We are in a modern era of staying connected. Through social media, blogs, texting and many other ways, I often think that you wouldn't even need to be an over-sharer to quickly work out someone's routine, and their comings and goings from their home. I do share though, images of our home and when we are going away for the night. I have to admit the thought that we may be leaving ourselves open does play on my mind. It's a scary thought to have, although anything valuable is always away with us (I'm talking about the kids but you also need every handbag you own for one night away).

When Honeywell got in contact asking me to test out their products, specifically offering something to help connect us more with our home so we always know what's going on and provide us with peace of mind, safety and security, I jumped at the chance.

I had a look at their range and 3 items lept out at me (I know, I get carried away).

I read up on the Honeywell Lyric C1 Wifi camera and as well as security reasons, I couldn't help but think of how nice it would be to be able to open the Lyric app and have a peek at what my girls are up to when I am in work. Obviously both myself and Colin can control when the camera is on and off so it isn't 'Big Brother' style but since having it I have already had two occasions where I've got a message from Colin to open the app and watch the live streaming of the girls dancing in the living room.

The peace of mind is fabulous!

During a night away with all of us at the weekend we received a notification to let us know there was both sound and movement detected in the home, it was from the hall and was because the postman had just dropped letters through the post-box, but the crystal clear high definition recording impressed! I was impressed with how settling this piece of technology is.

A huge bonus was that no installation was required, it was a case of opening the box, plugging in and connecting to the Lyric app.

The Lyric app uses geofencing technology, which means that it tracks your location to enable home and away modes, the cameras can be turned off automatically when you arrive home if you wish.

The night vision mode offers around the clock peace of mind. We had plugged a camera into Annie's room when she was unwell one night, she didn't want to lie in beside us but the fear of her being unwell and wanting to keep a constant eye on her meant that when we were sitting downstairs we were able to see every movement and whimper she made. For us this was one of the reasons we give a big thumb up to this security camera.

The boiler in our house is over 25 years old, however when we update our boiler I plan to add the Lyric T6 Smart thermostat to our 'connected home' list. You can control the temperature of your home with the same Lyric app and as a busy working mum this would be a huge game changer for me. To be able to control the heating before I leave work (times change daily so a regular timer isn't ideal), and to know that the house is warm and cosy for us coming home would make everyones life a little easier and the cold, harsh nights of winter a lot more comfortable.

I did also get the Lyric W1 Wifi water leak and freeze dectector as we have had more than our fair share of arriving home from work to a flooded kitchen. Many nights I have stepped into the house after work with two tired and clingy children ready for the bedtime routine to find a kitchen full of water. Our sink and dishwasher have been temperamental for about a year now, so to be able to receive a notification via the Lyric app when I'm away, at the first sign of a water leak means that I can set up for someone to call over and stop it before it may become a (potentially costly) problem. There is even an audible siren for when I'm at home. Thankfully in the few weeks that we have had it set up we haven't had to deal with any leaks or pipes freezing.

The Lyric app on our phone is a one stop way to check into our home and to stay connected even when we aren't there. After almost 3 weeks I have got very used to the peace of mind! For Lily, I think that it may take her a little longer to get used to Bella and Annie calling her over for a chat when they are out of the house. Two little girls think it's hilarious, one little dog gets pretty confused but 2 parents definitely feel more at ease when they aren't around! Out of all the things and people you can stay connected to, the family and the home is the most important.

Anna xx

This post is sponsored by Honeywell and they kindly provided the products for the purpose of this post. As always, all images and opinions are my own.