Mums Swedish Candy: I think my friend knew what she was doing when she sent me a box of Mums candy. Two things happened—I ate the entire bag in one sitting and immediately added it to my Favorite Things list. All natural ingredients, unique flavors, and pure Scandinavian bliss. This is a Holiday must! $29
MacBook Pro 14" M5: Apple's best laptop ever. The M5 chip is absurdly fast and the 24-hr battery life is unreal. I love the space black color and the Nono-textured display allows you to work more comfortably outside. $1,799
Anker Laptop Powerbank: This is a perfect accessory for your new MacBook and can charge it and your phone entirely with one charge at the same time. I love how two USB-C cords are built in and you can visually see the battery meter. This came in so handy on my 5 city stop throughout Ireland. I suffer from battery range anxiety, so this did the trick. $92
Anker Nano Travel Adapter (5-in-1): One tiny brick that works in 200+ countries and charges five devices at once. A must-have for international travel—compact, versatile, and reliable. This adapter works in EVERY country! $20
AirPods Pro 3's: I've never been a big AirPods Pro fan because they always fell out of my ears. So, when Apple announced they re-engineered the tip to fix this issue, I thought I would give it a try. Sure enough, they no longer fall out of my ears and the noise cancelling technology is 2x better than previous models. $249
SHOKZ OpenFit 2 Plus: You may be wondering why I'm recommending two different set of earbuds? Here it is: My AirPods are great for blocking out sound, especially at my gym that's undergoing major construction. The SHOKZ are "open ear," so they don't actually go in your ear—way more comfortable than "in ear." I like wearing these at home while listening to an audible book—you can hear what's going on around you and I can hear my wife yelling at me, which she often does. $200
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): My Apple AirPods Max hurt me if I wear them for an extended period. I just returned from Ireland and wore these for 11 hours straight and loved them—light weight and comfort the whole way. The battery life is killer with 30 hours with ANC on new immersive spatial sound, which is awesome for movies. $449
Alexa Show 11: I cook almost every night and can't imagine preparing a meal without my Alexa Show. "Alexa, set salmon timer for 10 minutes," "Alexa, add blueberries and raspberries to the Shopping List." "Alexa, how long do I bake a sweet potato?" "Alex, play Jazz music for cooking." You get it, invaluable kitchen assistant. $219
Fanttik S1 Pro Electric Screwdriver: A compact, precision electric screwdriver that's perfect for everything from small electronics to quick home fixes. I love the design, its power, and it's rechargeable via USB-C. $60
Infiniti X1 7000L Flashlight: This thing is huge, but so is its power. I guarantee you don't own anything as bright as this flashlight; it will light up your entire block. It's great while searching for lost animals or lighting up your house during a power outage. 7000 lumens of pure "what's that over there?" Also, it's rechargeable and includes a 9xAA sleeve for backup. This is a must for emergency situations. $40
Oslo Sleepbuds: This is the nuclear option. Neighbor's college kid is raging, yapper dog across the street at it again, street noise in your hotel room—when you really need to shut it down, these are the big guns. You can select multiple sounds like a river, ocean, white noise, and they are extremely comfortable. $274
Vortex Viper HD Binoculars 10x42mm: I can't tell you how many times I've been to the beach or in a hotel room when someone from my family yells, "Did you bring the binoculars?" Crystal-clear optics, compact and rugged build—perfect for whale watching in Maui or spying on a neighbor. $500
Chefman Crispinator Air Fryer: Skillet, wok, and air fryer—that's my cooking holy grail. This air fryer has a modern, clean design (not an eye sore on the kitchen counter), large viewing window, an 8-quart basket and blasts up to 450°F for ultra-crispy results in record time. $100
Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder Drink Mix: I hope you are all downing around 120 ounces of water a day; if not, your'e going to shrivel up and die. This mocktail makes the goal much easier like throwing back Pina coladas without the hangover. Add one overflowing scoop into your 40 oz Hydro Flask Travel Tumbler and you're on your way. $50
Yuswko Hand Mixer: Now that you have your Ultima Pina Colada mix you need a powerful hand mixer to blend your electrolyte infused mocktail. Throw in a scoop of Collagen and a hit of Creatine for your pump and blend away. This thing is powerful AF. $29
Glassybaby Votive Candle Holder: All my Seattle friends are probably rolling their eyes—it's hard to find a house in the area without a set of these little one-of-a-kind gems. We received our first set as a gift (yes, from Seattle friends), and I love how they look in our house. Each treasure is hand-blown in the U.S. by a team of six artisans, and you can get just about any color you want. $90
Candle Wick Trimmer, Snuffer, & Dipper Set: It took me 50 years to learn proper candle care. My favorite candle was smoking profusely when my wife mentioned that I needed to trim the wick. What? That's a thing? Yes, and so is snuffing and if you lose your wick in the wax you use the dipper. I have have a weird obsession with wick trimming and snuffing—it's meditative. $13
Tumi Alpha Bravo Search Backpack: This is like the IBM Thinkpad of backpacks. It's an absolute workhorse, built to last, stylish, and practical. Great organization and fits everything I need for travel or daily use. I would try and find it on sale. $650
Organize Envy: I'm sure you're all familiar with Marie Kondo and "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up." This is the Brazilian version, and instead of Marie it's Andressa, but the same principles apply. Andressa, often accompanied by her sister will literally stare you down and force you to discard worthless crap from your life. Our garage, kitchen, bathroom, and closet have never looked better and her organizing was literally life changing. Hourly
Mephisto Match: I was intrigued last year by an article in the WSJ titled "Mephisto, the World's Dorkiest Walking Shoe, is Suddenly — Cool?" I became a little obsessed and bought my first pair at the Mephisto store in Bellevue, WA. There's actually a famous New York artist named Chase Hall that owns 50 pair — I only own three. It's considered a "Grandpa Shoe," which God willing is my next chapter, so I figured I should start dressing the part. These shoes are handmade and have a lifetime warranty. $425
ASICS Men's Gel-Cumulus Running Shoe: I'm over 50, so I don't run; seems like all my friends that are still running at my age are undergoing knee and hip replacements—no thanks. However, I am an avid walker, with a goal of 10,000 steps a day. I've tried just about every shoe including, Nikes, Hokas, Brooks, and On Running, however, these are hands down my favorite. I gifted these to my two daughters and they both agreed — best ever. $100
Four Seasons Hotel Pajama Set: If you want to get your Thurston Howl III on, then slip these on and enjoy a Chamomile tea with your pinky out. I wear these in the Spring and summer, before bed and when I wake up—great for lounging around the house and super comfy. Watch out Ginger! $320
Hanro Night and Day Crew Neck Cotton Pajama Set: If Four Seasons feels too fancy, then the Hanro premium cotton pajama set is worth every penny. Hanro is a Swiss luxury brand company and my drawers are full of their underwear and pajamas. $185
Hanro Cotton Sporty Knit Boxer: Not to brag, but I'm at my fighting weight; as such, these boxers feel and look great. I could not pull these off two years ago when I was a fat ass. I actually loaded up on these at the Hanro store in Vienna as they were only $50. Not cheap, but for something I wear every day and night I'm willing to throw down., $95
Vuori Cruise Boardshort: This is my favorite swim/surf trunk. I hate long trunks that come down to my knees, so this 7.5" length short is perfect. Most surf shorts do not have pockets, but these do making your transition from land to sea seamless. $74
Band-Aid Adhesive 198 Assortment: I take sick pleasure when someone in my household nicks themselves. It's oddly satisfying pulling out this big box of Band-Aids; pinky toe, elbow, heel, don't worry I got you covered. I have the same obsession with batteries, but I'm also nuts. Grab this at Costco. $17
Tide To Go Stain Remover Pens: Always in my backpack, always a lifesaver. My wife always has one in her purse so I'm always a covered. Simple, effective, and indispensable. Great stocking stuffer. $8
Hazel Books: I read 50 books a year; these are my 4 favorites: 1) Project Hail Mary: I highly recommend listening to this book on Audio, fantastic narration—movie is in production starring Ryan Reynolds so read it now! $26 2) The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: I'm a sucker for a great coming of age story and this hits home for me on many fronts. $11 3) The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea story, a love story, a war story—that about sums it up. $15 4) Remarkably Bright Creatures: If you cried at the end of "My Octopus Teacher," then you'll love the book; I know I did. Also, filming just wrapped on this Netflix movie starring Sally Field. $13
Hazel Hygiene: TheraBreath Mouth Wetting Dry Mouth Lozenges: Zinc based, helps relieve dry mouth symptoms and restores fresh breath instantly. I keep these in my car and backpack. $16 Tongue Scraper: Speaking of fresh breath, if you're not scraping your tongue, please do. $9 Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Cream: Funny this is that I actually ran into this product while strolling Old Bond Street in London. I love the Coconut. $20 Kieh's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve Travel Size: I hate when my hands get that old man crusty look. So, I keep this in my backpack at all times for a quick lather. $16
