Prep for Guests With A High-Tech Touch

Nothing says “welcome” like a classic doorbell, and with the Nest Hello video doorbell, visitors can really hear you say it. Answer the phone from anywhere! This sleek hybrid brings together traditional design with two-way talk, instant alerts, IR night vision and HD video triggered by motion sensors or when your guests push the button. There’s also a Live View option that sends streaming video and audio to your Smartphone, tablet, or PC. 

Having a party? A house full of people can heat up quickly. Check the ambient temperature with a quick glance on your Smart thermostat app and schedule a blast of cool air that kicks on before kickoff and returns to your preferred, energy-efficient setting when the last guest leaves. If it’s a regular event, such as game day every Saturday afternoon, the budget-friendly Nest Thermostat E will follow your lead after a week or two and program itself with the settings you’re most likely to choose, leaving you free to entertain.

Make time for a quiet night in during the busy holidays.

NICE AND NEAT

With pets, kids, friends, and family tracking in and out, it’s almost impossible to keep floors clean for more than a few minutes. Who has the time -- or the inclination? Let the Neato Robotics Botvac D80 Bagless Vacuum do the dirty work for you. Program the Botvac to clean every inch of carpet, hardwood, or tile while you’re out doing things you actually enjoy. Its large wheels and brushroll feature help it maneuver seamlessly from one flooring type to another. The Botvac has LaserSmart mapping and navigation that scans the room to avoid obstacles, while the D-shape design cleans from edge to edge of every room without scuffs and with optimal efficiency. You can even add a magnetic strip to keep the Neato away from any “off-limits” areas, from fragile decorations to Fido’s kennel. 

Once the house is clean and your guests have been welcomed, it’s time to make sure everyone has plenty to eat and drink. Start dinner with the NuWave Pro Plus Oven. It uses conduction heat, just like a conventional oven, convection heat, which circulates hot air around the food, and infrared heat, which penetrates food, cooking on the outside and inside at the same time. It allows you to bake, broil, barbecue, roast, grill, steam, dehydrate, and air-fry all in one convenient appliance. It's also an energy-efficient countertop appliance that uses far less energy than a traditional oven and cooks much faster with its triple cooking combination.

LET GUESTS ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES

It’s wonderful to welcome family and friends for long visits, but extending a bit of privacy to your guests is an important way to show you care. Let your overnighters have a bit of solitude behind closed doors, and pop a Chromecast Media Player into a single HDMI slot of the guest room TV so they can access their own accounts for movies and music. They’ll be falling asleep to late night talk shows in no time. 

To simplify Wi-Fi access for your visitors, try enabling Guest Mode with your Google Home assistant. It sends a secret PIN to your guest’s Smartphone so they can log on quickly and you can keep your existing password secure.

IS IT HOT IN HERE, OR IS IT JUST ME?

To learn even more about running an energy-efficient home, log in to Alabama Power for your personalized energy checkup.