Crush of the Month – IPhone Apps for Moms

If there is one organizing, information layer, connective and fun piece of technology in my life that I have come to love, it’s the IPhone.  Long-time avoiders of all things cell phone related (we spend enough time in the office, couldn’t bear the thought of having people be able to find us all of the time), we broke down early this year and discovered a whole new level of the universe.

There are lots of smart mobile devices out there. But, we went with the IPhone because of its fantastic versatility and – much like you’ll always see us driving a Nissan or shooting with Cannon equipment – we are brand-loyal Mac lovers. Going with a Blackberry would be like cheating on a spouse.:)

I use the IPhone when it comes to business mostly to keep myself on track. Between basic features like the calendar, alarms, Google maps and Voice Memos, there’s a beautiful hum of “Oh thank goodness I don’t have to actually store all of this information in my already overloaded brain.”

But, while I have no idea how I ever survived as long as I did without my personal assistant “Ida” (as I’ve named her) for the office, it has become a fun, useful and sanity-saving companion with the tiny person and our soon-to-be second tiny person as well.

Here are some IPhone Apps that are practical, playful and useful. I’d love to hear some of the ones you’ve fallen for as well:

1. I am currently digging Expecting, an IPhone App for pregnant mamas. It’s like a much more interactive version of those old skool pregnancy tickers, tracking your progress, keeping track of appointments, passing along developmental information and more. At $4.99, it’s a good deal for the uber-organized expecting mom.

2. The All Recipe Dinner Spinner. I suck at figuring what’s for dinner and am always in need of something to keep me from making the five basic meals that my family has come to bemoan. I love this app because it helps me stay creative, I can use it in the grocery store and it’s fun to check out new recipes.

3. BabyMed Basics. I am always worried about first aid and how to deal with emergency situations. This app is great for easy-to-access information on the most common of kiddo emergencies and how to deal with them. Well worth the $1.99 download fee.

4. Scribble. This is a fun, free app that is all about making some funky art onscreen with the IPhone. You can scribble over pictures already in your phone, distract the kids with it and it’s pretty interactive with lots of different colors and options. This is a doctor’s office boredom killer.

5. Alphabet Animals. This fun, animated flashcard game gives your kids a chance to work on their basic skills on a long car ride or while waiting in an office. I like learning games. So, this .99 cent download is right up our alley.

6. Tales2Go. My most recent discovery was this awesome (if not a bit pricey at $24.99 a year) audio book app that I have to admit we are completely loving right now. It’s perfect for the car, even the grocery store, and the stories are FANTASTIC. With more than 1,000 stories, this one is priceless in our book right now.

7. Edibles Diet Journal. I’m not really dieting right now. But, keeping track of what I am eating and getting into the habit of logging exercise, progress and more is something I’m super into as getting this baby weight off is going to be top priority. I like this app a lot because it doesn’t make me feel guilty, but gives me the tools I need to stay on track with fitness.

Tags: applications, children, family, games, IPhone, Kids, Learning, mom, organization, Our Big Earth Media Co., pregnancy, weight-loss

Category: Technology, THINK GREEN