Firstly, I want you to read this. Then come back over here and rejoin me. OK? Yes. Very good.
With a very heavy heart, I must say, I do do some of those things.
I hate that I do those things. I am mortified that I do those things. It's terrible I do those things.
So today I am starting a new life. A fresh new page of my life. And I've sort of sampled this life previously - I've got a taste for it. I've voluntarily left technology turned off. Let my phone run out of batteries. And it feels SO good to not be switched on and available to the world all the time.
It feels so refreshing to not be a slave to the ping of my phone.To turn off - and not feel this creeping sense of - sheesh, I can not be in this moment. And it's good for my family. It's good for my family to have sacred time with me. Sacred family time.
Do you do that? Or do you suffer FOMO? Because if you suffer FOMO, then just wean yourself off. Because really, all you're missing out on is finding out what someone's having for lunch, what they just bought (yawn), or how fabulous they are.
And while you're at it, check out this thoughtful post from one of my favourite bloggers, Checks and Spots.
image via this Etsy shop - phone is available for sale. And you can totes interact with your kids with this phone.
I was lucky enough to be a recipient of a brand spanking new Samsung Galaxy Note.
Yes, yes, I know. Lucky PMM. Roll your eyes. La-di-dah darling, la-di-dah. Well I'm going to give it a fair review, and if you're in the market for a phone, perhaps this can be part of your homework? Your research, if you will? There's a reason Samsung are trumping Apple.
I come from using a BlackBerry (for two years) - and the Samsung Galaxy Note is world's - universes, galaxies ahead of that phone. I hated the BB. With. A. Vengeance.
This phone? The Samsung Galaxy Note? Man. How I love this phone. And that's completely unbiased. It's supremely user friendly - and I can actually do stuff. Like play on Instagram! Like access my emails readily. Like type without making a bazillion mistakes.
Over the years, mobile phones have become smaller and smaller. Ridiculously so. My fingers? They have not shrunk, and therefore typing messages has becoming increasingly frustrating - so I just started sending messages with loads of mistakes. And a disclaimer at the bottom that blamed it on the ever shrinking keys. Terrible, I know, phone makers stop making things smaller.
But the new Galaxy Note? You can either type (on the touch screen) or there's an S-Pen, it can read your handwriting (awesome, I know!) and switch it to typed text.
When we visited the Royal Easter Show, the Samsung stand hosted three artists who did caricatures on the phone. This gives you an idea of how ace the capabilities are. Because look at my awesome massive nose. And superhero chin. Rad. You can draw. On. My. Phone. Matt is totally into that. As are the kids. And I can write myself notes. Because it's a phone and a tablet.
You can read about the features here and see all the tech specifications here. But below I've collated my own loves about this bloody awesome phone. Pros:- The large screen size. It's supremely user friendly for me - I can read emails, watch video content, look at photos, and also keep the smalls occupied with the game, YouTube etc. The iPhone is pint-sized compared to this baby.
- It's an android. Which doesn't mean it's being beamed up by E.T. - it means it opens up a whole world to you.
- Samsung has a whole range of apps that are free! And I can use Instagram. And a whole bunch more (I am full of glee about this!)
- The camera takes some pretty rad photos. Plus I can mess with them afterwards - draw on them, write on them, whatever tickles my fancy
- If I was meeting someone somewhere a bit tricky, I can take a screenshot of a map, then draw on the map to show them directions, then email it to them. Can't do that on any other phone.
- I can use the whole Microsoft Office suite on here. So if I am out and about and need to update a spreadsheet for my boss in a hurry? No problem, just pull it up on the screen, update and send it back. A cinch.
- Do you know how often I get lost driving around Sydney? Because I rely on ye olde UBD. However the Galaxy Note has Navigon installed. Truly. Divine.
- Super crisp high definition display - makes viewing so much better on a good screen
- It's a very impressive phone. The IT boys at work were oohing and ahhhing over it. I let them look at it while they set it up. For 10 minutes. Then I reclaimed it.
Cons:- The battery life - I need to charge it every night - however this could be to do with my excessive consumption of Instagram
- It doesn't fit into my back jeans pocket - so my butt does not get to vibrate anymore. Shame.
---------------------------------------------I was chatting with someone on Twitter the other night - and she also told me that if I had a Samsung television, I could do something jiggy with the phone, and it would be the TV's remote control. Way to freak out the smalls! -------------------------------Full Disclosure: Samsung gave me the new Samsung Galaxy Note to review. I was not paid for this review. And I freaking love this phone. It's unnatural how much I love it.
