Thoughts on life by mother&wife

I know this is going to sound materialistic, but hear me out. My iPhone has changed my life. I am not a big phone person- I don’t call people just to chat, if i have a question I usually text or email. I don’ t know why. I am not too uncomfortable with awkward silences, but to me I guess I just think better when I am typing. And besides, AT&T isn’t my favorite of all wireless carriers- calls often get dropped. BUT all the other stuff my phone can do, well it was totally worth the price tag. How is it “eco-friendly?” you are asking. The answer is that I am sure I have saved at least one tree from being turned into the amount of sticky notes I have stopped having to use thanks to the “notes” application on the phone. I put my grocery list, to-do’s, checklists, etc on there. And if you know me, you know I am a list person so this in itself has made me feel less frazzled. Instead of digging for the 3 sticky notes I threw in my purse, I reach into the front pocket and pull out my phone.

I have gone on two trips since I got it, and I didn’t have to pack a lot of stuff to entertain myself. I can download books, crosswords, and games… not to mention the fact that it is also an iPod so I can listen to music. So why am I talking about my phone so much? The apps. I want to share a few of my favorite apps with you, but I also want to hear from you! I’m always looking for good FREE apps so if you have any you would like to share, please do!

• -Shakespeare. I’m an English person so this is awesome- and FREE! Just go to the app store, type in “free Shakespeare” and you will be able to download ALL of Shakespeare’s works straight to your phone.
• itreblid. If you like the “‘Dilbert” comic strip, you will love this app- downloads a strip daily. FREE!
• Mint. If you need to organize your finances, this is the tool to use. Put in your banking info and it organizes your budget. You don’t have to enter any transactions- since it’s linked to your account, it does it for you and you can see the breakdown of how you spend your money. Free as well.
• Livestrong. On a diet? This is a great tool. You put in any workout activities you did that day, what you ate, your weight, etc and it is all organized. It also shows you how many calories certain activities  can burn, like walking up stairs or lifting boxes. My favorite thing about this is that if you are at a fast food place and want to know what you can eat, you can type the food in and see what is allowed for your caloric intake. It is actually quite shocking, though. One day I typed in “Taco Bueno taco salad” thinking I was being all healthy and up pops 780 calories! GAH! I think I skipped lunch that day…
• Facebook and Myspace. If you don’t know what these are, I don’t know how you managed to navigate to this page haha, just kidding. These apps are great, b/c you can download pics straight to your page from your phone, etc. And I am addicted to Facebook so it keeps me connected.
• iZoo. I downloaded this for Aubrey when we were going to Chile. She looooves animals so I did a search and this popped up. Its got pics of the animals and if you touch the pic, it makes the noise. It is the only time she gets to touch my phone. Ever.
• Cycles. I think if you do a search for “cycles” or “fertility friend” this will come up and it’s free. Ladies can keep track of cycles, ovulation and “activity”. I know it’s kinda weird, but its a handy tool, especially if you are trying (or trying NOT to, actually) to get pregnant.
• Holy Bible. If you ever see me with my phone out at church, I promise that I am not on Facebook. I have my Bible downloaded onto my phone! There are several free Bible apps, I picked the one from LifeChurch.tv and it lets me pick the version I want, plus has a daily devotion and verse. Pretty neat.
• Cowabunga. OMG this game is so fun and it’s free. You basically have to bounce a bunch of cows across a river and they moo and its hilarious.
• Jewel Quest. The only app I have actually paid for. It was $1.99 and worth every penny. If you ever see me on my phone OUTSIDE of church, I am probably playing this addictive and infuriating puzzle game.
• Shazam. Have you ever been driving down the road, listening to the radio and hear a song you like but the DJ doesn’t come on and say who sings it? With this app you can hold your phone near the radio, push the “tag” button and in about 20 seconds the name of the song and artist will pop up, along with the option to purchase it on itunes. Awesome.
• SnapTell. This app lets you take a picture of products with your phone- books, foods, etc at the store and gives you reviews and possibly where else you could buy it for less.
• Take me to my car. I only used this around Christmas when I had to park at Walmart or the mall (gag me). You can basically tag where your car is with your phone when you park so when you come out of the store, it will tell you where and how to get to your car.
• Stitcher Radio. You can select many different radio stations and podcasts through this app, make them your favorites and get updated daily. I have one for People Magazine if I am feeling the need to catch up with Hollywood, another for the BBC radio since I can’t find a station in OKC that plays it all the time, a ton of “mommycasts” and NPR. Keeps the variety all organized for you.

I have a ton more but these are my favorites, and most are free. So, share away, b/c I need some more cool apps!