9 Things Alexa Can Do Around Your House

It won't be all that surprising if, in the future, children's first word is "Alexa" instead of "Mama" or "Dada." I mean, come on... Alexa can do just about anything. 

And if you didn't know, she can help you with a lot of things around your house. Here are 9 things you should be using Alexa for in your home.

Manage your time

This might sound like a basic function, but it comes in very handy! You can use voice commands to have Alexa tell you the time and date as well as anything you have scheduled on your calendar. (You need to link a calendar in the Alexa app first.) You can also ask Alexa to set reminders and alarms, which comes in handy when you're cooking and need an extra timer. 

Create a to-do list

Ever have a to-do item pop into your head, but you don't have a pen and paper nearby to write it down? Use Alexa! Just ask Alexa to add it to your to-do list and you can review it later in the Alexa app or by asking it, "What's on my to-do list?"

Sync with other smart home devices

Alexa has the ability to integrate with several smart home devices made by manufacturers including Philips, Samsung, Nest, Honeywell, Ring and Schlage. Some of the most common devices are smart light bulbs, locks, garage doors and thermostats. And the Echo Plus can actually function as a smart home hub, meaning that any device needing a proprietary hub can connect to the Echo Plus instead.

Do the shopping

If you're like me, shopping is more of a chore than it is enjoyable. So why not just make Alexa do it for you? Alexa has the ability to place orders for items offered on Amazon. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can ask Alexa to buy things using your 1-Click purchasing information. Keep in mind that you can only purchase items that are Prime eligible. After you've ordered items, you can ask for updates on your order. Even if you don't use Alexa to buy items directly from Amazon, you can ask her to create a shopping list for you and view and edit it any time in the Alexa app.

Control the TV

If you also have a Fire TV or a Fire TV Stick, Alexa can control the TV for you. It basically turns Alexa into a voice remote, allowing you to turn the TV on and off, control playback and volume and search for content.

Find new recipes

If you like to cook, you can download apps like Food Network which can look up recipes by chef or ingredient and email or text them to you so you can make them yourself. The Food Network app also has this cool feature called the Flavor Wheel. You just ask Alexa to "spin" to reveal a random flavor or ingredient, and then she'll give you recipes to make based on that flavor profile. Perfect for those nights when you just don't know what to make!

If your'e an aspiring mixologist, you can also have Alexa help you create cocktails using The Bartender skill. 

Play a game

I personally love to play Jeopardy with Alexa. You can play the trivia game with her as she asks you questions about all kinds of topics. Every day, six new clues are ready to play. And remember, your answer must be given in the form of a question!

Another fun game for movie buffs is Screen Test, a game skill that challenges your knowledge of movie quotes. Alexa will play five audio clips from movies and you'll have to name which movie they came from.

Order in food

If you're a customer of Seamless or GrubHub, you can have Alexa order a meal for you. Just link your Alexa to your account to order food from local restaurants or to reorder any of the last few orders on your account.

Stream music

One of the most popular uses for Alexa is probably music streaming. Connect Alexa to any of your music streaming accounts like Spotify or Pandora and Alexa can play music while you're cleaning the house, making dinner, or hosting a party.