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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!?  If you’re gearing up to have some people over this Super Bowl Sunday then continue on for some tasty, fun party ideas that will surely impress your guests this year!  It’ll look like you went the extra mile, but will take minimal effort to pull off.

A party isn’t a party without FOOD, so let’s start there!  Since we’re talking stress-free, what better way to start the festivities than with some good old crock pot cookings.  Let your appliances do the work for you.  Chili and corn bread could kick a field goal with your guests, and it’s super easy to toss together!  Another option is a taco bar.  Mix your meat in the crock pot and put the cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and salsa in separate dishes for a self serve buffet.

If sandwiches are more your speed, there are a number of mini sliders that you can mass produce and whip up in no time.  The quickest would be the slider dog.  Grab some rolls and insert half a hot dog.  Top it off with a strip of ketchup or mustard in the shape of football laces for a fun twist!  Ham & Swiss or meatball sliders are some favorites that would be a huge hit as well.  If you’re looking for something unique, however, consider a chicken & waffle slider!  Sandwich a piece of fried chicken between two slices of mini waffles and pin together with a toothpick.  Drizzle with maple syrup and you’re ready to kick back and watch the game in no time!

It’s always good to consider an extra snack for the grazers.  Brown bags filled with chips and pop corn to grab on the go, rice crispy treats in the shape of footballs, or a quick Mexican dip with vegetables could liven up the bunch with a well rounded display of goods!

There’s more to Game Day than food, though.  This is a day of entertainment, so we can’t write a Game Day blog without including some actual game ideas too.  You might end up with a variety of people at your party who are at varying degrees of football fanatics.  Keep everyone entertained with a few small, fun games.  Lay out some bingo cards (try these free printables) and the winner can claim a bag of candy.  Make a mini football cornhole set using pumpkin seeds as footballs.  If kids are attending, print out some football helmet pictures for them to color and host a coloring contest.

If you own a smartphone, do you take advantage of all of its features?  When you use your microwave, do you use all of the special buttons for more efficient heating?  When you watch TV, do you take advantage of the recording devices available to ensure you never miss a show without being strapped to a specific air time?  There are so many things we use on a daily basis, but often don’t realize or know how to use them to their fullest.  Are YOU missing out?

For instance, did you know that included with your Zito Internet service, you can set up an email account?  You can actually have up to 5 email addresses with webmail access!  Give customer service a call to set up login information and then head to mail.zitomedia.net.  Setting up your email through your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a more stable solution, especially for business accounts, than web-based email hosts.  One advantage of having your email through your ISP is that it can be configured in any program like Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, etc. which all offer more advanced features than web-based email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail.  The biggest advantage, however, is support.  If something should go wrong, or you need assistance, your ISP will be available 24/7 for customer support.  Getting quality support from web-based email hosts may be challenging since you are working with a free service.

Zito Voice has some features you might not be aware of as well.  Now free with all voice orders, is visual voicemail!  You can have your messages transcribed and sent to you via email and text with the actual audio file attached.  If you despise listening through a list of voice messages then the option to read them in text form adds a level convenience that you might benefit from.  Are you familiar with the soft phone feature?  This allows customers to receive calls anytime, anywhere using a Wi-Fi or 4g network through your home phone, smart phone, or tablet.  Download the Zito Soft Phone App, set up your configurations and you’re good to go!  Don’t even have Zito Phone at all?  Check out the full list of features here: https://zitomedia.net/services-phone/

If you have a camp or summer home, then you better be taking advantage of seasonal services.  Seasonal status means your account can basically go dormant in the months you are not there so that you can keep your phone number, email addresses, and equipment.  Policies differ, so you must call a representative to get information about what would work best for your situation.  All you have to do is give a quick call to customer service (Zito Customer Service is 1-800-365-6988 or email support@zitomedia.net) to let them know the start and end dates you will need services while you’re there.

If you’re a Zito customer, there is a FAQ page on the website that will offer a wealth of information on other topics that people are often not aware of!   Learn where you can save money by buying your own equipment, or find out about Zito Wi-Fi hotspots in your area so you can take full advantage of products like WatchTVEverywhere, or TV2GO to have access to your video subscription outside your home!  The possibilities are endless when you know what’s available!

We’re all well aware of the controversy on how much screen time, if any, is healthy for kids, so I’m not here to debate the subject but rather inform you of a new side product that Facebook has launched.  Have your kids ever used your messenger app to talk to their grandparents, aunts, or uncles, but gotten distracted by messages from your friends popping up that you’d prefer they didn’t have access to?  Now, we all know children under the age of 13 are prohibited from creating their own Facebook account, so Messenger Kids is an attempt to satisfy this need for communication in the younger age group, while keeping safety and privacy at the forefront.

Messenger Kids is a standalone app that parents can install on their kids’ tablet or Smartphone, but the app is connected to the parents Facebook account.  Kids do not have their own accounts, it acts more as an extension of the parent’s.  The kid version has simple, kid-friendly features with basic functions like text and video chat with filters and stickers to decorate photos, however, they do not have the option to add or remove contacts.  Only the parent can control who is in the kids contact list and parents get notifications on what the child is doing.

So, why would we want to encourage our children at such a young age to be subjected to the world of texting?  It’s not so much that you may want to encourage more screen time, as I said, we are all aware of the studies that are for and against this, but instead, consider situations where this could be a very useful tool.  I can say from personal experience, that living far away from family presents a challenge when you start a family of your own and want to keep your kids connected to everyone.  If this was available several years ago, it would have made communication between my daughter and her grandparents more efficient and fun!  If a parent travels a lot, they can still stay in touch throughout the day instead of waiting for a specific phone call time.  With Messenger Kids they can send decorated photos to mom or dad quick to let them know they’re thinking of them or to ask quick questions that don’t merit a phone call.  Parents can retain a piece of mind knowing that they are connected with their kids without the risk of contacting and communicating with strangers.

We also can’t deny the fact that this is the age we live in.  Social Media is a huge part of our society and for current and upcoming generations, it has become the primary means of communication for the majority of kids.  If we consider apps like Messenger Kids as an introductory tool to teach them appropriate use while we, as parents, can still have full control, then maybe we can instill appropriate online behavior right out the door instead of waiting until they’re older and create a full account on their own.