I Added One $12 Amenity to the Bedrooms in My Home and Now I’m a Much More Confident Host

Home to our five children, two cats, and Doberman rescue dog, our household could euphemistically be called “lively” or bluntly described as “loud loud loud.”

I have my own struggles with the noise level at times, but when we have overnight guests, the issue is compounded. I can’t (and wouldn’t) stifle my kids’ voices beyond what’s reasonable; I don’t want to be a grumpy, stressed-out, shushing mom. But I also want our guests to be able to sleep!

And, on the very rare occasion that I need to put my own self down for a nap, it’s better for everyone if I don’t get startled from an almost-sleeping state by an errant slamming door. Like any parent trying to hoard their limited patience, I also really, really appreciate it when my kids don’t wake each other up from naps or in the morning.

So when these popular white noise machines were on sale for just under $12 each (they’re $19.99 regularly), I got one to put in every single bedroom of the house, a total of four. The machines are a nice, unobtrusive shape that tucks nicely on any nightstand or shelf. I also like that they can be plugged in or battery operated. When we’re at home, I don’t have to worry about changing batteries, but I can also grab one or two when we travel and not have to pack (and not lose) yet another power cord.

We’ve used these machines every night since we got them. When my kids or guests are snoozing, the machines work perfectly to block out the noise from commotion in our common areas. They help sleeping babies, kids, and adults stay asleep when and for as long as they need to. On the outside, awake people making the noise aren’t hushed and shushed to death just for living.

These white noise machines not only help me get sleep when I need to, they make me a much calmer mama and a way more confident hostess. I can’t recommend them enough to anyone else hoping to host guests with a lot of hospitality but little fuss.