In the world of smartphone technology, companies released new models of their phone almost every year. In the early days, consumers would rush out to get the latest and greatest technology. However, In the last couple of years, I have noticed that many people are not buying every new smartphone that comes out. But instead, they are waiting up to three years or more before making that new purchase. I believe that there are a couple of keys reasons. 1) The price of the latest smartphones increased significantly. It is easy to pay up to, or over a $1,000 for the one phone. People now see their smartphone as an investment item and are not willing to keep paying that about of money every couple of years. 2) With the new model that is released, people realize that the upgrades were not significant enough to make a change.
If you are like me, you have been waiting for those significant upgrades, or if your current smartphone is wearing out and in need of being replaced. In my own smartphone world, my wife and I have our phones for almost four years. We are still using the 6, if you know what I mean. So when Verizon Wireless asked if we would be interested in trying the Google 3XL, we were excited to see what the latest upgrades had to offer. Needless to say, after our demo period, I was sold on what Google had brought to the table for the following reasons.
Google Pixel 3XL
The XL Factor
Since trying the XL, the larger model, I am convinced that larger is better and there is no need to go back to a smaller phone. The screen size makes it easy to find what you are looking with more apps on the screen at one time. A larger view screen makes taking photos much easier because you have a better idea of what you are capturing. The phone measures 3.02 inches x 6.22 inches. Although it is larger in size, it is not weighty and is comfortable in the hand or in the back pocket.
The Camera Factor Let’s be honest. If you are like me, of all the things that I use the smartphone for, making a telephone call is probably low on the list. One of the most common tasks is using the camera. People are not carrying their point-and-shoot or DSLR cameras with them everywhere they go. But a smartphone is at the ready, whether it is in a handbag or in the back pocket. The smartphone has become the go-to camera to capture the important moments in our life, whether it be a selfie while on vacation or a video of your little’s soccer match.
In the four years since I bought my own smartphone, the camera features have drastically improved, as seen in the photo collage below. The photo on the left was captured by the Google 3XL and the one on the left is my four-year-old smartphone. The difference is remarkable. The colors in the Pixel 3XL are crisper and there is not the glare or fuzziness found in older smartphones.
Google Pixel 3XL (Left) / a 4-year-old smartphone (right)
The Google Pixel 3XL features a 12.2MP camera and includes not found on older smartphones. These new features make taking those photos easier and the end result is in a photo that is as good as a higher-end camera. The selfie mode includes zoom and wide-angle features and there is a night-effect option for photos and videos. We used the Pixel 3XL to capture our YouTube video on how decorated for Christmas. We turned off the lights in the rooms so that there could be a greater focus on the lights. The Pixel 3XL was able to auto-adjust the level of lighting without any issues. You can see that video here:
The Google Pixel 3XL is packed with so many features that you will need to spend some time exploring the phone to find them. One feature that I found by accident was the Google Lens. The Lens will scan a photograph that you have taken and is able to determine what is in it. Then it will search the Google search engine for similar items. For example, we had taken a photo of our inflatable snowman (Christmas item) and then scanned with Lens. The results included animated snowmen, other inflatable snowmen, and even Frosty. You can click on those results for more information.
In the new year, if you believe that it is time to replace that old, worn out smartphone, and you may want to consider Google Pixel 3XL. The Pixel 3XL features many upgrades over the older smartphones and incorporates many new additions that will leave you with a positive experience. I recommend it with 3XL thumbs up.
FTC Disclosure:
Verizon Wireless provided the Bubbling With Elegance and Grace Team with the Google Pixel 3XL to demo for a six-week time period. After that time, the smartphone was returned back to Verizon and this review was written. The team did not receive any monetary compensation to write this review and all opinions are our own.
It has been almost six weeks since our little Gio left us and crossed over the rainbow bridge. Today is National Dog Day, so we wanted to celebrate his life and share with you what the little fella meant to us.
Celebrating the Life of Gio!!
Gio was a part of our family for the almost twelve years and brought so much joy to our life. He came to us as a street doggie, so we were unsure of his past. We do not know if he had ran away from home; gotten lost while on a hunt or if his owner gotten rid of him. Whatever the situation, it was hard for Gio to love us when he first come home with us. He didn’t know what love was, so we had to show him unconditional love while training him how to properly behave. In time and with the help of trainer, his heart softened and he became a sweet lovable beagle. In the early days, he would grumble at us when we tried to rub his tummy. In time as he realized that we loved him and cared for him, Gio would turn over and put his feet up in the air, wanting us to rub his tummy. He would also lick our hands and demand affection for you. He would take his head and move it towards our hands, wanting to be rubbed or massaged. And if we moved our hand away, he would move closer to us and made sure we continued it. We couldn’t stop until he had enough.
Gio believed that he was the Alpha of the house and he had certain demands that we needed to take care of. The most important demand on his list was food. He ate three times a day and he knew when it was time. Oh and don’t forget about treats in the evening. He would begin asking for the food about thirty minutes to an hour ahead of time. He would nudge us, bark at us, jump on us, or fling his bowl in the middle of the room; letting us know it was time. He wouldn’t leave us alone until we gave him what he wanted. But we had to show him (in love) at we were the Alphas and that he couldn’t get his way all of the time. When this happened, he would be pout and fuss at us.
Gio’s favorite place to be was in the backyard. He could spend hours at a time out there. Being a beagle, he always had his nose to the ground, searching for scents and on the lookout for squirrels. He would follow their scent and even chase them through the yard when he saw them. While he never caught one, he was determined that he would and never stopped trying. He came close many times, but they were always one step ahead of him. Many times after a chase and trying to get the squirrel, I would bring Gio back inside. He would be restless in house. He wanted to go back outside to see if he could still get that squirrel. He was determined! And when he couldn’t go outside, he would sit at the window and look into the backyard. He could sit at that window for hours at a time and not move a muscle. He was looking to see if any squirrel was in his area. If he saw one, he would aggressively bark at it and jump on the window. He would demand for us to take him outside so he could chase it down. He was that determined!
Gio looking out the window
My wife shared a YouTube video on Gio. It can be seen here….
In his almost twelve years with us, Gio blessed our life with some many wonderful memories that it is not hard for me share. Sharing them with you helps with the grief and sorrow of losing him. With so many wonderful memories, he will live on in our hearts forever.
We Love You, Gio!!
Last August, I was on my way to the vet’s office with Gio and Vinny for their annual checkup. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it there. As I drove down the interstate; the traffic had slowed in front of me. Not having enough time to stop, I ran into the back of the vehicle in front of me. While the lady’s car was only moderately damage, our 2001 Jeep Cherokee was totaled. Thankfully, despite the extensive damage, the doggies and I were not injured.
I was crushed. We had our Jeep for sixteen plus years; and I thought it would last forever. It had only 114,000 miles and was in great condition. It ran good and looked great; even though the air condition hadn’t worked for a couple of years. We planned to keep it for a few more years before planning to a new(er) Jeep.
Through the ordeal of the accident, dealing with the insurance claims and looking for a new vehicle; I learned five important things. I wanted to share them with you.
Pay Attention To The Road The traffic on the highway had slowed in front of me. Rush hour traffic was winding down; but there were still a lot of cars on the road for 9:15 in the morning. We were approaching an interstate interchange; and the vehicles were slowing and moving into the exit lanes. I had been paying attention to the road; but it was not enough to prevent the accident. It so important, especially when a five-lane interstate highway, your eyes are always alert and watching the road: in front of you, to the side of you and in back of you. You can never be too careful!
Be Up Front With Your Spouse I dropped off my wife at work on the way to the vet’s office. I told her that I would be checking with her throughout the day. She was executing an important meeting and I wanted to tell about the appointment and asking about the meeting.
However, after the accident, I did not tell her for several hours later because I did not want worry about me and the meeting at the same time. When I finally told her about what happened, she knew something was wrong because I had not called her or sent her any messages for more than three hours.
In addition, I had not told her why I was taking the doggies to the vet on a work day without her. I had been planning a little getaway for our anniversary and the doggies needed the annual shots to stay at the kennel. But I didn’t tell her about my plans until a week after the accident.
I learned that it important to tell my wife everything. She should have known why I was going to the vet’s office and she should have known about the accident as soon as it happened. She deserves to know the truth even if it is not the best news.
You Have To Move On In the days and weeks following the accident, whenever I was driving or even if I was walking in the backyard, I kept reliving it in my mind. I would see the Jeep slamming into the back of the lady’s car. It became extremely difficult for me to not think about what I had done to this lady and her car and my own vehicle. It took about a month for me to fully clear my mind and not think about it. Even though it was a serious thing, I could not undo what happened. I had to move on with my life. I could not move forward without letting go.
Make Sure You Have Good Insurance
While having automobile insurance is required by law; it makes a big difference if you are working with the right insurance company. Following the accident, I filed a claim and they went to work for me immediately. The Jeep was towed to the collision center for assessment and I didn’t have to pay any upfront money. When it was determined that it was a total loss, the agents worked with me to ensure that I would get the best settlement, even taking into consideration the new tires and battery that was added the month before the accident. They worked with me every step of the way, making sure the process went smoothly and answering any questions that I had.
God Can Restore To You More Than You Can Imagine
With the accident, it meant my wife and I were down to only one vehicle, a 2003 Jeep Wrangler. While having only one vehicle would work temporarily, it was not meant to be a permanent solution. After my own healing process, I started the search for our next new vehicle. Jeeps have proven to be an excellent vehicle and there was no doubt that we would be getting another one; but it had to be the right one. I looked a variety of models, from Grand Cherokees to Cherokees, to Libertys to Patriots. After doing my own research and determining the monthly payment that I wanted to be at, I decided that the right vehicle for us would be a slightly used Cherokee. The Grand Cherokees would have been ideal, but prices were higher than what I wanted to pay. The Libertys and Patriots didn’t have the size or features we wanted. I had seen several Grand Cherokees that were in our price range, but they were generally seven plus years old, or had well over 100,000 miles on them. I did not want pay that amount of money for a vehicle with those conditions.
As I began in earnest my search for used Cherokees, I kept my eye on the Grand Cherokees, praying that one would fit our needs at the price I wanted to pay. The more I looked at the Cherokees, I was not convinced that it was not the right vehicle for us. It reminded me of a car and not an SUV; and it was much smaller than what I had wanted it to be, even though we had not drove one.
On a Sunday afternoon in late February, as I was scrolling from a used-car app on my phone, I came across a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was in our price range at a dealership that was only a few miles from our house. I thought that it must have been in accident or had high mileage. Looking at the vehicle’s details, I found no evidence of any accidents and it had only 46,000 miles on it. I immediately knew that I wanted to take it for a test drive. I wasn’t able to call about it until that Tuesday morning. When I called, the salesman told me that it was still available and wanted to know if we wanted to take a test drive. My wife and I left work early that day and arrived at the dealership at 5pm. By 7pm, we were driving home in with our new vehicle.
In only two hours, God worked it out where we took the test drive, talked with the salesman about our concerns/needs and then finished the deal with the finance guy. The Grand Cherokee’s final price was $4,000 less than its fair-market value and the finance guy worked an agreement for a five year, bumper-to-bumper extended warranty for the exact price that I was expecting to pay for the a used Cherokee without any additional warranty.
It was hard for me to imagine that we could get a used Grand Cherokee at a Cherokee price. The Grand Cherokee was what I wanted; but I knew the monthly payment was more than I wanted to pay. However, God worked out a plan that allowed to get the vehicle of my dreams. He has restored to me and my wife more than I could imagine.
Today, we remember one of the darkest days in American History.
April 4, 1968
Outside Room 306, where Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
Martin Luther King, Jr. King had traveled to Memphis in support of the striking black sanitation workers who were protesting low wages and poor working conditions. King, staying at the Lorraine Motel, was planning a peaceful protest march with the workers. Tragically, an assassin’s bullet struck down King while he was standing on the balcony of the Motel on the evening of April 4th. At 6:01pm, a single bullet was fired from a rooming house across the street, killing the most influential civil rights leader of the 20th century.
The viewpoint of the Lorraine Motel from the rooming house, from where King’s assassin was positioned.
The Lorraine Motel became synonymous with the civil rights movement. The National Civil Rights Museum opened in 1991 on the site, incorporating King’s room and the rest of the Motel into the design of the Museum. My wife and I visited the Museum in 2012 to learn more about King and the civil rights movement. Read more about our visit to the museum, by clicking here!
Fifty years later, we remember King and his work to end racial discrimination and to bring equality to people of this country and around the world. I often think about how the nation would have been different had King been able to continue his work.
Has King’s dream of racial equality been achieved? What are we doing to ensure that the dream is kept alive? These are very relevant questions today because I often hear the same sun that is shining today was shining then. Well, that may be; but there’s still so much work to be done. King spoke of love and peace to make this a better world. In the news, we see more hate than we do peace.
What can we do?
It starts with love. We have to love ourselves and then love one another. It may sound cliche; but love is what makes the world go round. We have to be involved in our community and be involved in our schools and churches. I often hear people saying, “Is this 2018 or 1960?” Diversity is wonderful and describes what King believed and said in his speeches.
We read about the I Have A Dream speech, but I wanted to include the Jail No Bail Movement Instagram Post from the National Civil Rights Museum. He stood up for what’s right and this such a strong message.
The National Civil Rights Museum will be honoring King’s legacy on Wednesday, April 4th. Whether you are in Memphis or not you can participate in the #MLK50BellToll. “Places of worship, colleges, and institutions world wide will ring bells 39 times for each year King lived at 6:01pm, the time he expired.”
What is on your mind as we remember King’s legacy? What more needs to be done to make his dream is a reality? How far have we come? How far do we have to go? Leave a comment and let us have a conversation that can used to bring everyone together.
My wife and I have begun a journey to find out about us. We completed a DNA test through 23 and Me to find out about our genetic composition. After a long wait, we finally received the test results back and we are ready to share them. For more information about why we took the test, click here!
J and T
From the results that we received, there were a few surprises, a few inaccuracies in our family’s oral histories and few unanswered questions. Let’s get to the results.
First of all, my overall results were
Jay’s overall DNA results!
Not a big surprise there. It is inline with what I was thinking it would be. However, when the European data was broken down into more specific regions of the continent, I was hit with our first surprise.
According to the results, I am only 64.6% French/German. Forever, my family has claimed to be 100% German, with no other ethnicities in the mix. But according to this, I am also 10.5% Scandinavian, 8.4% British/Irish; and 1.8% Eastern European. But what does this mean?? According to 23 and Me, it means that most likely I had a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was 100% French/German and lived between the time period of 1880 and 1940. That part I knew. In the genealogical research that I had done previously, I found that my great-great grandparents were born in Germany. Further, 23 and Me stated that I most likely had a 2nd, 3rd or 4th great-grandparent from Britain/Ireland and Scandinavia, in the time period of 1760 to 1850. And a 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th great-grandparent who was born in Eastern Europe, which could be the Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Hungary. I had not completed the genealogical search prior to 1840, so it is possible that with further research I will be able uncover who these non-German family members would have been.
Please note that the way that the test is set up, 23 and Me places French and German DNA into the same category because that area of Europe is same geographical location. 23 and Me is advancing its scientific testing, so in the coming months there will be more specific geographic locations in my test results. When those results are released, we will let you know.
And now for my wife. We could not wait to receive her results because we had not completed her genealogical research, so we did not know what to expect. Her overall results stated the following.
JT’s overall results
With 73.8% West African, it means most likely a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was born in West Africa between 1880 and 1940. This would make sense and there is no doubt about that information. Now for the surprises that we found. My wife was told that one of her great-grandparents on her mother’s side was of European descent. Based on the results of 22% European and specifically 7.2% British/Irish, there is good possibility she had a grandparent, great-grandparent or 2nd great-grandparent born in Britain/Ireland between 1850 and 1910. That would verify the family’s claim; but it is now time to start that research to see if we can find that person. The family also stated that she had a great-grandmother who was a Native American. However, according to 23 and Me, it is a likely the Native American ancestor was a 3rd, 4th or 5th great-grandparent born between 1700 and 1820; which would have been much earlier than the family had suggested. The test results further suggest that there is also a 3rd, 4th or 5th great-grandparent from Scandinavia who was born between 1700 and 1820. And a 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th great grand-parent who came from Southeast Asia, Iberia, Central/South Africa, France/Germany, and Oceania. My wife was surprised to learned that she had a such a diverse DNA background. This was all new information that she had not heard from her family. We With the enhanced results that are coming, it will be good to get a more specific location to these broad areas and to learn more about where her family lived at.
23 and Me provides you with so much more information that just these statistics. We are going through all the information now and processing what it all means. We will share more about the specifics as we understand them more fully. Also, we share our own personal thoughts about what these means to us. Stay tuned!
Learn More About JT Bubbling with Elegance and Grace is a place for life long learners. The Bubbling With Elegance And Grace team was created 14 years ago. A passion for fashion sparked a lifestyle blog for our Elegant Community to enjoy. We are thankful and in gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for those who have been with us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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