It’s officially the gift giving season! We asked our team to tell us about the gadgets they’re obsessing over, and the results are in. Skip the boring candle or heated blanket, and opt for one of the unique and trendy gifts below.
1. Whiskey Elements by Time & Oak
Sometimes you just don’t want to spend over $50 for bourbon, but the thought of a cheap one from the bottom shelf is even less appealing. Fear not! These signature elements have been aged from expensive whiskey barrels and are intended to hang out, enhancing your whiskey of choice for one to four days, depending on your preference. After said expedited aging process, voila! Your $20 bottle now tastes as though it has been aged for a decade.
Why Abby likes Whiskey Elements: “You can make a $20 bottle of whiskey taste like a $100 bottle of whiskey in 24-36 hours!”
2. Keynice LED Bluetooth Speaker Alarm Clock
Frankly, who isn’t overwhelmed by more and more (and more) cords appearing in their lives? With each new gadget comes another set of wires and cords. This predicament (and a fear of blowing circuits) has led us to seek out devices that serve multiple purposes. This cool item combines a bluetooth speaker for playing music, reading text messages and emails aloud. It also comes with tons of different lighting settings, including blue and red, and even syncs the light sequence with whatever music is playing. Last but not least, it wakes you up with daylight mimicking capability and includes an automatic “off” function after 20 minutes for when you’re trying to get to sleep. Plus, it looks really cool.
Why Alyssa likes this 3-in-1 device: “I get tired of being tied to my phone 24/7. I love that this allows me to do so many things without having to charge 10 devices, reacts to my voice, and provides a whole array of soothing light settings for any time of day.”
3. Apple TV
You’ve likely heard of the Apple TV, but in case you haven’t, or haven’t looked into its many perks, listen up. Cable TV is falling by the wayside, as monthly rates increase and service levels stay the same (at best). With applications like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Go, etc. the need for dedicated cable seems increasingly less important. There are devices like Google’s Chromecast that allow you to display apps on your TV, but they still require you to download each app individually. Think of Apple TV as its own interface. It houses nearly every streaming app you could think of. You still have to pay for access to these apps, but they’re all in one spot for the easiest streaming available.
Why Travis likes it: “The Apple TV makes it easy to cut the proverbial cord (I haven’t had a cable bill in years), as well as pair your other Apple devices (iPhone, MacBook Air, etc.) with your TV.”
4. Coffee Joulies
Ah, the agony we all know too well: you make the perfect cup of coffee, get distracted, and by the time you remember it, it’s cold. Conversely, sometimes we are over eager for our morning jolt and ruin our taste buds for the rest of the day after scalding our mouths. No more! Coffee Joulies are tiny metal heat-mongers, adorably coffee bean-shaped, that cool hot drinks to a palatable temperature, then keeps them there in the sweet spot as they attempt to cool down. Truly a must-have for those of us in the Pacific Northwest.
Why Kaaren likes them: “They keep your drink at a consistent temperature for hours, they’re suuuuper cool. To be honest, I don’t know why they have so many bad reviews since everyone I’ve talked to in real life loves them.”
5. Petzi Treat Cam
For all of our pet lovers, the Petzi treat cam is a remote-access app that lets you interact with your pet from afar! Connected via wifi and accessible from your phone or other devices, Petzi allows you to see what your pet is up to while you’re out, talk to them, take photos of them being adorable, and even lets you dispense treats on command! Just try not to spoil them too much.
Why Ryan likes it: “Since I’m getting a dog soon, I can’t wait to use this!”
