verizon - Stuff Parents Need

Greetings from beautiful Sanibel Island, friends! My family is having the best time hunting for shells, exploring the island, and just relaxing on our big summer vacation. I’m actually getting to do some reading on my Kindle (which happens approximately once a year), and of course, I’m loving taking some great photos of my kids just being kids and being fully immersed in play on the beach.

Verizon sent me a device I had not thought to bring along with me, but that I’m so very glad to have, now. We are using the Mophie Powerstation 3X, and it’s a portable charger that can work with a wide variety of devices. It can keep your phones and your tablets powered up through the day so you don’t have to quit reading that ebook you were enjoying, or quit taking photos because your phone battery can’t hang.

I’m noticing that my phone battery is struggling a bit more than usual down here, and I think it’s because the wireless signals are weaker on the shore, so the phone is working harder to keep me connected. I’m loving having a portable charger because without it, I wouldn’t make it through the whole day without having to head back to our condo to plug my phone back in. That’s just not something I want to have to do while on vacation!

Before you head out on your next family trip, be sure to add a portable charger to your packing list. Your nearest Verizon store has a huge selection of the latest and greatest portable chargers that will help you be fully charged and ready to go, day after day.

My main Christmas gift came early this year. I got a new laptop. Honestly, it wasn’t a very exciting purchase, as it was made spontaneously after my old laptop bit the dust unexpectedly.

I’ve been chugging along with my fancy new laptop and Windows 8 (which honestly isn’t a bad operating system IF you have a touch screen). But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about technology, it is that how many fancy bells and whistles it has, or how many apps or photos it can store don’t really matter if you have a slow or unreliable internet connection. Without fast internet, all of your fast gadgets get brought right back to the early 2000’s. Can you hear the dial-up connection happening? There you are, sitting around and WAITING.

That’s no good!

Verizon has a very clever video called ‘Twas the Night Before Stanley, and it shows just how Stanley the Gingerbread tries to create the perfect Christmas for his family. See what happens when he tries to get everything up and running online!

Take a tip from Stanley, and don’t let Christmas Eve or Christmas morning be the time when you realize that your internet can’t hang with your gadgets. My in-laws have FiOS, and it is like a dream come true! It is an awesome tool to help your family stay connected during the holidays, and to ensure lots of fun and no frustration when it is time to play with the new tablet, smartphone, or laptop you might have waiting under the tree.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Verizon. The opinions and text are all mine.

A Quick Tip for a Fully Charged Vacation Day

Tech Gifts Under the Tree? Don’t Forget the FiOS!