With the holidays right around the corner, we’re always looking for ways to make this busy season easier and more enjoyable. For us, a little extra time and sanity goes a long way. And well, there is actually a gadget for that.
We’re thrilled to welcome back our sponsor Leviton, whose new Decora Smart Mini Plug-In frees you up so you can worry about more important things this holiday season than whether you left your Christmas tree lights on. This WIFI-connected gadget lets you turn your devices on and off, right from your phone. So awesome!
Here, we’ve rounded up 12 ways we think families can use this smart little gadget around their home during the holiday season, and well, all year long.
Don’t miss our fun giveaway, below!
1. Let your Elf on the Shelf turn the blender on and off and mystify your children.
2. A life saver when you don’t want to walk into a dark house at 11pm after your work holiday party.
3. Get help for that night you just want Fortnite time to be over. No nagging required.
4. Deal with the curling iron that your daughter always forgets to unplug.
5. Help because you can never remember to turn on the crockpot before you leave for work.
6. Make it look like someone’s home when they are really enjoying their holiday cheer sitting in a beach cabana.
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From our sponsor
It’s pretty amazing how much you can do with the Leviton Decora Smart Mini Plug-In, for the busy holiday season, and every single season, really. Turn your gadgets on and off, right from your phone with the My Leviton app, all with just a simple tap. Or, activate commands with voice control using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. With the Mini Plug-in, there’s no more worrying about leaving your Christmas tree lights on or forgetting to flip the switch on your crockpot.
The sleek design gives you space for two plug-in outlets in a single receptacle, making it even easier to control multiple devices. And installation couldn’t be simpler. Just plug in your device and you’re ready to go. No new wiring required. Whoo!
Purchase the Leviton Decora Smart Mini Plug-In at your local Home Depot, or on Amazon.com
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7. An end to asking yourself “Did I leave the Christmas tree lights on?” during their entire Christmas concert.
8. For all those holiday candle lights, in alllll those windows.
9. Bedtime lights out, without all the fighting and water requests.
10. A substitute for when you don’t have that fancy coffee pot that turns itself on.
11. Help for dogs who you always, unintentionally, leave in the dark.
12. Put it to use for mood lighting, after everyone’s in bed, finally. Enough said.
NOTE: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. We will announce the winners shortly.
GIVEAWAY ALERT! We’ve got 2 Mini Plug-Ins for 3 lucky Cool Mom Tech readers! To enter, tell us how you’d use this smart gadget in your home over the holidays (sorry, you can’t use one of our ideas). Leave your comment below by Saturday, 11/17 11:59pm PST and we’ll pick 3 winners at random on Monday 11/19. Winners announced 11/21. One entry per person, U.S. residents only, void where prohibited. Read our full giveaway rules here.
Thanks to our sponsor Leviton and their new Decora Smart Mini Plug-In for helping us make our holiday season way more manageable.
Pretend I have powers and turn my Christmas lights on with a single “poof”.
I would use the mini smart plug with my essential oil diffuser to have my home smelling lovely all through the holidays.
I’d use it in my daughter’s room to turn her lights off when she falls asleep reading!
I would use it to not have to crawl on my hands and knees through the presents and under the tree, avoiding getting a head full of pine needles along the way, to plug in that darn Christmas Tree!
Ugh I can think of 10284829 ways to use it! The Christmas tree comes to mind first but then again being able to turn my daughters bedroom light on and off would be magnificent since she still can’t reach and I feel like I spend 19273919 hours of my day turning it on and off.
To turn on/off the heat lamp on the boat.
I would use it to turn the porch light on for Santa. We don’t have a chimney so he has to enter through the front door with his “magic key”. This way he can see the key.
I would gift it to grandma who is newly retired and loves to visit us for long weeks to babysit (but gets nervous leaving the house dark while away).
I’d use the smart outlets to ensure my son turned off the lights behind him, but also to turn them on before entering the house since he’s scared of the dark (at 12yrs old). Not only would it help cut down our energy bill but help save energy and less worry.
Help turn on hallway lights when my daughter now gets home after dark from practice!
I would use it for my wax warmer, so the house can smell nice for guests, but I don’t burn it down when I forget to turn it off
I would use them to light up the candycane lane decorations in the front of the house. This way my kids and the neighbors can enjoy the lights before I return home from work, and I don’t have to go digging around in the dirt at night to find that outdoor plug, lift the socket case and magically get it plugged in all with one hand while carrying my purse and keys in the other.
I would use it to turn off the TV my husband loves to leave on in the family room ALL. THE.TIME. And then asks why PECO bill is so high each month….
I would use this to turn off my bedroom light at night after our babe has finally down for the night and ultimately avoid the inevitable 5 minute debate with my husband on who should get back up to turn the light off!
I think I might not only use it for the Christmas tree, but maybe for my old stereo system! Then I could just play music without worrying about getting up and down to turn it on and off!
I always plug in my heating pad when my back aches (decorating is hard work) and wonder if I remembered to turn it off when I leave the house or go to bed. It would be nice to do it from wherever I am!
Omgosh this is a must have for my daughters room so I don’t have to spend the day turning her light on and off 19349329 times because she can’t reach lol. Thanks for sharing!
Doh, you used my crockpot idea! I’d use it to turn off my iron.
Definitely would be great for the Christmas tree as the plug is always tricky to reach around the tree! Also have cute holiday lamps in hard to reach areas. Biggest bonus is having my family realize that Mom can find cool tech stuff too!
How cool is this?! My son always changes his mind about whether or not he wants the fan on in his room while he sleeps. Such a great solution!
I would use it turn turn off the oversized singing Christmas snow globe my kids like to leave on next to the Christmas tree (because apprently they find it fun to turn it on then go play elsewhere in the house…. It’s so loud).
I would use this for our Christmas tree then afterward use it for all of my kid’s electronics.
Thank you
Great ideas!!! These would be so helpful throughout the house! 🙂
Santa on the front porch, small heater in the bathroom.
To turn off the lamp on my husband’s side of the bed for when he falls asleep before I do. It’s a dream to not step on anything en route back to my side of the bed!
Now that it gets dark at 4:00, I would use it to turn on the lights in the garage so we don’t trip over all the ‘stuff’ in there between the car and the door.
I would use it to turn on my heated mattress pad!! After playing outside building snow forts it can be hard to get warmed up.
This would make my life so much easier. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it before. I could use it for the Christmas tree, the outdoor lights…everyday everything!
I would bring it to my elderly Mother’s home. She could use it to turn on all her Christmas decor and then some! Much easier for her then risk falling while bending over plugging things in.
I would use smart plug to turn a lights on in different rooms. So I don’t have to walk in the dark. Use smart plugs on appliances in the kitchen because I always forget to set the crockpot.
I would use it witha small light to dispel the monsters under the bed without actually having to crawl under the bed with a flashlight !!
I would use this for my Christmas tree lights. And also my outdoor Christmas lights since my husband always forgets to turn it off. But it would be handy also for my lamps year round, turning it on before I get home with my hands full with a one year old.
In my classroom I would be able to turn the decorations on or off with sly teacher magic. The mistique of being all seeing, all knowing, and all powerful would be reinforced for years.
I would put it in my room, for the lamp that gets left on until we’re both in bed and neither of us wants to get back up to turn it off!!!
I would use it for my outdoor lighting in my backyard. The pergola is trimmed with many twinkling lights that we can see from inside, too. I keep the patio shoveled with a path to the firepit and use it all winter long.
I would use it to start the coffee pot from my bed on Christmas morning when the kids wake us up at the crack of dawn!
Ever have to stand tippy-toe, on one foot, while the other is in the air behind you for balance just to PLUG IN the Christmas tree lights? Of course it’s dark down there so you are trying to get the plug into the socket, WITH the larger end on the right side. The arm not holding the plug is trying to aim the flashlight while holding you against the wall. Of course your head gets in the way of the light, so you just toss that before you drop it on top of one of those not-a-square gifts allowing it to tear into the package … behind the tree is where I would use it.
I would use it to turn the barn lights on before I get there and to turn them off when I get back to the house.
I could turn on the lights in and outside the shed insread of having to stumble out in the dark
This would be perfect for my son’s Lego mined floor! I could turn his lights off from a safe distance and save my feet from Lego injuries.
I would give it to my parents so they could safely get up and move around the house at night and not risk falling searching for a light switch.