On our first Christmas together, my wife found a teddy bear under the tree.

He’d been a long time coming. Shortly after we married, Heather mentioned that she hadn’t had one as a girl. And while she joked that I was the official substitute – “Mr. Bear” – it still seemed important enough to fix.  So Santa paid a visit – and all these years later, Wilson remains a faithful companion.

Small gifts can make a big difference.

In this space, we’ve seen that a lot with energy efficiency. I’ve written before about businesses that saved enough energy to power a small town or how homes can spot variations in their electric bill that can suggest ways to save. And of course, Efficiency Works has always been ready to offer saving suggestions with home and virtual visits.

But one quick help for homes that shouldn’t be forgotten is our Efficiency Works store. Not only does it offer a lot of small energy-saving items, but a lot of them throw in discounts and flash sales as well. For example, as we navigate these cold days, the store is currently turning down the dial on smart thermostats, with sales of $20 to $70 off  on Mysa smart thermostats for baseboard heaters, Google Nest Thermostats, and Google Nest Learning Thermostats. You’ll also want to keep an eye out in the next few days for deep discounts on LED light bulbs and water-savers.

It’s a great gift to give yourself – something small that can continue to make a big difference, long after the holidays are over.

And if you want to give yourself a teddy bear, too, don’t worry. Wilson’s lips are sealed.