[GIFTED] Projecteo

Social media has made it infinitely easier to share our photos—no one is going to argue that.  Rather than emailing select photos to your mom from your trip to Italy, she can see all 234 photos now that she's on Facebook.  If she's an extra savvy cool mom, she may even be on Instagram, so she can see your updates in real time and obsessively monitor your account to ensure you haven't been kidnapped by terrorists (in Italy, mom?  Really?). 

BUT, social media does take the presentation element out of your photos.  Why?  Because they're old news before you even land in your home city.  Back in the day, people would go to Hawaii, take a ton of pictures, and then invite their friends over for drinks to look at their vacation slides.  This is always brought up in TV shows like it's the most boring thing ever, but it kind of seems nice.  You see the photos differently because you're getting a bunch of little travel stories with them, and you're also drinking, so you're more interested than you would be when you usually look at your friends' Facebook photos (which is, when you're bored at your desk at work).

Thankfully, Projecteo ($35) brings back the flair for presentation to your photos.  A thumbsized projector, Projecteo will project your Instagram images (9 images per slide—custom slides will run you about $9) onto the wall for all to see, which is totally more impactful than showing them on your phone.   

[GIFTED] Delicious City Prints

Nothing captures a city’s past, present, and future like the local food scene. Signature foods—wings in Buffalo, po’ boys in New Orleans, crab cakes in Baltimore—provide hometown comfort for those who’ve moved away, as well as a reason for tourists to make a pilgrimage there. And if you think it’s ridiculous for someone to travel somewhere simply to eat an authentic Philly cheesesteak or slice of New York City pizza, think again.

Delicious City Prints has tapped into this gastronomic hometown boosting by creating city-specific art prints (available for $36) that pay homage to each city’s signature dishes. Twenty cities are represented—Austin, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Buffalo and more. Are you ready for some Loganberry? Muffulettas? Yes. And are you ready to explain what the hell those things are? You were born ready.

Originally posted on Parade.

[GIFTED] Vintage Compass Necklace

Hey, you know how all of our phones have GPS technology?  You know how you consult Google Maps' blue dot when you're trying to get from your office to the coffee shop on the opposite street corner?  Well how about you put your fucking phone down for one goddamned second and familiarize yourself with the neighborhood that you frequent every day?  Or, how about you consult the original GPS—that's right, the compass.

Hang this Vintage Compass Necklace ($39, We Are All Smith) around your neck, and when you get lost, let the magnets guide you home.  Or, to the nearest vegan coffee shop.

[GIFTED] New York City Airports Print

If you travel a lot, you have a weird allegiance to your home airport, even though you've spent an inordinate amount of time waiting for delayed flights there.  Your affinity towards your home airport is like your affinity towards that shitty burger place in your hometown.  It's not that great, you've had a few bad experiences there, but it's familiar, you know exactly what you'll get, and you know where the bathroom is. 

This New York City Airports Print ($30, Pilot & Captain) shows off your hometown airport pride.

[GIFTED] Chillsner

Summertime is approaching, and everyone's favorite activity abounds: that's right—drinking on patios.  Because this is a such a beloved activity, companies are falling all over themselves to create products that make the experience even better.  The newest product is the Chillsner ($30 for a set of 2, Uncommon Goods), which is essentially a freezable tube that you insert into your beer that will chill it from the inside.  The Chillsner's design allows you to drink from the bottle while it's cooling the bottle down.  That's all well and good, but some minimal planning would negate this situation.  How hard is it to pick up some cold beer?

Here are the scenarios in which you would need a Chillsner:

1. You're not a borderline alcoholic and you don't have beer constantly chilling in your fridge.

2. You live in an alternate universe where no stores sell already chilled beer.

3. You are a slow, slow, s-l-o-w drinker and by the time you get through a measly 12 oz bottle, it's already lukewarm. 

Cheers, I guess.