This morning, I woke up to find a message on Facebook Messenger from my friend, Angela. She and I have been friends for 35+ years. We have been through a lot together. We have changed a lot over the years, but one thing has remained consistent: my need to walk…and walk fast. This was what she sent me this morning:
It will likely happen again this weekend, when she and I visit Tuscaloosa for the Alabama/LSU game. I will say, “Let’s walk down and see our friends! It’s not far!” And off we will go. I’m sure she will be thinking, “Right. Not far.” Add in the fact that I’m fast walker, and she’s a not-so-fast walker. I’m sure she hates it, but I can’t help myself! I love to walk! Until I had sciatica this year, I thought walking was my superpower! Now, I just consider it my superpower that needs to be rebuilt.
Last month, I visited Panamá with my cousin, Patti. I always research a place before I visit, and I had done good research on things to see and do in Panamá City, Panamá. I never overschedule, because really, I’m not a type A personality. I like to go with the flow. I like to fly by the seat of my pants. However, I do like to do at least one cool thing each day on vacation. One thing I wanted to do in Panamá was visit Cerro Ancon, also known as Ancon Hill. It’s a hill just on the edge of the city that offers a great opportunity to see wildlife (toucans, sloths, agoutis, and more), and it also offers a beautiful view of the entire city from one side of the hill. The other side offers a gorgeous view of the Panamá Canal. I had read that it’s not a difficult hike. It’s paved. It’s a gradual ascent.
On day three of our stay in the city, my cousin and I set off early one drizzly morning for Cerro Ancon. We had hired a “bodyguard” to take us anywhere we wanted to go, and he went with us too. The starting point of the hike is at a place called Mi Pueblito, which is a mock village depicting three Panamanian cultures. It’s a cool starting point, and a very sweet gentleman showed us around the mock villages before we started our hike. Then we started “climbing,” which, to me, meant “walking.” I told the cousin, “It’s one mile up and one mile down…no biggie.” That’s what I had read! However, somehow it turned out to be more like two miles up and two miles down, I think…with lots of stairs to climb too. As we walked, I would encourage her by saying, “It’s not much more, cousin.” Then, we would round a curve only to see more road and stairs ahead of us. She would say, “Sure…not much more. Grrrr.” Seriously, I had no idea it was as long as it was, and the more we walked, the madder Patti got at me. I made light of it, but I think she was really mad. We saw several beautiful toucans, lots of agoutis (they look like small capybaras), and at the very top of the hill, we saw a sloth! A real live sloth in the wild! That was my goal of the whole climb…to see a sloth in the wild! Well, that, and I wanted to get photos of the incredible views. Mission accomplished!
For the rest of the weeklong trip, my cousin cussed me for that adventure. She was not happy with her walking cousin, but I jokingly pretended I didn’t notice. I said to her, “Aren’t you glad you did it? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have seen the sloth!” I got a few looks from her, but she has to love me, because I’m her cousin. Plus, she does have one heck of a sense of humor, and thankfully, she laughed at BOTH of us pretty regularly during that trip.
I know we will always have memories of Ancon Hill.
If you’re considering walking any distances, I recommend you wear some good shoes. I prefer On Cloud 5 sneakers. You can purchase them on Amazon here. I take out the factory insoles and replace them with Dr Scholl’s insoles you can purchase from Amazon here. If you need a good travel cane, I recommend this one from Amazon…purchase here. I purchased it in pink when I was suffering with sciatica. I never had to use it, but it was nice to know I had it if I needed it, since I didn’t want sciatica to keep me from doing the things I wanted to do.
**As an Amazon Associate, I might receive small compensation if you purchase through my links.
It’s finally football season…the most wonderful time of the year! And what’s more fun than spending time with friends and family, pregaming or watching a game together?
Whether you’re hosting friends and family at home or hosting a tailgate, there are some things you’ll need. Check out these suggestions:
Tailgate/game day cookbook. I have a favorite, and you can get it from Amazon. It is The Southern Tailgating Cookbook, written by Taylor Mathis, an alumnus of my daughter’s high school. The book contains great recipes the author collected at tailgates across the south. I heard Mr. Mathis speak about the fun he had researching the book, so I had to have it. Get it here.
Cheese Board Deck. My friend, Angela, gave me this deck of charcuterie/cheese board ideas, and I love it! Charcuterie boards are an easy, beautiful way to entertain! The deck shows photos and lists ingredients for different types of charcuterie boards, and the price is right at $17.99! Each card in the box tells you exactly what cheeses, fruits, etc. to buy for the corresponding board. Get it here.
Football paper plates. If you’re hosting the tailgate or party and don’t want to have dishes to wash later, these cute football paper plates fit right with a game day theme. Get them here.
Full set of disposable paper products. Wanna keep it easy and but a full set of football themed disposable paper products? You can do that on Amazon here.
Football Serving Trays (3pieces). How about some fun nesting trays that are football themed? If you’re going to be hosting a tailgate or having guests at home, follow through on a football theme with a set of trays that can be used for chips, dips, appetizers or beverages. Get them here.
Football cocktail napkins. Maybe you’re just tailgating with cocktails? If so, you’ll need cocktail napkins that are just for tailgating. These are great to have around all the time, in fact. Get them here.
Bug fans. If you’re going to have food outside, you will attract flies. How to get rid of them? Keep these small, battery-operated, tabletop fans around your food. They really work, and they’re priced right at about $35 for four. Get them here.
Handheld paper fans for guests. Tailgating in the south? You’ll and all your guests will be hot. A great addition to any southern tailgate? Handheld paper fans for all! You can purchase at pack of 20 for about $15 in your team color here.
Yeti coolers and cups. You have to keep those drinks cold! Choose from a variety of Yeti coolers and cups for your pregame tailgate or your game day party at the Yeti Amazon store here.
Solo Stove. Night game? Need a portable fire pit? Solo Stove makes great ones! We have the Bonfire model, and we love it. Get it at Amazon for about $345 now. Purchase here. You’ll use it for years to come.
All-in-One Tailgating Table. I stumbled upon this and thought it was a great thing for tailgates! Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out how to organize a tailgate, but this table can certainly help! Get it here.
Football-themed Beer Pong Table. Pong is all the rage, so having a beer pong table is almost a necessity at a tailgate or home football party. There’s a great one at Amazon for $99 here.
Cornhole boards. Cornhole brings a group together, for sure! If you want cool regulation sized boards, there are some great ones at Amazon here. You don’t care if it’s not regulations sized? Then you might like a set for about $80 from Amazon here.
Folding chairs. If you’re going to need to take a folding chair, you can find lots of them at all price points at Amazon here.
JBL speakers. Every tailgate or game day party needs tunes before the game, and with a bluetooth speaker, you can even listen to pregame and game broadcasts! JBL has a great assortment of bluetooth speakers on Amazon here. We have a small JBL speaker, the Charge 5 ($179.95), that puts out great sound. You can see it here. And we have a larger one, the JBL Boombox 2 ($399.95) that puts out bigger sound that you can see here. If you want the newer version, the Boombox 3, it’s great and will set you back $499.95. See it here. (pictured below)
When sorority rush starts, for the potential new members, it seems as though the week will never end. It’s a week of great fun for some and a week of misery for others…and some fall in between. If your daughter is participating in recruitment, here is something you should know: it will end, and it will be emotional.
No matter how it ends, it’s an emotional time…an emotional rollercoaster. They might be overjoyed. The excitement might be overwhelming! They might be sad. They might even be angry or embarrassed. But emotions definitely run high. Here’s something no one warned me about:
A couple of days after rush is over, almost everyone falls flat.
Last year, my daughter completed recruitment and pledged her favorite house as a freshman. She was thrilled. She was excited. For about two days, it was all she could talk about. And then, about 48 hours after pledging, she called me crying. No, she wasn’t disappointed with her choice. She was thrilled. She was simply feeling down in the dumps. At first, I wondered if it was homesickness, but then I realized it wasn’t that at all…she was simply having a “post-rush letdown.” That’s what I call it anyway. After being “courted” by sorority members during the recruitment process and all the excitement of Bid Day, everything else seems flat. If you’re mentally prepared for it, you know what it is, and you know what to do to fight the “blues.”
I wasn’t prepared for it last year. I’m normally really good about remembering my youth, but I had forgotten about the post-rush letdown, so when my daughter called, I was surprised for a minute…until I remembered. I listened to her tearfully tell me she was sad but didn’t know why. Then, I explained to her what was happening. I told her that what she was feeling was normal, because it is. That level of excitement and happiness she had during rush and on Bid Day simply can’t be sustained. She was bound to crash at some point. I told her to go for a walk in the sunshine. Sunshine helps. I also told her to find one of her new friends and invite her to go with her. Then, I suggested she go to her new sorority house and try to meet new friends. Maybe get some exercise with some of those new friends?
A couple of hours later, she called me sounding like her old self. In fact, she went so far as to cheerfully say, “I love it here!” I knew she had turned the corner, and it was a good thing, because I was on vacation in the Bahamas having a great time!
This year, she participated in rush as a member of a sorority. She was rushing new members all week. She was feeling the excitement again! And on Bid Day, she welcomed the girls she had worked so hard to recruit. She was absolutely thrilled! Fast forward 48 hours, and I received a call. “Mom, I don’t know why, but I’m feeling sad.” This time I knew the answer, “Oh, honey, you’re having post-rush letdown! Remember last year? Remember how 48 hours after it was over you had a little bout of sadness? It’s the same thing! The excitement is over and reality is setting in.” I suggested she get some exercise. Two hours later, she called me laughing and telling me a funny story about something that had happened. She had made it through the post-rush letdown again. I just hadn’t expected her to have the same feeling as a member, but she did, and next year, I will be ready to remind her that it’s going to happen.
Why am I telling you this? Moms, I want y’all to be prepared. And I want you to know that the post-rush letdown is a totally normal thing. That sad feeling will likely pass quickly if your daughter will get some exercise and make an effort to make some more new friends. It’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but just know the sadness will go away with some good coaching from Mom! Stay positive, Mom!
Yesterday, my daughter and I returned home from a trip to the Bahamas. We went with my college friend and her daughter. Our daughters were born about 17 months apart; her daughter is 21, and mine is almost 20. Our girls go to the same college and have been friends since they were born, but it had been a while since we had vacationed together. It was time to make new memories.
And we did.
Our friends flew out of Atlanta, and we flew out of Charlotte, so we all met at the hotel. My daughter and I arrived several hours late, but it was fine, because we got there safely, and we got there in time for dinner.
We had all sorts of plans for making special memories. We just knew we would celebrate our birthdays each night at the different restaurants where we had reservations. We thought we would likely spend some time on the beach drinking cocktails out of coconuts or pineapples. Oh, we had plans…but we were flexible.
And nothing happened the way we thought it would. In fact, the things we are most likely to remember were completely unplanned…just like always. Sure, we enjoyed our planned dinner on the first night. We even celebrated my friend’s daughter’s birthday. We also overate, so when the staff came out singing Happy Birthday, we didn’t even want dessert. We enjoyed the fountain light show. We spent time in the casino. We made new friends. Lots of the time, the girls did their own thing while we (the moms) just lounged by/in the pool all day. At 56, I’m just not good about baking in the sun for hours in tropical weather. Give me a cocktail and a pool instead…so that’s where we spent our days. The girls found a more “happening” pool (no old people!) to spend their days, and we were so glad they were having fun and making memories together.
We canceled two of our dinner reservations, because the girls made other plans. We (the moms) didn’t mind one bit. And on the last full day, the girls hung out with us in our pool cabana and in the pool. I think they were tired from the day before. We made some great memories laughing in the pool and chatting over cocktails with our girls, since they are both of legal drinking age in the Bahamas.
But the funniest memory we made on the whole trip was completely unplanned…and it was a doozy! In fact, I’m guessing I don’t know many people who can say they share this memory. Lots of people can say they have visited the Bahamas. Lots of people can say they dined at the restaurants and spent time in the casinos. Lots of people can say they met interesting people on vacation. Lots of people can say they got lots of rest or stayed out all night.
How many people can say their taxi ran out of gas on the way back to the airport in Nassau?
Well, we can! We hopped in a cab at the resort, and about five minutes later, the car swerved a little. Then it swerved again. I looked at my daughter, who was sitting next to me in the back seat. She looked confused too. And then our taxi driver said, “I think we are having a fuel problem.” A fuel problem? Like running out of gas?!?! Yep…she got us off the road just in time to run out of gas. The driver hopped out and started trying to flag down other cars, and my friend’s daughter looked at the dash. She said, “All the lights on the dash are on! Should we get out of the car? Or does that just mean we ran out of gas? Is that what happens when you run out of gas?” I replied, “I don’t know! I’ve never run out of gas!” We all laughed. My brain was working, and I knew, if all else failed, I could call my friend who works at the Nassau airport, and she could send a taxi for us, but our driver flagged one down pretty quickly. Crisis averted.
We got out of the taxi and loaded our bags in the other taxi, and we were on our way. The original taxi driver was with us, and she was apologizing profusely. I told her not to worry…we had just made a new memory!
And you know what? It’s true. We will likely remember running out of gas on the way to the airport for the rest of our lives.
Sometimes, a minor crisis becomes a funny memory, and that’s what happened here.
My dad died at age 68 in 2006 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. As he lay dying, he reminded me to live my life. He reminded me to do the things I want to do…enjoy life!
Eleven years later, when I turned 50, I was talking with my mother and said, “I might only have 20 years that I can get around really well. I need to make sure I’m traveling to the places I want to go.” She looked at me with a sweet smile and reminded me, “When your daddy was your age, he didn’t have 20 years left. You need to make sure you are doing the things you want to do now and visiting the places you want to visit now.”
Mother died about six months after that conversation, but I remember her words every time I think of somewhere I want to go or something I want to see…and they mean even more now.
Six weeks ago, I was stricken with sciatica. I was just standing in my kitchen, and my back and leg started hurting. I wasn’t doing anything unusual. OK, so I was cooking, and maybe that’s unusual, but nothing strenuous. I thought, at the time, that it was just a weird backache. I went to the grocery store the next day, and while I was there, it started hurting so badly I could barely get through the store! A few days later, I went to Miami with my family, and for two solid days, I could barely walk…I shuffled like a 100-yr-old woman! The pain was real! In fact, the pain is still real six weeks later. It’s better, but it’s real. I have purchased almost everything I can think of to improve it, and some of it helps. I will list some items at the bottom of the page.
As silly as it sounds, when I first realized I had sciatica, visions of upcoming trips flashed before my eyes. Yes! That’s the truth! At the time, I had several vacations ahead of me. Since then, I have taken three of them, and honestly, I feel pretty sure those didn’t help my sciatica. I enjoyed the trips, even though I had to take some breaks from walking, but I didn’t give my back much time to rest. Hauling heavy luggage, even if it’s on wheels, is not the best thing for a back injury. We have another trip in a week, and this is the first time I’ve had two full weeks between trips. I’m resting my back a lot more but still walking a few miles a day (in small increments), and I’m hoping the sciatica will go away before a big trip in October. Did I say “hoping”? I mean praying. It’s slowly getting better, but I do feel like it’s improving.
Having sciatica has taught me a lot. It has taught me more compassion for people living with chronic pain. If you’ve never had chronic pain, it’s difficult to understand exactly how much it affects daily life. While dealing with sciatica, I have sat through entire conversations pretending to listen, simply because I couldn’t think of much more than the pain. Having sciatica has also reinforced what my parents told me: do it now! I remember Daddy telling me that we only get one life…no dress rehearsals…we need to make it good!
So here I am, on day 45 of sciatica. It’s better but not completely well. I have been to the doctor, and she told me it will definitely get better…with exercise, rest, and time.
I’ll keep you posted! Even while I have sciatica, though, I’m coming up with new places to visit and new things to see! Do it now!
***Items I have purchased to help my sciatica (ask your doctor before trying anything):
BeActive Plus leg brace. This was my first sciatica-improvement purchase. It’s a leg band that applies pressure to a trigger point along the sciatic nerve. Does it work? I don’t know, but I feel better when I use it! Purchase here.
TENS machine. Yes, I purchased my own TENS machine. In fact, I purchased two of them! The machines are supposed to control pain with electrical current. I can definitely say these have given me short-term relief, without a doubt. I purchased one for home use…get it here. And I got a wearable one for when I’m not home. See it here.
Gel Ice Pack. Ice, ice baby. It’s no joke. I have iced my back and butt every time I’ve gotten in the car and almost every time I’ve sat down at home. It helps decrease inflammation for sure. These gel ice packs are great to have around the house. Get them here.
Heating pad. Sometimes, I just need the muscles to relax. I have found one of the best things to give me relief is lying flat on my back on the bed with a pillow under my knees, which flattens the back. I put a heating pad under my lower back/butt, and it helps…especially before I fall asleep at night. Get onehere.
Dr. Scholl’s Orthotics for Back Pain. I put these in my sneakers, and I plan to keep them in all my sneakers from now on. Basically, I have been wearing sneakers for most of the time I’ve had sciatica, with a few exceptions. Get the Dr. Scholl’s Orthotics for back pain here.
Aspercreme Lidocaine Patches. These definitely help some. I put one on my lower back and one on my lower leg, where the pain was excruciating. Get them here.
Salonpas patches. These are smaller than the Aspercreme patches, and they contain menthol and camphor instead of lidocaine, so they warm the area. They also have that wintergreen aroma, which is not my favorite, but whatever…they help, so I use them. They’re also less expensive than the Aspercreme patches, so I didn’t mind using them more often. Get them here.
Plantar Fasciitis socks. I felt like anything that adds extra support is helpful, so I purchased these, and I wear them. They’re not pretty, but I do feel like they help. Get them here.
If you’re suffering, I hope you feel better soon. My sciatica isn’t completely gone, but it’s much better, and I’m almost fully functional again.
When I was a little girl, Memorial Day weekend marked the start of summer for me. School usually got out around Memorial Day, and I had the extra bonus of having a birthday at about the same time, so I loved the end of May…still do! And this year will be no different.
I have written before about how we need to remember the reason we celebrate Memorial Day…to honor those who lost their lives defending the very freedom we enjoy every single day. I have written about how my parents always made sure, when we were gathering with friends and family, that we remembered the meaning behind the day.
Does that mean it can’t be fun too? I like to think those who lost their lives would be happy to see us enjoying the freedom they made possible. We tend to have a pool day at our house. Sometimes we have friends over, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes, our daughter invites friends over, and sometimes she goes somewhere else. This year, we will be fortunate to have some houseguests over the holiday weekend, and we are excited to hang out in the pool, cook out, and relax.
In fact, I’m ordering a few things from Amazon to help me be sure we have fun and stay safe at the same time, and if you order today, you can probably get them in time too! Even if you don’t want them for Memorial Day, these items can be great all summer! My new necessities for starting summer with some fun (and safety in mind):
Fun Boy Mesh Floats. I love being outdoors, but when it’s really hot, I need to be in the pool. And I don’t mean I need to be floating on top of something. I need to have some of my body actually in the water. These inflatable mesh floats from Funboy are perfect for relaxing and staying cool. Priced at just $39 for a mint colored or yellow one, and the pink ones are $41 each. Or you can get two pink ones or two mint ones for under $67. I just ordered two pink and two mint. They’ll add a little color to the pool and keep us all cool. Of course, on Saturday and Sunday, the weather isn’t likely to be cooperative, but it’s supposed to be pretty warm Monday. Purchase here.
Backyard Blast. When our daughter was a little girl, she and her friends loved to set up a Slip n Slide in our yard. They could play for hours. I even participated a few times. Personally, I think sliding water play is fun for all ages, so when I saw this Backyard Blast heavy duty waterslide for adults and teens, well…I had to have it. We haven’t tried it yet, but it’s 75′ long and 12′ wide! Priced at $159, it’s not cheap, but since it’s “heavy duty,” I hope to get lots of fun out of it. It gets good reviews. Purchase here.
Nerf Water Products. Nerf is a name we can trust in water toys, but there are so many to choose from! A good SuperSoaker battle is always fun, but Nerf also makes refillable water balloons for younger kids, and even ride-on floats for on-the-water battles! See what they offer here. The possibilities are endless!
Fun in the Sun Toys. In fact, there are lots of summer fun toys out there: Bubble machines, bubble wants, reusable water balloons, beach balls, splash pads…fun stuff to keep everyone cool and keep everyone moving! These toys are great for kids of all ages…including those like me who will be turning 56 this weekend! Amazon will ship quick and free if you have an Amazon Prime account. Check them out here.
Sunscreen. You have to stay safe in the sun! Sunscreen is essential. There are lots of different brands to choose from. Personally, I prefer Coppertone lotions when I’m going to be outside for a while, because they smell like my childhood. Other times, I like Hawaiian Tropic oils, because we used them when I was a teen, and it reminds me of some happy times. I do not like sprays, because one of the first ingredients listed is often alcohol, so while it’s easy to apply a spray, it actually dries out your skin! Not good. To purchase Coppertone lotions, click here. To purchase Hawaiian Tropic oils with different SPFs, click here. (You might have to scroll down a little.) And remember to protect your lips, which can burn fast. We use Coppertone Sport Lip Balm with SPF 50. Purchase here.
Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Products. Don’t forget you’ll need something to soothe your skin after you’ve been in the sun. In our house, we swear by Sun Bum Cooling After Sun Gel. Purchase here. They offer lots of products to choose from: lotions, gels, body butters.
Summer’s almost here! Let’s be ready for some fun! Happy Shopping!
My daughter attended an independent school in Charlotte from Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade, and the former head of the school often had wise words to share. One of his favorite phrases? “Finish well.” As the end of each school year approached, I would remind our daughter, “Finish well!” Did she always hear me? She always finished pretty well, so maybe.
Now, the end of her freshman year of college is rapidly approaching. Like a train out of control, freshman year is moving forward at lightning speed. She will be home in less than a week. Less than a week! I find myself saying, “Finish well!”
We moved her into her dorm at the beginning of August. It was an exciting time. It was a scary time. Like lots of moms out there, I was excited for her to experience college, but I was nervous about leaving her 450 miles away. However, I remembered something I had read before:
Put the basket in the water.
I got that sentence from a piece written by Ashlei Woods. You can read it here. “Put the basket in the water” is a reference to the time of Moses, when midwives were ordered by Pharaoh to kill baby boys born to Israelites by drowning them in the Nile. Moses’s mother, in an effort to save her baby, placed him in a basket and placed the basket in the river, in hopes that he would live. I’m no Biblical scholar, but even I remember the story from Sunday School lessons. Moses did live, obviously, and went on to become a great prophet. I certainly don’t expect my daughter to become a great prophet, but I want her to live and become the best person she can be. I want her to live life. And by placing her proverbial basket in that proverbial river (college), I sent her on her way.
Has she learned things in college that will help her in her future endeavors? In short, yes. She has learned something in each class she has taken. She has learned about music, public relations, writing…so much. More importantly, she has learned more about who she is. She has learned how to make friends from lots of different places. She has learned how to handle medical emergencies and automobile situations. She has learned how to make doctor appointments and pick up her own prescriptions. And even though I always tried to expose her to as many new experiences as possible, she has been exposed to even more new experiences. She has learned to manage on her own. Sure, she still gets advice (sometimes wanted, sometimes not) from me, but she is doing it! We still support her financially, but she is doing it! We put the basket in the water, and we trusted God and trusted her.
Have there been hiccups along the way? Yes, but she has learned from each one. Last week, SpaceX launched a test rocket…the most powerful one ever launched. There was excitement surrounding it, but it failed. And afterward, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, seemed happy in spite of the failure, saying they (the engineers, the company) would learn a lot from the failure. He was excited about what they would learn! Those words stuck with me, because this very successful man was reminding the world that we learn from failure. Don’t get me wrong. Our daughter’s hiccups, so far, haven’t been in the classroom. But any hiccups she has experienced along the way have been opportunities for learning. Learning what doesn’t work is how she will learn what does work.
In a few days, we will move our daughter out of her freshman dorm. As she finishes her freshman year, I will remind her several times, “Finish well.” I am already reminding her to start packing things up and cleaning out her room. And after we get her home for the summer, I feel sure we will notice she is a different girl than the one we sent to college in August. She is older. She is more confident. She is more independent. She is more knowledgable. As my own parents said when I came home after my freshman year, “We sent our daughter off to college and got a different person back.” They often joked that I was “switched at college.”
High school graduations will start happening next month. If you know anyone who is graduating this year, now is the time to start thinking about gifts. My daughter graduated from high school last year, so I saw lots of gift ideas. I’m going to share a few of my favorites so you don’t have to search for ideas. SHOP EARLY TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHOICES! Here we go:
Personalized Necklace. Personalized gifts say “I really put some thought into this gift for you.” For a fun, in expensive gift, you can purchase a personalized necklace for under $20. The high school graduate will love it and wear it every day! No, it’s no real gold, but it’s 18k gold-plated, so it looks like real gold. To purchase, click here.
She’s Birdie Personal Alarm. Last year, when our daughter was getting ready to go off to college, I saw these alarms on a TV show. They’re compact. They hang on a keychain. Most of all, they’re pretty darn loud and “alarming.” They also have a small strobe that will illuminate a darker area. If you’re worried about a high school grad parking in a parking deck or walking alone, this is a great gift. This gift says “I care about you and your well-being.” Offered in lots of colors, the She’s Birdie Personal Alarm is inexpensive. To purchase, click here.
Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker. If the graduate on your list is absent-minded or has ADHD, this is a great gift to help him/her locate a misplaced item. He/she can hang it from a keychain to locate lost keys. I wish I’d had one of these when I was in college instead of having to panic every time I lost my keys. To purchase, click here.
Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker. A quality speaker is a must for almost any young adult. When I was young, my friends and I had our own “get ready” music, just like athletes have their walkout music. Some things never change. I still have a playlist for getting dressed, and my college-age daughter and her friends do too. A waterproof bluetooth speaker is essential. They can take it to the pool. They can take it to the lake. They can even take it in the shower! My daughter’s preferred speaker is a JBL FLIP 5, priced at about $90, but there are lots of options and price points out there. To purchase JBL, click here. To see others, click here.
4-in-1 Wireless Charger. Young adults have all the devices, and they need a place to charge them without having to use multiple electrical outlets. That’s where a 4-in-1 wireless charger comes in. They can charge two phones phone, an Apple watch, and airpods…all at once. I know you’re thinking, “Why two phones?” When a friend visits and needs to charge a phone at the same time, it comes in handy. Priced at under $30, this gift is a steal…and guaranteed to be a hit. To purchase, click here.
Spikeball set. College students need a distraction from the stress of classes and exams. When I was in college, we played a lot of games, but we didn’t have Spikeball then. Apparently, it’s a lot of fun and can be played indoors or outdoors. If you have a graduate on your list who needs to take study breaks, this could be a big hit! To purchase, click spikeball set.
Comfy Wearable Blanket. Everyone my daughter knows has a Comfy, and everyone loves their Comfy. These make great gifts. Priced at under $40, they are sold at a great price point, and they are worth every penny and more. With a fleecy inside, these oversized wearable blankets will make anyone feel better. To purchase, click Comfy.
Sunset Projector. I don’t know why college girls love these light projectors in their rooms, but they do. It creates a glow that somehow mimics a sunset…or some semblance thereof. I think they just like the colors. What I do know is that they are very popular in freshman girl dorms. To purchase, click sunset projector.
Verilux Happy Light. Just after the holidays, my daughter called me from college and said she was sad. She wasn’t clinically depressed; she was simply feeling the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Shorter days in winter can seriously affect our moods, but I knew the Verilux Happy Light was a possible solution. It mimics sunlight during those cold winter months. She got it. She set it up, and she used it for about 30 minutes a day while she was putting on makeup or just hanging out. And you know what? She felt better! To see the various models and purchase, click here.
Levoit Air Purifier. Lots of dorms and apartments have dust and mold. That’s where an air purifier comes in. This small Levoit Air Purifier will effectively help clean the air of a room by removing dust and mold particles. Cleaner air can help people avoid illness, and this small purifier from Levoit doesn’t take up a lot of room. If the grad in your life is planning to live in a dorm or apartment, this could be a welcome gift. To purchase, click here.
Closet Organizers and Storage. Everyone in a small apartment or dorm room needs ways to maximize organization and storage. Shoes, sweaters, tshirts, school supplies, and even medical supplies…they all need a place to be stored. My newest organization tool? Some storage bins from Haixin. Load at the top, then stack. Open from the front thereafter. See them here. But you might rather give the graduate something like shoe bins or over-the-door storage. If so, there are lots of possibilities. To see options and purchase, click here.
Jonathan Adler Lollipop Holder. Y’all might think I’m crazy on this one, but stick with me. I got our daughter a Jonathan Adler Lollipop Holder for Christmas this past year, and at first, she thought I was crazy. Once I showed it to her and explained it could be a bonding tool with her neighbors and friends in the dorm, she understood! It’s quite the conversation piece. The picture below shows the desktop-sized sculpture with unwrapped lollipops, but I gave her wrapped Tootsie Pops to put in it…much more sanitary, and it still looks good. Priced at under $100, it’s a fun, memorable gift. In fact, every graduate I know might get them from now on! To purchase, click here.
Trinket Trays. Don’t all women need a place to put little things on their nightstands and desks? Every night, when I’m getting ready for bed, I put my earrings in a trinket tray on my nightstand. The next morning, I put them in the jewelry box, but it’s nice to have a little place to store them overnight. I love Jonathan Adler colorful trinket trays, but there are lots of options out there. If you have a Clemson fan on your list, she’s likely to love the small tiger trinket tray by Jonathan Adler pictured below. To see lots of options (including the Adler tiger tray), click here.
Acrylic Makeup Organizers. One of the very best gifts I received as a high school graduate in 1985 was an acrylic makeup organizer. My mother’s friend, Polly, gave it to me, and I treasured it all the way through college and beyond. It’s a great gift for any young lady, and they’re pretty darn inexpensive.To see options, click here.
Back Rest Pillow. Reading or studying at a desk is not always optimal in a dorm room, and that’s where a back rest pillow comes in. Great for boys or girls, back rest pillows offer great support for sitting up in bed. I had one back in the old days, and this is one great idea lots of people still use! The grad in your life will be grateful, and your wallet will too, since it’s priced at under $50. To purchase, click here.
Laundry Backpack. Laundry bags are crucial for anyone living in a dorm, but laundry backpacks are easy to carry and good looking too! My daughter has one and loves it, because it keeps her hands free while she walks to the laundry room or to drop off her laundry.To see options and purchase, click here.
Foldable Drying Rack. Not every clothing item can go in the dryer, and that’s where the Amazon Foldable Drying Rack comes in. The graduate might not understand at first, but as soon as they shrink something in the dryer, they’ll get it. This foldable rack takes up minimal room in a dorm and is easy to stand up and take down. Highly recommend. To purchase, click here.
Tool Set. A family friend gave our daughter a tool set for graduation last year, and it was one of the best, most useful gifts she received! We used it at move-in, and she has used it many times since! Amazon offers lots of tool sets at reasonable prices. The one pictured below is marketed toward women (pink), but there are lots to choose from. To see what Amazon offers, click here.
Baboon to the Moon Bag. This is one of my favorite brands of anything. I have several Baboon to the Moon bags for travel, and my daughter loves hers too. We especially love the “Go Bags” in various sizes for air travel. They’re waterproof, colorful, roomy, and guaranteed for life! Our favorite is the Go Bag-Small, which is priced at just under $200, but they have a couple of colors on sale for under $100 at time of writing. See the Go Bags here.
Mattress Topper. I simply cannot express strongly enough how necessary a mattress topper is for anyone living in a dorm and having to sleep on a dorm mattress. We purchased our daughter a Sleepyhead 3-inch mattress topper, and while it was expensive at over $300, we feel like it was worth every penny. However, if you want to give someone a mattress topper without breaking the bank, there are lots of options. To see Sleepyhead toppers, click here. To see other brands, click here.
Amazon Gift Card. All graduates love gift cards, and with the Amazon gift card, they can get just about everything they need for a dorm room or apartment. For grads, I prefer to send the gift card in a box shaped like a graduation cap, adding a cute touch. Any amount would be appreciated by a graduate. To purchase, click here.
Monogrammed Towels. Monogrammed towels are one of the best gifts ever for high school students. If they are going to college, it’s an easy way to keep their towels from disappearing! I highly recommend monogrammed towels for guys or girls, but I’m not going to recommend a brand, because it’s all about personal preference.
That’s a list of suggestions for gifts for guys and girls who are graduating from high school this year. If you have a friend or family member graduating this year, you will likely make them happy with some of the gifts above, but shop early! Good graduation gifts sell out fast, and won’t you be more relaxed if you get it done early?!? Happy shopping!
It’s not too late! If you’re just now trying to figure out Easter Basket stuffers, you’re in good company: me. I just finally ordered Easter stuff today. Yes, I still put together an Easter basket for our 19-yr-old daughter and one of her friends every year. For years, our daughter’s friend has spent the night at our house the night before Easter, and every year, the bunny brings them baskets. Even though they are college freshmen this year, they will still get baskets. In fact, as long as I am able to do it, they will get baskets from our Easter Bunny.
Try to shop local whenever possible! I have purchased some items from local boutiques in Charlotte like Paper Skyscraper, The Buttercup, and more. The Buttercup has some great Easter items for younger children. They are located at 1035 Providence Road in Charlotte, and Paper Skyscraper is on East Boulevard.
Target also has some good Easter basket offerings, but they’re getting pretty picked over by now I haven’t had the opportunity to go there, so I sat down and started ordering online.
Today, I ordered a couple of baskets in the girls’ sorority colors. They are in the same sorority at different schools, so those baskets will match! I ordered them from Amazon, and they are actually baskets for “gamers,” but I thought they could actually use the baskets in their rooms, because they don’t really look like Easter baskets. See the Easter baskets offered by Amazon here. You can see and purchase the one I purchased here.
And then I went straight to Easter basket stuffers. I purchased Easter candy at my local Walgreens, but I wanted to get the girls some things they could actually use. Even though a garden gnome seems like a strange Easter Basket stuffer, I got them each one, simply because I got them gnomes a couple of years ago. Purchase the one I purchased here. And see Amazon’s other gnome selections here.
Since they are both first-year Kappa Kappa Gammas, I thought it would be fun to incorporate that into their basket items too. They love sweatshirts, and I found some cute sorority Comfort Colors sweatshirts. I needed them to arrive in time for Easter, so the pickings were slim, but I found these. To find similar ones for your daughter’s sorority on Amazon, click here. Just be careful to be sure whatever you order will arrive in time for Easter if you want to include it in the basket.
Additionally, I got them some Jojowell Shower Steamers that come 21 to a package in seven different scents. Each package is less that $25, and these steamers can make a shower feel like a spa! They come complete with two mesh bags and two suction cups for hanging the steamers in the shower. To purchase them, click here.
What else are they getting? How about some matching pajamas in their sorority colors? Yes! They get very excited about PJs every year, so they will be expecting some kind of pajamas, but the sorority colors will be a surprise! See the ones I purchased here. To see other cute PJ options on Amazon, click here. Or purchase some at your favorite boutique or retailer.
Because they loved Nickelodeon, specifically the show, iCarly, I got them both some XL iCarly t-shirts. They’ll laugh, and honestly, they’re likely to use them as pajamas sometimes. Last year, I gave them some iCarly Kooky pens, so this will carry on that theme. You can see the Amazon’s selection of iCarly t-shirts here. There are t-shirts for various Nickelodeon shows on Amazon here.
I also got them some acrylic glasses they can use in their dorms or in next year’s apartments or sorority houses. They can never have too many plastic or acrylic cups that they don’t have to worry about breaking. See the large selection on Amazon here.
And don’t forget the plastic Easter eggs! Sure, you can get the standard plastic Easter eggs, or you can get some that are especially cute from Amazon! I found some that I will fill with chocolates and other candies, because what’s an Easter basket without colorful Easter eggs?!? See the cute ones I purchased here. Or if you’d like something different than what I bought, you can see a huge selection here.
I know some of you might have younger children, so your Easter basket stuffers will likely be different than what I’m getting. If you have younger children, there is a whole section on Amazon that’s just for basket stuffers of all shapes and sizes. You can see them here.
But order right away! You don’t want to be left with an empty basket on Easter morning!
My friend, Linda, shared a video recently (on Facebook) that featured Sir Ian McKellen telling a story about getting into a taxi in Manchester, England, and the driver asks, “Where you going to, love?” Sir Ian said he immediately feels at home, where grown men call strangers “love.” He goes on to say the world would be a better place if we all called each other “love,” and I agree. It’s a practice I hope to start now. In my estimation, once I say in 10 or 12 times, it should become a habit, right?
It’s really not a stretch. I already tell everyone I love that I love them when we hang up the phone or when we say goodbye in person. I have written about that before and how it annoyed my friend, Wendy, until I got her in the habit of saying it too. But calling complete strangers “love” could be a little tougher.
In recent months, I have started something new with my daughter. She likely hasn’t noticed. Every now and then, I simply text her “I love you” out of the blue. That’s not really abnormal for us, but in recent months, it has become more frequent for a reason. Sometime after the first of the year, I realized I would text her things that sounded like I was correcting her or giving unsolicited advice. Once I realized it, I decided to try to keep myself in check, so every time I find myself preparing to send her a text with unsolicited advice, I stop myself and text “I love you” instead. Don’t get me wrong. I still offer advice, but normally, only when we are talking on the phone or in person. So basically, I’m replacing my unsolicited advice and nagging with love messages. It makes me feel better, and I’m sure that, even thought she hasn’t even realized the difference yet, she feels better too. She always returns the message with “I love you too.”
So now I need to implement my plan to call everyone “love.” I’m sure some people will find it odd. Some people might even say, “I’m not your love.” And that’s OK. I will know, deep down, that I’m just trying to be nice and spread joy and love. I know everyone will react differently, because my friend, Mary Ann, and I did a social experiment in Beverly Hills ten years ago. We said “good morning” to everyone we passed on the sidewalk. Some people acted like we were weirdos, but a few hugged us and thanked us. You never know when someone needs some love! I feel like there are lots of people walking around out there who haven’t been called “love” or felt loved in a long time! Maybe just one stranger will appreciate being called “love”? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to walk around just saying “hi love” to everyone I see. It will likely be used where I would normally use “sir” or “ma’am.” For example, if someone holds the door open for me as I’m walking into a store, I might say, “Thank you, love!” Or if I’m in a restaurant and my server asks me a question, maybe I answer, “Yes, love.” Maybe I will use it with my friends when they answer the phone, “Hi love!” It is a work in progress. I’ll keep you posted.
Any chance you might want to join me in this plan, love?
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