With the hustle and bustle of the holidays and change in seasons, there are plenty of things to worry about as you wrap up the year. Don't let your front door be one of them. Here are five things you should consider doing before winter settles in.

1. Install weatherstripping.

Refreshing or adding new weatherstripping around your exterior doors can help seal out that frigid winter air. It's a project that's easy for even the most beginner-DIYer to accomplish. Here's a great guide from Houzz for checking for drafts around your home and how to seal them back up.

2. Secure hardware.

Now is a great time to make sure your door hardware is properly installed and working as it should. Make sure your deadbolt doesn't catch the door jamb when you lock and unlock. You definitely don't want to be stuck outside applying force to unlock your deadbolt in freezing temperatures.

3. Go keyless.

Are you hosting guests this holiday season? Make it easy for them to come and go without worrying about spare keys by installing a keyless deadbolt. Simply assign a unique code for each guest and have peace of mind that no one will get locked out or lose a key while they're staying with you.

4. Fresh coat of paint.

As winter drags on for months and months, everything around you can feel dull and depressing. Don't let your front door be one of them. Add a fresh coat of paint now and enjoy a new pop of color all winter long. Check out our tips for painting doors to make this project a breeze.

5. Put a wreath on it.

Have a little fun with your front door and accessorize it! Choose a seasonal wreath to add a special finishing touch.

 

What are you doing around your home before another cold winter hits? Comment below to let us know!

According to a recent consumer study conducted by Traditional Home Magazine, 4.9 billion connected devices will be in use in 2015 and will reach 25 billion by 2020. The same study also found that nearly one-fourth (24%) of consumers think the technology will be an everyday, common feature in US households. With this expectation of explosive growth in adoption, it pays to understand what it really means to have a smart home.

You could live like the Jetsons.

When many consumers think of a smart home, they often picture a futuristic scene where everything in the home is controlled by a single system - much like an episode of the Jetsons. It's full of bells and whistles that are often over the top, like a self-making bed or a toilet seat that automatically warms up before you sit down. While both of the two examples are features of products that actually exist, this type of set up is often complicated and costly.

You're already using a major component.

Many of today's available smart home devices are controlled by something you very likely are already carrying in your pocket - your smart phone. You can control your devices in the home simply by pulling up the device's app and commanding it to do what you want. If you pair a compatible home automation hub, you can gain remote capabilities and control your devices from that same app no matter where you are in the world.

What a smart home really looks like.

Today's smart home is actually made up of a series of products created by different manufacturers that are developed to work together. They are often set up and maintained by the homeowner instead of a professional. Many manufacturers provide helpful tutorials through videos, installation guides and even step-by-step app setup and online chats to help even the most beginner-level consumer.

 

The best way to get started in outfitting your smart home is to consider the products that are used on a daily basis. Think your thermostat, deadbolt and lighting. These items all play a part in keeping your home safe, secure and comfortable and now have the ability to do so more conveniently and efficiently. 

 

Building a smart home is much easier than you may think. No matter your level of familiarity with smart home technology, there is an ecosystem of products that are easy to install and use. It just takes a little consideration to see which devices would provide the most benefit to your daily life. For more information on getting started, check out this simple method we recommend.

Outfitting a fully automated smart home is no longer a distant, complicated dream. Advancements in technology have made smart home products easy and affordable for the average homeowner to install and use. Here are three reasons you should consider upgrading some of your everyday products to smart home devices.

1. Simplicity.

Smart home devices allow homeowners to simplify their lives by connecting devices that can be automated into sequences that are more convenient and efficient. Imagine the lights in your home automatically turning on as soon as you unlock your door or a coffee maker that begins brewing as soon as your alarm goes off. You can even enjoy greater peace of mind no matter where you are in the world when you're able to check in on your home and ensure everything is safe and sound. Smart home products are all about simplifying your daily tasks so you can start focusing on more important things. 

2. Trust.

Many of the same brands you've known and loved for years are entering the smart home space with reliable products. No matter your level of familiarity with technology, you can trust when you purchase a device from an established brand, it's going to work. You can expect the same level of service and quality guarantee you've grown to love but now with the most advanced technology.

3. Affordability.

Greater consumer demand and product innovation has made smart home products more affordable than ever. There's no reason to spend thousands of dollars to install a complicated system that requires a professional to set up. Start by upgrading to products you already know and interact with on a daily basis, such as your door locks or lights. It's best to start small and see what features actually suit your lifestyle over others. Here's a simple method to help you get started with smart home technology.

 

Tell us, what features do you look for in smart home products?

Today's Google Doodle pays tribute to a talented actress on her 101st birthday whose life proved to be full of surprises. Hedy Lamarr would have turned 101 today and, looking back on her life, it's no surprise that Google would choose to honor her with this animated video.

 

Let's take a look at her life to see why we should thank her for the very technology that has transformed our day-to-day lives, even the way we lock our homes.
 

According to hedylamarr.com, Hedy Lamarr was born in Austria and began her film career at seventeen years old. After gaining much attention for her controversial roles, she moved to Hollywood in 1938 where she starred in several films alongside actors like Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. Dubbed one of the most beautiful women in the world, Hedy didn’t feel challenged enough by her career in film making and sought to do much more with her life. She once famously stated, "Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid."

 

According to a 2011 NPR interview with Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, The Most Beautiful Woman in the World, Hedy was not your typical Hollywood actress.

 

"Hedy didn't drink. She didn't like to party," he says. "Her idea of a good evening was a quiet dinner party with some intelligent friends where they could discuss ideas — which sounds so un-Hollywood, but Hedy had to find something else to do to occupy her time."

 

During World War II, Hedy decided to use her ideas to help the war efforts. She had a special interest in science and military technology and used that interest to create a secret communication system to overcome the jamming of Allied radio transmissions by Axis powers. According to CNN, "she teamed with composer George Antheil, a neighbor, to create a frequency-hopping system -- based on the 88 keys in pianos -- that would keep enemies from being able to detect the radio messages." This system became the basis for modern wireless communication, paving the way for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and more.

 

To learn more about Hedy Lamarr's fascinating life and history, be sure to check out her official website.

If you think you need to spend at least $1,000 to get started with Smart Home devices, you could be doing it wrong. There's no reason to buy a top of the line, fully-integrated home automation system that will leave you overwhelmed and broke. Instead, focus on the items you already use each day and slowly make the right upgrades to add greater convenience and efficiency to your day-to-day life.

 

Here are seven items you should focus on first that typically cost $300 or less.

1. Lock.

It's never a good feeling when you leave home for the day and can't remember whether you locked your front door. Smart locks can provide both peace of mind and convenience.

 

Get started with a lock like our Bluetooth®-enabled Schlage Sense™ smart deadbolt* that allows you to talk to unlock using voice commands with Siri® or enter a custom 4-8 digit PIN to gain access without a key. When paired with an AppleTV®, you can also gain remote capabilities. This allows you to check in to see whether your home is locked and safe no matter where you are in the world. Learn more about the conveniences of going keyless with connected locks.

2. Thermostat.

It's nothing new to be able to set a custom set of temperatures on your thermostat but not everyone has the same schedule every day of the week. With a smart thermostat, you can easily adjust the settings in your home from an app on your phone. This will help ensure you're always saving money and energy when you can. Some devices will even use your daily habits to learn on its own to adjust based on the patterns you've shown. 

3. Lights.

Imagine a room where the lights automatically adjust based on the amount of natural light shining in or flashing a specific color to alert you when a family member is calling your phone. Gone are the days of crawling out off your warm, cozy bed to make sure all the lights are out. Just pull up the designated app and turn your lights off without ever getting up. The features are simple but the convenience is hard to refuse and energy savings can quickly add up.

4. Garage door.

A wide open garage door is often viewed as a welcoming invitation to thieves and unwelcome guests. With a smart garage system, you can check in on your garage door via a mobile app. In the unfortunate event that you did forget to close the door, simply command the door to close right there in your app without turning back to head home.

5. Appliances.

The options are nearly endless with smart appliances so it helps to think about the items you use the most and whether the conveniences of those appliances working smarter are worth the extra investment. From smart refrigerators that alert you when certain products are going bad to coffee makers that automatically start brewing before you crawl out of bed, there's a smart home appliance that will fit your needs.

6. Cameras.

There's no reason to be worried about whether the kids made it home safely or your home is safe and sound while you're away. Connected cameras allow you to peak in on what's happening at your home whether you're at the office or halfway around the world.

7. Plug-in.

You don't have to purchase all new products and appliances to enjoy the benefits of smart home connectivity. With products like the iDevices Switch, you can take any ordinary product, plug-it in and watch it transform into a connected device enabled by HomeKit™ and Wi-Fi®.

 

Tell us, what other smart home devices are on your wishlist that make you day-to-day easier?

 

*The Schlage Sense™ lock should be within 40 feet of an Apple TV® for remote capability and uses Bluetooth® Smart technology to communicate with your iPhone®.