These 12 phone apps are for people just like me; time crunched, impatient with new techie stuff (I want to figure it all out without help and in less than five minutes) and in need of a few basic tools to help get through the day. These deliver big time. They streamline a busy life; save time, money, health and sanity. And a lot of them pass that “wow, this is such a good idea” test that I’m always looking for. Most of these will work on just about any phone that connects to the Internet. Check them out, take them for a test drive and as always, let me know what you think!
Top 12 Phone Apps for Busy Families:
1. Evernote
Anyone who has ever suffered from an embarrassing bout of “mommy brain” (like forgetting the word “intelligent” live on national television) can finally breathe a little easier. This app is the ultimate in keeping information, and your life, together. You can save your thoughts, pictures, links, lists and more, all in one place. It's great for life management since we're all on the go.
As a new mom to two teenage stepsons who have a habit of “forgetting to charge their phones” to check-in, this app has allowed me to rest a little easier. The Sprint Family Locator is an app that uses GPS technology to let you see where your kids are by showing you their exact location on a map, including address, surrounding landmarks, everything. You can access Sprint Family Locator from ALL Web-enabled Sprint phones, or from a PC.
3. Lose It!
A man sitting next to me on a plane showed me this one two weeks ago and I’ve already lost a few pounds. It keeps track of your daily calorie intake and records how much you burn through exercise. It has an extensive database of foods, including some popular restaurant dishes. Just be sure to record what you eat and what exercise you do. It keeps a record of your progress via calorie and goal (weight) charts.
4. Doodle Jump
Oh boy, this one is super-duper addictive. It’s a game that my nine-year-old daughter and some 3.5 million other people, cannot get enough of. (By the way, I’ve tried it a few dozen times and totally stink at it.) Forbes just had an article that this could become the MOST downloaded app ever (nearly 4-million). The aim is to guide a four-legged creature called the Doodler up an unending series of platforms without falling. Players tilt the device from side to side to move Doodler in the desired direction.
5. Goby
I just used this app to find a few great things to do for my daughter’s Spring Break in Sacramento (since I had to do this little TV segment anyway…). Goby is the “things-to-do metasearch engine” that promises to cure boredom on the go. Choose one of three choices: find cool stuff near me today, make weekend plans, and explore a new location.
Goby helps you track down everything from hiking trails to an amusement park, to a bed and breakfast in the wilderness and everything in between.
When you’re on the road with the kids, avoid the fast-food joint and replace it with the convenience of this app to help you find health-conscious dining choices. Input your location and it will return scads of sides, sandwiches, and suppers from every dining destination in the vicinity.
7. Park'n Find
If you’ve ever lost your car in a crowded parking lot, this is your saving grace. It offers a wide range of features to get you back to your parking spot every time. In addition to a map which automatically zooms and pans as you move closer to your parking location, iPhone 3GS users are guided by a "go this way" arrow. You can also add a description, attach photos, record a voice note, or set a reminder to pay the parking meter.
8. AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner
If the question is “What are we having for dinner?” this free AllRecipes.com-powered app will let you choose recipes based on main ingredients, what you have on hand, or how much time you can spare for food prep. Don’t want to make any decisions tonight? Then let it randomly select a meal plan for you.
Your child's health includes physical, mental and social well-being. Most parents know the basics of keeping children healthy, like healthy foods, sufficient sleep, and regular exercise. This is a great app that discusses important topics in children's health.
10. MomsZeal
Discuss parenting and anything about being a mom anytime, anywhere on your mobile. Community members can post thoughts, questions, comments, and answers - sharing information and helping each other in the process.
11. Sit Or Squat
When a parent hears “I really gotta go!” finding the nearest bathroom has to happen fast. Using your current location it gives you the nearest options, stats on cleanliness, changing tables and handicap-accessible facilities—mark your favorite toilets for quick returns.
12. Shazam
When I polled all my Facebook friends for this article, this is one that came up over and over, so I had to try it out myself… and… it’s awesome. Hold your phone up to any music source, whether it's coming out of a stereo, TV, your daughter’s voice, it doesn’t matter and in just a few seconds, Shazam will tell you what song you’re listening to, what artist sings it, and where to buy it. It makes a good party game too.
Oh, there are so many I had to leave off here. I will have many more lists coming soon. Keep checking back in on goodideagal.com for more!
About Jennifer:
Jennifer Jolly is a popular mommy-blogger and TV personality with more than half a million subscribers across several outlets. Over the last two years, she has delivered more than 700 TV and radio segments on popular consumer technology trends as the "Mobile Mom" and "Frugal Mom." She was a TV reporter and anchor for 12-years. Since becoming a Consumer Lifestyle Expert, she has worked on segments for Fox & Friends, The Early Show, Today Show and CNN American Morning and many more. She is also a regular contributor to ABC’s Nationally Syndicated,View From the Bay and guest columnist for Scripps Howard News Service.
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