There's a Sprocket in my pocket!

I have to say that when I first saw the advertisements come out for the new HP Sprocket, I struggled to think about why anyone would NEED this product.  But, I as much as I questioned the need for one, I was nevertheless excited to find out that I would be able to try this newest piece of technology out with my family.   After setting it up and playing with it for a week, I have to admit that it is easy to use and a fun addition to our house.  If you haven't heard about the Sprocket yet, it's a pocket sized, inkless photo printer generating 2"x3" prints of your favorite pictures.  Think of it as Polaroids for the 21st Century.

So, how does it work?  It's incredibly easy to set up.  Once removed from the package, you want to plug your Sprocket into your laptop via the USB charging cable in order to get the battery ready to go. When you have your battery charged up, pair your Sprocket to your smartphone using Bluetooth and then download the Sprocket app on your phone.  In the app, you can select the picture you want to print from social media sites like Facebook or Instagram, or you can choose from pictures in your photo library.  After selecting your picture, you can edit to add text, stickers, or photo frames and also crop or use a filter on your image.  Make sure you've loaded the Zink paper into the printer, press the green print button, and you have your photo!  It's so easy to use and fun to play with that my four year old continuously asks me when we can make more pictures.

Being able to print pictures on-the-go can be a great way to celebrate even the smallest of moments with family and friends. The Zink photo paper also features a sticky back so you can add the prints to a collage, white board, or binder easily (just to name a few!)  I will say that I've found the coloring to be a bit off with the printer - duller than the images themselves.  I've been able to work around the problem by lightening the image using the editing tools prior to printing, but it's good to know in advance.

In the app

The finished product

As you're completing holiday shopping for your friends and family, the HP Sprocket definitely deserves a look for anyone who enjoys capturing and sharing those special moments.  I can see us using our printer at holiday gatherings and parties throughout the year for instant photo booth fun and to print copies of favorite pictures with those family members that we don't get to see too often.  I'm anxious to continue to learn and play with all of the features of the Sprocket and can't wait to have fun this holiday season with our family and friends.  

Disclosure: I received the HP Sprocket for free as a promotional item for my participation in the HP Millennial Influencer Panel.  Opinions are my own!

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HP for Christmas!

As a Disney loving mom, I'm always collecting articles to help me plan my next Disney trip and reliving memories from my previous vacations.  When I attended the Disney Social Media Moms On the Road Celebration in New York City earlier this year, I was able to see some of the latest HP printing technology in action.  And just in time for any last minute shopping that may be on your list, I'm happy to share some details from HP that you won't want to miss!

The HP Envy 5540 e-All-in-One printer is perfect for all of your printing, scanning, and copying needs and it also includes 3 months of free HP Instant Ink.  HP Instant Ink allows you to pick a monthly subscription plan that works for you based on the number of pages printed.  When you are running low on ink, HP will automatically send some your way!  And with subscriptions as low as $2.99/month, it's a great way save money on your at home printing too.

As an added bonus for the holiday, HP is offering 6 months of free Instant Ink for printers enrolled by Dec. 31, 2015.  To enroll your printer in this program, visit http://bit.ly/HPInstantInk6.  HP Instant Ink has no annual fee and you can change or cancel your plan at any time.

I was impressed with the quality of HP with their onsite printing during Disney Social Media Moms Celebration as well as the ease of use.  So whether your planning a vacation, creating a menu for a holiday meal, or working on a project for work or school, the HP Envy 5540 and HP Instant Ink are great companions for all of your printing needs! #NeverRunOut

This post was sponsored by HP and BSM Media.  Opinions are my own.

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Great Apps for Capturing Your Memories!

While at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration in New York City last month, we were shown two great apps that I have thoroughly enjoyed using over the past few weeks.  In my opinion, both of these apps provide a great way to capture favorite memories and experiences.

The first app is Magisto.  When using Magisto, you add your photos and videos then choose a theme and background music.  The way the app puts everything together is out of your control so you can't choose what you want to go first, second, etc.  However, I think you'll enjoy the way everything comes together for a final project.  This is a video that I created from our recent trip to a Baltimore Orioles game.  There is a free version of the app available, but what you are seeing here is the pro version though.  We received a code to get the premium version of the app free for one year "magistotrial12" which you can also use!  



The second app is Videolicious.  Similar to Magisto, Videolicious takes videos and photos to create a finished product.  One big difference is that you control the order in which your media files are displayed as well as the timing.  Here, you'll see Brody talking about what he is most excited to see and do on our upcoming Walt Disney World trip.  As you can see, some of my pictures were cut off.  Videolicious works best with photos and videos shot in landscape - something I'll have to keep in mind in the future.  I put this video together using the free version of the Videolicious app, but they have plenty of upgrades for purchase that look like neat tools.



Both apps are enjoyable and, if you're anything like me, you can easily spend an afternoon playing and reliving some great memories.  I hope that you have fun with these two apps!

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I'm Going On The Road!

The Friday before Memorial Day weekend is generally a reason for celebration.  It signals the start of summer, warmer weather, and the beginning of a holiday weekend to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  The weekend also carries with it cookouts and time with family and friends.  But this year, that particular Friday was sprinkled with a little extra magic.

"Kristi, you just received a pixie dusted email.  What are you going to do know?"

I'm going to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration in New York City!

Each year, Disney celebrates bloggers and social media mom influencers with a conference in either Disneyland or Walt Disney World plus a few other one day celebrations known as "On the Road" events.  Invites to each of these are anxiously anticipated and highly coveted!  No one quite knows the magic formula to get invited to one of the conferences as invitees range from novices in the world of social media to some big time bloggers and individuals with thousands of Twitter followers.  This year, by the grace of some Disney magic, I've been invited to attend Disney Social Media Moms Celebration On the Road in New York City.  I couldn't have been more excited to see that little ol' me was invited after just beginning my journey into the world of blogging a little over a year ago.

So what am I hoping to take away from the day?

Disney Surprises! - Everything Disney does is done well!  I can't wait to see the magic and surprises that await us in NYC.  Even though the conference is only 5 hours, I'm sure it will be packed with all of the special Disney touches that only Disney can do.

Learning - I am certainly new to the world of social media and blogging.  While my Twitter, Instagram, and blog following have grown a lot in the past few months, I have a lot to learn to continue my journey in the world of social media!

Meeting Friends - The Disney social media community is so wonderful and supportive.  Between Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook I feel like I've come to know some great ladies (and some Disney Dads too!) who are as passionate about Disney as I am even though we've never met.  Half the fun of yesterday, was celebrating with others invited and planning to say "hi" in the Big Apple!

In the weeks ahead, look for posts as I get ready to attend and then, of course, some follow-up posts on what I learned!  And for those of you on social media, follow the excitement by looking for #DisneySMMC and #Disney OTR on Twitter and Instagram.

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