Need a new phone? Try the Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores trade-in program


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Best Buy mobile specialty stores
In this day of electronic upgrades every other week, tech gadgets are dating themselves faster than ever before. This means that most of us have piles of old electronics filling our junk drawers and offices. I will admit that hubby and I have a sizable collection of old cell phones, PDAs, and more that are really just taking up space in our house.

Some of these gadgets are now glorified paperweights with 1997 technology and no ability to charge and I’ve needed to get rid of them for quite a while now. If you read my Best Buy post about their awesome recycling program, you know how much I love that they help you recycle old electronics responsibly for free, and I’ve been meaning to take them to the recycling station for quite some time.

But, what you may not know is that they have a great trade-in and buy-back program that you can utilize if you have old electronics that might be worth a little money. Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores are popping up all over {typically at malls or shopping centers} and I happen to have one near me at the Northgate Mall, so I stopped in last weekend to see what they could do with my 15lbs of excess technology.

Trading in old phones

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VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Tablet prevents “Summer Brain Drain”


Summer Brain Drain
Do you remember as a kid you would go back to school each fall feeling like you were in shape from staying active all summer only to find your legs and abs burning after one gym class because you were now using muscles you had neglected during the past few month?  Well, that is exactly what happens to your brain, too, and in a phenomenon commonly referred to as Summer Brain Drain. 

What is Summer Brain Drain, you ask?  According to research from the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, students typically lose one to two months of reading and math skills during the summer break because they are not regularly exercising their brains. 

So, how do you combat Summer Brain Drain?  You find fun ways to infuse learning into everyday activities to keep kids’ brains sharp even during the three long months of no formal schooling. 

But, how can you do that when most of the summer is spent on the go and you don’t want to spend your days cooped up inside reading or in front of screens?  You get a portable learning device that can grow with your child, offers age-appropriate content in a broad library of subjects and that keeps them learning no matter where they are.

Something like the awesome InnoTab 2S, the latest learning app tablet from V-Tech that is perfect for on the go as well as at home.  We got to review the VTech InnoTab 2S for the past few weeks and we absolutely love how much fun it is for various ages and how it keeps the kids begging to keep learning. 


Innotab 2S

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Secure your TV with SANUS {tilting TV wall mount}

I’m sure everyone out there has read the horrifying stories about little kids climbing furniture and pulling it down on themselves, but I’ve got one more for you.  About ten years ago, my little niece climbed the drawers on a dresser in her older brother’s room to change the channel on his TV.  Since the … Read more

Traveling Light with the Samsung WB200 Smart Camera

Before I was a mom, I hauled around a SLR with me wherever I went – first the film variety, then a DSLR – and made good use of my photography degree.  In those years I took amazing pictures of our adventures while traveling, around our house with family and friends, and exploring the many … Read more

VINCI Tab III M 5” Learning Tablet {Review – Part II}

I’m so proud of my daughter these past few months.  Right before my eyes she has gone from a child who cried every single time I dropped her off at preschool to a kid that bounds in the door of her classroom, excited about what they will be learning that day.  It all stemmed from … Read more

Fitness goals made easy with AT&T

It’s that time of year again when you shed your sweaters and jackets and get all ready for warmer weather and summer clothes… and then you realize that the dreaded swimsuit season is on the horizon again.  But, this year I’m going to be ready for it, thanks to a very welcome present from AT&T. … Read more

Spy Tec Inventio HD 720P video recording sunglasses {Review}

by Tyler, editor and reviewer Even from a young age, I was obsessed with spy technology.  I used to stay up at night thinking of how cool it would be if cameras could fit in the palm of your hand, if fingerprint scanners could lock your valuables or if Hollywood’s technology would ever be a … Read more

Mother’s Day Gift Idea – LG Optimus G Pro from AT&T

Just like so one will forget when they first heard the term “smartphone”, no one will ever be able to forget the first time they heard the term “phablet” {you know, a phone and tablet in one}.  My first time was in reference to my NOKIA 920 Windows Phone from AT&T, which I was assured … Read more

From toddler to teen: the answer is the Zazoo Kids photo clock

Up until just a few months ago, our kids were a parent’s dream at night.  We would literally pop them in their beds after their bedtime routine and not hear from either one again until I would have to wake them up in the morning.  Yes, true story.  But, while my son is still firmly … Read more

VINCI Tab III M 5” Learning Tablet {Review – Part I}

I love teaching my daughter new things and watching her eyes light up with each newfound piece of knowledge.  Nothing can beat the feeling of watching her process something complex or advanced for her age and seeing the puzzle pieces slowly come together as she gets the concept fully.  Unfortunately for us, I am vastly … Read more