Omar’s Holiday Picks 2020
It’s that time of year again! I’m happy to bring you a bunch of ideas for Holiday 2020. Last year’s list is still a good place to go for some ideas. I will often carry over a few ideas from year to year.
I didn’t include any Apple or Microsoft products this year. Honestly, you know what they are, if you need a new Homepod, iPhone, AirPods, Surface, XBox you probably already purchased them.
Eve Light Strip
Philips Hue lights have been the only game in town for a while, but Eve recently released these great LED light strips. They don’t require a hub (a plus) and they support the new adaptive light feature where the LED color changes to match the time of day.
Dyson Lightcycle desk task light
Back in March,I purchased this desk lamp for my home office. It’s possibly the best thing that I have on my desk at home. It’s a fantastic light with a hefty price tag. But it exudes quality and technology to impress.
DJI Mini 2
I recently purchased this drone to replace my Mini. This thing is incredible. My 4th drone and I’m so impressed with how far technology has come. This drone is so small and compact. It’s very travel friendly. New in the Mini 2 has 4k support and RAW photo support as well as the latest DJI controller. They have really knocked it out of the park.
Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds
It would not be an annual holiday pick if I didn’t have some noise cancelling headphones. Bose recently came out with wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds. For non long haul trips these will be a great bridge between the Apple AirPort Pros and the traditional Bose
The noise cancellation and battery life on these is an improvement over AirPods. They come in a pretty large case that charges wirelessly and via USB-C.
Buy Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Bose Sleepbuds II
The first generation of these had major battery and charging issues, which is a shame as they are a great product for falling asleep in a noisy environment or just relaxing with white noise. They are TINY. Bose just released the second generation and I’m happy to be using these again.
I use these when traveling and instead of earplugs to sleep on planes and when avoiding snoring.
DJI Pocket 2
This is an upgrade to the original Pocket. It’s essentially a handheld drone. Easy to pack and travel with and produces super smooth video.
The Hells Canyon Knife
I love James Brand, and continue to purchase their products. Their latest Hell’s Canyon makes for a compact travel-friendly chef’s knife.
Grovemade stuff
I LOVE the stuff these folks make.
Nintendo Game & Watch
If you can find one I recommend one of these classic Nintendo games. I grew up playing Super Mario Bros and Donkey Kong on these.
Cards Against Humanity - for Families
Our family has really enjoyed playing Cards Against Humanity - Family Edition
Clothing
Begg & Co Wispy Scarf
This scarf was on my gift list last year and remains due to its incredible packability and warmth.
Northwest Knitting Company
Literally, anything they make is amazing. I have a number of their items and I pretty much work from home in them.
Etsy Calendars
These beautiful hand made desk calendars bring me joy. Each month has a small Easter egg to discover. The artist makes terrific cards and other items and is Seattle based.
Holiday Themed
Etsy Calendars - These beautiful hand made desk calendars bring me joy. Each month has a small Easter egg to discover. The artist makes terrific cards and other items and is Seattle based.
SWAROVSKI Annual Edition Ornament 2020
Every year I purchase this ornament. We’ve done this since 2009. It makes for a nice gift.
Steinbach Nutcracker
A few years ago I purchased some real german nutcrackers in Berlin and then again in Munich. These are the real deal and I love the Chubby versions - they are very cute and come in many themes.
Buy Chubby Steinbach Nutcracker
For Working from Home
Blue Yeti X Professional
This is an awesome mic. I’ve been using one of these since March. I also suggest getting a boom for it.
Elgato Stream Deck Mini
It’s super fun to program the Stream Deck with shortcuts for various things on the PC. It comes in 3 sizes. I like the mini. My main use case is controlling the Elgato Key Light.
Elgato Key Light & Key Light Air
The Elgato Key Light is an EXCELLENT light for your home office. Lighting is the #1 thing you can do to improve your Zoom/Teams meetings.
Buy Elgato Key Light or the smaller Elgato Key Light Air
For Coffee Lovers
Ode Grinder
The new Ode Brewer is so great. I have one and it’s easily my favorite grinder for grinding beans for coffee (not espresso). Fellows makes really wonderful coffee products. I rely on their pour over kettle every day.
Fellow Carter Everywhere Mug
I started to use this as my every day at home mug. It keeps coffee warm for hours and it’s in a form factor that is nice to hold and cary around the house - it’s also dishwasher safe.
Chargers
Each year these get better, faster,and smaller. These always make for good stocking stuffers.
AUKEY Omnia 65W 2-Port Fast Charger
This Aukey Dual 65W Charger is amazing and tiny.
AUKEY Omnia Mini 20W Charger
This charger is TINY TINY