Thank you to Honeywell for sponsoring this post.
One responsibility of home ownership that I really love is being able to choose the temperature inside the house. Growing up, I remember trying to figure out how to adjust the old, manual thermostat because I was always freezing cold in the winter and overheated in the summer. I still feel that way when I go visit home! Now living in Texas, where the outside temperatures can fluctuate degrees with the passing clouds, choosing my own weather inside is awesome. Although we have lived in this new home for two years already, it has not been until recently that we’ve felt really in control. The second generation Lyric Round Wi-Fi Thermostat from Honeywell is not only sleek and modern, making it easy to decorate around, I can program it to automatically switch from heating to cooling in order to maintain the set temperature. I used to think all thermostats had that capability, until Dave noticed that I would turn the heat on a summer morning, and it would heat all day, effectively raising the inside temperature to a sauna while I sat wondering why the a/c hadn’t kicked on! The auto-adjust is a game changer. I love that I can also easily make adjustments with the Lyric app on my phone, even if I’m just cuddled up on the couch or next to the fire in the other room.
The Lyric thermostat can also recognize when we come and go (also known as geofencing), which creates a chance for it to adjust to save energy while we are away. We will definitely need that feature when we travel this summer and there is no sense in keeping the house cool until we head home.
Since the Lyric thermostat is right smack in the middle of the house, along the main hallway, I love that Lyric is so well designed. I had been struggling to decorate around the previous thermostat box, and now feel like this section of wall looks just right. Something about that modern, round design fits right in with some marbled air plant holders that I made, and a set of simple succulent prints.
When I’m working in the studio, which is at the very front of the house, I love to have a few hours of uninterrupted creative time. Being able to make small adjustments in the temperature is awesome. I can focus on my work and avoid the distractions of leaving the room and seeing all of the other things that I could work on at home. Even when it is a hundred degrees outside, we keep it cool inside and I love to feel cozy reading a book by the fire or telling stories with the kids under a quilt. And sometimes in the cold of winter I like to turn it up just for the afternoon and shed some layers, creating a little bit of spring inside. Mostly, it is great to be able to choose, and have the thermostat respond quickly and easily.
I also find my mood can be affected a lot by the weather. Warm, sunny days give me energy and make me happy, while grey and gloomy days make me feel like I should forget my to-do list and crawl back into bed. I cannot help but think about how just as the swipe of my finger can change my thermostat setting, a conscious adjustment of my attitude can brighten my outlook and boost my enthusiasm. I think that mental swipe starts by counting my blessings to reset to an abundant perspective, looking outside myself for someone to serve or help (I always have at least three little tiny someone’s who need my attention), and remembering to take a break when I need one to recharge my batteries. I can choose my own weather inside the house and inside my head.
