With a new decade on the horizon, I’ve been thinking about how I want to start 2020 on the right foot! Less stress, more organized, utilizing things to make life easier and starting the year on a positive note. During my partnership with Amazon I’ve learned so much about Amazon Devices & Services and how they can simplify your life and make everyday tasks so much easier to tackle. When I first started using Amazon devices, my main use for Alexa was a simple question like “Alexa, what’s the temperature outside?” or “Alexa, play holiday music,” without realizing there are so many amazing skills and abilities that Alexa has that can help in your daily life. Routines is one of our favorite Alexa features – a way to trigger tasks that you would normally do yourself but instead, Alexa does it for you! We have set numerous Routines around our house where a simple command allows Alexa to start our day on the right foot. Exactly what I need to hit the ground running as we enter a new decade!

When setting routines I try to think of what I need that Alexa can do for me! My favorite Routines are in the morning. When I wake up – I usually like to know the weather, check the news, I look at my calendar and then I like to play some upbeat music! I feel like the act of opening my calendar always gave me anxiety (ha don’t ask me why) and now Alexa reads everything off for me! So I make my coffee and ease into the morning with the help of Alexa narrating everything I need to know, followed by music from one of my favorite bands while I get breakfast ready for the boys, check emails, etc. Everything happens in the order you decide on based on whatever command you decide! My command is “Alexa, it’s a new day!” and Alexa does the following:

• Plays good news.
• Reads today’s calendar (I linked my Google calendar with the Alexa app!)
• Report the weather.
• Play “Head and the Heart” on Amazon Music

There are so many other amazing things Alexa can do for you like read your emails, turn on any devices you have set up with smart plugs, tell you the traffic to work, set a timer (this is great if your kids watch tv when they wake up, we set a timer for 30 mins before breakfast!) or ask Alexa to tell you something like encouraging you to clean up, tell you a fun fact, or just tell you something interesting/cool first thing in the morning! Alexa is basically the best friend and support system you didn’t know you needed! Routines have been such a lovely addition to my own morning routine and I can’t wait to utilize her assistance throughout the new year.

I’ve told you before but we have the Echo Show in our kitchen which is basically a hub for everything in our home. Whether I need help figuring out what to cook for dinner, how to spell a word for an email or how to correctly fold a napkin for a dinner party – Alexa has an answer for you! I can‘t recommend adding an Alexa device to your home to simplify your life enough! We all deserve to start a new decade with a reliable support system and Alexa is a staple in our home!

Don’t forget to checkout my Amazon storefront to see all of our favorites from Amazon!

A big thank you to Amazon for sponsoring this post!