Gadgets to Give Yourself a Smart Home

 

Momma always said, “Work smarter, not harder.” Today you can have a smart home! Turn off the lights without leaving the couch or even having to clap! This month, let's discuss some fun ways to turn your boring old house into the Bill Gates of homes.

 

Have you ever left the house and thought, “Oh no! I left the iron on.” Well, worry no longer! What you need is a smart plug. A smart plug is a Wifi enabled outlet that allows you to turn it off or on remotely. One use I would surely take advantage of is the timer. I am notorious for forgetting to unplug my phone and charging it overnight, which is no longer a problem because I can schedule my smart plug to turn off in the middle of the night. I wonder how long I could turn the TV off without a remote before my kids realize how I do it…

 

A smart lock is like having a genius front door. Your phone acts as a Bluetooth key and as you leave for the day, you can lock the door with the touch of your finger. You can also open the door with that same finger and not have to worry about fumbling around with your keys because you’re holding more grocery bags than you should, because come on now, who takes two trips?

 

Some might say that changing the thermostat from your phone is lazy but I say they’re not embracing the future! All joking aside, a smart thermostat is a nice feature to make life a bit easier. They can learn what temperature they like during different times of day and program themselves to their favorites. You can also check and change your home temperature from your phone because you know that when your children get home, they set the temperature to that of the Arctic Circle.

 

Not sure what to use this for? I for one would have a smart light bulb so that whenever I have a good idea, I could turn the light bulb on. If you want to use the light bulbs a little more practically, they do have many other uses. They can be programmed and timed to your needs and wants. I wonder if the light would be more effective than sound as a morning alarm. The lights can also be used to thwart possible evil-doers by making it seem like someone is home.

 

Whether it’s Amazon Alexa or Google Home, you can have your home assistant that controls all the devices mentioned above. You can ask them to turn up the thermostat, turn off the lights, or even make sure the front door is locked. They even aid in simpler tasks such as setting a timer and setting the mood with some smooth jazz.

 

Not only is embracing technology fun and exciting, but it’s always nice having one less thing to worry about.