Hello everyone! I wanted to share two exciting projects I’ve been working on recently. First, my Govee Christmas Tree project! DIY Govee Christmas Light Tree 
For quite some time, I had the idea of creating a Christmas tree made entirely out of Govee lights. I decided to use the Govee Christmas String Lights (V1) for this project. Originally, I would have loved to use the Govee String Light 2, but since my design only required a 10-meter version, the V1 was the perfect choice. Of course, if you want to build a larger tree, the 20-meter version would work great as well! What I used for this project: A wooden board 1. I was lucky enough to find one at my workplace that I was allowed to take home. The size of my board is approximately 110 cm by 50 cm, but feel free to use any size that fits your idea. 2. Govee Christmas String Lights V1 – 10 meters 3. Optional covering for the wood Depending on whether the board has splinters or rough edges, you can cover it with any material you like for a cleaner finish. 4. Screws or nails I personally chose screws, as they hold the string lights more securely in place. 5. White fabric or paper I used paper, applied to the front side of the board where the lights are placed. The white paper (or fabric) is important because it helps reflect the light, especially when some of the LEDs are facing inward. It also creates a nice diffusion effect, making the light look softer and more even. Building the tree: Once the wooden board was covered and the front side was lined with white paper, I started by placing three screws: • Two screws at the bottom corners • One screw at the top, where the tip of the tree would be Then it was time to install the Christmas string lights. I started at the top by making a small knot around the top screw to secure the string. From there, I guided the lights down to the bottom right corner, then across to the bottom left, and back up toward the top. After that, I continued working downward in a zigzag / wave pattern, adding new screws along the way to guide the string neatly into shape. I kept going until I reached the bottom center, allowing the remaining cable to be routed neatly behind the board. This project turned out amazing, and I can’t wait to decorate my home with it! Now, switching gears, I’ve also been working on a cool automation to sync my Alexa Shopping List with Home Assistant. This is a simple yet effective way to streamline my shopping routine. I wrote a blueprint that uses the Alexa Media Player integration to filter voice commands for specific keywords related to shopping. The filtered input is then added to my Bring shopping list. This way, I can simply say, “Alexa, put Peanuts to my shopping list,” and it automatically gets added without needing to open the Bring skill. I’ve also set up a second automation to trigger updates every 6 seconds, ensuring timely processing of voice inputs. The configuration in my configuration.yaml prevents my logs from being flooded with unnecessary entries. This setup has been a lifesaver for me, making my shopping process much smoother. I hope this helps someone else looking to integrate Alexa with their smart home setup! 
If anyone has questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out! Happy holidays and happy automating! 