So Luke and I are definitely not what I would consider “techies,” but we did find some fun and pretty basic ways to use technology to help us start moving toward a “smart Christmas” this year. I was really amazed at how simple, affordable and easy to implement (even in our older home) some of this technology is, and how the features go beyond just the cool factor and actually are really practical.
Our tree – went flocked this year and loving it!
My favorite is this Smart Plug. We actually already had this and usually use it for the market lights we have on our back patio so we can control them from an app on our phones. We decided to move the plug out front during the holiday season to use with our outdoor lights, since it would allow us to avoid having to go outside when it’s cold to plug in the lights and then again to turn them off at night. It can also work with voice commands through Alexa if you have one in your home. We then got even more excited when we realized that you could actually program the plug to automatically turn on each evening and to turn off each night at times of your choosing! So now we don’t even have to remember to turn them on and off each night, which is great because there have definitely been more than a few times that I totally forgot and realized in the morning that I’d left them on all night! I’m now all in on this plug and went ahead and purchased a second one to use with our tree since they are under $20!
Our guest bathroom – twinkling and festive!
The other item we tried out this year are these little remote operated twinkle/fairy lights. I’ve been obsessed with twinkle lights for a year or two and just love the look they create throughout the house, but this was the first time I’d seen the remote function. It’s actually really nice because generally when you’re using these lights, you’re trying to hide the little battery pack so that you don’t ruin the aesthetic. That makes it pretty annoying to then have to dig the battery pack out from it’s hiding spot each time you need to flip the switch to turn them on and off. So the remote feature is really nice. It has 8 different settings for different types of flickering, fading, twinkling, etc. of the lights, including one setting that is a timer that will turn your lights on for 6 hours and then off for 18. These are also a great value at $20 for 4 strands. I’ve had so much fun using these throughout the house to bring some holiday cheer to different rooms from the living room to bedroom to bathrooms!
I know we are just dipping our toes into the big world that is smart home technology, but I was so excited about these products that I wanted to share!
Have you found any fun ways to use technology in your home for decorating? I’d love to hear them!
xo,
Shannon
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