From CB: Of course I’ve ordered a lot of presents recently. I can’t reveal what I got my mom since she reads these (mom I still want the headband headphones), but my son never does so I’ll admit to some of the things I got him. Here are some last minute gifts to consider from Hecate and me. We’re publishing this a day early this week so you can get your shopping in. As of publication early morning Wednesday, these products should arrive before Christmas if you’re ordering from the US. Just double check each listing. We’re taking a couple of weeks off Amazon posts and will be back with more in January!

A tire inflator and a tire repair kit

From CB: We don’t have an automatic tire inflator at our house so I usually go to the gas station where they have a free machine (it’s Sheetz in my area). Their pump doesn’t always work and sometimes you have to wait in line. Inflating my tires at home would be so much easier. I got this digital air compressor for my son for Christmas along with this tire repair kit (5,200 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot). The air compressor has 1,900 ratings, 4.3 stars and a B on Fakespot. It’s affordable at under $30! Reviewers say it’s really helped them in a bind. “After passing like 3 people in a week on the side of the road with flat tires, I finally just said screw it and bought this and a tire repair kit. I bought it December 8th, 2019. I used it for the first time on December 20th. I pumped up a coworkers flat tire so she could get home. It fits snugly in the top of the tool box in my car, and it has multiple attachments. It’s great. Highly recommend.” “I have been keeping this air compressor in my truck for the past several weeks because I seem to have a slow leak in my passenger side front tire. I like the digital display because it can read the current tire pressure measurement. On top of that, you can set the amount of pressure you want and just let it do its job. The device will stop automatically once it has reach the pressure that you set. ”

Fake product boxes to make Christmas fun

There are so many of these prank boxes I don’t know where to start. My mom and I were on the phone looking through them and laughing so hard. I only bought two because they’re not cheap at almost $8 each, but hopefully they’ll bring enough joy to be worth it. Please check the dimensions because they’re shorter than I imagined but they seem to be good quality. I’m sure they’ll be a hit. I got the Roto Wipe and the ReNoodle. Other hilarious versions include Toilet Tunes, Scrap ‘n Snacks Compost Press and Visor-ganizer the visor organizer. They’re ridiculous but we’ve all seen products like this. These have 613 ratings, 4.8 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say they’re hilarious and that some recipients were even disappointed the products weren’t real! “My recipient was not sure what to think because it looks just like a real product. Upon further inspection, he gradually realized it was a prank. But it was SO MUCH FUN to watch him study the box in confusion as he had to decide whether or not it was a real or not!” “This was hilarious! This box fooled not only the gift recipient, but also all the gullible adults who were there. So funny, everyone roared with laughter. ” Oh and don’t sleep on the baby-themed prank boxes like My First Fire, Baby Shield and Birthie Stick.

A compact portable light to help treat seasonal affective disorder

In the comments for our latest podcast, where I admitted that I’ve been going to a tanning booth for my mood, BeanieBean recommended that I get a SAD light. This should have occurred to me! I had one years ago but I got rid of it when I moved because it was huge. Instead I ordered this little portable light by Verilux. I’ve only used it for two days but it has been great and seems to be making me feel better. It does get hot after about half an hour but you’re only supposed to use it for an hour a day. It’s on sale now for under $30 and has over 6,400 ratings, 4.5 stars and an A on Fakespot. I chose this over more expensive models as it seems to be more reliable. Users say it really does help improve their mood. “Purchased this light for my 84 year old mother. She does not get out much and during winter we do not see the sun very much. What a difference this light has made in her disposition! We could tell a difference in the first day. After two days she was smiling, had much more energy, her attitude was better as was her mind function.” “I turn it on for ~15-30mins when I first get to work, and it sits less than 3 feet away from my face, on my desk (see pix). After using it three days, I am more accustomed to the brightness, and I am observing noticeable differences in how awake I feel.”

Escape room board and card games for your holiday get togethers

While at my parents’ house this summer, we spent two different afternoons at an escape room place. It was fun but expensive at over $100 a visit for three people! There are so many at-home escape room games to consider based on your audience and age. All of the escape games recommended here have a B on Fakespot and over 4.4 stars. I’ve purchased the intermediate hard card game from Kosmos called Exit: The Abandoned Cabin (1-4 players, ages 12+) and the more traditional escape room board game from Think Fun called Escape The Room: The Cursed Doll House (1-4 players, ages 13+). I can’t vouch for them yet but I’m excited to play them with family over Christmas. The easier/beginner options in those two listings are Exit: The House of Riddles (1-4 players, ages 13+) and Stargazer’s Manor (3-8 players, aged 10+). Reviews for the Kosmos card games emphasize how much fun they are. “My husband and I used to regularly go to escape rooms before the pandemic hit. Since our local escape rooms were closed down due to COVID, we were looking for something to do instead. And, I came across these games. We absolutely love them! We find them just challenging enough to keep us thinking but no so weird or out there that you’re left thinking ‘No one would have ever gotten that!’” Think Fun reviewers loved the immersive experience. “We tried the Cursed Dollhouse game and really loved it. At first, I balked at the extra price, but now I understand why it’s pricier… t’s an actual buildable dollhouse, and you explore rooms and discover clues one room at a time. There are a lot of props, too, which adds to your set of clues and to the experience.”

A portable turntable that also works as a bluetooth speaker

From Hecate: We love our turntable. There are much fancier ones out there but if you want something fun, this little suitcase Victorola is a great little gift for the music lover in your world. Especially if they’re a college student or just got a new apartment. It’s not only functional, it’s cute too! It’s on sale for under $50 and it’s portable. The model comes in over 35 colors. But select carefully, not all will get to you before Christmas. Victorola is a pretty reliable brand for audio. It’s got 4.5 stars from over 47,000 reviews with a B from Fakespot. Reviewers loved the look and sound, “ I love it the sound quality is pretty good to my standards”. They also liked how compact it was, “This particular players is very light weight. I was surprised how light it was. I was also surprised how small it was too. I can be carried like a suitcase.” With vinyl back so strong, this would be a great addition to anyone’s vinyl starter kit.

A gender neutral initial necklace would make a thoughtful gift

From Hecate: This is a fun idea if you need a last minute gift but don’t want it to look like a last minute gift. It’s a $13 initial necklace in 18” or 22” chain length. There’s a customizable option too but let’s face it, ‘customizable’ and ‘last minute’ don’t go together in the same sentence, so if you want this in time for Christmas, stick with what’s offered. The necklace is “gold” but for that price, I think we can all accept it’s not real gold. However, a lot of the folk in the comments said it looked just as good as the ones in the big name stores, “This necklace is a great dupe for the more expensive necklace at Nordstrom. It is a little more “yellow” than I expected but it seems to be good quality.” Plus it’s gotten over 3,500 reviews and earned 4.6 stars that ReviewMeta confirmed. People who bought it said the bold pendant is good on its own or works with other pieces, “it looks identical to name brands & it’s great for stacking!” I could see that. It’s listed as a ladies necklace but it’s really more of a gender neutral design. I could give this to either of my kids. And it comes with a little case, so you can make it a stocking stuffer as well.

A fun twist on Pictionary you’ll want to play with the whole family

From Hecate: I always like when someone gets a game for Christmas because then we have something to play during the lull after presents. This game, Telestrations, is an absolute blast. It’s a combination of the game Telephone and Pictionary that gets more fun the more people that play it. My brother brought it to my folks house over the summer and we were laughing so hard, I was sore afterwards. Amazon said they can still rush you one out for Christmas for $29. I promise you, if you are looking at any dinner parties with close friends in 2022, add this to your game closet. Or give it to your game loving friends. After all, it has 4.8 stars from over 8,500 reviews and an A on Fakespot. People who bought it agree that it’s a great family game, “You want bonding and laughter, this is it!!! Great family and party game! Everyone had tears running down their faces from laughing.” And, it’s a great way to avoid holiday arguments, “I bought this game for Christmas and it was a huge hit! No fighting! No winners or losers, just rip roaring fun”. My two tips: 1) it is better with more people, even though you can play with only a few. 2) Invest in extra dry erase markers because theirs dry out quickly and you end up sharing, which takes forever.

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