Looking for the perfect present for a loved one this holiday season? We’ve rounded up 20 of our favorite gift ideas. And since we work in real estate, we focused on items that add enjoyment, comfort and, in some cases, major value to your home.
From music lovers to home chefs, we’ve got something for everyone. And we’ve included a range of price points to suit any budget, from under $50 to major splurge … in case you’re feeling extra generous this year. We hope you find this list useful in identifying gifts your friends and family will love. And maybe some of these items will make your wish list this year, too!
Heat things up this holiday season! Keep your loved ones cozy all winter with these gifts that add warmth and a touch of luxury.
On cold nights, nothing beats the comfort and glow of a fire. Whether you’re looking to cozy up on the couch with a good book, or enjoy a relaxing night in the backyard with family and friends, a tabletop fireplace is an easy way to light up your evening. The Regal Flame Black Utopia Tabletop Fireplace can be used indoors or outdoors, no vent required. It runs on ethanol, which can be mixed with citronella to double as a mosquito repellent for outdoor use.
Who wouldn’t love to wrap themselves in a warm towel when they step out of the shower on a cold morning? While heated towel racks are available in a variety of styles and price points, the Anzzi Glow 4-Bar Electric Towel Warmer in Polished Chrome is an entry level version that gets good reviews. Modern and elegant, this model plugs into a nearby outlet for easy installation and is made of rust-resistant stainless steel. Turn your daily shower into a spa-like experience!
Now you can wake up to a warm house, even if you like it cool while you sleep. After using the Nest Learning Thermostat for a week, it will start to recognize your patterns and adjust the temperature automatically to your preferences. In its third-generation, Nest claims to pay for itself over time in energy savings. It uses sensors and your phone’s location to check if you’ve left the house, then sets itself to an Eco Temperature. And this smart-thermostat knows when you typically get home from work and can heat things up before you return. If your schedule changes, you can even adjust the temperature remotely from your smartphone.
Radiant heating has been a popular alternative in new construction to traditional forced-air heating systems. And new technology has made it easier and less expensive to retrofit existing homes with radiant heating. According to BobVila.com, “radiant floors are heated either with electric resistance cables or hot water flowing inside tubing” beneath the floor. It’s energy-efficient, effective, and doesn’t blow dust and allergens around the way forced-air systems do. Not only will you love stepping onto a heated floor on a cool morning, you’ll be adding value to your home, as this is an appealing upgrade to buyers when it comes time to sell.
It’s holiday music time! Music lovers are sure to appreciate these gifts guaranteed to enhance their listening experience throughout the home.
Whether you enjoy singing in the shower, or listening to your favorite podcast, the H2oVibe Rain Showerhead Jet with Wireless Bluetooth Speaker syncs with any bluetooth-enabled device so you can stream your favorite music or other audio directly into the shower. The waterproof speaker easily detaches from the showerhead so you can bring it with you from room to room while you get dressed. And the showerhead itself features jets with three times more spray power than the average showerhead, creating a spa-like experience.
Smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home not only stream music on demand via voice control, they can also serve as a central hub for numerous other smart-home devices. Now you can change the channel on your TV, make a phone call, turn on your lights, set your thermostat and lock your front door, all without lifting a finger.
If you prefer a premium speaker, the Sonos Play:3 is the mid-range option in the brand’s line of wireless speakers. It delivers rich and robust sound with a sleek design that can placed horizontally or vertically to fit almost any space. Sonos speakers sync with Amazon Echo and Alexa, which enable you to control the speaker with voice commands. And you can easily add additional speakers from the Sonos line for an enhanced, surround-sound experience.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to whole-home audio systems, and for a premium sound system you can expect to make a significant investment. Companies like Yamaha offer a wide variety of components, all designed to work in conjunction to give you a customized whole-home audio and home theater system to suit your needs.
Home chefs will love these gifts, perfect for holiday entertaining and home cooking all year long. Not only will they bring excitement to the recipient, everyone in the family will benefit from the delicious dishes these gifts are sure to inspire!
Warm, fresh bread can make any meal feel special. With a bread machine like this one from Hamilton Beach, you can enjoy fresh rolls, pizza dough, cakes, jams, flatbreads and croissants with minimal effort. Plus, there’s a gluten-free setting, which makes this a perfect gift for anyone avoiding gluten in their diet.
If you love to barbecue, the Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker gives you the tenderness and flavor of smoking meat, without the hassle. The integrated meat probe alerts you when the meat reaches a predetermined internal temperature, and when it’s done cooking the “warming” feature keeps your food hot until it’s ready to be served.
Sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is vacuum-sealed in a plastic pouch and then placed in a water bath to cook at a precise temperature. The new Mellow Smart Sous Vide Appliance hits the market this holiday season and promises to make sous vide as easy and foolproof as a slow cooker. Its built-in cooling system keeps your food cold until it’s ready to be cooked … so you can stick a piece of salmon in before you leave for work, choose the time you want it to be ready, and dinner will be done when you get home.
To really heat things up in the kitchen, any home chef would love a new high-end range, like this 36” Dual Fuel Range with Six Burners from Sub-Zero Wolf. With ten custom cooking modes—including one for proofing dough and one for dehydrating—and a temperature probe alert, this oven makes cooking almost foolproof. And the timeless stainless steel design will enhance the beauty of any kitchen. Investing in a high-end range not only adds enjoyment to meal preparation, it’s highly-desired by home buyers … something to consider if you plan to list your home within the next few years.
Holiday lights aren’t the only way to make a home sparkle. These cleaning gadgets and appliances will keep your home clean and shiny all year long … and hopefully bring some joy to the cleaning process!
Anyone who has pets or young children will love the convenience of a cordless and portable spot cleaner like the BISSELL SpotLifter 2X Portable Deep Carpet Cleaner. Its cleaning brush agitates soiled spots while simultaneously sucking up debris. Use it to remove small spills and stains from carpet, furniture, rugs, drapes, car seats, and other upholstered items.
Robotic vacuum cleaners have been around for years, but new technology has made them more effective and lowered the cost significantly. The ECOVACS DEEBOT N79 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner provides a good mix of features and value. It offers several cleaning modes and moves easily from rugs to tile to carpet. You can also control it with your smartphone using the ECOVACS App.
While a high-end dishwasher with all the bells and whistles can certainly be a good investment, there are some great values on the market for those with a more modest budget. For example, the Maytag Front Control Dishwasher gets consistently great reviews for its powerful motor that disintegrates bits of food to deliver sparkling clean dishes, even without rinsing. And its elegant exterior will upgrade the look of your kitchen … all without breaking the bank.
If anything can make laundry exciting, it’s a new washer and dryer with smart-technology like the Kenmore Elite Smart Washer and Dryer. Now you can start a load of laundry remotely from your smartphone to time it with your arrival home. You can also customize washer and dryer cycles and receive an alert when a cycle is complete. And with the Express cycle, you can wash and dry a small load in 45 minutes, saving you time and energy.
Nothing is more important than the safety of you and your family. Protect your loved ones—and deter intruders—with gifts that keep you and your home safe and secure.
The Philips Hue White Smart Bulb Starter Kit is a good entry-level investment in smart lighting technology. Now you can automate your lighting and control your lights from your smartphone using the Philips Hue App. Deter burglars by making it look like someone’s home when you turn your lights on remotely. And stay safer by never entering a dark house again. Plus, it has several options to enhance the look and ambiance of your home lighting.
Watch over your home and greet visitors from your computer or smartphone with a video-enabled doorbell, like the Ring Video Doorbell 2. Adjustable motion sensors alert you when someone is approaching your door, and live video and audio allow you to see and talk to visitors without opening the door, even if you’re away from home. The best part is, they’ll never know you’re not home if you don’t tell them.
Control and monitor your locks from anywhere with a smart lock like the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect. Now there’s no need to leave a key under the doormat or give a copy to the housekeeper. You can activate keyless access remotely, and even lock up when they leave, all from your computer or smartphone. And no more fumbling around for your keys in the dark. Similar to keyless entry for your car, Smart Lock Pro automatically unlocks your door when you approach.
An in-home security system is still one of the best ways to protect your home and family from intruders and alert you to the presence of smoke or carbon monoxide. Some companies, like Vivint, can integrate your security system with video monitoring, a doorbell camera, smart locks, garage doors and even your thermostat. Prices vary depending on the options you select, and a monthly monitoring service is required, but a home security system can bring peace of mind knowing your family and home are protected.
As real estate professionals, we get to visit people’s homes every day and talk to buyers and sellers about their favorite features. So we have a unique insight into the elements that truly make a house special, bring joy to homeowners and add value to a home. Did we miss your favorite home-related gift? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Please share in the comments below!
If you do decide to “splurge” on a home upgrade, contact us for recommendations on the best options for your particular home. Buyer expectations and preferences vary depending on price point, style of home and neighborhood. We can run a comparative market analysis to find out how the upgrade you’re considering will impact the value of your home, before you make the investment.
Shortly after earning her degree in Communications and Marketing, Cat joined her family’s real estate firm in Mobile, Alabama and learned every detail of the real estate business. Cat continues her career in the Houston area with a boutique brokerage firm, Zarco Realty.
Cat is certified in the Texas Veterans Land Board loan program for active and retired U.S. military personnel-- a program that can save military personnel up to 1% on interest rates.
“A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”- Paulo Coelho quotes
Another good thing about being poor is that when you are seventy your children will not have declared you legally insane in order to gain control of your estate. ~ Woody Allen
As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who Ask your children two questions this Christmas. First: "What do you want to…
Beautiful, Magic, Waves Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. – Dale Evans christmas quotes
It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. ~Charles Dickens
Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. – Dale Evans Rogers
Christmas is for children. But it is for grown-ups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts. ~Lenora Mattingly Weber
When a child is hurt or sick what happens? It reaches out to you for comfort. It reaches out to you and wants to be held. It wants to feel your touch. It needs to feel your love. To breath your…
Bishop Callahan gives his blessing to the bikers and their bikes before they depart for the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion.
Terry Stott and Christopher Pundzak are leading a charge and standing up for the sanctity of marriage, and all from their bicycles.
On June 21, 2016, the vigil of the feast day of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, pilgrims on bicycles began their 200 mile journey from the Holy Cross Diocesan Center in La Crosse. Carrying family photographs and prayer intentions, the pilgrims will bike across the state, giving prayerful witness to the sanctity of Marriage as a sacred union between one man and one woman. Upon arriving at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin, it is their hope that these families and prayers may be presented to Our Lord (through the Immaculate Heart of our Beloved Mother, Mary) at a Mass celebrated on the 1-year anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage (June 26, 2016).
To find out more about their cause and to follow their journey go to their website http://bike4marriage.com/ and join their Facebook group.
Life as a missionary in Peru brings Abigail Schreiner closer to God and gives her life direction and peace | Catholic Life - The Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse
Life as a missionary in Peru brings Abigail Schreiner closer to God and gives her life direction and peace
When Abigail Schreiner, from Athens, first came to Peru in 2013 as part of a pilgrimage, God showed her the dignity and beauty of the South American country. “I was just awestruck by everything I saw and the people I met,” says Abigail. “I felt a very big attraction to this country and the people. It intrigued me.”
Along with her mother and the Wisconsin pilgrims, Abigail spent time at Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II Orphanage in Lurin, Peru. It was there that she felt a great impact. Even after returning to life in Athens, Abigail found Peru still pulled on her heart.
“I knew I really wanted to come back to the orphanage and Peru,” Abigail says. “As I was leaving the orphanage after the first time, I told myself two things: I want to be able to speak Spanish and to play the guitar.”
Continuing to study Spanish her senior year of high school and getting a guitar for Christmas only propelled Abigail’s preparation to go back to Lurin. In 2014, she returned to Lurin for a two-month visit in summer, and then again for a month-long stay at Christmas during her freshman year at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minn.
“In that time, I became close with a lot of kids. My Spanish was improving and my guitar was improving,” says Abigail.
Back at college, Abigail kept thinking about the people in Lurin and debated her next steps: “I spent a lot of time in prayer and discernment because I really felt the Lord calling me to take a year off of college and come to Peru.”
Abigail was raised in a home where the Catholic faith was important and modeled by her parents. “I know without them being the example of what it means to have faith and to love the Lord, I wouldn’t be here today,” she says. “They were supportive of me coming to Peru, a little hesitant, but they let me come. My family is such a blessing. They are so wonderful. I remember my mom telling me that no matter where I go, no matter what the Lord calls me to do, they will support me and they will pray for me.” With the blessing of her family, Abigail’s dream came true when she returned to Lurin in the summer of 2015. During her two shorter stays, Abigail’s volunteer time was spent focused on fun and games, but this visit introduced her to a different side of the orphanage.
“I began to really start working a lot more with the kids one-on-one,” Abigail says. “My relationships with the kids
Abby and her family are from Athens, and she credits her ability to explore God’s call to the support from her family.
became a lot stronger. They know they can talk to me about anything. I’ve been able to share in a lot of their sufferings with them.”
The children Abigail lives with in the orphanage are not just those with no family, but children with parents unable to care for them due to extreme poverty and other factors. Drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, prostitution and violence were a part of their lives before Casa Hogar. These children carry physical, mental and spiritual wounds.
“They are social orphans and many lived in extreme poverty. We know that it is very important to maintain a relationship between the children and their families, especially because at the time the children leave Casa Hogar, many return home to live with their family. Even though these kids have many wounds and so much hurt, they are always joyful,” says Abigail. “I know they are suffering inside, but they are always joyful. It’s definitely been a challenging year. It’s so hard to see the children suffer, because I love them, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I’m blessed to be here.”
At Casa Hogar, Monsignor Joseph Hirsh asks children the dangerous question, “Lord, what is it you want of my life?” Abigail has made that her question to God every day.
“Just last week I was in prayer and thinking about this,” says Abigail. “I realized the Lord has been putting things in my heart and showing me what He wants of my life. I’ve grown so much in my faith and it’s due to these kids. The Lord is using them to teach me so much. The Lord calls everyone to all different places. As for my vocation, if I’m not living for other people, then I’m not living. If I am not suffering and loving people, especially children, then I’m not really living. I just know that the Lord is asking my life to be one of suffering with people. I can’t save anyone, only the Lord can save someone, but I am able to be the Lord’s hands and feet and comfort others.”
When she started her studies at St. Thomas University, Abigail focused on business. She could feel the fit was wrong, and turned to God for guidance.
“I knew that it was not the right thing for me,” says Abigail. “I couldn’t do it. I am not a businesswoman.”
Her time spent with the orphanage social worker has helped guide Abigail. The ministry has resonated deeply with her, and she plans to return to St. Thomas in the fall to study psychology.
“If I am not suffering and loving people, especially children, then I’m not really living. I just know that the Lord is asking my life to be one of suffering with people. I can’t save anyone, only the Lord can save someone, but I am able to be the Lord’s hands and feet and comfort others.”
“First and foremost, what will help these children heal is God, but after that comes the psychological aspect,” she says of her decision.
Solitary prayer is a life-affirming part of Abigail’s day in Lurin. “I realized it’s very important for me to spend time alone with the Lord,” says Abigail. “If I don’t pray, then I’m not able to be filled up; and if I’m not filled up, I can’t pour out to others.”
I realized it’s very important for me to spend time alone with the Lord,” says Abigail. “If I don’t pray, then I’m not able to be filled up; and if I’m not filled up, I can’t pour out to others.”
Life in Peru is very different from Abigail’s life in the U.S., but she never experienced culture shock. “Everything has felt very normal,” Abigail says. “I feel like I have lived here forever. It’s been a blessing to adjust so well. Down here, the simplicity is beautiful. The humble homes that people have are amazing.”
Her favorite Mass is held in a chapel that is basically four walls and a tarp roof. The building also serves as a community center.
“It reminds me of Christ saying, ‘When two or more are gathered in my name, I am with you,’” she says.
God has guided Abigail to a life not typical for a 20-year-old American woman. Finding direction has not always been easy, but she trusts the Lord to guide her where he knows she will be happy and able to do His work. She sees many of her peers finding happiness in the wrong places, not understanding that, in the end, the question may be: ‘Am I happy in what I did with my life?”
“I would say that you need patience. The Lord isn’t going to put a blimp in the sky and say, ‘You will do this with your life,’” Abigail says. “Where do you find happiness? It’s so important to think and to realize what your ultimate goal is in life. When I die, I want to ask myself, ‘Abigail, did you live your life?’ I want to be able to say my life impacted other people’s lives. I would tell my peers, ‘Challenge yourself and ask yourself, if tomorrow you died, can you say you really truly lived?’”
Abigail believes God has many jobs for his servants that are all rooted in love. “Not everyone is called to leave their family and go to be a missionary,” she says. “Everyone is called to be a missionary where they are. Deep down there is a part in every human being to love others. There is not one thing that is better than the other.”
God calls Abigail to live and minister in Peru. She feels peace knowing her life after college will very likely be in Peru, caring for the children and people she has grown to love. Her wish is for everyone to connect with God and know where He needs them to carry out His mission of love.
“I’ve been teaching a lot of guitar. A month ago, I learned a new song, ‘Be Not Afraid,’” says Abigail. “I sing it every day. I truly believe this is the vocation song. The Lord is telling us we do not need to fear. No matter what he asks us to do, no matter who we leave behind, even if we lose our lives, He has chosen us for a special purpose and will stay with us. I was at Mass a couple weeks ago and the priest said something that hit me deeply. Yes, this year is a Year of Mercy, but it’s not just this year that we should practice mercy. In every moment, we should show mercy to others. Our lives need to be lives of joy and mercy. If we can do that, then our lives are beautiful.”
At the end of 2014, health outlets released studies that contraceptive users have a higher incidence of multiple sclerosis. In early 2015, neurologists shared that women who use contraception have a higher risk of a specific type of brain tumor called a glioma. And now, there is more bad news.
A preliminary report given in San Diego at the Digestive Disease Week meeting, informed the audience that the use of oral contraceptives appears to be linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBS.) IBS causes inflammation of the lining and wall of the large or small intestines causing diarrhea, abdominal cramping and rectal bleeding.
Dr. Hamed Khalli, a clinical and research fellow of gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, based his findings on the data from the U.S. Nurses Health Studies that studied the health of about 233,000 women from 1976 – 2008. He compared those who never used birth control pills to those who did and found that BCP users have a three times greater risk of a specific form of IBS known as Chrohn’s Disease.
This report showed and association between BCP and IBS, not a cause-and-effect relationship. However, animal studies have found that the colon is more vulnerable to inflammation when estrogen is given. It changes the permeability of the colon, Khalli explained.
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