2015 deer season forecast

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Mele’s Musings: A 50th birthday present to remember

<p>With so many gift-giving options, it can be hard to figure out what qualifies as the perfect gift. This year, thanks to &#8220;Star Wars: The Force Awakens,&#8221; there are a few items that&#8217;ll make you the best gift-giver ever. Here&#8217;s a list of some of the hottest holiday gift items for 2015.</p><p><strong>BB-8 App-enabled Droid</strong></p><p>BB-8, the new spherical droid from &#8220;Star Wars Episode VII,&#8221; has been brought to life by toy company Sphero. The droid has three modes: the first allows you to interact with it via voice commands, the second lets it free roam like a Roomba and the third sends a holographic message to those with the companion app a la the one carried to Obi Wan from Princess Leia in Episode IV. $150 at Best Buy.</p><p><strong>Balance Board</strong></p><p>Gift this mini, self-balancing scooter, or driftboard, and you&#8217;re bound to be the favorite. It&#8217;s all the craze right now. The person receiving this gift won&#8217;t ever need to take a step again. He or she will just balance on the board and cruise wherever he or she wants to go. These scooters begin at $300 and can reach up to $500. Protection plans are offered at most places for an additional cost. Stop by the kiosk at the Wyoming Valley Mall and try one out.</p><p><strong>Darth Vader</strong></p><p>You won&#8217;t go wrong with a Star Wars gift this year, and fortunately there are many on the market. This animatronic interactive Darth Vader would make a great addition to any fan&#8217;s toy box or display shelf. With a push of a button, Darth Vader waves his light saber and talks to the user. This figure starts at $109.99 and can be purchased at Toys R Us or on sites such as eBay and Amazon.</p><p><strong>Apple Watch</strong></p><p>While not new to the market, the Apple Watch is still one of the most coveted accessories. Tell time, receive notifications, emails and texts, monitor your heart rate, send a text, measure daily activity and send your heartbeat to another watch user. The wearable technology is customizable and comes in different styles. Watches are available at locations such as Target, Amazon and Best Buy. For prices (starting at $349) and additional styles, visit <a href="http://www.apple.com/watch/" target="_blank">apple.com</a>.</p><p><strong>Que Powerbag</strong></p><p>Sure, it can hold books, a sweatshirt and a laptop, but this Que Powerbag has built-in Bluetooth speakers, a full-sized internal USB port and is shock resistant to protect portable electronics. Prices start at $95 and can be <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Que-Powerbag-Backpack-Charging-Bluetooth/dp/B00VU0A2QQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1440419090&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=charging+backpack&amp;pebp=1440419159208&amp;perid=1HYE18JKSHBG870EB0F9&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=bobbyheavy-20&amp;linkId=1dcd6371b8ef606c0f5e8638b3b0585c" target="_blank">purchased from Amazon</a>.</p><p><strong>Smart coffee</strong></p><p>Coffee. It&#8217;s what gets some of us moving in the morning. With this Mr. Coffee Smart Wifi-enabled 10-cup coffee maker, mornings just got easier. Schedule or adjust brew time so coffee is always fresh and hot whenever you want it. Download the free WeMo App and you&#8217;re ready to go. Wrap it with some specialty coffee and you&#8217;re good to go. Price starts at $100 and it&#8217;s available at Macy&#8217;s, Walmart and Amazon.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_balanceboard1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A balance board? Yes, please. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_balanceboard1.jpg</photo0><caption0>A balance board? Yes, please. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_darthvadar1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Darth Vader isn&#8217;t all evil this year. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_darthvadar1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Darth Vader isn&#8217;t all evil this year. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_applewatch1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">An Apple Watch is sure to make anyone smile this holiday season. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_applewatch1.jpg</photo2><caption2>An Apple Watch is sure to make anyone smile this holiday season. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_BB81.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The droid everyone is talking about this season. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_BB81.jpg</photo3><caption3>The droid everyone is talking about this season. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_que-backpack1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A smart backpack, with built-in speakers and USB port. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_que-backpack1.jpg</photo4><caption4>A smart backpack, with built-in speakers and USB port. </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_MrCoffee1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A smart coffee maker for the coffee lover. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_MrCoffee1.jpg</photo5><caption5>A smart coffee maker for the coffee lover. </caption5><photoCredit5></photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Sarah Haase</p><p>shaase@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Here are some of the hottest gifts for this holiday season