8 ways Google Assistant can help you get ready for holidays

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This Thanksgiving, show your family some extra love.

Thanksgiving/Turkey Day is just around the corner, which means plenty of great food and good company to be had (as long as you avoid talking about politics). Whether you’ve got a thousand miles to travel to be with family this holiday season or you’re the one prepping the turkey for 12 people, as always, your Google Assistant is ready to help. Going from cooking your Thanksgiving dinner, to providing entertainment and everything in between.

Being home always puts people at ease, but getting there isn’t quite as relaxing. Traveling is stressful — and traveling during the holidays can be especially so. Luckily, there are some ways to make your road trips a little smoother with help from Google Assistant. And if you’re the one hosting out-of-towners for the holidays, Assistant can make the planning process easier, too.

Every month, more than 700 million people in over 95 countries – and across 29 languages! – get things done reliably with their Assistant. As voice has become a primary way we engage with technology, Assistant makes it easy to get things done across different devices, whether you’re at home or on the go.

As fun as the holidays can be, they’re also filled with lots of task lists, preparation and planning. As the hustle and bustle of the season begins, here are a few ways you can use Google Assistant to stay on top of things and do what matters most — spending quality time with family and friends and giving thanks for everything that they have.

Don’t forget to show/tell them how thankful you are that they’re family. After all, turkey Day is as much about gobbling dishes as it is about spending quality time with your loved ones.

1. Get ahead of the Thanksgiving prep with Google Nest speakers. Just say, “Hey Google, add butter to my shopping list.” Get together over a good meal made easy with hands-free help in the kitchen. Surprise your family and friends with a new dish or dessert or find inspiration by saying, “Hey Google, find me Thanksgiving recipes.”

2. And if you happen to come across a few new favorites, tap on that recipe and ask your Assistant to save it for you by saying “Hey Google, add to my cookbook.” Then, when it comes time for a holiday feast, all your recent recipes will be waiting for you on your Smart Display and will show up when you say “Hey Google, show me my cookbook.” Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, select the recipe you want to cook and say “Hey Google, start cooking” to get step-by-step instructions on your Smart Display. Prepare accordingly: “Hey Google, set a turkey timer for 4 hours.”

3. Save on prep time: If you’re hosting, there’s always a lot to prep. To help you save time, you can say things like “Set an alarm for 8am” to remind you to turn on the oven, “Set a timer for 13 minutes” while you’re baking cookies.
See who’s at the door: Even if you’re in the middle of cooking or watching a holiday movie, you can see them arrive in your Nest Cam or Doorbell. All it takes is a simple “Hey Google, show me the front door camera” command into your Smart Display or Google TV voice remote. Love greeting your family/guests, the moment they enter home. Say, “Hey Google, turn on the lights” to show off your holiday lights when they arrive.

4. Get quick order updates: Check in on all those groceries and gifts you ordered for your guests without lifting a finger. Say, “Hey Google, when is my Walmart order arriving?”

5. When Thanksgiving’s over, how early is too early for festive music? The limit does not exist! And even if you don’t have something queued up, you can just say “Hey Google, play holiday music”. Not every family member or guest can join you in person, connect and feel close from anywhere with video calling. Make a group call with Google Meet, supporting up to 32 people on your Nest Hub Max — or send a “happy holidays!” message using one of the fun AR effects on mobile devices. To start a Meet call, just say, “Hey Google, make a video call.”

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6. Keep your family’s busy holiday schedule on track with Family Bell from Google. Say “Hey Google, set up a Family Bell” to be reminded with delightful sounds on your speakers or smart displays when it’s time to tackle important moments of your day, like holiday meals or volunteering at the local gift drive. And for routines that require a little extra work — like getting the kids to bed after a get-together — create a Family Bell checklist on your Smart Display with get ready bells that remind them of key tasks to complete, like brushing their teeth and putting on pajamas.

7. Have some fun and create new memories with a hands-free family game night. Play a game while you wait for turkey. Put your game face on and say, “Hey Google, let’s play a game.”

Spark some holiday magic with a story from Google. A new interactive story from Grabbit, a twist on the classic fairytale, “Hansel and Gretel.” Play the story from either the perspective of Hansel and Gretel or the Witch, and decide how the story unfolds. Just say

• Hey Google, talk to Twisted Hansel and Gretel

and let the adventure begin! More interactive stories from Grabbit like “Jungle Book,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Sherlock Holmes” will soon be available on your Google Nest smart display devices between now and the new year.

So while the turkey cooks and the family gathers, here are some questions to ask your Assistant.

• Show up to dinner on time: “Hey Google, how’s traffic?”
• And don’t forget dessert: “Hey Google, add apple pie and pumpkin pie to my shopping list”
• Hear a funny tale: “Hey Google, tell me a turkey story”
• Learn something new: “Hey Google, give me a fun fact about Thanksgiving”

8. Broadcast to the whole house: When the food is prepared and the table is set, let everyone know. Need to announce to all your guests? Instead of running around the house, share a message to multiple devices at once. Just say “Hey Google, broadcast ‘Dinner is ready!’” to get everyone to the dinner table fast.

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The holiday season is all about coming together with the ones you love. With these Assistant features, you can take some of the stress out of planning those moments and leave plenty of room for spending quality time (not to mention all those leftovers).

Happy Thanksgiving.