Author: Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco

Here’s a list of our most useful home gadgets which we appreciated more this 2020, since we just mostly stayed at home. General community quarantine in Metro Manila feels like forever, and no one knows when the lockdown in the Philippines and in the world will fully be lifted. Meanwhile, the best we can do is to stay safe and discover new hobbies, likes, and enjoy life’s little pleasures in our own ways.

These innovative products below have helped us in our daily routines, offering ease, convenience, and peace of mind. If you’re interested to try out new items while stuck at home, check out our favorites and see which smart home products and gadgets to include next in your shopping list.

Cool Gadgets at Home: Top 18 Innovative Products We Swear By

1. Ogawa Tapping Foottee Foot Reflexology Therapy 

The Ogawa Tapping Foottee has a complete range of massage that stimulates blood flow comprehensively, improving ligament and muscular recovery rate, and reducing the effects of fatigue and stress degradation.

My husband purchased this primarily for its signature tapping massage which stimulates the movement of tap dance focusing on the heel. There’s also a feeling of rolling motion to leave you feeling relaxed and boosted right away.

There are three auto programs to suit different needs: relax, restore, and rejuvenate. Inside, there’s an airbag and also a heater to warm feet and effectively relieve muscle tensions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ZpMjn_MjM

2. Portable Eye Massager

After a long day at work with eyes stuck on the computer screen, my eyes need rest and relaxation. This portable eye massager helps with that. It massages the muscles around the eyes with gentle motions covering the acupoints to relieve visual fatigue and alleviate headache.

This eye massager is ergonomically designed for maximum comfort. Three modes can be switched freely: sleep mode, vibration mode and vitality mode.

3. 3D Electric Head Massager Helmet

It looks pretty scary like something for torture, but it’s really a wonder. 🙂 It vibrates but not scratching, hammering, or rolling motions. Not painful at all. Next-level genius!

This head massage helmet can ease headaches and can feel like a human massage by using air for pressure points and vibration combined with heat. It has 4 relaxing programs: deep massage, vibration, heat and music. You can choose which options to use and which to not use with a remote control, or choose to use all four at once. There are many options and settings in this helmet, even for heat and music.

The size is adjustable. You can make it smaller or bigger to fit your head’s size. It’s literally a helmet that you can wear it while walking, reading or resting at home.

4. Massage Gun

The massage gun which has been trending on Lazada and Shopee this year may look like a power drill at first glance (it sounds like one too!), but it’s actually a great muscle recovery tool. My brother-in-law first bought a massage gun from Amazon. We borrowed it for days and decided to buy our own from Lazada.

What it offers is vibration therapy which is like rapid bursts of pressure into your body’s muscle tissue. It can hyper-target a specific problem area to treat muscle soreness by increasing the blood flow which can help reduce inflammation and muscle tension. The package comes with different massage heads for different massage options (attachments). You can also adjust the speed to your liking. Super sleek and profesh-looking!

5. PowerCube

This smart power source includes four AC outlets and two USB ports, in one of the most compact forms on the market. It’s power-surge protected and takes up less space than a strip on a workshop or countertop. The outlets are configured, so there’s no competition for charging space.

We use a PowerCube in our kitchen as a modular solution to connect and handle our electronic devices: air fryer, kettle, blender, and rice cooker. We also use it to charge our phones when we’re busy in the kitchen.

6. Xiaomi Bebird T5 Smart Visual Ear Stick Earwax Remover

Cleaning your ears can be fun and smart. It’s a high-precision in-ear visual pick tool that comes up with 3-axis directional gyroscope and a resolution of two mega-pixel with LED light for more reachable and convenient cleaning in your ears. It has a high-end WiFi chip and fast auto-connection with the mobile app after first-time successful connection. The battery power can last about 30 days for ten-minute use per day, but practically speaking, we only use it maximum once a week.

7. Google Nest Smart Speakers & Displays

Google Nest Smart Speakers & Displays enable users to control over 50,000 smart home devices not limited to only TVs, lights, and appliance and plugs, but also remote controls, thermostats, and more.

This is super useful on times when we don’t want to get up from the bed anymore just to turn off the lights before going to sleep. Other great scenarios are turning the TV socket and TV on using voice commands and setting up a routine by scheduling to turn off the air conditioner at a specific time and turn on the electric fan afterwards.

8. Xiaomi Liven G-5 Oil-free Air Fryer 2.5L

At last, we don’t need to fry food with too much oil! Is it really healthier? As Webmd.com states, “by most measures, air frying is healthier than frying in oil. It cuts calories by 70% to 80% and has a lot less fat. This cooking method might also cut down on some of the other harmful effects of oil frying.”

Another reason why we love using the air fryer is that we don’t need to keep on checking on food while cooking it. With the built-in temperature control and timer, we can just set the temperature and duration (up to 60 minutes) to make food. This air fryer has a pull-out split basket, so it’s easy to clean. It has a rear cooling system and a non-slip matte texture. We definitely recommend this!

9. Fire TV Stick 4K With All-New Alexa Voice Remote

This comes with an Alexa-enabled voice remote out of the box, making it the best budget-friendly media streamer you can buy. It saves time to type letters one by one when searching for movie titles, YouTube videos, actor and director names, and popular TV series.

This handy voice remote has the power of fast-performance voice search and the design is pretty basic. At the center is a round direction pad with a large select button. It has a mic button and a pinhole mic that sits above the pad with a power button. Other buttons are the menu and playback controls, volume rocker, and a mute button.

10. Nutribullet

We bought our Nutribullet two years ago and have been using it every single day to make our baby’s blended food, our smoothies, soups, dips, sauces, and more. It’s very versatile, easy to use (just push, twist, and blend) and provides excellent support in the kitchen.

The 12-piece set includes 1 High-torque Power Base, 1 Extractor Blade, 1 Milling Blade, 1 Tall Cup, 2 Short Cups, 1 Handled Lip Ring, 1 Regular Lip Ring, 2 Stay-fresh Resealable Lids, 1 User Manual & Cookbook, and a Pocket Nutritionist.

Caring and cleaning is hassle-free. Twist off the blade, rinse with soap and water, and put the cups on a dry surface.

11. Haylou Smartwatch 

This is one of the most affordable and reliable smartwatches I’ve seen that’s available on Lazada. I used to wear my Xiaomi Mi Band 2 all the time but wanted a larger display. The HayLou LS02 Smartwatch has a better interface, and it has great smart features like sms and Messenger notifications (when connected with smartphone via BlueTooth), optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer, sleep monitoring, and breathing guide for meditation or relaxation. It fits me comfortably and the battery lasts long (about a month).

I also like that it’s fully-equipped with an IP68 dustproof and has a water-resistant capability that can still work in sweat and splashing water. This smartwatch only costs around P1,000 and sometimes it goes on sale below P1,000. For such a cheap cost, you just can’t go wrong! I wear it every day. 🙂

12. Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner

The Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner is probably our most used appliance for the entire house. Splurge-worthy! It has a laser sensor which does a fantastic job routing around objects in every room. It’s able to create a 3D virtual map for cleaning runs. Best of all, it cleans the floors even when we’re not around because of its intelligent time scheduling feature. We just select the rooms for the smart vacuum to clean via a mobile app with nothing to worry about later. With the app, you can also monitor its progress in real time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHIGDi1Hcwd/

The main filter and brush of the Xiaomi Mi Robot are washable, so you won’t have to change them or buy new ones frequently. The filter is usually good for about 150 hours of cleaning time, and the brushes need to be changed after 300 hours. For our household, it’s still okay for about 6-8 months before a replacement is necessary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWLWO5AxAHo

13. Xiaomi Mijia Oral Water Dental Flosser (Oral Irrigator / Water Pick)

OH MY GOD! Another game changer! I never knew I needed something like this for dental care. I wasn’t familiar with it before using it. I liked it after the first try and thought it’s a must-buy and a must-have in every home. 🙂 A water flosser like the MIJIA water flosser system allows you to get into the crevices often missed by regular dental floss and gargling. This is a truly revolutionary tool will help you optimize your dental health and have a brighter, more beautiful smile than you ever thought possible.

The various modes and nozzles of the Xiaomi Mijia Oral Water Dental Flosser offer a wide variety of uses for different types of users: daily, orthodontic, tongue coating cleaning and periodontal pocket. The reservoir holds 200ml of water (equivalent to 15 seconds of use), and it’s a removable tank too, so it’s super easy to clean. With a slim, easy-to-hold handle, depending on the setting you use, the battery can last anywhere from one to three weeks on a single charge. Absolutely incredible.

14. Philips Sonicare Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush

Like the water dental floss, using an electronic toothbrush was something I didn’t believe in until I had my first try. This is the best thing you never knew you needed. I used to feel scared and didn’t like the feeling of automatic fast brush movements on my teeth.

After my husband’s strong convincing plus our dentist’s recommendation, I finally gave it another chance and since then, I never used my old manual toothbrush again. 🙂 This rechargeable toothbrush really delivers superior cleaning.

Philips Sonicare’s advanced technology pulses fluid between the teeth and along the gum-line whilst sonic brush-strokes gently and effectively remove plaque to improve gum health. Its claim: “Sonicare smart brushes deliver up to 62,000 brush movements per minute, giving you the equivalent results of a whole month’s worth of manual brushing in just two minutes.

15. Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier is a great investment to have at home especially these days in COVID times. We have one Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier in each bedroom to make sure that our air at home is clean without foul odor, pollen, dust, viruses, harmful gases, small hairs, and other unwanted particles.

The OLED touch screen display is very helpful so we can see the air quality at once and even at night. Room air quality data and the purifier’s operational status are all displayed clearly. Using the Mi Home app, we can keep track of the air quality at all times even when we’re out. It also supports Google Assistant so we can connect it to our Google Home’s smart AI voice control.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGPdsLDBDu8/

16. Huawei FreeBuds 3

The Huawei FreeBuds 3 is my first earphones with intelligent noise cancellation. I love it because it’s comfortable and stable wearing. It delivers a stable, fast Bluetooth connection, as well as an accurate audio and video synchronization. Games are more fun and videos are more immersive.

As for the battery life, it uses a low-power Bluetooth chip for reduced power consumption and long battery life. A single charge gives users about 2.5 hours of voice calls or about 4 hours of continuous music playback. Used in conjunction with the charging case, this extends to more than 12 hours of calls and 20 hours of music playback.

We had a house helper who vacuumed our sofas and dining chairs for more than two hours. This made me really test the Huawei FreeBuds 3’s noise reduction capacity. Over the vacuum noise, the sound of the video I was watching was clearer but I could still hear the loud vacuum in the background. Connection to my Huawei p20 pro is very easy and fast. Latency is also great, no delay when using YouTube and Netflix.

17. Xiaomi Mijia Bedside Lamp

This bedside lamp looks minimalist and elegant. It has multiple intelligent controls and works with our Mi Home and Google Home. We can change the light to another color and set the brightness through the app. The touch panel is also sensitive enough and makes it convenient for operation at night: short press to switch lights, slide up and down to adjust brightness, and long press delay to turn off the light. Even our two-year-old baby knows how to use it!

18. BioBidet USPA 6800 Adjustable Bidet Toilet Seat

The USPA Bidet Toilet Seat has finally been installed in our toilet yesterday. We ordered it online from a seller on Facebook.

USPA is one of the most reputable and recognizable names in the global bidet seat industry. It’s a top-of-the-line electronic bidet seat both in terms of quality construction and aesthetics. From its attractive, piano black styling stripe to its classic beveled edges, the USPA toilet seat bidet is sure to impress.

We’re big fans of Japan’s toilet seat. The BioBidet USPA 6800 works similarly. It has all the features you’ve love: posterior & feminine wash, oscillating & pulsating, heated seat, warm air dry, kid’s wash, and the IIP (Intensive Impulse Pulsation). It comes with a remote control with mounting bracket so you can see the current settings and selections on the LCD window. You can use the wireless handheld remote for the most satisfying experience.

The USPA 6800 has two separate nozzles that are both removable for easy replacement or cleaning. The feminine nozzle consists of 7 nozzle holes for a more dispersed water flow that results in a gentle wash. The posterior nozzle doubles as the IIP wash feature for optimum cleansing. The Intensive Impulse Pulsation wash assists with relieving conditions such as constipation by using bursts of water to stimulate bowel movement naturally.

The arrival of a baby is a special occasion for parents and family. Just as stars make the otherwise plain sky look beautiful, so do children in the life of parents. Therefore, parents are incredibly excited about birth announcements.

Parents tend to start planning for disclosing this important news as soon as they get to know about the healthy pregnancy. The announcement of second and subsequent children is comparatively more straightforward. However, first-time parents are very nervous about how to go ahead with it. In this article, we give you ideas on how to plan the birth announcement.

Decide a Date of Announcement

One of the first and foremost things to decide is when to announce the birth. It can be announced before the delivery takes place by telling your friends and family the expected date. However, this is usually not always right.

One should wait until birth and then announce it to people. The expected date should only be disclosed to close family members so that they can be there if the need arises. You can send the expected date first to people that are important to you—afterward, a general message to all your acquaintances.

Mode of announcement

The next step is the way to go through with the revelation. Today, there are several methods available through which you can tell people about the arrival of a person that will mean more to you than yourself.

The first way is the traditional one. One of the parents or family members picks up the phone and starts dialing numbers. This way can be adopted to announce it to immediate family members and other extremely special people in your life. However, it is very time-consuming. One will have to repeat the same thing to all the people.

Another way is to use social media. Social media has made everything easier. You will only have to put up a post announcing the arrival of a baby, and there you go. It will reach all the people on your friend list. You can also tag people that you want to get to know quickly. You can also make a photo birth announcement by sharing a photo of the baby.

Another classic way is sending out cards with messages of the arrival of a baby. It is not an economical way, but if your budget allows, this can be considered.

Throwing a party

After the initial announcement, you can arrange a small party. This will act as a celebratory party with lots of fun after your return from the hospital. This way, you can avoid people visiting you for several days by inviting them at once. This party will also help you connect with your parents and take advice from them in case you need it.

Conclusion

A birth announcement is a significant event in a couple’s life. It is one of the most anticipated days. Therefore, making it memorable is very important. You must start planning for it early on so that when the time to execute all the things arise, you are ready for it.

This 2020, it becomes imperative to continue practicing social distancing, good hand hygiene, and cough etiquette. Developing a strong immune system is very important to have a great defense to prevent contracting COVID-19.

Getting regular exercises and physical activities, managing stress, having quality sleep, and eating nutritious meals are some meaningful ways to boost the immune health. To supplement a healthy diet, here are my top favorite products to help enhance the immune system.

Products from Healthy Options to Increase and Support Immunity

1. Emergen-C 1000mg Vitamin C Powder

This Vitamin C drink mix is a powder that dissolves quickly in water. It contains B Vitamins, Electrolytes, and other Antioxidants like Zinc and Manganese. Each serving provides daily immune support with more Vitamin C than 10 oranges. The taste is refreshing, with natural fruit flavors.

At the first sign or the slightest indication of a cold, I immediately pour a packet of this fizzy powder in a 12 ounce glass of water (you can use less) and drink it down. Sometimes I notice a scratchy throat or a bit of congestion, but my body seems able to fight it off. I really think this is beneficial.

I’ve been a fan of Emergen-C for months now (ever since the lockdown), and I think this can be helpful in boosting your immune system for long term, shortening the duration of your cold or relieving a headache soon after it hits.

2. Zand Echinacea Zinc Herbalozenge Very Cherry 15 Lozenges

When the cold weather hits, you can count on ZZand Echinacea Zinc Lozenges to provide some throat-soothing support. Formulated to help calm your throat, these lozenges include Zinc which may provide support for healthy immune function. The taste is a bit bland though that’s okay because it’s the zinc I want, not a flavorful candy. 😀

3. Natrol Vitamin D3 2000IU Fast Dissolve 90 Tablets

“Research shows that Vitamin D plays a much larger role in promoting health than simply helping build strong bones. Vitamin D helps regulate healthy cell growth, supports immunity, heart health and healthy aging.”

Love that this is not another giant tasteless pill I have to take! Natrol Vitamin D3 Fast Dissolve comes in strawberry flavor that tastes great and can be taken anytime, anywhere. Btw, “Fast Dissolve” is a delivery method whereby the tablet dissolves on your tongue and can be swallowed without liquids. Natrol’s unique Fast Dissolve technology allows tablets to dissolve up to 30 times faster than regular tablets. There is no after taste. No water needed. It is fast-acting and perfect for those that have a hard time with swallowing vitamins and supplements.

4. YoGourmet Freeze-Dried Kefir Starter 30g

Yogurt and kefir are great ways to strengthen the immune system. These provide the body with helpful probiotics, a set of live bacteria and yeasts that are beneficial to improving digestive health. Having a healthy digestive system is important, since the gut bacteria has an impact with our immune system and influences our health. There are a lot of different strains of probiotics, but the most common is lactobacillus, which is found in yogurt and kefir.

The good thing is that we can make kefir at home without the bother of using kefir grains. Wit the gluten-free all-natural Yogourmet Freeze-Dried Kefir Starter, you can create kefir by mixing the powder with coconut milk, coconut water, or any milk of choice or even a smoothie then follow the instructions on the back label. You can also save part of a batch of kefir and use that as a starter, so one packet will make more than just one batch.

5. Solgar B-Complex with Vitamin C Stress Formula Tablets

Vitamin C is an immune-supporting antioxidant, which helps fight free radicals that can lead to oxidative stress and the premature aging of cells. With unique stress support formula, including a natural blend of kelp, acerola, alfalfa, parsley, rose hips & watercress, this supplement boosts energy and mood. It’s potent and has good value considering strength and purity.

Fishing has been a beloved pastime for several decades, and while the concept of fish finding suggests that anyone can attempt with with the bare minimums of a rod, reel, and bait, no doubt having a bit extra will improve your chances of a big catch. Instead of heading out on your annual fishing trip this year with the same shabby gear that you used last year, you could consider re-evaluating your fishing equipment to replace and upgrade where necessary.

When kitting yourself out for your upcoming fishing trip, you can consider some of these innovative fishing gear essentials to enhance your outdoor experience as an angler.

Spinning Reels For Bass Fishing

If you are fishing for bass, you will need a quality spinning reel. Spinning reels are lighter to handle than bait casters and essential for bass fishing and fishing in clear water lakes. When searching for a quality spinning reel, you can evaluate this list of the best spinning reels for bass fishing. When considering that this bass fishing essential is unmatched in terms of distance capabilities, it is best to avoid compromising a spinning reel when packing your gear

Bass Lures For Guaranteed Bites

Lures have come a long way since the first creations as the new lures mimic a distressed duck separated from its brood. A quick online search will help you find various hard lures that can guarantee bites, granted you are already a knowledgeable bass angler.

A Practical Cooler Box

There’s no doubt that fishing requires patience of steel as a catch is not always guaranteed, and most anglers are accustomed to waiting out bites for quite some time. As a result, quality and practical cooler boxes are a fishing essential you may not yet have thought of before. Whether the cooler box will be used for storing snacks and drinks, or your prized catch, all coolers are not created equal, which is why you should scope the market for coolers that are designed for anglers and outdoor usage.

Quality Fishing Apparel

While fishing apparel is by no means fashion-forward, every angler needs to dress appropriately. From quality footwear that boasts a grip for the terrain’s specifics to a jacket that can store everything you need, fishing apparel can genuinely transform your experience by adding comfort, practicality, and convenience. Whether you need durable waterproof boots r a jacket that will carry all your odds and ends, fishing apparel can dramatically enhance your fishing experience.

Gadgets And Tech

Of course, innovative gadgets and tech will enhance your fishing experience, from technologies that will allow you to create your very own map in real time to practical tech that will keep you safe. Wireless cut-off switches are quite popular for anglers trolling the waters for fish as the gadget will stop the boat as soon as the signal has been lost. When considering that falling into the waters can be a danger, this tech can bring you peace of mind during your fish finding explorations.