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Genius Amazon Alexa Mom Hacks

Are you looking to level up your Amazon Alexa skills? I’ve got a list of Mom Hacks rounded up to help parents get the most out of their Amazon devices. Prime Day is upon us and that means a super sale on all things Alexa. So if you were waiting for your sign to jump in, here it is!

While I haven’t found the easy button to ask “Alexa to fold the laundry!” yet I do have the best list of reminders, hacks, and skills that I use on the daily to keep my household of many small children on the rails.

Reminders

Amazon Alexa helps in the kitchen

I’m still looking for command for Alexa to make dinner, she does help with a few kitchen tasks.

  • Timer: Alexa can set a kitchen timer for your dinner and never burn your buns again. Just say, “Alexa set a timer for 15 minutes”.
  • Kitchen measurement conversion calculator: Alexa can tell you all of those kitchen conversions you were once googling. Say, “Alexa how many ounces in a cup”
  • Recipes: Alexa will read your recipes for you! I don’t typically use this skill because I’m in and out of the kitchen wrangling children but my brother swears by it.

Alexa is your new intercom

Yelling up the stairs to let the kids know that dinner is ready usually falls on deaf ears but when I use our Echo Dot video drop in feature, the kids are up and moving! I love that it has that Back to the Future novelty, mom is in playroom while standing in the kitchen! You can also use the traditional voice intercom skill if you’re boring. 😉

Shopping Lists

I like to using the app, Cozi for my digital shopping lists. We keep one Echo in the kitchen and I am constantly adding to my Trader Joe’s or Target list. All you have to do is say, “Alexa add flour to Trader Joe’s”

I love that you can share lists easily with family members too. So no matter who is dropping by the store they have the most up to date list

Alexa is your new personal assistant

  • Alexa reminds me about all my recurring daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. She keeps tabs on flea medication for the dog, watering the plants, and even refilling the salt in the water softener.
  • She keeps us up to date on the weather, including severe weather warnings. Now that we live in the Midwest, we have to keep a closer eye on the skies for tornados and she lets us know if there is severe weather in the area.
  • Alexa tells your kids to do their chores. Anyone else tired of hearing their own voices asking their darling children to get dressed or clean up their rooms?! Alexa reminds the kids to get into the van at 7:35 am for school. She tells them the trash needs to go out every Friday at 7:00 am.
  • She reminds you to pick up your kids from school! Alexa keeps me on track with our kids’ ever changing schedules. I even have her remind me every week about early pickup from school because I don’t want to have to relive the forgetting my kindergartener moment more than once.
Amazon Alexa reminder to water the plants

Amazon Alexa can be a bluetooth speaker

  • You can ask Alexa devices to use Amazon Music by genre, artist, or song.
  • Spotify + Pandora App. If you like controlling your music more, these apps work seamlessly on your Alexa device. We even use it to stream to our Samsung Frame TV.
  • Play your own music via bluetooth. I love using this option for playing audiobooks and podcasts for the kids

Entertain the kids

  • “Alexa, tell me a joke!” Have your kids hit the jokes phase yet? This one keeps them cracking up and saves me from hearing the same knock-knock joke for the millionth time.
  • Podcasts and audio books I love audiobooks and podcasts for the kids. It keeps them entertained screen free during Mom’s Mandatory Rest Time. It’s essential for me during the summer.
    • Sign up for Audible and you’ll get two free audio books.

Alexa can video call Grandma

This is my favorite functionality of the Echo Spot (which has since been replaced with the Echo Show). Since it has video capability you can video call someone through their Echo, without a smart phone! This was wonderful for my Grandma who didn’t have a smart phone but loved to video call with me and my family. All you have to do is say, “Alexa, call Grandma” and it video drops right in.

Alexa KidsAlexa DotAmazon Echo Show

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