Category Archives travel

Tracking What You May Misplace

#VZWBuzz Disclosure

Where did I put my purse this time? This is becoming a joke in our family. Sure, I should have one place where I put my purse down once I get inside the house. The reality is that I am often in a rush once I storm through the doors. I may race into the kitchen with perishables to put into the refrigerator. Other times, I may stop midway into the kitchen to toss my purse by the dining room table before running to get more in the car. There are also instances where I fly into the house to wash my hands or take care of some other business. (I went there.)

Tile Slim

I am also the person that could never find her keys most mornings before heading to school with my youngest. Were they in my purse, on the table, in my coat, by my laptop, or on the floor? Thanks to Verizon Wireless, my life changed when they sent me the original Tile. Once again, never in the same place or space to make my life easier. Several days a week, I calmly go to the app on my phone and ask it to help me find my keys. My boys now run to locate them and there is never any stress thanks to this nifty tech device. Now, imagine a new Tile that is super thin and can be tucked into a wallet, bag, or anything else when you travel.

Say hello to Tile Slim! This beautiful new device is able to get tucked away right into my wallet. While I may not put my keys away in my purse, my wallet is always tucked back inside. So if I know where my Tile Slim is in my wallet, I can find where my purse is currently hiding. Check out how the Tile and Tile Slim compare to one another.

Tile and Tile Slim

It was simple to add this to my Tile account. I just followed the steps and within a moment, my new Tile was named and set up. Now if (more likely when) I can’t find my purse, I simply go to my app and click on the Tile I want to find and wait to track it with Bluetooth. The music will play and guide me to where my purse is currently hiding.

Tile App view

Tile Slim will also help me on the go. I may be known to put my purse down when out and forgetting it. Could be at a restaurant, amusement park, or especially at a conference when I wander off from a table to say hello to a friend. This will be a great asset for me in my upcoming travels. I can’t wait to get away and not have to worry about my forgetful mind. I will also be picking up some extra Tile Slim to place in suitcases and other bags that will be along for the trip.

Where would you use a TileSlim? I would love to know additional ideas for the use of this product that is already changing my life.

It's Me
Disclosure
: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive cool goodies like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Tile Slim to test out and share ways that I use them in my life. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

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Finding the Right Cruise

Last summer, we went on our first cruise. We booked it rather late and simply did not over think things.

Finding the Right Cruise

Fast forward to almost a year later. Both of our boys were bit by the cruise bug. They loved the activities for kids, swimming, relaxing, and food. We all had fun and never had to think too much once we were on the ship.

NHL really wants to go on a cruise for his Bar Mitzvah. He does not want a party and would like to go away. I am over thinking everything and there are very few options in times that work for us. School and the actual Bar Mitzvah complicate things. In addition to this, there are not a lot of cruises out of the New York City area.

So what are we looking for? Here are are a few things:

  • Family friendly cabins – We need a room that sleeps all four of us. Last summer, we learned how to make a very small space work and know we will be fine.
  • Kid and teen activities – The boys really enjoyed the kids club on our first cruise. Things will be different this time. On most ships, NHL will be considered a teen (whether he’s 12 or actually 13 when we sail). We need to make sure the cruise line we select has options for both of the boys to be happy. This also means that they must be autism friendly.
  • Sensitive to kids with special needs – From start to finish, our last cruise worked with us carefully to help NHL not to be anxious and potentially ruin the cruise experience. We told them he was autistic and they helped us to get on board in the least hectic manner. In addition to this, the kids club was aware and knew how to get to us if there was an emergency. As a teen, I still need to make sure that NHL has options that are age appropriate, but has supports that he may need.
  • Flexible dining times and options – Selecting a dining time is hard when on a vacation. With our first cruise, we were able to go to one of three dining rooms and a buffet any evening. We did not have a set time to eat. This allowed us to swim late, get dressed for dinner, and make shows at the early time for the kids to enjoy. We also found out that we enjoyed a sit down breakfast that looked out on the water over the hectic seating options found by the buffet.
  • No required formal nights – While we dressed up for dinner, we were not in formal attire. TechyDad did not bring a sports jacket, and the boys wore dressy shorts and polo shirts. This is our style and we don’t want to be forced into something more.
  • Seven day itinerary – While open to options, we really enjoyed our week long cruise. We had just the right amount of time on board to do many things and at the end we were ready to go home to larger quarters at night.
  • Different itinerary – Our first cruise went from New York City to Orlando. After a day in Florida (we went to Kennedy Space Center), we were on the cruise lines private island in the Bahamas. The last stop before heading back up the east coast was Nassau. While we enjoyed most of our ports, it would be nice to do something different. We’re not fussy and would consider a different Eastern Caribbean,  Bermuda, or Canadian option. If we can find nice air fare, leaving outside of New York City is a possibility that would certainly open up more ships. There are a lot of options up and down the east coast to look at, but New York City is still the most convenient for us.
  • Family fun – Our first cruise experience was on an older and what many would now consider a smaller ship. This meant that it did not have a fancy water area and only had a small waterslide. It would be fantastic to have something with more water fun space, a mini golf option, and family friendly night time entertainment. Our boys adored the shows we went to on all but one evening. This is a must since it is something we can all enjoy together.

Now that we are no longer cruise virgins, we have some things that we hope for on our next getaway. While we enjoyed our last experience on a specific cruise line, we are happy to explore all options. It certainly can not hurt to check out other cruise lines and ships. Our first ship was big to us, but most newer ones are much larger.

Our First Cruise

If you enjoy cruise travel, what are your musts? Do you have any suggestions for cruising with a nine and almost thirteen year old?

It's Me

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Happy Star Wars Day

It’s been way too long since I participated in the Disney Wordless Wednesday fun. Jumping back in with the May Calendar shot which works beautifully with Star Wars Day. Happy May the 4th to everyone!

May the Fourth Be With You

Focused on the Magic

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

It's Me

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Trusting Your Smartphone Photos

#VZWBuzz Disclosure

Do you still take a camera with you when you go here, there, and everywhere? I used to schlep around an extra camera, but those days are primarily over. I rarely have my digital camera with me because I know my smartphone will be there to capture the moments. Not only am I able to share them with family, friends, and social media at an instant, they are a good enough quality that I can print them.

Capturing Memories with a Smartphone

On our recent cruise, I brought my Samsung Salaxy S5 along for the trip. I love the camera on it and knew that if TechyDad did not have his big camera with us we would be fine. My phone was on airplane mode while traveling all around the Atlantic Ocean, but I could still use the camera. While sitting outside and listening to the waves, I was able to edit photos and get them ready to share with our limited WiFi access.

While waiting to see the Status of Liberty, I was able to check out the sail away show with one of my boys. While he danced, I captured and shared a sneak peak of the fun we were about to experience for the week.

Norwegians like to get wild. #CruiseLikeANorwegian

A video posted by @theangelforever on

The boys loved the shows on the Norwegian Gem. No photography or video was allowed and it was wonderful to enjoy everything as a family. After Magika with Sander and Alison, the kids begged to purchase one of their DVDs to take home. We allowed the boys to select them and NHL was so excited to meet Sander. He loves magic and as you can see my smartphone caught this magical moment beautifully.

Sander from Magika on the Norwegian Gem

The kids had some moments with just the two of us while we were on the Gem. At one point, NHL went to the kids club and JSL stayed with us. The little guy was surprised that we stopped in the Atrium to get a nonalcoholic Pina Colada. Of course, I had to get snap shots of the boys drinking them at the family friendly bar.

Fruity Beverages on the Norwegian Gem

We also found out that one of our boys is great at being a photographer with my phone. Thanks to JSL, TechyDad and I were able to get a rare photo together with the Atlantic Ocean behind us.

TechyDad and Moi on the Norwegian Gem

I know that with my new Samsung Galaxy Note 5, I will be exploring new places this autumn with my kids where I will capture those memories for future generations to see. How do you use your smartphone when traveling?

It's Me

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to test out and share ways that I use it in my life. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

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Hello From Our Cruise

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It’s hard to believe that our time on board the Norwegian Gem is almost over. There is so much to write about. For now, I will share some photos from our family travel.

The first day we spent time looking around the beautiful Gem.image

Thanks to Splash Academy, the kids liked to play and TechyDad and I had time to explore and relax alone.

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Our only excursion was to Kennedy Space Center. So amazing to see the history behind NASA.

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A day of sun, fun, and sand thanks to the private Bahamas island. The Great Stirrup Cay was gorgeous. I wanted to take home my own palm tree.imageimageimageimage

The next day we explored Nassau, Bahamas on our own.

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So much more to share, but first I must enjoy the rest of the cruise with my family.

It's Me

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