Babies

ATTENTION: I’ve Got A Fantastic, Free App To Tell You About And Starbucks To Give Away! (KidsLink Review & Giveaway)

By Jill December 22, 2014 291 Comments

I think that was the longest post title in the history of this blog, but I know it’s like minutes until Christmas and we are all losing our minds right now. So I’m trying to make this very easy to understand. This post is sponsored by KidsLink, a fantastic app that I really believe is going to make your life easier in the new year. And there is free coffee involved.

Y’all know we are a digital family.

So technology. Many chargers.

It’s also a not-so-secret that we are a tad disorganized and easily overwhelmed. Now that we have 2 kids old enough to be involved in extracurricular activities, and the littlest is still frequenting the pediatrician more than once a year on a quest to get all his vaccinations, it’s like we are swimming in a pile of paperwork, doggy paddling in mountains of forms and reminders.

Then there’s the non-stop exchange of forms and cards and information between my husband and me. And then my mom when she takes the kids. And hey, do you think we should leave the insurance card with the babysitter? And did we remember to tell her the neighbor’s phone number and the security code we set for her on the home alarm system?

The KidsLink app serves a few different functions, but the one I think is most important is the ability to store anything from photos of insurance cards, to vaccination records, and information about allergies or bedtimes or really ANYTHING. And then being able to share that ONLY with people you approve.

Download the KidsLink app for iOS here

Here’s a look at the start of Kendall’s profile. (Apologies in advance to all of you who are going to twitch seeing my low battery. I need a phone upgrade yesterday.)

I could add so much more, including any special information about bedtimes or food allergies, or even about video game restrictions and areas where he might need help with behavior or things to watch out for.

Then you can opt to share that, via email, with someone like the babysitter or other caregiver.

This is what gets sent to them in a matter of seconds. No writing out detailed babysitter notes each time.

Heck, if you forget to leave any kind of notes at all and run out of the house, never looking back the minute the babysitter becomes a warm body in your home, you could still send this in a flash. From your car. As you travel toward the place with the wine and none of your kids. While your partner is driving, of course. Because you would never use your phone while driving because that’s dumb.

That’s really just a fraction of what this app does, though.

This short video does a great job explaining all the features of this FREE app.

I admit I use social media as my children’s scrapbooks. CLEARLY.

Beyond this blog, I share much, much more on my personal Facebook page, and Instagram. I have to stop myself sometimes, though, because there’s stuff I want to digitally document that just doesn’t need to be on IG or FB.

I’m going to try my best to make KidsLink my FIRST stop for all things over-sharing with the kids. Then I can decide if I want to push that info out to FB or IG from there, or if I want to keep that particular post or picture or funny quote living just on the app. And I can even choose to keep that entirely private on KidsLink, but still have it stored under their personal story boards.

There are other apps that do this, too, but I love that this is wrapped in with all the other features that KidsLink offers.

For example, here’s a pic I snapped of Kendall’s Christmas list this year.

It was easy to push this to Facebook and share it there, too. I even used their in-app photo editing to increase the clarity and contrast.

So now the really fun part. KidsLink LOVES the BabyRabies community. They were very excited to get in front of you all (as they should be). They wanted to do an awesome giveaway, and something big for one person would have been fun, but they came up with an even better idea.

They are giving a $5 Starbucks gift card to the first ~~80 people~~ 160 who download the app, sign up using the code BABYRABIES and sign in.

(They originally offered 80 gift cards, but we blew through that in an hour! So they offered an additional 80, making it 160 total!!)

How fun is that?! You get a mocha, and YOU get a mocha, and YOU ALL get a mocha! (Or an eggnog latte. Whatevs.)

Hurry up and sign up, sign in, get going, and invite your friends! Imagine, you could all get Starbucks gift cards, and then have coffee together!

Me and KidsLink, just working together to help you protect your family’s digital legacy AND give you a reason to meet up with your friends for coffee. On us. Happy Holidays!

In order to get your Starbucks gift card, comment below after you’ve downloaded and signed up. When you comment, do so WITH THE EMAIL YOU USED FOR KIDSLINK- you don’t have to include it IN the comment, just put it in the required email field. That’s all you have to do. Gift cards go to the first 80 commenters that provide emails that are signed up for KidsLink.

************** IMPORTANT, if you are commenting in the FB comments section and you do not leave your email address IN the comment, I can’t count you because I can’t see your email address!

IF YOU COMMENT IN THE BLOG POST COMMENT SECTION, no need to put the email address IN your comment. Just fill it in in the comment entry section.************

ANOTHER ALL CAPS BOLD NOTE ADDED AT 9 PM CST— If a bunch of you make your first post tonight, like we can really convince them y’all are getting in there and checking out the app, Kidslink is going to give away ANOTHER 80 CARDS!! That would make the total 240 $5 Starbucks gift cards!!! Get in there and post!