BackToSchool 2019 : Off To College Gear
Hey, the kids are gone :-)
Ah, Fall.
Autumn, to use its proper name.
A special, special time of year…when kids go back to school. Yesssssss!
If you are one of the “lucky” parents, your kids are heading off to college. Oh you empty-nesters, I’m sure some of you are so moderately sad as the empty welcome silence fills your home. A tear runs does not run down your cheek as you remember all those arguments about dear gawd just put your dirty socks in the hamper think about what to do with all that extra space.
This assembled collection should help get some ideas flowing 🙂
Digital Photo Frame : Skylight
To remind yourself of what the kids look like, set up a Skylight digital photo frame, preferably in their now-empty-but-sock-free room.
The Skylight has its own email address, so your collegians can send snaps directly to it, eliminating the need to actually speak to you.
- Super easy 1-minute setup;
- Touch screen display;
- Direct-to-it Email; and
- Choice of hanging it on the wall or placing on a table (etc.).
You could also send one off with your kids so they can see how much fun their parents are having now that they don’t have pick you up after soccer practice.
Like turning your sock-free empty bedroom into a home office.
Widescreen Monitor : Dell E2318HN
Know what would be perfect for a home office? A 23″ LED monitor with superb screen clarity, like the E2318HN from Dell. It has:
- 1920×1080 Full HD size;
- 178° viewing angle;
- Front panel controls; and
- VGA and HDMI conductibility.
Portable Power : ChargeHub HOMEBASE
An empty bedroom home office is a great place to charge all your gadgets, but when you have to step out it is helpful to bring some backup power. The ChargeHub HomeBase comes with four portable 4000 mAh power banks. Each power bank has a durable aluminum case. Just grab one and go! To a grown-up movie, say. Just a suggestion.
Smartphone : Samsung S10+
There are a lot of “good” smartphones in the market, but according to Gizmodo, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ may be the “best” of the lot! If you want to freak out your kids about how you are, actually, the cool mom/dad, get yourself one of these. This smartphone has:
- A virtually frameless Cinematic Infinity Display;
- Ultrasonic fingerprint ID;
- Wireless PowerShare;
- A multi-perspective Epic Shot camera; and
- An all-day intelligent battery.
Home gym: Devebor Balance Trainer
A home office is great to have in that post-child-high-school-graduation room, but nobody says you can’t add some home gym gear to it and make the space do double duty.
A balance trainer is an excellent way to enhance many workouts (because it’s hard to do anything standing on one of these). The Devebor Balance Trainer tops our the list because of the quality of materials, the design, and the price.
Workout Trackers: Matrix X and Fitbit Versa
PowerWatches do not need conventional charging as long as they are worn. The Matrix X is perfect for tracking metrics like calories burned, steps taken, and sleep patterns. This thing works pretty well as a watch too 🙂
Jump-start your workout with the Fitbit Versa. Stay on top of your progress with a tracker that automatically tracks activities, distances, location, and heart rate. While it is not body-heat powered like the Matrix X, the Versa will last almost a week on a charge.
Miscellaneous:
The items below are not meant for the now-empty (sniff!) room in your house. They are meant for when you are out and about, missing enjoying your little tyke freedom. Of course, how far “outside” is open for discussion…
Perhaps relaxing on the now-quiet back deck with a drink is just what the doctor ordered. Add some mood lighting and background music with this portable speaker to the mix and who knows what might happen…
Hiking and camping are things many of us used to do. For those with time on their hands, dusting off the decades-old camping gear and getting back out there could be a great idea. However, just know that your, trail instincts, may be a bit rusty. May we suggest bringing a little tech along to make sure that base camp is always locatable? Just a thought 🙂 BTW, this is suppose to be an amazing year for the Fall foliage!
This adapter is useful for attaching a smartphone camera to optics such as binoculars, spotting scopes, and telescopes. Why would you want one? Well, who is going to believe that you spotted “Big Foot” on your birding trip if you didn’t bring back some decent pics???
Amazon links to items mentioned:
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