Creating a Cozy and Comfortable Holiday Home with ecobee

I have never been someone to jump on bandwagons, especially when it comes to technology. To be honest, the only smart home product we’ve owned is an Alexa, and that is still fairly new to us. It’s not that we didn't recognize the convenience smart technology adds to our lives, it’s just that we’ve always had that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.

When we moved into our Colonial fixer-upper a little over a month ago, I realized what an eyesore our current thermostats were: you know, the old school round type thermostats. I told my husband we should look into upgrading them, and one day while out in the hardware store, we came across the ecobee. My husband was attracted to it based on aesthetics alone. Once we played around with it a little in the store and saw all of its benefits, we knew it could help us to create a cozy and comfortable home before the holidays.

In our home we have two heating zones. One of our thermostats happens to be located right next to our fireplace, which has been getting lots of use lately as the days and nights are getting colder and we are gearing up for the cozy holiday season. The location of the thermostat caused concern for us because we didn’t want the heat from the fireplace to confuse the old thermostat’s sensor.

But with the ecobee SmartThermostat and sensor, we can enable “Follow Me” and move the sensor away from the fireplace and into the rooms we are celebrating most in, so it reads whatever temperature is at the sensor's location, and not the thermostat's location, ensuring that the room's temperature stays at a comfortable level.

Another one of our favorite features of the ecobee SmartThermostat is being able to play music through Alexa. Whether we’re creating a holiday playlist, singing along to Christmas carols by the fire, or having a dance party, it really helps to boost the holiday spirit.

Installing the ecobee was pretty simple, however our home is a bit older so I needed a little assistance from ecobee’s expert support team. The support person I spoke to was amazingly helpful and extremely knowledgeable. She patiently walked me through every step until everything was up and running.

I decided to place our SmartCamera in our kitchen window because it is equipped with a window mode feature which removes glare. This feature makes it easier to keep an eye out for deliveries or on my littles while they’re outside playing, providing me with comfort and peace of mind. Since I chose not to mount it, I can easily move it when necessary. Over the holidays, I plan to place it near the Christmas tree to keep an eye on the gifts and to ensure there isn't any peeking!

Transitioning your home to a smart home doesn’t have to be intimidating. ecobee’s line of smart home products are easy to install and can automate your everyday tasks, making life simpler and more convenient. They provide you and your family with the benefits of comfort, security, cost and energy savings, and peace of mind.

Carli Alves is the author of Made by Carli – a home decor, DIY, and home renovation blog. She resides in Rhode Island with her husband and four children. After three years renovating a historic Victorian, she and her family have recently embarked on a new fixer-upper project: updating a 1945 Colonial.

Carli believes that your home is your refuge – a space that should be calm, comfortable, and welcoming. She accomplishes this by creating spaces with modern elements while also staying true to the character of the home. On her blog, you will find projects ranging from small builds, DIY home decor, and room reveals.