A 'grown up' family home.

What do you picture when you think of a 'proper' family home? Furniture covered in finger prints? Toys piled in a corner? Walls plastered in family portraits?….. A home phone?

I remember going to the doctors when I was pregnant with Sienna for the first time and giving them all my details. One of the things they ask for is a home telephone number. When I responded with the fact we didn't have a home phone, the older lady looked at me with horror as if I'd told her we lived on the streets. 

'You should really get a home phone if you're going to be a responsible parent' she said as she looked down her nose at me. I remember it vividly as it made me feel awful and a home phone went straight to the top of my 'too buy' list. That was, until sleep suits, formula and nappies were a higher priority. 

I honestly didn't think it would be worth it and we wouldn't use one. But now Sienna is 17 months old, we finally have a home phone; we have the Gigaset C430A and have been using it more than I thought we would. 

It is described as the perfect phone for those who like to put their own stamp on their home and that is what we are currently in the process of doing. It features many customisable options, with over 30 different ring tones, 2 different screen savers and colour schemes to choose from. As well as all the fun bits, it's also extremely practical with a diary reminder feature and storage for 200 phone numbers. 

It's a nice looking handset, it's sleek and not too intrusive on the shelf. Everything is easy to see and the buttons aren't too small that you press 10 at the same time and end up dialling the wrong number. It has a good sized (1.8 inch) display that is in full colour and has up to 14 hours of talk time, so no need to rush your conversations because of battery power like we do with our iPhones! The quality of the sound is also great and very clear.

The thing that really stands out about this phone and makes it perfect for families is that it can also be used as a baby monitor. How handy is that? When it is in baby monitor mode, the incoming calls are displayed on the screen but without a ringtone as to not disturb the sleeping baby. The light is reduced by 50% and it also has a two way talk function as well.

Other features it includes is alarm clock with snooze feature, bigger dialling font, day and night ringer volume, 320 hours standby time, high quality hands free talking. 

It really seems like every detail has been thought about with this phone, from customising it to using it as a baby monitor, it's like a home phone and mobile all in one and I think it is a great choice for all families. 

We've actually really been enjoying having a home phone and I finally feel like we are, bit by bit, creating a 'grown up' family home.

 Now all that's left is purchasing matching furniture….
*We were sent this product to review