Back to School for the College Kids - include Ceiva ~ Champagne Living

Pencils, notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes...I remember the days well, and I'm actually pretty nostalgic for them. Once you have a child in college the pencils and notebooks give way to laptops, microwaves and mini-fridges. Plus, seeing them go off 1,000 or more miles away to school, makes you wish that you were still packing lunches and meeting the schoolbus.

The list of "must haves" for a college dorm is staggering, many of which you wonder just WHAT they'll be using the stuff for. Um, do I really think that there will be cartons of milk and juice stocking that mini-fridge? Are they actually playing ping pong with all of those little white balls? I wish that I could be there to make sure that they're okay.

Truthfully, your college aged kids want to stay connected with YOU just as much as you do with them. I got MORE CALLS those first years Ben was away, and talked to him more than I did when we lived together.

I recently found an INCREDIBLE way to keep your college-aged child connected to what's going on at home. I was sent a Ceiva Pro80 digital frame to check out. Now, the Ceiva Pro80 is not your ordinary digital frame. What's different about it is that you can send up to 60 photos a day to the frame from just about anywhere. As long as the person with the frame has either a broadband internet connection, Wi-Fi or an extra phone jack.

YES, I can snap pictures of us sailing away on vacation (while he toils over the books), or of Clem the bull terrier (pictured) from my cell phone, and e-mail them via phone DIRECTLY to his Ceiva Pro80 frame that offers built-in Media Server connectivity to let you stream photos over your home network. It will even display photos from most camera memory cards.

There's no need for the person with the frame to do ANYTHING, they'll automatically be loaded into the photo rotation. Of course, I was thinking that maybe WE should have a frame here as well for Ben to send photos to. I'm just afraid that the photo will be of him holding a sign that says "SEND MONEY."

The Ceiva frame also has a greeting card option, so you can send Birthday Greetings, Holiday Greetings or Just Because Greetings. Not only that, but you can display your local weather, news, recipes, horoscope and more. I LOVE the recipe selection. You can choose a recipe online and send it to your Ceiva Pro80 frame. I'm hoping that Ben might venture out beyond the Ramen Noodles and Microwave Mac & Cheese with this.

Features Include

Phone and Wi-Fi connectivity
Media Server connectivity (learn more)
Built-in memory card reader
Interchangeable black and wood-finish faceplates (included) or custom skin designs (optional via skinit.com)
Easy-to-use on screen menu to control display modes, rotation and deletion, slideshow transition and timing, screen on and off times and more.
Perfect True-to-Photo™ display (no stretching, cropping or squishing)
PicturePlan photo delivery service required — 1 year included

Invite friends and family to send photos to your frame from anywhere in the world — for free.
Unlimited photo storage and customization, channel selections (news, weather, calendar, sports & more) and greeting cards.
PicturePlan Lifetime Warranty (if it breaks, we fix it for free*)

The CEIVA Pro 80™ Starter Pack includes:

• 1 CEIVA Pro 80 Digital Photo Frame™
• 1 Year PicturePlan® Photo Delivery Service

So, along with the mini-fridge, alarm clock and laundry basket (stocked with odor removal spray), I'm sending the Ceiva Pro80 to school. I have a feeling that he'll like that little touch of home when he's busy studying with his friends on Saturday night......

The Ceiva Pro80 retails for under $148.00 and is available online and at electronics and photo dealers nationwide.

Thank you to Ceiva for providing me with a frame for this review. I was in no way compensated and all opinions are strictly my own.