Panasonic's Smart Home, so your pup can relax!*

As a dog owner, it might surprise you to know that I worry about home security. As a rottweiler owner, it probably surprises you even more! Ashen is a big ol' lump of dog, but a guard dog he is not.

This is Ashen before he grew in what is now quite a spectacular beard. He looks the part, he has his scary eyebrows, the rottie look, the size..... but then that isn't really the real Ashen. This is the real Ashen.

He is a goober through and through. A clumsy, adorable, bubble loving goober. When I saw Dave the Mastiff being pampered and spoiled thanks to Smart Home giving him the day off, I saw a lot of Ashen in him!

Isn't he so cute? A big dog or a so-called 'scary' breed isn't necessarily a guard dog. In fact, Ashen is a completely useless guard dog. At our old house, we were burgled as we slept upstairs. Ashen was not only downstairs, but he was in the room with the thieves, and he did absolutely nothing! He didn't even make a sound. To be quite honest, he probably asked for fusses and licked them!

So instead, you can give your pup early retirement with Smart Home. Smart Home is a home monitoring and control system that allows you to keep an eye on your home while you are away, and even allows you to turn appliances on and off via the app! How cool is that? You can read all about it at the link below.

http://www.panasonic.com/uk/consumer/smart-home-learn/smart-home/giving-you-peace-of-mind.html

To be able to go away and check on your home via an app on your smart phone or tablet is such a reassuring concept. You could turn the lights on randomly whilst away on holiday to deter break ins, review camera footage from security cameras, and even be notified if window or motion sensors are triggered. Brilliant stuff, and all with no monthly subscription fee!

To really spoil you and your Very Important Pet, Panasonic are running a competition to win a 2 night stay in a luxury hotel, as well as other great prizes worth up to £2000. To enter, share a photo of you and your pet using the hashtag #MyVIP on your social media. Super easy, and who doesn't  love seeing photos of cute furbabies?!

Much love,

Kitty (And Ashen) xxx

*Written in collaboration with Spot Digital.

PS. Don't forget to check out my newest YouTube video!

Birthday Tech Wishlist*

As most of you know, as well as being a blogger, I am also a photographer. I love taking photos. I take a camera with me everywhere! I probably take photos every single day. It's my birthday in February, and my family are inevitably asking me what I'd like. Compact cameras are something I look at more and more these days, with blogging and YouTube, so a cheeky tech wishlist seemed to fit the bill! Carrying my bulky SLR about isn't doing my back any favours when I'm not on a photoshoot, but Panasonic have released some amazing Premium Compact Cameras that fill that space perfectly.

The Lumix CM1 camera is the slimmest communication camera in the world. It runs on Android, and has a whopping 20 megapixels! Far more than my professional SLR actually! It can even shoot RAW files, perfect for the photographer who wants full control of their work. It has a fully manual control ring, giving you easy access to all the settings you could need, and is so thin is can slip in a pocket or handbag easily. It has a really sleek design, and a Leica lens. And Leica always make good lenses.

Now the Lumix DMC-LX100 has me seriously intrigued. I love a compact camera that looks like a more classic 35mm film camera! Fully manual, this camera also has a 4k video capacity that as a YouTuber, definitely tempts me. Best Buy called this the 'a new standard for compact cameras', which is a seriously impressive recommendation. As a photographer with RSI, a nice light compact is much more comfortable to carry for a more casual photography setting, and this would make for lush outfit photos! Plus, compact cameras like this just look cooler, don't you think? They feel almost vintage.

One of the things it's key to bear in mind when looking at cameras, is that it isn't all about megapixels. It can be really tempting to just go for the highest amount you can, but it isn't necessary. There is so much more to a camera than that. For me, being able to shoot fully manual and control my focus points in a compact camera is a dream! It would mean I could relegate my SLR to photoshoots only, and use the Lumix DMC-LX100 regularly instead for blog photos and my adventures. There are so many options for cameras. You need to look at what you as an individual need. 

The Lumix DMC-LX100 looks so lush, a gal can dream right? Remember, you can check out more of my photography here, I post behind the scenes photos and vlogs whenever I can.

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

*Written in partnership with Spot Digital.