philips wet and dry lifestyle

WiFi HiFi Holiday Gift Guide 2020 – Gifts for Moms

We’re back with the WiFi HiFi holiday gift guides! Each week, we’ll release new themed gift guides, chocked-full of great tech gift ideas for different people on your list. This week, we’re looking at great gifts for moms of all kinds on your list.

Philips Satinelle Advanced Wet & Dry Epilator

philips wet and dry epilator

No thanks to the pandemic, chances are that mom hasn’t been able to get out for her monthly trip to the salon to get her waxing down. This device can help her keep her skin hair-free and smoother for longer than a typical shave or complicated at-home waxing kits. They work just like waxing, removing hair at the root. Who knows, mom might like it so much that she’ll save money in the long run and be able to do her waxing at home. (Though let’s face it, she’ll still enjoy the trip every now and then to pamper herself once it’s safe again to do so!) $80

Dyson Corrale Straightener

Dyson Straightener

Should anyone own a $650 hair straightener? The answering is a resounding yes, if it does the job well and doesn’t damage your hair! And let’s face it: few moms will splurge and buy one of these themselves even though chances are they’d secretly (or maybe not so secretly) love to own one. Dyson justifies the price with its heavy research and technology into creating a device that helps style your hair effectively without damaging it. Plus, it’s totally wireless, so no pesky cords with which to content – the battery lasts for about 30 minutes, long enough to straighten and style even long hair. Combined with even heat and tension, three heat settings, Intelligent Heat Control, and suitability for all hair types, and you can’t go wrong. $650

Instant Pot

Instant Pot

I find it difficult to have any gift guide and not include this multi-functional kitchen device. The reason it’s so great is that it’s just as suitable for moms who don’t like to cook as it is for those who do. It helps speed up meal times, pressure cooking all kinds of food in a fraction of the time as a slow cooker. It can be used to do everything from steam fruits and vegetables for homemade babies to quickly cook side dishes or full meals for older kids – from tasty mac and cheese to baked potatoes or corn on the cob. More adventurous moms can try different dishes, bake, even make homemade yogurt. There are a variety of models available, ranging from about $80 up to $200. But if you’re unsure, go with the Duo Nova 7-in-1, 6-quart size, for about $80 on sale.

Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon Echo Dot 2020

I got one of these for my mom and set it up for her in her bedroom, and she’s already loving being able to call up her favourite music from services like Spotify and Amazon Music, as well as access radio stations of all kinds from around the world using TuneIn. Plus, she can ask questions, set reminders, timers, and alarms. She is excited to try connecting smart light bulbs and other devices to it so she can easily turn off the lights before bed without having to get up, or turn the lights on in the morning. Her next ask? An Amazon Fire TV stick so she can watch Amazon Prime Video and Netflix content from her older bedroom TV.

Rise Indoor Gardens

Rise personal indoor garden

If mom loves to garden but has to take a break because of the cold temperatures and snow in the winter, consider getting her one of these indoor hydroponic Wi-Fi-connected gardens so she can continue to grow all year ’round. Now officially in Canada, the gardens come in four sizes and are completely modular. She can grow pesticide-free fruits, vegetables, and herbs, including leafy greens that are so essential for getting enough iron, like kale, swiss chard, and arugula, plus tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, microgreens, and herbs. The intelligent app will advise when it’s time to provide nutrients and adjust water level – no soil or sunlight is necessary. Sign her up for the subscription service to have nutrients and seed pods delivered regularly, on a schedule. They are designed to seamlessly blend into the décor of your home. Pricing starts at about $449 for a personal indoor garden. If mom likes it and she has the room to accommodate it, you can get upgrade to full family gardens that fit like a piece of furniture, perfect for the dining area.

Bartesian Cocktail Maker

Bartesian

If she can’t go have cocktails at her favourite local restaurant with girlfriends right now, or even have them over for drinks, at least she can still enjoy the same “bar” feeling with the family or those in her small “bubble.” Using this handy machine, she can load up favourite spirits then purchase cocktail capsules that come with the bitters, extracts, and juice concentrates for cocktails. Options include class favourites like cosmopolitan, long island iced tea, and margarita as well as more adventurous drinks like a mint julep, spiced coffee, or kamikaze. Sure, she might have to enjoy playing bartender for just the immediate family right now. But once things open back up and she’s ready for entertaining, the new drink-making machine will make her the talk of the neighbourhood. For now, she can whip up a low-cal cosmo and relax with some Sex and the City while sipping on the delectably indulgent drink. The machine is $470 with free shipping and capsules are about $20 for six of the same drink or a variety pack, or 36 capsules for $108. You’ll still have to provide your own liquor but there’s no mixing or knowledge of how to make the drinks required.

Brookstone PhotoShare Smart Frame 14″

Brookstone frame

For the truly sentimental mom, consider getting her a gift like this digital photo frame that has a neat way to upload photos: use the app and upload from your mobile device, but you can also share a unique e-mail address for the frame with anyone and they can upload photos as well (with your approval). Get together with siblings, buy this frame, then have everyone pre-load it with family photos. The great part is that you can continuously update it by adding new photos at any time. The 14″ model in espresso is perfect for putting on display on the mantle, as long as there’s a power outlet nearby. You can also upload videos (how about starting with a “Merry Christmas, mom!” personal message from each person?) and set different transitions, timing for the photos, and more. It’s a cool photo frame that will continuously bring joy as mom is surprised with new photos. And since everyone can update, a big family can take turns adding new photos every few weeks so the content is always fresh and up-to-date. It’s mom’s own personal Facebook feed. US$200 during the holiday season (you can get smaller sizes for as little as US$100).

Bose SleepBuds II

Bose Sleepbuds II

If mom has trouble sleeping, consider these true wireless earbuds, which are specially designed for wearing while sleeping. She can play a variety of soothing sounds, from rustling leaves to the rumble of an airplane or even running water or a crackling campfire. She’ll fall deep into slumber, undisturbed by otherwise distracting ambient sounds, like street traffic or a snoring partner. They come with a sleek charging case and provide up to 10 hours of battery life per charge. She can set the sounds to play all night or for just the first few hours until she falls asleep. Get three additional charges from the case. $330

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Video Game

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Moms love video games, too, but if she isn’t really into first-person shooter games, yet wants more thrills than the typical Candy Crush or other mobile app game, consider this one. A great way to escape into a virtual world and forget about all of the worldly problems, she can customize her own character, create a home and decorate it any way she likes. She can essentially make her own virtual paradise! If she desires, she can up to seven other players to her island, and four residents of the same island can play together on a single system if she wants the entire family to join in on the fun (online subscription required). It’s available for all of the major consoles for about $80.

Apple TV+ Subscription

Mariah Carey Christmas Special

When it comes to streaming TV, you might have Netflix and Amazon Prime Video for the entire family, Disney+ for the kids, but what about mom? Consider adding Apple TV+ to the mix, allowing mom to access shows she might love, like The Morning Show, Servant, Dickinson, and For All Mankind. She’ll also enjoy the new Mariah Carey Magical Christmas Special, which can lift spirits all year long, not just during the holiday season. It’s $5.99/mo. so just get her a one-year pass for $72 (plus a seven-day free trial).

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Check back as this gift guide will be updated through to the end of 2020, and check out more gift suggestions in our other Holiday Gift Guides.