I am a big fan of ANYTHING that will make my life easier. I feel like I am always two steps behind on my own life when it comes to getting things done so any help I can get I WILL TAKE RIGHT RIGHT AWAY. I’ve discovered some apps along the way that have helped. Some make life easier and others simply make it a bit more fun.
My favorite mom apps:
1. Instagram. Let’s be real here, it’s delicious to mindlessly scroll through the endless timelines of other people’s lives. Obsessive voyeurism and our fixation on images has found its way to consume every second of down time we may have.
2. Inbox by Gmail. If you have a gmail address and have the traditional set up you need to CHECK YOURSELF because Inbox makes everything a billion times easier to manage since it categorizes your emails. I won’t ever go back to checking my email with the gmail set up.
3. Heads Up. For older kids this app is a ton of fun. Created by the good people at the Ellen Degeneres show this app is a guessing game where you place the phone on your forehead where others can give you clues while you guess. The best part is that it videos the clues and your guesses. I’ve laughed so hard I’ve nearly lost bladder control on this one. So stinkin’ fun.
4. Endless Alphabet. This app taught my ESL kid his letters and sounds. No joke. A friend mentioned it to me while we were still in Uganda and by the time we got home he had mastered letter recognition and sounds. Thank you makers of Endless Alphabet. You are fabulous.
5. Genius Scan. There have been countless times I’ve needed to email the doctor important documents, email docs for adoption, and I don’t have access to a fax machine, printer, or scanner. Genius Scan has got me covered. I can take a picture of any image, especially one that needs a signature, and turn it into a pdf and attach it in an email. I remember while we were in Uganda facing some nasty hurdles we asking our congressman to act on our behalf. We needed to sign docs and return within a few hours and I had no idea how we would make it happen. My husband came to the rescue with genius scan and I’ve used it ever since.
6. The Wonder Weeks. I love this app since it tracks brain development more than milestones to expect month by month with your baby. As new moms we obsess over what our baby could and should be able to do, but to understand what is happening in his brain is helpful. Wonder Weeks warns you when to expect some “stormy” times with your little one or when to expect “sunny” times.
7. Amazon. Nuff said. Oh and go ahead and get yourself an Amazon Prime membership. In addition to two day shipping you are privied to unlimited photo storage, music streaming, and movies.
8. Sleep Pillow. Many a times this white noise and lullaby app has come in handy. I dare to say its even magical the way it lulls my little one to sleep in the car, or in the stroller at the mall. There are multiple options for white noise and songs. I absolutely love this app. I remember downloading it while at a standstill on the freeway as my baby was WAILING.
9. Netflix. There are moments in my parenting that demand some cartoons. More for my sanity than my child’s. NETFLIX TO THE RESCUE. I have been able to pull up Daniel Tiger or Magic School Bus in record time when I know we have a twenty minute wait and I want to keep my little one occupied. This is a treat, and the minute he whines about it he knows will never see it again.
