Technology & More Archives - Page 14 of 18

Organize your digital life with the FREE Kwilt App

This post is brought to you by Kwilt and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. I have a problem; I take far too many photos.

It used to be vacation pictures, pictures of hubby and I on our many adventures, and snaps of my awesome nieces and nephews, but now I’m in deep as my collection has only become more massive since becoming a mom. To make things even worse, I have a hard time deleting these pictures I take off of anything for fear they will all be lost, so I fill up SD cards, full computer hard drives, stacks of CDs filled with pictures, free cloud services, as well as external hard drives.

With well over 200,000 digital photos scattered across these separate storage devices, I am fighting a constant battle to keep all my image files safe, but still accessible. I can’t even count the number of times I have gone to show someone a picture or look for something specific and realized I had no idea where that special image was stored so securely. Let me tell you, it was quite the system.

It wasn’t until Kwilt asked the question Why not have your pictures all in one place? that got me thinking about how easy life would be if I could actually find my pictures when I wanted to see them. It seems like such an easy thing, but, really up until now it hasn’t been.

Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition with FreeTime offers entertainment at home or on the road

As someone who is on the go a lot with kiddos, one of the main things I get asked about from friends, family, and readers is about essential gear for family travel. And while my “essentials” list has changed based on the ages of my children, there are a few things that never change. One of those things is the prevalence of tech gadgets. It’s true that tech gadgets can change your life dramatically and make life easier, especially when traveling, but there are also some huge downfalls.

One major concern is being weighed down with technology instead of making life easier. When we’re talking DSLRs, laptops, smartphones, tablets, action cams, and more as well as all the accessories and gear that go along with all those tech accessories, you can easily fill up a suitcase – and that’s before you pack any toiletries, clothing, or footwear.

So, I always say that when traveling, less truly is more. If you can go without a full laptop simply by packing a small add-on keyboard to your tablet, you are going to be a whole lot happier when packing, lugging your tech bag through airports and onto airplanes, and going through airport security – especially when you’re also corralling kids. By pairing your tablet with lightweight accessories and gadgets as well as apps to make your tablet function like a laptop, you can truly ditch the extra weight and end up with a versatile go-to device for everything from reading by the pool to editing work documents.

For this reason I love the Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition that is an ideal tablet for kids but also packed with features to make it perfect for adults, too. A few weeks ago my son got to play with one of these awesome tablets at the TravelingMom-Techlicious Holiday Tech and Travel Show in Seattle #TNTSeattle and he was so sad to say goodbye to it when the time came. Amazon saved the day {and month, and year} by sending us home with one of our own to play with and both kids were quickly smitten.

Travel must-have for kids: The LeapPad3 learning tablet

My kids are pretty awesome travelers for the most part. They can handle short flights like pros and are the best road trip buddies on long car rides. But, as it turns out, they are pretty awful redeye international travelers. Go figure.

When I look back now, I can’t help but ask myself what I was thinking taking two small kids on packed overnight flights that included 4 airports, long layovers, no meals, and a trip through customs. Oh, and did I mention I am very pregnant and have a hard time getting comfortable in even the plushest digs?

Seriously. What on earth was I thinking?! Having taken dozens of flights with them before, some of them international and some of them redeye in which they handled themselves perfectly, I was clearly going into things far too cocky considering the itinerary and their ages.

Thank goodness our friends over at LeapFrog realized that even good travelers could use something to pass 14+ hours of travel and they sent us their newest tablets, the LeapPad3 to use on our way to #BeachesMoms Social Media on the Sand conference. I spent the night before our big trip loading up on learning software, TV shows, and music to put on the tablets in addition to our collection of software cartridges from our original LeapPad, and I’m so glad I did. This awesome show? This was my view during one of our shorter flights. Would you believe that she is rocking out to the old classic "Do you Know the Muffin Man"? Someone download this girl the Frozen sing-a-long, stat.

Hello, phablet! Nokia Lumia 1520 16GB from AT&T

Remember my beloved Nokia Lumia 920 Windows phone? It met its untimely demise after the screen was crushed at Disneyland last April, which is after it was revived after it took a swim in the kids’ bath, and after it had been dropped a bazillion times while juggling kids. I was so distraught about ruining my phone that I simply couldn’t retire it and kept on using it even with the cracked screen and the odd thumping noise it made when it would get shaken. But, then the Nokia Lumia 1520 with Windows Phone 8.1 arrived and I happily ditched the 920 in a pile of paperwork until it could be recycled properly.

Friends, meet my upgrade, the Nokia Lumia 1520. Part phone, part tablet, the Nokia Lumia 1520 is best described as a phablet. With a huge 6” HD 1080p display, this is quite possibly the biggest phone I have ever seen, which I honestly wasn’t sure was for me before now.

New I SPY Adventure for the VTech InnoTab

I grew up reading I SPY books and challenging myself and friends to find not only all the items listed on each brightly colored and vivid mini-scene, but also finding hidden gems in each picture. So, of course I was thrilled when my kiddos also fell for the books. We enjoy reading the I SPY books together numerous times a day and I love that I can stump them by choosing objects I’m not sure they will recognize by name or objects that can inspire a learning opportunity.

But sometimes? I wish they were old enough to read to themselves because I SPY books would be a great way to pass time while we’re traveling without having to pass the book back and forth from the front seat to the backseat with each new page.

That’s where our beloved VTech InnoTab 3S comes in. With the new I SPY Adventure game, now the kids can play I SPY wherever we go.

Power your devices anywhere with the Rayovac Mobile Battery Power Pack

My electronics are constantly dying just when I need them the most. Whether it’s my phone while I’m at blogging events or traveling, my tablet as I’m finishing a post for a deadline, or my camera at a big life event, I find myself often wishing I had a way to charge things on the go. Take a look at any airport lounge or all day event and you will see people crowded around any outlet they can find – some going as far as camping out in bathrooms or hallways just to get a little more battery life.

That used to be me.

But, now I know I’m covered no matter what with the new Rayovac Mobile Battery Power Pack that I can keep right in my purse and don’t require any outlets of electricity.

Send them back to school on the right note with SOL REPUBLIC {DECK wireless speaker review}

Are you in the thick of back to school planning like I am? There are clothes to buy, glue sticks to stock up on, and there are goodbyes to plan for, because back to school is sneaking up on us quickly.

But, what if your baby isn’t quite a baby anymore and those days of construction paper and pencil cases are well behind you? For you, back to school shopping requires some creativity in order to send your child off to school on the right foot.

Sure, you need the latest sneakers and some updated clothing, but what I think is more important than that is what your child will be listening to. Sending them back to school with a good pair of headphones, earbuds, or even a portable speaker can make those early mornings, bus stop waits, and late nights studying a whole lot more enjoyable if you have your music with you.

Work on the go made easy with a Free T Mobile 4G Data Plan for Life

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. #CollectiveBias and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

When many people think of work from home, they have images of working from anywhere but an office – whether that’s a park, a beach, the pool, or even while on vacation. The reality is that cords and Wi-Fi don’t reach that far, and some days I feel like I'm tied to my computer since it's so hard to do some tasks over smartphone. Thank goodness I found out about T Mobile free tablet data that solves the problem of working on the go, without requiring a separate Wi-Fi device or easy access to coffee shops.

AT&T helps you get fit with the Jawbone UP24 activity tracker

Earlier this month we attended an event hosted by AT&T at David Barton Gym in Bellevue, WA. Along with Seattle area tech, parenting and lifestyle bloggers and reporters, we got to test the newest wearable technology from Jawbone during a workout with one of the gym’s fitness trainers.

As excited as we were for the event, I must admit we spent a crazy amount of time right here in the entrance to the gym with its gorgeous wood detailing.

ROCK a mini Jambox from AT&T this Spring

Unlike most households that keep the TV on during family time, our family bonds over music. And, our dance parties have been pretty epic these past few months thanks to this little bad boy.

AT&T sent us the MINI JAMBOX from Jawbone for Valentine's Day and since then it has gotten a ton of use all throughout our house, and even on the road with us. At a mere 6.61in x 1.65in x 5.43in and just over 9oz, the aluminum body Mini Jambox is small enough to fit in your pocket, purse or briefcase, but powerful enough that it can create full and beautiful sound wherever you go.

With spring break vacations happening for many of you this week, I bet you'd love to have one of these little speakers to make anywhere a dance party, right?