One holiday tradition is relaxation: seeing houses decked out in decorations and lights. The hard part is finding the best displays in your area. Well, guess what? There’s an app for that.
Mapping out the holiday cheer
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is a social media platform designed for neighborhoods. You sign up and communicate with others in your area. Users can post about products and services, bulletins, local crimes, lost items, real estate and more.
Nextdoor teamed up with Home Depot to roll out an annual Cheer Map. It’s a local interactive map that helps you find the best holiday lights and decorations in your town. You can even mark your home as decorated to participate. Anyone can use these spots to map out a custom holiday sightseeing tour.
The app also shows nearby Nearby Home Depot locations where you can scoop up decorations, including live trees and inflatables. The map features a seasonal how-to guide to inspire décor and gift ideas.
Want more holiday stats? A survey of adults in the U.S. conducted on behalf of Nextdoor and Home Depot found that:
83% of people decorating this year plan on keeping their decorations up throughout December, with 42% not taking down their décor immediately after the New Year.
54% don’t mind if neighbors leave their outdoor holiday decorations up past January 1.
17% prefer all-white holiday lights over multi-colored holiday lights.
49% plan to explore their neighborhood to enjoy holiday displays.
True or false: It's illegal to talk to your phone's smart assistant while driving
Smart assistants can be used with smartphones, tablets, computers and smart devices to make life easier. You can turn the lights on, set a reminder to get the groceries, recommend a restaurant, play your favorite music and set the mood to watch a movie. The possibilities are truly endless.
Alexa, enough already: Set up commands that do more on your Amazon Echo. In the Alexa app, tap More (bottom right corner) > Routines. Tap the + (plus sign), then choose your trigger (time of day or command) and what happens. For “go to bed,” you could include shutting off the lights, starting your white noise and locking your smart doorknob. Sweet!
Don’t you just love the holidays? Think about the lights, carols and … break-ins? Yep. Home burglaries peak about the holidays. Here’s how to protect yourself!
Stop using Good Earth Lighting: Over 1.2 million of their rechargeable lights are being recalled after a customer died. The batteries in models RE1122, RE1145, RE1362 and RE1250 can overheat, ignite the plastic housing, and pose serious fire and burn risks. Check the back sticker for a model number, and visit their website for a free replacement.
Trivia
Share:
Which of the following will totally destroy your Wi-Fi signal strength? Is it … A.) LED lights, B.) Wooden furniture, C.) Mirrors or D.) Ceramic tiles?
How often Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode requires human intervention. In a 1,000-mile test, drivers had to intervene to prevent dangerous behavior more than 75 times. The good: Self-driving mode brakes for pedestrians and lets oncoming cars through. The bad: It also runs red lights and drives into oncoming traffic. Just say no.
Add a little ambiance to your home with these 13 upgrades
When you look around your home, does it make you feel relaxed? Comfortable? Maybe you’ve finally reached a point where you’re living in the lap of luxury.
No? Well, saddle up because all it takes is a new set of curtains here and an area rug there to make your home look radiant.
Summer essentials: 9 home gadgets under $25 on Amazon
This summer is the perfect time to invest in home gadgets. Get some smart tech, upgrade your office setup, improve your TV viewing experience and get the most from your essential oils.
Worried about the cost? Don’t be. You can get all the cool gadgets you need to improve your office, kitchen, living room, bathroom and even your garden, all for less than $25.
Haven’t gotten around to refinishing your deck? Get a chic outdoor rug. Easy-peasy. This one’s washable and 70% off!
Save $429 on an Ashley outdoor sofa. It even comes with extra throw pillows!
Brighten up your landscaping with these cute li’l outdoor solar lights. These are 51% off and let you adjust the color temp and brightness.
Don’t wanna splurge on a Solo Stove? This propane firepit is less than half the price and doubles as a table. Grab it for 23% off right now.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Trivia
Share:
Which song is the most-streamed on Spotify to date? Is it … A.) “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran, B.) “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, C.) “Rockstar” by Post Malone or D.) “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I?
Intel launched in 1971, and today, its processors power more than half of all computers. Was the very first Intel processor used in … A.) Televisions, B.) Traffic lights, C.) Digital watches or D.) Calculators?
Mike wrote in to ask me for stud finder recommendations. I told him to look in the mirror. Then, I asked around and found three I can confidently recommend.
Old reliable: The price is steep (29% off, $52.95), but this one’s 13 sensors track stud locations and 13 LED lights show you the center and edges of your studs. It reads depths up to 1.6 inches and runs on two AA batteries.
Cheap: Find the edges of wood and metal studs with this no-frills model from Craftsman. It scans up to a 0.75-inch depth and requires a 9V battery (not included). It’s 9% off ($10.97).
Magnetic: Run this little guy ($11.95) along the wall, hit the metal stud, and pop! goes the super magnet. This is the one for me. Maybe for you, too?
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Rug grippers: Put these grippers on all your rugs, whether they’re on hardwood floors or tile, to help keep the rugs from moving or causing a fall. This pack of 16 grippers is on sale for $7.99, 69% off the regular price ($25.99).
I’m a big fan of lighting. I was clicking through Amazon, looking for something to brighten up a dark corner, and stumbled onto a new-to-me category: Bathroom novelty lights.
Vanity light:This string of 10 LED bulbs attaches to your mirror with adhesive strips. With 10 brightness levels and three color temperatures, give your bathroom a dressing-room vibe. They’re 20% off ($11.92).
Roll light: A battery-powered nightlight ($12.89) that cleverly replaces your regular toilet paper spindle. It’s motion-activated and shuts off automatically after two minutes.
Rim light: Hang this little light over your toilet rim and never wonder if the seat is down again. It’s motion-activated, and you can cycle through its 16 colors or choose your favorite. A two-pack is 37% off ($13.77).
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Alexa routines: Automate tasks like turning on lights, reading the news and starting the coffeemaker with a voice command. Set it up via the Alexa app by navigating to More > Routines, then create a routine with the trigger word(s) and the actions you want.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
20 useful, practical products under $20 you'll wish you'd had sooner
The products below are all useful and practical — and they won’t break the bank. I’ve tested them out and thought they could be useful for you, too, whether it’s to help make camping trips more comfortable or cut down on the annoying distractions from LED lights.
Can you spot the hidden words in these tangled Christmas lights?
What’s the worst thing about Christmas decorating and lights? For most people, it’s the tiresome untangling of the mess of wires these holiday fixtures tend to create for themselves. It’s not fun sorting out the loops and knots for hours on end just to get your home prepped up for the holidays. But do you know what’s fun? Brainteasers! And in the spirit of the season, the jolly ol’ folks at the Solar Centre made this electrifying brainteaser made up of, what else? Tangled Christmas lights!
