THOUGHTFUL GIFT IDEAS YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF!

I often struggle with what to give friends and family that seem to have everything. Here are a few gift ideas you may not have thought of, but that are very thoughtful gifts!

I am loving COZI Family . It is a free calendar and organization app, that you can upgrade to the paid option of COZI GOLD. Great for keeping all the busy family schedules connected and up to date. I especially love the lists function for Groceries, Packing etc. Be sure to visit the Cozi Site for tons of great recipes, meal ideas, and tips on everything from travel to finance. 

NETFLIX CANADA allows you to stream movies and shows to your TV or other devices like a tablet, or phone. Perfect for Snowbird parents, your kids, or for a carpooling Mom who is sitting waiting at yet another game or lesson. You can get a 1 month trial for free, and it is only $7.99 per month for the service should you decide to sign up. You may require a Media Player such as the Roku which can be purchased for under $100.

You can give the gift of personal security to yourself, family and friends by sharing and downloading REACT Mobile free app. This app allows you to share your location with your contacts as well as has an emergency function that prompts a 911 call button.

Another online option I love is ZINIO Digital Magazines. You can get all your favourite magazines delivered right to your inbox. In my case feel free to get me a tablet to read them on too!

Lastly an ereader like a KOBO or a KINDLE is a great gift. The gift of reading in a light weight portable package is at the top of my wish list. There are many books that can be downloaded for free, you can borrow ebooks from your local library, or if you are really lucky you'll get a gift card in your stocking! Its perfect for travelling, and fits in your pocket or purse so you can take it with you where ever you go.

I'm Cathy thinking out loud about Holiday giving.

Note: I have not been compensated in anyway for this post. These are completely my own opinions.

React Mobile: A Proactive APProach To Your Personal Safety! - Free iPhone or Android App

Nobody wants to feel scared, especially in their own home. Robb Monkman, the founder of REACT Mobile, was held at gunpoint during a home invasion while he was in college, and he “REACT”ed by creating a “tool that could be used to silently and discreetly alert a wide network, including authorities, of an emergency and its location”.

The REACT Mobile app allows you to take a proactive approach to your family's personal safety. There are so many perfect “app”lications or should I say App-locations this easy to use, free app would truly not only make you feel safer but actually be safer. You are in control of who your emergency contacts are, and how they will be notified in the case of an emergency. It could be by email, Twitter or Facebook. 

The "Follow Me" feature allows the contacts you select to track your location in real-time. 

The "I'm Safe" button allows you to let your contacts know you have arrived safely at your destination. It is also a perfect way for your kids to let you know they have arrived safely.

 By pressing the "SOS Shield" you “send out a panic alert containing a link to your GPS location” to your emergency contacts. 

By activating the SOS panic alert “you’re automatically prompted to dial 911”. 

In an emergency no one wants to be fumbling with numbers or buttons on their cell phone.

When my children were young, my husband travelled for work and I would have loved the security this app would have given me in the event of a home invasion, or an emergency. I regularly drive by myself, or with the kids to visit family that live out of town. In the event of a breakdown, getting lost, or an emergency the React Mobile app “Follow Me” feature would allow my family at home and at my destination to know I am safe. 

The React Mobile app is perfect for Joggers and Walkers as well. I love to go for walks in the beautiful parks and wooded areas that surround my neighbourhood, but I am always uncomfortable being on my own, and often encounter no one on these walks. I don’t like to walk the same route for safety reasons, but it also means no one knows the route I have taken. With the React Mobile “Follow Me” feature my loved ones would know exactly where I am. Not only would this be great for me but, now that my kids are older, they come and go much more independently. They take the bus or ride their bikes to activities, or to see friends. I can’t remember the number of times I have told them they must keep me informed of where they are, and the number of times they forget to call and let me know their plans have changed and they are actually somewhere completely different. Should there be an emergency I would have no idea where to start to look for them. Plus, let’s face it I could do without spending Friday and Saturdays nights worrying. The “Follow Me” feature would go a long way to help to eliminate that worry.

Isn't it time you took a proactive APProach to your personal safety and checked out:

For more information about React Mobile and their free app visit ReactMobile.com

Be sure to follow React Mobile on Twitter and Facebook for all their updates and news!

You can download the React Mobile free app for iPhones from iTunes iPhone download

or for select Android phones from Google Play Android phone download

I am Cathy thinking out loud about React Mobile and Personal Safety.

DISCLOSURE: I was compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.