Welcome to our newest series. In “Friday Favorites,” our team will share a handful of favorite items. These can range from clothes to beauty products to recipes to books and anything in between.
Electronics have taken over my life, slowly but surely. Motherhood is hard enough, and I am all about using electronics to make my life easier, especially as a stay-at-home mom. These are the 5 electronics that I have found to be the most necessary to my everyday life. All of these are a 5 out of 5 stars for me!
Apple Watch Series 6
When I asked someone why they liked their Apple Watch, they replied, “It’s the most necessary, unnecessary thing I’ve ever owned.” And I have come to find that to be the best description of why I love this watch.
Honestly, any Apple Watch will do, but I recently upgraded to the Series 6 because as someone with a chronic illness, this watch offers features that are unbelievably beneficial. The Series 6 offers a blood oxygen monitor, allowing you to see your blood oxygen at any given time. It offers fall detection that detects if you have fallen or have passed out (me) and will call 911. It will also alert your emergency contacts that you have fallen and emergency services are on their way. You can monitor your heart rate and compare it through the days and weeks on your phone. It also allows you to be away from your phone while you’re hanging out with your kids and not miss important calls or text messages.
And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it’s honestly the most necessary, unnecessary thing I’ve ever owned.
Apple AirPods
These also fall under the most necessary, unnecessary things I’ve ever owned. I bought these Airpods a long time ago, thinking I might never actually use them. But it’s quite the opposite.
These give me the ability to be away from my phone and still be on it, which is ideal for me. The Airpods will announce who is calling, and I can just tap the earbud to answer. I can also listen to my favorite podcasts while I cook, talk to someone on the phone while I clean, or listen to music while my kids play at the park. My favorite part about them though is that being wireless is so helpful! I don’t know how I used to use wired headphones. Because they are Apple, they switch back and forth between my computer and my phone seamlessly, and I will take any simplicity I can get.
Planbella Calendar App
If you are like me, being a mom is stressful. Between my schedule, my husband’s schedule, and my kids’ schedules, I am all over the place and it’s hard to keep track.
For the longest time, I was obsessed with bullet journals, but my biggest problem was carrying them around with me all the time. I love a good paper planner, so switching to this app was a big move for me. But I don’t know how I have gone without it so long! This app turns a calendar into more than just a calendar: it has a journal function, tasks, and events. It marries bullet journaling with electronic planners, and the bonus is it’s beautiful!
Hatch Rest Sound Machine
We went back and forth with this purchase, but I am so glad we decided on this Hatch. This sound machine is different because it’s Bluetooth and has programming to automatically start and stop at certain times. This is beneficial for us because our kids are now old enough to discern colors, and we use it as an OK to Wake clock. The clock is set to turn on the sound machine and the color red at 7 pm; our boys (who are only 3.5) are able to see that the light is red and take themselves to bed! HOW CRAZY IS THAT? They also stay in their room until the light turns green in the morning, and that has done wonders for this mama.
I think my favorite part about this sound machine in particular is that I am able to change it from my phone. I can make it flash red when I want to give the boys a warning, or I can turn it off or on from my phone if we are busy and have to change up the schedule. 5 stars in my book!
Alexa Echo & Smart Plugs
If you haven’t caught on in this post, I’m all about using electronics to make life easier. When we originally got the Alexa, I wasn’t sure we would actually use it that much. What I’ve found is that we use it all the time, for so many random things!
We also bought smart plugs for our lamps in both the living room and our bedroom. Because there’s nothing like being able to get in bed with the lights on and being able to tell someone else to turn the lights off. We use Alexa for music when we have people over or when the boys want to dance to No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. We play games with her, we ask her about the weather, and we ask her random questions we’re debating on. She has become a member of our house, and the smart plugs are WORTH the price!
