Just a little listen

As any woman who has been pregnant knows, the first trimester can be very unsettling, especially if you have dealt with infertility or any loss. You know you’re pregnant, you may feel sick, tired, or have other obvious signs and symptoms. But you can’t feel the baby yet. And that is very unsettling and worrisome.

Since running to the Dr’s every other day for an ultrasound isn’t very practical (and they would stop you!), there is something you can do to feel more at ease. That’s where handheld fetal dopplers come into play. They allow, at an affordable price around $25-$85 depending on model, the option to both listen to and record the fetal heart rate. All without bugging your Dr’s office!!

There is another option: a handheld ultrasound. My ob office has one and uses it at most appointments in the 2nd trimester, when a regular ultrasound is not being done. Very cool and about the size of a smart phone. However, NOT affordable at anywhere from $3000-$8000! Sorry, but can’t shell that out, although it sure would be cool.

So even though this is my last baby, I caved and bought one of the cheaper models at $25 and was able to hear my baby’s heartbeat at about 135-150 beats per minute. VERY reassuring and makes waiting in between appointments much more tolerable.

 

The new way to shop resale

The last few years have dramatically changed the way some people shop resale. Computers, tablets, and Smartphones have revolutionized quick access to items from around the world at the click of a button. Ebay has been around for over 20 years, as it was created around 1995 (http://ebay.about.com/od/ebaylifestyle/a/el_history.htm). People began bidding on anything, even broken items, because collectors love their things! Listing items does cost money, but there have been countless individuals who have made a living running Ebay stores.

Strangely enough, Craigslist also started in 1995 and has allowed individuals the opportunity to sell items closer to home, with no listing fee (http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/09/who-is-craig-from-craigslist/). In recent years, there are have been safety concerns over this type of selling, as crime will show up just about anywhere. More and more people have started meeting in public places to create a safer environment to do business.

As Facebook has gained popularity, buy/sell/trade groupshave become popular. Again, there is no fee associated with listing, although group administrators can create some very strict rules in regards to how the groups operate. This was my preferred method for selling and buying items, until it began to takeover my Newsfeed. There are just too many things I don’t care about and don’t need to look at.

Now there is a new kid in town! Varagesale, which is a virtual garage sale whose main perk is its function as an app, was created just a few years ago and combines the best of Facebook buy/sell/trade groups with the convenience of categories in Craigslist or Ebay! And it’s free to list!! I love it because I can choose to get notifications about items in specific categories, search for anything, monitor my own sales page, and give praise to those who make transactions easy. Although the other options for shopping and selling resale have some of these features, none have all of them. Varagesale has quickly taken over locally as the hot place to list and buy.

 

Learning changes for children

Computers were popular when my oldest (who is almost 19) was a toddler, but were certainly not present in every household and the internet was definitely not common. Although this ages me… a lot…I think it’s important to point out the changes that are now happening when it comes to learning for children.

When my oldest son Steven was 3 years old, he learned how to play games on the computer. But they were limited to what was included with the software. Now, kids have a huge array of apps, games, and websites that they can be connected to via the computer, tablets, e-readers, smart phones, video game systems, and more.

My almost 5 year old daughter struggles with learning, so I tried the very popular web-based game ABC Mouse. She loves earning tickets to go shopping…typical little girl! And although she has to complete lessons to earn the tickets, she is less focused on the activities and more on what’s in the store, so I really need to be right there with her to lead and guide her through the different lessons. Hopefully we can perfect her use of this soon!

It’s really amazing to think that now Smartboards are used in many classroom, the local high school kids have their own netbooks, and I can view my children’s progress in school with the click of a button on the school website. Oh how the times have changed!!

 

Infertility & technology

A very difficult subject for many people to discuss is infertility. There are few things more heartbreaking than desperately wanting to have a child, but struggling to acheive a healthy pregnancy. For me, I tend to me a less emotionally reactive person, so I can and have openly discussed our sitation with others.

Although I had an unplanned child when I was 19 years old, I have struggled with infertility for over 10 years. My husband and I got married when my oldest son was 7 years old and knew right away that we wanted to have more children. But the path was not easy. After lots of testing and Dr’s visits, it was determined that I have PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The short version of this is that my body doesn’t ovulate. If you don’t ovulate, you can’t become pregnant.

Here is where the great advances in technology come in! Although I required medication and different procedures to finally have my daughter in 2011, my son in 2014, and another little one in November of this year, I learned so much from online forums that I really was able to “correct” my own issue.

By relying on information from websites devoted only to women with PCOS, I was able to research different options that were natural and far less costly than what I had been trying previously. As a result, I found that one product called Femaprin and the diabetic drug Metformin were the key to allowing my reproductive system to function correctly. Although everything has not been perfect and we have still had struggles, it is truly a miracle that we are expecting a fourth child!!

The “easy” way to buy a new car

Everybody loves car shopping, right? Spending hours and hours test driving vehicles, dealing with car salespeople who “know” exactly what you need, paying a large amount of money or taking out a huge loan? Those things all sound like lots of fun, right? Not so much…

Well, we found ourselves in this exact situation recently. We had to make the choice between repairing several problems on a decade old high mileage vehicle, which could have easily ended up having a transmission issue the next week, or buy something else. Luckily, we received an unexpected  and decent offer from our repairman, so all of the sudden we were down to one car.

Thank goodness for modern technology!!! I knew this day was coming, so had spent countless hours pouring over vehicles for sale on a very handy website, now also an app, called Cars.com, where I was able to search by make, model, style, etc. and filter by year and price. There are reviews and ratings from other consumers, so any major issues are typically spelled out pretty quickly. By the time we needed to buy something, I new almost exactly what I wanted AND what we could afford.

We still needed to test drive some vehicles first and my husband still tried to haggle with one salesman, but in the end we were able to sell our vehicle and buy a new one in one day! I love that we were able to figure almost everything out, without leaving our house!

Awesome apps for saving money with coupons!!

So, at first when I was going to write about this subject, I was thinking old school, like coupons. But there is so much more than just coupons! I don’t have time to spend cutting coupons from the paper and matching them to store deals to save bundles like other “couponers”. I used to do this often and even used a binder with baseball card sleeves to organize, but a much more hectic pace and little ones running around my house have made that an unlikely method for me to save money.

Instead, there are definitely a plethora of apps out there just for couponers, both die-hard and occassional. Here are a few:

• RetailMeNot (one of my faves!): Gives you easy access to tons of restaurant and store coupons and will tailor the list according to your location and habits.
• Groupon: Who hasn’t heard “I have a Groupon to use?”
• Retale: A new way to peruse your Sunday morning newspaper ads, in digital form!
• Coupon Sherpa: A digital coupon clipping & sorting organizational masterpiece.
• Coupons.com: All promotional coupons all the time, this is another one I have used regulary, but you need to either print out coupons or add them to loyalty cards for stores that are connected.
• SavingStar: Connects store loyalty cards and e-coupons to act as a personal savings assistant. When a purchase is made, your account gets a credit. After $5 is earned, a credit will be delivered to your bank accoung, PayPal account, or gift card. Sounds like a great tool and one I am definitely going to try!!!

Getting healthy with technology

This is the time of year when most people start seriously thinking about trying to lose a few pounds or inches, knowing that soon we won’t be able to hide under sweatshirts, coats, and sweaters. While layers are great during the fall and winter, they don’t really work as well when it’s 80 degrees outside. I for one know that I have a little to lose after hibernating all winter!

So what are some good options for a busy mom? Well, we now have more choices than ever to track the food we eat, monitor exercise, losing weight, and even see whether our sleep quality is optimal for our health. From the Fitbit to GPS app trackers, there are a huge array of products (some free, some not) to familiarize yourself with.  Although motivation is ultimately what determines whether a person’s desire to lose weight or work out more is going to prove successful, some new technology to help out along the way can never hurt, right?

Personally, I have used Weight Watchers© online twice and found it very helpful in losing weight after having 2 of my kids, however it does cost money. And it gave me great insight into my eating habits and showed me what I shouldn’t eat, but the fitness tracker piece was not very developed or useful for my purposes. But the recipe sharing on the site is GREAT! Super helpful, as I was still able make normal meals for my family, but change a few things for them and still keep it healthy and within my allotted points value for myself.

Not sure where to start? Well, here are some great ideas to point you in the right direction!!

MyFitnessPal is a FREE app and is what I am going to use to really get myself going again in the right direction. It allows you to track calories, set up a diet plan, find recipes, and track your activity. And it’s FREE!!! (My favorite part).

Music work out apps, such as Spotify Premium, will actually match the tempo of your workout music to the steps that you are taking. Maybe some extra motivation?

And what about all those activity trackers out there? There are many different brands/types to research depending on your needs and budget, but one of the most popular is the Fitbit. My husband’s actually shows how much and how well he sleeps, and since we have 2 young kids, his sleep quality is definitely lacking! But it’s awesome to see how many steps he can achieve in a day.

 

Entertaining kids in the throes of winter

So, is anyone else tired of winter? Longing for flowers, grass, OUTSIDE TIME!?!?

Well so are we! In order to counteract some of that boredom (and to turn off the TV, which has been turned on way too much in my house), I’ve found some really neat activities to get your kids moving, thinking, and interacting!! The web is full of great (and inexpensive) ideas guaranteed to entertain the whole family.

From making ice grow to “melting” your hands, Lemon Lime Adventures has 20 super cool ideas to get everyone into the chilly spirit.

A super easy art project from Natural Beach Living is ice painting. Simply freeze storage containers with water, pop them out, and paint with watercolors! There’s no painting left behind to hang dry, but you can capture a few pics of your kiddos creations before they melt. Lots of play time with easy and quick clean up.

The kids and I spend many hours playing with the traditional version of play-doh, making silly cakes and cookies, food for babies, and animals to create our own zoo. But we have a new version to try out! Frozen Foam Dough!!! Also from Natural Beach Living, this is almost too easy. You take a 12 oz. box of cornstarch and mix it in a wide tub with a 10 oz. bottle of shaving cream, then freeze for a couple hours. What a great way to create an indoor version of snowy fun!

These are just a few examples, but Pinterest is full of enough activities to keep your kids going and going and going the whole winter long, so turn off the TV and get playing!

 

Staying connected to the one you love

With Valentine’s Day soon upon us, some prefer the more romantic sentiments such as roses, balloons, stuffed animals, and chocolate. Others enjoy time spent together as a couple doing something you both enjoy like a special show or a quite romantic dinner at one of your favorite restaurants. It’s a day for some to profess new love and some to continue fanning the flames of “established” love (since old love just doesn’t sound right)!

But what if the mushiness of one holiday doesn’t really appeal to you and what you really need is a way to stay connected with your significant other day in and day out? There are a plethora of ways to show you care, using technology to help you out. Here are just a couple ideas:

• Create a calendar with your favorite photos. There are many websites to choose from, but just a few are Snapfish, Shutterfly, Walgreens, and CalendarLabs. While all are good choices, CalendarLabs is virtually free, as you can print your creation right from you own computer, as long as you have a decent quality printer.
• Use a couples app to stay in contact through out the day, whether you are 5 miles apart or 2500 miles apart.From some that are obvious by their titles, like Couple or Fix a Fight to others like Avocado, Between, and Dirty Games Truth or Dare, there all sorts of Apps out there to help you feel more connected. Most allow you to chat, share photos, and schedules in a space limited to only to two, and several are even free. Some, like Dirty Games, may appeal to your more adventurous side. This is an easy to use your Smart Phone or tablet for more than just browsing and games! Use it for a relationship builder…your significant other will thank you.

Optimizing your Smart Phone

Did you know it’s possible to monitor your heart health, your car’s health, and your muscle mass all from your Smart Phone? All involve the purchase of additional equipment, but wouldn’t it be nicer and more convenient to pay $100 for an adapter that actually tells you what those warning lights in the car dash actually mean?!?!? I for one do not have the time to deal with bringing my car in to the dealer or mechanic only to find out a sensor is causing the light to show up, but nothings actually wrong! Fox Van Allen at Techlicious tells you how to get the right equipment here.

Dragging kids to the mechanics is nothing short of a nightmare, as we all know even routine maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations can be a pain in the backside! If you do get stuck with the kids at the dealer or mechanics, practice taking goofy pictures of each other for entertainment….you can actually program your Smart Phone to take pictures with verbal commands like “Capture”, “Shoot”, “Smile”, and “Cheese”. With these simple instructions from Fox News Technology, your sure to enjoy those selfie opportunities with your kids even more. Simply open the camera app and tap the gear to see the settings, scroll down to voice control, and turn it on! What a great and simple tip, especially for clumsy & uncoordinated mamas like me!

Here are some other great sites to help you become more momtech-tastic with your Smart Phone:

1. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/how-to/a3112/10-things-you-didnt-know-your-android-phone-could-do-17058622/
2. http://bottomlinepersonal.com/12-cool-things-you-can-do-with-your-smartphone-computertablet/
3. http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2014/10/49-brilliant-uses-smartphones-camera.html