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I’m a tech editor, and this is how I use smart home hacks to decorate for the holidays
My house is currently decked out in Christmas decorations: stockings by the fireplace, a large wreath on the door and a big ol’ star-topped tree by the window. But because I’ve been a tech editor for nearly 20 years (and also because I’m a bit of a nerd), I like to add a few more modern touches to the holiday experience. Here are just a few of them. And hey, after reading this list, perhaps you’d like to do so too!
Smart Home Wi-Fi Outlet, 2-Pack White
Sonos One (Gen 2) Two Room Set Voice Controlled Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa Built in (2-Pack White)
Echo Studio
Echo Pop
Smart Light Starter Kit
Nanoleaf Essentials Matter 20m (65.6 ft.) Smart Holiday String Lights
ndoor/Outdoor Christmas 130-Foot Festavia String Lights
INSIGNIA 50-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV
Plug the Christmas lights into a smart Wi-Fi outlet
The best thing I ever bought for our annual Christmas tree isn’t an ornament or a garland. It's an inexpensive smart plug that costs less than $10 each. I set it up over Wi-Fi, plug our Christmas tree lights into it and now I can turn the lights on and off simply by using my voice (we have a Google Nest Hub). I can just say “Hey Google, turn on the Christmas lights” and the tree will light up like magic. I no longer have to plug and unplug the lights every day!
These Wi-Fi outlets can turn any electronic device into a "smart" one! Simply plug in your appliance and you can then control it with an app or even your voice!
Spread holiday cheer throughout the house with a Sonos sound system
This is definitely more of a splurge, but I really enjoy playing holiday music throughout the house with my Sonos sound system. It lets me play the same playlist in every room with a Sonos speaker in it. I didn’t really spend all that much on it either. I have a Sonos One in my living room, and a couple more affordable Symfonisk speakers from IKEA (which are compatible with Sonos) that I placed in other rooms in the house. Of course, you can replicate this with other sound systems too like Amazon’s Echo Studio and Echo Pop.
Play your favorite tunes anywhere in the house with these Sonos speakers
Blast big audio in your home with Amazon's best-sounding speaker yet.
These affordable speakers pack a surprising punch for their size.
Illuminate the home with smart lights
We have a few Philips HUE lights throughout the house, and this time of year is when we experiment with color! We can easily paint the whole living room green and red by just tweaking a few settings in the HUE app. You can easily do this with other smart lights too, like these Nanoleaf string lights and these Festavia lights also from Philips HUE.
Brighten up your home with these Philips HUE lights! You can program them to come on at certain times of day and in multiple colors too!
These smart holiday lights don't just illuminate your home with festive colors — they can twinkle and flash with your favorite music too!
These weatherproof smart lights are perfect for hanging outdoors, even in snowy weather!
Put on a digital fireplace on a flat-screen TV
I know, nothing beats a real fire in a fireplace, but not all of us have this luxury. If you don’t have one, or like us, you just don’t want to deal with the pollution and the mess, then a digital fireplace is a fun and free fix. I really like all the ones on YouTube – because they’re free! – but you can also find digital fireplace videos on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
A great TV to watch your digital holiday fireplace — or any other show!
