubs, blogs, and memorabilia collections are popular in Europe.
• Meet some of Ford's megafans and see how the love affair has blossomed.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

SEE ALSO: Ford built a Transit van called Nugget that doubles as a tiny home that can sleep up to 4 people

DON'T MISS: Corvettes and Mustangs are some of the hottest cars money can buy — here's how they compare

The Big Nugget is Ford’s latest campervan that was presented in summer 2019 and will launch in spring 2020 to the European market.

Source: Ford

This is the fourth motorhome that Ford has released to Europe...

Source: Ford

...and it’s proof that Europe can’t get enough of Ford either.

Source: MSN

Ford's devoted global fan base has grown over recent years.

Source: MSN

Jaron Cole, the founder of Mustang Fan Club, told Business Insider that owning a Ford car overseas is something special.

Source: Jaron Cole/Mustang Fan Club

Europeans admire an American-made car because it's something they're not used to having, Cole told Business Insider.

Source: Jaron Cole/Mustang Fan Club

Fans show their love for Ford in a number of ways. Everything from European fan clubs to online Ford blogs exists.

Source: MSN

There are European fans who collect old Ford models, have extensive memorabilia collections, and some who own just about anything Ford related…

Source: Wall Street Journal

…and then there are others who even posed next to their Ford collection on their wedding day.

Source: Getty Images

There are some individuals in Europe who even have the car permanently branded on them.

Source: Getty Images

Fabrizio Schenardi is one of these Ford megafans who lives in Italy.

Source: Fabrizio Schenardi

Schenardi told Business Insider that he was first exposed to Ford cars when he was eight years old. There was a small auto shop in his hometown village in Italy that worked on American cars.

Source: Fabrizio Schenardi

After riding in a Mustang for the first time as a child, he was instantly hooked. "I felt like a rockstar," Schenardi said about the experience.

Source: Fabrizio Schenardi

Schenardi saved up enough money to finally purchase his first Mustang in 2006.

Source: Fabrizio Schenardi

That same day, Schenardi got a Mustang tattoo to commemorate his big purchase.

Source: Fabrizio Schenardi

Schenardi eventually became the first European car blogger, writing strictly about Mustang cars.

Source: Fabrizio Schenardi

Ford fanatics overseas often prefer to purchase their cars from America, rather than their local dealerships.

Source: U.S. News

Cole said that it's challenging to purchase a Ford car through another country.

Source: Jaron Cole/Mustang Fan Club

Certain European countries have regulations, fees, and taxes.

Source: Jaron Cole/Mustang Fan Club

But many European Ford fans would rather pay import and transportation fees to transfer the Ford car from America, Cole told Business Insider.

 Source: Jaron Cole/Mustang Fan Club 

It'll still be cheaper than all the fees and such that the European countries would charge them, he said.

Source: Jaron Cole/Mustang Fan Club

Unsurprisingly, the car brand recently unveiled plans to cut six of its 23 European factories and anticipates more than tripling its yearly passenger vehicle imports into Europe by 2024.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Automotive Logistics

Out of all of Ford's car models, motorhomes are a hot commodity in Europe.

Source: News Atlas

According to Ford, its motorhome sales in Europe are up almost 15% compared to previous years, and sales have surpassed 100,000 units for the first time.

Source: Ford, Autoblog

More recently, self-employment is on the rise in Europe…

Source: Ford, The News Wheel

...and Ford's Transit vans have become the backbone of business there.

Source: Ford, The News Wheel

When it was time for Ford to unveil its latest motorhome, there was no question that the brand was going to give the European market priority.

Source: Ford

In addition to motorhomes, the Ford Mustang's popularity has been on the rise in several European countries.

Source: Ford

To celebrate the Mustang's 50th anniversary in late 2015, Ford released an updated version of the beloved car with a new design and engineering.

Source: Bloomberg

Although US sales of the limited-edition Mustang eventually started to dip, Ford saw a major increase in foreign sales.

Source: Bloomberg

Since 2016, one in four Mustangs is now owned by drivers in China, the UK, and Germany.

Source: Bloomberg

It might seem unexpected for a European to love an American car so much, but when it comes to Ford cars, "The price and performance is one of the best in the world," Schenardi said.

Source: Fabrizio Schenardi

According to Bloomberg, Ford even sold 17 Mustangs in Bulgaria, one of the smaller countries in Europe.

Source: Bloomberg

As big as their fan base is now, that wasn’t always the case for Ford and its European market.

Source: The New York Times

Ford of Europe was established in 1967, yet the brand’s global sales were significantly lower at the time.

Source: Bloomberg 

The American car brand had a difficult time attracting European customers and competing with other car brands.

Source: Bloomberg

Fast forward to today in Europe where Ford is an in-demand car brand.

Source: Ford

After Ford’s campervan release to the European market and the global Mustang fascination, it seems Ford is paving the way for other American car brands' international presence.

Source: Bloomberg, Ford, MSN

• The first public impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump kicked off on Wednesday.
• It has been 21 years since President Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath and obstructing justice in 1998.
• Since 1998, the US has seen population growth, US stock growth, and a return to the Clinton-era low unemployment rate.
• On the pop-culture front in 1998: The Titanic was the top grossing film, Lauryn Hill was at the top of the Billboard 100 in November, and iPhones were yet to come into existence.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Wednesday marked the first day of public impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump. 

It has been 21 years since the last impeachment hearings for an American president. In 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath and obstructing justice. 

Since 1998, the US has seen population growth, US stock growth, and a return to the Clinton-era low unemployment rate.

Here are seven ways America has changed since the last impeachment hearing.

SEE ALSO: The 12 Texas cities everyone in the country is moving to

Total US population has increased by over 50 million people.

In 1998, the total US population was 275 million people. As of September 2019, it was 330 million people.

The labor market is about as strong now as it was during 1998.

The employment rate in 1998 was 4.6%. after spiking around the 2008 recession, it's fallen back down to 3.6% as of October 2019.

Stocks are up a grand total of 217% from the start of 1998.

The S&P 500 index, which tracks against the 500 largest public US companies, hovered around 1,000 in 1998. As of November 2019, it's around 3,000.

The top grossing film in the US in 1998 was "Titanic"— in 2019, it's "Avengers: Endgame."

"Titanic," distributed by Paramount Pictures, grossed over $488 million in 1998. "Avengers: Endgame" distributed by Walt Disney Studios has grossed over $858 million as of November 2019.

The top six highest grossing films of 2019 were distributed by Disney.

Some fashion trends have come full circle since 1998, while some beauty trends have been left behind.

According to Ana Colón and Adrianna Cicinelli at Glamour, the fashion trends that dominated 1998 — and which we're currently seeing resurrected — include minidresses, strappy sandals, logos, micro floral prints, tiny sunglasses, feathered trim, micro bags, mini skirt suits, and flowy white blouses.

Britney Spears' music video for "Hit Me Baby One More Time" was released in 1998, and Spears' iconic miniskirt and knee socks influenced fashion, according to Caroline Grosso at W Magazine.

What's out of vogue from 1998: thin eyebrows and mismatched lip liner.

The Billboard top 100 song of the week of November 13, 1998 was "Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill — the same week in 2019, it's "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi.

Finally, phones were still chunky landlines in 1998.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1194613719516549120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Here's what phones looked like during the 1998 Clinton impeachment hearings pic.twitter.com/mWPiWt7SHQ

The first iPhone still would not be released for another nine years, in 2007.

• Many restaurants that receive one or more stars in the Michelin guide can be expensive and inaccessible for most people.
• Jeju Noodle Bar, a Korean restaurant that specializes in ramyun noodles, is one of the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City.
• A full meal at Jeju Noodle Bar could cost less than $40. 
• Insider sat down with Douglas Kim, the chef and owner of Jeju Noodle Bar, to talk about Korean ramyun, receiving a Michelin star, and what it takes to open a restaurant. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Chef Douglas Kim, 41, has helmed the ship at Jeju Noodle Bar since he opened it in September 2017. He started cooking in 1999, and cut his teeth at big-name restaurants including Bouley, Zuma, and Nobu.

However, that's not what Kim wanted to talk about when I sat down with him before dinner service on Halloween — nor did he want to talk about his time in the kitchens at any of the other Michelin-starred restaurants he's worked at, including Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare and Per Se. 

Instead, Kim wanted to talk about noodles.

Jeju Noodle Bar is a New York City restaurant located on the corner of Greenwich Avenue and Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village.

The restaurant is in the former space of Nighthawks, a restaurant that tipped its hat to the famous Edward Hopper painting by the same name. While the exact location of where the painting is based off is debated, the similarity is undeniable.

A painting done in the same style as Nighthawks, but with a Jeju twist, hangs inside the restaurant.

"Edward Hopper said that Nighthawks was inspired by 'a restaurant on New York's Greenwich Avenue where two streets meet,'" The Art Institute of Chicago says on its website. "But the image — with its carefully constructed composition and lack of narrative — has a timeless, universal quality that transcends its particular locale."

The interior of Jeju Noodle Bar is modern and well-lit, and features ample seating at the bar and tables.

As you walk through the doors and the large curtain used to keep the heat in, you're greeted by a host at a podium who seats you.

The restaurant does take some reservations, but according to its website, only "very limited reservations" are available on RESY and OpenTable. 

Chef Douglas Kim, 41, has helmed the ship at Jeju Noodle Bar since he opened it in September 2017.

Kim started cooking in 1999 and has since worked at big-name restaurants, including Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Per Se, and Nobu. However, he wasn't interested in getting nostalgic when I spoke with him before a Thursday night service. 

Kim told me that while he values his past experience, he doesn't want to be defined by them. He's more interested in today's challenges — namely, Jeju.

"I tried to learn everything I could from each location and absorb it and take it as my own way — that's the reason that I didn't stay in one cuisine for a long time," the chef explained. "I moved around a little bit. At each location, I had a certain goal to achieve."

Kim told Insider he opened Jeju because he wanted to elevate instant ramyun and promote Korean cuisine as a whole.

"I always liked noodles, especially Japanese ramen," Kim explained. "So I thought, 'What can I do in order to open something quick that's genuine and eye-catching?'"

Kim has never worked in a ramen shop or noodle restaurant, but the idea to open Jeju came to him while he was eating noodles. 

"I always wanted to open a Korean restaurant," he explained. "There are already a lot of good ramen shops in New York City. I would have been crushed. When I look at ramen, I know that while it came from Japan, Korea is the number one consumer of instant ramen in the world."

Kim explained that at first, getting the attention of the NYC dining scene was a struggle. Once Jeju got a Michelin star, however, everything changed.

"I think the trends of the restaurant scene and the New York dining scene started to change in 2016," Kim said. "People don't want to spend time in fine dining restaurants anymore."

"Of course, there will be people who want to celebrate something, but you're not going to go to a four-star, New York Times restaurant or a three Michelin-starred restaurant every day. Average people probably go there once in their lifetime," he added. 

Jeju Noodle Bar received one star in both the 2019 and 2020 Michelin guides.

Kim said that receiving the first Michelin star was a life-saver.

"You can be the hottest restaurant last month, but people will forget about you in a month," he said. "But after we got a Michelin star, it changed our life. People started to understand what we were trying to do. The only person who understood before that was Pete Wells of The New York Times."

Kim thinks highly of Pete Wells, and agreed with many aspects of his two-star review of Jeju in The New York Times — even the not-so-nice remarks about the level of service, which Kim said has since been fixed. 

"I try to take criticism seriously and learn from it," Kim said. "We used to get so many comments that we were trying to be a Japanese noodle shop, and we used to get a lot of criticism from Korean people. After Michelin, people started to agree, they were like, 'Now you're cool.'"

Kim told me that accessibility is one of the most important aspects of running a restaurant.

"People are very sensitive to price changes," he said. "A lot of items that people think we charge too much for are because food costs can be up to 60%. When you look at other restaurants, this wouldn't make sense. If the cost of the food is not accessible, then maybe we're doing something wrong,"

Kim said that at the end of the day, he just wants people to come to Jeju and enjoy the experience. He also explained how the word "cheap" is relative.

"When we opened, the dream was to get a Michelin star," he said. "We wanted to be cheap and reasonable, but lots of people thought it was still expensive. After we got the Michelin star, everyone thought, 'Wow, you're so cheap.'"

Jeju didn't raise prices after it received the Michelin star, and according to Kim, prices will only rise according to market prices of ingredients, labor costs, and rent prices.

The first dish I tried during my visit to Jeju was the toro ssam bap ($25) made with fatty tuna tartare, Korean egg salad, and tobiko rice. Toasted seaweed squares act as mini wraps, ssam-style.

At $25, the toro ssam bap is the second-most expensive appetizer you can get at Jeju, and according to Kim, it happened by accident. 

"We used to have a tuna yukke dish, which uses a leaner cut of tuna, but then we were struggling to figure out what to do with the extra fat," he said. "At the time, we couldn't buy uni, but I wanted to have that uni texture."

Kim said that at the time, his kitchen was throwing away lots of eggs that weren't boiled correctly, so his staff meals were typically egg-heavy. 

"My chef de cuisine was making a staff meal of fried rice and egg salad every day. I had to do something with eggs, so we did egg salad, toro, rice, and that's it. It took me 30 minutes to come up with the dish, and it turned out to be one of the most popular."

Though the toro ssam bap is one of the most popular dishes on the menu, it's not Kim's go-to.

"Personally, it's not my favorite, but people love it," he said.

Kim told me the reason that the dish isn't his favorite is that the toro is so delicious on its own, it's almost like cheating. 

"The reason I don't like it is that it's too easy," he explained, laughing. "But people like it, so it's OK!"

The toro ssam bap was rich and delicious — a running theme at Jeju. The fatty tuna melted into the egg salad and rice immediately, and it tasted incredible.

Kim explained that in order to get the most out of the toro ssam bap, customers should use a spoon to scoop chunks of the dish from the top down, making sure to get a bit of each layer before popping the spoonful into a seaweed wrap, and placing the whole thing in your mouth to make sure all of the flavors are present. 

Next up were the Jeju chicken wings ($14), served with crudités, umami salt, lime, and Jeju dip.

The Jeju chicken wings were a mix of drumsticks and flats — flats being my personal favorite — and were served on a bed of veggies and garnishes.

The wings were some of the crispiest I've had, and the garlicky Jeju dip was flavorful but not overwhelming.

The best part about these wings wasn't the crunchy, crispy outer breading or the delicious accompanying dip, it was how thoroughly juicy they were. The lime was also a great touch. 

Before the main dishes, Kim explained the difference between ramen and ramyun, as well as the unwritten agreement he has with his noodle supplier.

"Ramyun is our way of saying 'ramen' in Korean," Kim told me. "We take original Korean food as our inspiration. That's the key difference — we're not trying to copy Japanese ramen. They always have a similar formula. Here, we have no particular style. We just come up with brand new recipes based on what we think is going to work."

Kim said that Jeju originally used a noodle that his cooks said was Japanese-style.

"I didn't want to hear that," he said. "I wanted to have a little bit of instant noodle texture, even though the noodles are fresh."

Kim said he has a deal with a noodle company — a sort of unwritten non-compete agreement — where they need to get his permission to sell the specific noodles they make for Jeju to another restaurant.

The first bowl of noodles I tried was the so ramyun ($19) made with veal broth, "soo yuk" brisket, scallion, pickled garlic chips, and garnished with a few slices of raw Wagyu beef.

The noodles smelled and looked amazing. The soft-boiled egg was a light-brown color from marinating in sauce. 

Kim explained that the broth at Jeju is made by skimming impurities and excess fat from the surface as the liquid cooks, a prevalent technique in Korean cooking.

"In Korean culture, skimming is very important," he explained. "A big difference between us and a Japanese ramen shop is that they incorporate the fat into the broth. However, in Korean culture, we do a lot of skimming in the process. I want to follow that tradition."

Kim explained to me that if you left the fat in the broth, it would become richer, but it wouldn't be as healthy.

The so ramyun was the perfect dish for a cold night. The rich veal broth was packed with different flavors, including the runny egg yolk and the mushrooms, and the noodles were springy and held the broth well.

Two of my favorite parts of this dish were the spongey mushrooms and the Wagyu beef garnish. But noodle lovers, be warned: the thin slices of beef cook quickly if allowed to fully submerge in the broth, so act fast.

Last was the gochu ramyun ($18), made with spicy pork broth, pork belly, white kimchi, sauce "ko" mericaine, charred scallion oil, lettuce, mushrooms, and a poached egg.

Kim has some advice for picking which kind of noodles to eat on any given day. First, he said, check the weather.

"If I see gloomy weather, I'll get a spicier, gochu ramyun," he explained. "If it's a clear day, the fish coop, and if it's cold outside, the so ramyun." 

Though Kim's personal favorite dish is the fish coop ($17.50), most customers say the so ramyun is Jeju's signature dish, which Kim is OK with.

"I don't think I'll ever be 100% satisfied with the food that I make," he told me. "I think it's better that way. You don't get an ego. Once you think your food is the best, you can get a very big head."

The gochu ramyun was superb. The generous dollop of spicy red paste that sits on top of the noodles might look intimidating, but the dish was balanced so the level of spice didn't detract from the other flavors.

My favorite part of this dish was the white kimchi. It added the perfect amount of funky, fermented flavor to the dish, and the acidic cabbage perfectly cut the spicy pork broth. 

"If you look at the gochu ramyun, it's not regular spicy kimchi, because we don't want to overwhelm it with heat," Kim explained. "We have no rules, but as long as we take our inspiration from Korean food, that's the most important thing."

Kim said that people often come into Jeju and other Michelin-starred restaurants with unrealistic expectations.

"Now that we've got a Michelin star, people come here expecting to have a mind-blowing experience, but I don't want people coming here expecting to have a 'foodgasm,'" he told me. "What we try to do is make good, quality products in an honest way."

He also offered a warning to potential customers that might be more interested in how their food will appear on Instagram.

"The 'foodies' that come here with social media, this might not be the place for you," he said. "The food scene is changing toward more photogenic food. We're not about that. We're all about flavor."

My dinner at Jeju was excellent. The food was delicious and affordable — my two-person meal came out to $91.20 after I tacked on a 20% tip.

Like all restaurants, the cost of a meal varies significantly depending on what dishes you order, and often on how much you decide to drink.

If I had been dining alone and ordered the Jeju chicken wings ($14) and gochu ramyun ($18), my check, with a 20% tip, would be just $38.40, which is not bad for a Michelin-starred restaurant in the West Village. 

But while affordability is certainly a pillar of Jeju's continued success, that doesn't mean the cooking is cheap or sparse. No, the cooking at Jeju is the opposite. It's full of Korean tradition, Kim's personality, and most of all, layers and layers of flavor.  

So next time you visit the city, consider giving Jeju Noodle Bar and its slew of excellent Korean ramyuns a try. 

• As the decade comes to a close, it's worth looking at how far the biggest names in tech have come.
• Some of today's tech leaders, like Apple's Tim Cook, were not yet CEOs of the companies they now lead.
• Meanwhile, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had just been named TIME's person of the year.
• See what 13 of the biggest figures in tech were doing 10 years ago.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Technology has come a long way in 10 years.

And so have the people leading the industry today.

As the decade of the 2010s comes to a close, it's worth looking taking a look back at some of the biggest CEOs in tech today to see how far they've come in 10 years. 

Some CEOs, like Apple's Tim Cook, had not yet ascended to the tops of their companies yet. Cook was Apple's chief operating officer 10 years ago under the late Steve Jobs.

Meanwhile, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg was likely enjoying a warmer public perception in 2010 — even if he was busy challenging his depiction in "The Social Network," which was released in theaters that year.

Read on to see what 13 of the biggest names in tech were doing 10 years ago, and where they are now.

SEE ALSO: I live in the San Francisco Bay Area on just $50,000 a year — here's how I do it

DON'T MISS: Eerie photos of an abandoned airport that hasn't been touched in 25 years

In 2010, relative unknown Tim Cook was serving as Apple's COO.

In May 2010, then-Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook gave the commencement speech at his alma mater, Auburn University. In it, he described joining Apple as "without a doubt the best decision I ever made." In a write-up on the speech, Fast Company described Cook as "an unknown."

He wouldn't be named CEO of Apple until a year later, just before the death of Steve Jobs in October 2011.

Under Cook's leadership, Apple has solidified its position as one of the most powerful — and valuable — companies in the world.

In 2011, Apple was No. 35 on the Fortune 500 list. Under Cook's leadership, it's now in the top five. The company is worth more than $1 trillion, and Cook's net worth is estimated to total more than $600 million.

In 2010, Susan Wojcicki was named Google's senior vice president of advertising and commerce.

Wojcicki, YouTube's 16th employee, made a name for herself in 2006 when she advocated for the $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube. Wojcicki discovered the appeal of user-generated video content while working on Google's own video-sharing platform, Google Video.

Today Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube, which Morgan Stanley valued at $160 billion in 2018.

Wojcicki is ranked in the top 50 on Forbes' list of self-made women, with an estimated net worth of $490 million. In addition to her role at YouTube, Wojcicki sits on the board of directors for Salesforce. 

In 2010, Sundar Pichai was working aggressively to capture market share with Google's newly-launched Chrome web browser.

As Google's vice president of product management, Pichai had set an ambitious goal of reaching 10% of internet users, or about 100 million people, by the end of the year. But Larry Page, then Google's president of products, said the goal wasn't high enough. Together they edged Chrome use upward and hit 111 million users just a few weeks into the fourth quarter.

As the CEO of Google, Pichai leads the highly profitable arm of Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Pichai oversees Alphabet's reliable revenue drivers like digital advertising, cloud services, Android software, and devices, while Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin go all in on so-called "moonshot ideas" like self-driving cars and renewable energy under the Alphabet umbrella. 

A decade ago, Satya Nadella already had nearly 20 years under his belt at Microsoft.

He came onboard in the height of the Bill Gates era and in 2010 was serving as the senior vice president of Microsoft's online services division.

Now the CEO of Microsoft, Nadella is credited with leading the company's resurgence as a major force in the cloud-computing world.

Nadella was named Microsoft CEO in 2014. After years of stagnating revenue under Steve Ballmer's tenure, Nadella spearheaded a shift away from its reliance on legacy products like Windows, and towards cloud services like Azure and Office 365. In October, the company beat out Amazon for a $10 billion contract with the Pentagon.

Jack Dorsey debuted the mobile payment platform Square in 2010, two years after he left Twitter.

Dorsey was forced out from his post as CEO of Twitter in 2008 in favor of Evan Williams, cofounder of the social media platform. In 2010, with Jim McKelvey, Dorsey created and launched Square, a small, square-shaped device and complementary app to help small businesses accept credit card payments.

Now a dual-CEO leading both Twitter and Square, Dorsey has taken Twitter to new heights and is worth a reported $4 billion.

Dorsey rejoined Twitter in 2011 as executive chairman, and two years later, he became a billionaire when Twitter went public. Dorsey replaced Williams as CEO in 2015, and continues to lead Square as its CEO.

In 2010, TIME magazine had just named Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg its Person of the Year.

Zuckerberg was just 26 when he was named TIME's person of the year in 2010. Though Facebook was already wildly successful, Zuckerberg was busy defending his public image after an unfavorable portrayal in the film "The Social Network," which was released that same year. 

Today, Zuckerberg is at the center of a national debate on personal data, privacy, and political advertising.

Facebook is now worth more than ever before, but the reputation of Zuckerberg and Facebook have taken a hit in the past decade, especially in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. In 2018, it was revealed that political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica harvested personal data from millions of Facebook profiles without users' consent during the election. Zuckerberg testified before Congress about the scandal, and Facebook would eventually pay the FTC $5 billion to settle a probe into its handling of user data.

In October 2019, the CEO was grilled again by lawmakers on Facebook's policy on running political ads without fact-checking them, and answered questions about concerns with Facebook's upcoming cryptocurrency project.

In 2010, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was a mere multi-billionaire.

Forbes estimated Bezos' net worth to be $12.3 billion in 2010.

That year, the Kindle e-reader was the must-have item on holiday shopping lists, with the retailer announcing the Kindle 3 had surpassed "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" as the platform's best-selling item ever.

Today, Bezos is the world's richest person, with an estimated net worth of $110 billion.

Amazon is now one of the most valuable companies in the world. In addition to holding onto a near 12% stake in the e-commerce giant he founded, Bezos owns The Washington Post and Blue Origin, an aerospace company working to pioneer commercial space travel. 

In 2010, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hadn't yet debuted the Tesla Model S sedan.

In 2010, Elon Musk's company Tesla was hard at work producing the Model S sedan, which would debut in 2012. 

That year, Musk's other company, SpaceX, launched its first Falcon 9 rocket. Falcon 9 was the company's first foray into making rockets that were reusable, which Musk believes is key to making space travel affordable. 

In a TIME magazine profile, the director of Marvel's "Iron Man" said Elon Musk provided real-world inspiration for the character of Tony Stark.

Musk now has interests in a wide variety of tech pursuits, including renewable energy and artificial intelligence.

Tesla is now regularly manufacturing and shipping 3 different Tesla vehicles: The Tesla Model S, 3, and X. SpaceX has now launched over 75 test flights of rockets.

The outspoken entrepreneur remains dedicated to advancing transportation on Earth, with his companies Tesla, the Boring Company, and the high-speed transit venture Hyperloop, and in space through SpaceX. Musk has a net worth of $22.8 billion.

As Google's vice president of search products and user experience, Marissa Mayer championed the minimalist homepage Google is known for.

Mayer played a major role in developing the platform's local and contextual search functionalities and was part of the three-person team that created Google's advertising platform. Mayer became the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company when she took the helm as the CEO of Yahoo in 2012. 

Mayer left Google for Yahoo, which she led as CEO from 2012 to 2017, and now oversees her tech incubator Lumi Labs.

Mayer left Google to become the CEO of Yahoo in 2012. She left Yahoo in 2017 after a long period of decline in traffic and advertising revenue. 

After leaving Yahoo, Mayer launched Lumi Labs, an incubator focusing on companies in consumer media and artificial intelligence. 

In May, CNN reported she was part of a $2 million seed funding round for The Wonder, a members-only club for families in Manhattan. Mayer has largely stayed out of the public eye since her departure from Yahoo, but her new venture is currently operating out of the building that Googled called home in its early days.

In 2010, Google cofounder Larry Page was preparing to take the reins as the company’s CEO for the second time.

He previously yielded the position to Eric Schmidt, who was brought on to build a world-class management team and help the company successfully navigate its rapid expansion. Page stepped back into the role until 2015 when the company restructured to form parent company Alphabet.

Though he's the CEO of Alphabet, Page has withdrawn from the spotlight in recent years.

Page has avoided public appearances and shareholder meetings and has reportedly started spending more time on his private Caribbean island. He holds the No. 6 slot on Forbes' list of the wealthiest Americans with a net worth of approximately $55 billion.  

A short 12 years after Google's incorporation, cofounder Sergey Brin was already dreaming up moonshot ventures like self-driving cars and smart contact lenses.

Brin was also a major proponent of Google Glass smart glasses. In 2010, he placed a $5 million down payment to be among the first to travel into orbit with space tourism company Space Adventures.

Brin is now president of Alphabet.

Like Page, Brin keeps a low profile. In 2018, he quietly married tech startup founder Nicole Shanahan, with whom he has a daughter. 

In 2010, Evan Spiegel was a student at Stanford University.

Spiegel dropped out a few credits shy of graduating to work full-time on an app that could send self-deleting photo messages. Three years later, he turned down an offer from Facebook to buy his messaging service, Snapchat, for $3 billion.

Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc., is now valued at $21 billion.

Spiegel's decision to turn down Facebook seems to have paid off, as Snapchat's parent company Snap Inc. is now valued at $21 billion, according to Investor Place. The company has also branched into hardware with its Spectacles smart sunglasses.

Spiegel caught flak for championing a 2018 redesign of the app that was not well received. But in November, the company reported better-than-expected earnings and an 8% increase in daily active users. 

In 2018, Spiegel returned to Stanford and completed the required credits to finally earn his degree. 

Ten years ago, Dara Khosrowshahi was at the helm of travel giant Expedia.

As the company's CEO, Khosrowshahi oversaw a period of major expansion in online travel bookings, acquiring Travelocity, Orbitz, and HomeAway. During his tenure, the company's pretax earnings more than doubled.

Khosrowshahi was eventually hired as Uber's CEO and led the company through its 2019 IPO.

He was hired as CEO in 2017 after a scramble to replace cofounder and then-CEO Travis Kalanick.

While Khosrowshahi has helped repair Uber's damaged image since taking over, he recently drew widespread criticism for describing the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as a "mistake" by the Saudi government. He later voiced regret for the remark and said it was not something he believed, but Uber continues to face criticism over its continued close ties to the Saudi government, which is the fifth-largest investor in the company.

In November, Khosrowshahi told CNBC he anticipates the company will turn a profit for the first time ever by the end of 2021. 

• If you binged the third season of "Stranger Things" in a day, you'll appreciate these 18 ST gifts to hold you over until the next season. 
• From replica bikes to bottles of New Coke, there's something for every kind of "Stranger Things" fan. Spoiler: there's also a great set of"Stranger Things" LEGOs.
• Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of our holiday gift guides. 

If you recently spent some quality time on the couch binge-watching the latest season of Netflix's hit show "Stranger Things," you're not alone. And if you're already missing the beloved Hawkins gang, you're not alone either. 

Thankfully, there's plenty of super-cool merch for the "Stranger Things" superfan in your life (or for yourself — we won't judge) to tide you over until the fourth season.

Here are 18 "Stranger Things" gifts for any superfan:

Stranger Things LEGO Set

LEGO Upside Down Set, $199.99

LEGO lovers can build their own "Stranger Things" scene with this 2,000+ piece set. The kit includes both the real-world and Upside Down version of the Byers home. Eight mini-figures are included — Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Byers, Hopper, and the Demogorgon as well as a variety of accessories like Lucas' slingshot, Dustin's walkie-talkie, and yes, Eleven's waffle.

Demogorgon Pool Float

BigMouth Inc. Demogorgon Pool Float, $49.99

This pool float is not for the faint of heart. This 6-foot long Demogorgon inflatable is a perfect pool centerpiece for those who aren't scared of what lives in the Upside Down. 

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set

"Stranger Things" Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set, $14.99

There has been a big uptick in interest in Dungeons and Dragons thanks to the kids in "Stranger Things" being such huge fans of the classic role-playing game. This set is an ideal way to start your own epic adventure. And yes, a Demogorgon is included.

Stranger Things Coke

6-pack Limited Edition Coca-Cola, $15

Coke reformulated its classic drink to be sweeter in 1985, unofficially calling it New Coke. No one liked it (except Lucas), so the company reverted to its original formula just three months later and renamed it Coke II. It was officially pulled from shelves in 2002, but now, thanks to "Stranger Things," it's back for a limited time.

Hawkins Rec Center Cooler

BigMouth Inc. Hawkins Rec Center Cooler, $29.99

During season three, Hawkins residents spend a fair amount of time keeping cool at the pool at the Hawkins Rec Center while the neighborhood moms kept busy ogling the lifeguard (and bad boy) Billy. In honor of this hot spot, pick up a Hawkins Rec Center Cooler in bright red. Bonus points for filling it with New Coke.

Scoops Ahoy Beverage Boats

BigMouth Inc. Scoops Ahoy Beverage Boats, $9.99

Make that pool time a bit more whimsical with these boat-shaped drink floats, an ode to the sailor hats at the ice cream shop Scoops Ahoy. Each set includes two floats.

Missing Milk Carton Beach Blanket

BigMouth Inc. Missing Milk Carton Beach Blanket, $17.99

Even though she hasn't been around during the last two seasons, we still miss Barb. Nancy Wheeler's best friend may have met her demise in the Upside Down during season one, but her memory is still alive on this Missing Milk Carton Beach Blanket.

Roast Beef Graphic T-Shirt

Roast Beef Graphic T-Shirt, $17.95

If you are hungry for Dustin's Roast Beef T-shirt as seen in "Stranger Things"season three, here's a way to satisfy your cravings. This cotton shirt, inspired by one that Dustin wore, is a subtle way to show you're a superfan. 

Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 VF

Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 VF, $109.99

Forget about capturing those moments on your iPhone, go old school with a Polaroid. This special version of the retro camera comes in a special color combo and camera text printed upside down, of course.

AHOY Short Sleeve Cropped Polo T-Shirt

AHOY Short Sleeve Cropped Polo T-Shirt (Juniors'), $16.99

Channel your inner Steve or Robin in this junior's-sized Scoops-Ahoy inspired polo T-shirt. A shift scooping ice cream at the mall — not included.

Stranger Things Handheld Arcade Game

Handheld Arcade Game, $15

Pretend you're at the Palace Arcade with this handheld retro game unit. This mini arcade, decorated includes 20 classic games from the '80s like Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, and more.

Scoops Ahoy USS Butterscotch Slime

Scoops Ahoy USS Butterscotch Slime, $9.99

Baskin-Robbins created a few different flavors of ice cream as a tie-in with the new season and fictional ice cream parlor Scoops Ahoy. If you didn't get a chance to scoop up a pint of the real deal, you can still get the Scoops Ahoy USS Butterscotch slime instead.

Nike Stranger Things Hoodie

Nike x "Stranger Things" Men's Hoodie, $55.97

To celebrate the new season, Nike partnered with show to create a line of clothing and shoes. The line was wildly popular, especially the Tailwind 79 sneakers, and much of it has sold out immediately, but you can still score a few key pieces like this Hawkins school hoodie.

Dustin Chia Pet

Chia Pet of Dustin from "Stranger Things," $16.99

Chia Pets are always fun, but Chia Bets in the shape of fan-favorite Dustin is just epic. The terracotta planter features a smiling Dusty with his iconic baseball cap, and the greenery grows to become his trademark curly hair.

Schwinn Lucas Replica Bike

Schwinn Lucas Replica Bike, $294.28

Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas take their bikes everywhere. It's hard not to get jealous watching them peeling away, especially with such sweet rides. If you wanna hit the road like Lucas, you can with this Schwinn replica bike that even has a retro-style banana seat with a camo bandana just like Lucas wears.

Funko Pop! Eleven in Mall Outfit

Funko Pop! Eleven in Mall Outfit, $12

There's a whole bunch of Funko figures featuring the crew from "Stranger Things," but this new one with Eleven in her super-'80s outfit is our favorite. 

Levi's x Stranger Things Dad Jeans

Levis x "Stranger Things" Dad Jeans, $104.98

Levi's went to its archives to create an '80s-inspired collection paying homage to the era of "Stranger Things." Most of the collection is already sold out, but you can grab a pair of the Dad Jeans featuring images of favorite "Stranger Things" characters and an upside down Levi's patch.

Trivial Pursuit Back to the 80's Edition

Trivial Pursuit Netflix's "Stranger Things" Back to The 80s Edition, $19.99

Think you know "Stranger Things?" Test your knowledge about the show and the decade it takes place in with this special Trivial Pursuit Board game. This edition even has an Upside Down option where winners lose pie pieces if they get the answer wrong.

Looking for more gift ideas? We've got you covered.

• Our master list of every gift guide you'll ever need
• Creative gift ideas under $25
• Thoughtful gift ideas under $50
• Clever gift ideas under $100
• Cool stocking stuffers on Amazon
• Affordable tech gifts under $25
• Thoughtful gifts for her, all under $50
• Cool gifts for him on Amazon

• Disney fans like nothing more than receiving Disney gifts. And dads are no different — in fact, they'd probably love Disney gifts the most because well, they're dads. 
• Here are 18 Disney gifts any dad would love from a Disney+ streaming subscription to an Enchanted Tiki Room silk shirt and a Mickey Mouse turntable.
• Looking for more gift ideas? Check out our holiday gift guides. 

There are dads and then there are Disney dads.

You know the type — the ones who'd rather be at Disneyland than anywhere else, the kind of man who can do a spot-on Mickey Mouse impression, the guy who would be thrilled to watch Fantasia for the 50th time. Being a Disney mom myself, I know the type well — they are my people.

When you're one of these unapologetic Disney fans, there's nothing you'd like to receive more than a gift that pays homage to your obsession.

Here are 18 pixie-dusted gifts to bestow upon your Disney dad for the holidays:

A Disney+ subscription

Subscribe for $6.99/month or $69.99/year

Even though it's a gift for your dad, the entire family will enjoy a subscription to Disney+.

It gives you unlimited access to movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox, and costs just $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year after a free seven-day trial. Read everything there is to know about Disney+ over here.

And if you need some binge-spiration, here are all the new movies available to stream.

Disney Park tickets

Disneyland or Disney World park tickets

Odds are that your dad has taken you to a Disney park at some point, so now's the time to give back. Pick up a pair of tickets for the two of you to enjoy, or get your whole family together for a big trip — complete with matching T-shirts.

Or a more modern style

Mickey Mouse Icon Band Ring by Rebecca Hook, $100

A fun take on a wedding band, this ring is made with durable sterling silver and cubic zirconia to create a subtle Mickey Mouse silhouette.

A fun Tiki Room shirt

Enchanted Tiki Room Silk Shirt for Men by Tommy Bahama, $150

Dads will proudly don the Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room button-down shirt for a festive and fun alternative to a boring old T-shirt. Bonus points if he actually wears it while going to the Enchanted Tiki Room.

A Mickey Mouse-printed tie

Disneyland Tie, $44.99

Sure, a tie might be a little expected, but when it's printed with Monorail cars or cute little Mickey heads, the gift is far from boring.

A set of classic Mickey cufflinks

Mickey Mouse cufflinks, $43.99

While cufflinks also fall under the category of classic holiday gifts, the quirkiness of this Mickey Mouse pair makes them irresistible. The set comes in a stylish box which makes them easy to gift right away too.

A book devoted to everyone's favorite mouse

"Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse, The Ultimate History," $102.99

This large coffee table book — clocking in at 496 pages and weighing more than 13 pounds — is a must for any Mickey devotee. It covers our favorite mouse's humble beginnings and follows along as he becomes one of the most recognizable faces on the planet.

A model Main Street Station kit

Mickey Mouse 3-D Sneaker Puzzle by Ravensburger, $21.95

A retro sweatshirt

Frontierland Sweatshirt for Men by Junk Food, $54.99

The vintage style of this Junk Food sweatshirt paying tribute to Magic Kingdom's Frontierland is perfect for those dads who have fond memories of Thunder Mountain and Tom Sawyer's Island.

A Tower of Terror robe

Hollywood Tower Hotel Plush Robe for Men, $74.95

If Dad loves the thrill of Hollywood's Tower of Terror, then this soft robe will be a holiday hit. This plush robe features the Hollywood Tower Hotel logo and crest embroidered in golden threading.

A watch that'll make him a member of the Avengers

Mickey Mouse Vintage Watch for Adults, $49.95

The Mickey Mouse watch is a total classic, and it's a timepiece that will never go out of style.  

A picnic tote

Mickey Beverage and Cheese Tote, $99.95 

This might look like an everyday backpack, but it is so much more. The handy picnic tote has the capacity to hold three 750 mL bottles of vino and includes a Mickey cheeseboard, cheese knife, and bottle opener.

A printed phone case

Disneyland Resort OtterBox iPhone Case, $59.99

Whether he's making an important work call or jumping on the phone to chat with the grandkids, this Disneyland OtterBox iPhone case will remind him of his home away from home. Not only does it feature iconic places in the park, but it also boasts OtterBox's certified Drop+ protection.

A Mickey Mouse robe

Mickey Mouse Robe for Adults by Barefoot Dreams, $158.95

Barefoot Dreams makes an incredibly soft and plush robe that your dad won't ever want to take off. 

A slim credit card holder

Coach Mickey Mouse Credit Card Case, $48.99

Part of the Coach x Disney collection, this adorable case holds six credit cards and features Coach's legendary luxe leather printed with everyone's favorite mouse.

A Mickey-adorned record player

Mickey Mouse Runwell Turntable by Shinola, $2199.99

If your dad loves vinyl, surprise him with the Mickey Mouse Runwell Turntable by Shinola, part of the Shinola x Disney Mickey Classics Collection. This state-of-the-art record player features a built-in phono preamplifier and subtle Mickey touches. 

A coffee table book that goes into the history of the happiest place on earth

"Walt Disney's Disneyland," $47 

Let Dad visit Disneyland without leaving the couch with the photo-heavy "Walt Disney's Disneyland." It covers the history and importance of the happiest place on earth.

And if he really wants to take a deep dive into Disneyland history, pre-order the "Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks" by Pixar's Pete Docter and Imagineer Christopher Merritt ($92).

A LEGO set of a true Disney classic

LEGO Mickey Mouse "Steamboat Willie" Set, $89.99

If the dad in your life likes LEGOs (and really, what Dad doesn't?), then you should seriously consider this 751-piece set. The set pays homage to the 1928 Mickey Mouse short "Steamboat Willie" in honor of Mickey's 90th anniversary.

Looking for more gift ideas? We've got you covered.

• Our master list of every gift guide you'll ever need
• Creative gift ideas under $25
• Thoughtful gift ideas under $50
• Clever gift ideas under $100
• Cool stocking stuffers on Amazon
• Affordable tech gifts under $25
• Thoughtful gifts for her, all under $50
• Cool gifts for him on Amazon

• When it comes to cooking pasta, Food Network's Alton Brown doesn't stand around waiting for the water to start boiling. 
• Instead, he starts cooking dry pasta in cold water. 
• I compared Alton Brown's cooking method to the traditional method of boiling water and found that Brown's hack resulted in pasta with a better texture. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Food Network's Alton Brown has some tricks up his sleeves when it comes to the kitchen, including a hack for cooking the perfect pasta.

In a 2015 blog post, Brown shared that he prefers the texture of dry pasta when it starts off in cold water, adding that when it comes to the amount of water needed to cook short pasta shapes like farfalle, macaroni, and rigatoni, "less is definitely more."

To see if the chef's pasta-cooking technique actually works, I tested out the method in my own kitchen. 

To compare, I first cooked pasta using the traditional method I've always used, which I've come to believe is the way most people cook their pasta at home.

Brown used farfalle in his original post, so I went for a box of those noodles. 

I began by heating up some lukewarm water over the stove.

I threw in a couple of dashes of salt, turned the burner up to high, and waited for my water to boil. 

Once the water came to a boil, I added half of the box of farfalle pasta.

I let the pasta cook for eight minutes. 

I emptied the pasta into a colander over the sink.

In his post, Brown says to keep the pasta water on hand to add into a sauce or to be used when reheating the pasta later on, but I usually just dump it out. In order to stick to my traditional method, I used the trusty colander to strain my pasta. 

My pasta turned out just the way I expected. It was slightly al dente, a little salty, but mostly devoid of flavor.

The noodles were a perfect receptacle for sauce, but bland on their own.

It was time to see if Brown's unconventional method actually results in better pasta. The chef's recipe calls for 64 ounces of cold water.

In addition to the 64 ounces of cold water, Brown's recipe also calls for one box of dry pasta and one tablespoon of kosher salt.

Since I was only making a meal for myself, I simply cut this recipe in half. 

I combined all of the ingredients before turning the stove to medium-high heat.

It was a small amount of water for how much pasta was cooking, so it only took around seven minutes to reach a boil.

Following the recipe, I waited for the water to boil before reducing the heat to a simmer, removing the lid, and stirring the noodles for around five minutes, or until al dente.

I removed the pasta from the pot using a spider, conserving the pasta water for later use.

Just like with the first batch, I tried the bow ties without sauce first and found that Brown's method resulted in pasta that was slightly more al dente.

I found that the noodles did have a better texture, as Brown said they would, and my dish was more comparable to fresh pasta than the first batch. 

However, Brown's recipe didn't call for as much salt as I would have liked. 

Although neither of my dishes compares to fresh pasta, Brown's cold water method did produce noodles with a more desirable texture.

I doubt I will change the way I normally prepare my pasta — my current method is low maintenance and I love it that way  — but I now understand the pros of Brown's cooking method. 

• Read more:
• I only drank water out of pasta straws for a week, and restaurants should be using them as an alternative to plastic
• 7 chefs revealed their favorite jarred pasta sauces
• A restaurant is selling pasta-stuffed sandwiches that are a carb lover's dream
• A chef reveals the only 3 brands of boxed pasta worth buying

• A top-quality dining table complements your interior décor, can withstand years of daily use, and provides comfortable seating with minimal waste of space.
• The Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table is our top pick because it's made of durable acacia wood and the leaves fold effortlessly when you don't need the extra space.

Is there any more iconic gathering spot for families than the dining room table? As my son burrows deeper into his teenage years, his time is increasingly divided between spending time with friends and just being alone in his room playing video games.

The dining room table is where we spend our daily time together over a home-cooked meal. If sitcoms are any indicator, this is the norm for many families. And, when the table is comfortable, the time together is more enjoyable.

When a piece of furniture serves such an important role in the lives of families, it's crucial that you take some time to really think about how much room you have for your dining table and how you plan to use it.

How to choose the right size table for your dining room

The main limitation of the kind of table you can buy is the size of your dining room. A popular rule of thumb is to measure the length and width of the space where you hope to dine. Then, subtract six feet from each of those measurements to account for space around it. This is the largest table that can fit in your space. So, if your dining room is 10 by 10 feet, then you would want a table that is 4-foot square or round or smaller.

Next, think about how many people will regularly sit at your table. For two people, a good table size is about 36 inches in diameter (if round) or per side (if square). Add 12 inches to this measurement for every increase of two more diners. For example, if you want to comfortably seat six people, choose a table at least 60 inches in diameter or per side.

The table's shape and style are also key

The shape of your room will also determine the table shape. For the most part, round and square tables work best in square rooms. On the other hand, in rectangular rooms, consider trying an oval or rectangular table. This will balance the proportions of your space. 

There are three main types of bases: legs, pedestal, and trestle. The base can strongly affect your ability to add more seats to your table. For instance, with a pedestal table, where the legs protrude from a single center post, the base tends not to get in the way of additional chairs. Yet, with the classic four-legged table, the location of the legs will affect how you position extra chairs.

Lastly, you must take your style into consideration. If your living space has a modern-industrial décor, then a rustic country home piece probably isn't the best choice. Fortunately, there are thousands of tables out there to fit your design scheme along with the room you have.

While researching the best dining room tables, we looked at scores of reviews and ratings from both buyers and experts. The dining tables included in our guide are durable, serve a variety of purposes, and make efficient use of your space.

Here are the best dining room tables you can buy:

• Best dining room table overall: Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table
• Best budget drop-leaf dining table: Threshold 40" Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table
• Best affordable dining room table: Coaster Home Furnishings Country Farmhouse Rectangular Butcher Block Dining Table
• Best glass dining room table: CB2 Silverado Round Dining Table
• Best dining room table for small spaces: Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leaf Table

Updated 11/12/19 by Caitlin Petreycik: Updated prices, links, and formatting. Added CB2's Silverado Round Dining Table as our pick for best glass dining room table. Added related guides. 

The best dining room table overall

If you have a small dining room but still like to host guests, the sides of Crate & Barrel's Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table fold down easily to accommodate your space.

The Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table is an excellent option for people who don't want a huge table taking up their smaller living area. The table stands 30 inches tall, and when opened, its surface measures 60 by 38 inches. When not in use, you can close it to a narrow 15.5 inches for out-of-the-way storage. Crate and Barrel says that the table seats up to four people, but in practice, six people can fit snugly around it.

The tabletop is made of acacia wood that is bleached and stained light walnut with a clear lacquer topcoat that provides extra protection from stains and nicks. The legs are tubular and made of steel with a black powdercoat finish. For added stability, there is a center gateleg that also folds out when you lift the leaves.

The Wirecutter recommends the Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table because it looks attractive in all of its configurations: totally open, with one leaf up, and as a console table when closed. The reviewer was also impressed with how easy it is to open and close the leaves. However, they were concerned about the many moving parts showing long-term wear and that it doesn't come with a warranty. The Origami Drop Leaf table is also recommended by Best Products and Apartment Therapy.

One customer review mentioned that the table they received was lighter than the floor model in the store. However, the table darkens over time. Most of the positive comments mention that the table is incredibly versatile and easy to maneuver.

Pros: Effortlessly folding leaves, made of durable acacia wood, closes to just 15.5 inches wide

Cons: No warranty, expensive

The best budget drop-leaf dining table

The Threshold 40-inch Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table is an excellent solution if you're looking for a table that comfortably seats four, has an attractive look, and doesn't break the bank.

With the leaves down, the Threshold 40-inch Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table works well as a place to display photos and accent pieces along a photo wall. Or, you might use it as a sofa table. And, when people come over, you can open up the table to create a 40-inch square surface that comfortably sits four.

When folded, the table is 20-inches wide, though the base has a footprint of 26.25 by 31.125 inches. The table material is stained rubberwood — a softer wood — with a distressed finish, and the legs are metal.

Apartment Therapy recommends the Threshold 40-inch Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table because the reviewer found that the design allowed for ample legroom under the otherwise small table. The Wirecutter recommends this table for people who like the Crate & Barrel Origami table but don't have $700 to spend. The reviewer did note that the soft rubberwood tabletop is more susceptible to damage. Best Products suggests people with a more modern interior décor will benefit from this table.

One customer review points out that while the table easily fits four people, you could potentially squeeze six. Other buyers recommend having a drill handy for speedy assembly; with the drill, it should take about 20 minutes. 

The biggest complaint was that the table sometimes doesn't come with all of the right hardware and getting parts sent is a hassle.

Pros: Plenty of legroom, affordable, doesn't take up much space

Cons: Susceptible to damage, no warranty

The best affordable dining room table

If you need a small table for two and don't want to spend a lot, the Coaster Country Farmhouse Rectangular Butcher Block Dining Table is a smart solution.

Though Coaster Home Furnishings advertises that the Country Farmhouse Rectangular Butcher Block Dining Table can fit four people, it is a snug fit due to the 48 by 30-inch tabletop dimensions.

The whole table is made of oak, and you can choose between a painted white or natural oak base. With these color options, this table is ideal for spaces with a country home décor. In addition to serving as a dining table in a small space, you might also use this Coaster Home Furnishings product as a craft table or desk.

The Coaster Home Furnishings Dining Table is recommended by The Wirecutter because of the low cost and the oak tabletop makes it more durable than the typical pine tables you find in this price range. However, the reviewer does note that the table is a bit tight for more than two people and the tabletop tends to scratch easily. 

Pros: Affordable, made of durable pine, easy to assemble

Cons: Limited seating capacity, may scratch easily

The best glass dining room table

The attractive look of CB2's Silverado Round Dining Table is ideal for homes with a more modern interior design scheme.

Less expensive than similar glass tables from other retailers, the Silverado Round Dining Table by CB2 will complement a wide range of interior decorating styles, thanks to its ultra-simple design. Featuring a 47-inch glass top perched on two 29-inch "sawhorses" (available in either silver or brass), the table seats up to four people. 

The Wirecutter recommends the slightly pricier rectangular version of the Silverado in their roundup of the best dining tables under $1000, citing that it will bring an airy feeling to a room (the see-through glass and reflective legs trick the eye, making this piece of furniture look significantly smaller than it really is). Their reviewer also mentioned that CB2's floor model was pretty scratched, and recommended using placemats and avoiding chairs with arms, so as not to chip the sides.  

A few customer reviews also pointed out that the glass shows fingerprints, but, on the upside, it's easy to clean. 

Pros: Attractive modern design, easy to clean

Cons: Scratches easily

The best dining room table for small spaces

If you have a nook for a dining area and would like a table that can seat up to four people, take a look at the Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leaf Table.

At 36 inches in diameter when opened, the Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leaf Table is a bit smaller than the standard round table and larger than the classic bistro-style table. This makes it ideal for serving both purposes in small dining rooms and urban studios.

In a space as small as 7 by 7 feet, you can potentially seat up to four people. With the leaves down, the table is a mere 18 inches thick and can serve as an end table.

The Jozy Drop Leaf Table is made of solid acacia wood and has a weathered gray finish for an antique appearance. The acacia is more durable than other woods and can stand up to scratching. However, you will want to use coasters and placemats on the table to avoid discoloration.

The Wirecutter was impressed with how the Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leaf Table looks great both opened and closed. The reviewer noted that the table felt sturdy when it was expanded despite the somewhat narrow base. She also liked that the table is capable of being refinished since it is made of solid wood. Apartment Therapy recommends this table for small dining rooms or any space that requires a versatile piece of furniture.

Pros: Attractive appearance in any configuration, ideal for nooks, easy to assemble

Cons: Limited seating capacity

Check out our other furniture guides

The best dining chairs

Need just the right dining chairs for a tight space (or a tight budget)? Or a mid-century marvel to impress your guests? We've rounded up our favorite dining chairs from both well-known and under-the-radar brands. Here are the best dining chairs you can buy: 

• Best dining chair overall: Wynn Ladderback Dining Chair
• Best mid-century dining chair: Caesar Upholstered Dining Chair
• Best industrial chic dining chair: Slope Leather Dining Chair
• Best small-space dining chair: Stakmore Arts and Craft Folding Chair
• Best budget dining chair set: Camden Wooden Dining Chairs in White Wash

The best ottomans

Adding an ottoman to a living room may seem superfluous, but if you have space for one, it is actually a genius piece of furniture. Ottomans not only offer comfort, but some also work as great storage solutions, especially for small spaces. These are the best ottomans you can buy: 

• Best ottoman overall: Seville Classics Foldable Storage Ottoman
• Best budget ottoman: Threshold Danbury Tufted Storage Ottoman
• Best leather ottoman: Crate & Barrel Stow 17-Inch Leather Storage Ottoman
• Best bench-style ottoman: Madison Park Shandra Storage Ottoman
• Best convertible ottoman: Brayden Studio Saito Sleeper Ottoman

The best TV stands

Building a home theater requires a lot of pieces. Not only will you want a good TV, but you also might have streaming boxes, gaming consoles, audio tuners, soundbars, and so on. You'll want to store all of those devices in TV stand that looks good, feels organized, and fits in your home. Here are the best TV stands you can buy: 

• Best TV stand overall: Progressive Furniture Willow Console
• Best TV stand with space for a soundbar: South Shore Adrian TV Stand
• Best budget TV stand: Vivo Vesa Mount Stand
• Best wall-mounted TV stand: South Shore Floating Wall-Mounted Media Console

• High-quality soda makers are easy to use, can quickly carbonate water to the level of fizziness you want, and they don't take up much space in your kitchen.
• The Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker is our top pick because it features a pressure release to avoid messes, is backed by a two-year warranty, and, most impressively, it can inject just about any liquid with effervescent bubbles.

La Croix and Spindrift are all the rage these days. And, it seems like new sparkling water brands are popping up every day to get a piece of this growing market. If you like to sip on seltzer, you know how expensive it can be. Often, it's pricier than the sugar-packed options out there. Fortunately, there are several excellent soda makers on the market that can produce affordable carbonated beverages in a matter of seconds.

Aside from saving some money (we'll get back to that), there are several other reasons why sparkling water makers are a smart investment. Whether you buy cans or bottles of your favorite beverage, there is a significant amount of packaging involved. Even if you are able to recycle all of it, energy is wasted in the recycling process. With soda makers, you can cut down on energy use.

Also, lugging 12-packs, liter bottles, and cases from the store to your home can be a real pain. This problem goes away with a good soda maker. Another benefit is the ability to customize flavors. There are countless recipes for making homemade soda syrups available online, and you can come pretty close to mimicking the flavor of your favorite fizzy beverage. 

The most popular soda makers don't use electricity or batteries. You simply load the CO2 cartridge, fill the reusable bottle with cold water, attach it to the unit, and press a button to release the CO2 into the water.

The CO2 and syrup are your main long-term costs when purchasing a soda maker. Some brands have CO2 cartridge exchange programs, where you can bring in your used cartridge and get a filled one. This typically works out to about 25 cents per liter, which is much less than you would expect to spend for generic seltzer.

While researching the best soda makers, we examined hundreds of buyer and expert ratings and reviews of popular units. Our guide features models that have a track record of performance, durability, and ease of use. 

Here are our picks for the best soda makers you can buy:

• Best soda maker overall: Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker
• Best SodaStream soda maker: SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Maker
• Best user-friendly soda maker: SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker

Updated on 11/13/2019 by Caitlin Petreycik: Updated prices, links, and formatting. Added related guides. 

The best soda maker overall

If you'd like to add fizz to more than just water, consider the Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker, which can carbonate everything from juice to wine.

The Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Makerdistinguishes itself from other soda makers on the market by "sparkling" just about every beverage in your fridge: cocktails, flat beer, lemonade, coffee, and so on. However, iDrink, the Drinkmate's manufacturer, warns against using juices with pulp since it may clog the pressure release valve.

The process for carbonating your beverages has a few more steps than other models, but you also get more control over the release of the CO2. The Drinkmate doesn't require any electricity or batteries to operate. The device is compatible with 3 oz. and 14.5 oz./60L CO2 cartridges, and iDrink operates an eco- and budget-friendly exchange program, where you can send in your empty cartridge to get a full one at a reduced price.

A whole host of expert sites recommend the Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker. It is one of three soda makers The Wirecutter recommends. The reviewers appreciate that this machine is able to carbonate liquids other than water. They tested a "mocktail," wine, and apple juice without any problems. However, as mentioned before, they note that the Drinkmate is trickier to operate than the SodaStream.

Digital Trends suggests buying the Drinkmate if you like adding carbonation to all of your beverages. The reviewer tried turning white wine into a champagne-like alternative but came up short. However, they found it still made low-grade wine more palatable. Wired, Apartment Therapy, and Steamy Kitchenall rated the Drinkmate highly.

Buyer reviews mention running flat soda through the Drinkmate to reinvigorate it. Another popular feature is the ability to control the pressure so the beverage doesn't overflow.

Pros: Can carbonate liquids other than water, two-year warranty, pressure control valve decreases the chance of messes

Cons: Requires several steps to operate

The best handheld soda maker

The affordable Innovee Soda Siphon Ultimate Soda Maker stores easily in your refrigerator for cold, on-demand sparkling water.

If you've watched old-timey slapstick comedy, you are likely familiar with the soda siphon, or seltzer bottle. Though the design is similar, today's soda siphons, like the Innovee Soda Siphon Ultimate Soda Maker, are self-pressurized using an 8-gram CO2 cartridge.

You fill the carafe with up to four cups of very cold water, put on the cap, insert the cartridge, and screw the charger holder in place, which releases the gas. The water is carbonated within 10 to 15 minutes.

The Innovee Soda Siphon doesn't come with CO2 canisters, but it does come with extra O-rings and a black fork key for removing the inner tube of the siphon. Innovee Home also offers a cocktail recipe e-book and a money-back guarantee.

Apartment Therapy recommends the Innovee Soda Siphon as a budget-friendly option. The reviewer found that the carbonation process takes longer than other models and disliked that it requires ice cold water. But, she appreciated the unit's small size that allowed it to fit easily in the refrigerator

Judging by online customer reviews, it seems like the Soda Siphon gets your water just as bubbly as the SodaStream, and people seem to like the fact that it works with a variety of different CO2 chargers. However, some buyers note that they would like to be able to see how full the carafe is as they fill it. 

Pros: Inexpensive, easily fits in the fridge, user-friendly

Cons: Slow, water must be ice cold, doesn't come with a CO2 cartridge

The best SodaStream soda maker

If you are looking for an easy-to-use system made by the biggest name in the industry, consider the SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Maker.

In the world of soda makers, there is SodaStream, and there's the rest. The company was founded in 1903 in England when W & A Gilbey, Ltd. patented an "apparatus for aerating liquids." In the intervening years, the name has changed and the main production facilities have moved to Israel. Today, the name SodaStream has become synonymous with soda makers.

The SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Makerhas been on the market for more than 15 years and remains a favorite because of its intuitive design. You pop in the CO2 canister, then when you want carbonated water, just press the button a few times until you hear a buzz. The starter kit comes with a 60L carbonator and a reusable liter bottle.

The Gadgeteer recommended the SodaStream Fountain Jet as an affordable alternative to buying cans of pop. The reviewer noted that the soda-making process couldn't have been easier. She liked how closely the SodaStream Diet Cola flavoring mimicked Diet Coke. However, she posted an update six years after her initial post to say she stopped using the Jet because it took up too much counter space and she didn't like the hassle of replacing CO2 cartridges.

At one time, The Wirecutter recommended the Fountain Jet but stopped short of endorsing it in its latest review because the water wasn't as fizzy as the testers would have liked. However, it did well in taste tests.

Pros: Easy to use, carbonation control, many excellent flavors available

Cons: May have trouble reaching your desired fizziness

The best user-friendly soda maker

The SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker is easy to use and makes your beverage as bubbly as you'd like.

The SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker is probably the most user-friendly option on our list. You simply fill the supplied reusable bottle with cold water, lock it into place, and press the mechanism over the bottle until you reach your desired level of fizziness.

This unit comes with a mail-in rebate for a 60L CO2 carbonator, the 1L reusable bottle, and a mini 9L CO2 carbonator. The 60L CO2 carbonators can be refilled at select Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, and Walmart locations, as well as other stores for about $15, which works out to about 25 cents of CO2 to carbonate a full 1L bottle of water.

The SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker is one of Cook's Illustrated's top picks. They recommend this model because of its sleek design and ease of use. Testers were able to choose between gentle carbonation and intense bubbles by applying light pressure.

Chowhound also recommends this unit. The reviewer noted that the SodaMix syrups were solid imitations of the real thing. He was a little bit perturbed by the many additional costs associated with the soda maker, including the CO2, syrups, and additional reusable bottles.

We did come across a few complaints from buyers who received damaged soda makers. Though it comes with a two-year warranty, returning the soda maker can be difficult.

Pros: Incredibly easy to use, easily accessible CO2 refills

Cons: Difficulties returning faulty products, durability concerns 

Check out our other kitchen gadget guides

The best KitchenAid attachments

The best attachments for your KitchenAid mixer can do all kinds of things, from making pasta to churning ice cream. They can even replace other appliances in your kitchen (and save you a ton of space). Here are the best KitchenAid attachments you can buy: 

• Best KitchenAid attachment for pasta: 3-Piece Pasta Roller & Cutter Attachment Set
• Best strainer attachment: Fruit & Vegetable Strainer Set with Food Grinder Attachment
• Best peeler, corer, slicer attachment: Spiralizer Attachment with Peel, Core & Slice
• Best pasta extruder attachment: Pasta Extruder Attachment
• Best ice cream maker: Ice Cream Maker Attachment
• Best grain mill attachment: All Metal Grain Mill Attachment
• Best food processor attachment: Food Processor Attachment
• Best meat grinder attachment: KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder Attachment

The best beer brewing kits

While it's unfortunately not true that Benjamin Franklin once said, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy," it's certainly a sentiment that most of us would agree with. If you'd like to brew a cold one yourself, check out our top recommendations: 

• Best homebrew beer kit overall: Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit
• Best small-batch homebrew beer kit: Brooklyn Brew Shop Everyday IPA Starter Kit
• Best homebrew beer kit for beginners: Mr. Beer Premium Gold Craft Beer Making Kit
• Best homebrew kit for root beer: Mr. Root Beer Home Brewing Kit
• Best deluxe homebrew beer starter kit: Northern Brewer Deluxe Home Brewing Starter Kit

The best bread machines

Making bread isn't just for master bakers when you have a bread machine. We combed through hundreds of reviews and ratings from home bakers and experts alike to find the best units. Our top picks can make a variety of different bread types, require minimal user oversight, and have a track record of dependability and performance. Here are the best bread machines you can buy: 

• Best overall: Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Breadmaker
• Best budget bread machine #1: Oster 2-Pound Expressbake Bread Maker
• Best convection machine: Convection Bread Maker by Cuisinart
• Best machine for unique breads: Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker

• Women-owned businesses in the US have grown 21% in the last five years and women entrepreneurs are especially savvy in identifying market opportunity. 
• The four finalists in Mastercard's Grow Your Biz competition are tapping into industries in which they've recognized opportunity and scalability. 
• Business Insider spoke with the finalists about how their small businesses are meeting the needs of their communities and contributing to their local economies. 
• From a plant shop owner in Kentucky to a hostel owner in Texas, these women found their success selling products and services millennials can't get enough of.
• Click here for more BI Prime content.

Women-owned businesses in the US have grown 21% in the last five years and part of that growth could be in part because of their ingenuity demonstrated across industries. 

According to a recent report, women are more likely than business owners in general to identify a need in a market and start a company to fill it. This seems to be the case with the four finalists of Mastercard's Grow Your Biz competition. 

A plant shop owner in Kentucky with over 15,000 Instagram followers is capitalizing on the allure greenery has on dressing up a bare, white wall.

A hostel owner in Texas recognizes millennial travelers in America want the European experience of room-sharing.

A family counselor in Illinois hopes to create more mental health resources for her community at a time when more people are talking openly about the topic.

And two blogger-chefs in Pennsylvania are catering to a rise in home cooking services by hosting interactive dinner parties. 

These women-owned small businesses are tapping into industries where they've seen major opportunities for growth in their towns and across the US.

Now the entrepreneurs have the opportunity to win $25,000 towards expansion. Mastercard chose these four finalists to pitch their businesses to a panel of executives in New York City, on November 14.

Here are the four Grow Your Biz finalists. 

Wanderstay Houston

Location: Houston, Texas

Website:wanderstayhotels.com

Deidre Mathis is a world-traveler and author who founded the first black-owned hostel in the US. After living in and exploring Australia, she wanted to take the hostel format back to the states. She chose Houston, Texas, for its diversity and tourism. 

Wanderstay offers private and shared rooms for budget travel, catered to millennials looking for experiences. Mathis says Wanderstay's rates are on average 40% less than the cost of a hotel in Houston. 

These co-living accommodations are less common in America than in Europe, but Mathis says it's a growing market. She funded Wanderstay with a combination of personal savings, small business loans, and winnings from 11 pitch competitions which totaled $55,000. 

The hostel also provides discounts for travelers in partnership with other businesses in the area — in one year, guests contributed $16,000 in collective sales to local businesses. If she wins the competition, Mathis plans to put the money towards opening a second location.

Creative Counseling for Healthy Living

Location: Moline, Illinois

Website:creativecounselingqc.com

Jennifer Welvaert-Koch hopes to help destigmatize mental health through her counseling center, which provides counseling for individuals, parents, and families. She holds workshops based on research from Brené Brown, the professor known for her "power of vulnerability" Ted Talk, that center around topics such as resilience, failure, and imperfection. 

Since her services rely on finding spaces to hold sessions and workshops, Welvaert-Koch plans to get a bigger office space if she wins. "Revenue is dependent on the time that I spend face-to-face with clients rather than retail or other services," Welvaert-Koch told Business Insider.

Forage Plants

Locations: Louisville, Kentucky; Lexington, Kentucky; and Denver, Colorado

Website:forageplants.com

In part thanks to millennial design tastes, houseplant sales in the US have nearly doubled over the past three years to $1.7 billion. And one Kentucky entrepreneur is seeing the advantages of that growth. 

Since opening her plant shop in May 2016, Jamie Fairman has expanded to three locations and two states. Forage has an online store and hosts community events, like a workshop on how to make a decorative wreath or moss-covered wall hanging. 

Before launching Forage, Fairman was working in HR for a bourbon company. She opened her first store with $20,000 from her personal savings and the business is still self-funded today. She says her proven scalability and deeply rooted community sets her apart. 

Sweet Potatoes & Black Beans

Location: Jenkintown, Pennsylvania 

Website:sweetpotatoesandblackbeans.com

Rochelle Shearlds and Marsharelle Tolbert turned food blogging into a side-hustle business in 2015. They self-funded and launched Sweet Potatoes & Black Beans to host interactive dinner experiences in the Philadelphia area. The women still work their corporate jobs, so their events run Fridays through Sundays. They also host popup and educational events, like a biscuit-making workshop through Airbnb.

If they win the competition, they'd like to use the money to improve their website, invest in PR and marketing, and take a cultural immersion trip to learn more ways to add to their dining experiences. 

"We both love traveling and we understand that to be successful in anything that you do, you have to have continuous learning experiences," Shearlds told Business Insider.

• If your dad loves to travel (or is forced to for work), gift something he can use on all his trips no matter where he's headed. 
• From RFID-blocking wallets and bags to Disney+ streaming subscriptions, these 21 gifts will make his next trip far more comfortable, safe, and enjoyable.
• But if he's not into traveling, don't worry — there are a lot more holiday gift ideas here.

Traditional gifts for dad like a striped tie or a set of shiny cufflinks are great and all, but we'd prefer a gift that he'll use during moments that are more special than the usual workday grind. 

If the father figure in your life loves to travel (for work or play), these 21 gifts will keep him entertained, connected, and comfortable while traveling. Maybe you'll want to treat him to a tasty in-flight margarita, Wi-Fi hot spot so you two can always keep in touch, or subscription to Disney+ to stay entertained while in the air. 

Here are 21 gifts your dad will use on his next trip:

A subscription to Disney+

Subscribe for $6.99/month or $69.99/year

Keep your dad entertained with a subscription to Disney+. He can watch movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox for just $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year after a free seven-day trial.

Read everything there is to know about Disney+ over here. And if he needs some binge-spiration, here are all the new movies available to stream.

A versatile duffle bag

Everlane Mover Pack, $78

If your dad isn't a suitcase kind of man, pick up the practical and versatile Everland Mover Pack. There are three ways he can carry the bag: by the top and bottom haul handles, by the shoulder straps, or by the in-strap handles. The bag also has tons of pockets to hold everything he needs.

Comfy kicks

Allbirds Wool Runners, $95

These Allbird Wool Runners will take your dad though the terminal, onto the plane, and to the streets of wherever he's headed next in serious comfort and style. The sneakers feature a wool upper, an ultra-soft padded insole, and an incredibly lightweight sole. You can read our full review of the Wool Runners here.

An eco-friendly way to keep him hydrated

Hydro Flask, $29.95

Make sure he stays hydrated on the plane and during all his travels with the Hydro Flask, one of the hottest (coolest?) water bottles around.

You can up the ante by customizing the classic version, splurging on the Hydro Flask Starter Kit for $100.75, or even choosing the other styles the Insider Picks team loves and uses literally every day.

A travel pillow for the plane

Trtl Pillow Super Soft Neck Support Travel Pillow, $29.99

Every frequent traveler who tends to go on long hauls needs a supportive neck pillow. The super-soft fleece of the Trtl holds the neck and head in an ergonomic position during flight. Best of all, it's lightweight, weighing only about a half a pound so it won't add much to his baggage. Read our full review of the pillow here.

A travel-sized grooming set

Aesop Montreal Nine-Piece Travel Grooming Set, $70

Aesop's unisex grooming set includes everything he needs to stay clean and fresh while on the road. The kit contains seven to ten days' worth of hair, body, and oral care items that are suitable for normal to dry skin types, and for travel in temperate and cold climates. 

A backpack that'll keep his stuff safe

Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Backpack, from $69.83

Give your dad peace of mind with the Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Backpack. Thieves won't be able to grab your dad's valuables when he uses the backpack's locking pockets. The organizer compartment even has an RFID-blocking pocket for extra security.

A pair of comfy loafers

Cole Haan Pinch Weekender LX Penny Loafer, $99.95

Make going through security an easy task for your dad without sacrificing style. These traditional loafers feature a memory foam footbed so he'll be comfortable while on the go.

A bag tracker

Away x Tile Luggage Tag, $30

This luggage tag does far more than merely mark the suitcase with a name, address, and contact number. The Away x Tile Luggage tag comes with a Tile Slim so that he can always know where his bag is — literally. Read our full review of the Tile Slim here.

A way to keep his cords organized

Mark and Graham Leather Charger Roll Up, $49

Help your dad stay organized with a Mark and Graham leather roll-up pouch. The supple leather roll up features three separate pockets to hold all his cables, chargers, and tech accessories. Plus, you can get it monogrammed for free.

A portable coffee maker

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker, $29.95

One of the drawbacks of waking up in far-off places is not having your favorite coffee to sip on in the morning. The AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker is a portable solution for the dad who likes his cup just so.

A mobile Wi-Fi hot spot

Mobile WiFi Hot Spot, $149.99

No matter where your dad goes, he'll be able to stay in touch with friends, family, and the office with his own mobile Wi-Fi hot spot. The hot spot can be utilized with a variety of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including his laptop, smartphone, tablet, and even video game console.

A way to keep your dad charged up

Phone Charging Passport Holder, $37.99

This isn't just another passport holder. It's actually a handy wallet that also charges his phone with the enclosed power bank and provides extra security with an RFID-blocking area to keep his credit card info safe.

A travel-sized margarita kit

Margarita Carry-On Cocktail Kit, $24

Forgot about Dad sipping on a simple beer or glass of wine. Up his mid-flight beverage game with a margarita carry-on cocktail kit like this one.

All he needs is a mini bottle of tequila, and he'll be able to mix up two margs from the comfort of his own seat. Other cocktail sets are available for an Old Fashioned, a Gin and Tonic, and a Moscow Mule.

A luxurious leather Dopp kit

Mark & Graham Monogrammed Travel Pouch, $139

The pebbled leather of this Mark and Graham travel pouch screams luxury, though the price is actually quite reasonable for something of this quality. The foil-embossed monogram also adds more classic charm to this thoughtful gift.

A better way to pack

Paravel Packing Cubes, $55

If your dad is always having trouble squeezing everything into his suitcases because he insists on carrying three pairs of pants and five shirts for a weekend trip, the Paravel Packing Cubes can help him stay organized — and maybe help streamline. The set of three comes in a variety of colors, and you have the option to get them monogrammed too.

A way to keep all his toiletries in order

L.L. Bean Waxed-Canvas Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag, $89

This sturdy personal toiletry bag by L.L. Bean is not only handsome but happens to be very handy as well. The pack conveniently hangs on bathroom hooks for easy access to all his toiletries without taking up precious bathroom counter space.

A down travel pillow for the hotel

The Company Store Down Travel Pillow, $69

If your dad complains about the uncomfortable hotel pillows, then you can help him out with the gift of a comfy down travel pillow. 

Noise cancelling headphones

Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Wireless Headphones II, $395

Bose headphones are renowned for their amazing noise cancellation and superior audio quality. The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 even comes with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built right in so he's ready to be entertained in peace.

A portable speaker

JBL Clip 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $69.99

This particular speaker has a built-in carabiner so he can hang it anywhere in the hotel room with ease. The long battery also supports play for up to ten hours per charge.

A way to keep track of his travels

Scratch Map, $26-$40

Provide your dad with a whimsical way to keep track of his travels with this scratch-off map of the world. It's a fun way to recall and keep track of all his global adventures.

Looking for more gift ideas? We've got you covered.

• Our master list of every gift guide you'll ever need
• Creative gift ideas under $25
• Thoughtful gift ideas under $50
• Clever gift ideas under $100
• Cool stocking stuffers on Amazon
• Affordable tech gifts under $25
• Thoughtful gifts for her, all under $50
• Cool gifts for him on Amazon

• Earnings season is coming to a close and Goldman Sachs analyzed troves of investor call transcripts to determine the three most important themes from the third quarter. 
• Corporate executives had a lot to deal with during the quarter — from the ongoing US-China trade war to concerns of a slowing global economy. 
• Here are the three biggest takeaways from the third-quarter reporting season, according to Goldman Sachs. 
• Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.

With the latest earnings seasons approaching its end, Goldman Sachs took a look at the three biggest themes to take away from the third quarter. 

Corporate executives had to grapple with a number of challenges during the period including uncertainty around the outcome of the trade war between the US and China, as well as a potential economic slowdown in major markets across the globe. 

Companies affected by macro trends will often provide commentary during earnings calls on what's going on in the broader economy and how it's affecting their businesses. 

Investors and analysts were eager to see how companies in sectors such as consumer products and manufacturing are weathering existing tariffs and preparing for additional duties as the trade war continues. 

Heading into earnings season, there was also a focus on the slowing rate of share buybacks. Stock repurchase programs have been a major driver of the decade-long bull market. 

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the third quarter, according to Goldman Sachs: 

3. Policy uncertainty

Companies have been dealing with a lengthy bout of political uncertainty as the US-China trade spat carries on. 

According to Goldman, executives broadly are optimistic on the economic outlook for 2020 based on uplifting consumer data. But they are still concerned about the outcome of the trade war, the firm said. 

"Uncertainty remains high and executives expect to be dealing with US-China trade tensions for the foreseeable future. Consequently, inventories have declined and dealer demand has dropped," Goldman's analysts wrote in a note to clients on November 8. 

2. Corporate spending

When companies are uncertain about the future, they typically think twice about capital expenditures and spending. 

As a result of the recent political unpredictability, Goldman said that "many executives highlighted deferring capital expenditures as they approached investments with increased caution."

The analysts added: "Firms also outlined plans to divert cash from capital projects and buybacks in favor of strengthening the balance sheet."

S&P 500 cash spending fell to a decade-low in the second quarter as CEO confidence waned. The level stabilized during the third quarter, Goldman said. 

3. Politics and the 2020 election

The upcoming presidential election was also a key focus for companies this quarter, Goldman said. 

In recent months, some of Wall Street's biggest investors have called out democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren for her regulatory positions and wealth-tax proposal. 

According to Goldman, while executives are planning for different outcomes in the upcoming election, they remained focused on long-term plans. 

"Some managers discussed the difference between what is mentioned by politicians and what would eventually be implemented, expressing doubt that proposed policy changes would be realized," the firm wrote. 

• I just spent a week on the world's largest cruise ship: Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean's terminal in Miami is massive, and makes boarding and disembarking a ship a bewilderingly painless process.
• There's a standard security screening, like at an airport.
• But I was surprised to find that I only ever had to show my passport once, even when getting on and off the ship at various ports.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

I just spent a week on the world's largest cruise ship: Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, a ship so big that I regularly walked around 17,000 steps a day. It has room for 5,518 guests, approximately 2,200 crew onboard, and 23 dining venues serving around 30,000 dishes a day.

Obviously, it takes military precision to run a ship this size smoothly.

To me, this efficiency was most obvious while boarding and disembarking, a process that was surprisingly similar to boarding a plane— but better.

Keep scrolling to see what getting on and off the giant ship is like.

Royal Caribbean has a shiny new terminal in Miami from which its ships depart. It's only about 20 minutes from the airport.

The ship fits over 6,000 guests, and another 2,200 crew members. As such, I'm not surprised at the amount of traffic we hit right around the port, which also had several other ships boarding at the time.

It looked so much like an airport terminal that, when we arrived, I thought my friend had accidentally driven me to the airport.

Unlike an airport, however, you can just flag down one of the employees wearing white shirts and hats and simply give them your name and bags.

From here, it seems your stuff somehow magically appears outside of your room on the ship.

Unencumbered by heavy bags, I then made my way up an escalator and past a live band playing music to get guests into vacation mode.

Upon arrival, I got into a very short line where I was asked to show my ID and boarding pass. Guests can check in online or on the Royal Caribbean app until three days before departure, which I did. It's super easy and saved me time at the terminal.

Security lines move quickly: Since boarding starts at 11 a.m. and goes until 3 p.m., people are spread out. When checking in you also get a suggested boarding time, which aims to disperse crowds.

Check-in is followed by a pretty standard security screening, though I found you don't need to take off your shoes or remove any laptops or liquids. I breezed on through despite a giant carry-on filled with sunscreen.

The terminal is truly massive. According to Royal Caribbean, the goal is to have guests "go from 'car to bar' in mere minutes, without lines or paperwork to fill out." In my experience, they delivered.

Source: Royal Caribbean

The Miami port currently handles around 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers a year, but may see up to two million thanks to the new terminal, according to the Sun Sentinel.

Source: The Sun Sentinel

I boarded straight into the hubbub: the Boardwalk area, which is filled with shops, bars, and restaurants. Rooms aren't available until 1 p.m., so people tend to start drinking, eating, and hitting the pools right away.

The night before the cruise returned to the port in Miami, I found a luggage tag in my room.

Most guests choose to leave their bags outside of their room the night before, with the tags attached but I held on to my carry-on.

The next morning, guests could disembark anytime between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Our ship docked in Miami around 3 a.m, and I got off at 8.a.m., while many others were still enjoying one last breakfast on the ship.

Much like an airport, there are immigration rules.

Unlike an airport, there's no waiting for your luggage. Bags await you in an orderly manner: You'll find them under the same number as the luggage tag you were given the previous night.

You then get in line for immigration. Despite there being separate lines for passports and birth certificates (!?), no one asked to see mine.

All I had to do was swipe my SeaPass (my room key, which doubled as an ID and credit card), and I literally walked right on through.

Once outside, I ordered an Uber and waited for it to arrive in one of the designated ride-share zones, surprised by just how quick and painless disembarking the world's largest cruise ship was.

• Read more:
• I stayed in a 182-square-foot room on the world's largest cruise ship, where no space was left unused. Here's what it's like inside.
• The world's largest cruise ship has a bar with robot bartenders. Here's how my margarita compared to one made by a human.
• The world's largest cruise ship has everything from an ice rink to a zip line, but it's the Starbucks that surprised me most
• A cruise ship worker reveals what it's really like to work on a cruise ship

• Some collegiate fields of study may not guarantee great wealth, even if they still lead to socially useful and emotionally satisfying careers.
• Using Census data, we found the 20 college majors with the lowest average personal incomes post-graduation.
• Many of the majors on the list are in education, and there's been a big recent push to increase pay for teachers.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

While some fields of study, like engineering or finance, can reliably lead to highly remunerative careers, other majors may not guarantee great wealth, even if they're still associated with socially useful and emotionally satisfying jobs.

Using individual-level data from the US Census Bureau's 2017 American Community Survey compiled by the Minnesota Population Center's Integrated Public Use Microdata Series program, we looked at average total annual personal incomes for different fields of study among college degree holders.

One of the questions on the American Community Survey asks respondents what their level of educational attainment is. Among those with a bachelor's degree or higher, the survey also asks what major field of study the respondent's degree was in. Using that data, we found the majors with the lowest average total personal income among employed Americans with bachelor's degrees in that field.

While the entries on the list tend to have lower pay than other fields of study, they can still lead to careers that are fulfilling in other ways. Many of the majors with lower-than-average pay are in education, and teachers tend to be passionate about helping their students grow and learn, although there is a growing push for higher salaries among teachers. In October, teachers in Chicago went on an 11-day strike, demanding smaller class sizes and higher pay.

It's also worth noting that this is a fairly simple analysis. We're just considering all employed Americans who had a degree in each major, without considering other significant factors that could affect personal income, like their particular post-college occupations and industries. Still, it gives an indication of which areas of study may lead to lower earnings after graduation.

Here are the 20 college majors with the lowest average incomes, in order of decreasing pay:

SEE ALSO: 20 blue-collar jobs that will be all the rage in 2028

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20. Special needs education majors had an average annual total income of $59,000.

19. General interdisciplinary studies majors had an average annual total income of $58,700.

18. Language and drama education majors had an average annual total income of $58,200.

17. Physical fitness, parks, recreation, and leisure majors had an average annual total income of $57,800.

16. Composition and speech majors had an average annual total income of $57,600.

15. Art and music education majors had an average annual total income of $56,900.

T13. Family and consumer sciences majors had an average annual total income of $56,600.

T13. Drama and theater arts majors had an average annual total income of $56,600.

12. School student counseling majors had an average annual total income of $56,200.

11. Theology and religious vocations majors had an average annual total income of $56,000.

10. Studio arts majors had an average annual total income of $54,700.

9. Human services and community organization majors had an average annual total income of $54,400.

8. Counseling psychology majors had an average annual total income of $54,300.

7. Elementary education majors had an average annual total income of $54,200.

6. Multiple-level education majors had an average annual total income of $53,900.

5. Social work majors had an average annual total income of $53,400.

4. Cosmetology services and culinary arts majors had an average annual total income of $50,000.

The US Census Bureau's coding links these two fields of study under one category.

3. Visual and performing arts majors had an average annual total income of $49,200.

2. Miscellaneous fine arts majors had an average annual total income of $48,300.

This is a catchall category including fine arts majors not accounted for in some other grouping.

1. Early childhood education majors had an average annual total income of $44,600.

• It's no secret that people's day-to-day lives in the 1920s were very different than they are now.
• About 100 years ago, Prohibition went into effect, leading to the rise of speakeasies and impacting American culture and society.
• From social events to schools and kitchens, life has changed drastically in the past 100 years.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

It may be hard to believe, but the start of the Roaring Twenties was almost 100 years ago.

The 1920s brought amazing artistic, cultural, and technological advancements — but life back then looked pretty different than it does today. 

Read on to take a trip back in time and see how life was different a century ago.

Drugstores in the 1920s weren't only places to pick up prescriptions — they were also soda and candy counters.

Drugstores weren't just places to grab quick convenience items like they are today; they were central gathering spots in the community. At a 1920s-era pharmacy, customers could sit at the counter and enjoy a root beer float or an egg cream.

These pharmacies of a bygone era were much more ornately decorated — with marble countertops and beautiful light fixtures — than the fluorescent lighting-clad drugstores of today.

New automobiles marked a new era of advancements.

The 1920s are often looked at as one of the most influential decades of automobile advancements. 

Any curiosity about what was going in the world required a look at the daily newspaper.

The first commercial radio broadcast happened in 1920 when Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, station KDKA went on air — but the 1920s were still long before the advent of TV. People relied on newspapers for local, national, and global updates — as well as advice columns, entertainment, and other stories.

Telephones looked just a tad different from the smartphones we know today.

Phones of the 1920s and '30s were characterized by their rotary dials and "spit cup" receivers. It was common to see phones mounted on the wall (to the right) or the candlestick version (to the left).

Many women in the 1920s worked as telephone switchboard operators — a job many considered a step up from working in a factory.

The switchboard operator job was a female-dominated trade until the 1970s, according to Time.

People using telephones in this era would hear a voice on the other end asking, "Number please?" After they had provided it, the switchboard operator would connect them.

Silent films dominated the budding movie industry.

The silent film era began in 1894 and continued through the 1920s. Before there were "talkies," audiences were dazzled by films starring actors and actresses like Charlie Chaplin and Clara Bow. The 1927 film "The Jazz Singer" was one of the most successful and iconic silent films of the time.

Luxe fabrics, flapper girl silhouettes, and art-deco style dominated the fashion world in the '20s.

In the Roaring Twenties, fashions were characterized by fringe, loose fabrics, and glamorous details. The garments differed immensely from the athleisure and street style-inspired looks that fill clothing racks today. But as fashion historians explain, trends are cyclical— meaning '20s-inspired clothes could (and will likely) make a comeback into mainstream fashion again.

100 years ago, Prohibition was in place and had a major affect on society and culture in the US.

Prohibition went into effect in 1920 with the 18th Amendment, which banned the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol within the US. The law, until it was repealed in 1933, impacted American culture and society — giving way to organized crime and speakeasies.

The Charleston was the dance of choice ...

The famous Charleston dance came from a song in the Broadway show "Runnin' Wild." It became a mainstream dance in 1923 and defined the rest of the decade.

... and jazz music was the most popular genre at the time.

Jazz music dominated 1920s culture in America.

Kitchen appliances were much different than they are now.

The beginning of the 20th century brought many advancements to the home — from gas ranges to the advent of refrigerators, which became commonplace in homes by the 1920s — but kitchens certainly didn't have the multi-functional, high-tech gadgets many homes are equipped with today.

General stores were a popular go-to spot for various goods.

General stores became less common after the 1920s, but throughout the decade, they were still popular for various goods for farmers and industrial workers, as well as equipment and food.

Schools for young students typically were large classrooms that fit as many pupils as possible.

At the time, classrooms and schoolhouses were designed to hold as many students as possible to maximize space. But in the 1920s, more educators and administrators started to support "progressive" schools that were built to house programs that were new at the time — allowing more open-air, light, and access to outdoor activities, according to a report from the National Institute of Building Sciences about school design.

Gym class was much more elegant in the '20s than it is now.

This looks way more sophisticated than a sweaty game of dodgeball — a common gym class activity today.

Circus shows were in their prime 100 years ago.

The famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus show, "The Greatest Show on Earth," shut down in May 2017 after 146 years of shocking the nation with its acrobatic and animal performances. 

In recent years, changing attitudes towards animal rights — as well as high operating costs of the show itself, and declining attendance rates — played a role in the demise of the famous circus.

• Read more:
• 16 unbelievable ways that life in the US has changed in the past 100 years
• 20 big ways the world has changed since 1999
• 54 before-and-after photos that show how much the world has changed