As a society, we're consumed with the weather. Our personal, business, and economic well being can often depend upon wind and weather conditions. Travel, shopping, and social decisions are often dependent on the weather, and it's a well known fact that most conversations begin and end with comments about wind and weather.

What's even more interesting about weather and wind is not only their impact on our daily lives, but that forecasting weather and wind have become one of today's hottest hobbies, no pun intended! Wind and weather gadgets and related instruments are now a large part of attractive home decor. Items such as portable weather stations, wind gauges, specialty thermometers, and wind and weather home forecasters serve practical and decorative purposes for the well designed home.

Let's examine what the latest wind and weather gadgets do and why they're showing up in more and more homes as fun and practical decorative items.

Portable weather stations, designed to fit on a desktop, are perfect for those who want their weather data at a glance. Weather stations are perfect for those with gardens who may be concerned about temperature and humidity conditions. For those in smaller spaces with indoor gardens or houseplants, a weather station is a valuable tool to alert you to any internal conditions that may need adjustment. Weather stations let you check temperature, humidity, forecasts, and more with one quick glance.

Wireless Rain Gauges: These clever devices can be wall mounted or placed on a desktop. They track and monitor rainfall totals for a 100 foot range, making them popular with gardeners. Wireless rain gauges are practical too - no need to tramp through a muddy garden to measure rainfall totals.

Our personal favorite is the Wind Resistant and Lighted Umbrella. Being from Chicago, we know about wind, rain, and umbrellas turned inside out. These sturdy umbrellas are designed to withstand winds anything short of a hurricane. Even more practical is their lighted feature ... their shaft is produced from clear acrylic which lights up in the dark automatically, providing a safety element as well as being extremely practical.

Hygrometers: Hygrometer is a fancy term for "tell me everything there is to know about the current weather conditions". A hygrometer displays every environmental factor imaginable in the palm of your hand. Especially appropriate for outdoor enthusiasts, these units display not only recent weather trends but forecasts as well.

"Family Friendly" Weather Forecasters: The latest fun weather gadgets are designed for youngsters. Animated weather forecasters show all the relevant wind and weather factors, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and upcoming trends. The unique and fun aspect of an animated weather forecaster is a built in "weather boy" who wears an outfit appropriate for the day's weather. Geared toward children, animated weather forecasters help guide children to dress appropriately for upcoming weather.

Learning and understanding weather is no longer the cut and dried forecast in the local paper or the news channel. These fun and practical weather gadgets are part of a growing hobby appropriate for all ages.