This post about smartphone ideas for summer has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #SummerIsForSavings #CollectiveBias #WFM1

No matter how much you might wish summer was for slowing down, in my experience, summer is just one insanely busy season for families. From soccer tryouts to summer vacations, it can be hard to unwind and to stay connected. But the thing is, I’ve learned a few ways to avoid summer stress by staying connected with my smartphone. Syncing schedules, sharing summer memories, and treating your ears to your favorite summer tunes are all great ways to use your smartphone for the best summer ever, and with Walmart Family Mobile, the data you need doesn’t have to break the bank, either.

Soundtrack to Summer

Two decades after summers spent at the city swimming pool, I can still tell you exactly what songs make me think back to playing mermaids and pool tag with my BFFs all summer long. I can tell you the songs that filled my ears as I rode home from summer vacation ten years ago. I can still tell you exactly what song was playing at a poolside barbecue I went to before my son was born. Why? Because songs play a huge role in evoking memories.

That’s why every summer, I make playlists for every occasion. A trip to the pool. A summer vacation road trip. The best summer hike ever… each one gets it’s own special playlist to help us remember the moment. One way to make sure your family’s memories last for years is to connect those great memories with great music that will last in their minds for decades to come. The Google Play Music app comes pre-installed on the LG Grace smartphone. It’s a great app for setting up playlists from the songs and artists you love. But, there are tons of awesome apps for Android that are totally free to let you make the soundtrack for your summer.

Morning Reflection

Summer listening isn’t just about songs. One of the best ways that I can recharge and make sure my family is getting the absolute BEST version of me is to take time for myself each week during the summer. My favorite way to do this is to sit on the front porch and relax. I sip some coffee and enjoy my favorite podcast. Having the flexibility to enjoy those podcasts on the go is also great.

I love to choose podcasts that help me with my creative process. I’m also a big fan of podcasts that are relevant to my business, and it’s always interesting to hear from other professionals that I admire most. However, the real treasure is in just taking time for myself. During the summer, my life is packed with wall-to-wall family time. I love having so much great time with my family, but taking time to listen to a favorite podcast is a great way to make sure I don’t forget myself in the shuffle. If podcasts aren’t your thing, try an audiobook instead! Either way, take that intentional time for just you during the busy summer season.

Know Where You’re Going

I have a bad sense of direction. Even though I’ve been to our city’s science museum about three dozen times, I still cannot manage to get there without a little navigational assistance. Luckily, I get great signal strength from Walmart Family Mobile in my area. This means my map stays connected the whole way from my house to the museum and back. Even if I’ve already been there a lot this summer, it’s great to know I won’t get lost again.

Sync Schedules

Family vacation. Soccer tryouts. Summer jobs. Events and concerts. All of these things are important things for my family to stay synced on, so we know where everyone is and when. Plus, it helps us plan those all-important times spent together, like family dinners. By sharing this calendar that syncs to each of our smartphones, we can make sure no one misses anything. We love to use Google Calendar because of it’s easy color coding options, but any shared family calendar is the perfect way to stay connected all summer long.

Capture Memories

Arguably one of the most important ways that I use my smartphone during the summer is to share important family memories. I love being able to post photos of family vacations. I also love to send emails, tweets, and texts about the fun we’re having as a family while on the go. Plus, I know there will be family I don’t get to see this summer. A smartphone is a great way to make sure I’m staying connected with them. I love sharing what my family is up to and seeing what they’re up to, as well. Having plenty of data means I can share these essential memories during the summertime. But, it also means I can stay connected to those who matter most to me that I don’t get to see as often.

Unfortunately this year, just days after we left our beloved island vacation spot, a tropical storm hit. This tropical storm flooded our beloved island. It caused a huge impact for people and places that we have grown to know and love. With over a decade of memories there, it was heartbreaking to see. It was very important to us to be able to get in touch with people that we knew. We wanted to be sure that people were staying safe. It’s reassuring to know that I can send a message of support and make sure everyone I know down there is safe.

How We Stay Connected

Because all of these things are so important to my family during the summer, and to me personally, I love making sure that I have a wireless plan that fits my needs. I’ve shared about how much I love using my smartphone in the past. I’ve talked about how I use it for work, and I’ve talked about using it for family movie nights. I find that summer, however, is the time when I need that connectivity the most. Since I am away from work and from family at various points during the summer, I rely on good service to keep me connected. As busy schedules make it increasingly hard to touch base, I like knowing I have a wireless service that helps ease that stress.

This summer, I made sure to pick up the LG Grace phone at the electronics department of my local Walmart store. The phone has a great camera for capturing those summer memories, and plenty of great space for storing them, too! I also chose to continue my great Walmart Family Mobile service, which I love because there is no contract and no activation fee. Every month, I can choose to keep using the great service without stress. It’s easy to use, too– just pick your phone, pick your plan, activate and go. If you already have a phone you love, you can even keep using it when you make the switch to Walmart Family Mobile!

The Walmart associate who was working in the electronics department even shared the various ways of paying for my Walmart Family Mobile service. This helped me pick the right payment method for me. I loved that I could pay over the phone, or online. But the one that fit my needs the most was the option to set up auto-pay. It’s extra convenient, so I don’t have to worry about it when I’m out of town.

Because it’s a month-to-month service, I don’t even have to worry about late fees. Since Walmart family mobile has the best pricing in no-contract phone plans, I have plenty of money left in the budget for fun. That means pool passes for unlimited pool trips, extra time spent going to the drive-in movies, and more sno cones! I love knowing there’s a plan that fits in my budget. That way, I can save money for the fun things in life, too.

I love the $49.88 PLUS plan from Walmart Family Mobile. It gives me unlimited data to make sure I’m connected through every picture, song, and calendar appointment during my summer (unlimited includes up to 15GB of 4G LTE† data then 2G*).

That’s a whole bucketful of data that I can use for streaming those summer songs, sharing those summer pictures, and listening to my favorite podcasts while I unwind with coffee in the morning.

But Walmart Family Mobile’s PLUS plan isn’t just about the great data. Right now, every month you renew your Walmart Family Mobile service, you’ll get a VUDU◊ movie rental credit, valued at $7!

What’s Your Favorite Way to Stay Connected this Summer?

Let me know in the comments below (and tell me your favorite song to add to your summer playlists, too!). I love the service and affordability that Walmart Family Mobile provides my family. The huge bucketful of data is great for making sure I have plenty of ways to stay connected this summer. If you want to learn more and find out just how easy it is to start using or switch to Walmart Family Mobile, you can check out the details here.

Disclaimer:
*Please always refer to the latest terms and conditions at myfamilymobile.com.

†To get 4G LTE speed, you must have a 4G LTE capable device and 4G LTE SIM Card. Actual availability, coverage, and speed may vary. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.

All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to this page or your local Walmart for current pricing.

◊Limited time offer. Available for lines active with the PLUS $49.88 plan only. VUDU enabled device and account required for digital viewing. Customers must be 18 years or older to open a VUDU account. Movie rental only available in the USA. Free movie rental provided in the form of a movie rental code to the value of a $7.00 VUDU credit. Movie rental code allows for selection from available movies for rent.  May not be readily redeemable on all new releases. Code will be delivered within up to 24 hours of the effective account renewal date. Must be used within 30 days of receiving code. Offer is non-transferable. Limit 1 per customer. Additional terms and conditions on VUDU’s website: http://www.vudu.com/termsofservice.html

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