Tag: technology

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #76

Happy Friday friends! I hope you had a great week and are ready for the weekend. Maybe you have something fun planned whether it’s a date night, hanging with your girlfriends or tackling some house projects.

We are in a new year and that means lots of fresh starts and new beginnings which evident in today’s Friday Favorites. I also got some fun presents for Christmas, so I’ll be sharing those in the coming weeks too. As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea. for some new favorite things this week and year. 

New Lotion-Strawberry Snowflakes– The timing worked out perfectly that I needed a new scent as the new year rolled around. I got Strawberry Snowflakes lotion and body spray for Christmas, and I have really been enjoying the warm scent with a hint of sweetness. I like body sprays and lotions that have a bit of a sweet or refreshing scent, but that’s not too overpowering or strong. I don’t splurge too often on Bath and Body Works, but when I do, I make sure it’s during one of their major sales they have throughout the year. This has been a luxurious way to treat myself every day.

New Planner– I purchased my Simplified 2024 Yearly planner back in the fall, but just started using it last week and it has been a favorite of mine. Before the new year begins, I always like spending some time setting up my new planner with dates to remember, goals to follow and items to track. I made a few minor changes of how I plan to use my planner more efficiently this year and I’m eager to see if these new systems work. It feels so good to start the new year out with a clean slate and new planner. I also will be using their mini notebooks to keep track of notes and to-do’s that come up through the week as well.

New year, new planner

Near in the Night– I purchased the second devotional, Near in the Night from Emily Ley last year, but saved it to start at the start of the new year. I typically do my quiet time in the morning, but it has been nice to wind down with some reading and reflection at the end of the day too. It’s been a soothing way to get off my screen a bit earlier in the evening and read and unwind before I head to bed. Plus, I love the way Emily writes and have really enjoyed the scriptures she chose reflect on.

Libby– Speaking of reading, it’s no secret that reading is one of my favorite hobbies. I always read every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. I recently downloaded the Libby app, which allows you to check out EBooks and audiobooks from your local library. I prefer reading hardcover or paperback books as opposed to reading them on a screen, but I have found that if I have a book on my phone, I’m more apt to read it as opposed to scrolling through social media. I’m currently reading “The Senator’s Wife”, both the book and Libby have been favorites for this book lover.

Clutch Charger-I got a Clutch charger for Christmas and this has been a favorite tech device for me. This slim, portable charger attaches to the back of your cell phone with a magnetic ring and provides a fast charge to your cell phone. It isn’t big or bulky and it charges both as a device and your phone fast. I can’t wait to use this charger more when I travel more through the year. Plus, the pink color sparks joy for me too!

That’s a roundup of some of my favorite things from this past week and from the new year.

What’s something that has brought you joy this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Friday!

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Fun Ways to Organize

Makeup Bag {Re} Uses

Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are all having a great week and soaking up these final weeks of August. 

One of my goals for 2022 was to do better with recycling and using sustainable products. Besides using reusable bags at the grocery store, I have been trying to repurpose things at home, instead of buying new, I’ve been looking on ways to use things in other areas of my life.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has gotten small makeup bags or totes for free after spending so much on beauty or makeup products. Rather than just having these free little makeup bags sit on a shelf, I decided to find different uses for them. If you have some bags or totes that you don’t know what to do with anymore, here’s a few suggestions of how I use mine.

Makeup bags holding more than cosmetics.
  • In my purse to hold toiletries or cosmetics. I sometimes use a small makeup bag to catch a few essentials I always carry in my purse. This also makes it easier to move things from purse to purse, in a pinch. Here’s a few things I put in this bag: hand sanitizer, mask, perfume, and chapstick. Just a few essentials that all fit nice in one place and I don’t have to dig through my purse for things.
An inside look of things I keep in my purse.
  • In my desk to hold essentials so they don’t get lost. A lot of the things I keep in my purse, I also keep in my desk such as hand sanitizer, hand lotion, and chapstick etc. But, at work, I also have ear buds, memory cards, a jump drive etc. Rather than have them float around in desk drawers, I like have a place to put all my small things that can get lost elsewhere.
A look at what I keep in my desk drawer and how I keep it contained.

  • In my room to hold wires and chargers. If you are like me, my guess is that you probably have lots of chargers, wires or cords floating around your room, car, or house. Instead of always losing them, I keep them all contained in a small makeup bag.This makes it easier to grab my headphones, cell phone charger, watch charger or speaker cord. I’m not searching high or low for them and this tiny purse makes it easy to travel too. 
My technology grab bag.

Those are just three ways to use or reuse bags, especially those tiny ones, you may already have around your home. Rather than buy new or lose things, it’s great to see what you have and how you can use it in a different way.

What are your favorite ways to reuse items you no longer use? Let me know in the comments below! Have a great day and happy recycling or reusing!

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Fabulous living

Apple Watch Review

Hey guys!

Happy Wednesday! I’ve held off on this post for a while but I’m excited to share it with you today. 

I always love reading people’s different reviews of products. Whenever, I’m on the fence about buying a product reading someone’s review always gives me the push or pull into getting a product. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of fitness trackers, especially Fit Bit. You can read my past Fit Bit reviews here and here.

For Christmas I got an Apple Watch and while it took a little bit of getting used and trying it out, I’m excited to share my review with you today!

My new Apple Watch SE.

A few notes, this post is not sponsored at all, this is just my own thoughts and opinions on Apple Watch.

For starters, I got the Apple Watch SE. 

It took a little bit of getting used to compared to my Fit Bit Versa Lite (the set-up, the notifications and the look) but once I did , I automatically fell in love with it.

For my job, I’m always on my phone, so having my calls, texts, emails, and social media all synced to my watch is huge!

I love that I can see who’s calling or texting me from my watch without picking up my phone.  The Fit Bit Versa Lite had these features too, but I like how on the Apple Watch you can read the full text message and not just the preview compared to the Fit Bit Versa Lite. You can also respond to texts through Siri or microphone or by writing a message out. I typically don’t respond to too many texts unless it’s a one-word or short response that I can quickly type or speak using Siri.

With the Fit Bit Versa Lite you can see when someone is calling you, but on the Apple Watch SE you can answer calls from it as well. I also like how you can get way more notifications from different apps. I can see when I get notifications from social media, to emails, calendars and emails.

I am always using my Apple Watch to set timers or alarms. I also use Siri a lot more on my Apple Watch compared to my phone. I also can get a quick check of the weather without going on my phone. Major wins for me!

Besides work, I really enjoy working out. I try to workout at least five days a week if not more. I use my Apple Watch to track my work out sessions, track how many calories I’ve burned, see how many steps I’ve gotten and see how long I’ve stood. There’s different programs you can start tracking when you workout from yoga to walking, running or lifting weights. Closing my rings is always a highlight of my day. 

If you have been following for a while, you know how I have started to incorporate mindfulness and meditation in my daily routines. One of the apps on my Apple Watch tracks Mindfulness, another favorite! I practice Mindfulness at the start and end of every day.

Now that I have raved about the Apple Watch, here’s a few things that I have noticed that I don’t love about it. 

The battery goes faster on the Apple Watch compared to the Fit Bit Versa Lite. If I start the day with 80 percent by the end of a 12 hour day, it’s around 30 percent. It makes sense since I’m using it constantly and since I sleep with It on at night, but it still go faster than the Fit Bit. I typically charge it when I’m showering at night or when I’m sitting down or doing my hair in the morning.

You also need a specific charger and charger block for the Apple Watch, so that’s something else you should be aware of.

The other thing that makes it questionable is the price, or more accurately is it worth it? In my opinion …yes! Since I use it for multiple reasons, all day every day. It’s definitely worth it. But if you are on the fence about investing, I would suggest maybe starting with a Fit Bit and working you way up to an Apple Watch, just a suggestion. 

The pros outweigh the cons but A LOT! Overall, I am thrilled with my Apple Watch and I use it all day, every day! In next week’s post, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite accessories. Until then, if you have an Apple Watch, what are your thoughts on it? Let me know!

Categories
Fabulous living

MacBook Air Review

Hey guys!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your week is off to a great start. This is my midterm week so it will be a busy week, but luckily I will be heading home for fall break at the end of the week which will be well deserved.

Today I am going to be reviewing something that I can’t live without, my laptop. As a busy college student, I don’t go anywhere without it, it’s in my backpack, in my purse, on my desk in in various study places around campus.

***This post is not sponsored or is an advertisement. I’m just sharing my personal thoughts on this product. ***

Hard at work

I got a Mac Book Air at the start of my Junior year of college. Now, I do have an iPhone and iPad, but this was my first MacBook product. In the past I used a PC, Lenovo, which I really loved. However, as I was getting older and needed my laptop for more things, I realized the MacBook Air was the way to go for me. I have loved using my new laptop. I got it on a back to school sale through Apple which gave students a discount which was great, in addition to the discount I also got a free pair of beats with my purchase. The bundling program through Apple made it affordable and useful for back to school students everywhere.

Unboxing it for the first time

I got my new laptop the day before I headed back to school, so it was a busy last ay home. However, Apple made it easy to transfer my files from my old laptop to my new laptop with just a simple app. It did take several hours to transfer all my documents, pictures, and videos, but when I did it was so helpful to have them all on my new laptop ready to go.

Some of my favorite things about my laptop include the fact that all my devices are connected. I can check my text messages, emails, see my pictures, and use my favorite apps all on my laptop. It makes connecting with people so much easier with everything in one place.

I got my nw laptop the day before I left to go back to school, talk about nerve racking

Another feature that I really like about my MacBook Air is the software, it is easy to use, and although it may take some getting used to after being a PC user for so long, it has really been helpful to have an easy software to use.

The Macbook Air is lightweight and has great battery life. With my old laptop, I always had to bring my charger with me and constantly charge it, now I can go several hours without having to charge it, this comes in handy when I am on the go.

Getting it all set up

I have only had it my Macbook for a few months, but I have loved every second of it. Not only is it easy to use and great to have all my devices connected along with photos, videos, and messages. Yes, this was an investment, but It has been worth it. I had my last laptop for 6 years, so I knew I needed a change, especially when it was practically falling apart. I am looking forward to seeing what other features I can take advantage of with my laptop.

If you have a MacBook Air or Pro what are your favorite tips, tricks, uses for it? I am always looking for new ways to use my technology to simplify my life.