Hey all! Over the past couple of months my husband and I have been slowly upping our home’s level of tech savvy-ness. It all started when we switched out our front door keylock with a key pad entry. Our minds were blown and we have been loving the ease that this “smart home” accessory brought to our lives. So we started dabbling with other fun gadgets that could make our lives easier. We are lucky enough to team up with the great folks over at The Home Depot, and we got to play around with some awesome new security systems!
As you might recall, I recently gave our front porch a makeover, where I utilized the aforementioned key-less Schlage lock. (You can read all about it here.) The new key pad was life changing, but then I teamed it up with a new doorbell and I feel like I am entering Batman’s secret layer!
Have you ever heard of “Ring” security? Well if you haven’t you are in for a real treat. They are changing the face of home security systems. They have come up with plenty of new cameras, but I am getting ahead of myself! They have created the Ring Video Doorbell Pro that allows you to see in real time who is at your front door! What is even cooler is you can actually TALK to someone who is at your front door! That’s right, you can let the FedEx guy know that it’s alright to leave the package by the front door… You can tell the neighbor kids that you will be home in a few minutes, OR you can tell that creepy guy checking out the package left by the FedEx guy to beat it! How cool is that, it is even easy to install!
I used the Ring Video Doorbell Pro in conjunction with my existing door bell. Everything about these products are super intuitive. If you begin by downloading the app, it will take you through the install process step-by-step. Within a few minutes I had the whole system wired and ready to go. (I already had a doorbell wired, however they do have another option if you do not already have a doorbell wired. )
Once everything is wired internally it was just a matter of installing the button on the exterior of the house. It was another simple task! The kit comes with a fool proof template that allows you to quickly and perfectly line up your new doorbell. 
Once you have the placement marked for the new screws, you can either attach it directly to your wall (for those with wood paneling) or if you are like me you will need to pre-drill. Again, the folks at Ring have you covered again! The kit comes with a masonry bit that will give you the perfect size whole to fit the accompanying mollies. 
Then you just wire it up. It is super straight forward and simple. If you get confused at all you just reference the app screen. It will be walking your through ever single step. (Can I just tell you how much I LOVE that I was not constantly referencing a manual to make sure I did it correctly!? They have handy little videos that walk you through the entire process. 
All that is left to do is attach the doorbell and select the color for your cover plate. (It comes with 4 options!) At this point the app will continue to walk you through the rest of the installation process. I completed this entire process beginning to end within 15 minutes. Seriously! So simple. 
Haha, I honestly spent a majority of the rest of the afternoon playing around with the app! I kept sending my kids outside so I could test it out. They seriously think that it is the coolest! How awesome is it, that I can check to see who is at my door so I can decide whether or not I want to answer, I mean I can decide if I need to put on a bra. What I mean to say is… I can greet them warmly knowing that it isn’t a serial killer.
What is even cooler is that I can have a two way chat with any visitors! Once any guests ring the doorbell an alert pops up on my phone letting me know someone is at my door, I then have the option to see the live camera view. At which point I can engage them in conversation through my phone or just allow them to leave! What!? I feel like I am on “Meet the Jetsons” or something.
The doorbell will actually detect motion for a good portion of our front yard. You can actually manipulate how much of the view is subject to motion detection. Say you live in a busy neighborhood and you don’t want to be notified that there is motion at your front door, you can actually change settings to avoid getting notifications all day long!
Like I said, my doorbell actually covers a good portion of our yard, but I was so hooked on the Ring Doorbell, that I wanted to try out some of their other security products. They actually have a whole variety of exterior motion sensing security cameras. I feel pretty safe where we live, but with my shop being detached from the house, I kind of liked the idea of being able to see anyone that might be wandering around. So I took an hour out of my day and saved myself a lot of worrying! Ring Spotlight Camera
Again, the install process for this thing was a cinch. Like the doorbell, it will walk you through the entire install process.
Again it comes with a easy install template and all the bits you need to install. Just install the plate…
Then slip the camera mount onto the plate. Easy Peasy! The camera just screws into place, then you plug it in and go! Seriously, that’s it. The app will walk you through the setup and will allow you to make any changes. (Including the range of motion you want detected, the sensitivity, and how/if you want to be notified of any movement.) How cool is that ?! 
We now have it installed over our garage. With just this single camera, it will detect if anyone pulls onto our street, into our driveway, walks up to the front door, and if anyone tries to go into my shop! I was never worried about where we lived but I do have an additional sense of security knowing that this camera will catch and record any movement! * You can see the live view at anytime, and get the alerts for free, but for $3 a month they will record any movement for three months. We ABSOLUTELY will be taking advantage of their services. 
Seriously, check out the range of view from that one little camera! I can easily see anyone that pulls down our road, and obviously the driveway is completely visible. I also have a great view of the shop. With the way my house is situated, I can basically see anyone that approaches my house. It is awesome! (Side note: How cute is my little guy pressure washing the driveway for me, also holy crap look at how dirty it was! Eek) 
Bottom line, do I love it? Absolutely! In fact since installing it I have had two different friends purchase some of the Ring products because I keep on raving about them! So if you have been considering an alarm system of any sort, might I suggest looking into the Ring Spotlight Camera system as an alternative. We are so in love with the system that we will also be installing them inside my shop and on the backside of our home. These smart little guys are a total game changer! 
*I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the Smart Campaign promotional program. As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
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Does this require cell service to be in the area? I live in what my kids call “BFE” and there is no cell service at the house. I would love a system like this for my house!!