Phone Apps | The Angel Forever

Category Archives Phone Apps

Verizon Lifestyle Blogger

Posted on March 29, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

It’s hard to believe that it has only been about a year since I entered the wonderful world of owning a smartphone. TechyDad and I held out for as long as we could. It really was a matter of trying to be frugal, but then we realized opportunities that we missed thanks to not having a more functional phone. I look back now and cannot imagine life without a smartphone. My phone allows me more freedom.

This is where I am honored to share that I am a Verizon Lifestyle Blogger. Yes, I was asked to participate in their program to try new phones within my life and share how I use them. As a long time Verizon Wireless customer, I can stand behind the customer service that we have had and continue to have with this company. Now, I am thrilled to be working with them as a blogger.

Part of MY World

Using apps are a daily part of my life. There are at least a dozen that I use each and every day without fail. This includes my e-mail apps, Facebook, TweetDeck, Pinterest, Chrome, Fitbit, Out of Milk, Add Watermark, Instagram, PicsArt, Kindle, and GoodReads. I also use the app for our local library to renew, request, and locate books. With a cup of coffee in one hand, I can sit down and get some work done right from my phone.

Never too Connected

Some people may think that being connected all the time is a bad thing, I do not. I am able to put my phone away and do things with my family. At the same time, thanks to my phone, I am able to respond to business on the go without worrying that I will not be at my laptop for hours. I do not think of it as making me too connected. My phone helps me as a wife, parent, writer, educator, and advocate. Teachers know that they can call or e-mail me at any time. If I am walking out of school, I can sit in my car and write a quick note to alert them. When in a meeting with someone, I can pull up a document, website, or other resource to share and make a point.

Mom is Almost Always Prepared

I am far from perfect, but my phone can help me in a pinch. Thanks to technology, the cameras within the phone allow me to snap photos on the go and not worry about getting my point and shoot camera if I am in a hurry. The video capability also is a wonderful perk that helps me to record milestones when I forget my regular video camera. I can set up my phone to be synched with a calendar to remind me of doctor visits, conferences, or other important event.

Of course, my phone has helped when I have gloomy kiddos waiting in a doctor office complaining about a wait, test, or other item. In a pinch, I can find something new on the go to keep them occupied, happy, and ease anxiety. Eeyore moments melt away for my Aspie son who has a routine when waiting. Yes, my smartphone could be considered therapy at times since it keeps him calm and happy in stressful situations.

So if you see me out and about, chances are my smartphone is very close to me. Like my original Droid Bionic, my new RAZR HD has become a part of who I am. It does not make or define me, but allows me to be a more organized version of myself.

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Blogger program, I am testing out different devices and sharing how I utilize them in my life. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. We have been long time Verizon Wireless customers.

Categories:
me moments Phone Apps Technology

Big Wheel Riding

Posted on March 18, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Weather is unpredictable here in Upstate New York. If my five year old son sees the sun out, it means he wants to be outside. It may be thirty degrees and wind chills factoring in, but he wants to run and get energy out.

This weekend, he helped us to get some Passover shopping done, so we (well –er Techydad) put his new Big Wheels together. To document this experience, I pulled out my new RAZR HD phone that arrived as part of the Verizon Lifestyle Blogger program to capture some moments.

TechyDad and his little helper got most of the Big Wheel together without a problem. JSL really wanted to head outside after it was put together.

Of course, there was a little snaffu. The handle bar of the Big Wheel would not attach properly. TechyDad eventually had to stop for the evening. After Hebrew School, JSL and I went to see if Papa could help figure out another option. With some extra tools, we were able to fix the part and attach the handle bar securely.

That big smile on the kiddo made our day. It also meant it was time to go outside. While it was a gorgeous day, it was cold and windy. Keeping hands out to use my phone and camera was tricky. I snapped some photos and later made a collage to share with TechyDad, Nana, and Instagram.

A little over a year ago, I made the switch to being a Smartphone carrier, and I can’t imagine going back. Thanks to The RAZR HD, I was able to capture milestones, share them with family, and get some fun photos for blog posts.

All of the photos were taken with my RAZR HD and I used the following apps during the day:

PicsArt for collages
Add Watermark to put ©TheAngelForever on my photos for blogging
Instagram (my Instagram) to share moments during the day on Facebook/Twitter

Categories:
me moments parenting Phone Apps Technology

An Italian Style 9th Birthday

Posted on August 18, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL,

I do believe that your ninth birthday was a success. We managed to surprise you with all of your presents. I genuinely think we did a great job getting items that you wanted and were into. We spent the day at home testing out your new goodies (which I will write more about later). Then, it was time to figure out where we would go for your birthday celebration.

At first, you were said you wanted to go to The Cheesecake Factory, but get cheesecake at another location to celebrate with Nana and Papa after. Then, we listed some other possibilities. Once we were able to get you away from the Dunkin Donuts idea (not sure where that came from), you said you wanted to head to Buca di Beppo for the second year in a row. We had a great meal.

Then, it was time to head to get a quick birthday cake. Since we were not close to a grocery store, we went to BJ’s Wholesale Club to look for a cheesecake. On the way over to the cheesecake area, something caught my eye.

You kept right past it, but had looked at them briefly. Then, you decided you wanted a marble cake more than a cheesecake. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any of those that were not monster size. So you asked to go back to the other display. When we read the cake description, you were sold.

It’s My Party: Moist yellow and velvety chocolate cake layers are married together by an indulgent fudge filling.

Of course, there was also the fun design on the outside. Before we knew it, the cake was heading to the cash register to go to Nana and Papa’s house with us. We realized we forgot candles, but we improvised. Thank goodness there is an app on the phone for that.

The cake was really delicious and everyone enjoyed your selection. It was a relaxing and fun day to celebrate you turning nine years old. Now, I look forward to watching how the next year goes.

Love,

Categories:
birthday Dear Kid Saturday decisions family food glorious food fun nhl Phone Apps photos yummy

Tuesday Tales – Another Library Card

Posted on May 22, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

I love books. Perhaps it is the teacher in me, but it is the truth. We own a lot of books. The boys have a bookshelf that is bursting at the seems, we have one that is packed, and I have boxes of books that were bought for my classroom. I enjoy keeping up on multiple genres of literature. Unfortunately, the reality is I can not afford to buy every single book that we want to read in our house. It isn’t just about money though, it is also lack of space to keep the collection of books growing. These days I am much more selective.

As a home owner, I take full advantage of our local library. The boys and I went to a lot of events last summer, we take DVDs out, books are borrowed, and most recently I get audio and Kindle books. A while back, I wrote about looking to see if your library has eBook lending. Our library has a nice selection, but I was getting frustrated with lack of availability and strange search ability.

A friend of mine mentioned that she uses The New York Public Library to take out audio and Kindle books. I was intrigued and finally went to search how to get my own card (thank you J). If you are a resident of New York State, you can sign up to get your own card. Last Tuesday, I went to their website and filled out the simple online form. Yesterday, this arrived in the mail:

Once I opened the envelope, took a photo, and thanked my friend – I went right to the eBook loan page. On this page, you can borrow eBooks, Audio Books, Music, and Video. What I liked was the search seemed to work better than my local library’s page. Of course, since the NYPL is larger, they had tons more copies of many of the books that I was interested in. A book that I had been waiting for for quite some time had 3 copies available and 25 in the system for Kindle. I am in heaven!

So now I have a new book to read on the go with my Kindle App or Kimberly Kindle – and can sit back at home to read my latest traditional book:

What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Update: Please be sure to read over the Terms and Conditions for the NYPL Card. The card that you apply for online will only be temporary. The one that I just received is only good until September. You must validate your card to have it extended for the typical three years. For those outside of the NYC area the instructions are simple (copied from their website):

Cardholders from areas of NY State outside of the Metro NY area as defined above may e-mail scans or copies of the required forms of identification listed to circ@nypl.org. Alternatively, this information may be faxed to (212) 621-0278.

New library card applicants from these areas who applied for their card online and elected to receive it in the mail must first e-mail the above-mentioned form(s) of identification after receiving their card to validate it before full cardholder privileges can be extended. Both the library card number and required identification must be included with any renewal/validation request. Incomplete and/or unreadable information will not be accepted and will delay the continued use of your card.