A Texas father sold his dream car to pay for his newborn son’s diapers. This year, for his dad’s 65th birthday, his son surprised him with a restored version of the same 1967 Chevrolet Camaro — right down to its color (blue with white stripes). The video will melt your heart.
Security tip: Next time you stay at a hotel, turn on your VPN
Did you know the average American spends more than 24 hours each week online? That is a considerable chunk of time.
If you’re one of many with multiple devices regularly accessing the internet, you probably know you need a secure connection to protect sensitive data. A virtual private network or VPN is the best way to do this.
But VPNs aren’t just crucial for protecting your home IP address. Here’s why Kim won’t ever leave home without our sponsor, ExpressVPN.
No more sketchy public Wi-Fi hotspots
Using public Wi-Fi hotspots is risky no matter where you go, and the potential consequences can be devastating. It doesn’t make a difference if you stay at a 5-star luxury hotel or have lunch at your neighborhood retro diner. You’re risking being victimized by cybercriminals.
Cybercriminals can intercept your connection and access your most important credentials and private data by setting up a fake Wi-Fi access point or just sitting nearby. You can feel secure logging into your banking websites and everything else with ExpressVPN. Your data stays private and secure.
Keep data private on all of your devices
An ExpressVPN subscription comes with easy-to-install apps for all of your devices. You can protect your PC, Mac, iPhone, Android and more.
You can install the app on unlimited devices and have up to five gadgets connected to one account simultaneously. That means you can protect your whole family while on the go.
It’s quick and easy to switch between gadgets. Simply disconnect one device to connect another.
Unrestricted access to all of your favorite content
After a long day of sightseeing, sometimes all you want to do is head back to your hotel room, pull up YouTube on your laptop and watch the latest video from your favorite cooking channel.
Your next phone will work around the world
If it’s one thing you can bet on, there’s always newer, better and faster tech begging you to open your wallet. With that said, you probably haven’t heard about BlueBird yet from AST SmartMobile out of Texas. They’re working with AT&T to launch the world’s first space-based cellular broadband network.
Son gifts dad the car he sold to buy diapers 40 years ago
👀 For your eyes only: The holidays mean a house full of family, friends and curious little ones. With all the hustle and bustle, get into the habit of locking your computer every time you get up. On Windows, press the Windows key + L. On Mac, hit Ctrl + Cmd + Q.
Polite way to keep your kids’ photos private
Here’s how to ask friends and family not to share your kids’ pictures online while keeping things friendly.
Re-FundMe: There’s a lot of drama here. Donors to a GoFundMe campaign meant to locate missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi want their money back. The 30-year-old vanished after missing a flight at LAX, but CCTV shows she went to Mexico. The family used part of the $46,000 raised for her father’s funeral; he committed suicide during the search. Don’t give to a GoFundMe unless you know the recipient personally.
45 days of parental leave
Can be transferred to a friend or family member in Sweden. Folks will earn 80% of their salary by looking after their grandkids. Sweden was the first country to allow parental leave, so maybe this benefit will spread to other countries, too. It makes perfect sense!
A note from Kim: So much to be thankful for
Thanksgiving has always been about family, tradition and gratitude. I think about my Dad carving the turkey with his large Russian hands, showing me exactly how to do it. My Mom always made the turkey until she couldn’t and I took over. We recorded her making it two weeks before she was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2017, her face and voice with instructions I’ll treasure forever.
Streaming costs inching up? Cheapskate secrets you need to know
The top-tier Netflix plan is now a jaw-dropping $22.99 a month. I remember being shocked when it hit $19.99, and here we are again. And Netflix isn’t alone; Disney+ and Hulu have raised their prices, and you can bet every other streaming service will soon follow suit.
Instagram parental controls: Review how much time your teen spends in the app (but not what they’re doing), set daily time limits and establish times to put the app in “sleep mode” so they won’t get notifications. In the Instagram app, tap your profile picture (bottom right) > the menu button (top right) > Family Center to connect to your teen.
No-tech zone: A friend did this with her kids and it’s so smart. She made a couple of special areas around their house “tech-free spots.” The family room couches and kitchen table are both no-tech zones. Beware: It only works if adults follow the rules, too.
7 things you must NEVER post online
Thinking about posting your family updates online this holiday season? Some things are safer kept offline. Here’s what you need to know.
📼 Need a weekend movie rec? Hit up MovieWiser.com. Type in the mood you’re going for and it’ll spit out a list of movies that fit the bill. I typed in “festive comedy for the family.” Options included “Elf,” “Home Alone,” “A Christmas Story,” “Polar Express” and “Jingle All the Way.” Nailed it.
Something else to be thankful for
While you’re enjoying family, food, and football, here’s why holding off on some holiday shopping could lead to even better deals closer to Christmas.
Traveling solo? Share your location with your family and friends. On iPhone, open the Find My app and tap People (bottom of the screen) > + (plus icon) > Share My Location. Then, select a contact, hit Send and choose the duration. In Google Maps, tap your profile icon (top right) > Location sharing > New Share and send the link through your messaging app. Safe travels!
$96 million, missing: Thousands of Americans lost their savings after fintech firm Synapse collapsed. Customers thought their money was government-backed, but now, banks are returning very little — or nothing at all. One family was offered $500 for their lost $280,000. This is your reminder to triple-check your money to make sure it’s in an FDIC-backed account.
Set up a digital holiday cookbook
Don’t let cherished family recipes get lost! It’s easier than you think to digitize handwritten favorites, organize them in a digital “Family Cookbook,” and keep them accessible for future generations. Listen now!
How to take the perfect profile pic for social media sites
Your profile picture is more important than you might think. It’s your chance to make a good first impression on the world. That’s why you must know how to take the perfect profile picture for all your accounts.
Say you’re applying for a new job. Potential employers will run background checks on your social media presence. You need to have good pictures that show you at your best.
👕 For your next family reunion: Surprise everyone with custom T-shirts. It’s easy and inexpensive with iron-on transfer paper. Print it at home, iron on your design, and bam — shirts for the occasion.
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Built-in teen trackers: Screen Time for iPhone and Google Family Link for Android let you monitor your teens on social media, set usage limits and block apps you don’t want them using. My advice: Don’t be sneaky about it. They’ll find out you’ve set limits, so you might as well have a convo about it upfront.