Managing a household is no easy task especially with a family – or in our case, two hyperactive Golden Retrievers. Phil and I are always looking for ways to streamline our daily lives and make our time more efficient. While we are both lucky enough to manage our own businesses from home, the transition from work to home life can seem impossible at times. There’s really no such thing as turning off. I often find myself thinking about work when I should be winding down for the night and I always have a number of different to do lists going. There are so many times I wish I had a personal assistant that could just read my mind and help me stay on top of everything. Over the last several months, I’ve been focused on time management and opting for more efficient ways of doing things. One of the biggest life-changers has been utilizing the smart devices that make daily life so much easier. We recently added Google Home devices from Macy’s to the rooms in our house that we spend the most time in and it’s made such a difference.

I love that Macy’s now offers smart home devices like Google Home and Nest products because it’s so convenient for home shopping and gift giving. They’re also eligible to add to your Macy’s Wedding Registry. Smart home devices make such a practical yet luxe gift and at prices starting at just $49 – they’re affordable too. Macy’s was our most popular registry for our own wedding because they have such a wide assortment of products and categories.

Keep scrolling to see how Google Home can make your life so much easier.

One of the best places to have Google Home is in your bedroom. I often think of last minute items to add to my to-do list for the next day so having a Google Home Mini on hand makes it so easy to add things to my to do list without having to scroll through my phone to find my most recent list. The first thing I do every morning is check the weather since it often dictates our shooting schedule and now with Google Home, I can easily find out the weather for the day and have it recite what’s on my calendar for the day. It’s a great way to eliminate wasted time on my phone especially since it’s so easy to get distracted by apps and emails when I have my phone in hand.

The Google Home Mini can also play music, tell you the daily news and it can control your smart home devices like your thermostat and lights so you can get a lot done before even getting out of bed.

When I’m getting ready in the morning, I often find things that need to be replenished like makeup and toiletries so having a Google Home Mini on hand is an effective way to add things to my shopping list without having to get my phone out. I also love listening to music and podcasts while I get ready and the Google Home Mini easily streams my favorites.

If you’re like me and guilty of frequently running late because you take too long to get ready, you can set a timer with the Google Home Mini to keep you on track. I not only use it when I have to adhere to a strict schedule, but I use it daily to know how long it really takes me to get ready – which is definitely longer than I ever admit to.

For the larger spaces in our house, we added Google Home devices instead of the minis because they pick up more sound. Having a Google Home device in the main areas of our home makes it so easy to stay connected and on task. While we’re working throughout the day, I’ll often ask Google Home the random questions or ideas that occur to me which helps me avoid getting caught up in my phone or totally transitioning tasks.

Phil and I Google so many things throughout the day – from random facts to historical stats to daily news – we hate not being informed and we often argue about who’s right. Google Home keeps the debates short and sweet since it’s so quick and easy to provide the answers to anything from Google.

Another thing I love about having Google Home devices throughout our house is that they can act as intercoms. Phil and I used to just call each other if we were on different levels in our home, but now we can easily communicate and we even use the devices to call the dogs too.

xo, Maria

Thanks to Macy’s and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. 

xo, Maria

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