Tag Archives: Video Chat

Two Ways Skype Helps My Family During Summer Travel

July 6, 2012Brand Ambassador, New posts, Summer Time Fun, Technology, Travelroad trip, Skype, summer, The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, Travel, Video ChatAlicia

Our summer has been go, go, go! Non stop planning, packing, having fun at our destination, unpacking, then planning the next trip. We started the kid’s summer break off with a 4 day stay Callaway Gardens in East Georgia, then we stayed at a beautiful beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama for a week, now we’re preparing for a 5 day stay at The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia this Saturday and then I’m going to New Mexico for a business trip for 3 days, then we’re going to Callaway Gardens again for 4 days again. A week after that trip I am scheduled to have surgery so I guess you could say that I’ve been trying to squeeze a lot of fun into a short summer break because my surgery is recovery time is cutting two weeks off of potential travel and fun time with the kids.

While my husband is not able to travel with the kids and I on all of these trips this summer and thus can’t read to her every night, which he and my daughter both love, I came up with the fabulous idea of using Skype to allow him to be right there with her in bed and read to her at night even though he’s hundreds of miles away.

Skype gives my kids the ability to see and talk to their dad while we’re away without him. Seriously, Skype is a life changer for me. Having my husband help put the kids to bed even though he’s hundreds of miles away is great and couldn’t be done without Skype.

Skype Tip #1: How to put a child to bed via Skype

I get my daughter all ready for bed. She brushes her teeth, flosses, rinses, goes to the bathroom and washes her hands and face.
Then I tuck her in bed.
Next, I put my laptop in the bed next to my 6 year old and connect to Skype.
After that we call her Daddy on Skype.
He picks up from wherever he is, via his iPhone or laptop.
He talks to her about her day then he asks her to pick three stories from her pile of books by the bed.
He reads the three books to her and then he SINGS to her like he always does at home.

This is just one way that Skype allows my daughter and husband to have a normal bedtime routine even during summer travel!

Skype’s new anti-shake video feature for iPhone makes video chats even more pleasant than they were before!

Skype Tip #2: Have a Skype group chat to help plan your summer vacation

Because our summer vacation trips often involve family members in other states, it is helpful to have a group ‘meeting’ before we arrive at our destination so everyone is on the same page regarding where we are going to go while we’re there, where we want to eat, etc. It’s a great idea to set up a time when all of the adults involved in the vacation can chat via Skype and go over the details of the trip. Skype Group Video Chat is available with a Premium subscription.

Here is a fun infographic that illustrates how 1,200 Moms think technology brings them closer to friends and family.

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More about Skype:

Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Skype. I received Skype credits to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Skype and FaceTime: The Differences

May 15, 2012Gadgets, iPad, iphone, New posts, TechnologyFaceTime, Skype, Video ChatAlicia

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Do you wonder what the differences between Skype and FaceTime are? Why should you use Skype over FaceTime?

When I was approached about becoming a Skype ambassador, I thought to myself “why would I want to use Skype regularly instead of FaceTime?”.

Just by asking myself that question, I realized that I had subconciously blocked all of my PC owning family and friends, from my video call list. Most of my family members own PC’s and do not own an iPhone or iPad. Let’s just say they live simple lives. Therefor, I can’t FaceTime with them. I have cousins who have children that my kids would love to video chat with but until it clicked for me that we can all use Skype, I didn’t even consider it. With Skype, my kids can chat with any family member who owns a PC, Android device, iOS device, or Mac.

While I love FaceTime for video chatting with my Dad and Sister who both own an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, FaceTime does not allow me to chat with my PC loving friends and family.

Skype vs FaceTime Feature Comparison

	Skype	FaceTime
Video chat from PC/Windows	Yes	No
Video chat from iPhone/iPad/Mac/iOS	Yes	Yes
Video chat from Android	Yes	No
Let’s you know who’s available	Yes	No
Chat function	Yes	No
Group video calling	Yes (Premium feature)	No
Send files while you chat	Yes	No

These comparisons are valid as of May 2012.

Situation when using Skype rocks!

If you have a child who is graduating school soon, Skype is a great way to help grandparents celebrate with you!
Include relatives in your child’s birthday celebration
Your kids can video chat with Mom or Dad when they are traveling
Read a bedtime story to your child when you are traveling
Bloggers, catch up with your blogging buddies between events via Skype!

Connect with Skype:

Disclosure: While I am a Skype Ambassador, this post was not required.

Skype Mother’s Day Video Greetings

May 7, 2012Family Time, Mother's Day, Technologybrand ambassador, mother's day, Skype, Video ChatAlicia

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Mother’s Day is quickly approaching and while I am lucky to live five minutes from my mom, many of my friends mother’s live in another state or even another country. No matter where your mother is though, Skype can help you send her love on Mother’s Day via a video chat and video message. A video chat is so much more personal than just sending a card. I do recommend sending Mom flowers, but a video chat will make her day!

How to prepare for your Skype Mother’s Day Video Chat:

Tell your Mom what time you will be calling on Mother’s Day.
Have your Mom download and set up Skype on her computer at least one day before the call.
Tell your kids ahead of time that you are going to call Grandma and tell her happy Mother’s Day.
Ask your kids if they have anything special they’d like to show Grandma or tell her while on the chat.
Create and rehearse a special Mother’s Day poem or song for Grandma.
Call your Mom at the specified time and enjoy the video chat!

Send Mom a Mother’s Day message via Skype’s ‘Mom, you rock’ Facebook application

Alternatively or in addition to a Skype video chat with your Mom on Mother’s Day, you can create a fun and unique message for her by visiting Skype’s Mom You Rock Facebook page. Skype is celebrating Mother’s Day by offering a free video greeting card through their Mom You Rock Facebook page.

Mom You Rock is a charity campaign organized by Skype. For every ‘Mom, You Rock‘ video message that is sent, $1 will go to Save the Children’s Global Action Fund in support of the new MomsTheWord.org campaign.

Using Skype’s Mom You Rock application you can create a special video message for a mom in your life in about ten minutes. Say more than you can on a greeting card and best of all, Mom will see your expressions, emotion, and just how much you love her, in your message! Your mom will need to be on Facebook in order to send her a special Mom You Rock message. After you click on the Say ‘Mom, you rock’ image on the Facebook page, you will be prompted to choose a Facebook friend (your mom) to send the video greeting to. Next, choose from three rockin’ songs to feature in your video message. Last, personalize your Mom, you rock video with short messages like “Happy Mother’s Day”, “We Love You!” and more. Then send or schedule!

Here is the Mother’s Day Skype message that I created for my mom:

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More about Skype:

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Skype. I received Skype credits to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.