A PrestoPlace member suggested that members share ideas for Presto Mail messages they send to their Presto users. Here are my favorite types of messages that I use with my own family:

MEDICATION REMINDERS
Sit down with your Presto user and make a list of what medication they are taking and when they take it. Also take digital photos of the bottles and individual pills. Then set up a recurring reminder for the whole list, or for specific days (depending on the schedule), so that they have a paper reminder. This may be intrusive or overkill if the Presto user is young enough, but as they age, this can be a tremendous help.

EXTENDED FAMILY BIRTHDAYS
I set an annually recurring reminder using PrestoConnect for all of the member of my extended family which includes a photo of the birthday boy/girl and a message reminding Grandparents of the date.

EXTENDED FAMILY CONTACT LIST
My family keeps an Excel Spreadsheet that has the full contact information of everyone in the immediate extended family (six kids & their spouses and 14 grandkids). We update this periodically and send it around to everyone. By converting it to a PDF file and attaching it to an email, it can be read by everyone in the family, including younger grandkids who haven't learned Excel yet, plus it comes through on Presto for Grandma and Grandpa just great.

SPORTS ACTIVITIES
When I get the game schedules for my kids team sports, I enter them into recurring reminders for my Presto user to receive a notification. Then the grandparent is "in the know" ahead of time, so even if they don't live close enough to come see the game, they know to ask about it to their grandkids the next time they talk.

A MESSAGE A WEEK
We all get busy, and sometimes don't get around to sending that Presto Mail message when we intended to. To supplement "as life happens" messages, I also preschedule "canned" messages to ensure my Presto users do not have an empty mailbox. What I do is collect the best photos I've taken of my three kids, and then using the PrestoConnect account manager web site, create and schedule a message a week for the following few months. I can do this all in one sitting after the kids go to bed, or whenever I can find the time, and it brings joy to my Dad and mother-in-law every week -- in addition to the other messages I send.

IMPROMPTU MESSAGES
I make a big effort to snap photos whenever I can of everyday things using my Apple iPhone. Sitting at dinner with my wife in a memorable restaurant; immediately after seeing my son hit a double in Little League; during a performance where my daughter is playing in the orchestra...anything that depicts the little pleasures in life. Then, immediately while I am there, I send that photo to my Presto users via email on the iPhone with a little message. You cannot believe the enjoyment grandparents get being included in the little things. And best of all, you don't necessarily need a cutting edge smartphone to do this, many cell phones allow you to snap a photo and send it to an email address (instead of to another cell phone). Check with your carrier and ask if photos can be sent to an email address. You may even already pay for this service as part of your cell phone plan and not know it -- I did before I got my iPhone!

INTERNET ARTICLES
I know what my Presto users are interested in, and so I do online searches for interesting articles they would like. I then save them as a PDF and send them along with a brief message to my Presto users. This is like creating a custom newsstand. Someone I know has a recurring entry in his work calendar that says, "Send Dad a Presto." So, twice a week like clockwork, this busy executive dutifully sends a message and checks this off of his "to do" list. That's how he remembers to not forget.

There are myriad ways to bring a smile to the loved ones in our life who are Presto users. And a little smile is all it takes. With a little bit of ingenuity, Presto can bring significant joy into the life of someone who otherwise would be more disconnected and possibly lonely.

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