My Wishlist for App Developers

Tags

help me organize my life, phone clutter

OK, the last time I ranted about my information needs I got a pretty good response.  And my previous posts about iPhone apps have gotten decent attention from the developers.  So here is my Issue Du Jour:

I recently upgraded my phone and lost most of my apps in the process.  Not lost as in forever, but lost as in they were no longer staring me in the face upon startup.  I had to go fetch them from the cloud as I needed them.  I hate to say my kids told me so, but they were among the first ones squawking that I had too many apps on my phone and there was no possible way I really used them all.  Five screens of apps, all in folders.  Too much, you say??

I hate to delete an app that actually has potential.  I’ve hung on to financial calculator apps and Christmas shopping organizers, saving my mad delete skillz for the likes of Talking Tom and virtual measuring tapes. (Do those ever really work?)  My argument for the useless apps I keep has always been, “But I emailed that developer and he is going to make this app do exactly what I need it to do, so I have to hang on to it!”  Except that I’ve been an app freak for four years now and those cool features I desire still do not exist.

Listen up, app-mappers.  I have needs.  I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one with these needs.  (Then again, maybe I am. Whatev.)  Essentially, I believe any app’s primary objective should be to make a small, even insignificant, aspect of my life easier.  Otherwise, you’re just cluttering my already crowded phone with more useless stuff and empty promises.  Allow me to be specific:

Reminders/To-Dos with snooze  I love the native Reminders app on the iPhone.  It will remind you of whatever your task is based on your location or time of day.  It’s as customizable as any app I could ask for with one exception.  I can’t snooze a reminder.  Admittedly, Outlook has spoiled me.  I can set any task and customize the reminder.  When the reminder pops up, if I’m in the middle of something uber-important, like facilitating Middle East peace talks, I can snooze the reminder for anywhere from another five minutes to the next day.  ‘Cause seriously, we can’t expect world peace to wait while I pay my Comcast bill, can we?

Product Usage I downloaded a beauty products app that touted it would remind me when to replace my cosmetics.  Except it didn’t.  It gave me a quick run-down on the known shelf-life of each beauty product, which had absolutely nothing to do with how fast I go through a product, or even when I opened it.  So mascara typically lasts three months.  Big whoop.  What if I regularly burn through it in two?  No, what I want is an app that will let me set a date that I open a product, assign my own typical usage period, and generate a list of items I need to replace.  “Hey, Lori, it’s time to add laundry detergent to the grocery list.”  Or, “You’ll run out of moisturizer next month.  Better place an order.”  It doesn’t even need to be that wordy, but you get the gist.  I actually communicated with the lady behind the app I downloaded (which was only for beauty products) and she thought my idea was awesome and she swore she would find a way to implement it.  Two years ago.  Ahem.  Movin’ on…

Recipe Storage Serving Sizer is a recipe organizer that I really liked.  I bought this app only after asking the developers if they would consider making the app calculate nutritional value of each recipe.  They assured me that they had already thought of that and were planning to include it in future updates.  I haven’t seen it yet.  (Three years, but who’s counting?)  But if they’re listening, let me bend their ear on one more matter. I’d really like to see cloud storage on this app so that I can access my recipes from any of my devices, including online via desktop and a simple login to my account. Yes, I know that whole account thing would be new…work it out, guys.  Additionally, I think that the desktop access is important because I also want to be able to upload recipes that I already have stored on my computer.  Inputting recipes into this app is a bit tedious, and an upload feature would seriously rock.

Voice Commands I will not bore Apple with my Siri aggravation, but let’s examine my only two requests of her.  The day after I got my new phone I asked Siri to install my WordPress app.  She informed me that she could not install things for me.  Later, I asked her what time a local business opened and she basically told me to Google it on my own.  I knew before meeting her that she wasn’t going to cook dinner or fold my sheets, but seriously…what good is she?

Gift Card Wallet  Passbook was on the right track, but it doesn’t support everything I have and/or want.  I need a gift card wallet.  You know, an app that will store all my current unused gift card balances and produce a barcode to let me pay with the gift card from my phone.  That way, if I have $2.83 left on a Bass Pro gift card, I don’t have to carry it around with me on the off-chance that I need more camo.  The app needs to operate like Cardstar, with the added feature of showing me a list of available balances.  I mentioned this to a developer friend of mine one day several years ago.  He just shook his head as he muttered something about “one single point of compromise.”  But that was long before the days of wallet apps, so perhaps he’s changed his tune.  Then again, this is the guy who used to chastise me for not changing my passwords every two weeks.  😉

Coupon Wallet  While we’re on this whole wallet idea and offering single-point gateways to our innermost sanctums, could someone do the same thing for coupons, please?  A coupon organizer on my phone – Holy frijoles! – wouldn’t that make me happy?!  I’m not an extreme couponer by any stretch of the imagination, but I would be better at it if I had more than my paper-hoarding accordion file.  I could add coupons to the wallet by scanning the barcode.  Or by downloading them into my app from some huge coupon-making conglomerate’s website.  If anyone is interested in creating this, it would be important to have a select option, much like in a grocery shopping app – click it to put it in a “cart.”  Then at checkout, produce a list of coupons for which I have purchased products.  And location services would be important too!  Add lists of stores where I can use the coupons, and when I arrive at that store, have a notification pop up that tells me I have coupons to use at this location.  Expiration dates will be important – they can delete themselves the day after expiration and immediately after use.  Half my problem with using coupons is that I a) forget I even have them to use, and b) forget to throw them away when they’ve expired.  Admittedly, this is probably the most difficult and least needed item on my list.  Take it for what it’s worth.

Oh, one more thing.  I’m willing to pay fair app prices for those that can make me happy.  I am not willing to pay for apps without the ability to test-drive them first.   So, be sure you have a limited free version for me to try.  I promise, if it impresses me, I will not hesitate to buy the full version.

 

Catching Up

Tags

giveaways, makeup, Simple Beauty Minerals

Sorry, y’all.  I took a little unintended snooze for a while and neglected my blogs, my email and life in general outside of Poca Voglia.  I practically dropped off the map.  I’m actually surprised the Internet still knows me.  I logged in only to pay bills and buy things from Amazon.  (I heart Amazon.)  My own parents didn’t see me for three weeks, and Mom and I only talked on the phone twice in that whole time.  I know, right?  And what, you may ask, kept me holed up in my bubble for so long?  Well… see, what had happened was…

I got tendonitis in my elbow, which is aggravated by my desk height every time I use the computer at home.  So that kept me from sitting there to write, which as you see I am finally determined to do anyway.  My poor little blog has been bombarded by spam and autobot “users” despite all the free protection I can afford for the site, so checking my email has become an all out pain in the backside.  I had to deal with Comcast (the corporate spawn of Satan) three more times, and suffered the botanical injustice of watching a “white” crepe myrtle bloom purple in my front yard.  PURPLE!  The nursery graciously gave me another tree that blooms in the correct color.  (Comcast, surprisingly, also came through for me in the end.  The very end.  Go figure.) I was cell-phone harassed by an obnoxious marketing ploy for two weeks before I finally got the chance to give them an uncensored piece of my mind.  I got sucked in to a really long book that I couldn’t put down despite my grudge against it.   And on top of all that, Aaron’s computer got a virus, so any tech time I had at home was devoted to restoring his system.  Were it not for my father, I’d still be sitting there trying to disarm the virus.  He dealt with it for twenty minutes and then just formatted the hard drive.  Needless to say, I am now an overbearing Windows-updating, kilobyte-clearing, security-locking, virus-sniffing bloodhound. Floppy ears and all.

Not that it’s been all bad, mind you.  My garage now sports a gloriously organized peg-board, my yard is looking pretty good, and the family is still healthy.  I managed to ease myself into a new hairstyle, and this pasty white girl is finally sporting a natural, subtle summer glow.  The tan (if you’ll forgive my liberal use of the word) won’t last long, but I am enjoying it nonetheless.

OK, so now that you’ve heard my sob story, put down your violin and sneak a peek at this!  I am officially three weeks late with the news (because of all that crap I just whined about) but Lisa over at Simple Beauty Minerals (formerly Style Essentials) is having a month-long anniversary party.  And she’s giving gifts at her own party…’cause that’s just how she rolls.  Each week is a special celebration.  I won’t even tell you what we’ve already missed, but this week focuses on Different Colored Eyes and Lisa has free mineral shadows to send based on your eye color (if supplies still last).  Next week will have something to do with ice cream colors, which sounds perfect for this time of year.  I’ve already put you drastically behind, so head on over to Lisa’s site and sign up for her newsletter so you can get some cool gifts too!  You’ll only be sorry if you don’t sign up.  😉

May the rest of your summer be infinitely healthy!

Hey, It’s Okay…

In a bout of ragged wits-endedness, I flopped down with my Google Reader to try to catch up on everyone I have missed for the past, oh-I-don’t-know, five weeks?  (Who’s counting?)  I didn’t realize how absolutely defeated I felt until I pulled myself away from dishes and laundry and cheer-challenged family members and sank into my iPad for the first time in Way Too Long.

Not too far into my Reader I saw Shell’s post titled Hey, It’s Okay, so I checked in on her world.  I like checking in with Shell.  She brings perspective to me far more than she knows.  And she offered Airing My Dirty Laundry’s linky-loo opportunity (I’m so bad with the internet terms!) to share my own “Hey, It’s Okay” post.

So I am.  Right now.   These are things that have turned me on my ear in the last seven days.  Things I’m dealing with.  It’s all good.  I am woman.  Hear me roar.

Hey, it’s okay…

To serve canned tomato soup and boxed mac-n-cheese for dinner.

To make your child do his science fair project on his own.  And it’s also okay if said project looks like he did it All. By. Himself.

To use your car’s seat heater in 60-degree weather.  Just because you CAN!!

To tell your son that you won’t tuck him in or kiss him goodnight until he clears his floor of all the Legos so that you don’t sprain an ankle tripping over a plastic Hogwarts.

It’s also okay if your son merely scoops all the Legos to one side of the room, clearing you a runway of sorts to his bed.

If you haven’t finished (or started) the book you want to write.

If your grandmother announces in shock when she sees you on Thanksgiving that “You’re a redhead!” even if you have had black hair all your life until your four-year romance with permanent hair dyes.  And it is also perfectly okay if you immediately return home to dye your hair black again, and wear solid black to work the next day in order to detract from the hair.  Your coworkers will keep mum because they know what is good for them.

To secretly long for payday so you can buy that holiday bottle of Bailey’s Irish Crème.  The same bottle you plan to drink without sharing.

If you make a muffaletta cheese ball that suffices by itself as two of your lunches.  Whatevs.

If you set out your Christmas tree and your Advent wreath on the same day.

If you check your daughter out at 1pm on a Monday because she’s “sick” even if you aren’t entirely convinced that she is, in fact, sick.  Sometimes we just need to be taken away from the stress.

If, after rolling your eyes, you realize that – holy crap! – your daughter might actually be sick, what with all that coughing she’s been doing since 1pm.

If you’ve committed yourself to saccharin-free, dye-free, preservative-free homeopathic medicines, only to go running to the pharmacy for Children’s Motrin and Delsym when fever and coughs put up a bigger fight than you expected.  Do what works and let it go.

If you buy everyone gift cards for Christmas.  Better yet, buy them all at Kroger when you run in for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s! (makin’ a list…checkin’ it twice…)

If you can’t hold out on seeing the new Twilight movie just because you haven’t been able to get the book from the library yet.

If you want to take two vacation days so you can have your own Twilight marathon for the sole purpose of comparing the significant differences between the books and the movies.  (Not sayin’ I’m gonna…just, you know…to each his own.)

If your now-public food-and-habit chemical-free lifestyle change that so rocked your world is considered by acquaintances as your “special diet” and they wonder ALOUD if you are “still on it.”

If you move bunny rabbits from the warmth of your only empty bedroom to the starkness of the garage.  They really don’t care.  You’ll actually be happier.  And your carpet will be cleaner.

If your vegetable garden looks like crap at the end of November but still manages to produce veggies.  We call that Lagniappe.

If iTunes is acting wonky.  Another update is just around the corner.

If you don’t take out ALL the Christmas decorations this year, knowing what a pain it is to repack everything in January. Set out only that which you truly enjoy.  It’s cool.

Hey, it really IS okay.  Thanks.  I feel better.  😉

Dear Corporate America: Are You Sure You Want to Market to MY Kids???

During lunch on Monday I overheard my mother-in-law planning a grocery trip and responding to Victoria that, “I’m not going to get that cereal if your mom doesn’t want you eating it…”

I tuned in instantly.  “What cereal?”

“Awwwwww, Mom!!  Can Mimi buy us Reese’s Puffs if we only eat them at her house???  Pleeeeeeeeeeease?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s a negative, sweetie, but let’s just see…”  I plucked my handy phone from my purse and began to Google… “Um, see this list, Vic.  Red 40, Yellows 5 & 6, Blue 1, TBHQ, Modified This and Hydrolyzed That…  Do you think you should be eating Reese’s Puffs?”

She blinked in disbelief at my phone, then threw her head back in despair.  “UUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!  WHYYYYYYYYYYY do they have to put all that in there?!!”

Man, I feel her pain. “Why don’t you ask them?  Seriously.”

And yes, I am serious about this.  Nutritionally-deficient foods are marketed to our children every day.  These ingredients that I’m “bashing” are really not necessary for the making of a good product.  The colors?  Purely cosmetic.  The TBHQ preservative?  Potentially unsafe…why not use Vitamin E?  The modified starches and the hydrolyzed oils?  Genetically-altered, purposed mutations of something that possibly used to be natural. All of it dangerous.  And not just with regard to biology, although that ranks in my book… I also have begun to consider the justice issues, the socio-economic issues and the oh-my-gosh-my-head-hurts-when-I-consider-all-the-resulting-world-ramifications issues.

So no, my kids can’t have it.

As I explained to Victoria, whenever I run into a problem with the foods and products that I purchase, or when I have a commendation or suggestion, I email the company.  Vic has an email address and is learning proper and effective use of technology under my watchful eye, so I think she should feel perfectly validated in writing to General Mills and telling them that she really wants to eat Reese’s Puffs, but because of the ingredients her mom won’t let her have it.  I truly believe if Corporate America is going to target our kids as a market, then they need to expect to hear from our kids.  Vic may very well spend the whole email telling them how much she wants to eat those sugary, chocolately, crunchy corn puffs for breakfast seven days a week.  But she’s also going to tell them why she can’t, why she won’t, and why her mother’s money is not going to be spent on the cereal they have spent money convincing kids to beg for.

I do believe I found the subject matter for the kids’ next typing lesson.  Maybe I’ll sic her on Twitter for corporate food connections.  On second thought…  #whatwasIthinking #crazymomfoodie #mydaughtermighthavemorefollowersthanCharlieSheen.     Perhaps it’s best that I not turn her loose with hashtags just yet.  😉

Just Put the Charger Down and Nobody Will Get Hurt

Around our home, we are iPoor.  Much to my insane pleasure, the Hubster spoils me with gadgets.  And we have made sure to indoctrinate our children on the practice and proper use of such devices, since techno-gadgetry will inevitably be a part of their lives as they grow into (hopefully) responsible adults.   Between the four of us we have nine (yes, NINE) iThings, eight of which can utilize the same charging device.

Save one.

My iPad requires a more macho charger.  If you too have iThings, you may know that the iPad requires 10 watts, where the iPod and iPhone only require 5.  The standard charger that comes with the latter two are the 5-watt variety, which means we have eight Apple-certified chargers, PLUS Santa made sure that EVERYONE’S alarm clock is also a charging station.

Technical sidenote: In researching this difference, I see that many people disagree on whether the iPhone charger can charge the iPad.  Kudos to those who say their iPads charge just fine, albeit more slowly, on the 5-watt charger.  Howevah, MINE DOES NOT.  Don’t know why…don’t care.  I just know that it doesn’t work, regardless of what any Apple Guru tries to tell me.  Believe me…I WISH it worked!

MY POINT HERE IS: Of the twelve potential locations and devices available with which to charge an iPod or iPhone in our home, WHY DOES EVERYONE INSIST ON USING MY iPAD CHARGER, when without it my iPad is KA-PUT??!!!!

Two nights ago I was cleaning the kitchen at the end of the evening when I opened “the charger drawer” (yes, you heard me…we have a whole drawer for these things!) to retrieve my iPad charger.  No dice.  I glanced to the countertop where the Hubster likes to connect his phone.  Nothing. I glanced to the kitchen table where the kids tend to leave piles of their day’s treasures.  Nada. I walked into the den where Victoria is known to UNPLUG our home telephone in order to free up an outlet for a charger so she can continue playing a game on a dying iPod.  Neh-eh.

I have asked repeatedly (I have threatened more than once) for everyone to please leave the iPad charger in the drawer so that I can use it for the ONE DEVICE that MUST HAVE IT whenever its battery is low.  I don’t mind them using the 10-watt charger, but ONLY in the kitchen so that I can readily see if it is in use.  For the life of me I don’t understand why this is so hard for everyone to grasp.

So where did I eventually find my iPad charger the next day?  Laying on the office desk.  SIX INCHES from another data cable which is already attached to the computer and just waiting for a device to come along and plug up.

Grrrrrrrrr…

If you have any suggestions for me that don’t include labeling the charger, screaming selfishly or hiding it in my bra (‘cause I’ve already done these things…well, almost…that last one is still tempting), please feel free to share your ideas. Before I hurt someone.

Day 325: Just a Wing and a Prayer…and a Blog Link

I love this little blogoshpere.  All of you who read and write and post and tweet…I feel like a tiny part of your lives, and you are more than a little part of mine.

Please realize that I don’t stalk my tweeps, but I feel like I know them from their posts and tweets and the parts of their lives that they choose to share.  I often find myself wondering if Alison has tripped over any Legos today (as I have) and if she and Lisa have met up for a stroll.  I think about Jessica and her bedtime ritual with her children.    I wonder what fun Liz will come up with, what awesome recipes Joy will share, and whether Erin’s tooth is causing her any more trouble.  I think about Denise’s deer story in the middle of my workday and laugh out loud all over again.  And I look forward to the tweeps Shell shares through her Blog Friend Feature and the Pour Your Heart Out posts.

I find new tweeps all the time, usually through blog comments.  I’ll while away an hour tracking link after link and winding my way through the blogosphere, following people that spark my interest.  I found Julie because she commented on a post I read.  And when I read her story on her own blog I instantly liked her. She’s a strong Christian woman with a beautiful spirit.  She had a brush with death a few years back and as a result consciously makes the most of every day.

So when I paged through Flipboard last night and saw Julie’s post about fighting and staying positive, I followed the link to her Testify post to see what was up.  There I learned that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

I’ve never met Julie, never seen her, never spoken directly to her.  But the news may as well have been about a family member.  Through tears I read the post and I began to pray for this sweet lady who has dared to share herself with strangers on the Internet and call us friends. 

Julie is graceful and upbeat in her approach to the diagnosis, and I know she’ll keep us posted on her progress.  But I also know, if I may speak for her here, that she would appreciate your prayers.  And I know I can count on you for that. 

Stay purpose-driven, Julie.  You have an army of prayer warriors on your side!

Day 263: Hangin’ Out With Online Moms (and Dads)

Last night I spent an hour in my first ever TweetChat.  And I didn’t have to ask for help or instruction on getting there.  (Applause, please!  Thank you.)

While rummaging around on Twitter last week I came across The Online Mom.  Their website shared not only valuable information for any parent, but also how to become a Certified Online Mom in order to help spread the word(s) about how to keep our children safe – and responsible – with today’s technology. 

Um, three words, people:  SIGN. ME. UP.

Within minutes, I was emailing TheOnlineMom, telling her about dear old Shreveport, and suggesting (gasp!) that I, too, could use some more information and help spread the word.  Can you see this?  Me.   In a crowd.  Talking about our kids and our roles in an electronic age.  (Do you know me???)  But that’s how serious I am about kids and technology.  I’m even willing to stand in front of a crowd at some point and share ideas. 

My kids have the gadgets – DSi, iPod, game systems.  Dom and I have iPhones and iPad.  You likely have smartphones and other handy gadgets, as do your kids.  We are not just living in the Information Age; it is living in all of us.  Whether we like it, or not.  My kids don’t know what a cassette tape is.  They rarely listen to CDs.  Everything is digital.  Everything is palm-sized and portable.  My elementary-school-age kids TEXT!  Gadgets are a part of their lives – and a certain part of their future. We owe it to them to make sure they are well equipped for using the gadgets responsibly. 

So what’s that all about, you ask?  Well, for me it means teaching them when and where gadget use is appropriate.  As in, “We’re walking into Mass, sweetie.  No you may NOT take the iPod into church with you!!”  And also, teaching them what to do when uncomfortable situations arise – as in the time another child texted the F-bomb to them.  That brought on a LOOOONNNNNNNG discussion about appropriate responses to the situation, and knowing when to exit an electronic conversation and tell mom or dad what happened.  It’s important for them to know that just because you can’t see the person on the other end of the satellite beam, the same rules apply as if they were face-to-face.  That’s my take on it, anyway.  Whether the communication be physical or digital, respect should prevail. 

Naturally, I liked this community of online moms and dads.  The conversation was relaxed and informative.  We talked about gadgets and preferences, and I learned much from them.  Let me know if you join in (Wednesday nights, 8pm CST – sign up at TheOnlineMom).  We’d love to have your input!

Day 244: Here Come the Chores…App Addicts, UNITE!!

You knew I’d eventually find something like this, didn’t you?  Apps that track chores and payout rewards.  And you had to know I’d share it with you.  I apologize if you are not an app lover like I am.  I just get so darn excited when I have a new way to track and chart things, especially if it comes with cumulative reports and cool sound effects. 

I’m a mom geek.

Oh!  Speaking of mom geeks, that reminds me of a story.  We have time for a story, don’t we?

My mom has always been casually up-to-date on the trends I have been “into.”  When I was in high school she knew as much about MTV as I did. (Side note: I hope my kids never watch MTV.  It’s so very different from when it first came on.  Oh crap…there’s my age showing again.)  Anyhoo, Mom is awesome-cool, and was always able to recognize the songs of all the hair bands I liked even from two rooms away.  I loved that she “got” my kind of music.  I was not, however, a fan of rap so I nearly busted a gut when I saw my mom put her glass up to the fridge door for some ice, shimmy-shake her shoulders, bob her head and say, “Worrrrrrrrrd to ya muhtha!” 

She’s more hip than geek.  But still…

Oh yeah, the apps…

Chore Pad ($2.99 for iPhone) and Chore Pad HD ($4.99 for iPad) and Limited Trial Version (Free): Where was this app two years ago?!! Fully customizable chore charts for multiple kids.  Assigned chores have point or “star” values, and customizable rewards have corresponding values.  The overall theme is cartoon-ish, so the kids love it. Complete a chore, touch today’s square for that chore, and a big checkmark appears while the appropriate number of stars fly onto the chart.  My favorite part?  You can add extra stars for additional effort, and take stars away, regardless of a chore’s original star value. (So yes, you can have a negative star value!)  Chores can be arranged in any order, and can be assigned to any number of days in the week.  If a chore is not applicable for a certain day, like homework on Saturday, it’s just greyed out so no checkmark can be put in its Saturday square.  When enough stars are earned for a reward, a trophy shows up on the screen.  When the child is ready to cash in his or her stars, just hit “payout” and the star-bank resets itself accordingly.  I’m loving this.  “Hey, you emptied the dishwasher for me?  Three extra stars!!…Oh, is that your jacket laying on the floor of the entry hall?  Minus one star!…Wow, you’ve reached 50 stars already?  Do you want to have a friend come over, or do you want to keep working toward that iTunes card?”

Mama’s got it goin’ on!!

But don’t think for a minute that the kids are the only ones with chores around here.  Aren’t you starting to figure me out yet?  I have another app that is helping to keep ME on track: Home Routines ($4.99). This helps me keep track of all the little things I need to remember in a day, and allows me to assign different chores to each day of the week, focused on cleaning the house. (Bye-bye, Excel spreadsheet!!)  (( Yes, I’m that Type A!))  The app divides your house into zones (well, you divide as you see fit.  The app allows you 5-7 different zones, depending on whether you want to clean on weekends or not. Each day focuses on only one zone for cleaning.) It comes loaded with presets for rooms in a house and common tasks associated with each room.  But the rooms and the tasks are fully customizable.  I cracked up when I saw “Clean cobwebs from corners” as the first chore in every room.  You mean I’m supposed to be looking at the corners of the room??? 

Heh, heh, heh…DEE-LEET that task!!

Home Routines also allows you to set morning and evening routines, and comes preset with a “15-minute Focus Time” for meditation, which I desperately need.  They even included a 15-minute timer in the app – the idea being that if we just spend 15 minutes in the morning and evening focusing on certain routine items, we can free up our time, increase our productivity and decrease the clutter in our minds and in our homes.  I love that concept!  Oh, and so adults don’t feel left out of the fun, this app even has stars to click when each task is complete.  It also keeps a handy list of accomplishments for the day, so I can see just how productive I’ve been.  I set the app to gently remind me twice a day to check on my chore list. So, it’s not screaming all the things I forgot to do, and if I choose to ignore it the app simply resets itself the next morning with no hard feelings. 

Someone should pay me to write app reviews, don’t you think?  I rather like this. 

Worrrrrrrd to ya muhtha!!!

Day 235: iPhone Apps – PDM style!!

I love that Summer Tomato’s latest post opens with the phrase, “Geeks, this one’s for you.”  I was instantly tuned in!  David Harfield from iPhoneappcafe.com shares his top-ten healthy living iPhone apps, some of which I had previously downloaded, and some of which I acquired within minutes of reading his post. 

Let’s face it.  There is an unholy number of apps available, and it is virtually (get it?  virtually… ??) impossible to know which ones are worth the time, let alone the money. So I am grateful to the people who share the apps that work for them.  And when they share a list of apps that all generally feed into the same inherent line of thinking and lifestyle that parallels my own, I become a downloading MA-CHINE!

Now, please note that I am not sharing all ten apps Mr. Harfield mentions because I will only attest to that which I have tried, and I’m too cheap to try apps that aren’t free unless I feel quite certain that I am going to get some serious bang for my buck, or at least a hefty supply of iTunes gift cards for my birthday. 

So, here goes my litany of support for Mr. Harfield’s selections, narrowed down to the apps that pertain directly to our foods:

1. Food Additives 2 ($1.99 for full version, or there is a limited FREE version, which I am currently falling in love with, and which will likely compel me to purchase the former.)  From this app, you can look up over 450 ingredient names to learn about their origin, side effects, common uses and safety levels.  (Plus see the ones that are banned in other countries, yet still available in American products.) Waaaaayyy cool!!  The free app gives you information on 50 common ingredients.  I’ll be upgrading very soon, I’m sure. 
2. Fooducate (FREE) While I haven’t had much time to really delve into this app, I am intrigued by the information and functionality it seems to offer.  You can scan a barcode of any product (say, cookies you find at WalMart) and it will give you a snapshot detail of the product – calories, pros, cons, suitable alternatives, and the skinny on particular ingredients.  You have the ability to “like” or “dislike” a product, and also to compare it to another product by barcode.  There is also an internal link to the Fooducate blog, which seems to have some handy articles for educating ourselves on what we eat.  (Um, you kinda figured that out already, didn’t you?  Wisenheimer!)
3. Good Food Near You (FREE)  The accuracy of its location determiner astounded me.  I allowed it to “find” me and it did – right down to the Zip+4 of the building I was in!  The purpose of this app is to tell you what restaurants nearby offer healthy food options.  But wait, it doesn’t just tell you the restaurant, it tells you what to order,  although it only lists one food item – the healthiest item – per location.  I had serious doubts about the app when I saw McDonald’s pop up on the list, but then I saw that it listed “Garden Salad” as my option at McDonalds.  So, the app does not discriminate against restaurants that also sell non-healthy foods, as I tend to do.  Cons for this app are the single item availability and the fact that it only focuses on nutritional content rather than ingredients. 
4. Whole Foods Recipes (FREE) I have had this app on my phone for a while now, and was pleased to see it on Mr. Harfield’s list.  You can narrow searches by various dietary restrictions/preferences and see complete nutritional information of the recipe.  Plus, you can search for recipes containing ingredients you already have, which makes it handy for last-minute meal planning.  Oh, and it also tells you where the nearest Whole Foods is, which just gets me all riled up because our nearest one is SEVERAL hours away. Grrrrrrr…   That being said, it’s an awesome app!

Not mentioned on Mr. Harfield’s list, but one of my general go-to apps for dining out is the Eat This, Not That restaurant app, based on the best-selling books that grade restaurants and menu items based on the health-quality of their foods.  So, if you know you’re headed to Olive Garden, for instance, you can scroll through their menu items sorted either by overall grade, calories, fat, etc. to predetermine your menu selection. Please note that I’ve had this app for a while now, and I just realized it’s $7.99 in the app store.  I think it was around $4 when I bought it. But if you’re okay with spending money on apps, I have to say this is worth it. 

And please don’t forget the Dirty Dozen list which is a simple reminder of which produce really serves you better as organic, and which are harmless in non-organic form.  It’s free, and nice to have with you at the grocery store. 

 So get busy downloading, and let me know how you geek out.  🙂

Day 224: QWERTY Kids

Last week when I mentioned that I had typed Aaron’s research paper for the Science fair project (in which he placed 2nd! Yay, Aaron), I was struck by the realization that these little humans are indeed old enough to type. I mean, really…they are on the computer almost as much as I am, and they are fast becoming text mongers and game hounds. It only stands to reason that they should be typing correctly, right?

So that is my next goal. To get my kids moderately proficient in typing before school starts next year. So let it be written. So let it be done.

Bwaaaahaaaahaaaa!!

Okay, I have already nixed the idea of turning my kitchen table into a mini-computer lab, but only because I detest messing with cords more than absolutely necessary. Instead, I am opting for teaching each of them at their own pace and using multiple tools to interest them on a variety of levels. For instance:

I borrowed an iPad keyboard from a friend of mine (mostly for my personal use this weekend to determine if this was something I wanted to sink money into) and I realized that Victoria was as fascinated by the keyboard as I was. So I bought a 99-cent app that has typing skills games and set her up at the kitchen table. She was hooked! In fact, she has had possession of the iPad more than I have this weekend. Last night, she was poised at the table cautiously pecking away at the keyboard. I peeked over her shoulder and saw that she was on the “practice test” portion of the app, strategically placing her fingers on the right keys and moving through the sentences that the app was generating.

Um, wow. I really didn’t expect it to be quite that intriguing.

I told the kids that I wanted to teach them to use Microsoft Word as well so that they will be able to navigate the word processor for the effects that they want. Aaron replied that he already uses Word at school.

“Then why on earth did I type your paper?”

“Because if I had typed it, it would have taken me a week! I never said I was good at it.”

See what I mean???

So both kids are on board with Professor Mom’s Typing Class. This will be an adventure, for sure!