While Valentine’s Day is a single day about love, I think we could all agree that it’s always important to love and celebrate those we hold near and dear to our hearts. Whether an immediate family member, relative, or a close friend who happens to provide kindness during a time you need it most, Valentine’s Day is about making someone know they’re loved. And don’t we all need to feel like that today and every day?
Here’s my short list of gifts that are sweet, will set their tech hearts aflutter, and give back to reputable organizations that do fabulous work here in the United States and around the world.
Bee Sweet Bundle from Heifer International ($50)
What if you could give a sweet gift that gives back many times over? That’s what Heifer International’s Bee Sweet Bundle does and why it’s my top pick for a Valentine’s Day gift.This amazing gift includes Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels that are made of sustainably sourced, premium Ecuadorean chocolate and the gift of honeybees to help farmers change their lives for the better. I love that for $50, I’m giving Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels for my loved ones, supporting the families of small-scale farmers in Ecuador who harvest the chocolate, and helping to transform lives with the gift of hard working honeybees. Bees are donated in honor of your sweethearts and can help transform a family’s struggles into a life of abundance and prosperity by helping to pollenate small farms and double fruit and vegetable yields. By showering a loved one with chocolate, you’re showing them that you care about ending hunger and poverty. Truly amazing! Orders placed today will arrive in time for Valentine’s Day and you can print a card to go with your gift from Heifer’s website.
Samsung Gear IconX ($199.99)
If you’re looking to cut cords all together and up your fitness game, the Samsung Gear IconX will allow you to do just that. Like Apple Airpods for Android users of the world, IconX are completely wire-free earbuds that eliminate the need to take your phone with you when you’re working out thanks to 4 GB of internal memory that holds up to 1000 songs and internal technology that tracks your activity and provides updates on speed, distance, duration, heart rate, and calories via a voice guide that can be synched with your smartphone to the S Health app to check your stats. Available in black, white, or blue.
Love is Love Mug Set from Williams Sonoma ($25.95)
Love is love on Valentine’s Day and every other day of the year. Show your beloved how much you love them (and their love of Lin-Manuel Miranda since Love is Love is part of a poem he wrote when he won the Tonys) with a gift of these gorgeous white mugs from Williams-Sonoma that support The Human Rights Campaign. The pair of mugs features an all-over pattern of multicolored and gleaming gold hearts, a gold rim, a heartfelt message within, and does more good since Williams-Sonoma is donating 50% of the purchase price to The Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest civil rights organization working to end discrimination against LGBTQ people – and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
Jaybird Freedom ($129.99)
For those who love their digital devices but want to cut the cord, JayBird X3 are the way to go. I’m in love with the bright red pair of Bluetooth headphones that feature noise isolation technology for a secure fit whether I’m listening to music during a run or using them for work calls. I appreciate that I can use them for 8-hours of music and calls on a single charge, that they’re versatile and can be worn either over or under the ear, and the Jaybird MySound app allows me to customize and sync my audio settings. If you’re looking for wireless Bluetooth earbuds that provide the features of the Freedom plus an in-line remote or volume control and a microphone, be sure to take a look at the Jaybird X3 ($299).
Custom State Necklace from theFolk on Etsy ($34)
While this gift is likely to arrive after Valentine’s Day, the sentiment will be just as sweet because I can’t see not loving the made to order state necklaces and custom necklaces made by theFolk out of sterling silver or gold filled wire. I happen to have the state of California necklace that was a gift from a dear friend during her recent visit to Washington, D.C. and adore it! My love for it is tied with the love I have for the taco necklace I got over the holidays and I’m currently trying to figure out how to wear them together without them becoming a knotted mess!
UE BOOM 2 ($199.99) or UE MEGABOOM ($299.99)
My mother always says, “Those who care, share” and since there are times you want to share the music, Ultimate Ears products allow you to do just that. UE Boom 2 and UE Megaboom deliver big sound through wireless Bluetooth speakers that deliver 360 degree sound in a sleek, waterproof, shockproof, colorful, and virtually indestructible package. Both allow you to pair up to 8 Bluetooth devices and connect up to 2 devices to simultaneously stream music to your UE product. Fill your space with even more sound thanks to PartyUp, the ability to connect as many Ultimate Ears speakers as you can get your hands on. What’s the difference between the UE Boom 2 and UE Megaboom besides price? Battery life! The Megaboom is larger than the Boom 2 and features a rechargeable battery that provides up to 20 hours of battery life between charges compared to the Boom 2’s 15 hours.
(Sweet Nothings Valentine themed box $57.95 or $37.95 for a single box /$34.95 quarterly)
What could be more romantic than time together in the bedroom! Combining her love of books and her years of experience selling sensual adult toys at in-home parties, Thien-Kim Lam, founded Bawdy Bookworms because of her belief that every woman deserves a happy ending. For a gift that keeps on giving, Bawdy Bookworms features quarterly boxes are shipped in plain boxes but their contents are anything but! Each box is centered around a theme found in the romantic book selection and includes some sexy surprises. Smart women who subscribe to Bawdy Bookworms also have access to an online community where they come together to talk about each quarter’s featured sexy book, share favorite reads, and chat just like your regular book club does. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Bawdy Bookworms is offering a Sweet Nothings Valentine themed box ($57.95) that includes “lickable, sexy fun.”
Logitech Silent Mouse (M330 Silent Plus – $29.99, M220 Silent – $24.99)
Because not everyone loves the sound of a clicking mouse, Logitech’s Silent Mouse provides welcome quiet to your home office or shared cube with 90% quieter clicking. With no click noises, you can stay focused and productive without worrying that you are disturbing others you care about. What’s the difference between the M330 and M220? Size and shape. The M330 features a more ergonomic design while the M220 is a more traditional mouse shape.
Huawei Mate 9 ($599)
Listed on my 15 Cool Tech Products from CES 2017 You Need to Know about, I’m adding the Huawei Mate 9 to my Valentine’s Day Gift guide too in case someone you love needs a mobile upgrade. The sleek design, Leica camera, 5.9” screen, 64 GB of storage plus an expansion slot that can be dual-SIM or hold a 1 SIM + 1 micro SD card, plus the fact that it’s an unlocked phone that can be used with any carrier’s SIM are just some of the many reasons to love this Android phone.
Samples were received to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
