Found It On Amazon | Smart Home Essentials

I’ve been wanting to share about my favorite smart home purchases for a while, and I don’t know why it took me so long! I’ve included links for the things that I purchased and I do get a very small commission if you purchase using my links, but please don’t feel obligated to!

Edited 7/11/21 I created this virtual kit that I’ll keep updated with things as I fall in love with them! Find it here

1. My favorite thing I’ve gotten is probably these Dusk to Dawn Light Bulbs. I like having my porch light on when I get home at night, but sometimes I’d forget to turn it on before I left and I’d come home to a dark porch! These bulbs are awesome because they automatically turn on when the sun goes down, and automatically turn off when the sun comes up. I don’t have to worry about what time I’ll be coming home anymore, and I don’t have to worry about leaving the light on for my husband when he gets home late. The 3 pack was perfect because I put one in each garage lantern, and one in my porch light. Maybe it’s just because it’s our first house, but I’m obsessed with how homey it is when the garage lanterns are on ?
2. These Smart Plugs come in handy for so. many. things. You can put them on a schedule so they turn on at a specific time each day, or you can control them with your Alexa. I have the 2 lamps in my living room plugged in to a smart plug and they are scheduled to automatically turn on at sunset, but I also have them linked together so I can just say “Alexa, turn on the living room” and she turns both on at the same time!  I also have our night stand lamps linked together and I just have to ask her to turn on the bedroom. I do have our lamps labeled for each of us, so I can just say turn on Elle’s lamp, or turn on Mat’s lamp. I have waterproof plugs that I use outside at Christmas so our decorations automatically come on at dusk as well! One reason I use smart plugs instead of smart bulbs is because of how expensive the lightbulbs are, and the fact that they’ll burn out and need to be replaced. Theoretically the plugs should never have to be replaced. I’ve tried a couple different brands, and the Kasa ones are definitely my favorite.
3. I feel like the Wyze brand is the unsung hero of technology. They’ve come out of nowhere with affordable versions of all the big name tech things. My favorite Wyze item are their cameras. They are extremely affordable and practical! I have one by the front door so we can keep an eye out in case someone who isn’t supposed to comes in the house, we have the panoramic one in the kitchen that shows the entire downstairs so I can keep an eye on Mat when he’s playing his computer games ?, and I have one for the puppy’s crate that I use like a baby monitor! (This is my favorite one because we all know how obsessed I am with him). Let’s be honest. I really only use them to check on my dogs, but they also give me peace of mind that everything is kosher with our house when we’re out of town. Also, how cute is the puppy laying by the front door waiting for me to come home ?. I swear, we don’t deserve the love our dogs have for us sometimes.
4. I swear by our robot vacuum. Having 2 dogs means there is lots of hair, and I run this thing daily to keep it all in check. My only complaint is that sometimes it gets stuck under the couch and then we have to fish it out or it goes under a table and starts sucking up cords and will start beeping angrily at us. This magnetic tape can be laid as a barrier to prevent the vacuum from going to certain places! Just make sure it’s compatible with your type of vacuum.
5. I wish I could take credit for this one, but I can’t ?. My home girl Megan told me about these USB powered strip lights she put behind her TV. The really level up your TV and make it seem a lot nicer! We have a 55″ and I had to get 2 strips and it wasn’t enough to go all the way around. I probably could have put them a little closer to the middle, but oh well! She even told me something about it being better for your eyesight having the backlight, but don’t quote me on that. I just think it looks v fancy! And since they’re plugged right in to the TV they turn on when the TV turns on and turn off whenever you turn the TV off.
6.  The last thing I couldn’t live without is our Nest thermostat (and every other Nest product we own). It is so convenient being able to control the air temp from my phone. And if I’m not sure where my phone is Alexa can change it for me. We also have the Nest/Yale keypad lock, and the Doorbell which are all extremely convenient.

As I’m typing this post I realize I must sound extremely lazy because I have so much of my life automated, but if you’re like me and you’re always on the go, I really appreciate not having to worry about certain things.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. You are not obligated to purchase from my links, but it is helpful for me to know that the things I’m sharing are meaningful!