Five Great Gifts For Travelers

The holidays are coming up fast, which means many of us will be searching for the perfect gift to delight our loved ones. Here are five great gift ideas for those who love to travel, even though there may not be a whole lot of traveling going on at the moment. These items are perfect for that next long distance adventure, car trip, staycation or every day life in your home town as we wait for the travel industry to open up once more.

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Olympus Tough T-6 Camera

Wanting to upgrade from your cell phone camera to a more professional one, but don’t particularly want to lug around the weight of a DSL camera? Not to mention hoping to avoid shelling out a couple of thousand dollars? Check out the compact, travel-friendly Olympus Tough T-6. It’s a rugged, waterproof camera that gets sharp images while being incredibly easy to use.

It’s a great lightweight camera both for beginners and more advanced photographers. It’s possible to get great photos just by keeping it in the automatic setting and using it as a point-and shoot camera. There are many other shooting modes to choose from, including manual aperture settings, microscope close-ups, landscape scenery, nightscapes, indoor portraits, underwater modes and high speed movies. Like all Olympus cameras, there are a ton of great interchangeable lenses available for for the TG-6.

I’ve had several people compliment me on the photos in my blog posts, asking what kind of camera I use. The majority of of them were taken with my Olympus Tough. This little camera has accompanied me into the Amazon rainforest, through the towers of La Sagrada Familia in Spain, and braved the rides at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s been dropped on the pavement and covered with dust with no ill effects. The TG- 6 is made to be an underwater camera, waterproof up to 50 feet. While I haven’t taken mine snorkeling yet, I have taken it out on my paddle board and getting splashed didn’t impact my photos in the least.

I purchased a protective lens filter and carrying case for mine. I’m not big on having to hold on to something in my hands or having something hanging around my neck while I’m hiking. I use a carabiner to attach the camera case to my belt loop and I’m good to go.

Check out the Olympus Tough T-6 here.

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Nixplay Smart Digital Picture Frame

Once you’ve taken some really great photos, it’s time to think about how to display them and share them with loved ones. The days of driving down to the pharmacy to print out photos are long gone. The Nixplay Smart Digital Picture Frame makes it easy to share unforgettable moments as you send photos and videos from your phone or by email directly to the picture display. No need to mess with a computer or printer. Travelers can send photos from their journey anywhere in the world back home so that family members can view their experiences in real time. It’s also a great way to share special occasions such as a birthday, bridal shower or a baby’s first steps. Our family has certainly made good use of the Nixplay frame this year when travel restrictions due to COVID have made it impossible for us to visit each other in person.

The frame gives you several different options for viewing photos. You can program the display to show one photo, or perhaps a collage of photos, and change it manually once you are ready to move on to a new one. It’s also possible to program the frame to cycle through your photo collection. In this scenario, you can program the interval between each photo, switching photos as quickly as every two seconds, or stretching it out to every twelve hours. Feeling a little uncertain due to possessing limited tech skills? No worries. When you purchase the Nixplay digital frame, you’ll have access to their Customer Service Team in case you have questions about how to set it up.

Click here to learn more about the Nixplay Smart Digital Picture Frame

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MEGNYA walking sandals

I strive to pack light when I travel. (there are definitely times when I am more successful than others!) One thing that can weigh down your luggage in a hurry is carrying multiple pairs of shoes. I’m always on the lookout for footwear that is great both for long-distance walking and stylish enough to wear with a dress in the evening. Finding decent sandals is a challenge for me, as I have high arches and get irritated with a flip flop that has a little strap between my toes. I was happy to have my requirements met when I discovered Megnya walking sandals.

These lightweight sandals have a cushioned sole that make them comfortable to walk in as well as providing a good grip. I love the arch support and the unrestricted toes. It’s also possible to adjust and tighten the straps for a better fit. I’ve worn them to the beach and while paddle boarding without having to worry about getting them wet. It’s easy to hose off the sand afterward. They are great are to wear around the pool or while biking, aboard the cruise boat or into the resort hotel.

There are 25 different colors of Megnya Sandals to choose from! They are available in sizes 5 -11. (no half sizes) Not traveling at the moment? Megnya sandals are the perfect casual sandals no matter whether you are going on vacation or hanging out at home.

Here’s the link to check out all of the different colors available for Megnya Walking Sandals.

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Phonesoap

In this COVID19 era, everyone is especially cognizant of slowing the spread of infection by frequent hand washing and disinfecting surfaces. Some studies claim that your cell phone has more bacteria than a public restroom! You can’t wash your phone, but you can sanitize it with a handy device called PhoneSoap.

The PhoneSoap unit neutralizes bacteria and viruses using UV-C light rather than chemicals, liquids or heat. In spite of the name, it doesn’t use soap! UV-C light is a shortwave, ultraviolet light that kills germs. Simply plug in the PhoneSoap unit, put your cell phone inside and close the lid. A blue indicator light turns on for the ten minute cycle, and Presto! Your phone is completely sanitized.

It’s possible to charge your phone while it is being sanitized by plugging your charging cord into the universal USB port on the back of the PhoneSoap unit. The sanitizing action shuts off automatically after ten minutes, but your phone or iPod will continue to charge.

In addition to your phone, you can sanitize just about anything else that fits inside. While PhoneSoap works well on hard surfaces, is not as effective on fabric. So it’s great for sanitizing coins, paper bills not so much. I frequently sanitize my car key, credit cards, and jewelry. My sunglasses also fit inside.

PhoneSoap doesn’t remove grime, though, so you’ll still need to wipe down your phone if you get fingerprint smudges on the screen.

I found the basic PhoneSoap unit to be suitable for my needs, portable enough to take into the car on a road trip and easy enough to take on a flight. However, if you are interested in a more portable unit for traveling, you can upgrade to the battery operated PhoneSoap Go with its own protective case for about $20 more. Likewise, you can upgrade to a larger model if you have larger items that you would like to sanitize.

Staying home is probably the best way to slow the spread of germs and viruses. For those of us who still need to go out and about, investing in a PhoneSoap Unit can bring some peace of mind, helping to ensure that we aren’t carrying those germs back around the house.

Check out PhoneSoap products here.

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Metal Straws

A photo of a sea turtle with a plastic straw up its nostril went viral a few years ago, causing me to swear off of plastic straws for good. Straws are just one example of lightweight, single-use plastics that end up in the ocean, polluting the water and potentially harming sea life. Let’s take action to reduce plastic pollution, starting with the straw!

I purchased a set of reusable, stainless steel straws that came in a mesh carrying bag. The kit contains a wide, long straw for smoothies, sodas and juices, a bent straw perfect for cocktails, a short straw for tumblers, a metal stir stick and a cleaning brush. The pieces are dishwasher safe, so I do a quick rinse with the cleaning brush and then place them in the dishwasher. Reusable straws are great for traveling, heading out for a night on the town or for use at home.

I bought the very first kit of metal straws that I saw, and since that time they have exploded in popularity. While my basic kit suits me just fine, it’s now possible to buy metal straws in a wide variety of colors. You can also choose straws with silicone tips that help keep your lips from getting too hot or too cold. Consider encouraging the traveler in your life to engage in more eco-friendly practices: Ditch the plastic straw!

Look for reusable metal straws here.

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In search of stocking stuffers at Christmas time? Check out our blog post Five Great Stocking Stuffers for the Traveler in Your Life. Happy Shopping!