Simple Smart Home Hacks That Have Made My Life Easier
Nov 08, 2023
Technology has taken incredible leaps forward, and these advances have paved the way for some simple smart home hacks that have effortlessly made my life easier. It's like having a personal assistant at home ā though I'm still figuring out how to get my tech to bring me a fresh cup of coffee in the morning!
In our fast-paced world, finding tools to help us take charge of our schedule is crucial. Wouldn't it be great to reclaim that valuable "me-time" we all need and deserve?
Here, I'll share how you can balance your work-life, enhance your daily routine, and support your emotional well-being by smartly integrating technology into your home.
#1. Alarms
Setting up alarms on our Echo is how we avoid things from falling through the cracks. Our Alexa-enabled device keeps my family on track without all the stress and with a LOT less effort.
The alarm feature is incredibly versatile and customizable! You can easily set up multiple alarms for different times of day and assign them to specific household members.
For example, you can set one alarm for your children when itās time for them to get ready for school and another alarm for later in the afternoon as a reminder to start their homework.
You can also use the alarms as reminders to take breaks throughout the day- like going outside for some fresh air or taking a few minutes to relax before bedtime.
There are tons of sound options to alert you when an alarm goes off, and you can also customize each alarm with its own unique name, so everyone knows which task itās associated with!
Safe to say, itās an invaluable tool that helps you improve your routine while making it easier to stay on top of daily responsibilities- in other words, more time and energy to be devoted to what really matters!
#2. Lighting
By integrating voice control, the Echo easily adjusts the lights with simple commands.
With adjustable brightness and tone settings, you can improve your routine by creating a unique atmosphere perfect for any occasion. No longer will you have to fumble around in the dark to reach the light switch!
It also allows us to customize our lighting routine to quickly and conveniently adjust the lighting without inputting information manually or fumbling with a remote.
This makes it ideal for busy families who need to save time but still want great lighting options š”
Itās also great for saving energy since users can schedule when their lights come on and off as needed!
#3. Weather
Probably one that shows up close to the top as far as most frequently is checking the weather.
Itās funny that we use it that much; Matt & I both work from home and are mostly inside. But here we are, asking our Echo the weather probably about 5 times a day š
We get an accurate report on the current (and future) conditions with just a few words. We find this really helpful to our routine since we get a lot of rain here in Oregon and are often looking for that window of sunshine (if it exists that day) to maximize time outdoors and take Charlie for a long walk.
If you live somewhere where it isnāt sunshine and blue skies year-round, having such detailed information at your fingertips helps keep you up with the ever-changing weather details and helps you plan ahead. You donāt have to be limited to todayās weather, you can look ahead and get as nitty-gritty as your planning heart desires.
#4. Routines
Staying on track with our daily habits and routines can be challenging when you have kids to chase, a career thatās calling, and a lot of to-dos and obligations growing in your calendar. Thankfully, smart devices have come to save the day in our homes.
With our Echo, weāve set up small and more extensive automated routines that are intentional, organized, and productive. (and if youāve been around long enough, you know Iām ALL about efficiency & systems.)
If you catch the YouTube video above, youāll see my friend Noahās VERY DETAILED setup that will leave you in utter amazement (or confusion, weāll see!).
Examples from our own personal routines include an alarm that reminds us that itās āchoreā time, followed by immediately playing our cleaning playlist, setting the lights in our home to slowly brighten for a gentle wake-up call, and an automated lights-out reminder every night for our girls.
#5. Calendar
Iāve had a little pushback on this in the past, with people sharing that it prevents my kids from asking questions.
But, as someone who seems to have short-term memory breakdowns on a regular basis š¤Ŗ, I can use all the support I can get.
This keeps our lives running smoothly and efficiently, so we spend less time worrying about remembering all our appointments (if youāve ever had kids with braces or a newborn, you know what Iām talking about here).
This frees us up and allows us to focus more on what matters most.
#6. Grocery Lists
Ever leave your home for groceries⦠to get there and realize you forgot your list?
Or was there something you meant to write down but completely forgot⦠leaving you making multiple trips to the store?
I still do this- despite how conscious I try to be of remembering what I need!
The bottom line having a tool that allows everyone to add things to the list as they notice things running low or when they think of something they need has been a lifesaver-
especially as a mom to a new baby, itās nice to give my brain a break while Iām still catching up on sleep š„“
#7. Intercom
Now, you can streamline your daily activities and make life a bit easier by being more intentional with your time (learn more about improving your life with intentional living)! The Amazon Echoās Intercom feature is super convenient (especially if you have a lot of stairs as we do).
It can easily communicate with members of your household from different areas of your home, so you can easily keep everyone connected and informed.
You can also use it to set announcements on Smart TVs so that you donāt have to yell when itās time for dinner or something else important!
#8. Reminders
Perhaps you need to remember something to do later, and you donāt want to forget. Itās not quite a task that lands on your calendar, but it still needs doing.
You can ask the Echo to remind you, and voila! Never forget the important things that pop in and out of your day.
Simple as that- If youāre prone to forgetting things like me, or youāre notorious for telling yourself you should write it down, but you never do, this one alone is a game changer in helping you drastically improve your routine.
#9. Music
We use this so much we subscribed to unlimited music! We certainly maximize its value.
Anything from lullabies (it took some time, but I finally came across some stations that werenāt creepy or annoying), our cleaning playlists, or chill background music. Itās easy to ask our Dot to play a specific song without having to sit, sift and scroll.
When weāre not sure what weāre in the mood for, itās fun to ask it to play music based on certain suggestions.
#10. Meditation
I donāt use this feature very often (although I use it a lot more now), but there are really neat spa soundtracks or Tibetan singing bowl sounds that feel like a massage to your ears.
#11. Random Facts
Whether itās quick answers, solving a debate, or using it as a conversation starter to break the ice- asking the Echo random facts can be a lot of fun.
A real-life example includes a recent debate between my daughter, Matt, and me on pronouncing ācumin.ā
All we had to do was turn around and ask the Dot.
Turns out Matt & I have been saying it wrong all along. š
#12. Pet Questions
I feel like this falls into a separate category because it refers to circumstances when you need to make an informed decision where you canāt afford to be wrong. Itās a nice way to double-check and avoid disaster!
One way we use this often is to double-check what is and isnāt safe for dogs. While we avoid giving Charlie table scraps more often than not, weāre careful to avoid giving her something that could make her sick!
#13. Timers
It may seem a little odd this feature is so far down, seeing as these devices are often referred to as being glorified ātimers.ā
However, I feel we rely on it much less than some of the other features I mentioned.
Letās say youāre cooking and your hands are dirty. You can ask the Echo to set a timer for āX amount of timeā, and thatās it!
Whatās especially neat is you donāt have to worry about cranking the music too loud and not hearing the timer go off. Itāll pause your music to set off the alarm š. Youāll improve your routine and save your meal from heading into the burn zone.
#14. Sleep Sounds
My husband and I have very different āidealā environments for sleep.
Like, very different.
I watch tv to fall asleep (which Iāll get to in a second), but Matt prefers to listen to white/brown noise while he sleeps. And youāve guessed it, we do BOTH through the Dots!!
Itās as simple as crawling into bed and saying, āturn on white noise,ā and heās on his way to dreamland.
#15. Bluetooth
When youād like to watch TV but need the room to be quiet (whether itās because your spouse canāt fall asleep to the sounds or you have a baby napping nearby), thereās a way to improve your routine so you can tune in without making a sound!
I have a Bluetooth āheadbandā set that is cozy to lie on that I use to connect to my system, which then connects to my TV!
This way, I can skip tossing and turning for hours and still use the TV to tune out the thoughts that pour in nonstop at night- without debating or compromising on who āwinsā the sleeping arrangement. š
Conclusion
I know ātechā devices are not for everyone- and thatās totally okay! There are many ways to stay organized without relying on technology.
With that said, if itās something youāre open to, it can be a great way to improve your routine and save time!