Making Time

Something I'm always striving to improve at is being fully present when I'm with my daughter. It sounds shitty of me to even say that I struggle at that. Like how could I not automatically be living in each moment to the fullest when I'm with her? It all boils down to multitasking, to trying to stay one step ahead of the game. To trying to stay on top of everything I've got to accomplish within the scope of a day as it relates to my child, my house, my husband, my dogs, and my job. Is that list long enough for ya LOL?

And -- here's where you think I sound really bad -- I'm always trying to find ways to not be in my phone so much around Harlow but it's so hard when A) your job requires a lot of phone time, B) you use your phone to pull up everything from the weather, to recipes, to banking, to Amazon Prime, and C) I feel very vulnerable without it. Vulnerable in the sense that if an emergency were to happen (as it just did when Harlow cut her head) I need my phone ASAP to call for help.

(Let's just pause and remember growing up in the '80s and '90s when we never even considered the need for all this. We had paper maps, cookbooks, Weather on the 8s, and disposable cameras. A simpler time....)

Okay SO! The point of all this is I've actually stumbled upon somewhat of a solution that keeps me connected to the world and within instant reach of help while keeping my phone in the other room. It's called...my Apple Watch.

(Another pause to mention this is not sponsored, just my thoughts and experiences.)

Get Off Your A**

Mike got me my Apple Watch for Mother's Day and I loved the idea of it, I just didn't know much about its capabilities. I felt very Inspector Gadget about the whole thing, talking into my wrist and trying to read the world's tiniest email. Basically Will Ferrell in the Jeffrey's skit.

The first thing that hooked me was the Activity Tracker, the three rings that track your daily movement, exercise, and standing goals. Here I was telling myself that my busy mom life was keeping me sufficiently active and on the move only to find out via my Apple Watch that I was way more sedentary than I realized. So now I've prioritized exercise more than I have since Harlow was born and I'm LOVING everything about it -- you can read more about that come-to-Jesus talk I had with myself and my new exercise regimen HERE.

So the whole pedometer/Fitbit-esque thing is pretty straightforward and expected. What I did NOT expect was how my Apple Watch would free me from my phone and make me more present in the moment without making me feel vulnerable and far away from help should the need arise.

Here's how it works. Your Watch is connected to your phone -- that's how it gets your texts, calls, emails, calendar, the whole shebang. When your phone gets a text, it zips right over to your watch and slightly buzzes your wrist to alert you. (It doesn't hurt or startle you in the least.) Same thing with calls and reminders. So when I'm playing with Harlow, or on a play date, or running errands, or doing anything that requires my attention and focus, I don't feel the need to check my phone for any missed messages.

Put Down Your Phone

Just think about how many times a day you pick up your phone to see if you've received a text or a reminder about something and you haven't. You already knew you hadn't, but you feel compelled to pick up that dang phone! I just love that my watch keeps me connected but is helping me break that annoying habit. It's by no means broken, but it's better. And now Harlow doesn't have to see me in my phone more than necessary like when I'm working or need to immediately respond to something.

You can respond to texts on your watch by using Siri or using the Scribble function...but you have to write one letter out at a time. You're definitely not going to write long texts that way but you can if you have to. Siri is the way to go here, and honestly, the Siri function works WAY better on my watch than it ever has on my phone. Plus anything you tell Siri to do, like set a reminder or a timer or what have you, it records it on your phone, too. Your watch is basically an extension of your phone you wear at all times, they're always synced.

Help Is On The Way

And here is the BIG one for me. I always always always make sure I have my phone because without it I feel like danger is out to get me. So I keep it close by...but then it's just tempting to scroll through a shopping app, or Instagram, or check email. With my watch I can keep my phone in the other room but still dial or text for help if (heaven forbid) the need arises.

Just the other day, my friend told me her daughter locked them both in her room and she had to scream for help out of the window because she didn't have her phone! And of course this happened at nap time, bless her heart. If this situation occurred while wearing a watch, you could place a call from your watch and get help ASAP.

So yeah, basically this love letter to Apple Watch is a big 'thank you' for helping me work on my annoying habit of being on my phone a lot without losing the safety net of communication. And, of course, helping light a fire under my rear end to get moving and close those damn rings.

Who knew a futuristic gadget could do so much to make me feel like a better mom. I'm more present in the time I spend with her, and I'm reinvigorated to be physically fit. I guess Mike hit it out of the park with this one!

And here's a BIG BIG BIG tip: check your insurance plan to see if it offers discounted pricing on an Apple Watch. That's how Mike and I got both of ours. Mine was essentially half off and his was under $100 but he didn't get the newest model.

ICYW I have the Apple Watch Series 3 with the rose gold sport band. You can switch out the band for a dressier or sportier option, depending on where you wear it. Mike and I buy extra watch bands on Amazon and they've worked great plus you save a little cash. I like this nylon band and this leather band that match the rose gold watch. Both of those bands come in tons of difference colors to coordinate with your watch (like if yours is black or silver and not rose gold like mine).

I've loved sharing this post with you today! Thanks so much for taking the time to come by The Tony Townie. Talk soon!

xxBrooke

Note: This post is not sponsored or endorsed by Apple or any retailers of Apple Watch. However, it does contain affiliate links which mean I get a small commission off of any purchase made by clicking through some of the embedded links in this post. This does not affect the cost or price to you in any way, but merely helps me continue to create new and relevant content here on The Tony Townie!