Freezin' for a Reason - Special Olympics Wisconsin

This is my nephew, Jake's donation page.  He is jumping in for his daughter, the beautiful princess, Miss Audyn.

http://tinyurl.com/klekwdk

New Year’s Resolutions and U.S. Cellular

Mobile devices can help us stay on track when it comes to reaching goals. Whether it’s finding ways to stay healthy, finding new recipes to cook more or taking more photos to stay connected with friends and family, U.S. Cellular is sharing ways to help people reach their resolutions and to be able to create Better Moments for themselves and others in the New Year.  I have and continue to use my tablet for researching healthier recipes.  I always tweak it a little bit to suit my family, but the recipes on the internet are endless.  I am interested in taking a look at some of the new apps below that U.S. Cellular is offering.

U.S. Cellular wants you to start this year off right, so checkout some great apps to download based on what your resolutions are – some examples are below:

o    Get fit:  MyFitnessPal can help you stick to your workout regimen and stay motivated as you improve your fitness and get in shape. The app helps you create personalized workout programs and delivers progress reports as you work towards your personal goals. It also has a database of over 3,000,000 foods to help monitor your caloric intake and daily diet. MyFitnessPal can also connect you to your friends so that you can encourage each other and provide extra motivation.  Support while getting healthier and losing weight is definitely helpful and motivating to keep you on track.

o    Manage your finances: Looking to improve your money  management? Mintanalyzes your personal finance accounts and is a convenient way to track your spending, create budgets and start saving money. The app can even send you alerts regarding upcoming bills, unusual activity and low balances.

o    Improve your diet: Lose It! tracks your caloric intake and monitors your diet, helping you manage your weekly calorie budget and ensure that you are consuming the proper foods. It also integrates with sites such as Facebook and Twitter so you can stay updated on the progress your friends are making.

o    Learn something new: Ever wonder exactly how the stock market works or simply feel the need to brush up on your math skills? Khan Academy features an extensive library covering mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, humanities, finance and history with easy to digest lessons taught by education experts. The app allows you to track your progress and earn badges while challenging yourself to become proficient in topics you might never thought you could have.  My son's school has used Khan Academy throughout his middle school years, and I think he really enjoys it, not just homework he has to do.  And looking forward to high school next year, I might just need some refresher courses.

o    Stay in touch: After the holidays wind down, staying in touch with family can be difficult. But video communication apps such as Skype help shorten the distance between our friends and family and provide the opportunity to create better moments with them. Skype provides the ability to have a face-to-face conversation with someone, even if they are hundreds of miles away.

I'd love you to write in the comments below to share and your New Year’s resolutions and tell me how you plan on using your mobile devices to meet your goals.  What mobile device do you have?  GS4, Tablet, or Ipad Air??

Disclosure:  I have been compensated by U.S. Cellular as a U.S. Cellular Blog Ambassador. All opinions expressed are my own.

U.S. Cellular Holiday Gift Guide

Did you know photo apps, such as Instagram and Vine, create Better Moments during the holidays and check out U.S. Cellular's Affordable Holiday Gift Guide

• Capturing special and memorable holiday moments is easy with Instagram and Vine apps that can be downloaded on your U.S. Cellular smartphone / tablet.
• Mobile devices help us communicate more frequently, share experiences immediately, and generally enrich the quality of our relationships. Whether at home or on-the-go, U.S. Cellular is providing the tools needed to help consumers create, discover, enhance and share life’s Better Moments with their families.
• You can use Instagram and Vine to capture holiday memories and share them with family and friends by some of the following ways to enjoy Better Moments with friends and family.
• Share holiday recipes. Let your friends and family watch you make your favorite holiday meals or desserts. Recipes on Vine and Instagram often show preparation or presentation tutorials. You can take your followers through step-by-step directions so they can try it on their own.   Help older relatives share family recipes that can be passed down to future generations.
• Send holiday messages. Calling your loved ones is always important, but it might be fun to send personalized Vine or Instagram videos you can send and tag them in. With access to U.S. Cellular’s high-speed nationwide network, you can upload and share your greetings quickly, even if you’re away on a holiday vacation, your family can feel closer together and share in your excitement.
• Show off holiday lights. Bring the photos of holiday lights strung around your home or neighborhood to life by making a video of them. You could start a time lapse video of you putting them in place or showcase any special effects.
• Follow hashtags for promotions.  There are a number of brands that utilize Vine and Instagram to promote their products or specials, especially around the holidays. Search for their verified accounts and see what they have to offer.  This is one thing I like to do.  Enter sweeps using these apps are so easy and following hashtags is one way to enter easily.

• Gift Guide:
• Gift Under $25 – Accessories are essential for your smartphone or tablet. A case, shell, skin or travel charger makes a great stocking stuffer. I know someone in my family that might like the Shell/Holster Combo or the Skullcandy headset.
• Gift Under $50 – Jam Classic Bluetooth speakers would make a great gift for a family member.
• Gift under $100 – For your favorite fitness buff, check out the SYNC BURN activity and calorie burn tracker.
• iPhone 5s or 5c – the new iPhone is one of the hottest tech gifts this shopping season. U.S. Cellular offers iPhone 5s, the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, and iPhone 5c the most colorful iPhone yet. Use your iPhone to connect with family and friends this holiday season by taking photos with the advanced iSight camera system and video chatting via and FaceTime.
• Check out the iPad Air at U.S. Cellular.com.

With my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 which I use as a blogger, one of the gifts would like to get is a protective cover, like the D30 Impact Portfolio Case. 

Disclosure:  I have received compensation as a member of the U.S. Cellular Blogger Brigade. All opinions expressed are my own.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday - With U.S. Cellular

According to Mobile Commerce Daily, on Black Friday last year alone, mobile shopping accounted for 16 percent of online sales and that number is expected to exceed 20 percent this year, and a recent U.S. Cellular survey showed that 39 percent of our smartphone customers use their smartphones for shopping.

Whether you like to shop from your couch or truly enjoy the craziness of visiting all of the stores during busy shopping times, smartphones can assist in ensuring you are efficient in your purchases, leaving more time enjoy the rest of the season’s offerings.

U.S. Cellular has provided some great tips In order to find the best deals around, the Black Friday App is one app to have at your fingertips. This free app is the ultimate Black Friday survival guide, enabling users to browse "leaked" and verified ads. It also allows users to price compare against the best online prices or find a store’s nearby locations with a tap. Using this app saves time and helps determine where to get the lowest price. Let your smartphone also make the checkout process hassle free with CardStar. Load store rewards cards you may have into this app and you’ll never lose time or savings searching for the card you need again. After the cards are stored, you can access them right from your phone and the cashier will simply use the barcode stored on the device.

With Amazon Mobile, users are able to zip through their shopping from home on their smartphones and tablets and spend more time with family and friends, the highlight of the holiday season. The iPhone 5s, 5c and iPad Air are some of the “hottest tech gifts” this shopping season. U.S. Cellular offers iPhone 5s, the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, and iPhone 5c, the most colorful iPhone yet, available to customers beginning on November 8.  U.S. Cellular announced that iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be available online as well.  U.S. Cellular offers iPad Air with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to its fast 4G LTE network with speeds up to ten times faster than 3G.

My Galaxy tab is helping me make life and holiday shopping easier.  I have been using my tablet to research black friday ads and comparing pricing.  I am a fan of online shopping and so many places offer free shipping, a huge added plus.  I can shop anytime of day or night, so I am able to spend a lot more time and share better moments with family during the holiday season. No hassles of looking for parking spaces in the snow.  My friendly delivery drivers bring it right to my doorstep.  My only problem then is to hide it until I get around to wrapping it, usually at the last minute.

Disclosure:  I have been provided this information from U.S. Cellular and have been compensated as a member of the U.S. Cellular Blogger Brigade.  My opinions are my own.

Disney Classics Box Set

The new Disney Classics Box Set is due to be released on Nov. 12, 2013.

Kids and grown-ups alike love the music included in the box set.  A lot of the songs bring back memories of when I was a kid as well as Disney Movies I watched with my own children.  You find yourself singing these by simply reading the name of the song.

The box set includes 4 discs of 94 original recordings.

Disney Modern Classics include such songs as:
Under the Sea, Be our Guest and You've Got a Friend in Me.

Disney Theme Park Classics include such songs as:
The Bear Serenade and It's a Small World.

Disney Timeless Classics include such songs as:
Whistle While You Work, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and A Spoonful of Sugar.

Disney Television Classics include such songs as:
Mickey Mouse March and Winnie The Pooh.

Special bonus for box set purchasers: a new medley of Disney hits by 
YouTube a capella sensations Peter Hollens and Alex G. Peter and Alex create 
fully orchestrated songs using only the sounds of their voices. With well over 100 
million views on YouTube alone, their sensational approach has excited 
audiences all over the world. An accompanying music video is now on their 
respective YouTube Channels. 

It is available on Amazon pre-order now.  Click on the Amazon link to find out more.

Disclosure:  I am participating in a blog post campaign from One2One Network and Walt Disney Records. All opinions are my own.