Tyler Tried It: from taste buds and hydrated dog walks to dozing off, here are a few last minute gift ideas

COLUMBIA SC (WOLO) – With Christmas literally days away, we all have people on our lists that are tough to buy for, so Tyler Ryan tried out a few unique items from small businesses that might fit the bill.

Sticks N’ Bones co has a great multi-functional dog leash option, that is more than a just a leash.  When I walk Nixon, I often wrap his leash around my waste, so I don’t have to struggle with his hard head wanting to make a mail call at every box.  This leash wraps around me easily, and is long enough for him to have a “little freedom.”  The length is adjustable, and it also serves as a trainer, and there are clips on both ends, so it also takes care of the dual dog walk problem.  You can do some shopping HERE.    And by the way, real dogs wear pink, too!

The Manta Sound Sleep Mask promises a good night’s (or days if you host a morning show) sleep.  The Manta connects through Bluetooth, and offers white noise, and other options.  I found it to be very comfortable, with cups that go over your eyes, so there isn’t pressure on your eyeballs while to head to the Land of Nod.  Also, it promises complete darkness, and in my experience, it delivers.  Connecting is pretty simple and straight forward, and you will find yourself getting winks in no time.  You can do some shopping for slumber HERE.

For the outdoorsman in your life…or even boater, Sawyer offers some really interesting sustainable products that allow the company to continue their mission of providing not only consumers with fresh water, but also the over two billion people in the world who don’t have a clean source of water.  I tried several of the products including the mini water filtration system, which was easy to set up and use, and certainly made me feel a lot better about drinking lake water.  The repellant also worked great with the late summer pests.  Take some time and check out their story and mission that has powered the company for forty years.  You can do some light reading and shopping HERE.

If a new Blackstone is on the list, consider Veteran owned Blazing Star BBQ.  As the story goes, Mike Star, the Founder, developed flavor profiles from his twenty-one years in the Air Force, from all over the world.  I tried several of the options, they didn’t disappoint…but as we all know, I didn’t try the Reaper…I’ll leave that up to you.  I did toss in the Asian Bang Sauce and my stir-fry was super yummy.  The beef rub was a hit in my back yard also…Give your taste buds a dance HERE.

These are just a few items, created by small businesses that may offer the perfect gift for the perfect person…or yourself…on your list from the Consumer in Me to the Consumer in You…products you get an honest look at because Tyler Tried It.

No monetary compensation was offered, requested, nor received for featuring these products.  Each review is individually based solely on the product living up to the claims of the manufacturer and/or Founder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tyler Ryan is an award winning television and radio personality, writer, investigative journalist, and professional emcee.  He appears daily on ABC Columbia’s Good Morning Columbia, as well as the radio stations in the iHeart Media Network.  Tyler also regularly appears as a criminal expert and journalist on regional and national crime based programs.  You can contact him directly via EMAIL Or on the socials: Tyler’s Instagram  // Tyler’s Facebook