I need some holiday gift ideas (that I will probably gift to myself as well)!
Air fryer. I got one on a black friday sale for like $30 and it paid for itself within a week for the amount of effort, time, and oil saved to fry stuff.
A functional microphone. I’m not talking about the ones in every pair of headphones. I mean a quality microphone for like $25 to $50.
A lot of interviews and work is conducted via video call. I conducted an interview recently where someone couldn’t get the static on the microphone to go away. Cheap dollar store headphones. It was annoying and extremely distracting. We had to end the call early because of it.
RODE Mini USB. Might be a little more than $50 but it’s completely plug and play, no drivers needed, great quality.
While not under $50, I always recommend this mic if anyone wants a budget mic with good quality: https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/at2005usb
It’s $63 on Audio Technica’s website, and $59 on Amazon.
You can use USB, or XLR if you have an interface. It also has a direct audio jack so you can hear yourself without a delay. During my podcast / radio production / streaming days, I used a friend’s, and it sounds great.
It’s not bulky like the Blue Yetis / Snowballs, and it’s a low profile, so if you decide to stream or whatever, it’s out of the way.
Body pillow. I got one off of Amazon for like $30-$40 on a whim to try out sleeping with one. Can’t even imagine trying to sleep without it anymore
Activated charcoal shoe deodorizer bags
Pocket knife.
Yeah. I’ve had a leatherman squirt on my key ring for years. It’s always in the same place, has a useful set of tools and has got me and quite a few others out of some minor scrapes
Gerber Dime for me.
Fun fact: the tool I use most often by far is the “retail package opener.”
Which of the tools in the picture is that?
Darn, I knew I should’ve gone ahead and included this picture the first time:
Thanks, homie.
I so want one of those!
Wonderful tool. I’ve had mine long enough that the black finish has given way to silver fur to my keys rubbing it off
I have a small knife on my key ring that’s probably been used more than any other tool I own.
Oi, mate, do you have a loicense for that?
You do not need a loicense for most SAKs.
I’ve carried many different knives, and the one I stick with now is an opinel no 8. I find that I use it more than any other one, because it’s particularly well suited to food. Perfect size to cut an Apple or avocado, even a steak, and the wood handle and general look make it pretty non threatening.
!edc@sopuli.xyz would like to know
your locationwhat is in your pocketsPocket sand is free.
Warm soft socks!
Darn Tough brand. Expensive but worth it.
And they replace worn out socks forever. I’ve pairs that are 10 years old that were replaced FOC, no questions asked.
See, I’ve never tried this. How does it work? I just replaced a bunch of 5yo Darn Toughs that had developed holes in the legs. Cost a bit, but they’re such nice socks. I suppose I should’ve tried returning them.
Yes. They’ll ask where / when you bought them and where the damage is, etc. All online, last I needed to replace years ago. Give you a store credit (I believe I had to ship them back), with free shipping.
Electric teakettle if you use an older style stovetop one. The lowest end ones I’ve seen are only like $15, and work pretty much as well as some nicer ones, just don’t look as pretty, but they’ll boil water faster than the stove will. Even if you don’t make tea or similar, if you ever eat things like pasta that are cooked in boiling water, you can heat the water in the kettle first and then transfer to the pot to make things slightly faster, and use less gas if you happen to have a gas stove.
Not only are they useful for their typical purpose, but they boil water faster in pretty much any boil water use case. Use the water for your pasta, hard boiled eggs, etc.!
Relevant Technology Connections: https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c
Yay technology connections! My favorite pedantic internet nerd! Was excited to find he’s on mastodon
TC is always relevant.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://piped.video/_yMMTVVJI4c
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.
Haha, I am in the UK, so we all have at least 1. I have 2! One for my office desk because I am addicted to hot water bottles and nice tea. :) As a yankee transplant, I advocate an electric kettle hardcore to everyone in the US. Y’all don’t know what you are missing.
A sturdy backpack with good support for the back
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Funny, but I see soo many kids walking to school with their worldly belongings in their back packs! Worse is they’re hanging soo low - at least get a hip strap. Life lessons I guess. In my day we had lockers in the school.
Can’t back pain be fixed?
Can’t back pain be fixed?
:laughs in middle age:
I don’t know anything about the current backpack “scene”, but I feel like whenever I see people on the Internet recommending a backpack they seem to be well over $50.
Second on the mandolin that was on someone’s list.
Caveat being don’t buy a shitty one or it will have the opposite effect.
Rubber hot water bottle. It is so nice to have when you’re sick or achy.
Additionally those Rubber Ice Bags from the 50s. They perform so much better than any new fancy heating/cooling pad - with wires everywhere, the battery is always dying, and just frustration at a time you don’t need it.
Just pour boiling water and you’re set for 4 hours.
Alternatively drop a cup full of ice, and it’ll keep cold until you can’t feel the injury anymore.
Great topic idea! Here are some of mine, I’ll add links later:
- Heat resistant cooking gloves. These are basically oven mitts, but because they’re gloves, you can keep them on while cooking. I’ve gifted a few pairs of these and everyone loves them!
- A percussion massager is great for getting out muscle knots. Foam rollers too.
- Collapsible creates for the car and around the house - mine are made by InstaCrate
- A refillable oil sprayer so that you can buy any oil you want and evenly coat a pan. Great for searing and air frying
- Stainless steel pots are amazing. IKEA sells a set that’s around $50. Totally dishwasher safe, heat tolerant, just all around easy peasy
- Costco membership
If they don’t already have a decent kitchen knife, get that. The victorinox fibrox pro goes for around $40. There are also rosewood handle versions that feel a bit fancier for just a little over $50. You may want to pair it with a budget honing steel (can be had for around $15).
Tozo wireless earbuds (noise cancelling!).
Airfly pro - a little widget that allows you to Bluetooth from the seat back entertainment system on planes.
A fold up kettle.
Nanobags.I travel a lot. These things are crucial.
What are nano bags?
Reusable bags that fit into a tiny pouch and fit in your pocket. I use mine for everything and they’re great for laundry on trips!
Pardon me, but, how exactly does a kettle… Fold?
looks like the foldable ones are made from silicone so that the main body can collapse to what seems to be about half the size
Sawyer squeeze. Used to spend more than $100 a month on bottled water. Not anymore.
Undrinkable tapwater I suppose?
- good pair of underwear
- good pair of socks
- bag of fancy coffee
