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Following current trends of corporate consolidation — think airlines and media companies — Hasbro's offer to Mattel shouldn't seem like too much of a surprise. However, many people were taken aback by the approach from three days ago.

This surprise is apparent in the fact that Mattel stock jumped 20% while Hasbro jumped 8% — investors are pretty happy that this deal is going down. But why might this be?

The Wall Street Journal first reported on Nov. 10 that a potential deal is in the works. This could be due to the fact that Mattel's shares have dropped 47% this year while Hasbro's stock prices have increased 18%.

If the two companies should combine, their shared market price would be around $16 billion. With this strong of a company value, there are many benefits that come with the impending consolidation.

Competition with electronics and tech

Customers walk towards a branch of the toy store Toys R Us on September 19, 2017 in Luton, England. Getty Images

This report is following the fact that Toys'R'Us has recently been bankrupted — as of now, the company owes Mattel at least $135 million which contributed to its drop in shares.

Traditional toys don't have that much appeal in the age of tablets and VR. Hasbro could be attempting to get ahead of the curve of electronics and technology by consolidating.

E-commerce

A worker prepares packages for delivery at an Amazon warehouse on September 4, 2014 in Brieselang, Germany.Getty Images

Another electronic aspect of competition may be from Amazon.com, Inc — Amazon is so popular in the current market, especially with their Prime option. Perhaps Hasbro will also expand more into e-commerce too.

Competition with other companies

A worker arranges a shelf of Hasbro Inc. Nerf Blaster products at a Target Corp. location in Emeryville, California, U.S., on Thursday, July 20, 2017.Getty Images

Traditionally, Hasbro has made over 80 brands of toys such as My Little Pony, Nerf, Transformers, Play-Doh, Littlest Pet Shop and Monopoly, with rights to "Star Wars." If you were an '80's kid, you've probably played with these toys.

Mattel has around 20 brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and the coveted American Girl dolls — also brand deals with Disney, giving them an edge over the animated market.

With this takeover, Hasbro can focus on extending its influence rather than getting ahead of their competition.

Shelf space

Lego enthusiasts attend the Bricklive at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center on July 20, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland.Getty Images

Hasbro also probably wants more shelf space — currently, Lego controls most of the market's shelf space. If the deal goes through, Hasbro can cut out one of its major competitors for this exclusive real estate.

Why this could be disastrous

Going back to what this really is — corporate consolidation — could be dangerous to small businesses. Big companies have been demolishing small businesses — a prime example being Luxottica separating from Oakley sunglasses due to pricing. Oakley's stock prices thus collapsed.

Corporate consolidation also tricks you into thinking that small businesses are independent when they aren't really — especially with companies such as Tom's of Maine and Burt's Bees. Instead, they're both owned by large corporations.

Hasbro and Mattel's merging could thus continue this pattern of big corporations crushing small businesses.

However, this deal might not even go through — Hasbro has approached Lions Gate Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation SKG and Mattel twice before, with no success.

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The work-life balance is notoriously difficult to maintain. Some of us are nine to fivers, some of us freelancers, and some still, workaholics. But how do we know when we spend more time at the office than we do at home? Here are the tell-tale signs that it's probably time to call it a day.

1. You have an extra toothbrush in the office bathroom.

Just like the "toothbrush milestone" signifies a big jump in a romantic relationship, it also signifies a big jump in a professional relationship. In this case, the relationship is between you and work. When you're brushing your teeth in the office bathroom, that means you've spent way too much time in the office. Or you should stop ordering from that chicken wing place.

2. You have a lamp at your desk and you actually use it.

It may seem mundane. Sure. A good old ordinary lamp. But if you actually use it, that means the natural light in your office is not bright enough to supply adequate light. That means one of a few things: it's way too early to be working, it's way too late to be working, or you need to invest in some better wattage overhead. If you're going to use a lamp, you should use this one.

3. You're the office barista.

First one in makes the coffee, right? If you find yourself constantly refilling that thing and restocking the whole office, congratulations: your benevolence may likely never be rewarded. We say, it's okay to give yourself credit by writing a little note by the coffee maker, "Coffee courtesy of [Your Name Here]. You're welcome."

4. You have a full set of cutlery and tableware in the kitchen.

Many employees come equipped with their own mugs and minimal cutlery to take care of their daily lunch situation. But if you find that you also have a pitcher, a lemon zester, measuring cups, a decanter, and a standing mixer in your office kitchen, you may want to consider going home at some point. Unless you're making pancakes for the whole office, we suggest you keep that stuff for Sunday morning in your pajamas.

5. You arrange roses in the waiting room.

Uh oh. Now that your office is becoming so homey and lovely, why would you ever want to leave? And now that the smell of overused servers is masked by garden-fresh roses, there's more reason to stop and give 'em a sniff.

6. You put your feet on your desk and you're not even aware of it.

We want you to be comfortable at your desk. That's why we love ergonomic chairs and little zen gardens. But it's kind of crossing the line when you recline too much. You might just fall asleep!

7. You've slept on your office couch on more than one occasion.

There's nothing wrong with late nights. But fact: someone can mistake you as a scary intruder if they come in in the morning to see you snoozing (and drooling) on the office couch. There's nothing you can do at 4am that you can't do the next day after a full night's sleep. Here are some sleep tips to get you primed for a great day.

8. You have a set of nail clippers and a comb in your file cabinets.

Personal hygiene is important, but please, not at your desk.

9. You watch TV in the office lounge during your lunch break.

Your lunch break is yours to do whatever you want. So take a load off. As long as you're not laughing disruptively like you would at home, we say this one's okay.

10. Your whole day is one continuous lunch break.

Similarly to point 4, if you live at your office, you'll likely have a large array of snacks to keep energized. Despite what dieters will say, snacking is important. But if you're spending an hour deciding what to eat next, you should probably be doing that at home.

11. On dress-down Fridays, you bring your slippers.

We know the term "dress-down" is vague, but it still has to be professional. Jeans are acceptable, but footie pajamas get a bit iffy. It depends on your boss.

12. You are obsessed with your office goldfish, Goldie.

There are so many benefits to having pets in the workplace. First of all, pets can be a great stress-reducer. But spending all of your time watching Goldie eat her fish flakes and bump into the pirate treasure chest is not going to do anything for your productivity.

13. You have off-season coats and accessories in the office closet.

It's great to be prepared when a thunderstorm unexpectedly hits. But chances are, you're not going to need your rain boots, overcoat, duffle bag, extra belts, ties, etc. The closet is community ground, and please, take that stuff home already.

We love that you're spending a lot of time at the office. You're making great connections with your coworkers, showing your boss you're devoted to your work, and really making yourself at home. But remember, it's not the number of hours you put in, but the quality of work you do at the office. And at the end of the day, your own bed is a lot nicer to sleep in than a sleeping bag you've set up in the conference room.

Spending too much time at the office? Maybe it's time to join the family business.