Are home security cameras really worth the money?

Many of us are concerned about thieves breaking into our homes, so we install home security cameras both inside and outside of our homes as a deterrent. However, how much of a deterrent are security cameras? Do home security cameras actually stop thieves from selecting your home for their next foray?

On face value, you might assume that anyone who practices breaking and entering for a living would steer clear of homes with security cameras, and whilst this mainly does hold true, not all burglars worry about alarm systems. 

So what benefit is there to installing security cameras in your home? Well since checking for an alarm system is one of the first things a thief does when they are scoping out your property, it seems like a good idea to have at least one or two installed.

A study in 2012 that actually interviewed incarcerated burglars in North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio, found that found that whilst just over 80% of burglars would look to see if a property had an alarm, only 40% said that surveillance cameras would make them look elsewhere. 

Of course, home security cameras are going to help deter thieves, but when more than half of them would not be put off by the presence of security cameras, what else can we do?

Well, there are plenty of things we can do to make burglars think that breaking into our home is not such a good idea at all and definitely isn’t the easiest of options. The video below gives a good overview of how burglars think and what you can do to keep your home safe from thieves.

Tips to help deter burglars from your home

You might be surprised to learn that most burglaries are performed during the day by people who can easily blend into the scenery and they can be in and out of your home in just a few minutes. What usually happens is that a burglar will approach your front door and knock and if no-one answers will head around the back to look for an easy entry.

Most burglars don’t try to pick locks, instead forcing their way into your home is the fastest option, either through the back door, a window or even through the garage.

If an alarm does go off, they are not really worried, because most neighbors don’t pay attention to alarms anymore, and the police will take 8 to 10 minutes to arrive at the best.

Usually a burglar goes to the master bedroom first and then the living rooms, study and den, rarely going up into an attic or down into a basement. They will stick to ares from which they can exit quickly and are on the look out for jewelry, money, phones and laptops, and anything else that is small enough to carry away easily.

So given this scenario, here are 5 tips to help burglar proof your home.

1. Make friends with your neighbors

One of the best ways for a burglar to be deterred from breaking into your home is for a neighbor to pop their head over the fence and ask them – if they can help? Neighbors that look out for each other, particularly when they are at home and know that your are away at work or on holiday are one of the best first lines of defense against burglars. Any burglar confronted by a neighbor is quite likely to mumble some excuse and leave your property. So along with installing home security cameras, a neighbor who keeps their eyes open is one of the best deterrent to burglars.

2. Keep a family dog

More often than not, when a burglar sees a dog on the property they will keep on walking. Whether the dog is outside or inside, most burglars know that they will either be bitten or confronted with a barking and irate dog that will instantly alert the neighbors that something is going on next door.

So having a family dog will help to deter burglars, as well as installing the right home security cameras on your property.

3. Don’t advertise your whereabouts

If you are going away for a weekend or on holidays, don’t shout it out on Facebook or any other social media for that matter. You might be surprised at the extent that burglars will go to to find easy pickings and knowing that a home is going to be unoccupied is an open invitation.

4. Lock the doors and windows

This might seem that an inane thing to say, but an unlocked door or window is the best way to encourage a burglar to enter your home. After all, when more than a third of burglars actually enter homes through an unlocked door – you have got to pay attention to locking everything up. Even if you are just popping out for 5 mins to take the kids to school or walk the dog – always lock the doors and windows (even if you are in the backyard gardening, lock the front door!).

5. Trim vegetation around doors and windows

High vegetation (trees and shrubbery) that covers the windows or the entry way to your home can give too much cover to a burglar.

This might be a simple tip, but it can still be very effective at putting off a burglar and making them keep on walking. So always keep vegetation close to your trimmed down enough so that if anyone does try to break into through the doors or windows, they can be easily seen by your neighbors.

Check out my Top 10 Nanny Cams for under $100 and help to keep your home safe from burglars. 

Don’t drop the ball on home security during your vacation

Everyone looks forward to their vacation time, but that doesn’t mean that you can forget all about home security when you are away. It doesn’t matter whether you go away for a weekend or a month, paying attention to the security of your home is a 24/7 day job.

So let’s take a look at my Top 10 home security tips for your vacation.

Tip 1: Don’t post your vacation plans on social media

Telling everyone about your holiday plans before you go away on vacation and posting all of your photos and updates while you are away, is a good way to encourage someone to burglarize your home. 

Even though you will be really excited and looking forward to your vacation, the best home security tactic is to keep this information to yourself, until you return. It is also a good idea to ask your children to refrain from telling all of their fiends as well, although that might be difficult to achieve. The motto is however – the fewer that know you won’t be home, the better.

Tip 2: Ask your neighbors to keep an eye open

If you get along with your neighbors, ask them to keep an eye on your home and look for anyone hanging about or looking suspicious.

For added home security, you can also ask them to put out your garbage on time and to bring the bins back in as well, as this makes it look like you are still at home.

You can ask them to bring in your mail or if you have stopped your mail service (tip 3 below), ask them to pick up any junk mail that we all seem to collect on a daily basis in our mail boxes. Depending on the closeness of your neighbors, you could also ask them to park one of their cars in your driveway, as this is another great way to look like you are home and increase security while you are away..

Tip 3: Stop your mail

If you are only going on vacation for a few days, you may as well as a neighbor to collect your mail. On the other hand, if you are going on vacation for a week or more, it might be best for your home’s security to have your mail held at the mail center until you return. 

An abundance of mail not being picked up is a sure sign to potential burglars that there is no-one at home, so either ask a neighbor to collect it from your mail box or have your mail stopped until you return.

Tip 4: Look for a house sitter

If you have a reliable and trustworthy friend or relative, then having someone live in your home while you are away on vacation is a great idea. You can also do an online search for house sitters and there are established agencies that offer this service.

However, always make sure that anyone you hire from an agency to house sit has been thoroughly vetted, before you make your decision. Asking your friends and relatives if they have used a house sitting service is also a good idea.

Tip 5: Remove spare keys from outside your home

Having spare keys hidden around the exterior of your home, under mats, rocks, in the garage or on top of lintels is a good way to hand your home over to the burglars on a silver platter.

Burglars know that too many of us still leave keys outside somewhere easy to find and if they know you have gone away on vacation and left your home empty, they have all the time in the world to find your spare keys.

Tip 6: Mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges

If you are going to be away for more than a week, definitely for 2 weeks or more, then it is best if you hire someone to mow your lawns and trim your hedges.

You need to make your home look like you are still there and you haven’t gone away for a few weeks, so if you mow your lawn weekly, hire someone to do this for you until you come back.

A trusted relative or good friend might be a good choice, because you can give them your house keys and they can park in the driveway, open the garage, go into the house, etc., and make it look like someone is there as normal (only if you trust them though!).

Don’t forget that you can install an automatic sprinkler as well, to keep your lawns and garden beds watered and look like you are still at home.

Tip 7: Put the lights on an automatic timer

There is nothing quite like a dark home that shouts – we are on vacation! Home security is easy to maintain when you are away, simply by putting some of your internal and external lights on an automatic timer. 

Persistent burglars might come closer to make sure that you are home if the lights are on, but many will walk right past your home and zero in on one that is dark and looks empty. Check out the Piper nv Smart Home Security System, because this lets you add-in home security automation that controls the lights as well.

Tip 8: Fit deadbolts to the windows

One of the areas where it is fairly easy for burglars to break in is through windows that are not adequately locked. Yes, they can break a window pane, but since this makes a lot of noise, it is far easier to manhandle open a window that is just on a latch. 

Installing deadbolts or locks to your windows before you leave on vacation is jut an extra step in your home security that can put off burglars who are looking for an easy entry point. 

Tip 9: Lock the garage and garden shed

First of all, don’t leave expensive equipment in the garden shed, instead move it to a more secure location in your home.

Even so, make sure to fit a good lock to your garden shed, because mowers and other garden equipment are favorite items that go missing when you are on vacation. 

Also, ensure that your garage is properly locked (as well as all external doors to your home), and if possible, either move expensive equipment into the house or fit them with locks. For example, fit a lock to your tool box and weld a chain from your toolbox to a sturdy fixture on the wall or floor. 

Tip 10: Install a home security system before you go on vacation

There are two main options when you want to install a home security system – either a back to base system or standalone security cameras that you access with your smartphone (you can also save the videos to a DVR). Back to base systems can be expensive, so if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, fit a number of home security cameras instead.

You can read my Top 10 Nanny Cams, because most of these can be used as home security cameras as well, as they have most of the same features. Also, check out my post on where to locate your home security cameras for best effect when you are away from your home.

Find the narrowest nursery gliders for your nursery here.

The best locations for your home security cameras

Did you know that in 2015, there were more than 1.5 million burglaries in the US? And that nearly three quarters of these were home burglaries and nearly two thirds were forcible entries? Or that one burglary is committed every 18 seconds? 

With these sort of numbers, no wonder everyone is worried about keeping their property secure and their family safe at home. The problem is that most people can’t afford an expensive security system with a back to base feature, so they tend to settle for standalone home security cameras or nanny cams that they can view on their smart phones.

There is nothing wrong with standalone security cameras or nanny cams for your home, as they are a great buy and you can easily outfit your home for just a few hundred dollars with the more basic models. When you realize that a third of burglars enter residences through an unlocked front door or window, the cost of buying security cameras or nanny cams for your home, doesn’t seem such a big imposition – does it?

How about the fact that in 3 out of every 10 burglaries – someone is at home? That is a scary fact, right there. Just imagining that your loved one is at home, when someone breaks in, sends shivers down your spine.

So we can agree that home security cameras can help you to keep your family safe at home and prevent burglaries taking place, because thieves tend to avoid homes with security cameras. Now that we have established the importance of home security cameras, you still need to know where to locate these cameras in your home for best effect. 

Locate them in the wrong areas and you can give the burglars a helping hand, rather than acting as a deterrent.

So lets take a look at some of the best locations for security cameras or nanny cams in your home, to help you keep your home and your family safe.

Where NOT to locate your home security cameras and nanny cams

If we are going to consider where you should position your security cameras, it might be best to start by explaining where you shouldn’t locate them.

For example, lots of home owners like to position their security cameras so that they can see their computer system and check that no-one has stolen it while they are out at work.

This might seem like a good idea at first, but if anyone actually hacked into your security system, they will have a great view of your computer system and will already be thinking of how much they can sell it for when they have stolen it from your home.

Of course, the security encryption of security cameras and nanny cams should be good enough to prevent anyone from hacking into your system, but it could be a possibility, even a remote possibility. So given that this could happen, it is best not to point your security cameras or nanny cams towards your computers or expensive TV and give burglars a shopping list.

Another point to consider is that you don’t want your security cameras or nanny cams on view, because burglars will look for them and unplug them from the power, smash them, throw something over them or heavens forbid – steal them as well. So it pays to have at least a few security cameras that are hidden from view, whether these are designed as hidden cameras or just strategically placed so they are not obvious.

If your cameras have a pan and tilt feature, then there is no point in positioning them to look away from your computer or TV, as any hacker has complete control of your security cameras and can move the lens around at will.

If your security cameras or nanny cams don’t have this feature however, you could simply point them away from expensive items, so you don’t advertise them to hackers.

As I said, designers and manufacturers of home security cameras and nanny cams are extremely vigilant with updating their software to prevent hacking, as they would lose all credibility if their systems could be hacked easily. Nevertheless it always pays to be careful, particularly if being careful doesn’t cost you anything.

5 of the best places to position your home security cameras

Some of the best locations for your home security cameras and nanny cams (I say nanny cams because lots of people use them as security cameras as well) are the thoroughfares of your home (heavy traffic areas). These are areas where a burglar has to walk through to move around your home.

Yes, pointing home security cameras at the front and the back doors are important, because these are two popular entry points for burglars, but if you have a hallway where a burglar has to walk, regardless of where they entered your home, then this is also a good location for a security camera.

Let’s look at the best positions for locating your home security cameras:

1. Front door: With more than a third of burglars breaking in through your front door, whether it is unlocked or not, this is a great place to position your cameras. So make sure that one of your security cameras has a very good view of the front door and the entrance way of your home.

Another point to note is that some burglars will ring the bell to see if anyone is at home, so consider installing a WiFI Enabled Video Doorbell for extra security. With one of these video door bells, you can answer the door remotely to see who is at your door and respond to them, even if you are at work and your home is empty, giving the burglars the idea that you are actually at home. You can also use them when you are at home, so you don’t open the door if you feel unsafe.

2. Back door: With nearly a quarter of all burglars entering via the back door of residential properties, you need to have a security camera facing this part of your home, in the same way as you need one facing the front door.  

3. Back facing windows: When the back part of your home cannot be easily seen from the street, burglars are very tempted to try and gain entry through the windows at the rear of your home.

This means that you need to strategically place an internal security camera in a position that gives you a good view of the rear windows, the ones that give burglars the best opportunity to break in without being seen from the road or neighbors.

4. High traffic areas: If you don’t have much money, the best solution is to locate at least two home security cameras in high traffic areas of your home. Burglars rarely just ransack one room in your home, heading for the master bedroom first and then other rooms where they believe there might be something of value. 

If you have a two story home, you could position a security camera to have a good view of the stairs for example, so you can see anyone going up or down the stairs. Then pick another through fare downstairs, where a burglar must walk to access the majority of your rooms.

5. Basement door: If you have a basement or garage, then burglars can gain access through an external door or window. So position a security camera that lets you view the stairs going up to your house from a basement, as well as as much of the basement as possible. You could also place a camera in your home, facing the entryway to the basement or the garage, but if a burglar just breaks into your basement and steals your large screen TV or your jet ski from the garage, without entering your home, you won’t know until its too late. 

How about positioning nanny cams in your home?

Many home owners with young children purchase nanny cams to use as security cameras as well. You can find all of the features you want in both a nanny cam and a security camera in on single camera, so this is a very cost effective strategy to protect your home and your family.

If you want to keep an eye on your children while you are away from home and they are left in the care of your partner, relative or baby sitter, then you can locate a nanny cam in the nursery and in the living room. 

When you position a nanny cam in the nursery, you can chat to your partner while they are attending to your little one, making you feel that you are still part of the proceedings, even though you can’t be physically there in the nursery.

You can also sing to your little one to comfort them if they wake unsettled, while your partner is making their way to the nursery – this is a great feature when you are working overseas or interstate and your smartphone detects the sound of your little one waking.

You can also position a nanny cam in the main living area or space where your children do their homework, chatting and catching up on their day. Nanny cams are perfect for anyone who can’t always be at home with their children, but still want to have frequent contact with their family.

Read all about my Top 10 nanny cams and home security cameras here.

Your go-to list for affordable baby shower gifts

Sometimes our lives are so busy that having to buy yet another gift for someone can put us over the edge! That’s why I have put together this list of fabulous baby shower gifts, all under $100, so you don’t have to search the internet yourself and you don’t have to spend oodles of dollars.

All of my Top 25 are popular baby shower gifts that sell well and have plenty of good customer reviews. From a stylish diaper bag to a nursing pillow, soft comfy baby towels, first year photo frames or a sleep sound machine to settle baby. There is something for everyone and all selling for less than $100, most less than $50 and quite a few less than $20. Enjoy 🙂

1. Skip Hop Baby Duo Signature Diaper Bag.
2. My Brest Friend Original Nursing Pillow.
3. Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow.
4. Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
5. AZMED Maternity Breathable Abdominal Binder and Back Support.
6. Pregnancy Bath Flakes – Organic Magnesium from Dead Sea.
7. Womb Music Heart Beat Baby Monitor by Wusic.
8. Baby’s First Year Frame in Elegant White Natural Wood.
9. Baby Handprint and Footprint Frame Package by Bubzi Co.
10. Baby Bandana Drool Bibs by KiddyStar.
11. The Motherhood Collection Natural Ultra-Soft Bamboo Washcloths.
12. Little Martin’s Drawer Battery Operated Baby Nail File.
13. The First Years Quick Serve Bottle Warmer.
14. Graco SnugRide 30 Click Connect Front Adjust Car Seat.
15. Little Martin’s Drawer Baby Nasal Aspirator.
16. Wooden Hair Brush and Comb Set for Newborns and Toddlers.
17. Ike and Leo Teething Toys – Set of 4 Silicone Teethers.
18. Nora’s Nursery Baby Cloth Pocket Diapers.
19. Bumworks Cloth Diaper Toilet Sprayer Kit by Kaydee Baby.
20. Medical Grade Natural Antibacterial Baby Bath Towels.
21. Little Lamb Wool Dryer Balls.
22. Fisher-Price On-The-Go Baby Dome.
23. Nursing Breastfeeding Cover Scarf.
24. SwaddleMe By Your Side Deluxe Sleeper.
25. Summer Infant Slumber Buddies Projection and Melodies Soother.

1. Skip Hop Baby Duo Signature Diaper Bag

The Skip Hop Baby Duo Signature Diaper Bag takes diaper bags to the next level with increased functionality and style.

This updated model has lots of new features that have been requested by parents, making it the ideal baby accessory for everyone.

You have a new zip-top closure that makes sure your belongings remain securely in the bag, and 10 different pockets, including two that are elasticized, as well as mesh pockets that fit most bottles. The pockets are very secure and are great for phones, keys and your wallet and the newly designed front panel gives you lots of storage space and easy access to the inside. 

There are both grab handles and an adjustable shoulder strap with a padded shoulder pad for added comfort, and it hangs easily on your stroller with special shuttle clips. It even holds 15″ laptops, has D-rings for toys and comes with a cushioned changing pad as well.

Customers like its style, durability and all of the pockets, and find that they can easily fit in everything they need without any problems. The Skip Hop Baby Duo Signature Diaper Bag is approximately 13.0″ x 4.24″ x 13.75″ and is made from BPA free polyester. At less than $50, this is a really practical and stylish gift for the mother to be and deserves to be on our list of top baby shower gifts.

2. My Brest Friend Original Nursing Pillow 

This fabulous wrap around nursing pillow by My Brest Friend is made from 100% cotton and has a removable cover that is machine washable.

It can be a bit of a tussle removing and refitting the cover however, but it sells well and customers have lots of positive comments.

The great feature of this feeding pillow is that it wraps around your body securely, so that baby can’t drop into any little gaps between the pillow and your body. It also has lots of arm and elbow support, which is important when you are sitting in one spot for quite a while and it also provides back support as well.

This nursing pillow is perfect for mums who have had a c-section as it keeps the weight of the baby off your tummy and since it has an adjustable fit, it keeps both you and your baby in a comfortable, safe and supported position while breast feeding. 

Correctly positioning baby helps your baby to latch on correctly and stay latched on for the duration of the feed. This nursing pillow is approximately 22.5 x 16.0 x 6.0 inches in size, free from BPAs and latex, and at less than $30 is a wonderful addition to your list of baby shower gifts.

3. Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow

The Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow is a Best Seller on Amazon and it is no wonder, because it gives pregnant moms lots of comfort and support in bed.

It has a removable cover that is machine washable and was developed by a registered nurse and mom.

Most pregnant moms know that one pillow at night just isn’t enough for comfort and trying to get comfortable can be a wasted effort anyway! Well, all is not lost because this snoogle pillow supports your back, knees, tummy and your head and neck as well. It doesn’t even make you feel all hot and bothered like some other pillows.

This is a full body solution for complete comfort at night and gets rid of the problem of multiple pillows that don’t do any good anyway. Its dimensions are 60.0 x 24.8 x 7.2 inches, it is  made from BPA and latex free polyester and it is less than $50.

Customers love how much support it gives them in bed and find that they keep using it even after their baby is born. Make sure to add the Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow to your list of baby shower gifts today!

4. Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter

If you are looking for low cost baby shower gifts, then Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter hits the spot! This 6.5 ounce jar is 99% natural belly butter with cocoa, shea and jojoba butters to smooth and soften your skin.

This belly butter is fragrance free and has no phthalates, parabens, petroleum or SLS and has been specially formulated for pregnant moms. This rich blend of belly butter gently and safely moisturizes the skin of your growing tummy, keeping your skin smooth and supple as your skin stretches during pregnancy. 

Customers absolutely love this belly butter, saying that it it removes dry patches, lightens stretch marks and makes their skin silky smooth. At less than $12 and a Best Seller on Amazon, it is no wonder that Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is on my top list of baby shower gifts.

5. AZMED Maternity Breathable Abdominal Binder and Back Support

This lovely abdominal binder eases the discomfort of pregnancy on your hips, pelvis and lower back by providing support where it is needed.

As a Best Seller on Amazon, this abdominal support is selling well, because it eases the strain on your back and helps to correct poor posture, whilst supporting weak tummy muscles.

The binder works because it helps to lift your pregnant tummy, minimizing the pulling forward and down of your belly, which often causes back pain. It effectively redistributes the weight of your pregnancy and helps to make your back feel better.

This abdominal belly binder is made from breathable material, so you won’t feel all hot and bothered wearing it and it comes in one size fits all – up to 46 inches (it is also machine washable). It is easy to put on and take off and customers find that it really helps to make them feel more comfortable during the day.

At just under $25, the AZMED Maternity Abdominal Binder deserves a place on your list of affordable and practical baby shower gifts. 

6. Pregnancy Bath Flakes – Organic Magnesium from Dead Sea 

These wonderful bath flakes from Pink Stork contains 100% organic magnesium harvested from the Dead Sea in Israel. All you need to do is to fill up the tub, add your Pink Stork flakes and let yourself be rejuvenated, relaxed and restored.

Pink Stork are well known for treating the source of many pregnancy ailments and their products are backed by decades of scientific research. These bath flakes are designed to help reduce morning sickness, and to help you to relax and sleep better.

One of the causes of morning sickness is a lack of magnesium, so this is why these bath flakes can help; Magnesium is also a natural remedy for aches and pains. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease, so always check with your medical professional, just to be on the safe side.

These bath flakes are a fun and pampering solution that can help you relax and feel much better during your pregnancy. Customers think they are amazing, saying that they help to reduce their swelling at the end of the day, help with aches and pains and also help to control morning sickness.

At less than $20, these Pregnancy Bath Flakes are a serious contender on our list of the best 25 baby shower gifts.

7. Womb Music Heart Beat Baby Monitor by Wusic

This is another Best Seller on Amazon that is always selling like hot cakes! With the Womb Music Hear Beat Monitor by Wusic, you can hear your baby’s heart beat and other sounds in the womb and you can even record these sounds and play them later to your friends and family.

The sounds are very clear and it comes with 2 sets of ear plugs and is easy to use and to carry around with you (4.0 x 2.8 x 2.0 inches). Your purchase includes one 9V battery, but you need to buy doppler gel or KY gel to rub onto your tummy to make it work.

Mums love being able listen to their babies wherever they are and at any time, as it puts them at ease being able to hear their baby’s heartbeat. The womb music heartbeat baby monitor is both FDA and CE certified, so it is safe to use at home to listen in to your baby’s heartbeat, but you still need to visit your medical professional regularly, as this does not replace good medical care.

At less than $60, the Womb Music Heart Beat Monitor is a fabulous idea for baby shower gifts and you can read my full review here.

8. Baby’s First Year Frame in Elegant White Natural Wood

This beautiful Baby’s First Year Frame in Elegant White Natural Wood by Green Pollywog will compliment any decor. It is perfectly sized to hold twelve 2.0 x 3.0 inch photos and one 4.0 x 6.0 inch photo without needing any trimming.

The glass is museum grade and provides UV protection to the photos, making sure that they do not fade in the sunlight. The corners are double reinforced so that you can insert and remove photos without damaging the frame. 

You can hang the frame in the nursery or even in Grandma’s bedroom and your photos will look amazing in this 19.0 x 10.0 inch solid wood picture frame, which is finished in natural white. This lovely frame is designed to hold one photo for each of your baby’s first 12 months and is ideal as a baby shower gift or as a gift for a delighted grandparent.

Customers think that this frame is really cute. Baby’s First Year Frame is ideal for both boys and girls and at less than $20, makes a great addition to your list of baby shower gifts. 

9. Baby Handprint and Footprint Frame Package by Bubzi Co

This fabulous baby gift is a Best Seller on Amazon and comes with everything you need to save your baby’s first foot and hand prints forever.

You have 3 packets of air-dry white clay that is pliable and soft, doesn’t require any mixing or baking and is non toxic and safe for babies and children.

You also have a quality white wood frame and safe acrylic glass, making this a very special package that is the perfect addition to your nursery or as a gift to the grandparents. 

We all know that babies don’t stay small for very long, which is why this is a lovely gift for parents who want to save this wonderful magical moment forever. This package is an easy DIY project, even if you have never done any crafts before now!

The frame is 11.1 x 0.78 x 9.09 inches and the silhouettes for the photos are 2.75 x 2.75, so you need photos a little larger than these dimensions to fit correctly. At less than $30, this wonderful Baby Handprint and Footprint Frame by Bubzi Co is the perfect baby shower gift.

10. Baby Bandana Drool Bibs by KiddyStar

Another Best Seller on Amazon, this pack of 8 unisex Baby Bandana Bibs makes a lovely and affordable baby shower gift for the mum to be.

Babies always drool and all of this wetness can be annoying to mums and babies, making these baby bibs the perfect, practical gift.

The double layer design has a front layer of 100% cotton, which has high absorption capacity to restrict any fluid from crossing the bib’s boundaries.

The back side has a polyester fleece, which resists moisture and prevents it from passing through to your baby’s clothes – helping your little one to stay dry all day long.

The snap closures are nickel free and hypoallergenic, and help you to adjust the size of the bandana, so that they comfortably fit all babies, up to age of 24 months. The stitching is high quality and the material is very durable, and the edges don’t fray after just a few washes like some other cheaper bibs.

Customers love these bandana bibs, saying that the drool doesn’t soak through and they are bigger than other similar bibs they have purchased. At less than $25, these Baby Bandanas Drool Bibs make the perfect baby shower gift for mums to be. 

11. The Motherhood Collection Natural Ultra-Soft Bamboo Washcloths

These lovely washcloths come in white, yellow or green and are free from dyes, hypoallergenic, 100% natural and made from premium bamboo.

They are ultra-soft and perfect for your baby’s delicate and sensitive skin and come in a box of six, so they are great value and they are a Best Seller on Amazon.

At 10 inches square, these washcloths are the ideal size to bathe your baby, keeping your little one nice and clean at bath time. Your baby’s skin is so sensitive that they can easily suffer from eczema, rashes and cradle cap. However, with these beautiful, natural bamboo wash cloths, which are non-irritant and softer and more absorbent than other washcloths, your babies skin is kept silky smooth and perfect.

Lots of customers actually buy these washcloths for their own use, because they are so soft and go through the wash well. The Motherhood Collection of Natural Ultra-Soft Bamboo Washcloths is the ideal gift for new mums to be and at less than $20, they certainly deserve to be on your list of the best baby shower gifts.

12. Little Martin’s Drawer Battery Operated Baby Nail File 

This wonderful gadget comes in either pink or blue, operates on batteries and is designed to trim baby’s nails safely.

The nail file is whisper quiet, so you can trim their nails while they are asleep!

It has a front LED light as well, and comes with three cushioned sandpapers that are safe for babies and toddlers and even three attachments that can be used for adults.

This Baby Nail File doesn’t damage the cuticles or the soft nail beds on your little ones fingers, and makes it so easy to trim your baby’s nails without worrying about hurting them.

There are two control speeds (high/low) and two rotations (clockwise/reverse) giving you all the control you need to perfectly trim your baby’s nails. With its light weight and compact design, you can even take this Baby Nail File on holiday with you!

This is the perfect gift for all new mums, because they don’t have to worry about keeping mittens on their baby’s hands to stop them scratching themselves anymore. Customers love how fast this baby Nail File is to use and feel very confident in keeping their baby’s nails safely trimmed, instead of using clippers or scissors.

At just under $30, this Baby Nail File by Little Martin’s Drawer makes the perfect baby shower gift and is very affordable as well.

13. The First Years Quick Serve Bottle Warmer

This has to be on of the handiest gifts you can buy for the mum to be! It not only warms formula, but it also warms breast milk that has been expressed and stored, and it warms baby food jars as well.

There is an auto shut off for added safety, it is BPA free and works with most size bottles. This Bottle Warmer heats bottles quickly, all you need to do is to add water from the measuring vial, add the bottle or baby jar (in the holding basket), press the button and when the light goes off the milk or food is warmed. 

You can even use it to sterilise pacifiers, just remember to pop the lid on the holding basket first. Since you can heat both bottles and baby food, this Bottle Warner will last from newborn babies right through the toddler years.

At less than $20 and a Best Seller on Amazon, the First Years Quick Serve Bottle Warmer makes a fabulous baby shower gift for mums.

14. Graco SnugRide 30 Click Connect Front Adjust Car Seat 

This is a popular and ultra-light infant car seat that is easy to carry around and is suitable for babies from 4 to 30lbs.

The Graco SnugRide 30 Click Connect Front Adjust Car Seat protects rear facing babies in the car and is an excellent first car seat for your baby.

The Click Connect system provides an easy one step secure attachment to all Graco Click Connect Strollers, making this the perfect travelling system.

It also comes with the base, which makes this car seat very affordable and great value for money. With the weight of the car seat only 7lb, you can move from the car straight to the stroller, making it even easier to get out and about with your new baby.

Graco is one of the most well known and popular manufacturers of baby car seats and strollers. All of their products undergo rigorous safety testing, so you can be confident that your Graco SnugRide 30 Click Connect Car Seat will keep your little one safe and comfortable at all times. 

At less than $100, this is a wonderful gift for the new mom or the mom-to-be and deserves to be on your list of baby shower gifts.

15. Little Martin’s Drawer Baby Nasal Aspirator 

This might not be your first pick for baby shower gifts, but all new mums need one of these and they sell like hot cakes on Amazon.

So if you are looking for a practical gift, this FDA approved nasal aspirator should be on your list of the best baby shower gifts.

It generates enough suction to safely remove stubborn mucus while not harming your baby’s delicate sinuses and mucus membranes. There are two nozzle sizes, made from soft silicone, so you will always have the right size nozzle available.

The aspirator is battery operated, light weight and is so easy to use. Its compact design fits in the palm of your hand and it is controlled by the simple push of a button, allowing for one handed use.

This aspirator is a huge benefit to mums whose babies suffer from frequent blocked noses, letting you quickly and safely remove the mucus and helping your baby to breath more easily.

The waterproof construction allows you to rinse and clean the machine without damaging the electronic components, while the internal silicone mucus collection cup and nozzle can be removed and boiled for sterilisation.

At less than $50, the Little Martin’s Drawer baby Nasal Aspirator is a very practical and longed for baby shower gift!

16. Wooden Hair Brush and Comb Set for Newborns and Toddlers 

This is a very simple, but thoughtful and practical gift for a new mum. The OCCObaby Natural Baby Brush Set comes in a lovely packaged box and has everything mums and dads need to groom their baby’s hair, from newborns to toddlers.

The natural soft goat hair bristles help to prevent cradle cap, conditions your baby’s hair and distributes the natural oils down the shaft of each hair. The soft bristles also prevent static building up and are very gentle on your baby’s soft spot.

The goats hair bristles are 100% hypoallergenic and the soft brush is perfect for newborns, whilst the massage brush is ideal for massaging your baby’s scalp,  untangling their hair and relaxing them.

These brushes are BPA free and the handles made from solid maple wood. The OCCObaby Natural Baby Brush Set is currently priced at less than $25 and is a lovely baby shower gift for new parents.

17. Ike and Leo Teething Toys – Set of 4 Silicone Teethers

This set of 4 teething toys are suitable for both infants and toddlers and are perfect for helping to sooth teething problems.

They are 100% safe for your little ones and are certified and FDA approved, made from premium food-grade silicon, and are BPA, PVC and phthalate free.

These teething toys are perfectly shaped for little hands, so that your little one can easily grab onto the rings themselves and the teething toys can even reach all the way back to the molars. 

There is also a pacifier clip to help keep the teething toys from dropping on the floor and they have different textured surfaces to keep your baby engaged and content.

Just about 100% of mums say that they love the Ike & Leo Silicone Teethers, because their little ones can hold them easily and they can be sterilized to keep them clean and hygienic. At less than $20, these teething toys are popular items, flying off the shelves as we speak!

18. Nora’s Nursery Baby Cloth Pocket Diapers 

These cloth pocket diapers make the perfect baby shower gift for new mums and dads. You have 7 different pocket diapers and 7 washable inserts made from absorbent bamboo.

The pocket diapers are waterproof and have a special leg gusset for added comfort, whilst the bamboo inserts have 2 layers of bamboo viscose and 2 layers of microfiber, giving you super absorbency and no nasty leaks!

The adjustable snaps means that you can alter the size and fit of these pocket diapers as your little one grows and they are good for 10lbs up to 33 lbs in weight. With a free wet bag as well, this is a gift that helps to keep our environment safe and is budget conscious for parents.

At less than $100, these Baby Cloth Pocket Diapers by Nora’s Nursery make a wonderful and thoughtful baby shower gift. 

19. Bumworks Cloth Diaper Toilet Sprayer Kit by Kaydee Baby

If you are searching for unique baby shower gifts, then the Bumworks Cloth Diaper Toilet Sprayer Kit by Kaydee Baby fits the bill! 

This is such a  practical gift for new parents and one which they will not have considered buying for themselves.

It is really easy to install and you don’t need to call a plumber, as any handy person can do it – which is a huge bonus. It only takes 5 minutes to fit, and it fits most standard American toilets fixtures (7/8 inch).

This toilet sprayer makes short work of soiled nappies, cleaning them in a jiffy and then all you need to do it to flush the toilet and put the cloth nappies in your bucket for washing. 

This is a quality toilet sprayer that doesn’t leak, gives you high pressure every time and is designed to be used one-handed. At less than $50, the Bumworks Cloth Diaper Toiler Sprayer Kit by Kaydee Baby has to be one of the best baby shower gifts on the planet!

20. Medical Grade Natural Antibacterial Baby Bath Towels

These super absorbent baby bath towels by LOVE MY are lovely and practical baby shower gifts for new moms. They are made from 100% cotton, and are soft healthy, breathable and easily washable.

These hypoallergenic baby bath towels are perfect for your baby’s sensitive and delicate skin. They don’t contain any nasty chemicals, and are anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, making these towels perfect for babies with eczema.

You receive two towels, both 43 x 45 inches, which is easily large enough to wrap your baby after their bath and the special honeycomb embossing makes these baby bath towels three times more absorbent than other towels. They are so soft and comfy that they can even be used a baby blankets.

At just over $30, these Medical Grade Natural, Antibacterial and Super Absorbent Baby Bath Towels are a fabulous idea for baby shower gifts.

21. Little Lamb Wool Dryer Balls 

You might not think that the Little lamb Wool Dryer Balls would make great baby shower gifts, but all mums need lots of soft fluffy towels for their baby and they want all of their clothes and blankets lovely and soft as well.

This means mums need to spend money on fabric softener that contain lots of harsh chemicals and are not good for our environment or for your baby. That makes these wool dryer balls such a fabulous alternative to fabric softener (you receive six balls), because they are 100% natural and perfect for your baby’s sensitive and delicate skin and they are a Best Seller on Amazon.

When you use these wool dryer balls in your tumbler dryer, they even reduce the drying time by 25% for large loads and 40% for smaller loads! That’s a huge time saving for busy mums. 

These completely natural and hypoallergenic wool dryer balls come from New Zealand (they have lots of sheep in NZ) and last for around 1500 washes. For less than $15, the six pack of Little Lamb Wool Dryer Balls are a practical and affordable gift for a baby shower.

22. Fisher-Price On-The-Go Baby Dome

This lovely little Baby Dome is perfect for new parents. It provides a comfortable and protected spot for baby to take a nap when mum and dad are on the go and can also be used as a safe spot to play with their baby (it comes with two hanging toys).

Since the Fisher-Price Baby Dome is portable and comes with easy carry handles, it can be used indoors or outdoors, and folds flat for easy transport. Take your baby with you to the coffee shop, your friend’s home for lunch or to the beach with the family. Your baby will be safe from the sun in a lovely cosy haven, all day long.

At just over $50, the Fisher-Price On-The-Go Baby Dome is one of the best baby shower gifts for new parents and it is a Best Seller on Amazon with plenty of rave reviews.

23. Nursing Breastfeeding Cover Scarf 

This is not just a Breastfeeding Cover Scarf, it can be a car seat canopy, stroller cover, carrier cover, chair cover and a shopping cart cover. The scarf has so many uses, this makes a really practical and stylish gift for a baby shower and it is a Best Seller on Amazon.

As a nursing cover it keeps your little one safe from prying eyes when he or she is feeding, and also keeps them safe away from the sun, heat and the wind. It is super light, stretchable and breathable, and is machine washable and can be put in the dryer.

Even dads can use this cover scarf when they take their little one out in the stroller to keep them safe from the sun and wind. At less than $20, the Nursing Breastfeeding Cover Scarf from QAQADU is a very affordable gift for a baby shower.

24. SwaddleMe By Your Side Deluxe Sleeper 

This is a fabulous baby shower gift that is designed to allow mums and dads to have their little one sleep safely next to them during the night, but in their own little cot.

This prevents babies becoming too hot in their mum and dad’s bed and in the worse case scenario – rolled on during the night.

The sturdy metal frame folds flat, making it easy to move around the home or take away on holidays with you, and the mesh sides allow air to circulate and also gives you a good view of your little one.

The SwaddleMe Sleeper comes with a mattress pad and a sheet, which are machine washable and the deluxe model comes with a detachable sound, light and vibration unit that plays heartbeat, nature sounds and music to help your little one drift off to sleep. 

At just under $60 for the deluxe model and around half that for the model without the sound, light and vibration unit, the SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper is a thoughtful and practical gift for new parents and needs to be on your list of fabulous baby shower gifts.

25. Summer Infant Slumber Buddies Projection and Melodies Soother

If you are looking for cute baby shower gifts, you can’t go wrong with Eddie the Elephant by Summer Infant. This lovely sleep sound machine will help your little one drift off to a peaceful sleep, any time during the day or night.

It plays 5 soothing melodies and nature sounds and shows a sparkling starry sky light show on the ceiling and walls. There is a timer that can be set for 15, 30 or 45 mins when it will automatically turn itself off to save the batteries (it requires 3 AA batteries that are included).

This soft plush toy makes a wonderful night time companion to ease your little one to sleep and can also help to calm your little one if he or she is unsettled during the day.

With its 5 calming melodies (Brahm’s Lullaby, Hush Little Baby, Frolic Rhodes, Babbling Brook and Heart Beats), as well as the tranquil light display, you should have no problems settling your little one for sleep.

Currently priced at less than $15, the Summer Infant Eddie the Elephant Slumber Buddy is a wonderful gift idea for your baby shower.

To read about my Top 10 Narrowest Nursery Gliders, click here.

Quick and Easy Home Invasion Prevention Strategies

When your first priority is protecting your family, your mind invariably turns to home invasion prevention and the best strategies for keeping your family safe.

We have all heard of home invasions across the country, which could possibly have been prevented if circumstances were different. A quick search of the internet is all we need to do to understand the prevalence of home invasions.

Father of six killed in Philadelphia home invasion

For example, just a few days ago a father of six was killed during a home invasion in Philadelphia. Two intruders entered the home at 1am in the morning through a rear kitchen window, demanding money.

When the father of six didn’t move fast enough, he was killed with a shotgun blast, while his six children aged 5 to 13 years of age where in the home – the 13 year old saw his father being killed and the wife is in a critical condition.

In L.A. the previous day, a couple and a relative were tied up, beaten and robbed in an early morning home invasion. This occurred around 4am in the morning when the male occupant went to investigate noises outside and was forced back inside the home by four men in ski masks with guns. The couple’s three children were in the home at the time of the home invasion.

Richardson Police in Texas have warned residents to be careful following two recent home invasions. In both instances, there were three or four armed men who held the families at gunpoint, while they robbed their homes. One occurred during the daylight and the other in a gated community.

Another home invasion and shooting in Connecticut, left a male home owner with gunshot wounds to his shoulder, and a father of three was shot and killed during a home invasion in Houston, while his children were in the house.

All of these violent home invasions took place in the last two months (July and August 2016) and there will be plenty more home invasion statistics if we look for them. So you can see why home invasion prevention strategies are vital to protecting your family and your home.

Parents leave children home alone after school

Recent research by BLINK – who are currently promoting their BLINK Security Camera System, which is wireless and offers motion detection, HD video and free cloud storage – has revealed that nearly 60% of parents leave their children home alone when they arrive home from school.

One of the parents concerns was the likelihood of someone invading their home when their children were unsupervised and that their children could be harmed during this home invasion.

Not being home with your children, because of work commitments must be one of a parent’s biggest concerns, followed closely by the guilt if anything did happen when you were not there to protect your family. This is where home invasion prevention strategies can come in to protect your family when you can’t be there yourself.

Creating your own DIY Home Invasion Prevention Strategy

Below you will find three very affordable strategies that will help you to protect your family at home, even if you can’t be there all the time. 

1. Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell

See and speak with anyone who presses your doorbell on your smartphone or tablet, whether you are in the house, at work or out shopping. Receive alerts and live video that is triggered by motion outside your front door or by someone ringing your doorbell.

With built-in night vision, easy mounting and fast syncing with your Wi-Fi and mobile devices you will have your home security sorted in minutes!

Read my FULL RING DOORBELL Review HERE.

2. Nest Cam Security Camera

This is a lovely sleek looking security camera with 2-way communication, IR night vision, digital zoom (x8), live video streaming, bank level encryption, sound and motion alerts, cloud storage, 3 different mounting options and is easy to set up. 

If a home invasion does occur, you will receive an instant notification on your smartphone or tablet and can speak to them directly, telling them you are calling the police. 

Read my FULL NEST CAM SECURITY CAMERA Review HERE.

3. Canary All-in-One Home Security Device

With HD video and audio, auto arm/disarm and instant push notifications if anyone breaks into your home, this is a fairly inexpensive home security system.

You even have a  90+ db siren that you can turn on manually if someone does break into your home and fast connections to police and emergency services. 

Read my FULL CANARY HOME SECURITY  Review HERE.

To read more of my nanny cam reviews, click here.

My Top 10 Baby Video Monitors

A baby video monitor is such a useful and parent friendly device that everyone with young children should have one in their home. You will be surprised at how less stressed out you will feel when you can keep an eye on your baby, toddler or young children from anywhere in your home, day or night.

One of the important points that you need to remember is that a baby monitor is meant to be used at home and within a certain range of the base unit. It is not WiFi capable and you cannot use your smart phone to access live feeds remotely.

When you purchase a baby monitor you receive a camera unit and a hand held parent monitor with a screen, where you can view live video streams in your home.

On the other hand, with a nanny cam you receive a WiFi capable security camera, which you need to configure with your home WiFi and your smartphone. You can then access your live video feeds from anywhere in the world.

Let’s take a look at my Top10 baby video monitors.

1. Samsung SEW 3043W Baby Video Monitor

This sturdy little Samsung baby video monitor has 2 way communication, pan and tilt, IR night time vision and a zoom facility.

It also has a soft nightlight that can be turned off, 4 pre-programmed lullabies and a feed timer alert.

With a long 900 ft range, you can be just about anywhere in your home and still receive good reception from the nursery. There is only a 4 hour battery in the handheld unit, but that is for continuous use, but if you switch it to standby mode, then you will still be alerted when your baby wakes and it will extend the life of your batteries.

Customers love the crystal clear images of this Samsung baby monitor and the large 5″ touch screen on the parent’s handheld unit as well.

Read my full review here.

2. Infant Optics DXR-8 baby monitor

With 2 way communication, ambient temperature sensor, IR night time vision, pan and tilt, an optical zoom and a 700 ft range, the Infant Optics DXR-8 has everything you need in a great little baby monitor.

One of the great features of the Infant Optics DXR-8 is the interchangeable lenses, because it comes with a normal lens and a zoom lens, but you can also purchase a separate wide angle lens, even though it comes with a pan and tilt feature. 

You can also switch the monitor over to standby mode, helping to save the battery, but there is only a 10 hour standby battery life with the DXR-8, which is shorter than many of the other baby monitors. On the other hand, the Infant Optics DXR-8 has just about the best and clearest images out of all of the monitors, so its a trade off between battery life and the clarity of the images.

Customers love everything about this little baby monitor, especially the amazingly clear images and how easy it is to use. FYI: This baby monitor does not play lullabies.

Read my full review here.

3. Philips DECT Baby Video Monitor

The Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor is a lovely sleek looking combination with 2 way communication, a temperature sensor, feed timer, night light and lullabies.

It also has a long 18 hour battery life for the handheld parent unit and a great 2 year warranty.

DECT technology is a super innovation because it prevents other mobile devices interfering with your reception. And you have FULL data encryption giving you a completely secure home network and a private connection in your home.This means that no-one can hack into your network and view your videos.

The few negatives are that the DECT baby monitor only has a very small 1.5″ monitor screen, and it doesn’t have IR night time vision or pan & tilt. However, customers still love this baby monitor and it sells well.

Read my full review here.

4. Levana Jena Baby Video Monitor

The Levana Jena baby monitor has 2 way communication, IR night time vision, an ambient temperature sensor, soothing night light and a 12 hour standby battery life in the parent’s unit.

You also have 5 preset lullabies and a 500 ft range around the house.

There is also a zoom feature, so you can take a closer look at your little one when you are in another room of your house.

Customers like the clear images on the hand held monitor, the excellent signal strength and the 5 lullabies that they can play remotely to calm their little one when they are unsettled. This is a very affordable baby monitor that is popular with parents.

Read my full review here.

5. Timeflys AudioBaby Video Monitor

This lovely little baby video monitor has 2 way communication, pan & tilt, x2 zoom, an ambient temperature sensor, Mp3 lullaby player and a 1000ft operating range. 

You also have a 12 hour battery life on standby mode, IR night time vision,a brightness setting for the display and a 1 year warranty. The MP3 player is a great feature because you can load your own lullabies, songs or even stories and play them remotely anywhere within the large operating range.

The VOX feature gives you an extended battery life, because it turns off the display on the monitor when it hasn’t sensed any sound for 50 seconds and comes back on automatically when it does detect sound.

This baby monitor is fairly new on the market, so there are not a lot of customers reviews available online. However, the pan & tilt feature is very popular, as is the MP3 player, whilst some customers question the quality of the video images and had problems with the nit not working properly after a few months.

Read my full review here.

6. Levana Ayden Baby Video Monitor

This cute looking baby monitor has everything you need to keep an eye on your baby at home.

You have 2 way communication, so you can chat to your baby or toddler from anywhere in your home (it has a 750 ft range) and a zoom facility, so you can take a closer look at them when they are awake or sleeping.

Checking on your little one at night is no problem, because you have crystal clear IR night time vision, saving you the trouble of going to the nursery to check on them every two minutes. You also have a temperature sensor which lets you know if the temperature in the nursery is outside of your set range, a feature which some parents find invaluable.

There is also a long 48 hour battery for the handheld unit (in standby mode), so you don’t have to keep recharging the monitor all the time. The Levana Ayden baby video monitor also plays 3 preset lullabies, which you can activate remotely to calm you baby or toddler while you make your way to the nursery.

Customers love the size of the monitor on the handheld parent unit, the crystal clear images (during the day and night) and the great sound quality.

Read my full review here.

7. Infant Optics DXR-5 Baby Monitor

The Infant Optics DXR-5 doesn’t have all of the features of the DXR-8, so it is a much more basic model.

However, what it does have, it does well with crystal clear images (although the screen is only 2.4″), IR night time vision and a large 800ft operating range.

You also have a VOX mode, so the handheld unit goes into standby when no sound has been detected for 3 minutes, extending the life of the battery (which is only 3 to 4 hours if used continuously).

There is also an audio mute function, where you can turn the sound off, keeping the video monitor on at all times and when a sound is detected the audio function turns back on again. 

Customers like the clear images and how easy this baby monitor is to set up, but many of the reviews are mixed. So make sure to read the customers reviews on Amazon before deciding on this baby monitor. I have kept it in my Top 10 because it is a simple baby monitor with very helpful customer service.

FYI: This baby monitor does not play lullabies.

Read my full review here.

8. Summer Infant Wide View Baby Video Monitor

This Summer Infant wide screen baby monitor has a HUGE 5″ monitor on the parent’s handheld unit, which is a great selling point.

It also has 2-way communication, IR night time vision, a wide angle viewing angle,a x2 zoom and a 600ft operating range.

The battery life isn’t great, at only 6 hours in continuous use, but the standby mode will substantially increase this to the point that you shouldn’t have to recharge the unit more than once a day.

One of the nice features of this baby monitor is the LED sound lights that display in green, amber or red, depending on the volume of your baby’s cries. When you use this feature you can still keep an eye on your baby, even in a noisy room where it might be difficult to hear your little one’s cry’s over the ambient noise level. 

Customers love the large touchscreen, but some customers have problems with the battery life and maintaining connectivity in their home. FYI: This baby monitor does not play lullabies.

Read my full review here.

9. Levana Astra Baby Video Monitor

The Levana Astra baby monitor has 2 way communication, pan and tilt, IR night time vision, a zoom feature, plays 3 preset lullabies and has a 750 ft range.

These are great features because you can move the camera around remotely to follow your little one around the room if they are crawling or toddling and zoom in for a closer look, all while making your way to the nursery.

An additional feature on this baby monitor is that you can lock the hand held parent’s unit so that little fingers can’t change your settings, which is very useful when you little one is toddling.

Customers like the video quality and the long operating range of this baby monitor, but some find that the LED lights can be annoying at night, so they turn it face down on their bed stand.

Read my full review here.

10. Levana Sophia Baby Video Monitor

The Levana Sophia has lots of great features that help you to take care of your little one at home, without worrying about leaving them alone in the nursery.

You have 2 way communication, IR night time vision, an ambient temperature sensor and a 500 ft range.

The battery in the parent’s unit lasts for up to 48 hours in standby mode (6 hours in continuous mode), which turns off the video monitor until your baby cries and then it turns itself back on, saving your battery time.

Customers love the size of the monitor screen on the handheld unit and the crystal clear images. They also find that reception is usually very good at home with no interference from other devices. FYI: This baby monitor does not play lullabies.

Read my full review here.

To read more of my baby monitor reviews, click here.

Mothers Day Gift Guide – My Top 10 Picks

With Mothers Day fast approaching, it can be difficult knowing what to buy for your mom, partner or wife that isn’t simply chocolates, perfume or flowers.

It is not always easy coming up with Mother’s Day gift ideas that are practical and whilst all three of these are fabulous gifts and are always well received, sometimes you just want to give a gift that is different.

So with my Mothers Day Gift Guide on hand, you can skim down my top 10 picks and find a really awesome and practical gift for your mom or partner on Mothers Day this year.

1. The Memory Journalists MJ Selfie Stick

Every mom needs a selfie stick for those happy moments in their life and the Memory Journalists MJ Selfie Stick is the king of selfie sticks.

This is a professional selfie stick, which easily fits into a pocket or handbag and is the smallest on the market.

The extendable pole reaches a massive 34″ and it is all in one piece, so your mom or partner won’t lose any of the pieces. There is a 270 degree adjustable head, so your mom will always find the best angle for her selfie or group photo and it has a Bluetooth remote shutter for easy use.

The MJ Selfie Stick is compatible with iPhone 5+ and with Android phones (but not Windows phones) and the lithium battery recharges in one hour from any USB charger. It is made from stainless steel, so it is strong and durable and won’t snap from over use!

When you are searching for last minute Mothers Day gift ideas, the MJ Selfie Stick is the perfect solution.

2. Tile (Gen 2) – Phone Finder. Key Finder. Item Finder

The Tile is a tiny Bluetooth tracker that along with an easy to use app, helps you to find your keys, phones, wallets, luggage, remote controls and anything else you tend to lose frequently, in a matter of seconds.

All you need to do is to attach one of the tracking tiles to the item and then search for it using the app. Just imagine how easy it will be to find that lost remote or your car keys that the kids were playing with last night!

The tiles are waterproof and the small battery is sealed inside the tile, so it is safe from prying fingers. You can attach one of the small tiles to anything you want and easily keep track of where it is at any time. 

The Tile Finder has a 100 ft range, so whenever you are within that range you can locate the lost item by sound or by seeing it on a map on your phone or the app will send you a 90 decibel alert, which can be easily heard even if the item is buried down the back of the sofa.

The battery lasts for around one year, before the tile needs to be replaced and they will save you so much stress and frustration trying to locate lost items at home. When the tiles need to be replaced you can purchase replacements at a discounted price.

So if you are wracking your brains for the perfect gift ideas for your mom or partner this year, then check out the TIle Finder and help your mom find her keys easily.

3. Garmin nüvi 2597LMT 5-Inch Bluetooth Portable Vehicle GPS

This easy to use, dual orientation GPS has a touchscreen interface, crystal clear maps and the traffic feature does not require a subscription.

With a bright 5.0″ screen, your mom can use the GPS both horizontally and vertically, so she always has the right angle when driving.

You have preloaded maps of North America and you can subscribe for lifetime map updates, making sure that all of your routes are up to date. Traffic alerts appear to the side of the map and give alerts about possible delays, how long you might be delayed and alternate routes. 

The Garmin nüvi 2597LMT can even find your mom the fastest route from A to B, so she has no more excuses to be late! This top of the line GPS also has voice activation, so your mom can actually speak to the GPS and it will respond, keeping her hands safely on the wheel at all times.

Your mom can even sync her phone with the GPS for hands-free calling, leaving her phone safely in her handbag and her eyes on the road. There are so many other great features of the Garmin GPS that make this one of the best gifts for Mothers Day ever! 

4. Water Temperature Controlled Color Changing Shower-Head

The DreamSpa chrome shower head is the worlds most advanced shower head and controls indicates the water temperature of the shower.

This is a funky Mother’s Day gift that has the added safety features of warning when the water is too hot and is sure to please everyone in the family.

You have a solid, stainless steel 5.25″ extra large shower head with 5 different angle settings for comfort and ease of use. Then you have the 3 color changing water temperature sensors, which reflect the temperature of the water and are powered by running water, so they don’t need batteries.

A blue color is for cool water (35C), green for warm water (35-42C), red for hot water (43-50C) and flashing red for water that is above 50C. The LED lights have a long life of 100,000 hours and should last for 10 years with daily use.

You also have 5 different settings for the spray – power rain, pulsating massage, hydro-mist, economy rain and a water saving setting. 

The DreamSpa shower head can be connected quickly and easily to your existing standard overhead shower arm without using any tools and comes with a one year warranty. 

This is a lovely and practical gift for Mother’s Day this year.

5. Amazon Echo

The Amazon Echo has sold so fast that they are waiting for more stock to come in on May 14th.

If you haven’t heard of the Amazon Echo then you are in for a treat, because this is a perfect last minute Mothers Day gift that your mom or partner will absolutely love!

So the Amazon Echo plays all of your mom’s music from Prime, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn and lots more platforms and does this without buttons or switches, but with the sound of your mom’s voice. This is extraordinary sound machine that immerses your mom in 360 degree sound and seriously high-tech and innovative in its design.

Your mom can play all of her favorite tunes hands-free with just voice control and it can hear her voice from across the room. The Amazon Echo will answer questions, read audio books and the news or report the weather and traffic, provide sports scores and lots more using the Alex Voice Service.

Your mom can even control the lights and thermostats in the house using compatible WeMo, Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings apps. 

If your mom loves music and gadget, then this is the perfect solution to your worry about what to get your mom for Mothers Day. So if you want to order the Amazon Echo for May 14th, you had better be quick before this next batch sells out!

6. Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Activity Wristband

If you are looking for a last minute Mothers Day gift, you can’t go wrong with the Fitbit Charge.

This is one of the most popular personal activity trackers on the market and tracks your mom’s workouts, heart rate, distances walked or jogged, her calories burnt and the floors she has climbed.

This high performance wristband automatically records heart rate and activities and syncs them to your mom’s smartphone and computer, so she can monitor her progress and keep motivated.

The Fitbit Charge activity tracker helps your mom or partner to reach her targets every day and maximize the time she spends training or just walking for exercise. It even monitors her when she sleeps, so she knows how often she wakes at night and she can set a silent vibrating alarm to wake her up at a set time.

Your mom can even get together with her girlfriends and set up a friendly competition to see who is performing the most exercise and burning the most calories. Even better, she can see who is calling her phone even when her phone is in her handbag. 

So if you are still wondering what to get for Mothers Day, wonder no more, because the Fitbit Charge is a fabulous gift!

7. AcuRite 00613A1 Indoor Humidity Monitor

The AcuRite indoor humidity monitor is a fabulous Mother’s Day gift that measures the temperature (Celsius or Fahrenheit) and humidity indoors.

Humidity is measured in percentages and you have a low/high indicator as well, to indicate high, low or ideal conditions.

Your mom can also monitor the daily high and low temperatures inside your home, as well as humidity records. It is totally wireless, can be mounted on a shelf or magnetically mounted on the fridge and is powered by x1 AA battery.

This is the ideal Mothers Day Gift, helping your mom monitor the temperature and humidity in any room of the house. It is particularly suitable for the nursery or for the elderly, as both the young and the old are susceptible to extreme temperature and humidity changes. 

The AcuRite indoor humidity monitor is an extremely affordable last minute Mother’s Day gift and will be used every single day in the home.

8. Tractive GPS Pet Tracker

If your mom or partner has pets, then the Tractive GPS Pet Tracker makes an ideal Mother’s Day gift.

It is light weight and waterproof and is the smallest GPS tracking device on the market.

The Tractive GPS tracker is easily fitted to your mom’s pet’s collar and give reliable real-time location tracking. This is perfect if your mom or partner have a dog that thinks it is Houdini and keeps escaping from your yard. It is also great when your dog has wondered off in the park and is busy hiding behind a bush.

This GPS tracker is also fabulous for cat owners, because you can find them easily if they are being stubborn and won’t come in when your mom calls them.

You can also attach the tracker to your kids in the playground, so you always know where they are at any time (a huge safety factor) and you can also fit them to your luggage so you don’t lose it on your travels.

There are no SMS costs or hidden fees with the Tractive GPS Pet Tracker, but there is a very low priced monthly charge for the service (currently $6.99 per month).

The fee is because this tracking device works through the cell towers, but you can stop the service at any time. 

Your mom can track her pets live over the internet or using an app on her smartphone and the live tracking app will show your mom where her pet has been and is it is heading to right now.

The Tractive GPs Pet Tracker works on both iPhones 4+ and Android devices (2.3+) in more than 80 countries. This is one of the best Mother’s Day gifts you can give to your pet loving mom.

9. Auto Adjusting Brightness Car Rear View Mirror

The Auto-Vox car rear view mirror is perfect for helping your mom, wife or partner park easily and safely.

We can only hope for the day that these rear view mirrors come as standard in cars, but until that happens, the Auto-Vox is going to bring a huge smile to your mom’s face this Mother’s Day.

This piece of gear looks just like the original rear view mirror in her car, so it doesn’t look out of place and is compatible with most makes of vehicles. It comes with an automatic brightness adjuster and a 4.3″ anti-glare LCD monitor display and is easy to install with wires that are long enough for most vehicles.

As soon as your mom or partner engage the reverse gear, the Auto-Vox automatically displays the parking image without having to press any buttons or turn it on. Your mom can even see if children, pets or other objects are in the danger zone when she is reversing.

In bright conditions the display will automatically adjust to the environmental conditions by increasing the images visibility and it will decrease the brightness of the display in darker conditions. it even dims automatically at night if the car behind has their high beams switched on.

The Auto-Vox car rear view reversing mirror is the perfect gift for your mom or partner this Mother’s Day.

10. Rexing Wide Angle Dashboard Camera

The Rexing dashboard camera is the ideal Mother’s Day gift for all moms and partners who spend time in their vehicles.

A dash cam adds another layer of safety to your family and makes sure that any incidents on the road are well and truly recorded.

This dash cam comes with a high performance 1920 x 1080 HD resolution, a 2.4″ 4:4 TFT LCD and H 264 photography compression technology. You have a 170 degree wide angle lens and a slimline and discreet design, so it doesn’t obstruct your mom’s view when she is driving.

It has an automatic loop recording, which overwrites the oldest videos and an accident auto detection feature that locks data into the memory. It records images in JPG and videos in MOV and supports a 32GB Micro SD/TF card. 

So if you want to ensure your family’s safety on the road, the Rexing dash cam is the perfect choice for this Mother’s Day.

With my Mother’s Day gift guide, you should have no problems picking the best present for your mom, wife or partner this Mother’s Day. 

To read my nanny cam reviews, click here.

Added security may lower your home security rates

Home surveillance systems and WiFi nanny cams are becoming increasingly popular for a whole host of different reasons. Clearly the reasons for installing a home security system center around making your home safer for your family and to protect your belongings from being stolen, vandalized or destroyed.

A WiFi nanny cam on the other hand, tends to be installed to keep your children safe and to remain in contact with them when you are away from the home, rather than to secure your home.

It is definitely worth your while to contact your home’s insurance company, when you have installed either home security monitoring or a WiFi nanny cam. This is because you might be happily surprised to learn that your insurance company offers discounts to home owners who install security monitoring systems.

Discounted premiums from your insurance company

Of course your insurance company will have certain standards your monitoring system will have to adhere to, but in many circumstances you can receive a discount on your premiums if they believe you have increased your property’s security.

I am sure that you are aware that many insurance companies already reward safe drivers with reduced premiums, as they also do for car owners with a GPS tracking device enabled in their vehicle. In a similar vein, insurance companies can also reward home owners who take practical steps to reduce the vulnerability of their home to invasion.

You might find that the discounts you receive from your insurance company over a 12 month period, easily offsets the purchase cost of one or more home surveillance cameras or WiFi nanny cams.

Even though the peace of mind that comes with ensuring the safety of your family makes the purchase costs worthwhile, it is good to know that you might also receive a discount on your property insurance as well.

Insurance companies are well aware that they lose a lot of money through property theft, so installing security cameras in your home makes your property a lower risk to insurance companies, making them more inclined to discount your premiums.

Is a WiFi nanny cam as good as a home surveillance camera?

In many instances, home security cameras are used as nanny cams and vice versa.

There is nothing that really differentiates one from the other. I guess if you really want to draw a line in the sand, then you wouldn’t expect a home surveillance camera to play lullabies or monitor the ambient temperature.

However, many nanny cams don’t have these features either, so the line between what is considered a home security camera and a WiFi nanny cam is grey and very difficult and even unnecessary to determine.

Both home surveillance cameras and nanny cams can have HD images, pan & tilt, digital zooms and local storage, so both can be used for home security or monitoring your children.

Whether your surveillance camera plays lullabies or not, shouldn’t make any difference to your insurance company, if they offer discounts for additional home security measures.

Using your nanny cam for security purposes

Even though you might have purchased your nanny cam to keep an eye on your little ones at home when they are left with a babysitter, you can still use it for security purposes as well. In fact, their use as a security camera is often overlooked by many parents.

For example, if you have a few nanny cams dotted around your home you can easily keep an eye on not only how the baby sitter, nanny or housekeeper interacts with your children, but also what else they are up to in your home. 

You might be surprised to learn that a lot of theft is actually perpetrated by someone known to your family who is either employed by you or has easy access to your property.

Of course, none of us like to think that someone close to us could steal something from our home, but with a nanny cam in your home you will have visual evidence if this type of crime does occur. It is sad if one of our employees does steal from us, but I am sure that you would want to know if it was the person looking after your children.

State laws against audio recordings

If you intend to install a home security camera or a nanny cam in your home then you need to be aware of the laws in your State governing voice recordings. In many States it is illegal to record audio without the participants permission, so if you purchase a security camera or a WiFi nanny cam with audio, makes sure that you can turn the audio function off.

You can read about these laws, specific for your State here.

The following nanny cams allow you to switch the audio function off: 

• Foscam F19816P nanny cam
• Amcrest ProHD
• Dropcam Pro
• Nest Cam
• DCS-5029L
• DCS-930L
• Motorola Blink 1

For help deciding which surveillance camera or WiFi nanny cam is best for your family, check out my article here.

MY UPDATED TOP 10 NANNY CAMS – 2019

Following intensive research to source the best nanny cams for my readers, I have totally updated my previous Top 10 list.

If you are curious (or in a hurry):

This is the most popular nanny cam with our readers

This is a really affordable nanny cam with all of the features you need to keep your family safe and protect your home.

With 2-way communication, digital zoom, wide angle lens, SD card slot, sound & motion detection, cloud storage and high level encryption, you know you are onto a winner.

It is even a Best Seller on Amazon!

You can read my FULL REVIEW of this nanny cam or read lots of online customer reviews here.

My Top 10 Most Affordable Nanny Cams under $100 are here!

Which Nanny Cam is Best?

There are so many different nanny cams on the market that it is time consuming and frustrating trying to work your way through all of them to find the best one for your situation. So here are my Top 10 Nanny Cams based on features, functionality and customer reviews.

1. YI Wireless IP Camera.
2. Arlo Pro.
3. Dropcam Pro.
4. Amcrest ProHD.
5. SOTION WiFi IP Security Video Camera.
6. Piper nv Smart Home Security System.
7. Vimtag WiFi IP Surveillance Camera
8. Cavalry IPC10010.
9. Nest Cam.
10. Arlo Home Security – Q Plus.

When you need to leave your baby or children with someone else, either to go to work or just to go out together for dinner as a couple, you want to feel  that you are still protecting your family.

Of course, you are only going to leave your children with someone you trust, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. This is why nanny cams are so popular, because you can check in with the babysitter when you are away or simply dial in and watch what is going on at home – unobserved.

Don’t forget that you can use a nanny cam to keep an eye on an elderly relative at home or even watch the antics of your mischievous pets when they are home alone.So if you feel that a nanny camera will make you feel more secure leaving your family at home, here are my top 10 picks.

This special Amazon page has nanny cams discounted today

Here are my TOP 10 Nanny Cams

1. YI Wireless IP Camera

The Yi Wireless IP Camera has quickly risen to the top of my Top 10 list because it has all the functionality you need and is easy to setup and at a great price point.

With 2-way communication, an SD card slot, 1080p resolution, wide angle lens, digital zoom and sound & motion detection this is a super little nanny cam that can easily be re-purposed when your family is grown. 

The images are really crystal clear, because it uses lens distortion correction technology to erase any distortions in your images and videos caused by the wide angle lens. You also have dual stream recording, so if your connection is not good, it changes the streaming to accommodate this problem.

Read my FULL YI Wireless IP Camera Review

2. Arlo Pro nanny cam & home security camera

The new Arlo pro is the upgraded version of the original Arlo, which is a pretty great nanny cam in itself. The reason the original Arlo camera isn’t in my Top 10 is because it lacks a few features that I think are important in a nanny cam.

So the Arlo Pro is exactly the same as the original Arlo but it has a few additional features. To begin with, they are both totally weatherproof and waterproof, so they can be used indoors or outdoors and they are completely wireless. 

This means that you can put them anywhere, as they don’t need a power point. They both have 720p HD images and night vision, and are freestanding with magnetic mountings, a zoom function on the app, customizable alert notifications and 7 days of free cloud storage (1 GB).

The Arlo Pro however, has 2 way communication, which the original Arlo doesn’t, it has a siren on the base unit, a rechargeable battery, a USB port for local storage, a 130 degree wide angle lens (the original Arlo only has 110 degrees) and both sound and motion detection (the original has only motion detection).

The Arlo Pro is not cheap, but it is a very popular camera and is selling well online at the moment. 

Read my FULL Arlo Pro Nanny Camera Review

3. Dropcam Pro Nanny Cam

The Dropcam Pro is the updated version of the Dropcam and has 2-way communication, IR night time vision, an optical zoom (x8) and a wide angle lens (130 degrees).

This is a cloud based WiFi video recording nanny camera with an optional CVR (cloud video recording) subscription available.

If you chose not to buy into the subscription ($29.95 for 30 days) then you can only view live video, not previous footage.

You receive both sound and motion alerts on your smartphone or iPad and it has bank level encryption. Setup is very easy and you can do this even without a computer, as long as you have a compatible Apple mobile device.

Read my FULL Dropcam Pro Nanny Cam Review

4. Amcrest ProHD 1080P Nanny Cam

This nanny cam is a very popular choice with many home owners and parents.

It is really easy to set up and has 2-way communication, so you can talk to the babysitter at home or sing your little one a lullaby as they drift off to sleep.

The Amcrest nanny cam also comes with IR night time vision, pan & tilt, a digital zoom, microSD and cloud storage and HD images. You don’t have sound notifications on your phone, but you do have motion alerts. 

For the price it is a great nanny cam which can be later used for home surveillance.

Read my FULL Amcrest ProHD Nanny Cam Review

5. SOTION WiFi IP Security Video Camera and Nanny Cam

This is a very affordable and popular security camera and nanny cam that is a Best Seller on Amazon. It has all of the features you need and is very easy to setup. It has also been specifically designed to retain a table connection, which is something that customers appreciate.

It comes with 2-way communication, pan & tilt, a digital zoom, IR night time vision, motion detection and alerts, an SD card slot, 960p resolution and secure encryption. If you are looking for a cheap nanny cam (currently selling for under $100), then this SOTION model is definitely worth a look.

Read my FULL SOTION Nanny Cam Review

6. Piper nv Smart Home Security System/Nanny Cam

The Piper nv Smart Home Security System is a kind of hybrid between a home automation system and a nanny cam. You have 2-way communication, a wide angle lens, pan & tilt and a x10 digital zoom, as well as sound and motion alerts and night vision.

On top of all this, you also have a 105db siren that automatically turns on when an intruder alert is triggered, a battery backup if the power goes out (or a burglar disconnects the device from the mains power), auto rearming and it is compatible with Z-wave accessories (window and door sensors, power switches and dimmer switches).

Read my FULL Piper NV Nanny Cam Review

7. Vimtag WiFi IP Surveillance Camera/Nanny Cam

The Vimtag nanny cam is a great little camera with sleek and modern lines and lots of features. You have 2 way communication, pan & tilt, a x4 digital zoom with the app, an SD card slot, night time vision and crystal clear images.

It is very quick and easy to set up as well, and online customer reviews back up this fact.

You can also by a 1 TB cloud storage box to save all of your images and videos, if you run out of space on the SD card. There are no monthly fees for cloud storage, which is a huge plus. 

It also detects both sound and motion, which is another plus, because most nanny cams or surveillance cameras only detect motion, not sound. At around $100, its not cheap, but it has oodles of features, great images and is easy to set up.

Read my FULL Vimtag WiFi IP Camera Review

8. Cavalry IPC 10010 Nanny Cam

This is a great little nanny cam or home surveillance camera with 2 way communication, IR night time vision, highly quality images, pan & tilt, microSD storage, motion detection and alert notifications on your mobile devices.

You don’t have lullabies, a temperature sensor or a digital zoom, but the images are crisp and you have auto balance and auto exposure for perfect images, day or night.

One of the most frequent comments from customers about this nanny cam is that it is so easy to set up – you just plug it in and it works. This makes a huge difference when you compare it with the set up problems that come with many other nanny cams.

Read my FULL Cavalry IPC10010 Nanny Camera Review

9.  Nest Cam

The Nest Cam is a super little nanny cam with lots of great features, but to get the best out this nanny cam, you really do need the monthly subscription to Nest Aware – Nest’s Cloud based storage.

With this subscription you can view past recordings and save video recording, but without it you can only view live video, not save it.

The $10/month subscription gives you 10 days of prior footage and the $30 /month subscription gives you 30 days of previous footage. The Nest Cam has 2-way communication, a digital zoom (x8), a wide angle lens (130 degrees), IR night time vision, sound and motion alerts and bank level encryption.

Read my FULL Nest Cam Nanny Camera Review

10.  Arlo Home Security – Q Plus

The Arlo Q Plus offers 1080P HD videos, 130 degree viewing angle (so you can see the whole room), night vision, 2 way communication and flexible connection options (Wifi, Ethernet and PoE).

You can add up to 5 cameras on the same network and view all live videos on your smartphone, tablet or PC. You also have sound and motion push notifications and 7 days FREE cloud storage,  as well as an SD card slot for when your internet goes down.

You can even mix in the WIRELESS Arlo Cameras with the Plus Q and really design your own DIY home surveillance system for a very affordable price.

Read my FULL Arlo Q PLUS Nanny Camera Review

To read more nanny cam reviews – click here.

A great story about the Amcrest ProHD 1080P

The Amcrest Pro HD 1080P nanny cam is a super little security camera with loads of great features (you can read my review here). This is the most popular nanny cam on my website, and in fact it is the nanny cam that most visitors here purchase.

So when I came across this story about the Amcrest Pro in the news the other day, I just knew that I had to share it with everyone.

This news item really demonstrates how useful the Amcrest Pro HD 1080P nanny cam really can be for protecting your home and valuables, as well as your family.

The thing is that you can use the Amcrest Pro as a nanny cam, because it gives you peace of mind when you have to leave your little ones with a babysitter. We have all heard of some of the horrid things that can happen when people we leave our children or babies in the care of someone we trust (you can read my post on that here – but it is a bit graphic, so be warned).

Anyway, as well as using the Amcrest as a nanny cam you can also use it for home surveillance, either by adding more cameras to the system (you can have up to 4 Amcrest cameras on the same account) or once your children are grown – you can re-purpose them for home security.

Amcrest Pro catches a thief on camera

So this thief was caught by the Amcrest pro as he brazenly drove up and parked in the owners driveway, walked up to the front door and casually walked away with two packages from Amazon, which had been delivered that day.

This footage is absolutely amazing and shows you how cool it is to have surveillance in your home. Check out the video below:

As you can see, the Amcrest camera is located right at the front door, so it was in the right place to catch footage of this thief. It isn’t a nice very nice thought when you realize that someone can just walk right up to your door like that and steal your packages.

In fact, the latest statistics I can find on home invasions in the US is from 2011, where there were nearly 3.5 million reports of household burglaries. These statistics had reduced considerably over the previous 18 years, but at the same time thefts of electronic devices and household appliances had increased. 

Other statistics I found state that the US has the most burglaries in the world with one taking place every 15 seconds!

No-one wants to think that someone can break into their home and rummage through their belongings, let alone steal something of value.

So installing a network of the Amcrest Pro cameras in your home will not only let you keep in contact with your family when you are not at home, but will also keep your home safe when everyone is away.

Purchasing 3 or 4 of these Amcrest nanny cams will set you back less than $500,  which is not much money to set your mind at rest and protect your family. Of course you can purchase just one camera and add to it as your budget allows, as there is no problem with building a network over time.

If you want to learn more about the Amcrest Pro HD 1080P nanny cam, you can read my review of the Amcrest Pro HD 1080P or you can just check out my page on the Amcrest’s specifications. 

Install a pet cam and keep an eye on your dog or cat at home

If you have a dog or cat at home, then have you ever thought about installing a pet cam? You might be really amazed at what your pup gets up to when you are not around. Dogs who are home alone all day can become very mischievous, because they are bored and they miss us not being there with them – cats most probably sleep all day.

Most of us feel guilty about leaving our dogs alone at home when we go to work. It is even worse when we have to go away for an extended period of time. One way to make yourself feel better about leaving your dog or cat at home, is to install a dog cam so you can keep an eye on them while you are at work.

The great thing about a pet cam is that you can remotely pan and tilt the camera so that you can follow your dog’s antics around the room. You can also have 2-way communication with many of the pet cams, so that you can actually talk to your dog or cat at home.

Imagine seeing your dog chewing your favorite shoes and telling them to stop by using the microphone in the doggie cam! You can also hear your dog if they are barking or making any other noises at home as well. So a pet cam can take away a lot of the stress involved in leaving your dog at home and also lets you to keep an eye on them, in case they get up to no good at home.

Do dogs really miss us when we leave them at home?

Well, yes they do. Research has shown that dogs do understand the concept of time. The way that dogs relate to time is different to how we relate to time however. For example, when we think of a past event we put it in context with what we saw, what the weather was like, how long we were there, who we met – that sort of context.

Dogs on the other hand think of how much time has passed since something happened. So for example, they know that it has been too long since they were last walked or too long since they were last fed.

The reason we know this is because if you have just walked or fed them, they are happy but the more time that has passed since their walk or their last meal – the more they nag us. So they do realize that time has passed time an event occurred.

They also understand the difference between being left alone for certain lengths of time. Research using MRIs has shown that dogs do know the difference between 30 minutes and two hours and their behavior changes depending on how long they have been left alone. So if you leave them alone for 30 minutes they are happy to see you when you return, but after 2 hours they are even happier to see you.

At the moment there is no scientific evidence that dogs understand the difference between 2 and 4 hours, but since dogs can understand the time since a past event (called episodic memory), they may well also understand that more than 2 hours has passed.

If you think back, your dog is always happy to see you when you return after an hour, but they are doing back flips when you return after six hours. I am sure that you have also left your dog in the kennel when you have gone on holiday or heard stories about kids going off to college and leaving the family dog at home.

Have you seen this video on YouTube? It is where a young girl returns home after 2 years working away and her dog who was left at the family home is so excited to see her that the dog faints.

So anecdotal evidence does seem to support that our dogs do know the difference and that more time has passed since they last saw you.

So do you need a doggie cam?

A pet cam is a great idea to keep an eye on what your dog is up to at home when they are all alone. You can catch your dog doing some really weird stuff when they are alone – all of the dogs in this next video were left home alone and their antics were caught on pet cams.

Just imagine what you might find out if you install a doggie cam in your home!

Read my review of this great pet cam here

Compare lots of pet cams here

Make sure your elderly relative is safe at home with a nanny cam

Installing a nanny cam so you can keep an eye on your elderly relative and make sure that they are safe is a very reasonable action to take – with their permission of course.

As your parents or other relatives become older, the topic of caring for them and keeping them safe rears its head. Of course there are lots of great retirement homes around, but as we all know and can appreciate, many elderly relatives want to remain in their own home or move in with their children, rather than a retirement home.

The problem is that the older we become, the more likely we are to fall at home with 2.5 million elderly people being treated for falls each year. More than a quarter of a million elderly people are admitted to hospital for broken hips and more than 95% of these are due to a fall.

So insuring that our older relatives are safe at home is essential for their well and quality of life.

Nanny cams help to keep your elderly relatives safe

There are lots of changes you have to make when an elderly relative moves into your home. This is because they require more care as time goes by and their mobility can become an issue.

This is where a nanny cam can be a huge benefit, because it allows you to keep in touch with your relative when you are not at home.

This is not spying on them, but is a way to keep them safe at home. You can install a nanny camera in your relative’s home or in your home, if they move in with you.

A WiFi nanny cam will make a big difference to your stress levels about whether or not your parent is safe at home alone. It will also reassure them that you will see if they are in trouble even if they can’t get to a phone and call you.

Nanny cams are very affordable and will help you to feel less stressed about not being there for your parent, because you have a career and you need to go to work. The risk of falling however, increases as we age and the last thing you want is a parent with a broken hip at home.

So apart from installing quality nanny cameras in your home, here are 17 more tips to help you keep your elderly relative safe at home.

17 Safety tips for elderly relatives in the home

1. Install smoke alarms in every room of your home and check their batteries regularly.
2. Don’t forget to install a carbon monoxide alarm as well in your home.
3. Have a clear escape rout in case of a fire and a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
4. Make sure that there is sufficient lighting on the stairs inside and outside on the veranda, the garage, porch and garden paths.
5. If you have an open fireplace or a log burner in your home, make sure that it is safely behind a fireguard.
6. Install nightlights that go on and off when they detect motion.
7. Declutter the floor spaces, so your elderly relative won’t trip easily.
8. Place non-slip mats in bathrooms and around the skin in the kitchen.
9. Install bars and grab handles in the shower and around the bathtub.
10. Find a sturdy and waterproof chair, bench or stool that will fit in the shower.
11. Make sure you store needed items on low shelves.
12. Make any threshold level, if possible, to avoid falls in the home.
13. Reposition any electrical cords that drape along the floors.
14. Install external ramps for entryways if the steps are a problem.
15. Create a covered walkway between the garage and house, so they don’t slip in the rain.
16. Replace worn or torn carpets or rugs.
17. Fit a chain on the front door, so your elderly relative can check their ID before letting them into the home.

With a nanny cam installed in your home, you can chat to your relative when you are at work and keep an eye on them in case they fall or injure themselves in some other wat. Yes, you can use the phone, but being able to SEE that they are OK is a big way to reduce your stress, when you have to leave them home alone.

To make sure your elderly relative is safe at home you definitely want a nanny cam with specific features.

Features of a perfect nanny camera for your elderly relative

• 2-way communication – so you can chat with your relative.
• Pan& Tilt – so you can follow them around the room.
• Digital zoom – so you can zoom in for a closer look.
• Temperature sensor – so you know the room is not to cold.
• High quality images – so you can see everything clearly in case of an accident.
• Sound and motion alert notifications to your smartphone.

There are two good nanny cams that fulfil all of these criteria – the D-Link DCS 855L and the D-Link DCS-850L. There are lots of other nanny cams which you can read about here – but these are the only two that I have reviewed so far, that have all of these features.

Read my D-Link DCS-850L review here

Read my D-Link DCS-855L review here

Selecting the best nanny cam for your family

If you are searching for a nanny cam with audio, 2-way communication, pan & tilt, wide viewing angles, lullabies and much more besides, then you have come to the right place. 

Most of us don’t know anything about nanny cams or wireless surveillance systems, so the whole topic can seem overwhelming at first. However, as with anything, the more you know, the better you understand the subject matter and the easier it is to make a decision.

That’s why I wrote these nanny cam reviews, to make your life a lot easier!

So let’s look at a few important features of nanny cameras that will help you to decide which one is best for your situation. We are going to look at live video feeds, video storage, battery or mains power, hidden nanny cams, viewing angles, nanny cameras with audio and/or 2 way communication, sound and motion sensors, temperature sensors, lullabies, and pan & tilt, and whether you want remote access or not.

A few of these features are more important to me than others, for example, at the very least I want a nanny cam with audio, preferably with 2 way communication. I want pan & tilt, a wide angle lens, live video feeds, free cloud storage, sound and motion sensors, remote access and I want a battery backup if possible (so it still works if the power goes out).

So let’s jump right in and you can make a list of the features you want in a nanny cam, then you can go ahead and read my reviews. 

Do you want live video feeds?

All nanny cams record live video images, but only some of them allow you to view these images in real time. Others simply store the recordings and you can watch them later in your own time.

So you need to decide whether the functionality of real time monitoring is important and practical to you.

If you don’t have internet access during the day, either from a desktop PC, your smartphone or via WIFI or you simply don’t have the time to view videos during the day, then the cheaper option where the nanny cam stores the videos, but doesn’t give you real time monitoring, might be your best option.

Otherwise, if you want real time monitoring, you need a WIFI enabled nanny cam.

How are the video recordings stored?

There are three ways your video recordings can be stored, which as you will see can be a strong deciding factor on which system you eventually select.

Storage on your PC 

You can connect the nanny cam directly to your PC or to an external hard drive. The problem with this is that your PC or external drive could crash, die an untimely death or even be stolen. You have then lost all of your stored video recordings. So nanny cams that only offer video storage on a PC or external drive may not give you as much security as you need – from the point of view of storage. They may better used for home security, where you want evidence of who broke into your home

Storage on an SD card

 Most nanny cams can store video footage on an SD card, rather than a PC or external drive. The problem with SD cards is that they can fill up fairly quickly (depending on the size of SD card)

Storage in the Cloud

This is a more high tech and more recent method of video storage, where the images are transmitted via WIFI and stored in the Cloud. You can then access the live video footage from the Cloud using WIFI on any mobile device or PC.

The problem with Cloud storage is that it costs money, usually a monthly fee, which for the time being makes this the least popular storage method (based on customer reviews). Although some nanny cams do not charge a fee for cloud storage.

The most popular nanny cams have live video streaming, which are stored on an SD card.

Battery operated nanny cam or one that needs electrical power?

You can purchase nanny cams that run only on battery, with the batteries lasting for up to 20 hours.

The majority however, last from 3 to 5 hours, some to around 10 hours.

The longer the battery life, the greater the price and you may find that nanny cams with a 20 hour battery cost hundreds of dollars.

With battery operated nanny cams you really want to use the motion sensor so that they only record when motion is detected. This will extend the life of the battery, as when they do not detect any motion, they enter a standby mode which uses hardly any power.

Yes, if you have a power outage, these nanny cams will keep recording, however you have to balance the cost against the probability that your home will lose power.

Do you want a hidden nanny cam or an obvious surveillance camera?

There are laws concerning recording people in your own home and these are different depending on which state you live in. So it is best if you check the nanny cam laws in your state, so you know what is and isn’t legal.

It’s also best to check these laws before you spend money on expensive hidden cams, such as those hidden in teddy bears for example, as these tend to be more expensive than the more overt home surveillance cameras that are available.

In many states you need someone’s permission to record them using a hidden nanny cam (particularly if it’s a nanny cam with audio), so the take home message is to check the laws in your state before you invest in a nanny cam or other type of home surveillance.

Do you want two-way communication?

This can be useful if you want to be able to talk to your children while you are away and they are in their nanny’s care or with your partner at home.

Although, you could always use the phone, which might be a cheaper option 🙂

Two-way communication is great when you can soothe your baby while the baby sitter is changing them or settling your baby and it is also useful to chat with the babysitter or your partner at the same time.

If you feel that this functionality is important to you, then you need to add this to your list of requirements. You can also choose a nanny cam with audio instead of 2-way communication, where you can only hear each other, but not talk. 

Do you want the widest possible viewing angle?

If you want a nanny cam then you most probably also want one with the widest possible viewing angle. This is because you want to see all areas of the room with no areas that are out of view – so think about a pan & tilt function in the nanny cam.

If you only want a surveillance camera for home security, then aiming the camera at the front entrance for example, might be all you need. So in this case, a narrow field of view is most probably fine for your needs.

Do you want sound and motion sensors?

Sound detection is a great feature because it turns on when it detects sound and you can hear what is happening and being said in the immediate area. You can also hear if your baby is crying and if you have the 2-way communication function as well, you can then soothe your baby, even when they are with your partner or babysitter.

Motion sensors are good because the nanny cam only turns on if it detects motion in its field of view, otherwise it is in standby mode.

This saves on battery time (if you have a battery operated nanny cam) and also doesn’t fill up your SD card with videos of an empty room.

If you want the nanny cam so you can view the interactions of your children and a carer, then it is unlikely that a motion sensor would be needed. This is because motion sensors tend to be more useful for home surveillance, where they turn on because someone is in the room who shouldn’t be there.

Some nanny cams have both sound and motion detectors, others have have just sound detection. 

Do you want a nanny camera with audio?

If you want your nanny cam to observe your children and their carer, you might want a nanny cam with audio functionality, which is a point to note when you are deciding which surveillance cameras to buy. You need to be careful here however, because there are laws about actually recording people without their consent, particularly if you have hidden nanny cams with audio turned on.

The laws are different depending on what state you are in, but if you search for ‘wiretapping and eavesdropping laws’ you should find the laws applicable to your state. It’s best to sort this out first, before you go to the added expense of purchasing a nanny cam with audio functionality. You can however, turn off the audio recordings on many of the nanny cams, but there are a few where you cannot switch it off.

One way to avoid breaching any laws is to simply let the carer know that you have installed nanny cameras with audio functionality in your home, obtain their consent and then you are good to go. Even when they have given their consent, make sure that you don’t record in areas that are considered private, such as bathrooms or if you have a live-in nanny, in their private bedroom.

FYI: If you want a nanny cam with audio functionality for your home (or even in your office), check on the list of features before you buy it, because many home surveillance cameras don’t have audio, whereas most nanny cams have either audio or 2 way communication.

Do you want a temperature sensor?

Some of the nanny cams have an inbuilt sensor that checks the ambient temperature in the room.

If the temperature changes by more than a degree or so, then you are notified via SMS or email. Some people find that this is an important function, others – not so much.

So if you aren’t fussy on this feature you can select a cheaper model or even swap over to a home surveillance camera rather than a specific nanny cam.

Do you want lullabies?

A nice feature of nanny cams is that some models play a limited number of stock lullabies, some allow you to load your own music and messages, whilst others don’t offer this feature at all.

Some parents love that they can turn on a lullaby remotely from the office, to help their little one settle at any time.

However, the more features you want, the more expensive the camera, so if you want lullabies, then make sure the model you select offers this functionality.

Do you want remote pan and tilt?

This function allows you to move the camera lens around in real time so you can track what is happening in a room.

If you can’t do this, then you are stuck with one set view of the room – which may or may not be acceptable to you. It all depends on the reason for the nanny cam.

If you just want to keep an eye on your baby while he or she is sleeping, then you most probably won’t need a pan and tilt function.

On the other hand if you want to keep an eye on other people in your home and their interactions with your child, then you might find that the pan and tilt function is just the ticket.

Do you want to access video feeds outside your home?

If you only want to observe your baby or child while you are at home, for example while they are sleeping in another room, then you won’t need as much functionality.

You might just be happy with a WIFI baby monitor that you can carry around with you at home and has a limited range of say – 500 feet?

On the other hand, if you want to observe your baby while you are at work or anywhere in the world, then you will need a WIFI/wireless nanny cam, specifically designed for remote access outside your home.

12 questions to ask yourself before you purchase a nanny cam:

1. Do you want live video feeds?
2. Do you want to store the videos on a PC, external drive, SD card or in the cloud?
3. Do you want a battery operated nanny cam or one that needs electrical power?
4. Do you want a hidden nanny cam or one that is clearly visible?
5. Do you want 2-way communication?
6. Do you want the widest possible viewing angle?
7. Do you want sound and motion detectors?
8. Do you want a nanny camera with audio?
9. Do you want a temperature sensor?
10. Do want the nanny cam to play lullabies?
11. Do you want remote pan and tilt?
12. Do you want a WIFI nanny cam?

That’s nanny cams in a nutshell!

Once you have noted the features that important to your situation, you can read my individual nanny cam reviews here.

If you have decided that you need an in-house baby monitor, not a WIFI nanny cam then you can read my baby monitor reviews here.