Top Five Apps of 2013

My iPhone has become as much a part of me as my right hand.  Most of the time it is on my person somewhere, and I almost think it has a hidden magnet that attaches itself to my left hand.  Here are the apps I have relied on most in 2013.

1.  Saucony Run4Good
I was introduced to this app by Another Mother Runner podcast that I discovered this year.  This app tracks my run time/distance/pace and then adds my miles to others who have this app.  If the total miles of all runners is 10,000 then Saucony donates up to $10,000 to a charity that promotes ways for children to be more active and run.  It's a win-win....I try to stay healthy and kids get the chance to discover what running can do for them.

2.  Menu Planner
This app combines two things into one for me....a weekly menu and a shopping list.  The app allows me to plan meals for my family and if the recipe is in the app, it can draw up a shopping list based on what we are eating that week.  This app isn't perfect though, it's a bit glitchy and quits out when I try to add recipes, so that part doesn't work for me.  But I like the fact that as I'm shopping, if I can't remember if I got everything for the week, I can double check the menu to make sure I won't need to make additional trips to the store (which I just do NOT have time for right now).

3.  Collect
Life goes by fast....and gets faster as you get older.  I use this to keep pics of the small moments that happen all the time.  Like in the spring when Zac was sick with the flu for a week (not a good memory, but still something to remember), or the day Brianna got her drivers license and she drove home legally that day.  I haven't used this every day, but there are stretches of weeks that I collect the pics and remember life.

4.  Penzu
This journaling app is one that can be used on both iPhone and Mac.  There is a yearly fee for access, but I have multiple journals that I can write in whether it be on my phone or my laptop.  It's easy to use and personalize.  It's pretty simple, but I have tried other apps and this one wins due to its cross-platform versatility.

5.  30/30
This is a timer app that I use when I study to keep me on track.  You can schedule various activities for certain amounts of time and it goes off to let you know to move on to the next thing (or take a break).  It's fairly user friendly and can be tailored to whatever you need....not just for school!