Everybody Loves A Party!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

My Verizon Boomer Voices Party Photos!

Saturday was the big day. All morning rain poured and poured. I was a little worried that some of the invited guest would not want to get out in the rain. About an hour before the party the clouds parted and the sun peeked out to shine down on our party! Being a Verizon Boomer Voices Blogger I have been exposed to and learned a lot about a ton of new and amazing connected devices being made available by Verizon Wireless. This party is one of the ways I have been given to share the knowledge I have gained with my friends, family and acquaintances.

I selected Grandpa's Chili for our party meal, with corn chips and a Verizon themed cake decorated by myself. After all the rain there was a chill and dampness that hung in the air making chili the perfect party food. As my guest arrived they were given a pre-party survey to fill out.

Completing the pre and post surveys gave each guest an raffle ticket for our party door prize. I was happy to see the guests took the survey seriously and everyone got entered into that giveaway. 

A ton of information was shared with my party guests. Some of my party guests commented how they did not know Verizon had so many connected devices and how its not just cellphones anymore. 

I shared information on each of the products listed below. I even had a Trivia game and Lets Make a Deal game for the guests to play and win the products listed below. 

You can click on any of the links below for more information about any of the products. 

Verizon Total Mobile Protection/Tech Coach

Home Phone Connect

4G LTE Broadband Router With Voice

Sure Response

Tagg Pet Tracker

Belkin NetCam HD WiFi Camera

FitBit One

As the products were presented the guest were sure to let me know what their favorites were. The guests with children and pets liked the Tagg Pet Tracker. A simple description of what it does, the Tagg Pet Tracker clips on a pets collar and with GPS technology it can message you to tell you your pet has left a pre-selected designated area.  It can also help you track your pet with the help of that same GPS. You can locate it on a map with your smartphone or computer.  

The Belkin NetCam HD WiFi Camera came in second on the favorites list. The NetCam allows you to keep tabs on whats important to you over your smartphone or tablet. The NetCam features a wide view lens, digital audio and night vision. It's an amazing device.

The top favorite among all the guests was the FitBit One. Which I have been privileged to be trying out for the last several months. You can read about my experience here. 

Being a Verizon Boomer Voices Party and the Theme a was promoting Get Connected I had a couple guest join the party by Skype.  It was quite fun for the guest at the party to interact with my Skyping (my new word) guests. 

They started out in the corner on a coffee table. Then made there way to the center of the room. Later on one of the children at the party had them held hostage in the family room playing with toys. Lol, they though it was hilarious. 

More guest Skyping by smart phone. The phone was much easier to keep track of. Although, a tablet or laptop would have gave a bigger picture of my guest,  you can see the child in the front, Dad behind the child and moms cheek to the right. I think skyping by phone is better for one person. (just my opinion)

For the final party photos today I thought I would share the cake I made for the party. The fondant figures are holding smart phones. The woman figure is sitting just chatting on the phone. The man is walking with phone in hand and Bluetooth piece in ear. The Droid Razr Maxx HD smartphone and Verizon Boomer Voices symbol is made with modeling chocolate.

I will be posting more photos on Pinterest and Facebook so stop by and check them out later this week. 

Sometime in November I will be hosting a Second Verizon Boomer Voices Party so keep watching for an update to my next Verizon adventure and stay connected!

FitBit Wireless Activity Tracker Update

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

Do you all remember the Verizon Boomer Voices Blogger Program that I am a part of? Well, as a part of the program we were given a FitBit One Wireless Activity Tracker to try out. I have written about it recently and I believe it is time for an update. If you missed the previous post you can read about it here. 
The FitBit one has been my constant companion for a couple months now. It has encouraged me to be active, watch what I eat and get proper sleep. 

I believe the most important help the FitBit one has given me is encouragement. The FitBit lights up through out the day with little encouraging words. Such as I am ready Bonnie, High five Bonnie, and Smooches Bonnie.I think smooches is getting a little fresh with me but it sure does know how to press the right buttons. Yesterday along with its freshness it told me to Vámonos! Now, at first I thought how rude! I then checked Vámonos with Google and found it meant "Let's go" in Spanish. Ok, so it's not so rude but I still think it is a little fresh at times. 
The FitBit has also made me a become competitive. My husband and I usually equally divide the mowing chores on our property. We have been sharing this chore ever since our riding more gave out on us. We do plan to get a new rider this spring but in the mean time the lawn is being mowed by a push mower. The FitBit has encouraged me to hog all the mowing chores ever since it recorded the 10,000 steps it took to mow half our lawn. One day I sort of took his half when he was called into work early. Ever since I am keeping up with the mowing when ever he is at work. I just have to get the 10,000 steps in twice a week. I think you will agree I need the exercise more since I sit long hours blogging. 
Over this month I have lost another pound and a half. That makes a total loss of 7&1/2 pounds in two months. I am very excited about the weight loss. 
What I have left to work out is how to use the sleep data that the FitBit is providing to correct my lack of sleep. 
Over all I am extremely happy with this little companion.  Readers, What have you been doing to keep yourselves fit?

Our New Pound Puppy

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

About two weeks ago when my granddaughters were visiting grandpa decided we should visit the local Dog Pound. This was totally a spur of the moment thought. I decided this might be a great learning experience for our granddaughters. On our way to the pound we talked about the reasons a dog might be in a pound. We talked about how the dogs are cared for in the pound and how it was different than a home for the dogs. The entire drive I kept thinking that it was just a trip to look at the dogs. We would certainly not be adopting one today.
When we arrived at the doors our conversation went like this.
Grandpa (my dear hubby): Casually "If we see a dog you like we can bring it home."
Grandma (me): "Cough, cough, cough what! Your kidding, right?"
Grandpa: "No, if you like one and the girls like it we can bring it home."
Grandma: Mumbling " I don't know about this! This is not really going to happen."

So we go inside. We had to wait our turn. There was a couple applying to foster dogs for the pound. Another couple was picking a dog to take home with them. We sat patiently in the lobby and talked to the receptionist. There was a cat just hanging around in the lobby that helped keep the girls occupied.
We then went into the back to visit the dogs in the kennel cages. I wish I had thought at the time to take a few photos but I was a little overwhelmed to say the least. In the third cage down sat a little Pomeranian dog. It was so small and cute. The dog's report hanging on the cage had the name labeled Nelly. The report also said she was found abandoned on the side of a road. Weight 5lbs., friendly with other cats and dogs. I wanted to hear more about her so we asked a few questions. We learned that Nelly was a boy. The pound did not know anything about him aside from the fact that he was probably 8 years old, friendly, house broken and loved lots of attention. They thought his owner may have went into a nursing home or passed away. The owners relatives must have abandoned him. I thought this little dog might just be perfect for us. I was worried that I did not know anything about a Pomeranian's temperament. Would he be OK with children? Would he make a good family dog? I quickly took out my Droid Razr Maxx HD and asked Google to search Pomeranian dogs. This is part of a clip of what I read.

Thanks to my Droid I was able to decide to take this needy little fella home that same day. If I did not have my phone I may have been even more hesitant to take this big step.

The pound assured us that if our new friend did not get along with King Arthur or had problems being around little children we could return him with out any problems. 

Meet Scooby-Doo

Our Grandchildren chose his name after lots of thought. I think it fits him just fine and he answered to it right away. I have a feeling he would come to any name as long as he has lots of love and attention. 

When we first got Scooby home he got a bath right away as his fur was tangled and matted with burs. He had only been at the pound a few days. They said they had been working on his coat slowly as it was in pretty bad shape. I could only imagine he must have been a sight. Scooby is terrified of brooms. I believe he may have been mistreated with a broom. He also gets very defensive when our feet get near him. I have to wonder what he has been through. 

Scooby-Doo meets King Arthur

Scooby did not care a bit about King Arthur even though K.A. was so sweet and got down on Scooby's level and tried to play with him. 

At this point we have decided to keep Scooby-Doo and give him the loving home he needs. 

What do you think? Have you ever adopted a dog or puppy from the pound. Are you an animal lover? What animals do you like most?

Hanging Out With My Grandchildren Courtesy Of Verizon Wireless

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

I have had another very busy week here at home. With all the rain and bad weather we have stayed close to home and have not been able to visit any of our grandchildren. I sure do get a little cranky around here when I have not got my fix of their sweet little faces! I need that little fix daily to remain a happy grandma. What have I been able to do to get my fix of my sweet grandchildren?
I picked up my Droid Razr Maxx HD courtesy of Verizon and decide to Skype Pooh Bear and Little Roo.

This is a screen shot of Little Roo on Skype. It was hard to get a good screen shot of the fast moving boys. You can see how clear the baby gate is and the lamp in the corner is my screen view. 

With the front facing webcam (1.3 MP) and the 4.7" Super Amoled HD display my whole Skype experience was simply perfect. I played peek-a-boo with Little Roo and I spy with Pooh Bear. If you have not had the chance to play a game of I spy with your grandchildren on Skype you should try it some time. It can be hilarious. I even had the opportunity to read their bedtime story. 

I know what some of you are thinking. Not everyone has Skype or maybe they just don't like to use Skype. My Droid Razr Maxx HD has got that covered also. Google has an awesome app called Hangouts (Talk). The Droid Razr Maxx HD came with this app already preloaded on the phone. If you have a Gmail account you can use hangouts. 

 Hangouts and Talk app icons.

Back on the topic at hand. The next evening I decided to Hangout with my grandson Little Bug. This is really a big deal! I have never tried Hangouts and was not sure how easy it would be. Well, let me tell you it was a simple as selecting the Talk app on my phone. A list of my Gmail contacts came up on the screen. A green dot beside a contact means the contact is available to hangout with. I selected the video camera displayed beside my son's name and we were on.

 This is a screen shot of Little bug  on Hangouts showing me how his crank flash light works. Again the screen shot is not as clear as it could be because of my moving target. I can assure you though the view is clear on screen.  

In my opinion there is nothing better than to be able to see your grandchild every day even when they are many miles away. Thank you Verizon. 

There is one other feature on this phone that I would like to share with you today. The Droid Razr Maxx HD has a Circles widget that is one of my favorite widgets. 

This is a screenshot of my home screen.

The Circles Widget is displayed at the top of the screen. The large circle displays the time. Tap this circle and it brings up the alarm clocks. You can easily set one or more alarms quickly. The medium circle displays the temperature of a city you preset. You can select to set multiple cities to view. To change the view of the displayed city just slide your finger across the circle and the next city will be displayed. Tap on the circle to view temperatures expected for the week. The last circle displays remaining battery life. Tap on the circle and the battery setting will be displayed. If you receive a text, miss a call or receive a voice mail, the Circles Widget will notify you. This is a major plus for me. Seeing all this very important information at a glance. I have a few favorite apps and widgets that I like and the Circles Widget is at the top of that list.

What do you think about the Circles Widget? Do you have a favorite app or widget you like best?  

The Surprise Device Is Revealed

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

Grandma is back from my trip with the Verizon Boomer Voices Program. I had a marvelous time in Chicago with all the other Verizon Boomer Bloggers. My husband and I arrived Sunday evening and checked in to our hotel. We quickly unpacked and headed for a walk on the Magnificent Mile. Our senses were assailed with all the delights of a big city. We ended our evening with a little dinner at a nearby eatery. I was looking forward to the the surprise device unveiling so I was eager to get to bed.
The next morning our blogger group met in the hotel lobby and walked to the John Hancock Building on Michigan avenue.

Standing under this one hundred story building was breathtaking. Up we went to the 13th floor. I was beginning to feel like a child at Christmas time. The excitement was building as we were welcomed by Verizon and began our device training. Then it came time to receive our surprise devices.
Our new device was a Droid Razr Maxx HD by Motorola. I am very impressed by Verizon's choice of device for us to test. The Droid Razr Maxx HD has so many exceptional features that I hardly know where to start. I have to say the battery life is what stands out to me. The Droid Razr Maxx HD is said to have an exceptionally long battery life. What I experienced was just that. I started with a full battery on Tuesday morning. We left the city around noon. After fifteen minutes of driving we were unable to find the highway. I decided to use the VZ navigator app on the phone to find our way through the city. I then began checking fifty or so emails I was behind on. I then tweeted and browsed the Internet for a long while. At the end of the day I had 67% battery life still remaining.
Now back to our trip. Monday evening the group was treated to a private trolley tour of downtown Chicago and dinner at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Center. I tested out the camera on the Droid Razr Maxx HD. I am sharing the photos with you so you might judge for your self the quality of this camera. Please keep in mind most of the photos were taken from a moving trolley or from my shaky hands on the 95th floor of the building.

I love the way the clouds are reflected in the windows of this building.

A storm started brewing over the city. 

 A view from the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building. You can see the mist hanging over the city from the rain.

What do you think about the photos? The Droid Razr Maxx HD has an excelent camera in my opinion. I hope you stay tuned for more fun information about the Droid Razr Maxx HD. 

#Boomer #VZWVoices Chicago Trip

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

Grandma Bonnie's Closet has been selected to participate in the Verizon Boomer Voices Program! I am so excited to be traveling to the "Windy City" to join some great bloggers in training on some unnamed wireless devices. I just love surprises so having to wait until the devices are given to us is like having a surprise birthday gift. I can hardly wait to update you with the trip photos and the new wireless device I will be testing. I am sure you will be waiting for my trusted opinion of these great gadgets.
What do you think? What wireless device would you like to try? What device do you think I will be testing?