iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy

Today I have a great post for you from the lovely Ash over at The Grits Blog. She's hanging out on my sidebar this month and she wanted to share with you the biggest differences between the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy. If you haven't checked out her space yet, you need to ASAP. She has some great tutorials, some tasty recipes and is an excellent designer (for example- she did my newest layout!) Go say hello!

---

Hey! I am Ash from The Grits Blog. Today, Rebekah is letting me take over her awesome space. I thought it might be fun to talk about the ten biggest differences I noticed when I made my switch from an iPhone to a Galaxy (a choice that I am still glad I made). If I am missing anything get at me on twitter! I would love to hear from you!

Not sure if you know this - BUT I made the big switch from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy S5 a few weeks ago. I am sure that some of you are like - TRAITOR but I had to make the switch. My iPhone was dying at 50% and there was no way I was going back to one after that crappy experience I had with my iPhone5. Do I plan on going to back to an iPhone ever? Yeah, probably - I miss the picture editing apps and the iTunes.

That being said, I really do love my Galaxy. There are a lot more things that I can do on my Galaxy that I couldn't do on my iPhone...like for one video editing, scheduled night mode. So today, I am here to layout out the ten biggest differences that I noticed right away between my iPhone and Galaxy s5.

(1) Night mode

I used night mode all the time with my iPhone so when I switched to a Galaxy that was one of the first things that I searched for. The problem was, I couldn't find it - that's when my good friend google came into play.

Night mode on the galaxy is called blocking mode. Blocking mode is actually found under settings, then personalization.

What makes blocking mode so unique is that I can set it to only run during certain times, only allow certain people (contacts) to break through blocking mode, and that I have the option to block incoming calls, turn off notifications, and turn off alarm and timer. I like having these options - options that weren't available on my iPhone (and if they were I didn't know about it).

(2) No FaceTime

This is a feature that I really miss and am learning to get over. Helllloooo more snapchatting and gliding. Have you heard of the Glide app? It's video text messaging - it's pretty awesome, check it out if you haven't already. My Uncle Mark thinks it's lame but whatevs, I like it.

(3) Fast menu from top instead of bottom

All I have to do is swipe down from the top and I instantly have access to wi-fi, location, volume options, screen rotation, bluetooth, and settings. I also have an ear phone jack at the top - I like that a lot more too.

If I remember correctly, there was a fast menu at the bottom on the iPhone. Just wanted to point out that there was a fast menu on the Galaxy too.

(4) Water Resistant

Do I even need to write anything here? I mean water resistant says it all.

(5) Swipe Messaging

Sacrificing face-time was well worth it when I figured out I could swipe text. This means that I don't actually have to type anymore, I literally just glide my finger across the letters I am wanting to type and voila text is written.

Love.

This.

To be honest, I am amazed at what it translates. For example, I will be trying to swipe dog food but will start my swipe on a s and just kind of run my thumb all over the keyboard and it magically knows exactly what I am wanting.

Magic.

Harry Potter style magic.

(6) Led light indicator for new activity or messages

I love, love, love, love this little feature. Every time I had my iPhone on silent I never knew, without clicking the round button, if I had text or not. Now, I can tell by just my looking at the front of the phone. There is a different color light for different kind of alerts - text, email, etc.

(7) Free Ringtones

I like to have songs for my ringtones. When I had my iPhone I was limited to whatever came on the phone unless I wanted to pay for a custom ringtone. Wellllll with my Galaxy I don't have to deal with that anymore. I downloaded this free music app called Ocean Music Pro, download whatever song I want, and set it as my free ringtone (I will be posting a tutorial on how to do this).

In case you are wondering, my current tone is sitting on the dock of the bay by Otis Redding.

(8) SD Card

This is my all time most favorite feature of my Galaxy.

I can add storage space to my phone.

FINALLY.

When I had my iPhone I was ALWAYS running out space - whether it be due to pictures, apps, music - what have you. Now, that's no longer a problem. I just install a little micro SD card and wabam! MORE STORAGE!! Yes, you guys it's as simple as that. 

Another cool feature that I like is that I can move storage from my phone storage to my SD card storage. I can do this with pictures, apps, whatever. Cool right?

(9) Photo Apps

I see all of these posts by bloggers about these amazing apps but when I go to download them, I find out that I can't use them on a Galaxy. #DEPRESSED

(10) No podcast on Samsung Galaxy

I love to listen to Podcasts but I can't figure out how to do that on a Galaxy. My favorite were Fresh Air (an NPR interview type podcast, it's awesome0 and Dave Ramsey.

Have you switched your phone lately? 

If so, what's been your favorite feature?

Do you know of any podcasting apps that are available for the Galaxy?

---

And on a different note I'm participating in a pretty awesome giveaway that you all should enter!

 With the holiday's coming up faster than fast, 

this giveaway is really perfect!

145 extra dollars to buy something totally rad for your hubs, or kids, or yourself! 

Yes. Definitely spend it on yourself. 

What I am trying to say is that you HAVE to get entered to win this money.

Because when is free money a bad idea?

The answer...if it's drug money. Bad idea.

This however is clean.

Extra clean free money for you... for following these beautiful ladies:

Mary | Lindsay | Renee | Chelsea | Chelsea

Amy

Karli | Trish | Megan | Karissa | Rebekah

Seems like a win all the way around. 

Get on it. Show them some love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate Banana Nut Shake

 Smoothies and shakes are excellent snacks or meals that you can eat all year round. They work so well because you can add just about anything to them- and freeze a lot of your fruits and vegetables beforehand. I'm super excited to introduce Lindsay, from Lindsay Living Vegan, to you today. 

I actually met Lindsay, via google hangout, when we both signed up for Erin, over at Living in Yellow's, new blogger happy hour. After handing out advice to one another for an hour +,  I knew she was a blogger I wanted to stay in touch with for a while. She writes fantastic posts about the most delicious looking food (all vegan!)- including spectacular smoothies (I've tried a few, they are dynamite!) 

Thankfully I have her stopping by today to help keep you all company while I play work overseas. 

Check out this mouthwatering shake... definitely will be trying this when I'm back stateside!!

---

I may be vegan but that doesn't mean that I don't eat my sweets! I am a huge chocolate lover and I need to have something chocolatey everyday or else I am miss crabby pants! So instead of going crazy, I like to take yummy recipes and veganism them. Guaranteed you won't even tell that the recipes I make are vegan!
 

Last night after eating 2 (yes 2!) bean and rice burritos I was not fully satisfied. Side note - my boyfriend, Jordan, thinks I'm absolutely crazy and that I eat like a teenage boy. I usually just roll my eyes at him or get in crazy mode and try explain to him that the foods I eat are at least healthy. I also just want to point out that I was a vegetarian since I was 4 so I don't even know what meat tastes like and just became vegan last spring. I am the only one in my family and out of my friends who is vegan so I am not one of those vegans who goes around hating and criticizing all the non-vegans out there! I just annoy Jordan :)

Now back to last night... Before I broke out my laptop to see what time Sprinkles closes so that I can run out to get a vegan cupcake, I checked the kitchen thoroughly. I found just enough ingredients to make this chocolatey deliciousness and I am pretty sure you probably have these ingredients as well. If not, they are easy to find!

To make this Chocolate Banana Nut Shake you will need...

• 1 cup of chocolate almond milk
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 fresh banana
• 1 frozen banana
• Handful of ice
• Optional - shredded coconut

I only had 1 frozen banana in my freezer and that is why this recipe calls for 1 frozen and 1 fresh. Frozen bananas blend very creamy and that is how you get that shake/malt texture. I bet if you used 2 frozen bananas then this would taste even better!

Blend all ingredients until smooth

Pour into a glass or mason jar for cuteness and sprinkle on top some coconut flakes!

How easy is that? I almost made another batch of it because Jordan drank half of mine! This is a boyfriend non-vegan approved treat that is full of healthy nutritional ingredients! I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what your favorite treats and desserts are. I would love to veganize it!! :)

Be sure to check Lindsay out via facebook, twitter, and instagram! 

How To Get Out of a Speeding Ticket

I have to say I am extremely grateful to have never been pulled over by a cop- ever. But it always gives me hope when I read stories like these- that if I did get pulled over I could work some magic! Today I bring you Lauren, from Lot 48.

Lauren is a fun gal living in L.A with her hubby. She was some fantastic stories about her adventures out there and some freaking adorable nieces and nephews!

Make sure to check out Lauren on twitter/pinterest/instagram

---

hi everyone!! i am so happy to be guest posting today on Rebekah's blog!! i'm lauren and i blog over at Lot 48.

i have a fun story to tell you today.  it is how i talked myself out of a parking ticket.

last year, i was working as the media director for the local chamber of commerce. it was Christmas season and i was running late to our holiday luncheon.  there was a miscommunication about when i could leave the office to attend the luncheon, so i was running late.  

i was speeding along the road when i saw those horrible three colors.  i was caught! i think i was going 10 over the speed limit.  you know that horrible feeling when you get pulled over.  your heart starts racing and you are quickly start freaking out and thinking how this was going to affect my insurance and life. 

the cop came to my door and did the whole thing of "did you know how fast you were going?" and yadayada.  i knew i was totally screwed.  he took my insurance and such and then told me he would be right back.  

that's when my mind started to actually work.  how was i going to get out of this?? people got out of speeding tickets all the time! surely i could do this!! i just had to think......

click here to finish the story!!

Back to School Fashion

Today I bring you the lovely Tess, from Sequins and Sunflowers- an adorable blog dedicated to healthy living, clean makeup and some super cute fashion. Tess has some fantastic ideas for back to school or just the good old fashion fall clothes.

And don't forget to stop by and say hello to Tess on facebook, twitter, and youtube (yes she vlogs and does tutorials- they are incredible- check it out!) 

Onward!

---

 Sharpened, wooden pencils are one of the things that immediately transport me back to my childhood and the beginning of school. While most families are taking their last vacations and throwing that one last barbecue in the backyard, I can't help but feel excited for what comes next. The crisp weather that fall delivers so promptly and ever so cleverly just as school begins. Children shop with their mothers for the perfect lunch box and we girls fret over which outfit will be perfect on the first day of school.

While I am no longer in school (!!) I still like to use the beginning of school as a guideline for changing up my wardrobe and beginning the transition to more fall pieces.

In celebration of the coming of fall and the beginning of a new school year, here are two of my favorite interpretations of back to school outfits that will not only be comfortable and chic, but could also be worn in most any other casual situations.

 For those who veer toward the girlier side of fashion, this outfit was made for you. Beginning with a floral romper, layer on a sleeveless jean jacket for a fun twist on the typical summer romper. Because this particular romper has a lot of colors going on, I thought it would be fun to pull one of the less noticeable ones out by pairing a bright pink earring to accentuate the pink colors in the fabric of the romper. Add an adorable pair of lace Keds, a pop of pink lipgloss and the epitome of the girl-next-door you will be (did you hear the Yoda voice there?)!

This is personally the outfit I would wear on my first day of school, if I were attending. Pair a slightly distressed pair of boyfriend jeans with an adorable polka dot top for a cheery take on a classic shirt. Add a modern pair of pointy-toe ballet flats in an electric blue before popping on a hot red gloss. Not only will your outfit pop in all the right ways, but there is still a classic edge to it that makes it perfect for the first day of school. Of course, you can always pop on your favorite pair of glasses (who am I kidding, I have one…) for an added element of nerdy chic because yes, that is a thing.

I just wanted to add a little note about high school here, in case you aren't the most popular fish in the sea. I was always a little nerdy and a little different, but I always had great friends who didn't look down on me or call me out on my weirdness. Because of this, I accepted myself at a very young age. This isn't to say that there weren't days where I wished I was a little more Laguna Beach and a little less Urkel, but overall keeping my head up and surrounding myself with friends who liked me the way I was made high school much easier for me.

 So as a final word of encouragement, in the words of Dr. Seuss, "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

4 Ways to Get More Out of Your Travels

Why I, myself, travel off to foreign places for work- I bring you Nicole from GenTwenty to give you some great ways to get more out of your travels.

Nicole is one of co-founders and the editor in chief of the online magazine, GenTwenty. GenTwenty is a wonderful collaboration of several young writers who pen articles about love, relationships, travel, health, career, life and finance. Check them all out at GenTwenty, on facebook, and twitter!

 take it away Nicole!

---

4 Ways to Get More Out of Your Travels 

Many of us twenty-somethings have been bitten with the travel bug and I am no exception. I am always jumping at any chance to hop in the car or board a plane to discover more of this wonderful world we live in.

 I often find myself wavering between trying to enjoy the moment and trying to capture it. It’s the eternal struggle of a traveler to be fully present but to also let your destination resonate with your soul so that you can keep a little piece of it with you for the rest of your life.

These are four things I do when traveling to ensure that I have a healthy balance of both living in the moment and having the chance to relive a trip I never want to forget:

Keep a travel journal. 

Pictures capture the beauty of a place, but a journal holds on to the memories and emotions that a camera can’t capture. It’s fun to start a new journal for every big trip you take, but you can keep one to track smaller trips as well.

In my travel journals, I like to take some time every evening to write about what happened that day. I also find it enjoyable to sit at a cafe or on a bench and people watch while I write. Practicing this forces me to pay more attention to my surroundings and better understand the essence of the place I’ve traveled to.

A journal is also a safe place to keep travel mementos like polaroid pictures, ticket stubs, maps, and postcards.

Don’t overplan.

 It’s so tempting to try to fill your schedule with as many activities as possible while you are traveling. But there is so much beauty to be found in taking a slower pace. I plan only two to three things per day to leave time for aimless wandering around city streets or taking an extra long hike in a national park.

 As a rule of thumb, always tack on an extra hour or two when you are planning a drive to leave time for stopping and meals.

Wake up early.

Nothing quite compares to waking up before the rest of the world. There is a peaceful silence before the day gets started that will clear your mind and refresh your spirit.

Waking up with the sun and wandering around will give you new insight into the city you are staying in. Not to mention you’ll get to see how locals start their day and experience the pace of the city.

Try not to always rely on reviews.

 Using Yelp or Travelocity can be helpful when planning a trip, but some of the best food I’ve ever eaten has been suggested by locals or I’ve wandered into accidentally. I am big on experiencing things firsthand whether others have had a terrible experience or not. Ask a barista, travel guide, or market vendor for their recommendations - most people are happy at the chance to share what they love about their city with travelers.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on ways to both live in the moment and document your travels. Many, many thanks to Rebekah for the opportunity to share this post!

The Rain in Spain

First off- it's one week until my birthday! Woo!! And it's my dad's birthday today! Happy Birthday Dad!

The posts this week were all over the place, so many things are going on right now I'm just throwing what I can and feel out there. Yesterday was a pour your heart out kind of day and hopefully you can go with the flow here.

Sunday I am leaving for Spain/France with work- the packing has been never ending- pack all day at work then come home and pack for myself. the joy. I've got a few friends stopping by the blog while I'm gone in the next two weeks- please give them all a warm welcome. I'm hoping to get some things down while I'm away too- although I'm still debating whether or not to bring my computer...


Five Things for the Week

1) This is the best birthday present a friend could ever send! Seriously, fangirl squealing here.

I received this epic gift from a friend of mine who I have known since middle-school. We haven't spoken as often as I would have liked the last few years, but every time we do speak it's like we never stopped. Love her, love this, love Nsync.

2) And all these shipping labels? The first is from my friend, clearly that is my middle name ; ) Birchbox sent the second- they are stepping up their game!

3) Parties! Tomorrow is my sister's bridal shower! Whoop whoop! I picked my beautiful Kate Spade dress today from Rent the Runway, have all my accessories lined up and am ready to spend the day in Philadelphia celebrating her. Hopefully will get some good pictures in! And I got her a really cute gift...

4) Books, books, books- not that I ever stop reading, I'm addicted. I went ahead and signed up for the free trial of the Kindle Unlimited. So far I'm pretty impressed. They have a great selection and for a crazy reader like me it might be worth it. I will update when my 30-days are up..

5) Speaking of books- I've got a rocking guest post about some of my favorite children's books over with Ashley from That Southern Mama. Check it out!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

(I'm linking up with all these peeps because I'm cool like that- check out some other super awesome bloggers today!!)

Giveaway + What's in my Backpack?

I'm super excited to have a guest post over at Martinis & Bikinis today- Emily has been kind of enough to let me takeover. Go check it out! On another note- I'm also redunkulously excited to announce my first giveaway! I'm addicted to Amazon in so many ways- I use it to order my life, and it has also made my job a lot easier- subscribe and save lets me make sure we are never low on the essentials like toilet paper, laundry detergent, kids oatmeal,and diapers. Basically it's one of my favorite sites and I'm now giving you all the opportunity to enter to win a $25 gift card.


And now on the the good stuff... What is in my Backpack?

During the work week I carry around a backpack and not a purse- I can not rave about it enough. It holds all my junk, all the kids junk and is a lot easier in my opinion. Here are a few of my favorite things...

There is a bunch of other stuff in the picture, but I'm sure you get the idea. Weirdly enough my typically bunch of snacks is missing, you know goldfish, applesauce, fruit snacks- sometimes even pirate booty!

 Don't forget to enter the giveaway- and thank you, always, for stopping by!

a Rafflecopter giveaway