Living Smart

We all know the balance between work and home life is a tricky one.  How does one balance so many tasks in a day? There must be an easier way.

With technology growing rapidly, certain daily stresses can be alleviated with the push of a button.  But how does one get the full usage out of today’s modern home technology? 

In 2017, my husband and I devoted our permanent change of station (PCS, with the US Navy) move to build a fully customized home from the ground up to ease our harsh transition to a new location. Our move took us from Honolulu, HI (my home state) to Saratoga Springs, NY. Before this move, I had never left Hawai’i and had only seen snow on TV.  Going from year-round sunny beaches and crystal-clear ocean water to snowstorms that can black out entire towns, driving on ice, and being locked in your home for most of the year was a difficult transition. Your home truly becomes your safe haven.

We investigated all things ”smart” and sifted through our most utilitarian home needs. From there, we decided on a handful of smart appliances including a washer/dryer, lights, speakers, and more that could sync to our Google Home and smartphones.  After a progressive collection and upgrade period, we had developed our home’s interior and exterior smart features to suit our needs. No matter our location, whether it be the local grocery store or a different state, we had the power to preheat the oven, start a load of laundry, vacuum the floors, sync music throughout the entire home, utilize most of the lights (including holiday, indoor or outdoor), close a forgotten garage door, adjust the thermostat, and spy on our two Shiba Inus—all from the palm of our hands.

Some might think that all these minor technological upgrades are unnecessary or frivolous for their home, but utilized effectively, the amount of time that can be collectively saved is worth it all. From the multitude of 30-second stair climbs to flip a single switch, the extra 30-minute drive back to check the open garage door or turn off the lights, the extra 15 minutes to preheat the oven, and especially the weekly lost hour of vacuuming all amount to significant time savings.

Technology is only as smart as the user makes it. You can make it smart too.