Photo App Reviews - Part TWO

If you like to create and edit your photos on the go.....you might want to check this out...
I apologize for being so wordy....it's what I do!

IOS 7 is coming out - SHOULD you update?

What does this picture have to do with IOS 7?  

Nothing!  but I hate to start a blog post without a picture - and this one was a cool sky pic taken from my iPhone the other day, so it kinda fits, right?

Just say yes and move on ;)

I have an iPhone 4------not 4S or 5, or now the new 5C or 5S
Apparently I am behind the times.

I need to upgrade, but there are lots of decisions to make.

But first, I wanted to give you some tips on what I have read on updating to the new IOS 7 with your existing device.

1.  First & Foremost - Before you update, make sure you have backed up with ITunes ****that's a must

2.  While IOS 7 supports 4, 4S, and all the 5's, I have read that if you have the 4, it might be best to wait.  Since my 4 is older, it is saying it might not support it the way an newer version would.
     
It will not work on 3G iphones or any of the older Itouches, supposedly only the current iPod Touch 5

Supposededly it works on all iPads.  So perhaps I can update my mini iPad (that I love so much)

Therefore I am waiting, even though,  I can't WAIT for IOS 7, I am going to have to wait until I upgrade my phone or they have some kinks worked out.

3.  Update all apps before updating

4.  Plug your device in before updating

5.  Remember that updating is a lengthy process, it could take up to an hour or so



If you don't have enough room to update, I think it is 3  GB or so, you may need to free up some space

My space has been limited lately, I cleared some apps off today to free it up.



Here are some tips to clear up some space:

1.  Delete any apps you aren't using, even if you paid for them.  There are tons I keep "just in case," but since they are in your purchased iTunes account, you can download them at any time through the app store.

2.  Go through your photos & videos. 
     Either delete them or upload them to your computer.
     Keep only your favorites on your device.
     I know, it is time consuming, but worth it in the end

3.  Go through your text messages and delete threads

4.  Music - I don't keep a ton of music on my iPhone, but I like to keep a handful of songs.
But, I deleted all music off of my iPhone today and that freed up some room.

You can go to iTunes and turn on HOME SHARING
I could give you pictures on how to do this, but I am being lazy, and just giving you Instructions

• Open iTunes on your computer
• Click on File and Select "Turn on Home Sharing"
• Once you see the Home Sharing login screen, enter you Apple ID & password 
• Then click Create Home Share
• I believe it asks you which library to share with at some point

Now go to your DEVICE:

• Click Settings
• Click on you iPod/music app
• Scroll down to the bottom and click on Home Sharing
• Enter your Apple ID & password
• Exit Settings and go to your Music app
• Click the "More" tab at the bottom
• Click Shared at the bottom of the list
• Select the computer name of the library you want to access
• You will now see your entire iTunes library

(I do have to say I haven't experimented with this too much, so don't soley take my word on it.  I mean it worked for me, but I just went to close my iTunes on my computer and it said something about one or more people using the shared library

Here is the bad news I just discovered after doing all this:::::

If your iTunes library is NOT OPEN on your computer, your music will not appear through the HOMESHARING)

So, I guess this is a temporary solution

You  may have already known this, so maybe you need to give me some tips ;)

You could always change it back later to get specefic songs - songs just for your iPhone

I hope this helped!!!
AND, remember, back up FIRST

Lastly, if you do upgrade or have already upgraded, comment and let me know how it goes and what you LOVE or HATE about it.
It seems really cool.

Instagram & our kids

Life is busy for all of us  in this day & time.
Technology brings new problems
But, we all need to slow down a little bit and look around us, look at our kids.
See what they are REALLY doing.

Good to Know....change the way your iphone icons look

If you want to change the way your apps look like on your iPhone, read on.

What to do and what not to do with birthday party invitations.....

I've been hosting birthday parties for 12 years now, and 2-3 times a year during some of those years.

I have never had a mom and her child show up at one of our parties---unannounced, i.e, no RSVP.

At our recent party, we had one mom show up that had not responded to coming, drop her daughter off with a kiss and leave.  My friend had the good sense to run after her to get her phone #.  Would you ever leave your child somewhere without a way for someone to get ahold of you?  
I know, I wouldn't.

   I had to run upstairs and quickly make up a goody bag.

Let it be known I am not a fan of goody bags.  My girls will act like they are, but weeks after birthday parties, their goody bags are in some corner of their room, unpacked.  Almost always!
   So, I know the smart thing to do is make extra just in case, but Again, I have never had someone show up unannounced.

15 minutes later, the doorbell rings and another mom, who also didn't RSVP, drops her daughter off, says she'll be back at 4:00 and THEN asks if she can also leave the little cousin.  I was slightly flabbergasted, and simply said "yes"  What would you have said?  And the cousin was little, like 3 or 4,  and was just dropped with a group of strangers.

    So, I then had to take a goody bag from one of our sweet 3 year old friends (whose mom was there and told me to)
AGAIN-I dislike goody bags.
    Of course the point here isn't goody bags, it is the concept of showing up to a birthday party unannounced.

But, I have digressed, the real point of this is the invitation.

This was the invite (with my address blurred out, and RSVP info -email, home phone # and cell # to call/text)

PIECE OF ADVICE

Don't put your address on it.  I never have in the past.  Why did I this year, I don't know.
But, it bit me in the butt.

This is the right way to make an invitation:

***see---no address :)

So, my advice, don't put your address on the invitation, that way unexpected visitors cannot show up.
Of course if it is at a public place, like a skating rink, or gymnastics, or paint ball,  you would have to.
But it was a little strange for me to have people show up at my house unannounced.

Happy Party Planning!!!

Blog lovin' - good to know

I don't know about you guys, but I love blogs.
I get so many ideas from so many different, amazing, creative people.
I wish I was friends with some of them in real life.  
We could have such fun together.

I also know that some of my FB friends read lots of blogs too.
It is sometimes hard to keep track of all the new posts though.

I have recently come across http://www.bloglovin.com
(there is also an app for that)
Once you sign up, they will send you an email with all the blogs you follow (you DO have to enter them all, ONE by ONE)
But...they will send you one email with each new POST
That way, you don't miss anything.

Check it out:
     http://www.bloglovin.com

Here are a few of my favorites:

Good to Know......

I came across an awesome app today from     that I wanted to share with everybody.



It is called    

(you can get it on iPhone or Android.)

Once you get in the App----












~ find the store that your card is from
~ type in the card # from the back of the gift card and the Pin #.
~ unfortunately you do need to know the amount of your gift card, that might be kind of hard if you have used the card previously, but don't know the balance. I just called the # on the back of my card to find out the balance.

You can also scan the back of your gift card in case you typed in some #'s wrong. (click Optional details to do this)

Gyft provides the correct "cover" for each card, but you can also scan the front of your card if you want.
Which is what I did, because I have Justice cards for each girl with their initial written on it.  That way I was able to scan the front of the card and see who it belongs to.


If the store isn't there, you type in the name, and click "add store"
(see on right hand side above keyboard)
I was trying to add one for Bed, Bath & Beyond

When all done:

~click add to wallet
You can then scroll through all your gift cards on the main screen.


You can BUY gift cards for yourself or SEND gift cards to other people
You can regift gift cards.....


If you are worried about somebody stealing your gift cards if they get ahold of your phone, you can set up a passcode to get into the app


I wanted to purchase a Walmart or Target gift card for myself, just to test it out tomorrow, but neither of those stores were listed.  But there were tons of others to buy gift cards to:

             
There were plenty more, I just listed a few popular.

I can't wait to try it out.  I will update and report back after I use it for the first time.


Hopefully my wallet just got a little lighter.

***Update - I used the app at Justice & Claire's today.  It worked.  They weren't able to scan it, they had to manually type in the #'s.  But that is OK.  
I know we have all been somewhere where we forgot to take our gift cards in, so this way, as long as you type them all in, you always have them.
You do have to update your balance if you don't use it. Hopefully they will fix balance info in a future update.  That is really just for you, their computers will know the balance when they type in the #'s whether you have the right amount in your gyft app or not.

The sales clerks had never heard of the app of course, they were curious to try them out:)

Original source
http://www.coolmomtech.com/2013/04/gyft-gift-card-app.php