The holidays are here and getting together with your family can be one of the best (and busiest!) times of the entire year. There's so much to do: make sure there's enough egg nog, have the dinner preparations set, have that special Christmas Eve movie picked out...and don't even get me started on having all the Christmas shopping finished off (you did finish, right?). We've all got our plans and traditions, but this day and age, there's one thing we can all agree on. The technology available to us makes can definitely help us take care of all stuff so we can spend more time on the important stuff. Being with each other.
So our team has come up with a few handy tech ideas and products that helps us make the most of our holiday season. We hope you enjoy!
Facebook Portal
If you feel keeping in touch is harder these days than it used to be, you're not alone. This holiday, perhaps the gift of keeping in touch is just what you and your loved ones need. You'll even receive a discounted price for buying two Portals, making it a great option for improving your communication on both ends! There are a variety of different models available, from more pro-oriented, to TV-mounted or even portable. Check out Facebook Portal here. - @DanR
NORAD Santa Tracker
Follow Santa as he leaves his home at the North Pole to deliver presents everywhere on Christmas Eve. It's always fun to have this website up so you and your children can follow Santa on his journey!
"A highlight of our Christmas Eve is always watching NORA Tracks Santa online. It's fun to explain to our kids how close Santa is to our house!" - @KatPercy
Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer
Talk about convenient! There are now tons of smart kitchen devices that help you prepare your feast...without having to sit around and watch the oven all day long. Wouldn't you rather be able to kick back with the fam on the couch and just get an app alert when the turkey is ready? This Yummly KitchenAid Smart Meat Thermometer is bluetooth ready, and will send you updates and alerts when the food is ready, letting you focus more on what really matters. You can check it out here. - @Subangi
JAM Audio Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
I consider myself something of a music hound. My digital library is immense, and my vinyl collection is growing steadily. One thing I feel always makes the holidays complete is the right soundtrack. Instead of constantly searching for something to play, I've always found taking some time beforehand to put together the best Christmas playlist on my streaming service of choice and then connecting my phone via bluetooth to one of these handy speakers lets me focus more on my family and how much rum is exactly going in that next glass of egg nog. I use JAM Audio speakers because they're not too expensive, easy to set up and use, and have top tier sound...way better than just through my phone. Now, I wonder what song's up next? - @A-B
Have any recommendations for some handy tech that helps you make the most of your holiday season? Let us know in the comments below. Wishing you and your family the very best. Happy Holidays!