73 picks, newest first. Each one has the link and why I picked it.
MAONO PD300X: studio sound over USB
MAONO PD300X dynamic microphone, XLR and USB
A dynamic mic that plugs straight into USB, no interface needed, and still has XLR for later.
See it →The projector behind a lot of family memories
Portable projector (see the listing for the current model name)
Movie night on the wall, in the yard, in a hotel room. It has gone everywhere with us.
See it →LeapFrog Little Office Learning Center
LeapFrog Little Office Learning Center, green
A pretend office for a little kid: keyboard, phone, calendar, and it talks. My video shows the best way to use it.
See it →Sherpa-lined bomber for tricky weather
Mega Tshop men's knit fleece bomber jacket, sherpa lined, snap buttons
Warm enough for a cold morning, not so warm you sweat by noon.
See it →Lightweight golf jacket for fall and spring
Mega Tshop men's brushed zip-up golf jacket, lightweight stretch
Thin, stretchy, zips up. The in-between-seasons jacket.
See it →Go-to fall fleece jacket
Mega Tshop men's full-zip stand-collar fleece jacket with pockets
The plain full-zip fleece with a collar and real pockets.
See it →Turn a laptop into three screens
16-inch 1200P triple portable monitor laptop screen extender
Two extra screens that clip onto the laptop and fold flat. My most-watched video for a reason.
See it →Streonor S15 stream deck
Streonor S15 15-key LCD stream controller, black or white
Fifteen little screens you program to do anything. The video shows what I run on mine.
See it →FIT KING compression boots: my recovery go-to
FIT KING cordless air compression leg recovery system, medium
Air compression boots for sore legs. Cordless, so you can wear them on the couch.
See it →See how fast your devices are charging in the car
105W 3-port USB-C car charger with digital display
Three ports, 105 watts, and a little screen that shows the watts going out. You learn which cable is bad fast.
See it →The coffee mat that makes me look organized
Silicone coffee mat, 24 x 16 with tray, deep sea blue
A big silicone mat under the espresso machine. Spills stop at the edge and the counter stays clean.
See it →Soft cotton-blend tee
Cotton blend short sleeve t-shirt for men
Soft, holds up, works under a jacket or on its own. Yup.
See it →Synnov 15.6-inch screen extender
Synnov 15.6-inch 1080P triple monitor laptop screen extender
The other screen extender I use. Plug in and go.
See it →Quiet fidget toys for focus
Silicone thumb rocker fidget toys, quiet for classroom
A fidget that makes no noise. That is the whole point if a kid needs one at a desk.
See it →Liquid cleaner wax vs paste
Car liquid cleaner wax, 10.58 oz
Cleans and waxes in one pass. Faster than paste. The video shows the before and after.
See it →This speaker hits hard for the size
BassBloom Roar 3 portable Bluetooth speaker, 20W, IPX6, 24 hours
A small waterproof speaker with real bass. Pool, yard, classroom.
See it →
Math for my first grader
Spectrum Math Workbook, Grade 1 (Carson Dellosa)
The workbook I decided on when my first grader's school stopped sending one home.
See it →Why I have 32 OneOdio A71s
OneOdio A71 wired over-ear studio headphones
The wired headphones I buy for a whole classroom. Cheap, tough, and one feature wins.
See it →OneOdio Pro 10
OneOdio Pro 10 over-ear wired DJ monitor headphones
The step-up OneOdio. Bigger drivers, same shared-jack trick.
See it →100% cotton tee that gets softer
Mega Tshop 100% cotton short sleeve t-shirt, regular fit
A plain cotton tee that gets better after a few washes instead of worse.
See it →Color-block tee for any outfit
Mega Tshop men's cotton short sleeve color block graphic tee
A tee with a little design that still goes with everything.
See it →Instant Pot Duo Crisp for busy parents
Instant Pot Duo Crisp 8 qt, pressure cooker and air fryer
Pressure cooker and air fryer in one pot. The time saver in my video is the steamer basket trick.
See it →Instant Pot mesh steamer basket
Instant Pot official stainless mesh steamer basket set
The cheap add-on that makes the Instant Pot twice as useful.
See it →Bluetooth headset with a busy light
Wireless Bluetooth 5.4 headset with mic and Qualcomm dongle
A light on the headset that tells the family you're on a call. Genius.
See it →Scarlett 2i2: seven years in
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB audio interface
The interface I have recorded voice and piano through for seven years. The video is the tips I wish I had on day one.
See it →Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen USB-C audio interface
The newer version of the interface I use. Auto gain and USB-C are the real upgrades.
See it →Breville Bambino: coffee fast, then save the world
Breville Bambino espresso machine, brushed stainless
Heats up in three seconds. Real espresso before school. Two videos on the listing.
See it →Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Breville BCG820BSS Smart Grinder Pro
The grinder that makes the Bambino work. Sixty settings, and you only need to find one.
See it →POWRUI outlet extender with night light
POWRUI 6-outlet wall extender, 3 USB ports, sensor night light
Six outlets and three USB ports from one wall plug, with a night light that turns itself on.
See it →POWRUI 6-outlet surge protector
POWRUI 6-outlet extender, 2 USB-A ports, night light
Same POWRUI extender with two USB-A ports instead of three. Usually a bit cheaper.
See it →Best all-in-one beard and hair trimmer?
Philips Norelco All-in-One 3000, 13-in-1 trimmer
One trimmer for beard, hair, and the rest. The 13-in-1 is the one I'd start with.
See it →Philips Norelco 9000, 23-in-1
Philips Norelco All-in-One 9000, 23-in-1 trimmer, steel
The top of the line in my trimmer video. Steel, every attachment, more than most people need.
See it →Philips Norelco Hair Clipper 3000
Philips Norelco Hair Clipper 3000, 13 length settings
Just a hair clipper. If you only cut hair at home, this is cheaper than the all-in-one.
See it →Philips Multigroom 20-piece set
Philips Multigroom all-in-one trimmer, 20 pieces, storage pouch
The middle option in my trimmer video. Comes with a pouch, which matters more than it sounds.
See it →Play-Doh Drill 'n Fill dentist
Play-Doh Drill 'n Fill Dentist toy, ages 3+
The dentist set. Gross in the way a four-year-old loves.
See it →Posca paint markers
Uni Posca 5M medium acrylic paint markers
Paint markers that work on paper, rocks, wood, and sneakers. The art-kid gift.
See it →Holbein gouache set
Holbein Artists' Gouache, set of 12, 5 ml
Real artist paint for a kid who has outgrown the washable stuff.
See it →Retrospec Rift longboard
Retrospec Rift drop-through longboard, Canadian maple
A cruising longboard for a teen who wants to ride, not do tricks.
See it →22-inch mini cruiser skateboard
22-inch mini cruiser retro skateboard
The little plastic cruiser. First board for a six- to ten-year-old.
See it →WhiteFang complete skateboard
WhiteFang complete skateboard, 31 x 7.88, 7-ply maple
A real double-kick skateboard for a kid who wants to learn tricks.
See it →Prime Hydration variety pack
Prime Hydration drink variety pack, 7 bottles
The drink every kid asked for. A variety pack is the gift version.
See it →Prime Hydration Lemonade
PRIME Hydration Lemonade, 12-pack
The lemonade flavor, 12-pack.
See it →Prime Hydration Glowberry
PRIME Hydration Glowberry, 12-pack
The Glowberry flavor, 12-pack.
See it →Wooden chess set
Chess Armory 15-inch wooden chess set with storage
A real wooden chess set that folds up and holds the pieces. The gift that lasts.
See it →Rubik's Cube
Rubik's Cube, the original 3x3
The original. Every kid should get stuck on one once.
See it →Soft-touch soccer ball
Champion Sports Viper soccer ball, sizes 3, 4, 5
A soft training ball that doesn't sting when it hits a little kid.
See it →Clay bead bracelet kit
Gionlion 6000 clay beads friendship bracelet making kit, 24 colors
Six thousand beads and the kids make bracelets for everyone they know.
See it →Bicycle playing cards, 2-pack
Bicycle Rider Back playing cards, red and blue, 2-pack
Real cards. Go Fish at six, Rummy at ten, Poker at sixteen.
See it →JBL Flip 5
JBL Flip 5 waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker
The speaker for a tween. Waterproof, loud, survives being dropped.
See it →UNO
Mattel UNO card game
UNO. The one game the whole family will actually play.
See it →LED strip lights for a kid's room
HEDYNSHINE 300 ft RGB LED strip lights, remote and app
The lights every tween wants around their ceiling. 300 feet covers a big room.
See it →Magnet hooks for the cabin
FINDMAG 10-pack cruise magnetic hooks, 50 lb
Cruise cabin walls are steel. Hooks turn the walls into closet space.
See it →Heavy-duty magnet hooks
Buelkmag 80 lb+ magnetic hooks
The strong ones. For a backpack or a bag of wet towels on the cabin wall.
See it →The lighter magnet hooks
FINDMAG 30 lb magnetic hooks, 10-pack
Good for lanyards, hats, and light stuff. The 50 lb set covers more.
See it →Lanyards for the ship cards
6-pack cruise lanyards with breakaway clasp and card holder
Your Sail & Sign card is your room key and your wallet. Wear it.
See it →Cruise-approved power strip
Non-surge power strip, 2 USB-C, 2 USB-A, 3 outlets
Cabins have almost no outlets. Surge protectors are banned. This is the kind they allow.
See it →Magnetic night light for the cabin
2-pack motion-sensor LED night light, USB rechargeable, magnetic
A cruise cabin with the lights off is pitch black. With two little kids, somebody is getting up at night.
See it →Over-the-door organizer
Amazon Basics 24-pocket mesh hanging shoe organizer
Not for shoes. Sunscreen, chargers, meds, hair ties, the kids' little things.
See it →Towel bands for the deck chairs
Cruise On towel bands, 4-pack
Keeps your towel on the lounge chair when the wind picks up on deck.
See it →Towel clips
Core Clips heavy-duty beach towel clips for cruise chairs
The other way to hold a towel down. Also handy on the beach in Bermuda.
See it →Wet bag for swimsuits
Bumkins waterproof wet bag
Wet swimsuits go in here, not in the backpack with the phone.
See it →Travel laundry bags
2-pack large waterproof travel laundry bags with handle
Seven nights with kids means a lot of dirty clothes. Keep them separate.
See it →Mesh laundry bags
Mesh laundry bags, 24 x 36, drawstring
The big mesh ones. Good for beach stuff that needs to dry out.
See it →Mineral sunscreen for the family
Thinkbaby SPF 50+ mineral sunscreen, 6 oz
Zinc oxide, water resistant, SPF 50. Bermuda sun is no joke.
See it →Sunscreen stick for the kids' faces
ATTITUDE Kids mineral sunscreen stick, SPF 50, EWG Verified
A stick is the only way to get sunscreen on a six-year-old's nose and ears.
See it →Baby powder for sand
Johnson's cornstarch baby powder with aloe
Old beach trick: powder takes wet sand right off skin before it goes in the bag.
See it →Swim trunks with pockets
Amazon Essentials men's swim trunks, mesh lining, pockets
A second pair means one is always dry. Pockets hold the cruise card.
See it →128GB flash drive
Aiibe 128GB USB flash drive
Bought it the week before the cruise to unload phone photos and videos.
See it →Choose Your Own Adventure books for the kids
Choose Your Own Adventure Jr. (Bubble Town, Your Baby Unicorn, The Lake Monster Mystery)
Sea days are long. Books with choices kept a six-year-old busy on the balcony.
See it →What Should Darla Do?
What Should Darla Do? (The Power to Choose series)
A picture book about choices. Packed it for the four-year-old.
See it →Motion sickness bands
LYJEE acupressure motion sickness wristbands
Cheap insurance for the first night out of Baltimore.
See it →A 10-foot USB-C cable
HOTUTUKI 10 ft USB-A to USB-C 2-in-1 cable
The outlet is never where the bed is. A long cable fixes that in a cabin and a hotel.
See it →Kids' shampoo and body wash
The Honest Company 2-in-1 baby shampoo and body wash, fragrance-free
Carnival cabins have a shampoo and body wash dispenser in the shower. It's basic. The kids got their own.
See it →