Issue No. 112December 2021
KTS’ 2021 Stress Free Holiday Gift Guide
For many people, the holidays are a stressful time of year. We become consumed with finding the perfect gift, meeting or exceeding expectations (that we largely set for ourselves), and bringing seasonal joy to our family and friends. This year, that stress has been magnified by perplexing supply shortages, making the already fraught task of gift acquisition just that much more stressful.
To that end, the good folks at CNET produced a list of the best stress free gifts—these are services that won’t go out of stock or be impossible to find. You can find the full list here. We’ve selected some highlights below!
- Disney Plus: Offering a range of programming, there’s something here for the whole family–new releases from Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel movies. Disney Plus is currently offering a one-year gift subscription for new subscribers.
- Spotify: This is my personal favorite music service. You can even set up a family plan so that everyone in your household can curate their own music taste, create playlists and custom radio stations, or listen to their favorite podcast. You can give your loved-one an ad-free Spotify experience by purchasing a gift card.
- Xbox Game Pass: all you can play video game subscription, for $10 a month.
- Calm: this app offers a wide range of guided meditations to assist with relaxation and mindfulness. Sessions can range from 3-25 minutes. Calm also includes soundscapes, sleep stories read by celebrities, wellbeing check-ins, breathing exercises and more.
- Sunbasket: a healthy meal kit deliver service that uses fresh ingredients while catering to different diets and nutrition plans. New sign-ups receive a discount, and you can give the service to a loved one as well.
- Masterclass: dozens of fascinating courses taught by renowned industry professionals. Classes range from filmmaking with Martin Scorsese, writing with R.L. Stine, cooking with Gordon Ramsey, or science with Neil deGrasse Tyson. You can give three different annual subscription tiers through their website.
- Book of the Month: sends five books to your door every month (this frequency is customizable). Pick the ones you want to keep, send the rest back. Choose between three, six, or twelve-month subscription plans.
We would also be remiss if we didn’t include one additional technology piece of business before closing our newsletter for 2021: as the holidays approach, there will be a massive increase in scam and phishing emails. One common tactic is a fake delivery update notification to take advantage of those folks waiting on packages. As always, be vigilant! Pay close attention to the from address of any email, scrutinize the domain it came from (everything after the @ symbol, like @kazmarek.com) and if you have any concerns, send it to an IT professional for review.
We hope that the holidays are a joyous time for all of our valued clients, friends, and family. Have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2022!