Smart wins: how to nail a night-in
It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to enjoy the simple, everyday pleasures of normal life. So, now more than ever, it’s important to make time to treat yourself. We reckon these long winter evenings are the perfect opportunity to indulge in a spot of relaxation and pampering. To help, here are four simple ways your smart tech can add to your ultimate night in.
1. Get set for a cosy night in with Hive Active Heating’s ‘Ready By’ feature
Firstly, it’s important to get the small details, like heating, just right.
If you’re planning an evening of pampering in your PJs, you’ll want the temperature to be slightly warmer than normal.
If you’ve got a Hive Thermostat, then it’s really easy to do this with the smart thermostat’s clever ‘Ready By’ feature. The clue’s in the name really: ‘Ready By’ gets your home to just the temperature you like at the specific time you want.
So earlier in the day, use your Hive app to tell your thermostat you’d like it to be around 22C by, say, 7pm sharp. Then leave it to figure out when to turn on the heating in order to get there.
2. Let smart lights get things calm and cosy
If you’ve got smart lights, they’re a quick way to give your home a relaxing vibe. You can dim them and set them to a warm, cosy hue. And like smart heating, your smart lights can be scheduled in advance, so they just come on automatically, without you even needing to think about it.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, how about treating yourself to a colour-changing smart light bulb? Using your smartphone, you can personalise each bulb to create the ideal setting. For a spa night, we’d recommend a balance of lavender and soft yellow, which are both known for their healing, calming properties.
3. Lights, camera, activate Movie Night
A quick poll round the Hive Teams channel revealed lots of us are missing cinema trips at the moment. The big screen, the atmospheric lighting, that unmistakable crunch of yesterday’s popcorn underfoot…
With Siri Shortcuts you can create pre-set actions. So you can design your own customised cinema experience, getting things like your heating and lights to work seamlessly around you, using your voice. Just follow these simple steps to set it up.
Then, when you say the trigger phrase ‘movie night’, your lights will dim and the heating will go up – getting things just right for your night in at the movies.
4. Switch everything off without lifting a finger
Did you know that Hive works with Amazon Echo and Google Home? So when your night draws to a close and it’s time to hit the sack, ask Alexa to help put your home to bed.
Turn off your lights and turn down the heating – all by using your voice.
Just the thing when you’re heading upstairs half asleep (or if your smartphone’s disappeared down the back of the sofa!)
And finally…
We hope these tips help you enjoy all the comfort a home can bring. But most importantly, look after yourself, stay safe and remember the end is in sight.
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