Forget decking your halls with boughs of holly, this holiday season, tech your halls with some festive technology.Smart is the new black in terms of this season’s hottest decorating trend, and the shelves are stocked with the latest fashions in digitized holiday decor. But these teched-out trimmings won’t only make your holiday display brighter, they can actually make decorating easier and, dare we say, a whole lot smarter.From smartphone-controlled lights to energy-monitoring plugs, here are the top products to simplify your seasonal decoration display and help you formulate a very smart — and festive — holiday all your own.Belkin WeMo Insight Switch. Turn any outlet in your home into a smart one with this little device. By simply plugging in any home appliance or electronic device into this smart switch, you’ll be able to control the outlet with your smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi. You can turn devices on or off, program customized notifications, and even monitor your devices from any location. This switch is great for programming your holiday lights, but it’s also perfect for keeping your home cozy and lit when used with space heaters and lamps. $59.99Lumenplay Classic C9 Starter Set. This string of smart lights gives you the power to control your holiday display with a smartphone or tablet. Not only can you change the color of your lights to your exact specifications (more than 16 million colors to choose from), but the coordinating Lumenplay app guides you in orchestrating your own custom light show √† la Clark Griswold with motion effects set to music. $79.99Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit. This smart home bundle comes with everything you need to control, monitor, and secure your home remotely. The kit comes with a hub to control all the devices, multiple outlet controls and sensors that connect wirelessly to your smartphone or tablet, and is compatible with hundreds of other connected products. The system’s sensors send text alerts if a window is open, the lights are left on, or there is movement in the home — the motion sensors can also catch present peepers in the act. $249Neurio Home Energy Monitor. From holiday lights to high thermostat temperatures, energy bills can quickly get out of hand. This kit helps you save money by directly monitoring your energy consumption with a main sensor that attaches to your electrical panel and sends information to your smartphone or computer about your energy consumption. The device can even detect behavior patterns and then program specific appliances to meet your energy goals. $179.99Christmas Decorations App. Although it won’t do the actual physical work for you, this handy app provides great design ideas and offers a list of the supplies necessary to make your creations a reality. $0.99Want to decorate your home like a pro without breaking the bank? Learn how to do it yourself with these helpful tips.
