Straight Talk

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

Living in general is becoming more and more expensive with all of the necessities that didn't even exist when most of us were born...household computers, laptops, cell phones, mp3 players, etc, etc. To Call a friend I used to have to use a landline :). When I see how much some cell phone plans cost, my jaw drops because I just can't imagine spending that much money a month on a phone at this stage in my life. Though, my husband has already prepared me for the fact that once he graduates and has a real job he'll have to have a phone with more than the bare necessities :).

If your cell phone bill is getting out of control, look into Straight Talk. There are no contracts, surprise bills or credit checks. If you join Straight Talk, you will be free from activation, reactivation or termination fees. See why other customers have switched to Straight Talk Hook, line and sinker:<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/khiWqJG24d4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

For unlimited monthly service, you would only pay $45 which includes calls, text, picture messaging and web. And finally, Straight Talk now uses only trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Samsung, Android on Straight Talk, etc. If we didn't have an ideal cell phone situation currently, I would seriously check out Straight Talk for our family because it sounds like a great deal. Why have a contract when you can get everything you need without one?

What would you do with the extra money you save?

Straight Talk 2 Has it All...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you remember when cell phones first came out? I would borrow my friends' phones and play "Snake" for ages (my parents refused to buy me one...my poor 14 year old sister can't have one either). Now, cell phones can do so much more and all the extras are becoming more and more popular. I don't have texting on my phone right now but am becoming more and more tempted because everyone texts. When I want to sell something on Craigslist, everyone wants to text. When my brother in law wants to invite us to dinner, he sends a text. Everyone texts!

Use Binder Clips to Organize Your Desk

If you’re anything like my husband and I, you have a million or so cables that are used in your USB drives for a million different things…each of our cell phones has a different cable, the Kindle has a cable, the external hard-drive has a cable, etc, etc. Our cables were getting out of hand; constantly tangling.

Little binder clips were the answer to all my cable problems. I can now grab my cell phone cable and plug my cell phone in with no confusion or hassle :).  They keep your cables in one place and you can either grab the other end to plug it in, or keep all of the cables plugged into a USB port.

All you have to do is clamp the clip to your desk and thread the cable through the metal handles. The metal handles or prongs or whatever you call them come out so you can thread bigger cables through it, and pop them right back into the clip.
You do have to make sure the clips are large enough to attach to your desk. I found these at Wal-Mart on clearance. $1 for a little more sanity…it just might be worth it. :)

Thank you Lifehacker for simplifying my life and my desk!

I’m linking up to Works for Me Wednesday @ We Are That Family, Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts, and Penny Pinching Party Wednesday @ Thrifty Home, We're Organized Wednesday @ Organize and Decorate Everything.

Tracfone keeps you on Track

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My kids are far too young for cell phones, but I have a teenage sister and after seeing a bit of her summer schedule, I can only imagine how chaotic it must be for my parents to keep track of her between camps, friends, parties and more! If you need a cell phone for only a short amount of time, or for very limited minutes in order to keep track of your kids, look into TracFone. Check out the video below with real TracFone customers.

There are no contracts, credit checks, activation charges or cancelation fees. With TracFone, you receive nationwide coverage, international calls to over 60 destinations brand name phones, and a variety of plans to meet your family's needs. You can pay as you go online or use cards. A 1 year service card gives you double minutes for the life of your phone, and 800 minutes for $119. A monthly plan can include 200 minutes for less than $30, or as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes.

Your phone can be the simplest phone you want, or it can include camera/video, web access, mp3 player and keyboard for $29.99. You can't ask for much more with so many features.

Keep track of your family with rates and plans that meet your needs, for as long as you need them! Learn more from real TracFone customers.

TracFone might be for You...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It seems like I'm writing a lot about cell phones lately...but almost everyone has one, and life today is such that almost everyone needs one to some degree or other. Teenagers are away from home more with increasing commitments, and the juggling act that many parents go through day after day, week after week makes it even harder to keep track of everyone. This is why I think family plans are genius and have a lot to offer to busy families. I honestly don't know that my kids will have their own phones as teenagers, but to have an extra phone they can take with them to activities or something is a great idea.

With TracFone, you can pay as you go, or choose from monthly plans with 200 minutes for under $30, or as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes. If your kids are only going to use that phone to call home and check in, this is a great deal, and a great way to limit how much they are calling people from cell phones.

Random, but you can also call internationally for the same price as local calls, or provide phones for relatives in other countries so they can call you.

From simple phones costing under $10 to phones with camera, web access, etc for $29.99 there are options for just about everyone who can Get into Everywhereness.

Seniors can also have a cell phone at a price they can afford, providing them with the assurance that they can be connected to others. This is Senior Value

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/agpot_MssOg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Keep kids safe while traveling

Travelling with kids can be stressful! Recently we went to Boston as a family to visit my in-laws. It was a wonderful trip with lots of sightseeing. But there were a lot of crowds and we were moving at a quick-pace.

In case our kids got separated from us, and to make sure they could contact us, I wrote my husband's cell phone number on their arms with a ball-point pen. They were wearing t-shirts the whole time, so I made sure the ink was completely covered by their shirt sleeves, but if they got lost, they could easily pull up their sleeve and ask a grown-up to call their Daddy.

The ink lasted throughout our trip and came off with a good rub in the shower. I've heard that you can also write it on their bellies, or use a permanent marker. What tips do you have on traveling safely with kids?

Image found here. I’ll be linking up to  Mom’s Library, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, The Mommy Club

Failure to Multitask

Some may have noticed my post earlier with the content containing "la dee dah."

The University of Utah recently conducted a study which found that only 2.5% of people can truly multitask without impairing their ability to focus on both tasks. In this case, students were observed while driving and talking on a cell phone. Almost all of the students experienced a decrease in driving performance by 20-30%.

Apparently I am not in that 2.5%, and I am not a "supertasker".

I had written the title of what I wanted to post about, and the above mentioned content to remind myself to write about it later when my phone rang. As I answered, I went to his save, and instead hit publish. I always wondered why some blog posts from other blogs didn't make any sense and led to no where when I clicked on the link :)

Fill that stocking with Sprint

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I am just about done and very happy to be so...I am not a fan of shopping, especially when the person I'm shopping for is somewhat difficult.

I'm the type that asks for practical gifts. Anything that makes my life easier as a mother or caretaker of our home is a great gift in my mind. Maybe someone in your life is practical and has asked for a new phone for Christmas...or they just want a nicer, more frills phone? I'm so glad my boys are too young for cell phones, but this might be the type of gift we are seriously considering a few years from now.

Right now, you can get an Android-powered, 4G-fast EVO or EVO Shift free, plus free activiation on new lines of service and free shipping. This is only available online right now. Whether Santa needs a little help filling up someone's stocking or you just need a new phone, this sounds like a great deal.

This sale only lasts from 12/12-12/14/11...so you have three days to get those Android™ powered EVO 4G devices ordered if they are on your shopping list!

Create & Send Photo Postcards for Free!`

If you sign up as a new customer at Cellphone Postcards, they will credit your account with 10 free postcards including the mailing cost! You can send postcards from your cell phone or the computer. This was just too great of a deal not to share :)

Thanks Freebies 4 Mom!