"Alexa... Shelter in Place"

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Who could have ever imagined that I would be safe at home with my family for 4 months straight?!  Well that's exactly what the last (4) months have entailed + the adjustment definitely took some time.  To go from working our corporate jobs in our designated offices + the kids attending their schools full time to now EVERYONE IS AT HOME was an overnight shock.  Immediately we had to figure out ways to make our "new normal" work for all of us as a family.

One of the first resources I implemented was using our Alexa devices as an intercom system to make sure that everyone could easily share when they needed the house quiet.  A quick "Alexa, announce I'm on a call" can quiet the house in just seconds.  Of course, we had formally let everyone know how to use the feature properly.  This included making sure you also announce when you're off the call.  We had some hiccups where the kids would forget to announce when they were done with their Zoom class, but overall this feature calmed much of the chaos during calls.

Since sheltering in place, my kids have not been anywhere except outside for some fresh air.  As far as stores or any place else, the last time they "went" anywhere was March 10.  So, you can imagine how restless they started to become.  One activity that we all enjoy is cooking so we began utilizing our Echo Show to walk us through new + delicious recipes.  A quick order via Instacart + we could all do something together that everyone would enjoy!  The options are endless + the screen is large enough for everyone to see and not fight over who gets to read the recipe.  One last thing for them to argue over because apparently that's their favorite quarantine past time.

Lastly, one of our favorite features is still the Drop-In feature.  When you have (3) children in separate rooms, you will find yourself either constantly yelling for one of them or running to their rooms to tell them something.  The Drop-In feature eliminates both of those options by allowing you to just "Drop-In" + talk to the child from anywhere in the home.  This was one of the main reason why we decided to place an Echo Dot in each room.  The price is reasonable enough (they go on sale often) where everyone could have one in their bedroom.  They're able to listen to music, listen to books, talk to each other and we're able to get their attention without yelling at the top of our lungs.  It's a win win!!

I didn't realize how much our Alexa devices would really help keep the family order during Quarantine but I really don't know what we would have done without them.  I'm sure my neighbors would have complained about all the yelling if we didn't have the Announcement feature, LOL.  If you've been interested in trying out any Alexa devices, now is certainly a great time!  Let me know if you have any questions or need help choosing which to add to your home.  We currently have Echo Dots in each of the children's rooms, Echo Show 8 devices on both myself + my husbands nightstands as upgraded alarm clocks and an Echo Show (2nd Edition) in the kitchen as our hub.  If I don't have the answer then I will surely reach out to my Alexa family + get the answer for you!

Xo.