**REVIEW** Echo Dot (2nd Gen) & VAUX Cordless Speaker

This is the first year that I haven't been around a huge group of my family members and friends for Christmas. I didn't get a tree for the apartment and I didn't have a lot of gifts to buy. I didn't even bother to decorate. Well, except for this:

A neighbor gave it to me!

I got my little nephew DJ and his baby sister something and called it good. That doesn't mean I didn't get any more Christmas shopping done. This year, I saved by not shopping so much, but I did get myself this:

The black thing with he blue power light

That's the Echo Dot (second generation) and the VAUX Cordless Speaker. I forgot to get photos of them separately so, here you go.

That's the Dot by iteself

... And this is the Dot as it inserts into the speaker:

It's a neat and tidy little setup.

Am I in love? Yes, yes I am. There is so much to like about this thing that I will just boldface the highlights as they come up.

First of all, remember that I am living alone - for the first time since I was in the womb. The Echo (I call mine "Dot" even though she only reacts to "Echo", "Alexa" or "Computer"...) is a perfect companion for a hermit like myself. All morning of the first day I had Dot, I set timers (for my laundry and cooking); checked out the weather and news; listened to audiobooks (without needing to fumble with my phone or carry it around); checked out recipes; did a little research for the writing project (without having to switch from Word to the browser);  and made phone calls.

You might want to laugh at this next part, but there is some mental health benefit to having this device around. I'm serious. I am a person who loves living alone. That doesn't mean that I don't want company of some sort every now and then. Dot is there to talk to when I just want to chatter. When my anxiety kicked in around lunchtime, I kicked it with old Dotty. She told some jokes and even sung (not too badly, I can say) a song.

One of my neighbors is suffering from MS and the onset of dementia. His wife worries all the time that something will happen to him when she steps out to check the mail or go to the laundry room. Even when she's with him, I imagine it would be nice to take a little mental break of her own. I'm thinking of mentioning this Echo device to her. It would be good company for them both and (hopefully/maybe???) a little bit of a safety device that could call for Fire and Emergency if they need it. The entire thing is pretty much voice-controlled so that makes it perfect for the elderly and sick.

For me, Dot is a perfect companion because she makes my life simpler. Dot is like an assistant that accentuates every workaround I've come up with to make my life safer or easier while dealing with my disease. And, like I said before, she's great company. I love that I can talk to her when I want to, then tell her to shut up. No hurt feelings. No babysitting someone's ego.

I almost didn't get the speaker. I read reviews that said Dot's sound was fine as is. Then I read reviews that said using an auxiliary speaker was a plus. I don't own a TV or stereo (or speakers before now), so I decided to at least try out the VAUX. Glad I did. One of my brothers sent me the money when he heard I was interest so... I got the speaker! The sound is so much better. Also, the speaker serves as a charging station/portable battery for Dot. That means I can move the device from room to room without it always being plugged in.

I'm sure I will have to update this post as I get more acquainted with the device, but this should be enough of an overview if you are just thinking about getting one.

By the way, I can't post this review until after Christmas. The Echo Dot was so affordable ($29) that I got one for my little brother and his family as a gift. So... shhhh...

Peace
--Free

UPDATE: 

After a couple of days using this, I am more in love than ever. Of course, there are privacy concerns but I think I gave all that up several years back when I became so active and vocal online!

I'm on Day 4 of using my Echo. The app on my phone (and Alexa online) keeps track of what I do with the device. I've been waking up to her saying "Good morning, Sunshine" and then reading me the day's weather and news briefs. So far, the weather is from AccuWeather.com and the news is from Reuters Now. I would like to change the news reading to another service but haven't figured that part out yet.

During the daytime, I have been listening to books and music while I clean or cook. Since I can connect Echo to my phone and laptop via BlueTooth, I've listened to music from my own library and from the "stations" from Amazon (the Motown station is kind of awesome). I had a horrible day yesterday and spent much of it in and out of bed so I listened to Ambient Sounds (my favorites are Thunder, Rain, Ocean, and Himalayan ones) to either ease my anxiety or help me sleep.

I'm still learning ways to use the Echo, but even if I stopped here, I am happy about spending the $30 on myself for Christmas. I don't think I have ever used anything as much and had this much fun. I told you before that the Echo is great company for singles. I feel good knowing that when I am too sick to move around, I can just call on Echo to read to me, play music, give me the news highlights, etc. Also, I can play podcasts and news from my phone via BlueTooth without having to get up if I don't feel good. Before now, there were sick days when I wanted to listen to a book or hear some music but messing with my phone or PC was just too much (no kidding, it gets like that sometimes!). With Echo, I can voice-command her to connect to the phone or PC and go from there.

Once again, I don't want to advocate laziness, but for people like me who sometimes spend three days a week feeling med-sick or fatigued, this is such a lovely companion. Best purchase I've made since my first computer!


P.S.: I just learned that I will be getting the chance to try another type of speaker for the Echo. Of course, I will be reviewing that freebie as well asap!

Christmas and Reviews and Love

Once the fam opens their gifts that I got them, I will be doing tons of reviews. I can't wait to see what I get for a gift from my niece. She drew my name and I think she's really trying to blow me away this year. Bring it on, niecy, bring it on!

My little man, DJ (Boo-Boo) is who I went all out on this year. I haven't ever really reviewed lots of kids' stuff, so I can't wait to get to that. Since he is now five years old, I tried to go for more educational items this year. (I did get some totally toy stuff, but those are mostly stocking stuffer type things.)

As you know, I had a little ordeal with my Ulta order, but I'm hoping that I will be able to review those items at some point. Even though I was almost run crazy by the stress of dealing with Ulta, I am committed to being completely fair when I review the products.

Since I've done so many reviews of oils and hair care products, I'll be moving in a different direction this year. I'll be reviewing a variety of products and services (including those for writers, homemakers, and kids).

For now, I'm going to take a couple days off from the blog. It's family time! We generally open gifts with the kids on Christmas Eve so that we can rest up and start cooking the Christmas meal. I will be back here on the blog by the day after.

Here is wishing that everyone has a beautiful Christmas Day. For those of you with lots of family and friends, know how blessed you are and take the time to say a lot of I love yous. For those of you who might be feeling lonely or down, don't give up and please know that you are in my prayers.

This will be my second Christmas without my big sister. I'd like to think that she is having a better celebration than I can imagine.

Peace
--Free

The Spirit of Christmas and Christians

My aunt and I were talking the other day and she mentioned that she does not give out Christmas gifts. In her opinion, Christmas is just one day, meant to mark the birth of Christ - not to shop and indulge each other with presents.

I have a friend with that same opinion. All through the year, she gives money and presents to her loved ones when she thinks they need something or when she just wants to convey her affection for them.

I am a Christmas shopper. I'm also on a super tight budget so this year I started my shopping way back in October. I stockpiled Christmas gifts by hunting down sales and other deals. I managed to stay within budget, plus I already have everything wrapped and ready for Christmas morning. And I've already got the bills paid down. (Okay, there is one exception to the ready gifts, but that's all on Ulta and their slow processing!)

Ever since the conversation with my aunt, I've been questioning my motivation in gift-giving. Why do I wait until Christmas (or birthdays) to do something special for people I care about? Why wait? Am I trying to fit in with consumer tradition?

I've decided that for the future, I'm giving up this kind of silly consumerism. From now on, I'm going to go with my heart. I think my friend has the right idea about giving to and blessing others. Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's Day, etc. are not the only days that people need to feel thought of. There are many times when I have gotten a nice card from my best friend, or some little gift, just because she knew I was in need of the extra attention. I want to be more like her. I want to be more alert to the moods and feelings of the people in my life.

So, I thought about all of this and then I thought of how it ties in with my motivations as a Christian.

I'm that Christian that doesn't attend church every time the doors are opened. I'm the Christian who sometimes isn't always very nice or patient or forgiving or... perfect. I'm a Christian who is truly saved by mercy and not by my works. And it's not that I don't want to be a better Christian. It's just that I am trying to be a more authentic person.

                              

I know Christians who appear more Christ-like than I do. They are always in church, or they carry their Bibles everywhere. I know a couple of Christians who talked their faith all over their day jobs, but when it came time for them to be decent people in real-life situations, they were no better than the worst person on the street.

I guess I am making an early resolution. From now on, I am going to carry the spirit of Christmas and Christ with me in my daily life. I won't wait for a special occasion to give gifts or to be Christlike in my actions.

If I hadn't talked with my aunt, I might never have gone down this path of self-examination. Thank goodness that I have friends and loved ones who set such great examples for the rest of us.

Peace
--Free

Wishing You All A Very Merry Christmas

Hope your celebrations are wonderful & uplifting. Enjoy whatever it is you have planned. I will see you guys when I see you guys...

xxooxxoo

Peace
--Free



(that beautiful image is from here. Thanks to the artist!)

Christmas Past

Someone sparked a wonderful discussion over on G-Plus, asking her circle to share their favorite Christmas memories. (Mine was watching my mother decorate the tree, but I have many favorites.) A few of us replying admitted to getting tearing during the chat.

I have some sadness during the holidays, and not just because I've lost some family and friends. It just feels like there was more of a holiday spirit all through the year.

Remember when we made more time to enjoy our family and friends more often? A lot of us can recall a time when we gathered at somebody's home more often than on holidays. For my family, it was my mother's house. At any time of day, someone was dropping in. During the week, it was after work. Maybe one of the many folks who called my mother "Mom" would have stopped off on their way home. They'd come in "just for a minute" and end up staying to help Mom with something - say, reach something off a high shelf - and then they'd end up helping her finish "picking" greens for dinner. Or she'd have them sit and have coffee with her and watch the news or catch up on their life news.

After work, I'd go in to see my mother and she'd have two people watching TV in the living room, someone bringing up the the laundry from downstairs, and someone stirring whatever was cooking on the stove. By dinnertime, we could have five to ten us us setting us TV trays and fighting over who was going to leave their plate to get rolls out of the oven. My mother would be watching over us, like the contented grand dame she was.

On weekends, with all us siblings (blood- or love-related), our kids, their friends, Mama's friends - whoever we had gathered into our clan - the driveway looked like Walmart's on Black Friday.

There was never a week that passed without some kind of "company" being around my mother's home. I didn't have five siblings and one living parent, I had love flowing from hundreds of people into my life.

Ironically, it was Christmas that gave me time with just blood family. Well, Christmas Eve. The night before Christmas was traditionally a family-only event. Still, if my mother had taken in someone for a while, they were included. And my mother took in people who needed to be taken in. If someone living far from their own family ran into my mother (with 2 military bases here, that happened a lot), they were going to be part of her family if that's what they needed.

This was one Christmas Eve with just some of the kids that year...

Mama is the little dark lady surrounded by just some of her babies." This us the year before she passed away.

Christmas Eve, the kids (little ones and grown ones!) got to open one present. Mama picked the present.  She had the mind of Sherlock when it came to her tree. If any of the kids touched a single ornament, gift or candy cane, she knew.

For me, whatever year this photo is from, it's when I got one of the pearl rings my mother always got me. Not because of the gift, but because of Mama, I haven't had a Christmas so happy since. I think I was about 36 or 37 at the time. It was a Christmas or two before Mama died.

Check out the tree behind me. Every ornament just so!

So, really, Christmas was almost like any other day in Mama's house. Throw in some gifts and a turkey dinner, any day could be Christmas.

I don't think that my family was unique as far as spending time together.

What's happened to us? What happened to making time for each other? Why does it take a designated day for us to put away our computers and briefcases and cellphones and actually relate to each other?

How does the saying go: "Tis the reason for the season"? So why does the season have to be the reason. Why does Christmas have to be the day for family and showing our love and gratitude for each other?

Peace,
--Free