Shopping for a tech-obsessed loved one this holiday season? Why not gift them something useful for around the home? Take a look at some of my favorite gift ideas, as seen on my recent appearance on FOX5 San Diego!

1. Brilliant Smart Home

Convert your house or apartment into a smart home! Smart’s easy-to-setup and easy-to-use home system lets you control your lights, music, and all sorts of other gadgets with a wireless touchscreen. What’s great about Brilliant is ready to work with other systems your tech-savvy gift recipient already owns, like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple’s Siri. I recommend checking out what they have to offer for every room in your home: https://www.brilliant.tech/home .

2. Somfy Motorized Window Shades

Automatic window blinds and shades are one of the easiest ways to upgrade home life in such an unexpected package! These sleek shades have a built-in motor that is practically silent, and battery that you have to charge maybe once a year. If you’re like me and go to bed with your window blinds closed to block out ambient evening light, you have to miss out on the sunrise waking you up. However, with Somfy, you can let the sun in and wake up naturally with its automated programming. Or, perhaps you’ve left the house in the middle of summer and forgot to close the blinds. Instead of letting those hot sun rays turn your house into an oven, simply open the included app and lower the shades. It will even keep that electric bill low by blocking heat, so you don’t have to run your AC as often. https://www.somfysystems.com/

3. iROBOT Roomba s9+ Vacuum with Clean base

We all wish for the day where we have our own Jetsons’-style robot named Rosie who does all of the household chores for us. But, until then the next best thing is an robotic vacuum. The Roomba S9+ not only quickly and quietly vacuums your whole home, but also disposes of its own waste in its charging station. Instead of having to make time to vacuum every other week, just empty the Rooma’s wastebin every other month. This is especially amazing for homes with pets, as the Roomba s9+ is designed to handle animal fur and dander, and won’t clog or get bound up with hair. https://www.irobot.com/

4. Thermomix TM6

I wish I had the time to make an Instagram-shareable dinner every night, but sometimes you want dinner to just magically cook itself. Not only that, but there are dozens of kitchen gadgets that claim you can do everything without preparation. You may know of some of these “instant” pot meals, or found that throwing a hunk of meat and some veggies is quite the “crock.” But now, smart devices are coming to the kitchen! My Themomix lets me literally select one of thousands of recipes, add the raw ingredients, push a couple buttons, and walk away! After doing things that matter in life, I can walk back into the kitchen and dinner for the family is ready! And my favorite feature is that because the Thermomix can do everything, it can also do anything. This has replaced my blender, kettle, and even the kitchen scale. https://www.thermomix.com/tm6/