Techie Holiday Gifts

If you follow this blog or my Instagram, you know that I rarely write much about tech items - mainly because so many other people do so. 

But that doesn't mean I don't love a good gadget, so when my producer at CBS Los Angeles asked me to put together a holiday tech gift guide for his show, I jumped at the chance!  As luck would have it, the segment was scheduled for opening day of "The Last Jedi" - so I set out to find a few fun Star Wars gifts to include with other items.

Like most other things I show on TV or write about here, I am all about things that are practical - stuff that is actually useful in everyday life - and not just flashy.   Here are a few items from today's segment, which was sponsored by the featured companies:    

Select Mini 3D Printer V2 from Monoprice

Photo from Monoprice

Belkin Travel Rockstar from Verizon Wireless

Photo from Verizon Wireless

Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming Laptop from Office Depot

Photo from Office Depot

Google Home Mini from Bed Bath & Beyond

Photo from Bed Bath & Beyond

Star Wars Death Star Waffle Iron and Star Wars R2D2 Coffee Press from ThinkGeek

Christmas (Eye) Candy

One of the reasons Scott and I put up our Christmas tree so early (October, anyone?) is that I am on the road most of November and December.  That gives me more time to enjoy our tree during the limited number of days I am at home in New York.

As a Christmas tree aficionado, I fully enjoy the Christmas trees and other holiday bling in airports and hotels across the country!  Once Thanksgiving is over, the terminals and halls are decked out.

The Indianapolis airport always has one of the best trees.  Last year, I sadly came through there the day before the tree went up, and missed it.  Here is this year's beauty!

The Admirals' Club at LaGuardia Airport always looks gorgeous.

Loved having this tree and wreath as backdrops to one of my segments this week!

And a few favorites from last year.

Do you go all-out on holiday decorating?  When does your tree go up during the holidays?

On-the-Air: San Antonio

Early Monday morning of last week, I headed out for the second half of my holiday TV tour.

One of my first stops was San Antonio, where I always have a great time at the "San Antonio Living" show with fabulous co-host Shelly Miles!  If the festive holiday music in the background of this segment doesn't get you into the holiday spirit, I'm not sure what will.

You can take a look at the full segment below!  But first, fasten your seatbelts - we cover a lot of territory in five minutes here.  

Cheers to the Season!

The classic movie "Desk Set" is one of my all-time favorites, especially during the holiday season (love the office Christmas party scenes!)

This 1957 comedy is set at a fictitious TV network housed in Rockefeller Center.  It has the usual witty banter and tension between characters that you see whenever those characters are played by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.  (Need I say more?)

There is a scene where Miss Hepburn's character, Bunny Watson, describes herself to Tracy's Richard Sumner as someone who "only drinks champagne when I am lucky enough to get it."

This holiday season, I am lucky enough to work with Taittinger to feature their Champagnes on several TV shows.  They are sponsoring these segments and this post, and have a Champagne to suit any taste, from the signature dry Brut La Francaise ($60 - and my favorite) to the sweeter Nocturne "City Lights" ($82).  They even have a Prestige Rose ($84) for all of those rose lovers on your list. 

Cheers to the season!

My Christmas Routine: Walmart Run

Every Christmas, Scott and I fly to Tennessee to spend the week with family.  After a lunch stop at Martin's BBQ in Nashville, during the two-plus hour drive to his parents' house, we drive by about a zillion Walmart stores. 

When we are about half an hour away, we always check in with his mom to see if there are any last-minute groceries to pick up.  And throughout the week, one of us generally heads to Walmart or Sam's Club every single day to pick up eggs for breakfast casseroles, provisions for dinner for 14, wrapping paper, batteries, or a few last-minute gifts.

If you are familiar with New York City, you know that Walmart does not exist there.  Having gone to university in Arkansas - the Land of Walmart - I get very excited about these shopping trips.  So, I was very happy this holiday season to partner with Gillette, SheaMoisture, and Keurig to share a few holiday gifts and essentials you can pick up in the store.  They are sponsoring this post and several of my TV segments.

For guys who like gifts they can actually use - which is pretty much every guy in my life - Justice League Gillette Gift Packs are affordable and practical.  They are just $9.88 for an entire package that includes a razor, shaving gel, deodorant, and body wash - you pay two to three times that to buy the same items separately.  Since there are several designs featuring different characters, a friend of mine bought a different set for each of their teenage sons.

For those of us who need a bit of extra effort in fighting dry skin in the rough winter weather, SheaMoisture Holiday Gift Trios feature popular body washes and lotions like 100 percent Virgin Coconut Oil, African Black Soap, or Raw Shea Butter with Frankincense and Myrrh.  They also have hair gift trios of their Coconut & Hibiscus or Raw Shea Butter products.  

Last, but not least, K-Cup pods are a holiday - and for me, everyday - essential.  Since my in-laws have a Keurig, we stock up on hot cocoa for the kids, decaf coffee for me, Earl Grey tea for Scott's parents, and plenty of extra bold, dark roast coffee for everyone else.  

Are you already checking items off your holiday list, or do you tend to be a last-minute holiday shopper?