Day to Night with Longvadon Apple Watch band

Happy September! It's a new month which means new goals right! I've been working out pretty consistently since January 2020. Once my husband purchased me the Apple Watch for my last birthday - I've been wearing it nonstop. He also purchased 2 additional watch bands - but if you sweat alot during work outs you know how important it is to clean your watch band atleast once a day.

I usually switch my watch band colors once a month which allows me change up my style (From black to pink). With HIIT workouts - the plastic watch bands are great for flexibility and movement. I remember when my husband and I took our anniversary photos last year - my black Apple Watch band stood out like a sore thumb lol! 

At the office or date night - I love to dress up in corporate wear. This luxury apple watch band by Longvadon is a great way to scale up my apple watch from workout mode to date night. 

Before getting the Apple Watch - I'll be honest I didn't wear watches much at all. But having different options in bands are GREAT for different outfit selections. As I was putting on the Longvadon Apple Watch band - I was a bit confused by the butterfly clasp but I followed the simple How-To video on their Instagram Story and slipped my watch on in no time. 

The packaging is A-1 so simple but yet so chic. It's also great for storing your watch band between wears. Now I'm ready for a date night - right in the comfort of our own home with takeout lol! But a girl still loves a pair of heels and a luxury watch band. Use code 'MOMMYPLUG20' for 20% off your purchase. 

Pandemic Beach Trip Necessities with Kids

By the title of this blog - depending on what mind set you're in during this 6-month quarantine you may think I'm crazy.

Yes we took a day trip to the beach. Keep reading if you are in need of a break and a trip to the beach LOL!

Also, this wasn't our first trip out of state. My husband's parents live out of state so in order for us to check on them or fix things around the house it's important that we visit atleast once a quarter. Depending on the ages of your kids I would recommend only traveling to a spot that's AT MAX 4 hours away. Any thing longer - just book a hotel stay sis.

Bathroom trips during the car ride. I would STRONGLY suggest plotting out your stops before leaving your house. We usually stop for gas and also stop at the nearest Walmart or Lowe's/Home Depot. We've found this is the cleaner option vs taking the kids into a random gas station bathroom.

Okay so boom - On the Road necessities:

1. Electronics - ipads or phones (screen time has gone out the window for our sanity lol) 

2. Snacks - Lunchables are easily our favorite with a side of Kool Aid jammers 

3. Portable toilet seat cover - This stays in the car. It's much easier and also cleaner to bring a toilet seat cover with you then sanitize with your Lysol wipes. 

4. Masks + Hand sanitizer - We're still in a pandemic. It's important you protect yourself and your kids. We make sure our kids where masks too.  

5. Gloves - Depending on how much of a germaphobe you are gloves are still a great idea because kids love to touch everything.  

6. Lysol Wipes - Outside of sanitizing every thing when you stop for the bathroom. Lysol wipes are great for cleaning the car as the kids continue to make a mess. 

Beach necessities:

1. Wagon - So you don't have to make several trips to the car while also holding your kids hands. The wagon makes things much smoother. 

2. Tent - This tent is probably the biggest investment but keeps you out of the sun way more than a flimsy umbrella. This was a lesson learned for us. Someone left a tent up at the beach so a family that was leaving told us we could have it lol! Then some random guys came back to get their tent so we were left with our umbrella. 

3. Sunscreen - Keeps the kids skin protected. My youngest has Eczema so we use Aveeno Sensitive Sunscreen. It's pretty sticky but 

4. Pails/shovels - Of course the kids will want to make sandcastles. Bring this stuff with you so you can make less stops as possible. 

5. Snacks/sandwiches/water - When kids are having fun - they forget about food. It's important to stay hydrated and fueled. 

6. Beach towels - Not just house towels. But actual beach towels. They are huge in size and is get for laying on the beach. 

7. Bathing Towels, Bath soap, and Lotion - Sand, sand and more sand. Sand will be every where you can imagine after the beach. It's important to rinse off and also wash the kids down so everyone is comfortable on the ride back home. Then of course moisturize if you have kid with eczema like myself.

Outside of necessities - I would also recommend planning out bathroom trips and also parking. We drove around the parking lot for a solid 30 minutes because it was a public beach. Also, we set up our tent near the walkway for easier access to the bathrooms. 

I hope this guide is helpful! Leave a comment below or hit me up on Instagram @themommyplug.

The Importance of Pinterest

You should be posting more on Pinterest.

That's it. That's the blog post LOL!

Just like Google - Pinterest is a VISUAL search engine.

Earlier this week my best friend and I were having a discussion about her not able to find nail inspiration on Pinterest - from a black woman's perspective. We all know that finding the right shade depending on skin tone is a little difficult to find.

Yes Pinterest has recently added a new feature where you can filter by skin tone but if you aren't that tech savvy or simply overlook the skin tone button on the mobile app - then you're left with skin tones that look nothing like you.

I've been using Pinterest for a LONG time. Really ever since Pinterest existed (2010).

Pinterest is really user generated - so if we (black women) are not uploading to Pinterest - the photos will not exist.

Pinterest is really great for any industry but especially for content creators, photographers, videographers (YEP! You can upload video now and it actually performs better than still images)

Let me know how are you using Pinterest for your business?

Top 5 Favorite iOS14 Features

Earlier this week - Apple hosted their first virtual keynote about the iOS14 update across all devices. Yep! From the iphone, ipad, Mac, and watch! They are all getting upgrades.

Here's what stuck out to me the most:
1. App Library: From Apple: "The new App Library automatically organizes all of your apps into one simple, easy‑to‑navigate view. Apps are sorted by category and your most used apps are always just one tap away."

My apps are usually scattered across my phone with 0 organization or categories. This will allow me to only view the apps I need on an everyday basis.

2. Auto switching: From Apple: Seamlessly move between devices without manually switching your AirPods. If you finish a phone call on your iPhone and pick up your iPad to watch a movie, AirPods automatically switch over.     

This is my favorite feature! When I'm listening to music on my phone and want to switch over to my Mac - I can't wait for my Spotify playlist to continue the song I'm currently listening to. This is long over due and I wish it was available since the creation of the AirPods. It just seems like a no-brainer.

3. Picture in Picture: From Apple: Now you can keep watching videos or continue your FaceTime call while you use another app.
"Girl why you have me on 'Pause'? How many times have you said this when on Facetime with your friends? LOL! Now you can continue browsing on Instagram while on Facetime and not see the 'Pause' screen. It would be so dope if you could also share your screen while on Facetime. You know for those girls night quarantine style - sharing shopping deals.

4. Sleep training on Apple watch: From Apple: An all-new Sleep experience in the Health app helps you meet your sleep goals.

This is a GAME changer if you're using your Apple watch - having your watch track your sleeping patterns and resting heart rate will allow you to maximize your workouts.

5. Pinned conversations: From Apple: Pin up to nine of your most important conversations to the top of your conversation list, so you can easily get to them

This really reminds me of "Top 8" on Myspace - back in the day LOL! Also, in the group chats you can enable a setting to only receive notifications when someone @mentions you. YES. This is very similar to Slack or Teams. I love this feature!

I'm tempted to download the Beta version - stay tuned. I'll probably show it on my IG Story.

How To Repurpose Content That Isn't Yours

If you follow me on Instagram @TheMommyPlug - you know where this blog post stems from. But in case you just so happen to find me on Pinterest or across the interwebs.

Here's a recap:
A few weeks ago I was followed by @mrspaynebranding or DeVonna Payne or Payne Branding Co. Not sure what she goes by. But for SEO purposes we shall use all aliases.

I followed back - simply because her content seemed very relatable (mom with 2 daughters just like me). Well this week I started to notice that her content looked real SIMILAR to my content.

From the IG bio name

To the similar #TechTuesday (I recently made a IGTv about using Google Photos). 

                         

All the way down to my BLOGGER template. How many people you know still using Blogger by Google? With alllll the templates out there on the internet. We have the same blog template. AND the same "About Me" section. Ironic right?

Let's get to the meat of this blog post:

How To Repurpose Content That Isn't Yours

You come across a video or blog post or even an Instagram post that inspires you! You get to thinking "this is so dope! I should share it or recreate it". 

#1 Content Creation:

-  Consider your brand (Colors, Audience, Tone/Voice)

- Use YOUR words. (I'm sure we've all taken an English class. Plagiarism is REAL. Let's not copy & paste) 

#2 Post Your Content: 

- Tag where your inspiration came from (@username)

- Create content that is completely separate from your inspiration (not even remotely close)

It's that simple LOL!

Let's be considerate of each other. We're all working hard to be creative. 

If you enjoyed this blog post - follow me over on Instagram @themommyplug or Pinterest @themommyplug. 

How To: Close All Tabs in Safari Mobile

We're still on this decluttering our iPhone phase LOL! Today we're moving on to closing all those open tabs.

Now let me tell you exactly where my inspiration for this series came from - my husband. He's very nit picky when it comes to keeping his phone decluttered. (Yes he's the type of person to organize his apps in specific folders).

I'm the complete opposite I'm just like I don't care - I know where my things are. But we're still self-quarantining so what else do I have to do during this time.

I had atleast over 500 tabs open in Safari mobile app. You know how when you're browsing social media and you click a link - well it'll instantly open up a Safari browser tab. Today we're CLOSING them all. Idk if this will give you more space on your phone it'll definitely keep you from having so many open at one time.

1. Open you Safari browser.
2. On the bottom right corner, press down on the 2 squares.

3. Close all 500 tabs will pop up.

4. Go ahead and close all 500+ tabs. It'll also ask if you want Safari to automatically close your tabs for you. I chose "after one month".

THAT'S IT. It's that simple.

How To: Declutter Your iPhone Photos using Google Photos

Open your photos app. How many photos are there? Me - personally I have pictures of my kids, screenshots, vacations, Pinterest photos, my dream dog, car, house etc. etc.

In short - I have around 13K photos stored on my phone LOL! Leaving not much storage and I pay $0.99/month to Apple iCloud storage. So my husband told me about how he started backing up his phone to Google Photos.

It's simple. You download the app and it'll instantly start backing up your photos.

 

2. You can delete your photos from your phone to get more space

. 

3. If you accidentally delete photos, you can restore them before bulk deleting.

 

3 Ways to Prepare Your Business for an Emergency

I remember before the pandemic - everyone would talk about what if Instagram went away. Well now -- what if outside closed? Brick and mortar or digital business. You need an emergency plan. 

If the internet went down...what would you do? If we were no longer able to go outside - what would you do? Now is the best time to consider how would you handle any type of disrupt to your business.

For brick & mortar

1. Plan out any type of disaster: From fire, theft, hurricane, tornado, to now PANDEMIC. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would experience a pandemic in my life time. But now here here are.

2. Implement: 

Sketching out every detail. From the smallest detail of serving customers. To how will you accept orders? Do you have a website? What about an order form?

In this phase you should write down everything how you expect your business to operate. 

3. Test:

Do you currently have employees? What does 1 day off look like without them? Is your website set up for more than 100+ orders? How will you conduct strictly online or strictly in-person?

E-Commerce

1. Make sure that you are using SEO to your greatest capacity. Learn about Google Ads for FREE. 

2. Buy Facebook/Instagram/Twitter ADs - this is now your time to capitalize on this space. 

3. Make sure that you are using the correct platform. So many times I've seen e-commerce utilizing Wix or Squarespace when neither are really made for a large ecommerce size. Now is the time to research the better platform. Between Shopify or Wordpress. 

With all of the unfamiliar territory that COVID-19 has brought. Now is the time to write it down and make it plain. I recommend -- thinking of the unknown -- using Google to research any aspect of your business that you may have not thought of. A natural disaster or pandemic does not have to be the end of your business. You can think creatively and get to work on your business or hire a consultant to do the labor for you.

Just remember to give yourself GRACE.

How To: Challenge Yourself using the Apple Watch

Let's get straight to it. My husband purchased me the Apple Watch back in December and since then it've been using it to jumpstart my fitness journey. Back in January, I joined a 6-week full body bootcamp. During that time I noticed how helpful the Apple Watch was as it relates to tracking calories burned and calories eaten.

So here's how to challenge yourself using the Apple Watch.

Weekly Summary - Each Monday - your Apple Watch will notify you of your previous Weekly Summary. It will display a summary of your total calories burned, total miles, total steps, etc. Towards the bottom of the screen you will notice your "Smart Move Goal". This is a suggestion to increase your active calories for the following week.

INCREASE. INCREASE. INCREASE.

If you're on the fitness journey to lose weight -- I would suggest moving your active goals at least once a week or every 2 weeks. Personally, I take a look at my average active calories




Change Move Goal - Listen once you open your new Apple Watch and go about your merry way. I honestly forgot how to change it my move goal.
Here's the dets:
1. Go to the Activity app
2. Hold down on your 3 rings

3. Change Move Goal & Weekly Summary will pop up

4. Tap 'Change Move Goal' & Increase/Decrease Move Goal

I'm looking forward to get back into the swing of blogging. Stay tuned for more posts.

How to create a social media plan that WORKS

The usual social media tips.

Everyone has them but never share how actually execute.

Be consistent. How?!

Engage with your followers. HOW?!

Build a tribe. …..how?!

Show.me.how.

Here’s how to stop playing small & start posting content that will attract your target audience:

Now let’s remember. All social media tips are not created equal. 

The tips that may work for an influencer may not work for a service based business looking for clients.

An influencer is trying to attract more brand deals. 

A web designer is trying to attract more clients.

End goal for both: $$$$ the money.

We all know the top 3 social media tips.

Consistency. Engage. Build a tribe.

Posting atleast 1x a day. It doesn't matter if that 1 time is on the feed or in stories.

Not sure what to post? Go to your insights. Let's see what post got the most attention whether that's
views, likes, comments.

Engage.

Make them WANT to comment on your post or your story. Then guess what you’ll do next?!
Respond back 😆 it's that simple lol! No one likes talking to themselves.

Ask for questions or feedback using the stickers in your story.

Get personal by replying with a video of your…..face 😆 lol!! I know right.

Building a tribe:

Now that you have their attention. Let’s get personal. Ask for their email. And once you’ve built
an email list you’ll ask them to join your Facebook group. 

This is secretly your recovery plan if Instagram decides to shutdown for a day or more 😆.

Schedule live meetups to chat with them!

And that’s how it’s done.

Let’s make you accountable.

Homework: schedule your post out for the next 3 days. Idc if the picture is old. If it’s not professional.
Use a picture then tell a story in the caption.

Tag me @themommyplug if you're up for the challenge.