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Nine Ways ALEXA Has Improved Our Lives

November 25, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 48 Comments

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

We’re a family of four and we have nine Alexas in our home. 

Four people with nine Alexas. 

That’s more than twice the number of Alexas than people! 

Why so many, you wonder?

Because having Alexa available in several rooms throughout the house has IMPROVED OUR LIVES IN MANY WAYS. 

We started with one Echo in the living room and were so impressed that we added eight more Alexas over the course of a few months. 

Our Alexa army currently includes the following…

a Dot on my vanity {Mama Wolfe}

a Dot in my mom’s suite {Train Gampen}

a Dot in our son’s bedroom  {The Lone Wolfe}

a Dot in our son’s playroom/office {The Ploffice}

a Dot in my husband’s home office {Alpha Wolfe}

an Echo in the basement family room {The Wolfe Den}

a Dot in my workspace in the basement {the Wolfe Sanctuary}  plus

a Dot in the boringly named Kitchen and an Echo in the Living Room. 

But, why so many?!?!?!

Alexa has way more to offer than just random trivia bits or info on what time the local grocery store closes. She has a long list of skills….so long that we have just begun to scratch the surface. 

Below are NINE WAYS ALEXA HAS IMPROVED OUR LIVES so far.  

ONE: {Alexa has TAUGHT us a lot.}

Our son, who will soon be 13, definitely uses Alexa more than anybody else in our family.  He is homeschooled and will ask Alexa for definitions of unknown words he comes across while reading. He checks his math problems {after he computes them on his own, of course}. He confirms correct spelling as he is writing. He even asks Alexa to read long Bible passages for Bible history.

But, he’s not the only one who uses Alexa to learn new things. If the family gets into a debate over a historical fact, some random bit of trivia or whether Columbus Day is a federal holiday, we ask Alexa to settle the debate.  All we have to do is say her name and ask the question. She instantly reports what she finds on the Internet. She has TAUGHT US A LOT!

BONUS: Anything that is asked of Alexa instantly appears in the app on my phone. So, if the 12 year old is seeking inappropriate information, I would instantly know. 

TWO: {Alexa has GIVEN us peace of mind.}

My elderly mother lives with us. and she has an Alexa next to her bed that she uses anytime she needs help. She can either drop in  on one of us and ask directly for help with something or she can make an announcement  which goes out to every Alexa in the house at the same time. Being able to easily ask for help when needed  has allowed her to have continued independence and GIVEN US PEACE OF MIND. 

BONUS: My mom also uses Alexa to help in other ways, including turning her lights on/off, setting timers, controlling her TV and more. 

THREE: {Alexa has DECREASED hollering.}

Our house is not huge but it is big enough that in order  to communicate with with one another, we used to do a lot of hollering. From room to room. From upstairs to downstairs. From one end of the house to the other. But, with Alexa’s drop in  feature, the hollering has come to a halt. Now, we just drop in  on one another. If I need to check on whether our son is showered and ready to roll, instead of hollering upstairs, I can just drop in  on him in his bedroom and gently ask. Or, if I’m in the kitchen and my husband is in his basement office but I want to find out if he wants meatloaf or burgers for dinner, I don’t need to scream. I can just drop in  on him and ask {or remind him to take out the trash, hang the Christmas lights, call the plumber….} So, Alexa has DECREASED HOLLERING and increased calm conversations. 

BONUS: Whomever you drop in  on cannot ignore you and pretend they don’t hear your question. When you drop in,  it opens a two-way conversation so you instantly hear everything in the other room while the other room can also hear you. It truly allows for calm two-way conversations. 

FOUR: {Alexa has ORGANIZED our lives.}

Alexa is amazing at organizing things. She can make lists, set reminders and assign chores. And she does all of those things with a simple command.

Our son is actually pretty good at doing his daily chores but struggles to remember things that are only required of him once or twice weekly. But by assigning “trash” and “dog doo” to his chores, Alexa reminds him {instead of me nagging him}. She even offers him praise when he completes the chore. 

She can also keep track of grocery lists and tasks  to do. From anywhere in the house, I can simply ask Alexa to “add peanut butter to my grocery list” and she does. Or, if I’m brushing my teeth in the downstairs bathroom and suddenly remember that I need to change the kid’s dentist appointment, I can ask her to add that to my tasks  for tomorrow and she does. I’ve always been a fairly organized person, but Alexa has ORGANIZED OUR LIVES even more so!

BONUS: She has an amazing listening range and can pick up commands even when not in the same room.

FIVE: {Alexa has SAVED us time.}

One of my favorite ways to use Alexa is to ask her for weather and news updates  while I am getting dressed to start the day. When I use my phone to check for those details, I always get sucked into the blackhole of FaceBook or get stuck swapping texts back and forth with a friend. But, with Alexa, I can easily listen to a quick weather report  or news update  while still putting on makeup or getting dressed. It’s as easy as can be and has saved me countless precious minutes each morning. And who doesn’t want to SAVE TIME? 

SIX: {Alexa has REVAMPED our sleeping habits.} 

We are a family of night owls, which means we find it hard to fall asleep at a decent time and then struggle to wake up early in the morning.  But Alexa has helped us REVAMP OUR SLEEPING HABITS. Our son’s personalized playlist  helps him fall asleep each night and his alarm  wakes him each morning.

I don’t like to sleep to music but I utilize Alexa in a different way each night. I like to read in bed until I feel sleepy but now I use Alexa to read to me! All I have to do is ask her to read my choice from the Audible Library. She uses her soothing voice to read the next chapter of my book until I feel sleepy enough to finally fall asleep. All I have to do is say, “Alexa, stop” and she does. 

BONUS: From the app, I can change the volume of my son’s music or stop it completely after he falls asleep. I can also verify that his alarm is set, change the time of his alarm or cancel the alarm altogether. She also offers several different types of alarms. Some are downright hilarious {Sharknado!} And you can even ask her to wake you up with your personalized playlist. 

SEVEN: {Alexa has ENHANCED our days.}

Our son loves to listen to music…while he works, while he plays and even while he sleeps and having Alexa and unlimited Amazon Music  has been a game-changer for him.  It does not matter if he is doing his school work on the couch, at his desk or in the basement, he is able to access an unlimited array of songs instantly. Not only can he listen to some upbeat tunes during his math lesson, he can also listen to various samples of whatever classical composer we are studying at the time. He can even access the songs we use to memorize Scripture. The offerings on Amazon Music  are truly vast and the instant access to such a variety of music has ENHANCED OUR DAYS in a big way. 

BONUS: With the Alexa app, I can control the volume, stop the song and filter his choices. It also shows me everything he has listened to {in the off chance I did not HEAR it firsthand, ha ha!}

EIGHT: {Alexa has CREATED a peaceful space.}

This one might be unique to just our family but, I can definitely say that Alexa has CREATED A PEACEFUL SPACE for this Mama!  Our son has a Ploffice for his school work and elaborate Lego collection. My husband has a home office in the basement. My mom has a large suite with loads of privacy. But, until I carved out a little sanctuary in the storage area of the basement, complete with comfy chair, big desk and Alexa, I did not have a work space to call my own. But, now I have a private, quiet, peaceful place to work on blog posts and TpT products.    And because Alexa is a part of that equation, I can work diligently in my little sanctuary without feeling guilty for shirking my household duties or concerned that our son is ignoring his school work. My mom can reach me if she needs something. Our son can too. 

NINE: {Alexa has INCREASED family time.}

The best thing Alexa has done for our family is INCREASE FAMILY TIME.

Between jamming to tunes while cleaning the house together and reminiscing about the “old” music my husband used to listen to, Alexa has used music to INCREASE FAMILY TIME. 

Then you add in the GAMES that she offers, with or without game buttons, and Family Game Night has taken on a whole new dimension. 

For a family Christmas gift, I plan to get an Echo Show for the kitchen so we can easily pull up recipes, catch the news and watch lunch-time documentaries!

My husband uses the Alexa app to drop in on the entire house on his way home from work. This allows us to put away the school work, quickly pick up any messes and be ready to greet him when he walks in the door. This habit has changed the dynamics of weekday evenings for the better in an immense way. 

And with the increased communication throughout the house {including cutting into the gaming headphones}, making plans to spend more time together has never been easier. 

And that’s something that everybody deserves! 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: REVIEWS, SUGGESTIONS, Supplies, Tips Tagged With: Alexa, family time, Homeschool, Momming, review, smart home

Comments

  1. Jill DeMasi says

    November 25, 2019 at 11:27 am

    We love Alexa in our house too! Funny questions and messages all day! I use it for music too while I am cooking and love it.

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:20 pm

      Does your Alexa make annoying noises as commanded by your kids too? Our son loves to ask her to ….pass gas….it’s funny the first 12 times. 😉

      Reply
  2. Beth says

    November 25, 2019 at 12:42 pm

    I love this. My son and his family use Alexa. but not sure they have optimized it quite as much as you have. Will have to be sharing. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      We have so much more to learn about her skills too! Thanks for reading, Beth!

      Reply
  3. Brianna says

    November 25, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Alright my decision is made. I have to have Alexa. I had ok google and it was helpful but I don’t miss it. My toddler threw it in the toilet. I was thinking of getting an Alexa next, this post definitely helps. Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Lora Rovegna says

    November 25, 2019 at 2:09 pm

    I have never really been one who has to have an Alexa but your mention of your mother is compelling. That makes total sense to me. I guess I didn’t realize how much it could do.

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      That peace of mind is amazing!

      Reply
  5. Angela says

    November 25, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    Good post with lots of details – I had no idea so much could be done and it helps with.

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      Thanks for reading, Angela!

      Reply
  6. Michelle says

    November 25, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    I didn’t realize Alexa could do all that. I am not a big fan of all the technological stuff, but I am getting better at it. You just made me at least think more about it. Thanks for that.

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:17 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  7. Holly says

    November 25, 2019 at 4:17 pm

    Great info..I never use Alexa that much..mine seems to not understand what anyone is saying so I’m glad to see it does work!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:17 pm

      The more you use her, the better she understands you. She still messes up with us too at times. But it’s worth the effort for us. Merry Christmas, Holly!

      Reply
  8. Candice says

    November 25, 2019 at 6:43 pm

    We love our Alexa! We actually have four of them.

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:16 pm

      Nice!

      Reply
  9. Jody says

    November 25, 2019 at 7:37 pm

    I do not know that i would like one of these but they do seem like they could help out at times.

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      My husband still fusses about her at times. He actually calls her “Lenexa” just to be annoying {sometimes she replies, sometimes she doesn’t.} And sometimes my husband tells her to pass messages along to Jeff Bezos. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Charlene says

    November 25, 2019 at 7:41 pm

    These are so cool! I didn’t know you could ‘drop in’ with Alexa. We don’t have an Alexa yet but my parents do. Maybe we should get one…

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:14 pm

      or nine!

      Reply
  11. Jen says

    November 25, 2019 at 8:17 pm

    Thanks for sharing the ways this benefits your family! Looks like it can be an asset in many ways!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      She really is awesome! You should get one….or nine! 😉

      Reply
  12. Cynthia says

    November 25, 2019 at 8:36 pm

    I think you’ve convinced me. So many of the points you made are problems we have in our house-umm hollering-yup :/ Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:13 pm

      Oh, yeah, the hollering. I am so glad we don’t do that anymore.

      Reply
  13. Eva says

    November 25, 2019 at 8:55 pm

    Finally, some good reasons to get Alexa rather than just the status reasons. I use Siri a LOT but she can’t do everything I need her to do. I love the idea of the dropping in feature; soooo handy!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      Dropping in was a serious game-changer in our home. We seriously shouted all the time. Not in anger, but just trying to talk to one another. But, it gets exhausting to hear that all the time! It’s so much better now!

      Reply
  14. Lisa Manderino says

    November 25, 2019 at 10:20 pm

    We love our Alexa too. We love playing music all the time!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:10 pm

      I was horrible about playing music until she came along. Now we enjoy such a variety!

      Reply
  15. jen says

    November 25, 2019 at 10:46 pm

    Good to know! We were thinking of getting this for my parents this Christmas. Thank you

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:10 pm

      You should! She has seriously helped us in so many ways!

      Reply
  16. Heather says

    November 26, 2019 at 4:43 am

    Great post. I will have to show this to my husband. He bought one, but clearly does not use it to its full potential.

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:09 pm

      We don’t either! She can do sooooooooo much but we only do a few things. I need to spend time researching more of her skills. Thanks for reading, Heather.

      Reply
  17. Suzan says

    November 26, 2019 at 6:16 am

    Technology is so amazing and a bit scary with how powerful it truly is. Thanks for sharing all these benefits of it!

    Reply
  18. Robin says

    November 26, 2019 at 9:45 am

    Sounds like Alexa is pretty cool! Thanks for sharing 😉

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      She is!

      Reply
  19. Lisa says

    November 26, 2019 at 10:28 am

    We’ve been thinking of getting one…this is encouraging! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      You should get one…or nine!

      Reply
  20. Noelle Collins says

    November 26, 2019 at 2:18 pm

    I was not aware that Alexa could do all of that! I have been a little leery to get one and have something in the house “listening” to all of our conversations, but I can see how it’s useful in your life! I do have a question, you talked about being able to drop in on different people. Can your kids drop in on your Alexa too? I would worry they may hear our conversations about Christmas presents or something. lol .

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      November 26, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      Ha ha! I’ve worried about our son dropping in on us too….but you can always “mute” her very simply so nobody can drop in. Or you can also rely on the fact that when somebody does drop in, she makes a “bee boo” sound and she also lights up. You should try one out!

      Reply
  21. Christina Furnival says

    November 26, 2019 at 9:39 pm

    Loved this article Katie. We tried an echo for a little bit and just found we didn’t use it, but I also didn’t know what her possibilities were. It’s great to hear how much she has done for your family! Super cool. Now if only I could get past the fact that she listens to us…weirds me out!

    Reply
  22. Lisa says

    November 26, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    My daughter uses Alexa, and awhile back we got to experience it. Alexa is different but great for turning out or on lights when your hands are full, or listening to music.

    Reply
  23. Malia says

    November 27, 2019 at 9:46 am

    We’ve been leery about technology always listening in, but man oh man do you raise excellent points! The hollering elimination and the help with homework would be the features I’d be most excited about.

    Reply
  24. Tracy says

    November 28, 2019 at 8:19 pm

    this is really interesting. we were just discussing if it would be worth it to get an Alexa or google device, but couldn’t think of what we would use it for other than music.

    Reply
  25. Haley Kelley says

    December 1, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    We don’t have anything with Alexa yet but we have been wanting to try it and this just helps our case!

    Reply
    • Katherine Wolfe says

      December 1, 2019 at 5:57 pm

      There are some amazing deals right now!

      Reply
  26. Cindy says

    December 1, 2019 at 11:20 pm

    I don’t use Alexa but now I want to! Great ideas.

    Reply
  27. Michele says

    December 3, 2019 at 10:03 am

    I had absolutely no idea Alexa was capable of all of this! I am amazed to say the least!

    Reply
  28. Jenna says

    December 4, 2019 at 2:23 pm

    I love to see these ideas! We don’t have alexa, but we have google minis in our home and we agree with everything you wrote about! We were so excited that the google mini was on sale on black friday so we could add more to our house!

    Reply
  29. Tricia Snow says

    December 7, 2019 at 8:49 pm

    These are great ideas for Alexa! Thanks!

    Reply

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