Holiday Hacks to Keep you Organzied

This post is part of my partnership with the
US Cellular Blogger Brigade Ambassador Program.

Purchasing a smartphone for your kiddo this Christmas? 
YOU NEED THIS!

 

‘Tis the season to ring in the holiday hustle. I’m doing my best to plan {cough, cough} and start shopping early, but sometimes things just get … CRAZY.

I need all the help I can get, so my iPhone is doubling as my sanity saver this year.

Whether planning a holiday party or traveling to see family, it keeps me organized and provides instant access to needed information.

Did you know?

Smartphone users are more likely to use mobile devices while traveling than ever before. According to a recent survey, 76 percent of people used their phone while traveling in 2015, up from 68 percent the previous year.

Here’s a few Holiday Hacks I’ve implemented to keep me and my family sane.

Your iPhone camera is your Holiday Helper.

Take a screenshot of directions.
This is a useful tip anytime you travel. Also, once you have saved the directions, you can turn off your phone’s navigation and location services while traveling through populated areas in order to conserve the battery!

Capture a photo of where the car is parked.
With crowded parking lots at airports and shopping destinations, it can be easy to forget where you parked. Snap a photo of your vehicle and nearby landmarks to serve as a handy reminder. Oh, how I wish I would have used this at Mall of America – it would have saved us hours of wandering.

Scan or photograph passport, identification, and itinerary.
Save these images for offline access and email them to your personal account. It is always important to have an extra copy of travel documents.

Take pictures of the refrigerator and pantry before heading to the grocery store.
Making a list is always helpful, but using technology to see what ingredients you already have on hand will take the guesswork out of your shopping trip.

Snap a pic for Santa.
My kids will randomly be walking the toy aisles asking for the newest LEGO set. I can barely see straight let alone remember which set they want Santa to deliver. So, we snap photos for our Santa list. It cuts down on the temper tantrums and makes those letters to Big Guy a lot easier.

Bonus smartphone Holiday Hacks … 

Charge your phone on airplane mode.
As our schedules become busier or your children play too much Pokemon GO! while standing in long lines, we tend to go longer between charges. Using airplane mode helps devices regain battery strength by eliminating apps or services running in the background.

Track the master to-do list in the note feature of your phone.
Keeping up with a handwritten to-do list or a bunch of sticky notes is a challenge. If your list starts in your device, it stays with you. For Apple users, the reminder feature allows you to display both completed and outstanding tasks. Without this feature my holiday gifts would never make it to the post office.

Put your phone in a cup to amplify music at a holiday gathering.
The cup increases the volume from the phone’s speaker to help set the mood of any party. Cups with harder surfaces, like glass or porcelain, work best. Best hack EVER! I use it all the time. Upstairs folding laundry, at the office and while decorating the tree.

Use location-based reminders.
It’s easy to forget a stop when juggling multiple errands. To make party planning more efficient, set location-based reminders either through the Reminders feature on iOS or Google Keep on Android. Set a notification to sound when you’re near a specific destination. That way you won’t forget to swing by the dry cleaner when at the nearby florist or stop at the party supply store when you’re down the street at the supermarket. Hello post office.

 

With a little planning and technology my holiday {and yours} could be stress-free. Now if it can just keep me from eating all the Christmas cookies.

 

All opinions are my own and an honest view of my story as a US Cellular customer.

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