With the year coming to an end, I have had some time to reflect on my favorite purchases that have left their mark in our home, or become one of my go to’s for trips. Check them out — and let me know what you think!
Amazon in general has been an absolute life saver for me while living in Germany – Shopping on Amazon has allowed me the peace of mind I need to find the exact product I’m looking for, so take some time and browse the current Amazon Deals, you never know what you might find!
1. Anker Portable Charger(s) – Anker is a name I’ve come to trust. I have a few portable chargers, and my main picks are all Ankers. They vary in physical size, and juice. This specific one is larger, but fits at the bottom on my backpack, and can quickly charge up to three devices simultaneously. For example I’ve charged my iPhone, DJI pocket camera, and iPad with ease. It’s also super helpful on a hot summer day when you’re on a beach, since you can plug in a USB fan. Trust me, I’ve done it! 😉
2. International Adapter – For the 6th year in a row, this adapter is my most recommended item for anyone planning a trip anywhere. I’ve even gifted a few!
3. 4TB Toshiba External Hard Drive – While you might think your computer is good, or maybe that you have the cloud, this little device is amazing. You can set it up when you get it to be compatible for Macs AND PC. That way no matter what, you can safely backup your most important files, images and videos. This is especially helpful if you do any type of video editing, as your raw videos and working files take up a ton of room.
4. Osprey Porter 30L Bag – Full disclosure, I still use my 2017 edition, but the updates Osprey has done to this bag are only for the better. With that said, the reasons I swear by this bag are: it fits perfectly under budget airline seats (no extra fees), it’s comfortable (take it from someone who has literally back packed Europe with this bag), and it opens from the top fully like a suitcase which makes keeping your bag organized super easy and convenient. Plus 6 years with this bag, and it’s still in great shape!
5. DJI Pocket 2 – This little camera is a beast. It’s so handy and takes up little to no space. It’s especially helpful when it comes to videos.
6. DJI Air 2S Drone Bundle – To keep it simple, this drone has obstacle avoidance, and has awesome video quality.
7. Pop Up Canopy – This little tent has saved me from scorching hot summer days, and spring showers over and over again.
8. 23andMe Ancestry DNA – Both of my parents and I did this earlier in the year, and we learned a lot about our backgrounds from it. This Christmas I bought one for AJ and we can’t wait to see what his results show! My suggestion for you is to always wait for when it goes on sale, because it does a few times a year.
9. Cast Iron Dutch Oven – This can be used for everything from stews to my favorite, baking fresh sour dough bread!
10. Garmin Forerunner 45 – I have made it a goal to try and be more active, since a lot of what I do is sedimentary. As much as I loved my apple watch, when the screen finally shattered, I took the time to do some research, and I determined that this specific Garmin had everything I was looking for — Steps, time, and notifications (but no reply option, which for me was great because I could see if I should grab my phone, but still stay focused without the pressure of having to stop what I was doing to reply). What finally won me over though was that the battery lasts wayyy longer than my apple watch – I’m talking at least a week.
11. Kindle Paperwhite – Whether you’re running low on space, or just need an option that allows you to take your book(s) along with you wherever you’re heading – this is the way to go! Again the battery lasts forever (at least a month I’ve noticed) and it’s very compact. The beauty of the Paperwhite is that you can easily purchase Kindle versions of books on Amazon and download them directly to your Paperwhite. You can also adjust the light and font size to make the reading experience custom to your liking!
Now this list can go on and on, believe me, the amount of Amazon boxes I get is crazy, but I figured the main items I use regularly would be more than enough for you to browse through. BUT if there is anything that you’re on the fence about purchasing, feel free to reach out and I’ll either have a review for you or can get you some insight so you can make the purchase that is right for you!