Shipping Christmas Gifts This Year? Here Are the Official Deadlines

October 15, 2021

Tip of the Day

For easier pumpkin-guts removal (and easier lighting when you’re done) carve your pumpkin by putting the hole in the bottom, not the top.

Happy Friday! I don’t know what your weekend plans are but mine are finishing “de-bugging” 30-40 houseplants to transfer them from my patio into my house for the winter. Did you know you can make your own insecticidal soap spray at home using 2.5 tablespoons of castile soap and 2.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil to each gallon of water? I recommend using Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint soap. Not only will your plants smell amazing but the bugs aren’t big fans of peppermint. You just mix it up in a spray bottle or pump sprayer and hose your plants down. They love it!

But enough about my adventure in horticulture, let’s take a peek at all the goodies in today’s newsletter. First off, do take a peek at the official Christmas shipping deadlines the post office and major shipping companies have released. Those kinds of deadlines and the various stock shortages are exactly why we released our Holiday 2021 Gift Guide early this year! Across LifeSavvy, Review Geek, and How-To Geek, we’ve selected the best-of-the-best gifts you can order right now.

Speaking of that, our contribution to the gift guide today is a roundup of 2021’s LEGO advent calendars. They’re super fun (and super popular!) so now’s the time to snatch one up.

In addition to the fresh content from today’s newsletter here are some additional popular articles readers loved from the last week:

• Everything new to Netflix this week, perfect for a cozy weekend streaming bender. (Netflix holiday content is on the way too!)
• Speaking of cozy, everyone is going crazy for potato soup and potato soup hacks as part of a general cozy fall recipes trend.
• Christmas tree shortages are just around the corner, so snag your live tree as soon as you can.
• The Teal Pumpkin Project is a great way to make Halloween safe for all kids, and we have tips to help.
• Spooky board games? We played a few.
• Honey dippers might seem old-fashioned, but they’re really useful.

And water cooler trivia? You know we have some. Here’s one suitable for the chilly winter weather just around the corner. On this day in 1959, the Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., preserving the icy continent for scientific study and forbidding military maneuvers or weapons testing there as well as mining, drilling, or radioactive waste disposal. To this day multiple nations maintain a collaborative research presence in Antarctica.

– Jason

Happy Thursday! If you love cozy holidays and food this is definitely the best time of year, for sure. Netflix is dropping new holiday content, Krispy Kreme has adorable new Halloween donuts, and we’ve gathered up some cute Halloween mugs for you to fill with cider.

If you’re trying to get ahead of your holiday shopping this year (and you should be, last-minute shopping is going to be pretty dicey) we also have some useful and cute picks for your favorite cookie baker.

And water cooler trivia? You know we have some. On this day in 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh was published for the first time, putting the lovable bear and the Hundred Acre Woods on the map for generations of children.

– Jason

LEGO blocks and minifigures are a natural fit for the compact fun of an advent calendar. This year LEGO has a whole slew of fun advent calendars including a brand new Avengers calendar! But you better shop now if you want one for December. Read More »

While butternut and spaghetti squash may share a produce bin at your local supermarket, they couldn’t be more different from each other. Learn which is which so you don’t take home the wrong gourd.  Read More »

That little ole coffee maker sitting on the counter might be one of your most treasured kitchen appliances. You use it every morning, but how often do you give it a good scrub? Read More »

The classic push-button, flip, pull chain, or dial lamp still has its role in the living quarters of most homes.
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It’s official: TikTok is the dominant platform for everything from cleaning hacks to décor DIYs. Arguably, though, it’s best known for its food hacks and viral recipes. With the arrival of fall, you might be looking for some cozy foods to keep you warm in the cooler weather, and TikTok’s got ’em! Read More »

Okay, so it’s not even Halloween yet, but that doesn’t mean you can put off your holiday shopping. In addition to the shortages and supply issues, if you’ll be shipping gifts to your recipients, you’ll want to note these deadlines to ensure they arrive on time. Read More »

Whether you’re commuting or on a road trip, traffic is the worst. That’s why two popular apps have teamed up to make it less stressful. Read More »

You’ve probably learned some food tricks online, like adding salt to your coffee to mask the bitterness or using tomato paste to give a cheap steak more flavor. But now, there’s an especially odd hack floating around that involves sugaring shrimp. Read More »

If you’ve ever reheated leftovers or placed a frozen meal in the microwave, there’s a good chance part of it has been scalding hot while another remained freezing cold. Luckily, there’s a hack for that! Read More »

Apple boasts that the iPhone 13‘s screen has a Ceramic Shield coating, which is more durable than glass. But it can still crack or shatter if you drop it—and the iPhone 13’s back is still made of glass. A good case will protect your iPhone from drops, scratches, and more. Read More »

Last year, Nanoleaf made a big splash with its new Shapes line of premium lights, which it then expanded into a beautiful woodgrain look. Now the company is back with something decidedly different—Lines. With Lines, you can build your own shapes, from octagons to bow ties. They start at $199. Read More »

If you’re experiencing problems with your AirPods Pro, we have good news. Apple just extended the repair program that offers free repairs or replacements for those dealing with crackling noise, static, or problems with noise cancellation. Read More »