These 8 Amazon Alexa skills will help you have a more organized home and life. Here’s how to use your Alexa-enabled device as a personal assistant. Updated January 2020
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve probably heard of Alexa. She’s Amazon’s right-hand-woman and she gives Siri a run for her money. But while you may think of Alexa as just a lady in a box that tells you the weather, sports scores, and defines the new hip words your kid recently started saying, there’s actually so much more to this virtual assistant that you give her credit for. And one of the best features she has up her sleeve is an arsenal of ways to help you be more organized. Heck to the yes, busy mama!
Alexa Is Your Virtual Assistant BFF
I see you over there running yourself ragged trying to remember when that birthday party starts and what kind of snack you’re supposed to take for field day at school. And let’s not even talk about all the missed appointments, forgotten shopping items, and cough-cough-lost keys…
I know you’re walking around like a chicken with it’s head cut off sometimes, and trust me, I am too. But I want to teach you how you can cut that crazieness down just a little with the help of Amazon’s Alexa.
Set Alarms
Somebody I can actually ask to remind me something and they actually do it? Whoa. What kind of magic is this??? You know what I mean, because I’m sure you can’t even count how many times you asked your spouse to remind you to call the dentist to reschedule your appointment, only to never get that reminder until the bill for a missed visit shows up in the mailbox. Ugh. Then you’re all mad at him for not remembering to remind you of what you should have remembered on your own. Sorry husbands, get used to that.
I use Alexa’s alarm reminders for pretty much everything I can possibly think of. Whether I’m in the shower and think of something I’m supposed to do later or when I see a commercial for a show that comes on next week.
Trash service coming early due to a holiday? “Alexa, remind me on Saturday at 12:00 to put the trash can out.” You better believe that you’re getting that reminder, and if you hadn’t, your garage would be the home of some really stinky garbage bags that wouldn’t fit in the overflowing can for an extra week. [Too specific? Maybe that’s happened to me once or twice or five times.]
Set Timers
Ahh the timer feature. My secret weapon. While most people would use the timer for cooking or project management, I use it in a more “unique” way. Here’s the deal, my kid is super competitive. He’s so competitive that he competes against himself. I tell him to clean his room and it takes forrrrrevvvvvvveeeeeeerrrrrr.
But if I say “last time it took you twenty minutes to clean the bathroom. Think you can do it in ten?” That’s a whole different story. Follow that up with a “Alexa, set a timer for ten minutes” and that boy is racing up the stairs with Clorox wipes like he’s going to win a check for ten thousand dollars. #sneakyparentingtip
Keep To-Do Lists
If you’re the type of person who makes to-do lists on scraps of paper and by the end of the day that list is already lost, Alexa can save the day for you. Just by saying “Alexa, add ‘wash the kitchen rugs’ to my to-do list” automatically puts it on a digital list that you can’t lose no matter how hard you try. And the list syncs up to an app on your phone, so no matter where you are, you can view (and check off) things from it.
Reorder Supplies
With all the stuff you’ve got going on in your days, finding time to shop can be, um, challenging. By setting up the one-click option through your Amazon Prime account, you can literally buy what you need without having to even pull it up.
Just put the last roll of toilet paper on the holder? “Alexa, reorder toilet paper” and BAM, it shows up at your door in 48 hours or less. Plus, she already knows what kind of toilet paper you buy, what quantity, and where to send it. Seriously, Alexa can really make you lazy if you’re not careful.
Make Shopping Lists
Ok, so maybe you can’t wait that 48 hours to get the toilet paper. Maybe you were down to the last square of TP and circumstances just got elevated. And maybe you know you need more milk and AA batteries, too. And oh crap, the kiddo’s science project is due tomorrow and you’re fresh out of vinegar. You know what volcanoes without vinegar get? F’s.
Since Alexa pairs up with the app on your phone, you can add all those things to a virtual shopping list, then when you get to the store, just pull it up and shop away. “Alexa, add AA batteries to my shopping list.” No more forgotten batteries, so that remote will always be able to turn up the volume when the Housewives start to throw shade.
Read More: My best grocery list and shopping tips
Take Notes
Planning a big presentation at work that just has to knock the socks off your new boss? Don’t let that killer intro line go in one side of your brain and out the other by the time you’ve finished cooking dinner. If you’re fist-deep in meatloaf-mixing and an idea hits, just say “Alexa, tell my notebook I should bring Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the meeting, because my boss’s daughter who’s away at college just got a job there and it will remind him of her.” Look at you rocking that presentation before you even started the first slide. Hellooooo promotion candidate!
Store Reminders
This one is my dirty little secret. Do I remember every single detail about every single thing? No way girlfriend. But since my memory is already bombarded with so much info, I’ll gladly put some of that off onto a virtual memory log. “Alexa, remember the wine my neighbors like is muscadine.” Next time you’re hosting them for dinner, you’ll look like a rockstar for remembering their favorite vino.
And as an added bonus, Alexa can remind other family members, too. How many times were you on your way out the door and told your husband to preheat the oven to 375 at 4:00 and put the lasagna in at 4:15 so it will be ready when you get home from the PTA meeting? And how many times did you get a text that said, “what was I supposed to preheat the oven to?” and “what time should I do that?” and “where’s the lasagna?” {Man ears, am I right ladies?}
By popping in reminders for your fam, they can ask “Alexa, what am I supposed to do for dinner tonight?” and she’ll give him all the deets. No couch-sleeping for him, and no rumbly grumbly belly for you.
