Apps for the Tech Savvy Mom

I've been meaning to post this for a while. A friend of mine is considering buying a smartphone and so it reminded me that I had left this post on the back burner for a while.

My husband and I purchased smartphones this summer. I was incredibly resistant at first. Why do I need so much internet on my phone? I have a computer for that. Do I really need fingertip access to my e-mail? The answer was a very big no. However, Ken really wanted one, and we were lowering our minutes, so the data plan (with Ken's discount) had us breaking even with what were were initially paying. My husband is weird and won't buy himself things of that caliber unless I get something equal to it, so we took the plunge.

And,
I have to admit,
I love my smartphone.

It's so much more than having the internet and e-mail. (Although I use that too. I'm the queen of googling things I don't know, and my phone makes it that much easier.)

Over the last 9 months, I've stumbled over quite a few really useful apps that have made life, and motherhood a bit easier, and I thought I'd share my top five. (Did I mention their free? I have yet to buy an app.)

*ShopListFree

This is a grocery list app and I love it! I can add things that we need throughout the week and shop for them on our weekly trip to the store. I also always have my list on me at all times (and I won't loose it in the mess I call my purse), so if I stop at the store midweek, I know exactly what I need to pick up, without having to rack my brain too much. It allows you to check items off and get rid of them as you go. It also has different sections you can separate your items into, which makes getting in and out of the store quickly, really easy.

*MyFitnessPal

This app is a calorie and diet tracker. You can put in your weight and your goal weight, as well as how many pounds you want to lose and it calculates how many calories you should take in daily. You're also able to add in what you've done for exercise and it will subtract your calories burned from those you've consumed. At the end of each day, after you submit your entry, it computes what you'd weigh five weeks from that date if you continue to consume/burn that same amount of calories. I use this A LOT, not too say that it always keeps me inline when it comes to eating healthy and exercising, but it does put things into perspective.

*Cozi

This is a family calendar. Anyone in your family can sync to the same account and have easy access to dates and appointments that involve everyone. You can also set it to send texts or e-mail reminders. I just recently downloaded this app and haven't use it too much, although it's a great concept. I imagine if you have older kids with phones that this app could prove to be really helpful. For example, Fenix doesn't have a smartphone, but he can still get text reminders for events I have put into the calendar.

*LoveFoodHateWaste

This a great app for trying to figure out what to do with left over food. All you have to do is throw what you have left over into the "blender" and the app spits out recipes that incorporate those foods.

*BestBudget

One of my goals this year was to be better at writing and sticking to a budget. I think in categories. We spend this much on food, this much on gas, this much on utilities, etc. This app is organized in that same way. You create categories for how your money should be spent and saved. When you make a purchase, it subtracts it from the category you select. This app is easy and intuitive and runs without a hitch. The only thing I don't like is it doesn't synch to Ken's phone. I initially had an app called EEBA, where you had similar categories, called "envelopes", and that did synch. Unfortunately it was painfully and oddly slow.

*KitchenDial

This app converts measurements for you. It's quick, simple, and pretty handy.

Of course there are others I use as well, like Pinterest, the Idaho Statesman app (my smartphone has made it so that I am psychotically always up to date on local news), and WebMD, which I use to self diagnose myself with strange illness. But the ones above I can actually argue as being useful:)

Tricks of the Trade

Grace is just a tad over ten months old, so I definitely can't claim to be an expert on motherhood (but really, can anyone?). I have however, learned a few tricks of the trade that I thought I'd share.

These are just a few things I've learned in the last ten months that have made mommy-hood go a bit smoother.

*Nurse if you can. This isn't really a tip or a trick, but once you get the hang of it, it makes life much easier (and more affordable). We all know it's what's best for baby, but there are some selfish perks as well. It's significantly cheaper than formula. Grace still nurses and I pump, but we supplement with formula when I work. Even THAT is expensive, so I can only imagine how spendy it would be if she had formula all the time. On top of that, it allows your body to burn extra calories, without the effort of exercise. I gained 35 pounds in my pregnancy. I've lost all but five. (My goal is to be back to my prepregnancy weight by Grace's birthday.) I know there are woman who dropped all their weight within a few months, but I'm just not one of those, and if I can drop these last five pounds by May 8th, I'll be content. I have only recently (as in the last few weeks) started exercising on a regular basis again. (I know, I'm not proud of this fact, but baby and work have kept me busy.) The majority of my weight has come off without much effort on my part, and I attribute that to extra calories burned because of nursing. (Now, I have a feeling these last five pounds are planning to stick around until I work them off. Which is a completely different story/post.)

*BRAT-Bananas-Rice-Applesauce-Toast. Works great for a baby's upset belly (can we say explosive diaper?). Anytime Grace's belly is having issues, or even my step-son's for that matter, we serve up at least one of these four.

*Cranberry juice helps you rid yourself of excess water weight. How is this a mom tip you're wondering? When I came home from the hospital I insisted on stepping on the scale. My daughter weighed 6 pounds and 12 ounces, but I had only lost six! I don't remember going into the hospital bloated, but I definitely came out that way. My legs were like balloons. I blame it on the meds they give you right after birth to help your uterus shrink. It took almost two weeks for my legs to return to normal, and during that time I drank a lot of cranberry juice, and it helped. Plus, it's just plain delicious!

*I've been a pretty lucky mom when it's come to my daughter teething. However, when her teeth are bothering her (and sometimes just when I need to quickly clean the kitchen), I hand Grace a frozen washcloth with applesauce in the middle. I make the washcloth ahead of time by wetting the washcloth, spreading applesauce in the center, twisting, and then tossing into a plastic bag and into the freezer. When Grace's mouth is hurting her, I hand her the frozen washcloth. The cool cloth feels good against her teeth, and she also gets a sweet and healthy treat as the cloth begins to thaw out.



*If you're planning to make your own baby food (also cheaper than buying already prepped baby food), make it ahead and freeze it. This is what we've done with the majority of Grace's food. At first I was trying to make it almost daily, and I just couldn't keep up. By the time we get home on a typical school day, we only have a few hours until bed, so I started making the majority of Grace's food on the weekend and then freezing it in ice cube trays. In a typical ice cube tray, a cube equals one ounce. This makes it super easy to determine how much food to heat up for baby. When it comes to using frozen fruit and veggies, you can unfreeze it, cook it, purée it, and then freeze it one more time.

We just recently started freezing chicken. I cooked a chicken breast up, stuck it in the food processor, and then froze it in a freezer bag. If we end up eating something for dinner that Grace can't, I just pour a little puréed chicken in with her veggies and heat it up.

*Always pack an extra set of baby clothes in your diaper bag (above picture illustrates what happens when you don't:), if not two. Also, ALWAYS keep an extra diaper and wipes in your car. ALWAYS. You'll never know when you'll need it.

*Another thing you should always pack is a plastic bag.

Just recently we had an incident where I did not have extra clothes, and I have learned my lesson. I took Fenix to his first soccer practice last week. It had been a super long day. We had been in the car the majority of the afternoon. As I was walking up to introduce myself to Fenix's coach, I noticed that Grace was beginning to smell pretty rank. I didn't dare look down. Instead I quickly introduced myself to Fenix's coach (and prayed he didn't mistake the wretched smell as me) and booked it back to my car, only to discover that Grace had completely (COMPLETELY) blown out her diaper. I changed her in the back seat, and she had to ride home in just her diaper. Luckily I didn't have anywhere pressing that I needed to be. Most public places frown upon a semi naked baby:)

Well, there's a few tricks I've learned a long the way. I'm sure there are many I didn't think to mention, and quite a few more that I'll learn, and hopefully remember to share:)

I'm not much for ending on a question, but if you're a mom and you have any other tips you feel like sharing, please leave a comment, or blog it and leave the link. I'd love to add a few more to my mom bag of tricks!:)