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Disappointing photos show what it's really like to visit Disney World around the holidays

The best times to book travel for the holidays, according to Google Flights

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Now in <keyword id="19896940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Walmart" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Walmart" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Walmart">Walmart</keyword> aisles: a <keyword id="23944922" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Skibidi-Toilet-action-figure" source="keywords">Skibidi Toilet action figure</keyword> — a $45 mystery toilet bowl.</li><li>The head of brands for toilet-maker <keyword id="23944923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bonkers-Toys" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bonkers Toys" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bonkers Toys">Bonkers Toys</keyword> says it's selling well.</li></ul>Recently at my local Walmart, I saw a massive display in the main aisle of the toy section: It featured a plastic toilet, about a foot tall, with a ghoulish head sticking out. For $44.95, I could be the proud owner of the <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-link--underline" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/skibidi-toilet-is-good-actually-2023-10">Skibidi Toilet</a> — complete with <keyword id="23944930" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="toilet-themed-toys" source="keywords">toilet-themed toys</keyword> in the bowl. And in case you were wondering: Yes, it makes a flushing noise. If you've spent any time lately around someone who isn't old enough to drive, you've probably heard some utterance of the word "skibidi." I'll spare you the full summary of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/skibidi-toilet-gen-z-alpha-memes-internet-culture-outdated-old-2023-7" target="_blank">Gen Alpha meme</a>, but the short form is: It's a YouTube series about a dystopian battle of good and evil (the toilet guys are the villains). My colleague Lindsay Dodgson <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/skibidi-toilet-is-good-actually-2023-10" target="_blank">describes</a> it as "part 'Terminator,' part 'Bladerunner,' and obviously, part toilets." She says the series is actually good. What's interesting to me is that this absurd toilet meme appears to be doing a robust business in the toy aisle of your local discount store. I spoke with Dan Meyer, head of brands at Bonkers Toys, the company behind the flush. "Right away we noticed that it was exploding," Meyer said of the skibidi phenomenon online. Bonkers made a licensing deal and started pitching vendors on the toilet toy — an easy sell, he said. Bonkers started making prototypes of the toilet toy in early 2024 — and it's hit the shelves in time for the holiday season, a tight timeline. "When we're pitching it to [retailers], we had enough data to see that in middle schools and elementary schools, the term skibidi was already a thing," Meyer said. Bonkers could point to the YouTube views the Skibidi Toilet series had racked up — its channel has more than 40 million followers — or how if they searched Instagram, they'd find "hundreds and hundreds" of people dressed in homemade Skibidi Toilet costumes. Bonkers Toys, founded in 2017 in San Diego, has carved a niche for itself by licensing intellectual property from YouTube creators. Its first big toy was the giant "mystery egg" toy for Ryan's World. At the time, Ryan's World was one of the top channels on YouTube, a pioneer in the genre of "little kid opening toys." <div type="image" title="skibidi toilet toys" height="3000" width="3000" msid="115096128" hostid="261"></div>Bonkers' move into memes is in line with what retailers are trying to achieve, Blake Droesch, a senior retail analyst with BI sister company Emarketer, told me. He said big box stores like Walmart are trying to respond quickly to online trends, especially for toys. They need to move fast to compete with viral shopping on the likes of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-gen-x-boomers-love-temu-2024-1">Temu</a>. "This environment has certainly created demand for manufacturers who can produce fast and cheap products that will serve this growing market," he said. "It's no different than fast fashion, but for toys. They respond quickly to viral moments and get products on the shelves while the trend is still hot." The original Skibidi Toilet was the creation of animator Alexey Gerasimov, who made it for his YouTube channel DaFuq!?Boom!, which has 44.3 million subscribers. Gerasimov has partnered with Invisible Narratives, a companyfounded by Adam Goodman, the former president of DreamWorks SKG and Paramount Pictures who works with YouTube creators to help them make the jump to more traditional media, like movies and TV. It also helps them with licensing their brands for merchandise, like Skibidi's deal with Bonkers. Merchandising, like with the toys from Bonkers Toys, is crucial to success for these new media brands, he said. "We believe that young people don't want to pay for content anymore," Goodman told Business Insider. "Their parents pay for subscriptions, and the don't really go to movies the way that they used to — but they like buying stuff." Skibidi Toilet is certainly not the first YouTube creation to enter into consumer merchandise. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-mrbeast-pitches-brands-sponsorship-deals-jimmy-donaldson-youtube-2024-10">MrBeast</a> sells chocolates and premade lunches along with Logan Paul and KSI, who make the popular drink Prime. <div type="image" title="Skibidit toilet plush toy" height="3000" width="3000" msid="115096131" hostid="261"></div>Meyer wouldn't provide numbers on how many toilets they've sold, but so far, things are looking promising, he said. He said Bonkers' launch of a LankyBox-themed product about three years ago — which was another product centered on a YouTube creator — was one of the "biggest, most successful-selling brands in the boys' action aisle" at discounters, including Walmart. He said the Skibidi Toilet was outselling LankyBox by around double. (Walmart didn't respond to requests for comment on sales numbers.) Right now, there are only a few Skibidi Toilet-theme products from Bonkers: individual action figures, mini-figures, plushes (aw, cute), and the aforementioned "mystery" toilet, which includes stickers, minifigures, and lanyards. But there will be more products for next year, Meyer said — including what every little boy and girl dreams of getting from Santa: a remote-controlled toilet bowl. Correction: November 8, 2024 — In the Skibidi Toilet YouTube series, the toilet guys are the bad guys, not the good guys.

Dear Santa: Please bring me a Skibidi Toilet for Christmas

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/starbucks">Starbucks</a>' mobile app appeared to be down during the morning coffee rush on Thursday.</li><li>Some users got a message saying, "mobile ordering is currently unavailable."</li></ul>Some Starbucks customers could not place orders through its mobile app on Thursday, the first day of the coffee chain's holiday menu.Dozens of Starbucks app users posted on social media early Thursday saying that they weren't able to order beverages or buy merchandise, such as the company's reusable cups, through the app. Instead, users got a message directing them to place their order at a Starbucks store.<div type="image" title="A message in the Starbucks app indicates that mobile ordering isn't available." height="1084" width="680" msid="115060200" hostid="261" sizebytes="18602"></div>Downdetector, a website that tracks website outages, showed a spike in user reports of problems with the Starbucks app around 8 a.m. ET — a busy period at many Starbucks cafés as customers stop by for their morning cup of coffee. Business Insider employees in Washington, DC, and New York City could not use the app.The exact scale of the outage wasn't clear. Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, though it did respond to customers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/StarbucksCare/status/1854534461305885079">on X</a>, saying the company is "currently experiencing a temporary outage of the order ahead and pay feature in our app. We continue to welcome and serve customers in our drive-thrus and stores." Thursday is the first day Starbucks' holiday offerings are on sale. They include a gingerbread-flavored chai as well as holiday-themed merchandise such as tumblers and mugs.Starbucks has grown orders through its app over the past several years, but some store employees have told BI that they have been overwhelmed by the number of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-online-orders-might-stand-in-way-new-ceo-plans-2024-10">mobile orders at times</a>, especially when customers customize their drinks.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-will-add-guardrails-to-mobile-ordering-process-2024-10">Brian Niccol</a>, who became Starbucks' CEO in September, said last month that he would put "guardrails" on mobile orders to simplify the process for baristas.Do you work at Starbucks and have a story idea or information to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

Starbucks' app is down on the first day of the chain's holiday menu

If you're looking for some inspiration on how to spend the upcoming holiday season, it's time to take cues from fellow Indians. A recent study by American Express has highlighted that a staggering 97% of Indians have their travel plans set for the forthcoming festive season, and more than 30% have already made their bookings. What's more, around 93% won't shy away from spending a few extra bucks if it means making their trip more comfortable and fun. A recent <keyword id="23687478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Skyscanner-report" source="keywords">Skyscanner report</keyword> titled Travel Trends 2025 also underlined this growing preference for <keyword id="23687479" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="comfortable-travel" source="keywords">comfortable travel</keyword> among Indians. Per the report, 57% of Indians were okay spending a little extra to get a good quality in-flight meal. For 47%, good seats and hence, seat selection was a priority, and 42% of surveyed Indians preferred comfort right from the trip's start-valuing access to airport lounges. Per the <keyword id="23687477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="American-Express-study" source="keywords">American Express study</keyword>, while most people (63%) just want to let their hair down and relax, 54% want to don their explorer hats and see new places. About 27% just want to get away from the chaos of their daily lives and spend time with their near and dear ones. Most of us (around 88%) just have Bharat Darshan on our itinerary, while 61% felt like the world was calling us, which is why they plan to travel internationally. Irrespective of destinations, a staggering 91% of Indian travelers believe holidays can help build resilience and strength, so they’re better able to handle the stresses of everyday life. But even amidst all this traveling, Indians do not forget to be budget-conscious, which explains why 73% of Indians won't shy away from generously using their <keyword id="23687480" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-card-points" source="keywords">credit card points</keyword>, <keyword id="23687481" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airline-miles" source="keywords">airline miles</keyword>, or loyalty rewards. Soak in the festivities and experience The American Express study, which spanned Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, apart from India, only reinforced that pretty much everyone across the world is in a mood to travel and relax. Globally, 58% of respondents from these countries had plans to visit their family and friends. For those few who had no travel plans but rather wanted to lounge and laze in their homes, 40% had family or friends visiting them. But quality time with loved ones was not the only thing on the list, with 55% also taking trips outside of visiting family. Also, buying gifts during the season is seemingly passe. Every 1 in 3 respondents chose gifting their loved ones an experience rather than a material gift. Atop this gift list are entertainment-related experiences, preferred by 59% of respondents. Travel-related experiences come next, chosen by 54% of those surveyed, followed by food and drink-related experiences, which were opted for by 49% of respondents. The Skyscanner also highlighted that 66% of Indian travelers plan to travel more in 2025. As to the deciding factors for choosing the next travel destination, food, culture, and weather played a crucial role for 63%, 58%, and 57% of respondents, respectively. Skyscanner's report also highlighted this trend, noting that people were increasingly looking forward to having unique experiences. 53% of Indians surveyed wanted to travel to watch a live game or sporting event in 2025. At 54%, this number was slightly higher amongst the 25-34 age cohort.

Travel, Eat, and Have Fun: How Indians plan to spend their holidays

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple">Apple</a> is expected to expand Apple Intelligence with an iOS 18.2 update on December 2.</li><li>It will feature enhanced writing tools, ChatGPT, and a visual intelligence tool.</li></ul>Apple has one more AI drop in store for consumers this year.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-intelligence-features-rollout-timeline-iphone-16-2024-9">Apple Intelligence, i</a>ts highly anticipated genAI software, launched with the first set of features on October 28, and the tech giant said it plans to continue the rollout in December.Apple said it plans to build out Apple Intelligence over the next several months, with drops in December and April. The new AI software is only available on iPhone 15 Pro or later.Its upcoming launch is expected to be on December 2 as part of the iOS 18.2 update, in time for the holiday season, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-11-03/apple-finally-finds-its-game-console-rival-with-the-new-m4-and-m4-pro-mac-minis-m31na57p">Bloomberg</a>. Apple said it will include updates to the writing tools feature to handle more specific requests, the introduction of ChatGPT, and Apple's new visual intelligence tool.With visual intelligence, Apple said iPhone 16 owners can use their new <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-16-camera-button-creating-buzz-despite-no-ai-2024-9">Camera Control button</a> to get information on objects or places — or translate languages with AI.Although Apple didn't specify if the customizable emojis known as "genmojis" will be a part of the December launch, Bloomberg reported that would will likely be in iOS 18.2, as well as its image generator app called Image Playground.Top tech companies, like Apple, Microsoft, and Meta, have been spending more on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-scraps-kendall-jenner-tom-brady-celebrity-ai-chatbots-2024-8">AI projects</a> to create the next big thing in GenAI. While its rivals have been quick to announce and launch their AI offerings, Apple is taking a slower approach.Apple Intelligence was announced at the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-wwdc-event-live-updates-keynote-announcements-2024-6">Worldwide Developer Conference</a> in June. The first features debuted four months later.So far, the upgrades expected "in the coming months" also reportedly include a more personal Siri that can better understand context and prioritized notifications. Apple said support for non-English languages will come in April.

Apple has a new batch of AI features arriving in time for the holidays

Buy these 14 stocks set to benefit most from the surge in year-end holiday spending: Morgan Stanley

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/deals/black-friday-deals">holiday shopping season</a> continues to start earlier in the year, thanks largely to Amazon.</li><li>Amazon's 48-hour deals event is underway, along with competing sales by the major retailers.</li></ul>Nevermind Black Friday, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/october-becoming-new-black-friday-amazon-walmart-target-sales-2024-9">Green October is in full swing</a>.The holiday shopping season is underway earlier than ever, thanks largely to Amazon moving up its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/deals/best-prime-day-deals-big-deal-days-2024-10">Prime Day</a> deals event.Faced with what would ordinarily be a shorter stretch of discounting (Thanksgiving and Christmas are closer together on the calendar than usual), the e-commerce juggernaut is pulling the start of the spending spree into early October.And in modern retail, many competitors look to follow what Amazon does to stay competitive.As Amazon has inched its 48-hour event earlier — from October 11 and 12 in 2022, to October 10 and 11 in 2023, and now to October 8 and 9 this year — competing promos by major retailers are also stepping up to win shoppers' dollars.Target kicked off the sequence early on Sunday with its Circle Week, while Walmart's Deals event gets underway online on Tuesday and in stores on Wednesday.The quasi-gravitational influence of all this promotional activity has even roped Costco into the mix with a Member Savings Event that started on Monday. Costco isn't typically a trend-chasing company, so it's notable that it's on the pre-holiday deals bandwagon during this particular week in October ahead of its formal start to holiday savings in November.Even if the traditional interval between Thanksgiving and Christmas was on the longer side, it would make sense for this further encroachment into pre-Halloween deals to occur.As inflation has eased off, the big lesson for retailers over the past year is that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-budget-era-value-retail-walmart-target-tj-maxx-2024-8">customers are still willing to spend</a> — if the price is right. US shoppers also splurged for celebrations and special occasions.What better way for retailers to tap into those trends than to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-amazon-prime-day-impact-on-retail-industry2023-7">invent a holiday that celebrates deals</a> and kicks off a whole season of festivities?

Amazon's jump-start to the holiday shopping season has even roped in Costco this year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday.</li><li>The company told customers they can continue to book and fly with the airline.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spirit-airlines-chapter-11-bankruptcy-restructure-low-cost-airlines-2024-11">Spirit Airlines</a> told travelers they can keep booking and flying with the carrier after filing for bankruptcy protection on Monday.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-end-of-budget-airlines-southwest-jetblue-frontier-spirit-2024-7">Budget airlines such as Spirit have struggled</a> since the pandemic as some passengers appear willing to pay more for flights.Spirit faced further difficulties when its planned <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jetblue-spirit-merger-deal-blocked-by-federal-judge-2024-1">merger with JetBlue</a> was called off in March after a federal judge blocked it in January.It expects to emerge from the process in the first three months of 2025.Read the open letter Spirit sent to customers:

Read the open letter Spirit Airlines sent to customers after filing for bankruptcy protection

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kelly Green, 34, went to visit her parents in Tristan Da Cunha and fell in love.</li><li>The island is a British Overseas Territory with 236 inhabitants, and the only way to travel there is by ship.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelly Green, the head of tourism at Tristan Da Cunha. Green moved from England to the island in 2013. The following has been edited for length and clarity.My dad was a diplomat, and, as a kid, my family moved a lot. I grew up in several countries <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unique-travel-lessons-from-someone-who-lived-around-the-world-2022-1">around the world, </a>including Antigua, Bangladesh, Mozambique, and Kenya.In 2010, when I was 20 and working as a flight attendant for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryanair-easyjet-wizz-europes-budget-airlines-compared-2024-5">easyJet</a> in England, my dad received a new posting at the Edinburgh of the Seven Seas.I initially thought he was moving to Scotland. But I misunderstood, as Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is a settlement in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-life-edinburgh-of-the-seven-seas-tristan-da-cunha-most-remote-settlement-in-the-world-2019-2">Tristan Da Cunha</a>, one of the world's most isolated settlements with only around 236 inhabitants.To get to the island, you must fly to Cape Town and then travel seven to 10 days and over 1,700 miles west across the South Atlantic Ocean. There are only around 10 scheduled trips a year, which are operated by three different ships. Two of the ships carry up to 12 passengers, and there's one ship that can carry 40.In 2012, I decided to take a six-week holiday to visit my family. When I arrived, a man on the island came to help with my luggage. His name was Shane, and I ended up meeting him again later in the island's only pub.After I left the island, Shane and I continued to talk on the phone every night. Two years into the relationship, I knew the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-in-together-relationship-dynamic-change-2024-4">next step was to move in together</a>.I wanted to live in Tristan Da Cunha. It helped that it wasn't completely abnormal for me to just pick up and move somewhere because I've been doing it all my life.So, in late 2013, I packed my belongings and moved there. Shane built us a two-bedroom house with an outhouse, and we started a family.<div type="image" title="A school in Tristan Da Cunha" height="1081" width="1441" msid="115398555" hostid="261" sizebytes="259690"></div>Tristan Da Cunha has only one school, a post office, a tourism center, a hospital, a bank, a café, and a pub. There are no restaurants.Everyone knows everyone, and with that comes a lot of love. I've found that people will always look out for you.The<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/private-island-for-sale-in-canada-reachable-by-boat-helicopter-2024-9"> island is self-sufficient</a>, thanks to its farming and fishing community. Lobster is exported worldwide and provides the island's biggest source of income. The islanders also grow their own produce and rear cows, sheep, chickens, and ducks.<h2 id="8e3fbdaa-655a-48e0-946c-e214a51f779d">I love the freedom</h2>I walk three to four miles every afternoon and don't bump into anyone. It's so peaceful and quiet, and completely different from my life in England.Back in England, I used to get up at 2 a.m., commute over an hour to Gatwick Airport, and work 16-hour shifts. Here, to get to work, it takes me two minutes to walk to the tourism office, where I work as the head of tourism. We don't get many tourists, but the population can quadruple during the cruise season. There are around 900 tourists a year — though this can vary substantially.Although it didn't bother me that I would leave city life behind, there are some aspects that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-american-misses-after-moving-back-from-uk-2022-11">I miss about England</a>. In England, you can just go to the shop and get a premade meal. You can't do that here. If you want a burger, you have to grind the meat up and make the rolls. It's just a completely different lifestyle.Imported goods are also more expensive. Anything from South Africa has around a 75% markup on the original price, and anything from the UK has around a 95% markup. For example, I've just ordered myself a fridge. It cost around $650, but I had to pay $1,100 for it because of freight.Still, I feel more at home here than I ever did in England. But then again, it might be because I've been brought up all over the world.<div type="image" title="Two kids on their bicycles at Tristan Da Cuhan" height="1200" width="1600" msid="115398557" hostid="261" sizebytes="347142"></div><h2 id="e66ebacf-e50a-4eec-9362-9bbd2c3e0bc4">Now, I'm raising two kids on the island</h2>I have a 10-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son, and I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/german-vs-american-parenting-relocation-berlin-kids-independent-helicopter-parenting-2024-10">feel safe raising them</a> here. I would never dream of letting a young kid walk alone in England. But here, I don't have to worry. There's always someone looking out for them or telling them off if they're being naughty. Even with my son, he can just be out in the garden, and I can be in the house.In the future, I'll encourage my kids to study abroad and experience life in other countries. Just because I decided to live on Tristan Da Cunha doesn't mean they have to live here forever.There is a lot of the world out there for them to see. I've been lucky to explore it, and I want them to have that experience, too.

I moved to a remote island with only 236 inhabitants. I love raising my kids here.

The philosopher and political economist <keyword id="283034" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="John-Stuart-Mill" source="Orion">John Stuart Mill</keyword> once wrote about why he didn't take holidays. "No holidays allowed," he explained, "lest the habit of work should be broken, and a taste for idleness acquired." It is certainly true that when people take holidays and then return to work, they tend to feel "instant stress". All the rest and recreation they got from the laid-back lifestyle of lounging by the pool, can disappear within hours of returning to the office. Whether we're mainly office-based or work from home, our working environment can be frenetic, full-on, fast-moving, unrelenting and exhausting for many - especially after some time off. Two top US cardiologists in the 1970s, Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, defined the consequences of most work environments as "hurry sickness". The UK's most recent <keyword id="22816883" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-Safety-Executive" source="Orion">Health &amp; Safety Executive</keyword> report on sickness absence showed that "stress, depression or anxiety" accounted for 51% of all work-related ill-health cases, and 55% of all working days lost due to work-related ill health. In a nutshell, most work is stressful, requiring bouts of respite and serious rest, relaxation and recuperation. So, how can we learn to manage the stress of returning to our desk, to ensure we retain some of the benefits that breaks from work provide, and avoid the post-holiday stress trap? Here are seven suggestions. <h2>Reconnect with your colleagues</h2>On your first morning back at work, use your first hour(s) to reconnect socially with your colleagues, sharing your <keyword id="19903992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="holiday" source="keywords">holiday</keyword> and other experiences. Work can provide positive and meaningful relationships, and to sustain our health and wellbeing, social connection is essential. <h2>Control your workload </h2>Avoid doing your email responses straight away. The large inbox will induce an immediate stress response, and your desire to read all your emails on day one will not only overload and exhaust you, it may also lead to problematic responses that create relationship issues down the line. You might, for example, be more curt than you usually would be, and the recipient might take offence. Look over all your emails casually, highlight and respond only to the urgent ones, and leave the rest for another day. <h2>Take <keyword id="21931" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="short-breaks" source="Orion">short breaks</keyword></h2>Ensure you take a coffee or tea break and lunch each day during your first week back. If you're office-based, take these breaks with different colleagues and, over lunch, try to leave the office to have your lunch in a park or other outside venue. <h2>Go home on time and avoid long hours</h2>When you get home, be active. Don't flop in front of the TV, but go to a gym or out for a run, or treat yourself to a meal out with your family or friends. Let the holiday mode spill over to your home environment. <h2>Don't arrange lots of meetings</h2>The pace of most workplaces is fast for many people. Cardiologists Friedman and Rosenman suggested in their 1974 book, Type A Behavior and Your Heart, that people become "obsessionally time-directed" by the office environment. Don't arrange numerous meetings to show others that you're back and up and running. Basically, don't try to do everything in your in-tray in 48 hours! <h2>Be tolerant of colleagues</h2>Colleagues who constantly complain and suggest there is no solution to a problem can create stress, particularly when you have just returned from a wonderful and stress-free holiday. Try to be patient, tolerant, and listen to their diatribe without taking it seriously. <h2>Set <keyword id="22816881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="realistic-work-objectives" source="keywords">realistic work objectives</keyword></h2>Finally, avoid setting unachievable deadlines for your work, or making unnecessary appointments, and politely say no to things you won't be able to achieve in your first week back. Studs Terkel, the social reformer, wrote in his acclaimed book Working: "Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor - in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday-to-Friday sort of dying." Holidays provide an opportunity for recuperation from the stresses of modern work environments, so let's allow some of this to spill over into the workplace on your return to the office.

Holiday over? Seven expert tips for how to avoid back-to-work stress

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Air France-KLM posted disappointing earnings on Thursday, sending its stock down 11%.</li><li>The Franco-Dutch carrier said much of the decline in revenue was due to the Olympics.</li></ul>Air France-KLM blamed reduced <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-tourism-at-the-paris-olympics-effects-2024-8">travel to Paris during the Olympic Games</a> as it reported third-quarter earnings below analysts' expectations on Wednesday.The group, consisting of the French and Dutch flag carriers and budget airline Transavia, reported an operating profit of 1.18 billion euros ($1.27 billion).That was below the consensus analyst estimate of 1.24 billion euros and 162 million euros lower than the same period last year.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-basic-business-class-tickets-unbundling-air-france-klm-light-2023-4">Air France-KLM</a> said it lost 160 million euros in revenue as a result of this summer's Paris Olympics.Its stock fell almost 12% on Thursday morning and has declined 41% this year, valuing the company at about 2 billion euros. The airline group said that during the games, "international markets showed a significant avoidance of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paris-olympics-awful-surprises-reporter-2024-8">Paris</a>," while French residents "postponed their holidays."It previously <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.airfranceklm.com/en/newsroom/update-summer-bookings">warned</a> of this impact in July, saying travel to and from Paris was "lagging behind other major European cities."By contrast, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-olympics-impact-heathrow-airport-raises-annual-passenger-forecasts-2024-10">London Heathrow Airport</a> said it had a "super summer" with record-breaking passenger numbers. As well as benefiting from visitors coming to the UK for tours by the likes of Taylor Swift, the airport said "Olympic travelers were taking advantage of European city breaks."This suggests that people flying to Europe for the games may have arrived in different countries and later traveled by train or other airlines to Paris. According to data from Cirium, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-international-flight-surprising-things-2022-8">Air France</a> flew to 17 destinations in the US during July, compared to 26 for British Airways.Meanwhile, some European visitors may have avoided Paris this summer due to the Olympics.<div type="image" title="Air France" height="3067" width="4600" msid="115055567" hostid="261" sizebytes="189654"></div>Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith said that beyond the financial impact, the Olympics "provided a unique platform to demonstrate the group's operational expertise and capabilities while offering unparalleled visibility for France as a destination."That would be advantageous for the company in the long term, he added.Air France-KLM also warned of higher costs for staff, operation, and maintenance. It cited a shortage of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pilot-training-academy-skyborne-cost-experience-airlines-2024-11">pilots</a> and technicians, as well as supply chain constraints.Legacy carriers such as Air France and KLM face ongoing pressure from budget airlines such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryanair-easyjet-wizz-europes-budget-airlines-compared-2024-5">Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz</a>, which have lower cost bases that allow them to price seats more keenly.

Air France-KLM says people avoided Paris during the Olympic Games — and that was bad news for the airline group 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Paso Robles has become my favorite hidden gem in California.</li><li>The central coast town has small wineries and delicious food.</li></ul>Where should you go in California for delicious food, sprawling vineyards, and the immensely satisfying sound of a freshly uncorked wine bottle? Let me guess, you're thinking of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/castello-di-amorosa-napa-wine-castle-2017-8">Napa</a>.But what if I told you there's a hidden gem on the central coast where you can get all of the above with fewer crowds, cheaper prices, and cooler tasting experiences?Welcome to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/camper-van-trip-california-coast-2021-11">Paso Robles</a>.<h2 id="36165750-92c9-41bd-a940-33e84e79d4b5">A wine for everyone</h2><div type="image" title="JUSTIN Winery in Paso Robles" height="1333" width="2000" msid="115017464" hostid="261" sizebytes="244696"></div>Growing up in the Bay Area, Napa Valley quickly became a special place for my family. With no relatives living in the US, my Greek parents took us there every Christmas to make the holidays feel special.I've visited Napa over 20 times, but over the past few years, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/camper-van-trip-california-surprises-van-life-2021-11">Paso Robles</a> has stolen my heart.Paso Robles is almost exactly in the middle of Los Angeles and San Francisco, about 200 miles each way. Parallel to the mountains and the sea, the region has a unique terroir due to big temperature swings. The topography's distinctive microclimates are perfect for growing a variety of grapes, helping Paso distinguish itself in a crowded California wine market."The diversity of this area really separates itself from the monoculture that Napa has become," Andrew Jones, the owner of Field Recordings Winery, told me.Adding to that diversity is the low barrier to entry in the Paso Robles wine industry. Most of the wineries are small and family-owned, and the winemakers are often on-site to guide you. This refreshingly laid-back approach makes tastings feel intimate and approachable."Napa has a taller order; they have to live up to a brand that's worldwide," Neeta Mittal, one of the first Indian women to open a winery in the US, said. "Where we thrive in Paso is we're able to etch our own identity, and that's a great nimbleness that we're allowed."<h2 id="0ce7c576-57f2-4f53-8a01-a808c811fb12">Not your typical tasting experiences</h2><div type="image" title="Paso Robles LXV Wines" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115017465" hostid="261" sizebytes="254432"></div>Mittal and her husband Kunal own <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lxvwine.com/">LXV Wine</a>, which offers the only wine-and-spice pairing in the US. I visited LXV during my first trip to Paso Robles and was delighted that my tasting came with cheeses covered in various spices. I learned how ginger and black truffle salt can bring out the flavors of a Cabernet and why Szechuan peppers and Nebbiolo make a great team.I've also had some great tastings at <a target="_blank" href="https://fieldrecordingswine.com/">Field Recordings</a>, which prides itself on making wines that "are all about the flavor — with none of the pretension," as its website reads. Jones specializes in small-batch, single-vineyard wines. They're fun and funky, decorated with colorful labels and names like "Kitties" or "Super Gnario." I'm partial to the bubbles tasting and always take home a bottle of Skins, an orange wine.<div type="image" title="Paso Robles Tin City" height="1200" width="1912" msid="115017462" hostid="261" sizebytes="411760"></div>Field Recordings is in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tincitypasorobles.com/">Tin City</a>, my favorite part of Paso Robles. The converted industrial hub features 27 wineries, where tastings typically cost between $20 and $30 and are within walking distance of each other. It's perfect for a wine crawl, but there's also a brewery, hard cider, and the very fun <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tincitydistillery.com/">Tin City Distillery</a> if you're craving cocktails.It's a far more accessible price point than Napa, where the high cost of winemaking has trickled down to tourists.Before a recent trip in August, one of my friends was tasked with finding us a morning tasting. Almost every price they sent to the group chat ranged from $80 to $100 a person. This echoes findings in Silicon Valley Bank's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.svb.com/globalassets/library/uploadedfiles/wine/svb-2024-direct-to-consumer-wine-survey-report.pdf">2024 Direct to Consumer Wine Report</a>, which found that the average tasting fee in Napa is $75, while the average in Paso Robles is $30.<h2 id="27aad291-2c1f-48ce-ac7f-34f1a289cc47">Where you can wine and dine</h2>Another reason I keep going back to Paso Robles is the fantastic restaurant scene. I never skip a dinner at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.alchemistsgarden.com/">The Alchemists' Garden</a>, which has a wildly fun cocktail list and some of the best french fries I've ever tasted.My parents still rave about the meal we had at <a target="_blank" href="https://ilcortileristorante.com/">Il Cortile Ristorante</a>. Its pappardelle is handmade and paired with a rich and luscious Bolognese, and the branzino fish is light, bright, and cooked to perfection. But the star is the risotto covered in white truffles, a holiday splurge I've never forgotten.<div type="image" title="Paso Robles Alchemist Kitchen food" height="1280" width="960" msid="115017459" hostid="261" sizebytes="152164"></div>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.justinwine.com/dine">Restaurant at Justin</a>, which earned its first Michelin star in 2022, bested any fine-dining experience I've had in Napa. I still have pictures saved from that dinner, where my boyfriend and I feasted on maple-leaf duck breast, prime filet, and various veggies picked from their 26-acre farmstead.And no visit to Paso is complete without a stop at <a target="_blank" href="https://brownbuttercookies.com/">Brown Butter Cookie Company</a>, which has mastered the combo of salty and sweet in a little treat. The hand-rolled cookies are made locally and available in a variety of flavors (I'm partial to the original). On my last visit, I grabbed a dozen bags for my family, friends, and myself, of course.<h2 id="c6c10d0b-d96e-46ee-8a93-989a7a44ae74">A vacation for any season</h2><div type="image" title="Anneta in Paso Robles" height="1129" width="1505" msid="115017463" hostid="261" sizebytes="187290"></div>Blessed with California sunshine, Paso Robles is a great vacation year-round. I've gone in the fall, summer, and winter — where it's festively decorated for the holidays — and have always been charmed by the small-town vibes and friendly locals. (Don't miss karaoke nights at the Pine Street Saloon.)No matter the season, I've found it easy to find Airbnbs that are a 5-10 minute walk from Paso Robles' bustling downtown. There's also a range of affordable hotel options.The wine-making world is slowly starting to learn about Paso Robles, but the town itself remains a hidden gem. On my most recent trip in September, the streets were quiet, and the reservations were aplenty. The wine and food, though, remained as fantastic as ever.For now, at least, this is California's best-kept secret.

You Searched For "Holidays" and got 13 results

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