Sig On Smith Pullover Aloha Shirt: I collected Aloha shirts and would pick one up during every Hawaiian vacation. During my last visit, I asked a local and Punahou High School's most famous graduate since Barack Obama "what is the absolute best Aloha shirt?" Hands down it was Sig On Smith, which operates only from 12-5 on Fridays on Oahu, but has a larger store in Hilo. They recently opened a website so it's possible to buy online. Unlike most Hawaiian shirts, which are cut for fat American tourists, these shirts are form fitting, old school classics with traditional patterns. $120
Vuori Ponto Performance Pant: I feel like I've been wearing this pair of sweatpants for nine months straight. In fact, I'm wearing them right now as I write this. I read an article in the WSJ the other day about people getting "dressed up" to feel normal. Sorry, I would be happy as a clam if I never again had to wear shoes or button a top button. These pants are obviously ridiculously comfortable and light weight. Door Dash, Netflix and my Ponto pants—all good. $84
Rhone Reign Short Sleeve: When Emperor Newsome allowed gyms to open back up in California, I was quick to sign up for my socially distanced, reservation only workouts. Having been out for so long, I felt it necessary to replace my workout attire with all new digs, new start for the new normal. After exhaustive research, I found the Rhone Reign and ordered three. They're the only workout shirts I'll wear now. Anti-Odor, moisture wicking technology, breathable and soft and supposedly each shirt contains real gold and silver particles–why not? $47
Faherty Reserve Ideal Blazer: If you're like me, and still unwilling to dress up, this is the perfect compromise . It looks nice enough for a formal outing, but is ridiculously comfortable. I've attended a couple nice dinners during the pandemic and rather than wearing one of my nice Isaia blazers, I always picked the Faherty. It's warmer than most blazers and is hands down the most comfortable sport coat on the market. $498
Howler Bros Rodanthe Flannel: While killing time waiting for a table at The Western Cafe, one of my favorite breakfast spots in Bozeman, Montana (think Uncle Bill's for my MB friends), I stumbled into The Montana Supply Company and found this gem of a shirt. It's in-between a flannel and a light jacket & best worn unbuttoned with a white t-shirt. This flannel is light weight, super comfortable (that's the theme this year if you have not figured it out yet) and looks great with a pair of jeans. $66-$89
Allbirds: Keeping with the comfort theme, no company crafts more insanely comfortable wearables than Allbirds. Tree Dashers: I don't run, but this is my go to gym shoe—like wearing a sock. $125 Tree Toppers: Hands down the most comfortable shoe in my closet—also has some crazy Ninja style sole. $115 Trino Tubers: Enough with the Crazy Socks, clean, no marks, warm and can be worn casually or to the office. $16 Trino Sprinters: After getting these, I threw out all my other low cut work out socks—you will do the same. $15 Just buy all of these and your feet will thank you.
XtraTuf 15 IN Alaska Legacy Boot: Rainbows are to Southern California as XtraTufs are to Alaska. After landing in Alaska with my college buddies, our first stop was to get outfitted with XtraTufs at Ketchikan's premier fishing supply store, Murray Pacific Supply. If you're off on a fishing expedition or just want to go jump in puddles with your kids, this Alaskan icon is a must. $145
Shark WANDVAC Cordless Handeld Vacuum: I was on my brother's boat cleaning up after participating in the Christmas Ship Parade of Boats when I ran across this compact, mobile handheld vacuum. Small, but powerful, this handheld vacuum comes in very handy, particularly for cleaning up around litter boxes or for sucking the poison out of a snake bite. Cat or dog hair on the couch, no problem. Maybe not the most exciting gift to give or receive, but this powerful wand will pay dividends throughout the year. $110
The Battery Organizer TBO 1531: Most people fear death, loss of wages, heights, etc. Well, my big fear is not having the right battery at the right time. As such, my house is absurdly stocked with all battery varietals, from the big D's (I like D's), AAA and even key fob batteries. This unit has a nice, clear hinged cover, fits nicely in a drawer, holds 93 batteries and has a removable battery tester. So, if you suffer from battery anxiety, this is the perfect gift for you. $19
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle: If you're sick and tired of worrying about stupid shit like not having enough batteries, then this is the book for you. I actually have an Aaron's Favorite Spiritual Books List, which hovers around sixty, but you'll have to get to know me better before I share it with you. Anyway, this book is meant to elicit a shift in consciousness from the constantly thinking about the past and future and centering yourself in the NOW. Never has any literature been as efficient at effectuating this change —just ask my good friend Oprah. I recommend reading maybe 4-5 pages of this book every morning and spend some time in contemplation. When you finish this book you will be ready to walk to Catalina. $11
Why We Sleep: Like A New Earth, this book has the power to shift your perception of reality–that sleep may actually be more important than diet & exercise, yet it's never given priority. This book will reshuffle your priorities and set you up for some long ZZZZ's. $10 AutoSleep: This Apple IOS App tracks your total deep sleep, time, quality, heart beat and shows your interruptions, which I point out to my wife in the morning since it's always her fault. $0 Apple Watch Series 6: You don't need this if you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or 5, but you will want to upgrade if you have a Series 3 or below. You will need this to track your nightly sleep. $399-$749
Insight Timer: After you full night's rest, read a couple pages of A New Earth and then open up Insight Timer for a good 15 minute meditation. Join Gisele Bundchen or Russel Brand for some guided meditations, take a beginner's course, or simply set a custom mediation with interval bells. Carve out a sliver of your morning for this practice and breeze through the day grounded and light. $0
Gesshin Kagekiyo 240MM Stainless Kiritsuke-Shaped Wa-Gyuto Knife: This all started with an article in the WSJ titled "Why Pay $24,000 for a Kitchen Kife?" This article launched me down a rabbit hole searching for the absolute best kitchen knife; I reached out to my friend who lives in Japan and he gave me a couple options after correcting me, "It's called a sword, not a knife." Ok, so I was looking for the best sword. Unlike him, I don't work for a Hedge Fund and cannot spend $15,000 on a kitchen knife. My wife stumbled upon a cool, Japanese, Los Angeles based knife store and picked this model out for my birthday. The knife is insanely sharp and frankly a little scary, however, this is now the only knife, I mean sword I use in the kitchen. Once you have this bad boy you'll never want to use anything else. Sorry to all my friends' kids selling Cutco, but I'm out. $410
and the legend continues to grow–the best tasting, most refreshing sparking water on the market.$1.22/bottle
RadRunner Plus: The RadRover 5 topped my Favorite Things List last year; this bike does not replace the RadRover, but is rather its companion; yes, this is the wife's e-bike. We gave away all of our beach cruisers and now it's just his and her e-bikes. I like this bike for my wife because it's much smaller and the huge step through makes the bike more manageable. I recommend ordering the "Front-Mounted Basket" for storage and always schedule Velofix for assembly. The only problem with this bike is that it's back ordered until March. $1,699
Apple TV 4K: I finally ditched all of my Roku Ultra's in favor of the Apple TV 4K's. If you have iPhones, iPads and MacBooks, basically, if you're in the Apple ecosystem, this is a no brainer. The 4K HDR picture quality is amazing, the operating system is clean and the 4K screen savers are beautiful; I sometimes find myself just watching the screen savers, whether it's flying over London, Manhattan, Hong Kong of swimming under water with dolphins and jelly fish. Apple TV also has Airplay, so you can stream anything from your iPhone, iPad or MacBook to the screen. Unlike the Roku, Apple also has HBO Max and you can easily pop your AirPods to watch all the football you want without disturbing your wife. $179
Elago R2 Slim Case: My biggest complaints with the Apple remote are the ease of misplacing and the the lack of backlit keys. This cheap and tight fitting rubber case will keep the remote from sliding between the couch and the big rubber chin will help your fingers differentiate the top (trackpad) and bottom when it's dark. I have yet to lose my remote since wrapping all my remotes with these cases and I also can easily tell top from bottom at night. Put on your remote rubber and enjoy. $10
YouTube TV: Now that you have an Apple TV you can ditch all of your Directv and cable boxes with YouTube TV. I have threatened to leave DirecTV for three years, but after rigorous testing, I can finally and definitively say it's time to cut the cord. Seriously, enough, just cut it. I have an account with my entire family, one daughter uses it in New York and the other in Seattle; you can watch it wherever you go. Your viewing grid is completely customizable and you can prioritize networks so you view your favorites first. The only caveat to YouTubeTV is that you must have strong wifi in your house. If you don't, time to upgrade your routers and invest in a good, quality mesh system. $65/Mo.
CharJenPro AirFoams Pro: If you're like me and your AirPods Pros keep falling out, then this is the solution, the AirFoams Pro. These are memory foam ear tips. You don't have to get pink, but I included this picture so you get the picture. Replace your original silicone ear tips with these memory foam tips and you'll notice a huge difference. Remember to pinch the foam first and twist in place; the seal is way better and most important, they won't fall out! $20
All New MacBook Air with M1 Chip: Apple recently released the first laptops with their first chips designed specifically for the Mac. These laptops are a game changer, offering 3.5 to 9 times faster speeds and 18 hours of battery life. This computer also has no fan, but uses thermal technology so no more noise. If you are a power user, you'll want the new MacBook Pro, but if you're a fuzzy like me, this is the best, light weight, portable, and now powerful computer you can buy. $999+
iPhone 12 Pro: Apple's first 5G phone is the first physical redesign in a couple years paying homage to the favorite design, the iPhone 5. The 5G is awesome if you live in an area with coverage, the A14 Bionic chip rips and the ceramic shield screen has four times better drop performance. This phone also incorporates Magsafe technology so you can add clip on accessories such as the leather wallet and Magsafe charge; the physical "clicking" and sound of attaching your accessories is very satisfying and confirms your connection. If you're getting a new phone every two years, I highly recommend Apple's free annual upgrade program; the math with AppleCare makes sense. $999+
Apple Solo Loop watch bands: No more clasps!!! Over the years, I've amassed an extensive collection of Apple Watch bands, but after trying the Loop, I have not touched the old bands. I never surfed with my watch, because I was too afraid of the clasp coming undone; with the loop, I have no fear and always surf with my watch, which now counts my waves, calories burned, distance surfed and speed. I recommend getting the regular loop for working out and the braided loop for every day. $49+
Roku Streaming Stick +: This is the new and upgraded ROKU stick for HK/4K/HDR and is the best streaming stick for travel. I have tried the Amazon Fire Stick and the new Google Chromecast with remote; this is the best. I travel with two of these in my briefcase and setting these up in hotels is the first thing I do after check in. Bring all your home entertainment including YoutubeTV wherever you go. The best advantage this has over its competitors is its ability to draw power from the USB port on the back of your television vs trying to find an available power source, which can be hit or miss based on availability and distance. $29
RAVPower 65W 4-Port Desktop Charging Station: After you've set up your Roku Streaming Stick + to the hotel television, your next order of business is to plug this 65W multipurpose charging station to the closest outlet next to your bed. I had to lose all of my old chargers because they lacked USC-C, which seems to be the new standard for most electronic devices. This charger uses GaN technology to maximize charging efficiency while reducing product size. Also, the long cord is essential so you can keep your charging products close. $43
RONXS Electric Lighter: Take all your butane, lighter fluid fueled lighters and toss them. From incense to candles, this is the new and only way to light anything in your house. The flameless plasma technology looks like a mini Flex Capacitor in action, allowing you to light hard to reach candle wicks and is foolproof for windy outdoor environments. I actually run around the house just lighting shit because it's so fun; the little electric crackling noise is easily satisfying. Not as fun as shooting flies with the Bug-A-Salt (AFT15), but still a fun indoor activity. $18
