Someone on your list would love a drone, but if he/she has never flown a drone, they don’t want one that’s too complicated. Until they have some experience under their belt, they probably don’t need one that costs thousands of dollars. Amazon’s Choice? The Drone with Camera 4K for Adults Beginners. It gets great reviews (4.9 stars out of 5!) and is priced right at $119 (at time of writing). Plus, there’s a $10 coupon you can use on Amazon. Just tick the box on the listing to apply the coupon! Get this beginner drone here.
If you have a college student or someone who just enjoys electric scooters on your list, here are some great Black Friday Deals on Segway Scooters from Amazon:
Segway Ninebot Kick Scooter E2/E2 Plus/E2 Pro/ES1L. Specs: Powerful Motor, 12.4-15.5 mph, Cruise Control, Front Suspension (ES1L Only), Portable Electric Scooter for Adults up to 198 lbs, UL-2272 2271 Certified. This is a great scooter for use around a college campus or neighborhood, and it has a solid name brand behind it in Segway. It has a 15.5 mile range and goes up to 15.5 miles per hour, so it’s great for a student to get to and from class. Plus, the price is right. This portable scooter weight between 31 and 41 pounds, depending on the model you pick. Pricing is 30% off (at time of publication) on Amazon, with prices starting at $279. Take advantage of the great deal on a great product here.
Segway Ninebot MAX Electric Kick Scooter Max G30LP-25miles w/Powerful Motor, Long Miles Range, 18.6 Top Speed, Scooter for Adults UL-2271 2272 Certified. This Segway Scooter carries riders up to 220 pounds and goes up to 18.6 miles per hour. This is AMAZON’S CHOICE, and it’s priced at 43% off at $399.99 as a Black Friday Deal. Again, a great name in Segway, this scooter is efficient and portable. Weighing merely 38.6 lbs, it’s easily foldable with just one click, enabling seamless transportation and storage. These scooter sell like crazy, because of their range, portability, and weight capacity. Get it now here.
Segway ZT3 Pro Electric Scooter, 24.9 Mph Top Speed, 43.5 Miles Max. Range, w/Dual Suspension, Flash Charge, 1600W Peak Motor, Folding Off Road Scooter for Adults UL2272 2271 Certified. Another AMAZON’S CHOICE, this is a great electric scooter for the enthusiast. My husband loves this for the fun of it, but I know people who use it to get to and from work in urban settings…or even just running errands! It offer off-road power for the enthusiast. Conquer any terrain with 11″ tubeless tires and a 650W motor (1600W peak) reaching speeds up to 24.9 mph. It also has extended range: travel up to 43.5 miles (in ECO mode) per charge with the 596Wh battery and RideyLONG tech. Easily tackle steep inclines with a 25% climbing ability for smooth ascents.Dual front telescopic and rear spring suspension provide a cushioned ride on all terrains. It also charges fast and is safety certified. At publication time, it is offered on Amazon for $949.90 (14% off) and free shipping with your Amazon Prime membership! Get it here.
Top LAURA GELLER NEW YORK products for holiday gifting.
Want to check off some Christmas or Hanukkah gifts for the women in your life? Wife? Mom? Daughter? Sister? Significant other? Laura Geller has the #1 Best Seller in foundation makeup on Amazon, because it works! Check out the holiday palettes and more offered by Laura Geller New York this season, and use your Amazon Prime membership for free shipping! This is a great list of outstanding products! Lots of great stocking stuffers here:
Laura Geller New York Annual Party in a Palette Full Face Palette Set in Jetset. Party in a Palette? Yes, please! This palette is great as a Christmas or Hanukkah gift, or maybe you want it for yourself to create a holiday party-perfect look! Just choose your shade! This palette is an all-in-one, meaning it contains six gorgeous eyeshadows, a blush, and a highlighter to create the perfect holiday glowing face! I have three in my Amazon cart now: one for me, one for my daughter, and one for my Laura Geller New York-loving friend. If you’re traveling, this palette has lots of essentials, making it easier to pack. It’s even easy to carry in a handbag for freshening up your look on the go. Plus, it’s 25% off at Amazon at time of writing. Get it here.
Laura Geller New York The Best of the Best Baked Palette – Full Size. This complete eye and face makeup palette includes three baked eyeshadows in beautiful neutral tones, a Baked Bronze-n-Brighten in Tahitian Glow, two Baked Natural Glow Highlighter in French Vanilla and Portofino and a Baked Blush-n-Brighten in Pink Buttercream. This is one of my favorite palettes offered by Laura Geller New York. It’s offered in two color sets, including a Baked Body Frosting that is better than any body frosting/shimmer I have ever tried. Just a light dusting of it sets your skin aglow! The Blush-n-Brighten blush goes on smoothly, not cakey, and it adds color while adding a little shimmer. I used it for a party last month and was asked about it by three different ladies at the party! Laura Geller knows her palettes. This one is convenient for travel too! This one is a no-brainer, but add in the fact that it’s 41% off right now (as of writing), and you’re getting a great palette at a great discount! Get it here.
LAURA GELLER NEW YORK The Best of the Best Baked Palette with Mirror, Tuscan Dreams – Full-Size – Includes Bronze, Blush, Highlighter, 6 Eyeshadows. Another awesome palette by Laura Geller New York, and this one features the Best of the Best Baked in Tuscan Dreams, and it includes a mirror for ease of use while traveling or for freshening up your day-to-night look! The colors featured in this palette are glorious! This is one of those universal palettes that looks great with lots of skin tones, and since it’s 54% off at time of writing, you can do a “one for you, one for me” for less than the normal price of one! But get it quickly, because this popular palette won’t last! Purchase from Amazon here.
LAURA GELLER NEW YORK The Delectables Earthy Essentials Baked Eyeshadow Palette | 14 Pigmented Eyeshadows Blendable Natural Look. We get my daughter a Laura Geller Baked Eyeshadow Palette every year for Christmas. The colors are not outlandish, and it keeps me from having to pick just one or two colors for her. She loves it! Create simple or stunning looks with ease using Laura Geller’s gorgeous Delectables eyeshadow palette. Add in the fact that they are creamy and crease-proof, and they are ideal! At time of writing, they are offered in a Black Friday Deal, so get them while they last here.
LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Classic Bronzer Brush | Fluffy Powder Brush, Contour & Define, Vegan Bristles. This brush, offered by Laura Geller New York goes great with any of the palettes above. I use it with the body frosting offered in the Best of the Best Baked Palette for a light dusting on my shoulders and décolletage. This makes a great stocking stuffer too! Get it here.
LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Spackle Primer – Original – Super-Size 2 Fl Oz – Hyaluronic Acid Makeup Primer for Mature Skin. Y’all, this is a great primer for “ladies of a certain age,” like me! I have a friend who swears by this primer, so I just purchased some for myself. It creates a great, smooth base for my foundation, and it isn’t greasy. Highly recommend for all my friends and family who are “of a certain age.” Let’s goooo! Get it today on a Black Friday Deal that gives you 29% off (at time of writing) here.
LAURA GELLER NEW YORK The Ultimate Palette Baked Eyeshadow Makeup Palette – Neutrally Natural – 31 Matte and Shimmer Shades – Pigmented Crease-Proof Eye Makeup. This is another great eyeshadow palette being offered this season, and it’s glorious! This incredible eyeshadow palette includes 31 shades in a mix of flattering neutral eyeshadow hues with matte and shimmer finishes to choose from. With this incredible eyeshadow palette, you can switch up your look from natural everyday eyeshadow to bold smoky eyeshadow in a flash. It’s every eyeshadow you need for subtle day or sparkly evening looks. Purchase here.
LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Jelly Balm Moisturizing Tinted Lip Color – Cocoa-Motion – Hydrating Vitamin E – Semi-Shine Finish. I have heard about this product from several friends who say it doesn’t bleed and offers color with a balm-like feel. Yes, it even hydrates like a balm, so it doesn’t get goopy or sticky. There are lots of colors to choose from. I just ordered it for myself in a shade called Brick House. This is another great stocking stuffer! Purchase here.
You can knock out a big part of your shopping list with these LAURA GELLER NEW YORK products! Get them before they are gone! Laura Geller New York is a best-selling brand lots of women love.
Happy Shopping!
***Sponsored ad. We receive commissions for items purchased through our links.***
Kid moving to college dorm or dusty apartment? Have pets? A KOIOS air purifier could be a big help in air quality for you or your college student. Everyone who has ever been to college or sent a kid to live in a dorm knows sickness runs through dorms. Why not do everything you can to purify the air in your student’s space? Get one for the dorm room and a few for home! I saw a video recently in which about 50 college freshmen were asked, “What ONE item would you recommend for dorm living?” Most of them said, “Air purifier.” They are living it right now, so they know. This KOIOS model is “Amazon’s Choice,” meaning it gets great reviews, and as an Early Black Friday Deal, it’s 33% off! Get it for $59.99 (reg $89.99) here. It would be a great gift for a current or future college student! It helps purify the air in a large room…up to 1200 square feet! Use your Amazon Prime membership and get free shipping!
2024 Holiday Shopping Links (so far). These are links to posts we have made since the middle of November. THANK YOU for shopping our links! We are creating more links today. Click each title for link to more information:
If you need/want to purchase the ever-popular Dyson Airwrap for someone on your holiday list (or for yourself), now is the time. It seems almost every female in America under the age of 60 wants this incredible hairstyling tool. If you have a daughter in high school or college, you can bet she would be thrilled to get this for Christmas or Hanukkah! I have never seen the Airwrap on sale before, but right now you can get an early Black Friday deal for $100 off the regular price of $599! I’d $499 for a limited time! Get it now before the deal ends here!
This is a huge deal, because you will also get free shipping if you have an Amazon Prime membership! And if you don’t have a Prime membership, it’s time to get one! I have saved $1946 this year with free Prime delivery and movies.
ORDER THAT DYSON AIRWRAP HERE BEFORE THIS DEAL IS GONE, and tell everyone you know to come order through my link for the deal!
***I receive commissions for items ordered through my Amazon link. Thank you for shopping my links AND for SHARING my links with friends! Send your friend to my page, so they can shop through my site.***
Safety/wellness items I have ordered for my college daughter.
As parents, we never stop worrying, do we? Our daughter is a junior in college. A few weeks ago, she fell ill…mono/pneumonia/bronchitis. It was scary when I could hear deep wheezing through the phone, so I jumped on a plane and went down there. She is living in an apartment with three friends, but I was surprised they didn’t have some of the basics for illness/wellness and safety. I’m sharing, so you can double-check that your college student has the necessities if he/she gets sick. Here are some items I ordered or picked up for them while I was there:
Thermometer. I swear my daughter had one in her medicine box when she went to school, but it wasn’t there anymore, and none of the roommates could come up with one either. This is an absolute essential. In fact, go ahead and get two of them, because you know one will go missing.There are lots of them out there, but get the one I got from Amazon here. *Also, make sure they have the meds they need if they do get sick: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, cough and cold meds, etc.
COVID/Flu Home Test. Y’all, I had the flu in January. I feel pretty sure I acquired it standing in line at Customs when I came home from Mexico City. When I started feeling badly, I thought, “I guess I’ll be going to a germ infested doctor’s office tomorrow to get tested for flu.” But then I checked to see if there is a test on Amazon. There is, and it was delivered to my home overnight. With one sample, it tests for COVID, Flu A, and Flu B. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ITEM! Soon after receiving the test, I knew I had Flu A. After that, I knew I wanted to keep those tests on hand during flu season at my house. I also got one for our daughter at her college house. If she tests positive for flu A or B, she can call her doctor or an online doctor and get Tamiflu. ***Also, encourage your child to get a flu shot!*** Purchase the test here. (While you’re thinking about it, go ahead and order one or two for home…you’ll thank me this flu season if someone gets sick.)
Cold Mist Humidifier. As soon as my daughter was diagnosed with pneumonia, I knew she needed a humidifier. When I mentioned it, she said, “The doctor recommended it too.” I actually ordered one at a local drugstore for her to pick up, even though she was sick, just so she could have it quickly. This is one of those things we should just have anyway. Order one at Amazon here.
Pedialyte. A proven brand for replacing electrolytes and staying hydrated, Pedialyte makes powder packets that you mix with water. Powder mixes are easier to store than bulky bottles, and these last a long time. They’re good to have on hand for mono, pneumonia, flu, or even stomach issues. Get them from Amazon here.
Multivitamin. When I had mono as a teenager, the only things my old-school doctor recommended were lots of rest and a good multivitamin. These college students burn the candle at both ends. Get them a multivitamin, simply because you don’t really know what they’re eating or how much rest they are getting. Get a good one from Amazon here.
Ring Doorbell. While I was there, one of my daughter’s roommates mentioned that she would feel a lot safer if they had a Ring Doorbell, so you know I had to get one. I opted for the wireless one for easy installation. It’s not cheap, but it’s the lastest model and easy to install. Get it at Amazon here.
Window Alarms. Another safety feature? Window alarms. If your kids have a ground floor bedroom, they might feel safer with window alarms on the windows. For under $30, you get alarms for four windows. Get the ones I purchased here.
Portable Safe. I know, the words “portable” and “safe” don’t go together, but this one attached to a fixed item. She doesn’t have any real valuables, but she does have some small items that might walk away if someone didn’t ask to borrow them and forgot to return them. No, I don’t mean her roommates. I mean other people who visit. Sometimes, there are lots of people in their apartment. This safe attaches to the shelving in her closet and has a combination lock. Get it here.
She’s Birdie Personal Alarm. You’ve probably seen these before. Highly recommend. At about $30, it does offer a little peace of mind. Get it here.
Pepper Gel Spray. If you’re really concerned about safety, pepper gel spray can be a great thing to have. Instead of the old school liquid spray, this won’t blow back on the person spraying it. A friend told me about it over lunch yesterday when she was telling me a story about a guy walking into her daughter’s room! The guy was friends with someone else who lived there, but that’s not OK. Get the pepper gel spray here.***Just make sure they don’t try to board an airplane with it.***
Door Security Bar. After the Idaho murders, our daughter became more aware of real dangers. We have door security bars on all our exterior doors at home, but she wanted one for her bedroom door in her apartment. If your child lives somewhere that people might be in and out of the apartment or house at all hours, it could be a good idea to have one of these to secure the door. Get it here.
This list, obviously, is not a complete list of everything they need for health and wellness, but it’s a start! Don’t forget you can likely order groceries for them through Instacart! ***Also, remember to check/replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors! *** Do what you can for your child!
***I am an Amazon Associate, so I am compensate for items purchased through my links.***
My daughter just finished her sophomore year of college.. It’s hard for me to believe she is 1/2 of the way through college. I remember my own college days so well; I’m so happy she is getting to go to the same awesome university and have her own experiences. We feel pretty seasoned now that she has survived two years. So while I’m thinking about it, and since you have time to prepare now, I’m going to make some suggestions on necessities. Seriously, I know graduation festivities (ugh) are upon you, but start purchasing and ordering now, and you’ll have less to do as your college freshman’s departure approaches. You can also spread out the expenses over the next few months instead of being slapped in the face with big credit card bills at dorm move-in time. These are just a few items I recommend purchasing early, before everyone else jumps in, and they’re sold out.
Mattress Topper. I never met a dorm mattress I liked. Goodness. One would think they could find a way to improve those things. I was a freshman in 1985, and I daresay my daughter’s freshman dorm mattress was no more comfortable than the one I had way back when. We knew that would be the case, so we invested in a quality mattress topper. There are lots of them out there, but we opted for the Sleepyhead brand. Our daughter’s dorm room has a twin XL bed, so we ordered the Twin XL 3″ Topper from Sleepyhead. She loves it. Priced at over $300, it’s not cheap, but right now, they are offering a $70 coupon. It’s probably some of the best money I’ve ever spent. Our daughter used hers freshman year in the dorm and sophomore year in the sorority house. She loved sleeping in her bed, calling it “cozy and comfy.” She got two full years of use out of it. She will be moving into an apartment next year with a queen bed, so she can’t use it again, but we will purchase another Sleepyhead topper for her queen bed. Check out Sleepyhead on Amazon here.
Stand-up Steamer. I think people thought I was crazy when I told them I was getting our daughter a stand-up steamer to take to college with her, but it is one thing that definitely got used…and it’s so much easier than ironing! Plus, a stand-up steamer won’t “walk away” to someone else’s dorm room, never to be seen again! Our daughter participated in sorority recruitment as soon as she arrived at school, so I knew she would need to steam out her dresses before she wore them. We couldn’t have her showing up all wrinkled! She tells me she has used it countless times throughout the year for steaming formal dresses, cocktail dresses, and anything else that was overly wrinkled. We opted for the a Rowenta model. You can see it and purchase it on Amazon here. If you want to purchase a handheld steamer instead, I highly recommend one from Rowenta you can purchase here.
Bankers Box Smooth Move Wardrobe Boxes. These stand-up boxes are more for the move-in, but they were big helps with our daughter’s hanging garments. They have a bar across the top on which to hang the clothes, and they hold a lot of clothes. We only used one, and our daughter took a lot of clothes with her. When we arrived in the dorm, we simply lifted the hangers off the bar and moved them straight to the closet bar…super easy. For about $44, you’ll get three bankers boxes. We gave one to a friend who was going off to college too, and saved the third one…might use it for move-out. You can purchase here.
Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1 Mop. I don’t know how often this item has been used, but if they can’t really clean the floor without it. At least give them a fighting chance at having a “clean-ish” floor. Plus, you will want to run it through the room before you set everything up. Just get it. It will make you feel better knowing your child can mop the floor if he/she chooses or needs to! Get it from Amazon here.
Velvet Hangers. I know how easy it is for a college student on the go to grab a shirt and just snatch it off the hanger on the way to class. Hangers go flying, and other items fall to the bottom of the closet. That doesn’t happen with velvet hangers. They have added a lot of organization to my own closet. I purchase Zober non-slip Velvet Hangers in Ivory. Just trust me on this one. Shirts don’t get horns in the shoulders. Dresses hang nicely and don’t fall off the hanger and into the floor. Get them at Amazon here. You’ll think you won’t need many, but start with 200.
And I’m going to repeat some move-in essentials from a piece I wrote recently:
Hulken Bag. I ordered two. My daughter has one at college, and I have one at home, but I will take mine down with me when we move her out. They simply make moving lots of items easier. We got large ones. Get them here.
Moving Bags. These are similar to the Ikea moving bags, but I ordered from Amazon, because I thought these were a little bigger and sturdier. They worked great for move-in, and I expect them to work great for move-out too! Get them here. (Keep in mind: these sell out during summer, as families stock up on them, so get yours early.)
Collapsible Wagon. We got one of these for our daughter when she was returning to college after the holidays. It was an easy way for her to get everything from the parking garage to her room. Get it here.
Versacart. This is one my aunt told me about, and it’s awesome! She calls it her “old lady cart,” but it does the job! She uses it to bring in groceries or any packages from her car. Get it here.
Stick with me, moms of future college students, and I’ll provide you with all sorts of helpful ideas over the next few months. Start shopping now! And please use my links above to purchase! *I may be compensated for some of the items I suggest, but I wouldn’t suggest them if I didn’t believe in them!
I have received three phone calls from worried friends this week. Their daughters are planning to participate in sorority rush in the fall at big southern schools, and they are worried they should be working on “rush stuff” right now. No. The answer is no. Let your daughter enjoy her senior year!
Mom, you can start thinking about the preparation, but there’s no need to be consumed by it. What can you do now? Look up which sororities have chapters at your daughter’s school. Start thinking of your friends who know your daughter; which ones were in sororities in college and would be willing and able to write recommendations for your daughter? Make a list in the notes on your phone. Or you can do like one of my friends and make a spreadsheet. I’m not Type A, so a spreadsheet was not my thing. I just made a list. Anytime you’re out and about and hear that someone is a member or alumna of a sorority, make a note of it in your phone.
If you’re thinking about hiring a rush consultant, that’s entirely up to you. We didn’t hire one for my daughter when she rushed, and she landed exactly where she wanted to be. I have lots of friends who have daughters who have rushed, and personally, I don’t know anyone who hired a consultant. And all my friends have daughters who are very happy with their rush choices. The hiring of a consultant is a personal choice.
Seriously, right now, just start compiling your recommendation list and having your daughter start working on her resumé. The girls cannot even make a complete resumé right now, because they don’t know what they’ll have to add before the end of the school year.
In May, have your daughter contact your friends who are sorority alumnae by phone, text, or email to ask them to write recommendations for her. This is something she needs to do herself, and she needs to ask people who actually know her. In a pinch, she can ask a friend of a friend. Recommendations are basically introductions of your daughter to the chapters, so she will want them to be able to write about her from personal knowledge. For example, when my neighbor’s daughter participated in “recruitment,” I was able to write a detailed recommendation/introduction of her, because I had first-hand knowledge of her personality and great attributes. Try to get recommendations to every chapter, and whatever you do, make sure your daughter does not say to any alumnae, “I’m only interested in sororities A, B, and C.” First, it sounds bad. Secondly, until rush begins, your daughter might think she knows what she likes, but she might change her mind. She also might not get invited to the ones she think she will.
You can start looking at dresses if you like. Spring dresses are coming out now, so it’s perfectly fine to start looking and even purchasing dresses she thinks she will wear. When shopping, look for fairly conservative dresses but not too conservative. Amanda Uprichard offers some great options at amandauprichard.com.
But right now, the main thing is to have rush in the back of your mind. Keep you ears and eyes open for people who can help with recommendations. Soak up every moment of senior year of high school, and enjoy having your daughter at home with you!
Here’s a rough timeline of preparation:
January-April: Find out which sororities have chapters on campus. Also, make a list/spreadsheet of sorority alumni who can write recommendations for your daughter. ***ALSO, make sure your daughter cleans up her social media…no alcohol or extreme photos.***
March-May: watch the university’s Panhellenic website to find out when registration is. At most southern universities, you can register for fall rush starting in May.
May-June: Your daughter can contact sorority alumni and ask for recommendations, telling them they will send their resumé soon.
June: create a resumé using the Canva app or another app. Distribute the resumé to the alumni who have agreed to write recommendations. Most sororities want digital recommendations now, so please don’t do old school “rush packets.” If you don’t know what that is, don’t worry about it…you don’t need to know.
July: make sure you have your rush wardrobe, and finish gathering everything for the “rush bag.” For more information on the rush bag, click here.
Late July/August: move her into her dorm and let the magic happen!
I will have posts later in the spring and summer with more information.
Mostly, relax. Don’t let your daughter get nervous about it.
***Over the next few days, I will be re-posting some posts about rush and preparation for it.***
Does someone on your list need an air purifier for a room/dorm? If you know a future college student, this is a great gift. TODAY ONLY, get 70% off (MAKING THE PRICE JUST ABOUT $50 instead of $165, while supplies last. ***DISCOUNT WILL REFLECT AT CHECKOUT*** Get this air purifier using my link: https://amzn.to/3QOthgI (If discount doesn’t reflect at check out, use PROMO CODE: 7035CVJC)
***As an Amazon associate, I receive commissions on items purchased through my links.***
Kelly's Favorite Things 