1. December
    31

    Relaxing Mom (Guest Blogger)

    I find the title “Working Mom” somewhat redundant. What mom doesn’t work?  I have tried to spark interest in changing the title to “Relaxing Mom” but for obvious reasons it never quite caught on.   “Queen Mum” caught on but seems to be limited to say Royalty and mothers of Sweet Potato Queens.  It certainly doesn’t apply to me or anyone I know. Maybe I just travel in the wrong circles…

    As a mom of two, Sarah and Nicole, I have come to appreciate my work at AT&T more than people who have never had children could possibly understand.  For example, when I want my cell phone to let me know who just called, it tells me reliably and NEVER asks why.  Ever tried to get your children to tell you who called?  Usually, you are lucky if you know someone called.  I love having my own cell phone.  I can set a reminder to pick up my dry cleaning.  If I think of something I need to add to the grocery list while waiting for my train after work, I don’t need to find a way to write this down, I can put it on my phone. Better yet, I can call to have pizza delivered. I am embarrassed to say that I can even speed dial it.  The very best part is that I have the tools I need to organize the unimportant things in life, the appointments, the e-mails, the daily chores of running a household in a way that works with my (involuntarily) active lifestyle.  Now, I can focus on important things like visiting my three year olds imaginary Jamaican house and shaking my sillies out. 

    Now, with Sarah, my 23 year old daughter (no that is not a typo) texting has been a great way to stay in touch.  She works full time and goes to law school.   A quick e-mail or text message is a great way to say “Hello” and to let her know that I understand and respect her time.  She does often call on her way from work or to class and, now that she has a real job, it is not only to ask for money.  You can ask her and I think she’ll tell you that texting is good for many things but not to request monetary support.  I know if she doesn’t become an attorney, she may become a great lobbyist!  Sarah is one smart young woman.

    I know that I am very blessed with great kids, a wonderful husband and a great job.  I may never receive the title “Relaxing Mom” but thanks to all of the new technologies today, I can settle on “Happy and Less Stressed Mom”.

    Now back to Jamaica — or at least as close as I am likely to get until after we help pay off college for my youngest…

    Susan PhotoAbout the author: Susan Mazrui, who just celebrated her 15th anniversary with AT&T, has two daughters, Sarah (23 years old) and Nicole (3 years old).  Sarah works full-time and goes to Law School part-time.  Nicole is a part-time preschooler whose current career aspirations include medicine and firefighting.  Married to Jamal, a brilliant software developer and civil servant, Susan enjoys listening to books, described videos and international travel.  Susan and Jamal also have a Cavapoo named Ginger (1 year old).  Ginger initially aspired to become a guide dog for Susan but later decided to become a watch dog as she thoroughly enjoys people watching and really did not want to work that hard.


  2. December
    28

    Samsung Mythic Winner!

    Congrats to Elizabeth for winning the Samsung Mythic in our December device giveaway!

    Elizabeth commented:

    “I like the scrolling feature – would be great to give as a gift ….or keep for myself!”

    Congrats Elizabeth!

    Thanks to everyone who entered! We’ll have more of these giveaways in the future so check back to see what other cool prizes we’ll be giving away.


  3. December
    23

    Traveling with Family and Friends this Holiday Season

    Each season brings change and the holiday season is no different! Work, home, life in general has been fluid lately, so for this season’s gifts to the kids, I packed them up and we headed out of town for a much needed mini-vacation.

    I’ve done holiday travel before, but haven’t seen anything like this. We were at the airport over two hours early, but the lines were so long that we missed our flight out and ended up having to traverse all over the U.S. in order to reach our final destination. To keep ourselves occupied, in touch with the world outside of the airport, and notify loved ones of changes and updates to the flight schedules, the kids and I pulled out our phones and tackled applications ranging from Southwest Airlines Mobile, Facebook, news channels, to games and videos.

    Stephanie HolidaysFinally we made it to our final destination, Busch Gardens! It had TONS of activities for all of us and since I could not bring my entire network of family and friend to Florida, I brought Florida to them, taking pics of all of the events and activities and posting them so that we had everyone involved!

     Which application did we use the most during the trip? Facebook, of course! With the Facebook application on my Smartphone I can stay connected to everyone on the go. All my friends and family can follow my every move, enjoying the pictures I post and receive my updates on my status. It’s so exciting to follow others as well and makes keeping in touch so easy… just got engaged, just moved, had a birthday, adopted a puppy… it’s all right there. Whatever or whoever it may be, I love to know what’s going on and keeping track of my loved ones.

    Christopher, my 11 year old son stays connected via both Facebook and Yahoo Messenger. He utilizes his cell phone to log in and post updates on his account… updating his whereabouts and posting snippets of his adventures.  As a Mom, I LOVE this because he can be tagged in pictures that were taken along the trip and instantly viewed by his friends, connecting them all together as we enjoy our excursion. His friends leave the craziest messages and I think that it builds a special level of connection between them all, bonding them closer as a group.

    Stephanie Holidays IIHappy Holidays and I look forward to sharing with you all again soon!

    stephanie.turner  stephanie.turner


  4. December
    22

    Bars on the River

     

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    becky.woodworth  becky.woodworth


  5. December
    18

    No Message is Worth the Risk

    As the parent of a college and high school student it amazes me how much they rely on their mobile phones to communicate.  What amazes me more is how much they use their devices for text messaging vs. talking.  What really scares me is when a teenager or anyone tries to text message when behind the wheel of a car.

    Driving any vehicle requires the full concentration from the driver.  Not only do you need to concentrate on driving, but also on other drivers, obstacles in the road, people on bicycles and other things, such as people in crosswalks or just crossing the street.  If someone tries to text message while doing all of these activities the chances of causing or being part of an accident drastically increase.  I just think how hard it is to walk and chew gum at the same time.

    Driving is something that we all get better at over time.  A young driver needs to concentrate and focus on driving and avoid as many distractions as possible.   When I started driving in 1976, I was a teenager and thought I knew everything there was to know about driving.  I had my driver’s license for less than a month and decided to drive a car full of friends for ice cream on a rainy night.  I was trying to drive in the rain while talking, changing the radio and focusing on my friends.  That must have been when that large rock jumped in front of my car.  Luckily no one was injured (except my pride); however my parents pulled my driving privileges for a month.  I can only think this would have been a serious accident if I added text messaging into the mix.  But in 1976 we didn’t have mobile phones available. 

    Below are some tips to remind your children of as well as anyone you know who is driving a vehicle:

    • Don’t text and drive. No text message is worth the distraction.
    • Ask passengers to help by changing the CD or radio station, placing a cell phone call, or reading directions to you.
    • If you don’t have a passenger, wait until you come to a complete stop at a red light or stop sign before changing the CD or radio station.
    • If you need to make or take a call or respond to a text, wait until your trip is complete or pull over to do so.
    • Never use your phone to take pictures, send and read messages, record video, or watch TV while driving.
    • It’s best not to eat and drive at the same time. If you’re traveling with someone, take turns driving while the passenger eats.
    • Avoid stressful or emotional conversations while driving.
    • Use hands-free options or voice-activated dialing
    • Don’t be a “rubbernecker.” Let your passengers do the sightseeing while you drive.
    • Make safety your most important call. In the case of an emergency, a cell phone can be a very useful tool. Remember, dialing 911 is always a free call.

    Please do what you can to encourage safe driving for your family and friends.  Do you have teenagers that drive?   Remind them never to text and drive, no message is worth the risk.

    michael.fields  michael.fields


  6. December
    16

    Samsung Mythic Giveaway

    Hey!  I was recently given the opportunity to review the Samsung Mythic, and wanted to share with you some of the features I thought were the best especially for busy parents on the go.

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    Samsung Mythic

    Have I captured your interest? Well I have good news! We have one Samsung Mythic to give away to one lucky reader

    Here’s how to enter:

    1) Leave a comment here and tell us how the Samsung Mythic will help keep you calm, cool and connected.  Your e-mail address and phone number must be accurate in your comment so we’re able to contact you. Make sure you double check. (Don’t worry. These won’t be published.)

    2) You can also enter by writing a post on your blog answering the same question. Just be sure to leave a comment here linking to your post so we know where to find it.

    No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This sweepstakes runs from December 16 to Sunday, December 20, 2009. It is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older; one entry per person. Wireless service is not included with the phone. The winner will be notified via phone on or about Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009.

    For complete contest rules, including eligibility, click here.

    Standard usage rates apply to text messages and data usage, depending on your plan. See att.com/dataterms for terms and conditions.


  7. December
    14

    Santa Tracker

    This holiday season my family is enjoying Santa Tracker – a wonderful feature from AT&T U-verse.

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    Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse(SM) services. Check to see if you qualify. http://www.att.com/u-verse/

    becky.woodworth  becky.woodworth


  8. December
    11

    Lose the Laptop Challenge

    Could YOU survive without your laptop for two weeks? We challenged 10 leading parent and small-biz bloggers to make their work and personal lives more mobile by using one of two new HTC smartphone devices—instead of their laptops—for two weeks, and you wouldn’t believe the responses we received. How much easier would your life be if you could approve comments on your blog, check email and update your Facebook status while waiting for your daughter to get out of dance class, like LauraP?  And, wouldn’t you love to capture every “you had to be there” moment of your kids with the ease of mobile video, like BuckDaddy? Check out the on-the-go functionality of the new HTC PURE and Tilt 2 Windows mobile devices and see what else this group of busy parents and business owners achieved while on-the-go in their blogs, photos and videos documenting the Lose the Laptop Challenge. And, don’t forget to take the quiz to see which device is right for your lifestyle.

    brandy.perez  brandy.perez


  9. December
    10

    Tweeting the Holidays

    To update friends and family on how we’re spending the holidays, including sharing photos, my daugher shows how Twitter can keep us all connected.

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    becky.woodworth  becky.woodworth


  10. December
    7

    AT&T U-verse TV Multiview

    Hey! Yet another handy feature from U-verse, TV Multivew, allows me to watch up to four shows at once – here’s how it works:

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    Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse(SM) services. Check to see if you qualify. http://www.att.com/u-verse/

    becky.woodworth  becky.woodworth