Smart Technology and Your Organized Home

Smart technology is everywhere and this week the Consumer Electronics Show has once again taken over Las Vegas and with it, comes a new round of Smart Appliances that “could” help you Outsmart the Chaos™.  As we begin 2013, we continue our search for great ways to save you time so you can live your life, generally well organized and exceptionally well loved.   Sharing this interview with my two cents about the role of certain smart appliances can play in your organized home.   If you are in thinking about adding smart appliances to your home in 2013, you might also find my post on Real Simple’s Blog, Simply Stated, helpful as well!

I love saving time. By now you know this about me and if I can save time and be more organized, then I’m in my home organization, family time management heaven. I recently was asked to be part of an interview about smart appliances and believe me, I asked the producer twice to make sure she understood I’m definitely not a tech blogger. While the interview certainly focuses on the technology appliances are using, the over arching theme is actually all about how these appliances could actually save you time and be more organized ~ enter me.  Here are my two favorite picks:

1.   Samsung RF4289 4-Door LCD Refrigerator with Apps.  Why?  Its all about the calendar!  While it would be most effective with a GO MOM! branded planning tool, the fact you can have your digital calendar on the fridge is a huge step forward in making family time management seamless in the most important space in your home.  Love that it not only gives you the 411 on your schedule but can also share photos, take notes, give you the latest weather, and of course, allow you to search, download, and display tonight’s dinner recipe while you cook.  All of these features could possibly save you time and help you be more organized ~ and this is a very good thing. I’d love the opportunity to test drive a smart fridge.  My red flags rest with the location of the monitor ~ is it more likely to have issues with wet hands and tons of fingerprints thanks to being so close to food?  As well, does having monitor on the fridge tempt you into cluttering the surface with all kinds of items that don’t need to be there?

2.  GE Nucleus This totally caught my eye because it puts me in touch with our energy consumption and gives me a way to manage it.  With a home that uses both propane and electric power sources, we are constantly trying to get it right and definitely on budget billing to keep unexpected spikes from ruining our monthly budget. Add in my teenagers and just like that, I have become my mother, telling them constantly to return to their rooms to turn off their lights and more.  What’s cool about this is the simplicity and power all rolled into one small device. Simply plug it into a regular outlet and it wirelessly collects data from your home’s smart meter, smart appliances, thermostats, etc. and broadcasts it to your smart phone or computer. This allows you to get precise data about your patterns of energy use and how to adjust them to save money by taking advantage of cheaper off-peak power.  What blows me away about this is how critical your smartphone has and will continue to become in how you manage your expenses and your life.

Note:  Right now consumers can only get the Nucleus if their utility is working with GE on a pilot, but early 2012 the Nucleus will be available at select retail partners in select areas. It will have limited availability simply because it has to be offered to consumers who are customers of utilities that have installed and activated smart meters. Many of GE’s appliances are already smart-grid enabled (and connect to the Nucleus).

A busy Mom’s work is never done but with appliances like these and those featured in the video, surely there’s hope for Moms like you and me. Tell me…

Which smart appliance featured in this video would you love to use?

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this interview and do not have a compensated relationship with the companies or media outlets that run this story. I love saving time and being organized and sharing product information that can help you do both is why I am here.

©2013 GO MOM! Inc. All rights reserved. To repost or publish, please email Molly.