Even in today’s fancy technology era where we can dance in front of the TV, play games with our hands, and sign on and be social, there are still new and innovative ways to connect.  And with all these ways to connect, we often don’t realize we do not want everything we do online. I am quite sure my Facebook page doesn’t need to see a picture of my children on the potty or eating with messy food on their face or any number of more “private” moments. Even so, I love to share with them with my family and the settings on many social sites only have very little privacy restrictions.

It’s all or nothing in a lot of cases.

This weekend my family and I went to the park. It’s one of those fun moments I just know that my grandmother and my dad and my in laws would love to see. But grandma isn’t on Facebook, I don’t follow my in laws on Facebook (come on, do they really want to see my blog updates every day, kwim?) and my dad is really busy so who knows what he ends up seeing in my stream.

But gosh we had a great time!

Phoenyx was up and down that slide the entire time we were there.

Afterwards we went to the pumpkin patch and picked one out:

And saw where the old pumpkins go to die….

And then poor P got the worst hair cut ever…that has an entire post dedicated to it. I am still weeping.

Then we headed out to a steak dinner and Phoenyx and I shared a sirloin and boy, did he love it!

Those are moments that not everyone I twitter, pin, and Facebook with really care about. But those moments are part of my life and my family story. My family, especially since we are so far apart most months, want to enjoy those with me. Many moons ago, when I was my daughters age, my grandmother had hoards and hoards of albums. But we all lived near each other and now, we just don’t have the same availability to pop in and create and share a memory.

Family Story App

Now recently I discovered an app on my television that allows me to upload personal and private moments to only those that I choose to share with. It is called Family Story and once set up, you are given an access code to dole out to only those that you want to upload those videos and photos in a scrapbook like capacity. You can cross share with your long distance family or even group together friend moments.

Did you all go on the same vacation but live in separate locations? Great grandma want to see great grandson?

Add those photos so everyone can view, leave comments, and create a “story” together.

Family Story is a more personal and private social network service that you can use to connect, communicate and share memories with your family members or close friends. By downloading the Family Story app on your smartphone or SMARTTV, you can:

• Enjoy family photos: Upload photos and leave comments that family members can view from wherever they are via a smartphone, tablet, PC or TV.
• Share messages: Enhance communication by writing a message for all your family members to see.
• Manage family events: Help strengthen your family connections by reminding family members of family events early.
• Photos, memos and events can only be shared with group members who’ve already accepted their group invitation (group members can send invitations to a Samsung account email address or smartphone number).

It’s Samsung’s N Screen Convergence Service!
Family Story is available on various Samsung smart devices such as the Samsung Galaxy smartphone, Galaxy Tab and SMART TV. It can also be accessed via a PC web browser (www.familystory.com).

The beauty is that even if my family does not own the television, they can still use the same app to share and connect with me in other ways, including the PC. Of course you can find more about this app and all things Samsung does on their facebook page. You can also read about the other amazing ways I have been able to use my SMARTTV as a Family in Motion.

• Fitness VOD
• When is a TV not just a TV
• Families in Motion (Angry Birds!)
• Movies and Kids

Now you know all the ways I try to keep my busy kids connected in the rest of our family’s lives, so tell me:

How do you keep connected?

Especially with those more private moments….do you even share them?  Apps? Text? Snail mail?

~Trisha

Sponsored by Samsung Smart TV, with Motion Control.