Today's thermostats offer features we only dreamed about in decades past. (Amazon/) The numerous types of home thermostats available offer a wide range of capabilities and price points. Whether you’re looking to maintain a consistent temperature, to save money on your energy bill, to reduce your carbon footprint, or all of the above, here are some home thermostats that are great options to consider. Sync it with your phone so you can control your home temperature from anywhere, as well as monitor your energy use. (Google/) This programmable smart thermostat learns and adjusts itself based on ..read more

Don't let their small size fool you. These ultrasonic cleaners deliver big results. ( Pixabay/) If you have jewelry, glasses, and other delicate items, then you know how tough it can be to ensure they remain clean. You can’t just wipe them down with a rag and call it a day. You need something a little more resilient to really get that shine back into them. The cleaning process also needs to be gentle enough not to scratch fragile surfaces. That’s why we recommend using an ultrasonic cleaner. Choose from five preset cleaning cycles, ranging from 90 seconds up to 480. (Magnasonic/) Use ultraso ..read more

Expanding your HDMI access is as easy as buying and installing a splitter. ( Amazon/) Not many years ago, playing a video game or watching a movie at home was a less-than-stellar experience, primarily due to the poor visual capabilities of home entertainment networks. Remember those old fuzzy screens that stand in such stark contrast to the high-density images of today? Fortunately, advances in technology have allowed us to step into a whole new world of entertainment, thanks to HDMI. It is also HD Audio and HDCP compliant for several audio formats, including LPCM, Dolby AC3, DTS7.1, and Dir ..read more

A WiFi extender is a great tool but it can also stay tucked away. (Amazon/) It’s nearly impossible today to conduct personal or work-related business without a solid internet connection. It’s safe to say that WiFi is a necessity. This means you need access to a reliable and stable WiFi connection on a regular basis. Does your WiFi ever cut off or slow down excessively in certain parts of your home or office? If this happens frequently and in the same areas, you may need to add a WiFi extender to boost your signal. Here are several WiFi extender options that we recommend. It also supports WEP ..read more

Get your hands on a wireless keyboard. (Pixabay/) Computers have become an indispensable part of our lives. Entertainment, sports, gaming, learning, and – oh yes, work – all require computers. But using a touchpad or a scaled-down size keyboard can add frustration to your typing, drawing, and creating. You need a wireless keyboard. We love the full-size number pad and eight programmable hotkeys. (Logitech/) Don’t worry about that cup of coffee or iced tea, this keyboard and mouse are water-resistant. In this wireless keyboard and mouse combination, the mouse is designed for ambidextrous use ..read more

Don't fret your mistakes - just clean them up. (Pixabay/) Hundreds of years ago, people used soft gritty stones like pumice, others used soft bread or wax. But in 1770, when an engineer discovered that bits of rubber tree plants could gently erase pencil lead from paper, he started marketing them. Maybe you’ve heard them called ‘rubber’ or ‘gum erasers’ because they were made from natural rubber gum. In 1839, tire-maker Charles Goodyear revolutionized the industry when he developed a way to make rubber stronger and more durable. He also found that this cured rubber made an excellent pencil er ..read more

Do you have enough mechanical pencils for school and home? (Pixabay/) Mechanical pencils are a favorite for students and professionals alike. Here are our notes on some of the best mechanical pencils. Each has a contrasting colored clip and a bright white eraser just in case you make a little goof. (BIC/) Everyone in the family can add a few to their pencil holders with dozens of colorful mechanical pencils. Looking like pens, but delivering a #2 pencil, these mechanical pencils are just right – not too hard, like #2 ½ and #3 pencils, or the soft #1. The choice of students in the classroom a ..read more

Check out our picks for best highlighters for students and professionals. ( Pixabay/) When you’re hitting the books, be prepared to quickly mark the lines to reference. You’ll need a great set of highlighters to do this. Do you highlight in multiple colors? Prefer an angle or a straight edge? We have an assortment of highlighters to color your life. Here are our picks. Use it to remember important events in your journal or day planner, or use it in coloring books to add a bright, unique punch. (Sharpie/) These big style highlighters are full of ink for your volumes of books. Have you ever wr ..read more

It's hard to dispute the usefulness of a zippered binder. (Amazon/) Depending on your school needs, you can find a great trapper keeper or zipped binder and have a functional way to organize everything all in one. Plus they’re still cool. Here are our favorites. Contains three full sets of eight light rainbow-colored plastic tabs, each with two pockets. (Amazon Basics/) It’s packed with all the tabs, dividers, and pocket pages in various and coordinated hues. When you’re always on the go, this classy-looking organizer both traps and keeps your assignments and projects organized. In the cente ..read more

Buy plenty of pencils for the home, office and school. ( Unsplash/) The most practical and elegant designs are often the simplest. This is certainly true when it comes to the convenience of the pencil. Gone are the days of dusty white chalk and blackboards, or reaching for the tedious fountain pen and ink well when you need to write something down. They’ve been manufacturing these functional and reliable models for more than 100 years. (TICONDEROGA/) Ninety-six pencils worth of sturdy, smooth performance are contained in this Ticonderoga pack. If you asked someone to show you a picture of a ..read more