Why Didn't We Do This Sooner?

We haven't had an actual home phone in ages. Several years ago we transferred our home phone number to my cell phone and went to all cell phones.  It's definitely saved us money, and we haven't missed the home phone at all.

Except that I had to get used to keeping my cell phone close by and checking periodically to see if anyone had called.  And, of course, all those annoying telemarketer calls now come to my cell phone, but I have blocked a whole bunch of them.  I do still tend to leave my cell phone in one room while I'm off working in another, or downstairs when I run upstairs to do something.  Of course, that's exactly when someone I actually want to talk to decides to call.  And I don't always remember to check when I come down.

That problem is now in the past.  We got one of these cordless phone systems that connects to my phone via Bluetooth.  Now, when my phone rings, it also rings on both handsets, one upstairs and one down.  It's really loud and hard to miss, which is a good thing because sometimes I just don't hear the cell phone, especially when I 'm in the other room.  And, when I leave my phone downstairs and my son calls (somehow he seems to do this regularly), I can still answer the phone and talk to him.  It's been really convenient, and I keep wondering why we didn't do this sooner.  I know these phones have been around for a while, but I just didn't think to check into it.

I know our cell phone company offers a 'home phone' service, which is a separate line and costs $20/month, but this does the exact same thing with no new phone number and no monthly charge.  The cost of the phone system itself is only a couple month's worth of service, and additional handsets (the system is expandable up to 5 handsets) are only $20, so if you need more than 2 handsets, they pay for themselves in just a month or two.  That is, if you're thinking of adding a home phone service like this.  If you're still paying for a traditional landline, this is a great way to save a lot of money - unless the cost of phone service has decreased significantly since we stopped using it, which I doubt - by cancelling that service and still keeping the convenience of having a home phone.

Review: Running Armband for Samsung Galaxy S5 ‪#‎galaxys5armband‬

I've been wanting to try one of these armbands for a while now, so when I got the chance to receive one for review, I jumped at it.  I walk every morning, and my phone can and will keep track of my steps.  However, it's a bit awkward having to carry my phone the whole time or trying to put it into my pocket.  It's just a bit too big.  Enter this handy armband!

The phone fits snugly and securely into the armband.  The neoprene folds right over the top so there's no chance the phone can come out.  I'll admit that I didn't notice that the first time I used this, and I strapped the armband on upside down, which could have been disastrous.  But, it held tight and my phone was fine.  Now I know to tuck it all the way in, and it's definitely safe. The only thing I really don't like about it is that I have to take the case off the phone for it to fit into the armband.  I realize there are many types and sizes of phone cases, so there's no way they could design the armband to handle all the cases.  That really is a minor thing, though.

I like that the touchscreen of the phone is still usable through the armband cover.  The armband straps onto my arm so I can take my walk without worrying about the phone again.  It is taking me a bit to get it strapped onto my arm, but I will get it with time.  It's just a bit awkward trying to get it on using one hand, but that's probably just me.  It's really comfortable once I get it on, and I'm just enjoying being able to take my phone with me when I go for my daily walks.  Now I'm wondering how my phone will work for audiobooks.  Maybe I can start leaving my mp3 player home and just take my phone?

Here's a bit more information (and a link to it on Amazon) about the Best Running Armband for Samsung Galaxy S5 (as well as the S4, S3, iPhone 6 (4.7), HTC One & More): 

• COMPATIBILITY: Compatible with the Samsung S5 S4 S3,iPhone 6 (4.7) and HTC One phones from all carriers - AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon etc.
• PROTECTION: Protects and keeps your phone safe from moisture while working out
• USE: Convenient and easy to use. Easy access to ear phones and controls. Includes convenient key holder.
• SIZE: Fits sizes from 9 to 14.5 inches. Not for body builders or those with biceps over 14.5 inches.
• SAFETY: Night reflector feature allows for increased visibility after dark.
• VALUE : Why Pay more? This is a great value for the price :) So affordable why not buy two?
• CARE: We strongly recommend that you hand wash and air dry this armband. Treat this armband as you would any phone case and do not place in the washer/dryer as this can cause tears etc..
• MATERIAL: Nylon, Velcro and Neoprene

Disclosure: I received a free armband for the purposes of review. All opinions are mine.

The Rest of the U.S. Cellular Story

Anybody remember when I posted all the problems we were having when we canceled U.S. Cellular service? - Nothing BUT Empty Promises

I said I was going to post the rest of the story, and then I never did.  First we were in the middle of trying to get things resolved, so I didn't want to cause any extra problems - though it probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway.  And then, I just didn't do it.  So, in case anyone is still interested...

We left off when Jeffrey finally got our account canceled and the charges reversed, and we finally got the cases we ordered.

---

Then - a couple weeks after we thought the account was canceled, our daughter, who was still a U.S. Cellular customer tried to get one of our old phones activated, only to find out that it was still active on our account.  So he again had to call and see where things stood.  Apparently the account was in line to be canceled, but no one had gotten to it yet.  That customer service agent took care of it right then, I think.  But then when we passed another one of our old phones on to one of our daughter's friends, who is still with US Cellular - this was several weeks later - they were told that the phone had been reported lost or stolen when they went to activate it.  Being the owner of the phone, I know I never reported it lost or stolen.

We eventually received a final bill, which was supposed to be automatically zeroed out (promised by the customer service rep who actually did cancel our account), but Jeffrey called just to be sure it was taken care of - can you really blame him, after all of this?  At that time, he was told that the phone could not be activated because there was still a balance on the account - NOT because it had been reported lost or stolen.  At that time, while he had the customer service rep on the phone, he specifically asked about each of the phones we had on our account - 3 of them - to be sure that each one was free to be passed on and activated by current US Cellular customers.  He was told that they were all good to go.

Then, a few days later, Beth called again.  They were in a US Cellular store trying to get the phone activated.  Again.  Guess what?  They couldn't do it because "the phone has been reported lost or stolen."  We were just told a week or so before that that it was available for activation.  Guess not.  Since we were on the road, Jeffrey told the customer service rep at the store to put her on the account so she could deal with it.  It was supposedly going to be taken care of, except that she called again the next day.  When they told her that they couldn't activate the phone because it was supposed to have been returned, which was another lie. That phone was part of my compensation for working with the U.S. Celular Better Moments Blogger Brigade, and  there is nothing in the contract saying the phone was to be returned at the end of the program.  In fact, if we hadn't moved out of the US Cellular coverage area, they would have given me a new phone to use, again as part of my compensation.  My phone was part of my payment, making it mine to do with as I chose.  I chose to let someone who is a current US Cellular customer use it.

Why is that so hard??

This is when I posted to U.S. Cellular's Facebook page because I was just so frustrated.  I got a pretty immediate response, telling me they would look into this and that this was not the experience they wanted me to have.  After giving all the pertinent information about the account to the USCC Social Team representative, I got this email:

Hello, Anna.

 

I want you to know that we have not intentionally caused these difficulties with transferring your phones to other US Cellular customers.  We would have nothing to gain by doing that. 

 

I have taken a long look at your account and there is not any apparent reason why this is happening. I have submitted a research ticket to our Internal Support department to resolve this issue. This process will take a few days.  I will contact you by email on Wednesday with an update.

 

Thank you for your patience.

 

Best Regards,

Danielle G.

USCC Social Team     

and then I waited... and asked for updates, and never got an answer - from the Internal Support department.  I got emails from Danielle telling me she hadn't heard anything, but the ones who were supposed to look into it and resolve the issue never responded.  2-1/2 weeks later we still hadn't gotten an answer.  But then I talked to Beth, and she told me they'd tried again and got the phone activated after all.  So, I guess someone at U.S. Cellular got things taken care of, but they never bothered to get back to us and let us know what was going on.

But at least it got taken care of, right?  And I never had to think about U.S. Cellular again - and never bothered to finish the story - until recently when I was talking to a friend who still lives in Wisconsin and recently changed cell phone providers and signed up with U.S. Cellular.  It all sounded good - national plan, better signal, etc.  Except they didn't bother to tell him that when he got out of a U.S. Cellular area, they'd really throttle his data speed.  Did you know that U.S. Cellular doesn't have much area anymore?  They've sold out in many markets.  And since my friend is a truck driver, he's out of the U.S. Cellular area often.  Oh yeah, the signal is great at home, but when he's on the road that data he needs to do his job is not available.  Does U.S. Cellular care?  Not at all.  They got him to sign a contract.  Sucker!

So, if you're looking for a new cell phone provider, do not look at U.S. Cellular.  It's just not worth the headache and the hassle.

Nothing BUT Empty Promises

We have had a long relationship with U.S. Cellular.  Up until recently, they had been our only cell phone provider.  Ever.  We were always happy with them.  When it was time to upgrade our phones, we usually got better deals as current customers then they were giving to the new customers.  Customer service was always great, both in the store and on the phone when we needed something.  I even worked with U.S. Cellular last year as part of the U.S. Celular Better Moments Blogger Brigade, sharing my experiences and opinions of U.S. Cellular.

But then we moved to Indiana, where there is NO U.S. Cellular coverage.  I continued to use my U.S. Cellular phone for a while, and it worked fine, but apparently more than 50% of your usage needs to be in a U.S. Cellular coverage area.

At least 50% of your monthly voice usage for each device on your account must be used in U.S. Cellular's licensed markets. No more than 200 MB of your data usage in any month for each device on your account may be used in U.S. Cellular's non-licensed markets.

 So, when my contract was up in May, we switched to another provider.  Cory and I both got a new Samsung Galaxy S5, and we decided to use some of our U.S. Cellular Belief Points to order new cases for our new phones - before completely canceling the U.S. Cellular account.  We earned them; we might as well use them, right?

The day after we got our new phones, Jeffrey got a call from U.S. Cellular because we had ported our numbers to the new provider.  They wanted to know if he wanted to change the plan - from a family plan to a single line plan, because his phone was the only one still active.  He told them No, we were going to have to cancel the entire account; we were just waiting for our Rewards order to come.  The customer service representative he talked to seemed very friendly and understanding.

Then we waited.  And waited.  I kept checking the status of our Rewards order, but nothing seemed to change.  In the meantime, our current billing period came to an end, and a new one started.  We were halfway through the next month, no one was using the U.S. Cellular account (Jeffrey's phone was still on it, but he hasn't used it since we moved here because he has a company phone.  It should have been canceled ages ago), but a payment would be due very soon.  At this point, Jeffrey called customer service several times.  First he was told the cases we ordered were out of stock, even though the web page still showed them in stock, and we had been able to order them.  He was told that if we canceled our U.S. Cellular account now, to avoid further charges, that the Rewards order would be canceled too.

A few days later, he tried calling again to see if we could perhaps order a different color case or something - anything to get the order shipped so we could go ahead and cancel the account.  This time he was told, not that the items were out of stock, but that the order had been set aside because we ordered cases for the Galaxy S5, and we did not have any of those phones on our account.  Which, in a way, is very nice of them - except that they didn't call, email, or otherwise contact us to see if we did indeed mean to order those particular cases.  They just did not ship our order.  So, the person Jeffrey talked to that night promised to send them out right away, and we would have them by the end of the week.  Only the end of the week came, and still no cases.

So he called, again, and got some other story.  This time they told him that our order got held up because the computer couldn't make sense of our account.  We had a family plan, but there was only one phone line on the plan.  So the order just got - lost? ignored?  - something.  He was promised that we would have our order by the end of the following business day.

Guess what?  Nothing!  At that point, Jeffrey called again, told the supervisor he asked for to just cancel our account, effective at the end of our last billing cycle, because the only reason the account hadn't already been canceled then was that we were waiting on this order.  A couple of phone cases - paid for with Points that we had earned by being long-term U.S. Cellular customers - worth about $80 retail, just weren't worth the headache and hassle, and paying for an extra month of service that we weren't using anyway - which would have cost us more than the value of the phone cases.  It just felt like they were dragging their feet, stalling, and doing whatever it took to keep from sending us our order - and keeping our account open.  So the account was closed that night.

The next day we got these:

They had been shipped the night before.  Why did it have to take almost a month?  And multiple phone calls?  Either they are just extremely incompetent - and the term 'customer service' is a joke - or they were taking it very badly that we had to leave them - even though it had been explained to them multiple times that we were only changing providers because they do not offer service in this area.

But that's not the whole story...

New Years Resolutions - There's an App for That!

It's that time of year - an new year, a new start, a new chance get the things right that you didn't get right last year.  According to an article I read in Parade Magazine, the 10 most common resolutions among Americans are:

1. Lose weight
2. Improve finances
3. Exercise
4. Get a new job
5. Eat healthier
6. Manage stress better
7. Stop smoking
8. Improve a relationship
9. Stop procrastinating
10. Set aside time for yourself

Are any of these on your list?  Are there any resolutions you made that didn't make the list?  I've never made any resolutions myself, but #9 is definitely something I could work on.  I also think we could all benefit from eating healthier, and I'd like to start buying and using more organic foods.

According to another one of those articles in Parade, the statistical success rate of New Years resolutions is 8%.  That doesn't sound very encouraging, does it?  Still, it's a bright shiny new year, and we'd all love to do better this year, wouldn't we?   Also remember that, even if you make a resolution and fail, you do not have to wait until the beginning of another year to try again.  Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and try again.

Did you know there are apps you can put on your smart phone or tablet that can help you stick to your resolutions this year?  I mean, why not?  There's an app for everything else, why not apps to help us live better lives?  Isn't that what it's all about anyway?  If our technology isn't helping us, then we might as well not have it, right?  It has to be more than just games and Facebook. (though those are pretty fun)

Here are some apps that might just help you keep those resolutions this year or get started again:

• To help us eat healthier - Fooducate.   This one looks really cool.  It lets you scan barcodes in the grocery store to get nutrition information about the products you're thinking of buying and offers healthier alternatives. 
• To help me stop procrastinating, I'm sure there's a Productivity app that will help me.  The Parade article mentioned Finish, which is available on iTunes for the iPad Air.  It looks pretty handy because once you enter the stuff that you need to get done and when it needs to be done, the app reminds you until you actually get it done.  I wonder if you'd just go ahead and do whatever the thing is just to shut the app up?  Worth a try, anyway.
• If you want to stay in touch with your friends and family (besides on Facebook), Skype is great.  It lets you talk face to face with someone, even if they're hundreds of miles away.  For free!  It's one of the best ways to talk to our grandson Jason, now that we don't live in the same town anymore.  He'll talk to us longer when he can see us than when we're just using the phone.
  
• For managing and improving finances, there's Mint.  I've been using the Mint website for a while - and I use the term 'using' loosely because I really don't take advantage of all the features.  Mint can help you track spending, create budgets, and send alerts for upcoming bills or low balances.  It's a great way to see where your money is going and take charge of your finances.  I'm going to download it to my U.S. Cellular Samsung GS4 and see if I can keep better track of ours.

Those are just a few of the very helpful apps available to help us take control of our lives.  Whatever your resolutions or goals are this year, I bet there's an app for that!  Be sure to visit Google Play or iTunes and search for the apps that will help you.   If you've found some that have been very helpful in your life, be sure to share them.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

Review and Giveaway: Powerocks Magicstick

I got my Powerocks Magicstick last week and tried it out this weekend.  We had a power outage Saturday morning for several hours, and I was thinking it would be the perfect time to try the Magicstick.  By the time I needed to charge my phone, we had power again, so I didn't actually have a need to use it, but I used the Magicstick anyway just to see how it worked.  And it worked great.

It charges as fast as a standard wall charger in an electrical outlet, and it holds enough power to charge my Samsung Galaxy S4 once.  But that's enough.  Many smartphones can get up to 2 full charges.  If the power's out or you're out somewhere with no outlets, one of these could make all the difference!  My son really could have used one of these last week when his car wouldn't start and his phone battery just happened to be dead at the same time.  Thankfully he was in a McDonald's parking lot and not out in the middle of nowhere.

The Magicstick is the perfect size for any pocket, purse, or backpack. Never get stuck with a dead phone or other mobile device again!  The Magicstick can be used to charge not only your smartphone but other digital devices as well, such as Bluetooth headsets, cameras, GPS, e-readers, and more. Pressing the button on the end of the Magicstick lets you know exactly how much charge is available - blue for a full charge, green for a partial charge, and red to let you know it needs charged back up again.  Simply plug it into your phone's charger or any powered USB port to charge.  It comes with a USB cable and drawstring carry case and features a smooth, brushed aluminum finish available in a variety of colors.  I got a black one, and have a silver one to give away, but there are some really fun colors, too such as red, purple, pink, and green.

I plan to carry this handy little thing with me from now on, so I'll never have to worry about getting stuck with a dead phone.  Or a dead Kindle.  I don't think it can completely charge the Kindle, but I bet it could let me at least finish my chapter - and we all know how important that is.

The Powerocks Magicstick sells for $49.99, but use promo code Powerblog20 and get 20% off.  Be sure to check out the rest of the Powerocks products for all your charging needs, too!  Shipping is always free.

Giveaway -  if you'd like to win your own Powerocks Magicstick, leave me a comment letting me a know a time when you really could have used one of these. Contest is open to U.S. Residents, and entries must be received by 11:59pm Eastern time on January 3, 2014.  Winner will be contacted by email, so make sure I have your email address.  Good luck!

Disclosure: I received two Powerocks Magicstick chargers, one for review and one to give away.  All opinions are mine.

Related articles

• Check Out the Powerocks Magicstick

The Perfect Gift

What exactly is the perfect gift?  According to the commercials it has to be a Chia Pet.  Or the Ove Glove.  Or maybe it's the Clapper or the Pogo Whisk.  Seriously?  Are those really the perfect gifts for anybody?  My husband says that they're still selling them, so somebody must be buying them.

I'm guessing most people would rather get something like an iPad Air, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, or a nice Samsung Galaxy S4.  U.S. Cellular customers can even get some of those phones for 5000 Belief points through the end of December, so now is definitely the time to think about getting a new phone if you or someone in your family is eligible for an upgrade.  Belief points can be used to accelerate that upgrade, too.

There are also plenty of accessories like phone cases, headphones, car chargers, Bluetooth speakers and headsets, etc. that would most likely be appreciated more than that Hello Kitty Chia Pet.  I'm thinking of getting some of those Bluetooth speakers myself.  Accessory  prices start under $25.

A tablet or smartphone has to be more useful for creating Better Moments and for keeping families in touch.  Sometimes it's as simple as using Instagram or Facebook to upload pictures of the food and desserts we'll share when we get together.  That's one I'm quite guilty of!  Then, of course, I have people asking for the recipes and wishing they could be joining us.  Speaking of recipes, Pinterest is a great app to have for storing all those amazing recipes from all over the web!  You can never have too many recipes, now can you?  That Chia herb garden might come in handy for recipes, but I'm still thinking smartphone.

What I like about having a mobile device like my smartphone, is that it's so easy to capture and share even the little things - pictures with Instagram, videos with Vine...  OK, so I haven't actually shared any videos with Vine, or Instagram, mostly because I usually forget that I have video on my phone.  Just being able to share the pictures (and video when I remember) is a good way to keep in touch with friends and family, even if we don't get to see each other all that often.

So, be honest - have you ever bought somebody one of those 'perfect gifts' from the commercials?  Or received one of them?  Is there some other crazy 'perfect gift' idea I haven't mentioned here?   Am I crazy to think anyone would rather get a smartphone full of useful apps and/or some accessories than The Clapper or one of the many Chia Pets?

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of

Check Out the Powerocks Magicstick

I'm looking forward to trying the Magicstick 2800mAh rechargeable battery from Powerocks!  What is it?  A handy, portable charger that can charge your phone or other digital devices anywhere, even when there are no electrical outlets in sight.  Imagine never having to worry about being out of touch because of a dead battery again...

They're sending me one to try and one to give away, so look for a review and giveaway coming soon.  In the meantime, if you're as interested in these little things as I am, be sure to check out the Powerocks site.  Perhaps you know some people who could use one of these?

Better Black Friday Shopping with Your Smartphone

Best Buy #281 - The Night Before 'Black Friday' (Photo credit: Croixboy)

It's about that time - Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.  There is less than a week to go, and some people are even camping out at Best Buy as we speak.  I guess we all have our Thanksgiving slash holiday traditions...

Personally, I think it's crazy, and I usually avoid all stores on Black Friday and pretty much every day between Thanksgiving and a week or two after Christmas.  Can any deal really be worth all the waiting in lines and fighting the crowds?  I'd rather just stay home and shop online.  If I want to shop at all.  I worked retail for several years.  If I ever thought shopping was an enjoyable activity, which I sincerely doubt, that took care of that!

For those of you who wouldn't miss Black Friday shopping, and you know who you are, there are some great apps available for your smartphone that can help make this year's Black Friday shopping even better, whether you're shopping for the latest tech gifts like the iPhone 5s, 5c and iPad Air (now available at U.S. Cellular for the first time 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.) or just that perfect toy for your adorable grandson.

• Black Friday App lets you browse "leaked" and "confirmed" ads from dozens of major retailers, create and organize shopping lists, compare prices, get notifications of the latest deals, and even shows you similar products that you can buy now at Black Friday-like prices.
• Use CardStar to import all those store savings cards to your phone. Lighten up your wallet or your keychain and never miss a reward or discount again. This is one of those apps that will come in handy all the time, not just on Black Friday.  Cashiers can scan the cards right from your phone, and you can get special savings, deals and coupons right through the app.
• and for people like me who would rather just stay home, there's Amazon Mobile, which lets you browse, search, compare prices, read reviews, and shop - right from the comfort of your own home.  (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 their smartphone customers use their smartphones for shopping.) But if you are out shopping in some actual stores - on Black Friday or any other time - the app makes it easy to compare prices. Is that deal in the store really a good one, or can you get it cheaper on Amazon?  Now you'll always know.
• Insert your favorite app here.  Are there any apps you've found that you make shopping and scoring the best deals easier, faster, or better?  Please share!

So, if you really must grab some of those hard-to-resist Black Friday deals, be sure to check out the available smartphone apps that will make it easier to find the best deals and help you get your shopping done and get back to spending time with your family.  I suppose shopping together could be a way of spending time with the family... 

At the very least, if you have to split up to get those deals, you can use your phones to keep track of each other and be sure you can find each other at the end of the day!

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

Help Your Local School Win $25,000

Playground (Photo credit: phalinn)

It's time to start getting your community excited about U.S. Cellular's upcoming Calling All Communities (CAC) campaign.  The campaign, which runs from November 4-25, challenges schools to rally community support  for the chance to win a share of $500,000 to fund what their students need the most.  The 20 schools with the most community votes will each win $25,000.  Since the program began in 2008, U.S. Cellular has awarded $4 million to 56 schools across the country.  Past winners have outfitted their classrooms with new computers, improved outdated infrastructure and renovated gymnasiums, kitchens and science labs.  What could your school do with $25,000?

There is only one vote per person, so the key is to get every community member involved.  This is especially important in small communities.  I would love to see Eagle Elementary School, the school my kids attended, win - but we really would have to get the entire community involved, as well as friends and family from elsewhere, because there are not that many people in the community.  We'd need every vote, and then some.

Here are some suggestions from U.S. Cellular to help get you started rallying your community:

• When the campaign launches, there will be a printable flyer on the U.S. Cellular website that can help you spread the word in the community.
• Post information on your school’s website with a link to the U.S. Cellular website for updates.
• Engage sports teams, the school band or student groups to help spread the word by handing out campaign flyers available on uscellular.com.
• Ask local businesses to share campaign flyers with their customers or hang flyers on their premises.
• Even get the Principal involved for some fun incentives like a pie-throwing contests.

I'm sure you can think of some others.  This list is just to get you started.  Since all voting is done online, I think having an internet-connected computer available at all school activities would be a huge help.  Not all community members have internet access, and even those who do may forget to vote when they go home.  Catch them at school and help them vote then and there.  And if you could get the local library to help out by posting a flyer and making a computer available for voting, that would be great, too.

The Calling All Communities campaign is open to all K-12 schools where U.S. Cellular has a retail presence – big or small, public or private.  Be sure to check out the U.S. Cellular website for more information if you have any questions, and get started gathering community support for your local school.  You could help your school win $25,000.!  Winning schools will be announced in December.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

Does Your Cell Phone Plan Earn You Points?

You'll notice I've been talking about U.S Cellular and my new cell phone quite often these past few months.  In case you missed it, it's because I'm part of the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade. I have been compensated for my participation in the program and received a new phone.  In return, I get to tell you a bit about my experiences with U.S. Cellular and my new phone.  All opinions are 100% mine.

This month - well, last month actually; how did it get to be October anyway? - I want to let you know a little bit about the U.S. Cellular Rewards Program.  It's really easy to earn points, starting by signing up for a rewards-eligible plan.  As far as I know, most of the plans are eligible, and you earn points every month just for having the plan.  You can also earn points for attending a device workshop, referring a friend, paying your bill on time, and even having a birthday.

Points can be redeemed for faster phone upgrades, free accessories, and more.  Here's one I didn't know about - points can even be redeemed for tickets to concerts and sporting events or for signed sports memorabilia.  Sounds like they have a little something for everyone.

We have quite a few Rewards Points in our account, because we keep saving for that free phone.  Unfortunately, we haven't had enough for the phones we've wanted when it was time to upgrade, though there are always several phones available for free.  It would be nice if points could be cashed in to pay for part of a new phone, but there isn't really a cash value on the points, so it doesn't work that way.  Believe me, I've asked!  Next time we should have enough points for the latest, bestest phone - for free.

I did look at accessories when I got my Samsung Galaxy S4, but I didn't really like any of the cases so I ended up buying one from Amazon.  There are several available, though, and being able to buy them with points is very nice and convenient.  I'm thinking about getting some of the little speakers to plug into my phone to play music - or maybe the Bluetooth speaker.  Either one would be nice to have, and we have enough points to get them for free, while still saving for that next free phone.  Did I mention how easy it is for those points to accumulate?  It's kind of fun to get points toward free stuff just for having and using a cell phone plan - something we'd do anyway.

I'm sure it's even more fun to actually redeem those points, now that I've started looking through the available accessories.  Redeeming is easy to do, too - points can be redeemed online, in store, or by calling Customer Service, whichever works for you.

Does your cell phone plan earn you points for free stuff?  If not, be sure to check out the U.S. Cellular Rewards Program, and you could be on your way to earning a free phone, too.

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• I'm Loving This Samsung GALAXY S 4!

I'm Loving This Samsung GALAXY S 4!

I've been using my U.S Cellular Samsung GALAXY S 4 for several months now, and I still don't know everything this phone is capable of.  I mean - does anybody understand and use all the capabilities of their smartphone?  I have an excuse though because this is the smartest phone I've ever had!  As I said before, I've just fairly recently started using a phone for anything other than making and taking phone calls.  And, yes, the Samsung GALAXY S 4 does make phone calls, and since I'm with U.S. Cellular and all my incoming calls and all calls between U.S. Cellular phones - meaning calls to and from my kids - and all calls on weekends and on evenings after 7pm are FREE, at least half of my calls don't count against our monthly minutes.  Those spam calls are irritating, but at least none of them count against my minutes!  And then I just block the stupid calls anyway.

What's nice about having this Samsung GALAXY S 4 is that it's much more than just a phone.  It seems most phones are nowadays.  I remember saying ages ago - back before there was such a thing as a smartphone, or at least way before I'd ever heard of such a thing - that phones should be able to do multiple things.  Of course I was just thinking of using them to take pictures and play music as well as make phone calls, so we wouldn't have to carry around a phone and a camera and an MP3 player.  It never even entered my mind all the things these phones would be able to do.

One of my favorite parts is still the camera.  The Samsung GALAXY S 4 has a 13MP camera, so it takes some really good pictures.  It also has a front-facing webcam, making it great for making video calls with Skype.  Yes, I have plenty of minutes with my U.S. Cellular plan, but video calls are especially great when talking to a 2-year-old grandson.  It's also easier to get him to smile and hold still for pictures when he can see himself on the screen. The front-facing camera also makes it possible to put yourself into the photo or video, like I did in this post.

I use the Auto Backup feature of the Google+ app so that all my pics are uploaded and stored in a private album.  That way I never have to worry about losing any of the pictures I take.  The phone also came with Dropbox, so I set that up and automatically backup my photos to that too.  (I might just be a tad obsessive)  Both options make it incredibly easy to share and use all my photos.  I especially like that Google+ makes the photos available to use in my blog posts - and combines some of them into fun animations, too.  At least I think they're fun.  Of course, it's very simple to share to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or just share directly with a friend or family member right from the phone.

The hardest part, for me, is actually remembering to take the phone out and take the pictures, or videos.  This Samsung GALAXY S 4 takes great HD videos.  My problem is that I'm usually too busy enjoying whatever is going on and only think to get my phone out when it's about too late.  I suppose I'll get better at that.

On the bright side, I haven't turned into one of those people who just can't leave their phones alone.  Ever.  While my phone does make it easier to share Better Moments with family and friends and to stay connected with the important people in my life, when we're apart, it's very important to be present and share those moments with those special people when we're together - without letting technology constantly get in the way.  If you've ever seen teenagers sit side by side not speaking a word but with their thumbs/fingers going a mile a minute texting each other, you know what I mean.

I do regularly check Facebook on my phone (of course), play Words with Friends, check Gas Buddy to find the best gas prices, and check the Weather app so I know whether I need a sweatshirt when I go walking in the mornings.  For the record, that has not been an issue recently; it has been hot.  And Google Maps.  I would literally be lost without Maps!  I am severely directionally challenged.  Of course, there was the time my treacherous phone took me through Chicago instead of around, but I survived.  And I made it home.

There are many things this phone does that I have not even begun to figure out yet,  I really should read that manual!  The Samsung GALAXY S 4 can even be used to change the channels on your television.  I really need to set that up, just to mess with my husband.  It will be funny at least once.  There's also the ability to control things on the phone just by hovering over it or by a wave of your hand.  How cool is that?  I really must figure that out, too.  Overall, this is definitely the coolest phone I have ever had, and I'm really enjoying it.  If you have your own Samsung GALAXY S 4, I'd love to hear what feature(s) you like the best or which apps you just can't live without.  And if you don't have one yet, be sure to check out the Samsung GALAXY S 4 from U.S. Cellular.  I think you're really gonna love this phone.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

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• Have Questions About Kids and Cell Phones?

Have Questions About Kids and Cell Phones?

Do you have questions about your phone, smartphone or wireless modem? Would you like to learn more?  If you're like me, your phone has many capabilities you may not even be aware of.   When I don't know how to do something on my phone, I usually hand it to my son or daughter, and they can help me out.  For instance, the other day my Weather Widget disappeared.  Why?  I have no idea, but Cory fixed it for me.

U.S. Cellular offers FREE Device Workshops for those who don't have tech-savvy young people in their lives and for anyone who wants to know more about their phones, learn about the apps that are available, and learn about the ways mobile phones can keep families connected.

For families, U.S. Cellular has recently made this fully customizable Parent-Child Agreement available for free download.  I was pretty excited about that when they posted it on Facebook - even though my kids are all grown up, and it's a bit late for us.  I really wish we'd had something like that when the kids got cell phones.  It focuses on safety and etiquette, and lets families remove, edit, and add their own guidelines.  The point is that it gives parents a starting point for discussing the responsibility that comes with owning a mobile device and makes it easy for families to set the parameters for device usage and safety.  It doesn't have to be all about rules either.  You can include some fun things like making your kids promise to share the YouTube videos they find hilarious or send at least one text a day just to let mom know they love her.  It's all up to you and what works for your family.

To go along with the Parent-Child Agreement, U.S. Cellular has been offering free Device Workshops that focus on helping families make the decision of when to get children their first phone along with ways that mobile phones can help families stay connected.  Families can get tips on setting phone guidelines as well as share suggestions that may help other families.  Of course, if you have some suggestions that worked for your kids and their cell phone usage, or things that you wish you'd thought to require or enforce, please feel free to share here.  My kids may be past this age - though I still tell them not to text and drive - but I'm sure there are other parents who could benefit from your experience.

Check to see if there's an event near you or call your local U.S. Cellular store - 262-641-5000 for the one in Brookfield we've been to a few times.  Remember that all U.S. Cellular Device Workshop are FREE, and you even earn 250 Belief Points just for going, so be sure to sign up to learn more about U.S. Cellular products and services for you and your family.  Even if you can't make it to a Workshop, U.S. Cellular associates are always happy to answer any questions you have any time you walk into the store.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

Smartphone Apps for Families

Besides transferring all your contacts (and figuring out how to block those spam calls), the most important thing when you get a new smartphone is to install all the apps that will make your life easier.  And probably a few games, as well.

Most phones come with some preloaded apps to get you started, and there are many, many more available through Google Play, Amazon, and even your provider.

Because families today are getting busier and busier, many are using smartphones to make their lives easier, more efficient and meaningful. U.S. Cellular offers several apps specifically to help with that and to help people enjoy Better Moments with family.  Two of those are the Family Organizer and U.S. Cellular's new Family Protector.

Family Organizer helps you manage your busy family with a centralized calendar, shopping lists, to do lists and a family journal that everyone can share on the go.  It's like an updated version of the family wall calendar/schedule - only this one goes with everyone in the family everywhere they go.  Which is good, because busy families may not be home enough to actually read that calendar on the wall.

The Family Protector app is one I wish we'd had when my kids were still at home.  Of course, we would have had to have to have smartphones back then, too, but that's beside the point.  This app allows parents to monitor and control usage on their children's cell phones.  You can monitor text messages, photos, and call history as well as restricting apps, blocking websites, and setting time limits and schedules for when your children can talk, text, or browse the internet.  The app will also allow you to monitor your child's location, which could be a matter of life and death should, God forbid, something happen.  It's also a great way of making sure your teenager is where she says she is. (not that mine would ever have told me otherwise.  Uh, yeah)

When Beth would go to visit friends, we always had her call when she got there so we'd know she got there safely - and the caller ID would show whose phone she was calling from so we could see that she was where she said she was.  Then she got a cell phone, and she'd still call to let us know she got there, except that because she was calling from the cell phone, she could have been calling from anywhere.

I'm not necessarily advocating the Family Protector app as a way to spy on your teenagers, but it could work that way, and because it cannot be uninstalled without a password, there would be nothing they could do about it.  I do think it's a good way to protect your children and, yes, teenagers too.  Our kids didn't get cell phones until they were ready to drive, and then I wanted them to have the phones just in case they had car trouble or something else happened when they were out on the road.  It's hard to believe we all used to drive everywhere all the time without those phones!  But, while our kids didn't have phones until they were a bit older, many families are choosing to give their kids phones at earlier ages so that they can always keep in touch and keep up with their busy schedules.

That doesn't always mean the kids are ready for or responsible enough to handle having a cell phone and everything that goes along with it.  I've heard great stories about moms who set all kinds of rules and guidelines for phone use - and those stories circulate widely because the rest of us are so impressed at the way those moms handled the phone situation, and we wonder why we didn't think of that!  Oh, my kids had basic rules like don't text and drive and don't spend all night texting or talking on the phone, but I wasn't very good at checking up on them or really being able to enforce those rules.  I mean, I didn't even think about checking their phones regularly just to see who they were calling, when they were calling, what kind of texts they were sending and receiving, etc.

If only I'd had an app...  Or this customizable Parent-Child Agreement from U.S. Cellular has provided to help parents think about guidelines and phone responsibility.  It has some basic guidelines to get you started, and you can remove, edit or add your own guidelines that work best for you and your child, and that fit within your family.

So, if you've got kids with cell phones, that's great because I know, with the right apps and guidelines, they help families keep in touch and keep organized, but if you're looking for a good way to monitor your kids' phone usage and enforce the cell phone rules you've set, be sure to check out the Family Protector app.  It's free to try for 30 days and then $9.99/month after that for up to 5 devices.

Are there any other apps you've found useful for your family and that you'd recommend to other moms?  Feel free to share them here.  

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

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• The Most Important Setting on a New Phone
• I'm Part of the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade!

The Most Important Setting on a New Phone

I recently got my new phone from U.S. Cellular - a Samsung Galaxy S4, which is currently ranked as the top phone from all providers. How cool is that?  I've never had the latest, greatest phone before.


It took me a while to figure out the most important thing, though.  What, you ask, is that?    Well, besides finding a cute new case (see photo), it's figuring out how to block all those irritating spam phone calls, of course.  Seriously, I have added my number to the DO NOT CALL list, but that doesn't really seem to stop some of these people - especially 'Rachel' from Cardholder Services.  That girl has more numbers than anyone I know!

On my previous phone, I had started adding the number of every single irritating caller to a contact I named Spam!  And then I simply told my phone to block that contact.  That way any time they tried calling me, my phone wouldn't ring, and the call would go straight to voicemail.  Amazing how they never bother to leave a message...

When I got this new phone, I tried to do the same thing, but when I tried editing my Spam! contact, I didn't see any option to block the calls.  I started getting all these phone calls that I had been blissfully unaware of before.  I'd drop what I was doing, dry my wet soapy hands, etc. to answer my phone, only to see it was a call from my good buddy Spam!  I finally changed the ringtone, so I could tell without crossing the room or looking at the phone who was calling and could therefore ignore those calls.  Still, it was irritating.

I checked the Galaxy S4 manual - Thanks to Janet for letting me know when I called to activate my new phone that it was available on the U.S. Cellular website!  Unfortunately the information I found in the manual only let me reject callers one number at a time.  I have no idea how many numbers I have in this one contact, but the idea of having to reject or block each number individually was a bit discouraging, so I just started ignoring the calls when they came in or rejecting them manually.  I even answered one once.  Big mistake.

Then, my wonderful husband, who also happens to have the S4, called one evening to tell me he'd figured it out - because I might have complained about it a time or two...  Turns out it was incredibly simple - just not in the same place and done the same way as my old phone, so I'd missed it.  Looking at the manual now, I see I missed it there, too.  Because it's right there, in the section on Contacts.

• From the Home screen, touch Contacts
• Touch a contact to display it, then touch Menu
  a whole list of options will come up along with the important one:
• Add to reject list
  Mark the contact so that calls or messages from the contact are rejected automatically. 

Yes!

Now, something tells me I should sit down and read the rest of this manual.  There are a lot of things I can do with this phone, but not if I don't know how.

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• I'm Part of the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade!

I'm Part of the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade!

I'm pretty excited about this.  Last month I was contacted about participating in a new blogger ambassador program for U.S. Cellular.  Being a current and long-time U.S. Cellular customer, I jumped at the chance.  I'll be happy to tell you about my experiences with U.S. Cellular! 

We have, ever since we got cell phones, been U.S. Cellular customers.  We've just never seen a reason to switch to anyone else.  We've always had great coverage everywhere we go - except maybe when we visit my mom & dad - even when people with other providers had little to no signal.  When they say that U.S. Cellular has the highest call quality of any national carrier, I believe it.  They also have a a strong line-up of cutting-edge devices, so when it's time to upgrade phones there's no need to switch providers just to get the latest and greatest phones.

Of course, I just started texting a couple years ago and never understood the importance of having the latest phone.  But now that I've started using a smart phone and realizing all the things I can do with it, I am hooked!  I am in a great position to tell you about the ways my U.S Cellular phone (and service) makes my life easier, because I'm just learning some of the cool things I can do.

Being part of this U.S. Cellular Blogger Brigade means that I will be getting a new phone, and it will be one of the latest.  I'm really looking forward to that because my husband took my last upgrade and passed his old phone to me. (HTC Merge, which is a nice phone; it's just old! - It is available for a penny right now if you want a brand new one.)  I'm already realizing that there are things I could do faster and better with a new phone.  Yes, this is going to be fun!

I recently read that U.S. Cellular was named a J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Champion in 2012 for the second year in a row, and in 2013 the company also received their 15th consecutive J.D. Power and Associates' award for "Highest Network Quality Performance Among Wireless Cell Phone Users In The North Central Region."

I've never paid attention to awards and stuff like that, but we' have always been very happy with U.S. Cellular's customer service. We usually go to the same location, and they're always extremely friendly and helpful, whether we're looking at new phones, asking questions about the phones we already have, or looking for accessories like phone cases and chargers.  They really do treat us like neighbors, not numbers.  They take the time to talk to us and answer any questions we have and help us get the phones we want for the best prices.  I remember one time we went in to get the kids new phones because the ones they wanted were on sale.  When we got to the store we found out that because we were existing customers, the phones were even cheaper than advertised.  That was the price new customers had to pay; current customers got a better price.  I like a company that treats their current customers as well as or better than the new customers they are trying to get.

When we do get new phones our friends at U.S. Cellular always make sure the phones are ready to use when we walk out the door.  I didn't realize how special that was until my brother-in-law got a new smart phone recently - from another provider.  Then he started calling Jeffrey asking all kinds of questions.  It wasn't long before we realized that his provider had let him walk out of the store without helping him get the phone set up at all.  He didn't even realize he needed a Google account to use his Android-powered phone.  Seriously, this is his first smart phone.  He could have used a little help!

Anyway, this post is getting a bit long, and I'll have plenty more opportunities through this program to let you know about what I like about U.S. Cellular, how I'm using my new phone (when I get it), etc.  Until then, if you're looking for some more reading, just for fun, check out all my cell phone posts.  It's extremely interesting seeing how my ideas about what I want and need in a phone have changed over the years, at least it is to me.  I can't believe there was a time I didn't see a need for texting.  Or being able to check facebook from my phone...

Disclosure: I will be compensated for my participation in this program as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

#HelloBetter - Hello, US Cellular

US Cellular recently conducted a survey to find out how dissatisfied people are with their wireless providers.  What percentage of people do you think are dissatisfied?  Go ahead.  Take a guess - I'll wait.


Did you get it right?  Are you one of those dissatisfied customers?  Not me.  I like my wireless carrier.  I've got US Cellular! 

We've been US Cellular customers forever - or at least as long as we've had cell phones.  We just can't see any reason to switch.  We get good phones, great Plans, great customer service, and we get a signal practically everywhere (except in my Mom & Dad's house) - even when everyone else is complaining that they can't get a signal.

We've got a Family Plan with US Cellular, which means we all share our Anytime minutes.  Calls after 7pm and on weekends (and usually holidays) are FREE and don't count against those Anytime minutes.  That's not all - all incoming calls are FREE and mobile-to-mobile calls, too so it never costs us to call each other or anyone with a US Cellular phone.  We don't have any roaming charges either; nationwide coverage is included.  Text and picture messages?  Those are included in our plan now, but even when they weren't, the only messages we had to pay for were the ones that we actually sent.  All incoming texts and pictures are always FREE.  It doesn't make sense that carriers can charge you for something that you have no real control over, but I've heard the other carriers do.  That can really add up if you've got teenagers sending and receiving texts and you're paying for them going both ways.  Thankfully we were never hit by a huge cell phone bill because of that, but I know a few people that were. You know how much I hate spending money if I don't have to!

US Cellular also recently introduced their Rewards Program that lets us earn points towards new phones, accessories, early upgrades and more.  They can also be used for overage forgiveness - not that I can imagine a need for that with so much included in the Plans, but it is an option.  Earning Rewards Points is easy.  You get them for doing things you do anyway, like paying your bill and having a birthday.  We should be able to get a FREE phone with our points next time one of us is eligible for an upgrade, and that's really worth something.  US Cellular gives us a 5% discount every month just for paying our bill automatically every month.  Never worry about a late payment and save money at the same time - what's not to like?

I'm sure there are other reasons we like US Cellular, like the fact that they don't give better deals to new customers than they do to current customers - don't you hate companies that do that? - but I can't really think of them right now.  The important thing is that I can't think of any reasons to be dissatisfied.  If you've been dissatisfied with your provider, US Cellular would like to introduce you to something better.  What's stopping you from switching? Do these reasons sound familiar?

Now through August 12, you can get up to $300 when you switch to US Cellular - $100 smartphone activation credit and $200 for trading in a qualifying smart phone.  That should help with the cost of getting out of the contract with your old carrier, if that's your reason.  Oh, and about those contracts?  After your first 2-year contract with US Cellular, you never have to sign another one.  I love this - not that I really mind a contract with them because I have no plans to switch, but because it says they plan to keep their customers by giving them what they want and treating them right, not by locking them into contracts.  What they will do is give you additional Rewards points every 6 months you stay with them.  And give you good service and coverage.


Anyway, do check out US Cellular.  We've been extremely happy with them.  If you do decide to switch, let me know, and I'll see if I can figure out how to give you a referral.  Yes, we get points for referring friends, too, but I'd suggest you check them out even without the promise of points.

Note: This is part of a sponsored post campaign for One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.

I Got POWOW Messenger for my Phone

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

I got a new phone this past weekend.  Well, it wasn't exactly a new phone - it was Jeffrey's old phone, and he got a new one, but it's new to me.  I had been using Beth's old phone - do you see a pattern here? - but I definitely needed an upgrade.  That phone had no internal memory to speak of, so it was always telling me it was low on space, and there was nothing I could do about it!  Sometimes I couldn't even read an incoming text message until I deleted something or cleared the cache on my apps.  It was very frustrating.

So now I have a phone with enough internal memory that I can download and use apps.  I'm so excited!  One of the apps I've downloaded is POWOW Messenger for Android. It's free, and it looks like it's going to be a really handy app for text messages.  What it does is let you create groups of your contacts so you can easily text all of them at once - without selecting multiple contacts every time.  I created a group for our family - because I really don't text anyone else, yet.  When you create the group, the app sends out a text message to everyone in the group letting them know they are part of the group and giving them a number to use for group messages.  So all anyone in the group has to do is text a message to that number, and it goes to everyone in the group automatically.  It can be good for families, people working on a project together, people planning an outing, etc.  Once you've created your group, you won't have to worry about anybody being left out because you forgot to select them when you started composing your message, and everyone will know what's going on.  I think it will be a good way for everyone in our family to keep in touch and know what's going on with everyone else.
 
POWOW Messenger can also be used for regular one to one messaging, so if I can just figure out how to disable the messages app that came on the phone, I can just use this one.  Otherwise it's like getting duplicate messages.  POWOW Messenger said to disable the notifications of the other app, but I couldn't figure out how to do that either, so I'm still getting double notifications.  Oh well, I'll figure it out.  Or get one of my kids to show me how. (Update: I figured it out!)

There's also a neat feature I haven't tried yet called ZipIT which lets you blacklist unwanted texters so you don't see their messages or get notifications.  Or you can mute the notifications while still being able to see the messages.  I can see how that could come in handy if you're being bothered by somebody, or you only want to be notified of incoming messages from people who are important in your life - and the others can wait.  And, it displays all your text messages in the speech balloon format I've seen other people have, but my old phone didn't use.  Yeah, I get excited over the little things.
 
If you're looking for a handy Messenger app that lets you easily  handle all your one to one and group messaging, be sure to check out the free POWOW Messenger for Android.  It's available in the Google Play store.  Did I tell you that I couldn't even update the Android Market to Google Play on the old phone?  I'm going to have so much fun having a phone that can actually do stuff!