Note: I do not get endorsed for this product. I just want to share how it has helped us!
I was super skeptical to get an Amazon Alexa at first because I don’t fully trust who’s listening in on us, and to be honest, I still wonder how secure it is. At the end of the day, though, we have nothing happening at our house that I care if people listen to. They’re collecting data off of my computer, ipad, phone, social media, etc., so what’s one more place?
Our first Alexa was free with a purchase, so we put it in the garage to play music while we were outside. We had no idea everything the Alexa was capable of doing. It is so much more than just a speaker! What started as one Alexa has turned into ELEVEN at our house, including a video Alexa and two car Alexas. My husband went nuts ordering these once he found out the capabilities, which I’ll share below.
1. Music/Podcasts
This is the obvious function of an Alexa. I love listening to music and podcasts when I’m cooking dinner, crafting, or relaxing in the tub. No matter where I am, I’m able to tell Alexa to play something. It is connected to our Spotify accounts, so we can also play our own playlists or resume a podcast. If one person is listening to Spotify in one room, another can listen to Amazon music without having to upgrade to a new feature allowing you to stream music on more than one device at a time.
You can also get podcast or music suggestions by asking for them. Alexa will use your previous preferences to suggest other things you may enjoy.
2. Create Multiple Shopping Lists
I mentioned in my previous blog that I create my grocery list on Alexa. No matter where I am in the house, I am able to ask it to add an item. We have multiple lists, though, so by stating which list when we add the product, it will automatically go on that list in the app. This helps when we make a Sam’s Club run or need to go to Home Depot or Lowe’s. By keeping these lists, we can always have items we need available without needing to remember them.
3. Chore Charts
We are able to make chore lists and have Alexa read them off. When the chore is done, you report that to Alexa, and it removes it from the list. Each person can have his/her own chart and responsibility. Alexa even recognizes our voice, so it addresses us by name.
4. Hands-Free Calling
I don’t have any of the fancy-schmancy hands-free car devices, so my husband got me an Alexa for the road. It hooks up to my phone whenever I get in, and I can tell it any command that is possible on my phone, including calling or texting people, listening to music, or using my navigation.
5. Amazon Story Time
This is a favorite of my son’s. He listens to Amazon Story Time when he colors, plays legos, is in the tub, and even before bed. I’ve noticed that since we’ve gotten him an Alexa alarm clock in his room, he does not get out of his bed anymore for a million different things because he is preoccupied with his stories. There are kid settings on the Alexas, so everything they are capable of doing is age appropriate for them. If they attempt to listen to something that isn’t, Alexa lets them know it is not approved.
6. Updates on Local Information
It is extremely convenient to ask Alexa what the weather is each day. If there are snow storms coming, it lets you know how much is expected and at what times. We ask when local restaurants are open or store hours. The kids love to ask it questions when we’re discussing something or when they’re doing homework to get further clarification. It’s not perfect, but we learn a lot of random facts. I also really like the time checks I can ask it when I’m in the shower or getting ready for work. This may be the epitome of lazy, but it’s super convenient!
7. Family Games
Two specific games we like to play as a family are “Would You Rather” and “Music Trivia.” We can make teams or play against each other. These are fun if we just have a few minutes while waiting for dinner or are in the car waiting to pick up a grocery order or waiting to pick up one of the kids from an activity. I haven’t explored what other games there are, but I’m sure there are quite a few.
8. Timers
I live by setting timers. When I do laundry, I set a timer. When I’m cooking, I set a timer. When we’re cleaning the house, we set a goal to be done by a certain time and set a timer. We can have multiple timers set at the same time by naming them.
9. Alarm Clocks
In addition to timers, we use the alarm clock feature for the kids. We got them the little alarm Alexas for their rooms, and they have been able to take on the responsibility of setting alarms in the morning this way. I really like this feature because then they don’t need their ipods or ipads in their rooms. We are firm believers to shut it down before bed and remove these devices. I’ve seen too many sleepy teenagers in my job, and I want to nip that habit before it even starts.
10. Drop-Ins
This feature is extremely beneficial. It’s like an in-home intercom. You can say, “Alexa, drop into the kids’ bathroom,” and they’ll get a notification sound that someone is talking to them. I like this feature when the kids are in the tub and I’m crafting. I am able to keep the drop-in on and ensure they’re safe while I can get some things done around the house. Remember that my kids are old enough to get a bath by themselves. DO NOT leave your young children unattended in the tub.
My husband uses this feature while he is at work to say hi to us. The kids get a kick out of it when he drops in the kitchen while we’re eating dinner and chats with us. I also have used this feature when I’m at work if I need to get a hold of someone but they aren’t answering a text or call.
11. Echo Show
This Alexa has a video screen and allows us to call anyone else with an Echo Show. We can see them like FaceTime. It’s like a minicomputer screen, and it makes talking to multiple people a lot easier than on a phone.
We also use it as a digital picture frame, displaying some of our favorite pictures on it. We get recipes from it, and Alexa puts the information on the screen. It skims through the local news, and if I see something interesting, I will read it or have Alexa read the article to me in the morning. I mentioned Amazon Story Time in item five. The Echo Show has pictures with the story.
I know these features aren’t necessary, but they are nice luxuries that add a little bit of convenience to our everyday life.
12. Smart Plugs
This is my husband’s job here, but he has made so many timers with our smart plugs. I don’t know how this works, but he sets it all up on the Alexa app. We have outside lights set up. Our living room lights come on each night and turn off each morning at set times. Our Roomba vacuum is hooked up to Alexa, and we can send it home or turn it off with an Alexa command. We can change the lighting colors in our kitchen and outside for certain holidays or celebrations.
He’s also set it up that if we give a specific command, the lights will flash red and Alexa says an alert.
13. Link to Calendars
We have our phone calendars linked to Alexa, so each morning we can ask what’s on our calendar. As I mentioned before, it can recognize our voices, so when we ask for our calendar events, it knows who we are.
We can also add items on our calendar verbally by giving Alexa the command. It asks for confirmation of the event name, time, place, and day. Honestly, it’s a little scary how advanced this thing is!
14. Hands-Free Commands
I’ve mentioned the hands-free feature for my car Alexa, but we also use this in our home. We have certain lamps set up with smart plugs so when we’re in bed, we can read and then tell Alexa to turn out our lights without having to get up and turn the switches off. If the kids are listening to Amazon Story Time before bed and fall asleep, I can turn off their Alexas from my room.
I really like the hands-free feature when I’m working out. I can tell Alexa to change my music without having to stop my workout. I can even adjust the volume by telling it what number to go to.
15. Groups
We have all of the Alexas on each floor in a group. We title them 1st-floor group, 2nd-floor group, etc. This is a nice feature because when we are listening to music on the first floor, all Alexas sync and play the same thing. If you are entertaining, you can set the whole house up to play through the same group so music is playing everywhere. It’s like a surround sound system without spending all of the money.
I’m sure there are so many other features Alexas do, but these are the things we have found to help make our daily lives easier. Like I said before, I’m sure they are collecting data from us, but we live in a society where every click of our mouse, tap of our finger on a screen, and even conversation on our phone is tracking us. I’m not saying I agree with it, but that’s just where we are, so why not reap some benefits from the convenience of these AIs?
If you have an Alexa, let me know your favorite features below.
