You’ll find plenty of lists of the best tech gifts to buy this year for the holidays. Here are just a handful of things that I would add to your giving/receiving lists. (And here’s a list of things I WOULDN’T buy). Full disclosure: These choices are definitely influenced by my move to our new house. I need stuff!

HEY! Let’s do a giveaway! I’ll draw names for EACH of these prizes. Enter by Tuesday at midnight Nashville time (‘cuz I live there now, you know).

Note: I might earn a little commission when you click on these links. It averages to about a cup of Starbucks coffee each month.

Lanyard Phone Case

Although it’s kind of the high-tech version of your dad’s fanny pack, I’m completely in love with the practicality of having my phone on a strap I can wear around my neck or on my hip. It’s so helpful when my hands are full, like when I’m toting suitcases. Instead of having to stick my phone in my back pocket or dig it out of a bag, BAM, it’s right there, strapped to my body. And the little case on it with the phone stand… Nerd Heaven.

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Tile Mates

These small smart gadgets connect to things you are likely to misplace, such as keys, purses and even phones. And the new slim ones fit better in pockets and wallets.

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Rocketbook

I fell in love with Rocketbook earlier this year. It’s an erasable notebook that lets you write notes with a special pen then snap a picture to send it to Evernote, email, Dropbox or a host of other cloud-based services. I carry one with me now.

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Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus

These LED lights look great behind TVs, down hallways… wherever. And they’re controlled through the Philips Hue app and even Alexa. I ordered some on Black Friday through Amazon to put up in the new house. Watch for them to go back on sale.

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Nest Thermostat

Our old house was so small that we could turn on the wall heater and be toasty in 5 minutes, so we never needed a smart thermostat. But the new house is 2800 square feet, and I can’t wait to install this. Stay tuned for an in-depth walkthrough of the smart tech I install and why.

I’m also getting a Ring Doorbell and some smart cameras… not because we need extra security where we live in the country now. It’s more because I want to set up a whole system to tell you guys about all of it.

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The Big Book of Apps

Does my book of 450+ great apps really belong on your holiday list… uhhh, yeah! You need this book to help you figure out the best tech for the new year. And if you send me a receipt showing you bought it (at retail… not the used copies), I’ll send you a $5 Amazon Gift Card.

Ho Ho Ho!

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