From opening your eyes to rushing out
the door, winter mornings are never easy. It’s gloomy outside, snowing in most of the country, and you must pile on layers so you don’t get frostbite the minute you step outside. But, every year we know we have to deal with it, so why not get some gadgets to make it a little easier? Here are 5 of the most helpful, smart home gadgets to make your winter morning routine more bearable.
First, you have to actually get out of bed. If you have trouble waking up without the sun shining in your window, you can emulate the summer rays with the Phillips Wake-up light. It’s a lamp alarm clock that will gradually grow brighter over a set time until your room is full of bright yellow light. Instead of that annoying alarm beeping noise, the light will gently wake you, leaving you feeling more refreshed for the day.
It’s not considered morning without your first cup of coffee to start your day. And what’s more efficient than a Keurig Coffee Maker when you’re dragging yourself down to the kitchen in your robe & slippers? Their machines are perfectly sized for your countertop and won’t make a mess, no matter how sleep-addled you are. With The Keurig® Plus Series, you can now brew your morning joe into 12-16oz to-go mugs, or brew into a larger carafe for you and your sleepover buddy. It’s now quicker and easier than ever to make a great cup of coffee.
Speaking of brewing a nice hot cup of coffee, try the Nano Heated Mug with your Keurig coffee maker to keep your coffee at the perfect temperature for almost an hour. With one full charge, this wireless mug gets 7 refills worth of hot coffee, and will save energy automatically turning itself off after 30 minutes.
Robot, the great. If you’re familiar with Amazon’s Alexa, you’ll be happy to hear some of the upgrades they’ve made to connect your life a little better. The most recent update for the Amazon Echo allows you to ask Alexa to add items to your google calendar. You can use voice commands to have her read them back to you. So if you’re running late and can’t find your phone, you can ask “Alexa, what’s on my calendar?” to see if anyone will notice if you’re in by 10am.
Once you’re on your way to work, don’t worry about turning your thermostat off. With the latest in the Nest product line is the 3rd Generation Nest Learning Thermostat, which pays for itself after owning it for 2 years from its monthly savings on your heating bill. Not only can you control the device from your smartphone, it automatically turns itself down when nobody’s home to save energy.
With these top tech products, we can’t guarantee you’ll start to like these upcoming winter months. But, we know they will make your life a little easier and save you some time in the mornings.