With the seasons changing, the energy use in our homes shift and the areas that will take the pressure need to be prepared and honed before they are running at maximum capacity.
First and foremost, make the call to get your A/C unit cleaned and prime for the pending sweltering heat.
Next, invest in a wi-fi connected thermostat like a Nest. You can save a significant amount of money and frustration and it is incredibly easy to install. Nest allows you to program the daily schedule or, you can allow it to “learn” your programming by remembering the settings you select.
A thinner, sleeker design. A bigger, sharper display. The 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat is more beautiful than ever.
With Farsight, it lights up when it sees you coming and shows you the time or temperature from across the room. And the Nest Thermostat is proven to save energy.
In addition, there are several companies that have developed products that coordinate through Nest to help master even more elements of your home, like a smoke detector, security cameras and my personal favorite, the keyless home entry.
Already have a security monitoring service like ADT? PC Reviews notes “indoor Wi-Fi security cameras offer a cost-effective way to keep tabs on your home while you’re away, but unless they’re paired with a comprehensive security system, it’s up to you to monitor activities and call the authorities in the event of a break-in.
Enter the LG Smart Security All-in One Home Monitoring Camera Hub with Optional ADT Monitoring Service an indoor Wi-Fi camera that offers 24/7 monitoring via ADT’s Canopy service. This camera is ideal for renters, apartment dwellers, and homeowners who want the benefit of professional monitoring without having to commit to a contract or pay for professional installation.”
How about a security camera that activates with motion. As soon as motion is detected, HD video starts recording. If you’re just looking to check in, our Live View mode lets you take a look right away through the Blink app.
Another thermostat system that is garnering attention is the Ecobee3 Thermostat with Sensor, Wi-Fi, 2nd Generation that works with Amazon Alexa, another stylish device you can control remotely. It’s not dependent on just monitoring home temperature from one spot—it checks multiple sensors in multiple rooms.
Want to save a ton of money and reduce what is a regular hassle? Switch your light bulbs to LED’s. An incandescent lasts 1,000 hours, a compact fluorescent for 8,000 and an LED for 25,000. That equals $11,520 dollars in savings over 20 years or nearly $600 a year! Here is a great price on a 5-pack for LED can lights, and here is a 6-pack of traditional size LED bulbs for lamps. It lasts 22.8 years based on 3 hours per day. Rated at 25,000 hours. You’ll likely move before you need to change your light bulbs again.
The last frontier for saving money and more importantly, time, is cleaning. Save yourself the hands-on with a Vacuuming iRobot Roomba 650 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner that you can program to start according to your schedule or start manually by hand or wireless from your phone, iPad or tablet. Just think about it, leave your house in the morning and return to a freshly vacuumed house… every day if you so choose.
As often as needed and again, completely hands-off, you can mop with the iRobot Braava jet 240 Mopping Robot – Robotic Mop are you feeling the relief of returning home to the mopped floor you didn’t have to mop…? The iRobot Braava jet Mopping Robot delivers fresh, clean floors every day. With its compact, smart design and iAdapt 2.0 Navigation system, Braava jet mops and sweeps hard-to-reach places, like under kitchen cabinets and around toilets. Just attach a Braava jet Cleaning Pad and the robot automatically customizes cleaning based on pad type. In wet mopping and damp sweeping modes, the Precision Jet Spray and Vibrating Cleaning Head tackle dirt and stains. In dry sweeping mode, Braava jet traps and locks away dust, dirt, and pet hair. Braava jet cleans hard floors, including hardwood, tile, and stone.
How about getting smart with our cooking? Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker, WIFI 2nd Gen, 900 Watts, The Anova Precision Cooker makes it easy to achieve professional-level cooking results at home. To use, simply attach the cooker to any water-filled pot, put your food in a sealable bag, and set the time and temperature. The Precision Cooker heats and circulates the water to a precise temperature, cooking food to an exact temperature that creates maximum tenderness and moisture retention (without worry of overcooking). The Anova Precision Cooker connects to your phone, so you can cook amazing meals by the touch of a button and an app keeps you notified of the cooking process every step of the way. Spend less time tied to the kitchen by relying on the app to notify you when your food is ready to eat.
Combine this with the Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale Multifunction Food Scale, 11 lb 5 kg, Silver, Stainless Steel (Batteries Included). Modernize your home kitchen with user-friendly portioning simplicity. Easily measure your garnishes and ingredients by grams, milliliters, pounds and ounces with the quick unit conversion button. The digital scale features a handy auto-tare function so you can easily measure ingredients in a dish without having to do any math, so you can cut down on prep time to enjoy your meal.
The scale is designed with a smooth stainless steel platform for easy cleaning and maintenance. Accent your countertop with a modern look. Otherwise, the slim design makes it easy to store in any kitchen cabinet or drawer. Although the scale is slim, it maintains the durability to withstand up to 11 pounds of weight. When the capacity is surpassed, the scale will alert you with a safe overload indication. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned chef, this digital scale has the simplicity and practicality to create the perfect kitchen creations.
After we master cooking we can master our health and weight with the
Weight Gurus Bluetooth Smart Connected Body Fat Scale w/ Large Digital Backlit LCD, Precision/Accurate Measurements include: BMI, Body Fat, Lean Mass, Water Weight, and Bone Mass.
The scale Measures weight, BMI, body fat, lean mass, water weight, & bone mass. Extra-large, backlit LCD screen. Auto-calibration & auto-off. Auto user detect supports up to 8 different users. Non-slip, scratch-resistant feet. 4 precise weighing sensors ensure an accuracy of +/- 0.2 lb. Large, tempered glass weighing surface holds up to 400 lbs. 4 AAA batteries included. NOTE: Do not use if you have a pacemaker or another medical electronic implant.
Ready to go extreme with smart house-ness, get yourself a robot lawn mower. Robot lawn mowers don’t come cheap, but they definitely come in handy. Check out the Robomow RS622 Battery Operated Lawn Mower, Perfect for Florida lawns, the all new Robomow RS622 is a feature packed robotic lawn mower designed for lawn areas up to 23,000 sq ft or lots up to 1/2 acre. The Robomow RS622 is able to cope with St. Augustine grass, with double wide wheels, specialized mowing blade with cutting height up to 3.14 inches.
Pine cones, small twigs, thick lawns, St. Augustine grass* and high grass are no match for the 22 inch cut blade motors on the Robomow RS22. Two strong, 11 inch stainless steel, three-star cutting blades are attached to the motor for a total of 22 inch cutting width. The Robomow RS622 is the “Friendliest” robotic lawn mower in the US market. It comes with everything you need to install on your yard without having to buy additional accessories. Robomow RS622 comes with 1,000 feet of perimeter wire and 400 pegs. That’s enough to materials to cover almost an 1/2 acre lot.
PC Reviews recommends basically coordinating all of the above together with Echo, a Bluetooth speaker powered by Alexa, Amazon’s handy voice assistant. Alexa works with a number of smart home devices directly, as well as with If This Then That (IFTTT) to control plenty of others via “recipes” you can create yourself. It’ll take some work, but you can use Alexa to control most of the gadgets in your house by the sound of your voice.
Many other soon to be on the market items are going to be must haves! Like the self-sterilizing door knob. More will come and we will keep you posted when they become available. In the meantime- enjoy programming your new technology.
Have ideas you’d like to add? Need more suggestions? Let me know!
Julie Koester is CEO of Life with Moxie, a Lifestyle Revolution Company www.lifewithmoxie.com and www.moxiecreed.com and Host of Life with Moxie Radio, Saturday’s at 1pm on 98.9 WGUF in Southwest Florida. You can reach her at [email protected]
Passionate Living by Design, That’s Life with Moxie.
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Sources: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2410889,00.asp
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