Category / graduation gift

by Kelly Mattei

The Carry-On with Removable Wheels

The Carry-On with Removable Wheels…

Recently, I had some lingering back issues. I love to hop on an airplane as much as anyone, but because of said back issues, I can no longer carry a heavy backpack or anything over five pounds for any distance. I’m simply afraid I will mess up the back again. Therefore, I need wheels on my carry-on, and I must have a carry-on, because I have some prescriptions I like to take with me when I travel. Therefore, I bought the cutest, tiny, wheeled carry-on that will fit under almost any airplane seat. I don’t say it will fit under any airplane seat, simply because there could be exceptions. However, I have flown several different aircraft with it, and it fit.

And then I ran into a problem when I was returning home from a wedding in April. I had flown into Montgomery, Alabama, for the wedding, and when I left Charlotte on the American Eagle Embraer RJ145, the gate agents and flight crew took no issue with my very small (14″) bag. In Montgomery, on the return, I walked down the jetbridge, and just as I was about to step onto the aircraft, an employee started to tag my bag. I simply said, “You’re not taking my bag. It fits under the seat.” “They told me to take anything with wheels.” “I don’t care. You’re not taking my bag. I will DRIVE back to Charlotte before I let you take it, because I know it fits under the seat. I came down on this aircraft a few days ago. This bag has my meds in it, and I will not let you take it.” He wasn’t happy about it, but he gave in once I said my meds were in it, and just as I said, it fit perfectly underneath the seat in front of me. I saw numerous people board behind me with much larger bags, but since they didn’t have wheels, they were acceptable. Whatever…

The next time I flew on a small aircraft, I was traveling with my husband, and I just packed a small duffel bag for my carry-on, because I knew he would carry it. As soon as we arrived at the airport, he complained, “Why didn’t you bring your little wheeled carry-on bag?” I explained to him that I wasn’t going to have that argument again with another agent.

When we returned home a week later, I went straight to Amazon to find a small carry-on bag with removable wheels, and I found exactly what I was looking for! At 18″, it’s a little bigger than my tiny carry-on, but it fits the dimensions of a carry-on, and I can remove the wheels! So I ordered one, and I guess it will be my carry-on when I fly on smaller planes. The wheels pop off with the touch of a button. Reattaching the wheels is pretty easy too! I promise you I will take it the next time I fly to/from Montgomery, and when that same guy tries to take my bag from the jetbridge, I will pop off the wheels, stick them in my handbag, and say, “No dice!”

This bag is great for travel and would make a great gift for anyone going to college!

You can purchase the bag with the removable wheels here.

Happy Shopping!

*As an Amazon associate, I receive commission on items purchased through my links.*

Young woman walking on college campus holding coffee cup and tote bag
by Kelly Mattei

Rush-Ready Hair

Sorority rush-ready hair.

When my daughter was preparing to participate in sorority rush/recruitment four years ago, she wanted a Dyson Airwrap. Lucky for her, I had one I had only used once or maybe twice. I was just an old dog who couldn’t learn a new trick, so I gave it to her. She loved it, and she used it…still does! It delivers beautiful curls or beautiful straight hair without as much heat damage as lots of other hair tools. It’s also faster than using multiple tools, because it dries and curls (or smooths) at the same time. It also has a hefty price tag, but Shark makes something similar that’s on sale right now.

If you or someone you know wants the Dyson Airwrap, you can get it at Amazon here. My daughter loves hers, and if it suddenly stopped working, I’m sure she would want another one of the same brand.

However, I have a friend who purchased her daughter the similar item from Shark brand, and her daughter loves the Shark. The regular price for the Shark brand item is about $350, but right now (at time of writing), you can get two versions of it for $199. That’s a huge savings for a great product. It would make a great graduation gift or birthday gift. Or maybe you are already doing holiday shopping! It would make a great gift for Christmas or Hanukkah. Purchase here.

Happy Shopping!

*As an Amazon Associate, I receive commission for items purchased through my links.*

by Kelly Mattei

Great Gift: Lamp/Charger/Speaker All-in-One

EZVALO Bedside Dimmable Lamp with Wireless Charger and Bluetooth Speaker. Y’all this is a great gift for anyone on your list. I have been using one of these for months. I got one for my college-age daughter last Christmas, and I liked it so much that I got one for me too! It’s a great addition to the nightstand, because it provides just enough light when I need a little light to get to the bathroom (I’m 58, after all) in the middle of the night. It has the wireless charger for my phone, and there have been nights I have drifted off to sleep while listening to a soothing audiobook through the speaker. I love it. This is a rare HIGHLY RECOMMEND item for lots of people on your list: moms, college students, high school students, Grandma…virtually anyone. Purchase it for anyone on your list who has a smartphone. It’s offered in Wood Grain or White for under $35 on a Cyber Monday Deal with Amazon. Get it here.

*As an Amazon associate, I receive commission on items purchased through my links.*

by Kelly Mattei

Favorite Dupe Handbag

My favorite dupe handbag. * I receive commission for items purchased through my Amazon links.*

I have always loved handbags, and I especially love a good dupe. This one is inexpensive and cute, so I love it. It comes in several different colors, and I have four of them. At these prices, if they get messed up, just buy another one! Purchase here. They pair great with some dupe shoes you can purchase here.

by Kelly Mattei

My Favorite Wallet

My favorite wallet.

*As an Amazon Associate, I receive commission on items purchased through my links.*

For the past couple of years, I have been carrying a wallet I purchased on Amazon. I suppose it’s a “dupe” of a designer brand, but I didn’t get it because of that. I got it, because I think it’s cute, and because it has everything I need: RFID protection, folded bills space, ID window space, and plenty of credit card sleeves. I love it, and often, someone will ask me about it, so today, I decided it’s time to share the link. It comes in several colors. I have had the green one, like I said, for a couple of years, but I just ordered myself the red one. I’ve also given these as gifts. Purchase it for under $18 here.

If you’re looking for something smaller, something that simply holds credit cards, my daughter has a smaller version that’s just a credit card holder with RFID protection. Purchase it for under $18 here. (Right now, there’s also a 10% off coupon on you can use on Amazon. Just tick the box before putting the item in your cart.)

At these prices, you can buy one for yourself and buy some for gifts too! They make great gifts for recent high school or college graduates…or just for a friend who would like it!

by Kelly Mattei

Free Amazon Kindle Books

Free Amazon Kindle Books

Did you know Amazon offers FREE Kindle books? Well, they do, and you can download them to your Kindle or your Kindle app easily with your Prime Membership! Yes, I said FREE! And some of them were written by popular authors like Nora Roberts. One I can definitely recommend is Year One by Roberts. Get it here. Other titles are offered at low prices. If you have a voracious reader in your family and don’t want to go broke, this is a great way to get some new titles! To see the free and inexpensive offerings on Amazon, click here.

If you’d like to purchase an Amazon Kindle reader, check them out here.

But if you have a sports fan in your family who can hardly wait for college football to start, I highly recommend The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football. It’s not free or even almost free, but it’s the best book about college football I’ve ever read. Get it here.

*As an Amazon Associate, we receive commission on items purchased through our links.*

by Kelly Mattei

Need Extra Cooling?

Need extra cooling?

I like it cool when I sleep, and I like it cool when I’m getting ready to go out. Do I need the rest of my family to freeze? No. Maybe you have a college student who prefers cooler air than a roommate?

I have a portable personal air conditioner that I used on my bathroom vanity when getting ready, and I even carried it to hotels in my luggage. I paid $100+ for it some time ago, and I thought it worked great…UNTIL I found Arctic Air. Yes, it’s “as seen on TV,” and it really works. The best part? It’s only $39.98 at Amazon, and I have found it works better than my more expensive portable personal a/c! It’s also small enough to fit easily into a carry-on bag! I just put it right on the hotel nightstand at night, and when I’m getting dressed for the day, I move it to the bathroom vanity…just add water and/or ice and plug it in!

If you like to have cool air blowing on you at night or while you’re getting ready, this won’t cool a whole room, but it will blow directly on you, keeping you cool. Or maybe you have someone on your holiday or birthday list that could use it! I love it and highly recommend it!

Get it at Amazon here.

*As an Amazon Associate, we receive commission for items purchased through our links.*

by Kelly Mattei

Prime Days: Passport Holder With Airtag

You think you don’t need a passport holder with Airtag, but you do. I know this, because my husband lost his passport last month in the airport as we were beginning a trip…or maybe I should say “as we were attempting to begin a trip.” The vacation didn’t happen, because he dropped the passport in the airport and didn’t recover it. He had to apply for a new one, meaning he literally had to go through the application process again.

If we had put his passport in a passport holder with an Airtag, we likely would have recovered it immediately and been able to take the trip. Seriously, get it today!

Now everyone in our family has a passport holder with an Airtag. Get it now. And because it’s inexpensive, go ahead and get them for everyone on your holiday list. It comes in several colors and makes a great gift. Get it now with a Prime Days deal TODAY here.

*Amazon Associate. We receive commissions for items purchased through our links.

by Kelly Mattei

Amazon Prime Days Deals on Beats Studio Pro with Apple Care+ (2 Years) Headphones

Amazon Prime Days Deals on Beats Studio Pro with Apple Care+ (2 Years) Headphones

Get them while they last! This deal is 50% off the Beats Studio Pro Headphones, and two years of Apple Care+ is included! Regularly $378.99, you can get these now for $188.95 in various colors! Have a college student in the family? Have a teenager? Frequent traveler? These Beats Studio Pro with Apple Care+ Headphones are a steal! Purchase them now here.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT DEAL NOW WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

*We receive commissions on items purchased through our links.*

by Kelly Mattei

Away Luggage Amazon Prime Deal!

Away Luggage Amazon Prime Deal!

My family has six pieces of Away luggage in different sizes, and we love every piece! One of our favorites is the carry-on, and right now, you can get a Prime Day Deal on the orange, salt white, red, or cloud gray for 20% off the regular price! Or get the sea green for 15% off. It’s almost unheard of to get this kind of deal on Away Luggage. It’s dependable, lightweight, sturdy, well-crafted, has spinner wheels, and it has been selected as the best hardsided carryon two years in a row by New York Times Wirecutter. I highly recommend! Get them while they last here. Let’s gooooo! ***Makes a great gift for a traveler or college student. Buy early during Prime Days for holidays***

Let’s get ready to travel!

*We receive commission on items purchased through our links.*