Apps4Moms

Blog Moved!

2011-06-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hi, my family moved to Charleston, South Carolina....

...and my blog moved to WordPress: http://www.apps4moms.net/wordpress

Work in progress, but still check it out!

Tozzle App - Toddler Puzzles

2011-06-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

I love it when my 2.5 year old daughter sits down and does a puzzle. I can see the satisfaction it brings her when she successfully inserts each piece to its proper place, and her "oh yeah, I did it," dance when she completes the entire thing. Maybe that's why I'm so gaga over the Tozzle Puzzle App by nodeflexion.com, oh yeah, and most importantly my daughter is gaga over it too.

The Tozzle App (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) comes in a Free Lite version, but the $1.99 you spend on the full version is definitely more than worth the price. The app is great in the fact that not only is it fun and challenging, but there are 39 puzzles in all, with increasing difficulty as your child completes a puzzle and slides over to the next one. Also, new puzzles are added with app updates, so the app never gets boring, although my daughter will do the same puzzle over and over again anyway.
The puzzles work like this; the puzzle piece shown in-color in the upper-right hand corner needs to be inserted in one of the empty slots or shadows. If your child struggles with placing the piece in its correct place after 3 failed attempts, the app displays a green arrow that directs your child where to go, with a circle target that helps snap it into place.

The app is colorful, fun, has great sound effects, and cheerful music (my daughter loves to dance and celebrate with the music when she completes a puzzle). Get this app for your toddler. Seriously, get it.

Get the app now.

Apps That Take the Stress Out of Family Vacations

2011-05-23T04:43:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here, and it's time to make the memories of the "What I did on Summer Vacation" essays your kids will make come Fall.

Here are some apps that I've used on our recent trip traveling with our 2 1/2 year old, and will help you avoid having a vacation like National Lampoon's ;)

Expedia App (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Free)

I like using the Expedia App to book flights right from your phone, and you can also use it to book hotel, car rentals, or find an activity (amusement parks, museums, etc.). Once it's booked, print your boarding pass at home, or simply print it out at the kiosks at the airport. Get the app now. Such a breeze for what you can control, security on the other hand...I have an app for that too....

Transportation Security Administration App (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Free)

This app is such a great tool when traveling with a child, especially when you are packing a "things to do" bag for the child to keep them busy on the plane. It has a tab that reads "Can I Bring?" and it is amazing. Just type in a questionable item you would like to bring on board the plane, and it explains if you can or not. It also displays any delays at your airport, and the waiting times at the security checkpoint. Though the TSA may get a bad rap, this app definitely helps make up for it. Get the app now.

My Suitcase App (iPhone and iPod Touch, $.99)

Your little one too young to pack for themselves, or maybe doesn't even understand why Mommy is putting their things in a bag? The My Suitcase App is great app for toddlers/preschoolers to play. The game allows them to pack items in a suitcase for a vacation at 4 different destinations. Once they pack their luggage, they arrive and play at their location. Real cute and my 2 1/2 year old plays it often. Get the app now.

Yelp App (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Free)

Once you arrive on vacation, find the perfect restaurant or entertainment with the help of the Yelp App, an app (and website) dedicated to reviews submitted by real people about local businesses in the area. Find out which restaurants are great to bring kids too, but also has food that doesn't come out of a bag or box.You can also "check-in" to places.
Get the app now.

Great App to Filter the Crap from YouTube - tinyTube

2011-03-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Get the app now

Don't you hate it when your child is watching his/her favorite video via YouTube on your iPhone or iPad, and you accidentally select a video that some loser has decided to edit themselves by inserting curse words or adding snippets of their own immature animation? Since when did Dora get such a potty mouth? Then you frantically snatch your phone from your child (usually resulting in a cry of frustration), and shut off the video. I've been there a few times, but thankfully, here is a great app to keep this from happening again - the tinyTube app.

The tinyTube app works like this: first use your existing YouTube account or create a new one to be used just for your kids' videos. Then, on your account, save the kid-friendly videos to your favorites. Next, select the tinyTube app on your device, and press refresh at the top. The app automatically takes the videos from your favorites list, and displays them in the app. Now all your child needs to do is learn to select the tinyTube app icon instead of YouTube (I moved this app icon right next to the YouTube app to help). Voila, no stressing about Calliou suddenly becoming violent or your child's favorite character coming upon an unfortunate death.

The app is only $.99 and I feel well worth it.

Get the app now

Build a Bug Workshop?... Create Cute Bugs With Your Toddler

2011-03-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Bug Builder App
$1.99

If you're like me, bugs make you a little squeamish...but with this cute app for your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, bugs are adorable and...creative.

Get the app now

The Bug Builder app by Tickle Tap Apps is full of bright colors, charming music, and fun sound effects. It is a very simple concept; in fact when I purchased the app, I was thinking that you could choose what kind of eyes the bug would have, antenna, legs, etc., and was a little disappointed at just how simple it really was.

I later showed the app to my two year old daughter however, and realized that this simplicity is perfect for toddlers (which we all know have shorter attention spans). Toddlers love creating things, but don't want to be patient and go through a lot of steps and details to get to their final product. Duh mom! The app developers recommend this app for children ages 3-5, though I'd say some two year olds can grasp this app also.

Let me explain this simple concept: first you choose from 4 different designs for the body of your bug. Then you choose from several different colors to draw on your bug. Next you tap the smiley bug face in the top right-hand corner, and your design is placed in an "egg". Now it is your job to hatch it! You tap on the egg six times, and voila, your bug creation is hatched with a face, wings, antenna, legs, and whatever else they may have. Then you can click on the camera image in the top right-hand corner, and take a picture of your bug, which is saved in your photos section on your device. Goodness, I probably have at least 20 bugs in my phone! What can I say, my daughter loves this app! She laughs so hard when her bug hatches and she sees what crazy creation she's made.

What's also great is that there are many different bug features the app adds onto your bug, so you're sure to have a different-looking bug each time!

The app is $1.99.

Get the app now

Send Your Toddler/Preschooler to Fish School - Learning App

2011-02-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Fish School

Get the app now

Do you remember the scene from Finding Nemo, when Nemo's father and his companion Dori are asking questions to a school of fish trying to find Nemo? All of these fish take shape to illustrate what they are talking about, like an arrow, or take the shape of Nemo's father, mocking him with a sad face. Well, this app takes that funny idea, and turns it into a fun, bright, and musical learning experience for your toddler or preschooler.

Let your child explore numbers, letters, shapes, colors, and thinking exercises with the help of schools of fish as their teachers. This very cute app created by Duck Duck Moose for the iPhone and iPad is clever with presenting the fundamentals in a fun way. The app also challenges toddlers and preschoolers with critical thinking exercises, just right for them. For example, your child is posed with a question of selecting which fish doesn't belong in the school of fish, or your child will be challenged with a memory game, where they have to match up the same fish.

Classical music is played throughout the app, which always lets me know that when my 2 year old grabs my iPhone, she's gone to fish school. In fact, it's now the first app she goes to when she has her sticky fingers on my phone.

The app is $1.99.

Get the app now

Best App to Have in Emergencies

2011-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

The iFirstAid app (and lite version) for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, is a great resource to access a wealth of life-saving information in an instant.

Get the app now

I'll be reviewing the lite version, which is FREE.

The iFirstAid Lite app has information on what to do in an emergency situation involving the use of CPR, Bleeding, Burns, Chocking, and Poisons, for babies, children, and adults. Under each of these categories, you are given step-by-step information on what you should do to help the victim suffering.

For example, if a baby is not breathing on its own, enter the app and tap on CPR, Baby, and then follow the steps to resuscitate the baby. You can also instantly call emergency services like 911, or Poison Control Information, by selecting the telephone symbol in the bottom right of the toolbar.

The app also has a great feature in which an audible voice speaks aloud the directions, so you can simultaneously follow the steps as you hear them. Just select the symbol that looks like sound waves from a person's face, in the right top-hand corner (see image to right or below). There are also illustrations to further assist you.

This app is fully integrated, and is designed to help you find information quickly. For example, if someone is choking and becomes unable to breathe, the app takes you right from the Choking steps to how to perform CPR.

This app is great for any mom, or any person, that wants to be prepared in a life-threatening situation.

Get the app now

Learning Letters: Toddler's First Spelling App

2011-01-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

FirstWords: Animals App

Your toddler always grabbing for you phone? Why not keep their fingers occupied while engaging him/her with a great app teaching them letters and forming words?

I love the FirstWords: Animals app for iPhone, iPod, and iPad. My two year old daughter absolutely loves it. She loves the animals, and I love that she is learning letters and how letters make up words.

The app basically works like this; there is an image of an animal, and the animal word is spoken. A jumble of the letters that make up the word are below it. Your child touches one of the letters in the jumble and drags it up to the boxes to match it up to the same letter. The app also has a "magnetic" feature about it, so when your child drags the letter close to it's place, it automatically snatches the letter in correct position in the word. Your child can also touch the letter in the box, which triggers a hint by "shaking" the letter in the jumble below as another method of playing the game. This feature can also be turned off for older kids needing more of a challenge, and you can also change the settings to how long you want the words to be, and adjust difficulty levels. Once the word is completely spelled, the speaker audibly spells out the word for further reinforcement, followed by a little animation of the animal.

Only after a few demonstrations on my part, did my daughter pick up on the concept of dragging the letter to it's match. It's really an easy app to introduce to your toddler to get their mind thinking about spelling. Right now we are working on selecting the letters from left to right in order.

There are several different kinds of FirstWords apps, like a Spanish version, the Deluxe, etc., so go with the one that you think your child will enjoy the best. There is also a free sampler of this app, if you want to try it out before purchasing it. The app is $1.99, and it comes with 39 animals/words.

Get the app now

Great app for Parents of Newborns- Grow With Me

2011-01-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

For iPhone and iPod Touch

I wish I knew about the Grow With Me app when I gave birth to my daughter!

This app is a great tool in helping you record all the information your brain is too fried to remember after giving birth and living in the hospital for a few days. It keeps track of the times of feedings (left and right breast feedings too), how many wet and dirty diapers, hours sleeping, immunizations received, medications given, growth, and an appointment feature with alerts.

You go to the doctor often when you have a newborn baby, and I know it was always challenging for me to remember how many diapers she went through a day, figuring out how many ounces she gets on average, etc. This is great to pull out on doctor visits and look back to see if your baby is developing healthy patterns. Heck, you can even be specific with recording what kind of bowl movement your baby had. You also are able to compare your child's growth stats to the national average on this app.

If you are reading this and thinking, that sounds great but my kids aren't newborns anymore, well this app can be helpful to you too. The Grow With Me app "grows" with your child in keeping track of medical records and immunizations, growth, illness, etc.

Check it out for yourself. Get the app here. Oh, did I mention, IT'S FREE.

HeyTell App - Send an Instant Voice Message

2011-01-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

HeyTell App for iPhone, iPad, and Android

Get the app now
Ever get frustrated when you have a lot to say in a text message, and then you get it all down, and then you have to read it over and make corrections, and then....well I think everyone has been in that instance, and we usually resort to just picking up the phone and trying to call a person, or settle for leaving a voicemail.

With the HeyTell app, you just select the app, push the record button, and speak your message into the phone to a contact you've selected (who also has the app installed on their phone). Your message goes instantly to the person, who receives a notification that they have a message (much like a text message was received). They can then listen to your message instantly, and respond with a message of their own, much quicker than accessing their voicemail. You can use this app like a walkie-talkie even, or as an intercom.

I know this doesn't replace text messaging because you typically use it when one person can't talk, but if one parent or babysitter is watching a little one who can't type a text message, it's the perfect app for that child to talk to Dad at work for example. My 2 year old daughter loves it, and learned very quickly how to send messages of her own.

What's also great about this app is that it is FREE! It also uses very little data, about the same as sending an email, and you can use it on 3G, EDGE, or WiFi connections. Conversations can also be saved and replayed offline; a great tool if a parent has to be away for a few days, and the little one can listen to a comforting message of the missed parent's voice....for as many times as they need to...

Get the app now

Read Along Apps for Kids - Story Chimes

2010-12-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Do you remember as a kid, reading books along with audio cassettes, and when you heard the chimes, that was your signal to turn the page?

Yes, now there is an app for that too!

Story Chimes are individual apps of stories that you can download for free, or for $.99, download an ad-free version. There are a couple of stories just in time for Christmas- Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Very First Christmas.

Other stories include classics like Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and many more. I don't mind the free version with ads, but it may be annoying if your child keeps selecting them and going to that page, interrupting your story.

These stories include the option of actually reading the book, or read along (with chimes to indicate turning the page). The stories are complete with music, illustrations, and very animated storytellers (the voices of the three little pigs are quite fun). When the chimes ring, just select the orange arrow to the right, and continue the story. You can also bookmark where you leave off, go to the Page Index to search for a page, and change the language from English to Spanish.

My two year old daughter loves these stories, and it only took her one story to catch on that she is to turn the page when she hears the chimes. It's a great way to read along with your kids if you are away from home, or use it as a convenient library to download free stories to your phone.

Visit their website to learn more about all of the different stories and features of the apps: http://www.storychimes.com

This app makes me muchappier.

My 5 Must-Have Apps

2010-12-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

I download a lot of apps to try-out and share with moms, but there are 5 apps that I never delete, and use on a daily basis. Here are the apps that I would recommend to anyone who just purchased a smartphone for the first time, and don't know where to start. Oh, and they are all FREE:

1. Facebook: do I even need to explain this? Go directly to your Facebook account with this app, and update status, read newsfeed, upload photos or video, or search for friends. Get app now.

2. Weatherbug: I love being able to check the weather instantly on my phone. I can also see a 7-day forecast, see the weather of a destination I'm traveling, receive alerts when severe weather is coming, and check radar to see how far away a storm is from my location. Get app now.

3. Netflix: To use this app you must be a member of Netflix first, but the app itself is free. This app is such a great tool to have with little ones; distract them in the car, or keep them sitting and quiet at the doctor's office while watching a movie. Plus, I love using it too; I like to watch an episode of the Office while I workout on our elliptical machine during naptime. Get app now.

4. Pandora: You may already visit Pandora.com to listen to a custom radio station while you are at work, but get this app on your phone to take it with you anywhere. Listen to your favorite band and music similar to them, when at the gym, or just tap right into it when you want some background music while cleaning the house. It automatically links to your Pandora account, so all the radio stations you selected can be accessed on your phone too. Get app now.

5. Google: What better way to search online than Google.com? Get that instant search engine anywhere with the app on your phone. This app also features searches by a photograph you have taken directly from your phone, or speak into the phone and search. Get app now.

These are my top 5. Let me know what's in yours, or maybe let me know what should be my #6.

Best Baby Names App-Stork Drop

2010-12-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

Stork Drop App Review - Free App for iPhone

The Stork Drop App for iPhone is a free app that also makes finding that perfect name for your soon to-be son or daughter a lot of fun. It's almost a game really, and can connect to your Facebook so that your status can be updated with your top five favorite baby names. You know when you're pregnant everyone always asks what you are going to name your baby (and also the dreaded question of "can I rub your belly"), so share with your friends and family names you are considering (sorry, this app can't help with avoiding the belly run, but I'll look into that later...)

You start off the app by inserting your due date, so you have a count down of the amount of time you have to settle on a name. You do have to skip ads in this free app, but I'm not bothered too much by it.

Next a bunch of names drop from the clouds on the screen, and you touch and drag the names you like in the stork bag. Right after you select a name in the bag, the origin, definition and popularity of the name pop on the screen. You then choose if it is a favorite or still a maybe, and continue on.

Once there are no names left that you like, just tap on the cloud to drop some more names. You can see what names you have selected as your favorites by selecting the Favorites tab on the bottom of the screen. In this toolbar, you can also select "Snoop" and see what the highest ranked names are by this apps' users, as well as the most popular names to date. You can also select "Names List" and select famous people's names by list of categories, for example, if you select Athletics, you can then go to Baseball Hall of Fame, and find names of great Baseball starts.

If you just aren't into playing the whole cloud drop to stork's bag game, you can select the "A-Z Names" tab and go through a loooong list of all the baby names by Alphabetical order, and by gender.

This app is great and a fun way to discover new names you never thought of before. It makes me muchappier.

Click here to get the app now

The Simple Portrait Project

2010-11-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

Cincinnatians, or those kinda close, be on the look out this Spring for The Simple Portrait Project. What a great and fun experience in getting family portraits taken! Plus, you walk out with your files of the photos you hand-picked on a CD to print and do whatever you want with. It's such a cool and laid-back experience; check it out http://thesimpleportraitproject.com/

Here's some of our photographs:

The Best "Time of the Month" and Fertility App

2010-11-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

Platform: iPhone
Fee: Free
Version: 2.0 (iOS tested)

Planning to have a baby? Planning when to schedule a vacation? Always forgetting when your period is supposed to start again? The iPeriod app is a great organization and tracking tool, to store information about your menstrual cycle, and keep it discreet on your phone.

To use the app, you need to record some information about a couple of your past cycles: like when your last period dated, average length of period, and the average cycle length. You are also able to record symptoms, mood, and fertility…fertility details we’ll say. The app also has a alert system so you can receive a notice when you should expect your monthly present.

What makes this app great is the different options to view information about your cycles, which you select on the toolbar on the bottom of the app. You can visualize your cycle from a calendar view, with pink dates as period dates, and green dates as fertile days. From the calendar view, you can also make notes about how you’re feeling throughout the month, and find patterns as to when you can expect a PMS day, and try to avoid taking that out on your significant other….

For me, I would feel slight cramping and nausea in between my periods, and I was curious to see if my symptoms came back the same time each month. Upon using this app, I realized that my body was reacting to the time when I was ovulating. I also am aware that a couple of days before my period, I usually get a headache, so when I feel it coming on, I can take a quick look at the app, and know that the big P is coming. As I have my period, I record symptoms I’m feeling each day, and how long my period lasts, to keep the information current when the app factors my averages in length of cycle and length of period.

The next couple of viewing options also are very helpful: you can select the Summary tab and see your averages, like duration, and next expected period, along with the details of your last periods.

Here’s the great viewing option for all you planners out there, the "Next 12" tab. This projects your periods out for an entire year; great for when you want to plan a vacation, wedding, or any occasion where your period will totally cramp (no pun intended, well never mind, intended) your style.

I love this app, and I feel more in tune to my body because of it. It’s free so no harm in trying it, and there is also a Ultimate version that cost $1.99, where you can connect in forums and community and have more options in recording your symptoms and customizing your calendar to your design taste.

Exercising with Your Kids

2010-11-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a great video on how to have fun with your kids, and get some exercise too.

http://bit.ly/aTf7c5

The Holidays are Coming, The Holidays are Coming; The Best eCard App Results

2010-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

It’s the holiday season, and time for those infamous holiday cards with pictures of your family all dressed up, in matching cheesy sweaters....

Considering sending ecards this year? I downloaded a sampling of greeting card apps and wanted to share the best apps for sending holiday cards this year, as well as a couple of the worst.

Honorable Mentions

American Greetings app for iPhone, iPod, and iPad: This app provides a wide and ever-growing variety of cards to choose from tackling categories such as holidays, sympathy, birthday, congratulations, love, etc. The best feature of the app is the capability of sending video cards, cards that you can personalize, or your creation using stock images/stickers or uploading your own photos. There is so much to explore with this app; it’s a lot of fun to practice the features and send “just because” cards out to your friends (believe me, in doing this study, I sent quite a few to my husband to test out). It’s only $.99, and you don’t have to pay any fees for as long and as often as you use the app.

Get the app here

Frame Wiz for iPhone: This is where the modern Christmas card comes in to play. You can still take that cheesy family picture if you would like, but why not upload it and insert it in a decorative frame through the app, to send out to all of your friends and family’s inbox? Save on print, postage, and time! The images used in the app are high quality photos. This app also allows you to share your card creation on facebook and twitter. This app is $.99.

Get the apps here

Duds

Hallmark app for iPhone: Not only does the Hallmark app not have nearly as many cards to choose from as American Greetings, they lack video cards, quality, and personal creation of cards. Also, the big kicker is that though the app is free, you have to pay $.99 for each time you send a card.

D’cards for iPhone: This app just doesn’t work, and looking at the comments on the iTunes page for the app, others have written in saying the exact same thing-it doesn’t load to your phone. Good thing it was free…

Let me know if I missed a greeting card app that you think is great. I’m always up for re-reviewing so that the most accurate information is always presented.

Have Trouble Remembering Names? Namecatcher App Will Fix That

2010-11-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

App Name: Name Catcher

Platform: iPhone

Version: 1.2

Fee: $.99

Get this app now

Have you ever had someone come up to you and start a conversation, and for the life of you, you couldn’t remember his or her name? If you have a hard time remembering people’s names you meet, plus trying to remember where you know someone from, the NameCatcher app is a great little assistant on steering you clear from that awkward situation.

The name catcher app allows you to enter in a person’s name, label that person with a category of how you know them, i.e. around town, business, on vacation, restaurant/bar, etc. You can also give yourself a hint as to what connection you had with that person, and also if you wan to put them on your “A” list of people to stay in contact with. You also have the capability to take someone’s picture and upload it to this profile (of course when you don’t think that would be weird for the other person).

When I first started diving into this app, I thought, yeah this is great, but when I’m at a social event, I don’t have time to just enter in all this data into my phone. There’s a feature that diverts this issue: a recording option. Just record yourself saying the person’s name, contact info, and what connection you made, and then go back in and create an account for them later.

Lastly, there is also an option to save this account to your phone’s contacts, which also keeps you from doing double duty work of re-entering someone’s info in your contacts.

This app makes me muchappier!

Get this app now

Fun App for Toddlers; Peekabo Wild

2010-10-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

App Name: Peekaboo Wild
Platform: iPhone 3G
Version: 1.0.2
Developer: Night & Day Studios, Inc.
Fee: $1.99

Peekaboo Wild is a fun and cute app for toddlers. The app is a simple peekaboo game where your child taps on the grass in the African savannah to uncover a hiding animal. An adorable little child’s voice reads the name of the animal out loud, while it is written on the screen. Then, the animated creature comes to life on the phone.

This app is another great distraction to keep your child occupied while driving, waiting at the doctor’s office, etc. You know when you need a distraction to keep your toddler quiet and busy. This app definitely steals my daughter’s attention, and I love watching her smile and laugh when she discovers what animal is hiding in the grass.

Click here to get this app.

Healthy Recipes App to Feed Your Family

2010-10-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

App Name: Healthy Recipes
Platform: iPhone 3G
Version: 1.0
Developer: Spark Recipes
Fee: Free

Click here to get this app now

If you’ve added a few more pounds around your mid-section or just like to feel good about what you eat, the SparkRecipes App is a good app to have on your phone.

When selecting the app, it instantly takes you to a search page, in which you can type a keyword search, or browse by category: course, cuisine, dietary needs, and occasion. I think this app wins especially in the dietary needs category. I myself don’t restrict myself to a certain diet (I’m an equal opportunity eater), but for those that are diabetic, vegans, or low-carb fanactics, you can find recipes by selecting these browsing criteria. If you’re aiming to cook with a specific ingredient, the keyword search will get the recipe scouting job done.

The app also features a Favorites tab, where you can save the dishes you want to reference. This app also features videos of the SparkRecipe’s Chef Meg making some of the recipes; a ‘how-to’ approach with tackling some of these recipes. Not only that, there are videos on common techniques used in cooking like how to zest citrus, prep your kitchen, and how to poach an egg-really handy for those just starting out in the kitchen.

Once you’ve selected an interesting recipe, you go to a page where it lists the ingredients needed. You can select the Directions tab to get instructions on how to create your chosen delicacy. Then, the important part; it gives the nutrition information of the meal. Looks just like the nutrition information box on the items you buy at the grocery store. This is a great feature, and allows you to check to make sure that what you are in fact putting in your body is healthy. One word of caution, I wouldn’t just trust that all the recipes are in fact healthy; anything that has a lot of cheese isn’t going to be healthy, regardless if you use skim milk instead of regular milk with it or not.

Click here to get this app now

Restaurant Nutrition App: Keep Your Dieting Goals While Dining Out

2010-10-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Restaurant Nutrition App

Platform: iPhone

Version: 1.47.5

Developer: Foundation Surgery Affiliates

Fee: Free

This app is great for watching what you eat, while dining out at a restaurant. You can search over 115 popular restaurants nationwide and take a peak at the nutrition facts of the food items on their menus. The Restaurant Nutrition app is useful for when you already know the restaurant you will be dining, or if you are looking for a restaurant.

This app is also a great companion for those who have food allergies, by providing information on what item on the menu could be hazardous. You can also filter the food items by your desired diet determiner: carbs, calories, fat, etc. Just click on the magnifying glass in the bottom right hand corner. Looking at the Search image on the left, you can take a look at how this feature works. For example, you can search for foods that fit in your desired amount of calories for all restaurants, are just a certain one, and a menu category like dinner, salad dressings, desserts, etc.

When you find a restaurant that is compatible to your dieting goals, there is a search option to find the closest location near you. There is also a history tab to quickly look up a restaurant you visit often.

This app I find to be incredibly valuable for health-conscious people like myself (well some of the time....). I love that it helps keep you informed about the food you put into your body. This app makes me muchappier.

Click here to get this app now

Want a new iPod? Upgrade your old one at Toys R' Us

2010-10-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Check it out: click here.

Courtesy of CoolMomTech.com

Grocery iQ app for iPhone

2010-10-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

There are so many great things about this app, that I could write a forever-long review about them, but I’ll just focus on my favorite things about the Grocery iQ app, and leave you to discover the rest of the greatness yourself.

The Grocery iQ app is the perfect tool to have when you are planning your next grocery visit. It not only helps you create and store your grocery lists, but you can also search for coupons, sort the list by different types of stores you shop at, and sort the lists by categories in the order in which you shop.

What I find most effective is to first search what coupons are out right now. I select the dollar sign tab, and instantly connect to coupons.com. There I search for what coupons I want. I then email them to myself, and can print them off from my computer. You also have the option to print directly from your phone.

The really innovated part is that once you select what coupons you want, it instantly saves those items on your list, and sorts them by category on your list. For example, if you selected a coupon for Huggies diapers, it instantly adds the coupon to your grocery list under the “Baby” category. Looking at the image below, the items on my list that are in blue are coupon items. I must say, this is an awesome feature! You then enter other items onto your list by tapping the plus sign on the top right-hand corner, and start typing in the search bar. The app pulls up suggestions of what you are looking for as you type in the name of the item.

After I created my grocery list, I then sorted the categories in the order I always go through the grocery store. With always having a two year old shopping with me, being quick and efficient is very important to me. When you pick up the item and put it in your cart, you just tap in the white box next to the item and a check mark appears so you can find your place as you go down your list.

The app also has a barcode scanner, and the capability to save commonly bought items, like milk, eggs, bread, etc., in the favorites tab.

This is a great app, and I recommend it to all shoppers. This app makes me muchappier!

Is the "Ask a Stylist" app the next best thing to having Joan Rivers in your pocket?

2010-10-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon the "Ask a Stylist" App for the iPhone, which was actually written about in an article by the Wall Street Journal online. In a nutshell, you can send a picture of an outfit or ask a question to send to a stylist, and receive feedback in minutes on what you should wear, or their opinion about your outfit. I'm intrigued!

Also, it's free, which surprised me.

I just downloaded it and am playing around right now; I'm kind of shy about actually using it...

This would have been great to have when I was dress shopping for something to wear to a wedding a week ago. It was just me and my two year old daughter shopping (she thinks all dresses are pretty :) ).

Has anyone tried it out? Let me know what you think. I'll provide my feedback soon when I actually try it.

My 2 Year Old Loves This App!

2010-10-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

I love it too because I see how much she adores it, and well, I love to color too….who doesn’t?

This app is fun and kinda funny. When you enter the app, you are greeted to some snazzy music that I couldn’t help but sway to a bit. You get a choice of two different coloring books to enter: Ocean Creatures and Farm Animals (They each have different tunes). If you don’t care for the music, you can mute it by pressing the button with the music note on it in the bottom right-hand corner.

Next scroll through the different pages to color, and select one. Glide the color choices and pick out what color you want to start off with. Then just tap what area you want to color. It’s really easy and to my surprise, it isn’t tedious to color in small objects. It’s kind of like the paint bucket tool on Paint, but more intuitive, I think. I haven’t experienced many moments when I got frustrated when wanting to color in one area, and instead it colors in another. One drawback however, is that there isn’t an “undo” button to quickly go back if you make a mistake, but hey it’s coloring, not homework.

You can also save your work, or easily go back to the menu page to select another page to color. The real feature that wins it for me is that it animates your coloring. Just select the arrow button to “play” your drawing, and watch it come to life. My daughter just giggles away every time she pushes it, and it made me laugh the first I tried it too.

It’s fun. It’s cheap, and it’s also a great distraction when you need to occupy your young child for a few minutes. It also didn’t take my daughter long at all to figure out the buttons, so I would say kids as young as two would enjoy it, and adults too!