Apps, how did we live without them?!
Do you momma’s use apps to juggle your never ending to-do list?
If not- think again. For all you busy moms out there that need to do 100 things at once, I’m sharing with you my 11 favorite apps that help me save time, energy and my mental health. From booking last minute appointments to ordering groceries to selling outgrown toys all while you’re breastfeeding!
Let’s face it- with the crazy demands of motherhood, we need to think smart and multi-task with every moment that we can.
Cozi Family Organizer
My favorite. I can’t explain to you how much this app helps me keep my head on straight. Not only can I immediately jot down every thought that pops into my head that I need to get done that day, but you can also share the calendar with your family and friends. From shopping lists, to-do’s, recipe boxes, journals and so much more.
The family calendar is color- coded, so you can easily see who was what going on within the day, week, month or year. You can add and edit appointments, set reminders for your family and send agendas for the upcoming week. Jamie and I even use this app when juggling our jobs at Construction2Style. Every Sunday we schedule out our week and we’re able to instantly send out our daily agendas so we can go to bed feeling relaxed and knowing what we need to get done the next day.
We also have shopping and to-do lists. So whenever one of us needs something, we can instantly add it to our list. If one of us runs to the store, we know exactly what we need without having to call one another and disrupting our days.
Ohhhh and the recipe box. I love, love this part of this app. I can’t even tell you how many times I’m standing in the store wondering what to make for dinner over the next week. My cousin and I love to share recipes, so now using this app when one of us makes a good one, we drop it into our recipe box. They’re accessible anytime, anywhere when we need a new dinner fix!
Amazon
Like I mentioned in my last post, I order everything from Amazon. And yes- there’s an app for that too! Being I pay extra for Amazon Prime, I can literally order everything I need…diapers, shampoo and gifts in seconds. And best part is you get everything you ordered within just two days.
Happy Kids Timer
This is a great app to encourage your kids to be independent. It’s free and guides your children through their whole morning routine, making it into a fun game. From waking up, brushing their teeth, getting dressed, making their beds, and out the door. We’ve recently started using these app for our 20 month old son, Greyson (even though Greyson can’t use the phone yet), to help him pick up his toys. This app is typically operated by your child, so it’s also fun for them to get some screen time…without screen time! Your child will carry your mobile around into each room where the tasks needs to be completed. Once they’ve completed their chore, they can complete their task! You can also utilize their incentive program and aware them with a printable certificate.
theSkimm
Get your daily news in minutes with theSkimm app for iPhone. If you’re like me and the news depresses you, theSkimm app is the way to go. TheSkimm is a daily newsletter to get your day started and to see everything you need to know, and only the things you want to know, in seconds. Never again will you wonder when Beyonce tickets are going on sale, when you’re favorite show is back on Netlflix, or what’s happening in your city.
VarageSale
VarageSale is another rocking free app that helps you buy, sell and shop local. Using this app you can instantly upload any of your littles clothes, toys, you name it- that they have outgrown and sell within minutes. I also use these app whenever I’m looking for new clothes, shoes and toys for Greyson. Kids grow out of things so fast I sometimes find a hard time justifying paying full price. This is the perfect app to use.
Cartwheel
The Target app, Cartwheel, is also my go-to app when shopping at Target to help save money. I just scan whatever I’m buying with my app to see if there’s an extra discounts going on.
Kids Eat Free
Ohhh my gosh you guys, this app is another favorite! Using this free app you can instantly find where kids eat free within your city. And it’s a great app to use to try out new restaurants.
InstaCart
You guys. This app is the bomb. You can order all of your groceries using this app while you’re breastfeeding or going to the bathroom. Using this app, all of your groceries are delivered within an hour! One hour!!! I don’t even get it, to be honest. It takes me longer than three hours to get to the store, get all of my groceries and get back home. The groceries are from from stores like Costco and Whole Foods. Your first delivery is free and after that it starts at $5.99. But totally worth every penny to save you time and energy within the store, not to mention I probably spend more money than that in gas getting to the store.
InstaCart is only in certain ares, so if they don’t deliver to your area, the Coborns app is another great one to look into- and even better- they’re local.
MomsPumpHere
I used this app a ton when I was always on the go and breastfeeding for the first year of Greyson’s life. Being pregnant the last thing I ever thought about was where I was going to pump. I had no idea that this would be such an issue. And it was so cool to see businesses and places that had pump rooms that I would have never guessed. Using this app helps you find nursing room locators. This app made my first year of being a mommy so much less stressful. And best part- it sounds silly- but I always hated asking people if they had a pump room. So by using this app- I didn’t have to.
Sleep Machine Lite
We’ve been using this app since the day Greyson was born. This app allows you to play, mix, and soothe your baby to sleep all throughout the night and you can even set a timer. This app is also awesome for traveling. When you’re in a hotel and your baby needs to go to sleep by 7 pm, but you want to stay up and watch some TV, I put my iPad in the crib with him and this app instantly drowns out any background noise and helps your baby go to sleep.
Giggles Best Baby Registry
This is a great one time free app to use! If you were like me and when you were expecting your first child I thought creating a registry was just ridiculous! Because how would I know what I need when I’ve never had a baby before?! This app helps you create a registry without having to go to multiple stores, and it assists you in creating your lists so you can get a little guidance on what you need. I used this app when creating my registry and than had my friend who had four littles look it over to ensure I was set!
There are so many great apps out there – it’s hard to know which one works best for your lifestyle. But I hope by using one or two of these apps, a little stress will be taken out of your life to save time on getting things done to enjoy that time with your littles.
