5 apps to help mom look super—and maybe steal some “me time”
Whether you’re a busy working mom or a busy stay-at-home mom, there’s never enough time in the day to get all of your errands and chores done then spend some quality time with your family. Moms have earned the name “super mom” by balancing all of the family’s daily events, helping the kids with homework, getting everyone to their doctor’s appointments on time, and still managing to make a hearty meal for dinner.
Smart phone apps can be a super mom’s biggest ally by helping her look even more super while making life a bit more manageable. All you need it to download a few onto your favorite smart phone or mobile device, add a data plan, and voila, you’ll be able to organize a play date or whip up a nutritious collection of bagged lunches faster than you can say, “Get that finger out of your mouth”!
Here are some smart phone apps to help keep my own family organized:
1. Put Things Off ($1.99 – for iPhone)
Note-taking apps, like Put Things Off, will help a busy mom stay organized with daily to-do lists, shopping lists, and tasks for carting the kids around to hockey practice and dentist appointments, and themselves to PTA meetings. Every time you have a new chore or errand, simply create a new note, and assign the note a due date, which the app will organize in the central calendar tool. Users can view notes by day or week and see all of the assigned due dates.
2. Intuition: Mom’s Personal Assistant (Free – for iPhone)
I always thought life would be a lot easier if I had a clone to help me with chores and errands, but the Intuition: Mom’s Personal Assistant app is even better! This app is ideal for a mom like me (let’s say a little disorganized) who needs to keep track of the entire family’s social schedule. The app organizes everything from soccer matches to bake sales with built in features—such as to-do lists, shopping lists, calendars, and more!
3. AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner (Free – for Android)
Let’s be honest, dinner can get a little bland when the same person is responsible for it every single night—that’s how we ended up with spaghetti Tuesday in my household—because we just run out of ideas. But AllRecipes.com is the app to help you bring some fresh ideas to the supper table. This app features a huge database of user-generated recipe sites on the web. You can browse by type of meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or desert), or search by main ingredient (such as chicken or fish). AllRecipies will instantly serve up a hot selection of recipes that fit your dining desires.
4. SitOrSquat: Bathroom Finder (Free – for iPhone)
If you’re a mom you probably hear this as soon as you leave the house, “Mom, I have to go to the bathroom”! The SitOrSquat app is ideal for families—especially if they still have potty-training toddlers onboard. Simply, launch the app to find the nearest public restroom location. And because cleanliness is important, there are photos and user reviews available as well.
5. Sleep Machine ($1.99 – for iPhone)
Every mom could use a few more hours of sleep a night! After a busy day carting the family around and worrying about their needs, the Sleep Machine app will help take care of yours. Moms can select from over 90 pre-recorded peaceful sound scapes to help them rest and rejuvenate after a hard day. Create a blissful atmosphere with ocean sounds, bird tweets, or waterfalls. Plus, the app features a clock, sleep timer, and an alarm to help you get back to reality.
Bio: Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news, commentary, reviews on popular providers like T-Mobile.
