Tag / blender

by Kelly Mattei

Holiday Gifts for College Students 2023

Holiday Gifts for College Students 2023.

We have a college student in our family, and she’s pretty easy to buy for at holiday season, mostly because she sends me a list of what she wants/needs. If you have a college student on your Christmas list, you can likely make him/her happy with some of the gifts listed below:

  • Jewelry Stand. College students need items to help keep those tiny rooms organized. A jewelry stand that helps organize necklaces, bracelets, and watches? They can all use it! Get it here. It comes in several colors. For rings? Get the hand-shaped ring holder here. It also comes in several colors.

  • Bronax Cloud Slides. College students like easy-to-use, comfy footwear. Fifteen colors! Slip on. Slip off. Get it here.

  • Samsonite Freeform Spinner Carry-on. I have mentioned this one before in another category (Travel Gifts), but every college student needs a good piece of luggage. They take weekend trips. They go home occasionally. Make it easy for them. Voted “Best Overall Spinner Carry-on” by Travel and Leisure Magazine, the Samsonite spinner is durable, nice looking, and inexpensive. It comes in lots of colors, so you can pick one that’s not just like everyone else’s, making it easy to identify in the overhead bin or in the jetway. Get it here.
  • Travel Bag with Trolley Sleeve. Also mentioned in my Travel Gifts piece. Since I listed the spinner luggage, I’m telling you about a companion piece…a travel bag with a trolley sleeve that sits atop the spinner and doesn’t fall, thanks to the sleeve that goes around the handle of the spinner. I have one, and I love it. Get one for less than $30 here, and pick your color out of several.
  • Hatch Restore 2 Alarm Clock. “No more jarring alarms.” That’s how Hatch markets this product that is a sunrise alarm clock. It’s supposed to support circadian rhythms. Sounds awesome to me! Any college student will love it! It also acts as a sound machine and helps lull the recipient to sleep; that’s what it says! The recipient can also sign up for a Hatch membership that offers meditations, sleep stories, and curated wind-down channels, if desired. This special clock is not cheap, but it gets fantastic reviews. Priced at $199. Get it here.

  • Lap Desk. There’s not much space in dorm rooms or college apartments, so a lap desk comes in handy. College students have been using them for decades; I even used one way back when I was in school! Now, they are new and improved, of course. The best I have found is from LapGear, and it’s priced right at under $40. See it here.

  • Portable Safe/Lock Box. College students get lots of visitors in dorms and apartments. If they have valuables they want to keep secure, this portable safe/lockbox can be a great gift! Even if they just want to lock up their cash or jewelry, this is perfect. With the included cable, they can attach it to a fixed object…like the closet hanging bar. It has a combination lock. Purchase here.

  • Lifestraw Products. I am a big believer in Lifestraw Products. They offer a variety of water-filtering products, including water bottles and pitchers that are great for college students. I have one of the water bottles I purchased when I traveled to Panamá earlier this year, and I love it. See all Lifestraw products here. See their latest filtering water bottles here. And if your college student likes to carry a favorite water cup/bottle, you can get them them the Lifestraw filtering water pitcher for filling the favorite cup/bottles here. Highly recommend.

  • Ugg Slippers. In winter, college students want to stay cozy, and dorm/apartment floors can be cold. My daughter loves her Ugg Coquette slippers. In fact, she likely wears them outside the dorm on occasion. See the women’s Coquette slipper here. Men seem to be a little more picky about their slippers. See the Ugg selection of men’s slippers here.

  • Nestl Reading Pillow. This goes hand-in-hand with the lapdesk we posted above. If they’re going to sit in bed to read or study, they’ll need a good reading pillow. This one gets great reviews. Purchase here.

  • Ninja Portable Blender. College students don’t want appliances that take up a lot of space. Their space is limited, so a portable blender is perfect for those days they want to make a smoothie! I hate seeing coffee shop charges on my credit card, so I told our daughter to get recipes for her favorite smoothies or coffee drinks. The Ninja portable blender is great. My husband uses one regularly. Get it here.
  • Portable Speaker. College students like their tunes. My daughter loves her JBL Flip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker. She uses it all the time. Priced at about $90, it provides a big bang for the buck. Everyone knows JBL quality is great. Get it here.

  • Board Games. Sounds silly, I know, but college students love distractions, and they especially love distractions that involve their friends. Yes, people still play board games…especially young people. Some of the old greats are still great. Yahtzee? Click here. Operation? Click here. Uno? Click here. Sorry? Click here. Pictionary? Click here. Scattergories (my personal fave)? Click here.

  • Basketball. Basketball hoops are everywhere on and near college campuses. However, if you don’t have a basketball, it’s a little difficult to start a pick-up game. Give the gift of fun and friendship: a basketball. Get it at Amazon here.

  • Bliss Lights Skylite Projector. College students are under a lot of stress, so they love anything that helps them relax. The Bliss Lights Skylite Projector will do just that! Get it at Amazon here.

  • Jonathan Adler Lollipop Holder. It’s gimmicky. It’s silly. However, friends will think it’s hilarious when they visit your college student, and they’ll love knowing they can grab a lollipop any time! We keep our daughter’s stocked with Tootsie Pops. Get it here.

  • Taco Tuesday Essentials. College students living in apartments love to host friends for Taco Tuesday. Amazon has lots of fun stuff just for that! Your college student will be the host with the most! See a great Taco Tuesday set here. It serves four, but you can purchase more pieces at the link.

Hoping you found some great ideas for the college student on your list. We will likely publish another list for college students in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Happy Holiday Shopping!

by Kelly Mattei

Get Dorm Stuff on Prime Days

Get dorm stuff on Prime Days, July 11 and 12…deals available to Amazon Prime members! ****Keep checking back, as I will be adding items to this list today and tomorrow!****

You can see dorm essential deals on Amazon Prime Days here. Simply scroll through the pages at the link and pick up what you need at Prime Day discount prices…today and tomorrow only! See below for some of the deals, but click the above link for all the dorm essentials. Here are some great deals:

  • Garbage can. Your dorm room might not provide it. We had to provide it for our daughter’s room in Tutwiler Hall at a Alabama this past year. For a deal, click here.
  • Vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. You student might need a vacuum cleaner and/or air purifier in a dorm or an apartment. Our daughter had a Dyson vacuum cleaner; see the Dyson vacuum and air purifier deals…up to 51% off…deals here. See the Bissell…up to 36% off… deals here. There are also deals from Shark here.
  • Yeti Coolers and Drinkware. Get some great Prime deals on Yeti products here!
  • Bose headphones and speakers. Amazon Prime has some great Prime Day deals on Fantastic Bose products…up to 40% off! This is a big deal! See them here.
  • Vitamix Blenders. I never see these on sale, but for Prime Days, you can get up to 40% off the legendary Vitamix Blenders here.
  • Amazon Fire TV. It’s a great time to purchase an Amazon Fire TV! Some are 38% off! See them here. And their smart TVs at up to 41% off here.
  • Keurig coffeemakers. You have to love seeing these on sale! One cup or multi-cup…get them on Prime Day here.
  • Ergonomic Chair by Sihoo. I have one of these, and I think they’d be great in a dorm room. They promote good posture and take some pressure off your lower back. At prices up to 49% off, they’re a Prime deal. See them here.
  • Sleepyhead Mattress Topper. These rarely go on sale, and Sleepyhead is the gold standard in mattress toppers. See the deals (20% off!) on gel toppers here and copper toppers also 20% off here.
  • Towels. There are lots of Prime Day deals on various towels, which your student will definitely need in the dorm. See them here.
  • First Aid Kit. Your students needs a handy first aid kit in the dorm room. See options in Prime Deals here.
  • Rugs. There are some great deals on rugs here.
  • Desk lamps. Check Prime Day deals on desk lamps here. There are lots of deals to be had!
  • Folding chair/convertible chaise lounge/cot. It’s great to have one of these in dorm rooms. My daughter had lots of friends visit from other schools. Get one here.
  • Shower curtain. Don’t forget they might need a shower curtain, if they have a private shower! Amazon Prime deals here.
  • Swiffer duster. Just get it. College dorms are full of dust bunnies. Encourage your child to dust his/her room at least once a week. It’s easy with Swiffer. Get it here.
  • Upright Steamer. If your daughter is going to college in the south, she will definitely use a steamer. Participating in recruitment? She will use it throughout the process. She’ll also use it regularly on dresses/pants/tops for game days and parties. I recommend a great upright steamer for several reasons: ease of use, usually higher wattage, freestanding, and it’s too easy for someone to take a handheld steamer out of your room. The Rowenta I recommend is a great steamer, and it’s a great deal on Prime Days! See it here. Or see other Prime Day deals on steamers here.
  • Martha Stewart Cookware. Is your child moving into an apartment? They’ll need basic pots and pans. This Martha Stewart brand set is a bargain on Prime Days! Click here!
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder Lamps. If your student suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder, get prepared with Happy Lights from Verilux. Lots of deals on Prime Days here.

Get busy shopping for those Prime Day deals…available to Amazon Prime members!

by Kelly Mattei

Last Call for High School Graduation Gifts

Last call for high school graduation gifts.

Graduation ceremonies are happening…or at the very least, they are just around the corner. I have listed some graduation gifts in the last few months in some previous posts, but just in case you missed them, I’m sharing the pieces again. Check out the links here:

  • High School Graduation Gifts for 2023, click here for the first graduation gifts I suggested this year. They are in all different price ranges, and I highly recommend them.
  • More High School Graduation Gifts. For a few more suggestions, and some that are unusual, click here.
  • More High School Graduation Gifts (and these are good!) To see my last list of graduation gifts for this year, click here
  • Hulken bags. I had to list these separately in different posts over the last few weeks, because I believe these are some of the best gifts ever. My college-age daughter has one, and I have one, and we find lots of great uses for them: retail returns, bringing stuff in from the car, even laundry at college! These big bags on wheels are lightweight and easy to use! Seriously, the graduate in your life needs this bag. Pick a color. I highly recommend the more manageable size Medium. To purchase, click here.

.I’m hoping you found some fun ideas in my lists. And remember, if you have an Amazon Prime Membership, most items ship for free! Happy Shopping!