What Are Your Favorite Apps?
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We haven't had a thread on favorite apps for a while, so let's get to it, ladies! I have an iPhone and tend to organize everything into folders as well as pages (mostly so all of MY stuff is on one page whereas “apps to amuse my kids” are on later pages).
Some of my favorite apps in 2019:
Best app for forming habits
I still use Done although I've tried to scale back to only track three habits at any given time.
Best app for calorie-counting or tracking food
Shhhhhh don't tell my WW coach, who I still speak to weekly through their “private coaching” plan, but I've started using iTrackBites instead of WW. I like that you can follow older WW plans (shhhh) as well as see another metric of your choosing — right now I'm looking at macros but I've also looked at calories in the past.
Best app for recipes
I've heard great things about Paprika, but my husband and I found Pepperplate a few years ago when we were looking for a great meal-planning app and haven't looked back. My full review is here, but briefly: I love that you can store recipes, upload personal photos and notes and tags (my tags are things like “summer” and “clean”), that you can make one shopping list by adding several recipes to your meal plan, and that both he and I have the app on our phone so we always have our full recipes at hand.
Best app for podcasts
I really like Overcast for podcasts. Some things I only recently realized: a) you can create lists, so if you're in the mood to listen to, say, political commentary, all your political podcasts are in one easy list; b) you can choose to automatically download new episodes but (and this is key) only keep a certain number of unplayed episodes, and c) you can make a Siri shortcut for Overcast to do something like “play political podcasts” and Siri will just start doing it for you.
Best app for extensive note-taking:
Evernote! We've shared tips for using Evernote here, but I primarily use it for family research projects, so here's my post over at CorporetteMoms with all my Evernote tips for moms.
App for casual lists and drafts (of letters, posts, whatever):
While I use Evernote to collect information from elsewhere, if I'm generating content myself or just keeping a few simple text lists (like what to buy at the grocery store, or restaurants to try the next time I'm in X neighborhood), I just like the native notepad that comes with iPhone. (I even use that native app on my iPhone to store school paperwork and other stuff that tends to get lost in Evernote.) I did download a fancier Notebook, but the original notepad is just fine. I'm still in love with my Bluetooth keyboard for typing while out and about, too (although be warned, the rechargeable one does drain my phone battery more than first one I had).
Other apps I use all the time: Slack. Facebook. Twitter. The NYT app. OpenTable. FreshDirect. Clue. SleepCycle. Trello. Amazon.
How about you, ladies — what are your favorite apps in 2019?
Stock photo via Stencil.
For the Google ecosystem, nothing beats Keep for me. To do lists, grocery lists, notes, etc, in a super simple and clean interface that I can access on my phone or desktop. I can also choose to sync individual lists (instead of the whole shebang) with my husband, which means I can add items on the fly while he’s grocery shopping.
I came here just to recommend Keep and say exactly this! I use it for so many things. I have a brain dump notepad where I put thoughts, ideas, tasks, and calendar items that I know I will forget before I get to my notebook or calendar. I keep a list of work ideas that I jot down whenever something cross my mind. This way if I’m sucked into a surprise meeting and expected to contribute some ideas, I have a list in reach. My husband and I share lists for meal plan ideas, grocery, and general shopping so if one of us is on Amazon we can check the list and add batteries or whatever before checkout. I also keep my gift ideas list on there. When someone mentions wanting something, it’s totally inconspicuous to pick up my phone and add it to my list. Digital productivity tools have all failed me except Keep.
This year I discovered Spotify and found some gems, think Moroccan Judeo Andalusian music from 17th century, Mongolian hard rock etc. I happily pay for premium
Instagram, I started out following big accounts then got fed up with sponsored content and now it’s quite nice for me to find obscure accounts
Audible, though I am not very diligent at finishing books
Strava, very recent add. Allows me to log my runs, something about the public accountability makes it fun. I have the basic version, not willing to pay for premium
Wow Houda, you are the only person I’ve ever seen who has the same music taste as I do. Check out Tengger Cavalry for some sweet Mongolian throat singing/heavy metal. :)
I think I love being on here even more!!!
I love Paprika and My Fitness Pal.
Threadjack: A friend of mine is on the board of a social club in town (like a country club but without the golf or tennis — nice building, good food, meeting rooms) and is trying to attract younger members (maybe not millennials but Gen X-ers, say). She is trying to find a consultant to help figure out what people between, say, 35 and 55 would be interested in. Does anybody have any thoughts about where to look for such a person? Or any thoughts on the merits of the question? The club does a brisk business in outside events like weddings and banquets but would like to build its equity membership.
+1 to Paprika!
For those of us not familiar with it, which Paprika? When I search a ton of options come up. Paprika Recipe Manager (icon looks like a spice tin)? Paprika (lifestyle) – icon looks like a white bell pepper on a red background? Help us!
Yes, Paprika Recipe Manager, the one that looks like a red spice tin. I think it costs 5 or 6 dollars.
Yes, it’s great!
I do not have any suggestions on a consultant, but I am your friend’s target audience. I am 39 and currently trying to decide whether to join my town’s country club at the social level (access to pool, tennis, dining, and meeting facilities but not golf).
I had not considered membership before, but they have REALLY stepped up their events game lately, especially for events geared towards adults only. Lots of my friends, both with kids and without, are now joining, and it was definitely mostly families before. This month, there are several alcohol-related events (for lack of a better description) – they are having a premium bourbon tasting, a separate tequila tasting, and a wine dinner. They also started offering free appetizers during happy hour several nights a week and have a Derby party planned next month. There has also been a Mardi Gras party, a New Year’s event, and a casino night fairly recently. I don’t hear a lot of interest in the “traditional” dining options – the food is good, but on par with mid-priced restaurants, not fine dining – but they have a really nice patio with good drink specials, and the events are drawing a pretty good crowd.
Hmmm, this is the kind of events the club is doing — sounds like maybe they are on the right track and should, as you say, step it up.
What does the membership have to say? I mean, they would know better than an outside consultant about what attracted them when *they* first joined, which was probably at the same age as the people they’re trying to gain now. I sometimes go to private clubs in Pasadena, and I’m strongly attracted to those that have beautiful facilities, like the Valley Hunt or the Athenaeum, and not so much to those that are less so, like the University. I like the Town Club, but its membership seems *quite* old (based on those I know who are members). What about the current membership’s offspring? Wouldn’t that be a good pool of potential members?
Maybe. Although much of the the current membership is VERY VERY OLD. Like, “I’m the age of their kids and I’m 60” old. Great point about the beautiful facilities.
Someone on the moms’ site recommended Paprika to me, and I absolutely love it. Totally worth the (small) price. I have recommended it to others as well.
I like Focus Keeper – it’s a simple Pomodoro style timer that keeps track of 25 minute chunks of work/5 minute breaks.
Any.do, Clue, Google Podcasts (best podcast app I’ve found so far!), Down Dog, Libby.
Random question, but anyone (Kat, especially since you pulled the pic) have any leads on that shirt that the girl in the stock photo is wearing or one like that? Or a shirt dress of that style?
Doesn’t look like the exact shirt, but Loft has a couple of shirts with vertical stripes like that.
Last Pass. After an account hacking incident, I committed to more secure passwords. Last Pass saves and autofills log in info for apps and website, plus has secure notes where I store things like ID numbers I need for work. The autofills isn’t flawless, but it’s a much better user experience than trying to remember dozens of passwords, all slightly different based on the individual requirements of each site.
Cookbook recipe app. I liked it more than paprika, though now I can’t remember why.
Relaxio. White noise and other noise for sleeping. When I travel for work it helps me to relax.
Alarm Clock Xtreme. Most days I need math problems to keep me from turning off my alarm in my sleep.
aCar. Track car repairs, maintenance, total ownership costs, fuel efficiency, etc.
Dashlane for passwords, Any.do for task management
I love TripIt for travel, it takes the crazy out of coordinating and know where all your confirmation numbers, phone numbers to call the hotel and can even tell you when to head to the airport. Best app I have
Gwynnie Bee-has revolutionized my wardrobe now I can have high end statement pieces and feel put together in without breaking the bank or clogging my closest with items I really only want to wear once.
Stitchfix- is perfect for when you want to add staples or have a night out. I live in an area that is very difficult to access clothes, this brings them right to my door.
Slice-helps track it all, abc even checks price drops.
Mint, Charles Schwab, good notes, Wunderlist and notability are also great for wrangling life.
Fitbit! Yay! Isn’t anyone else doing heath apps? I use Fitbit all day and night to measure:
Steps, Heartrate, Sleep, Pulse, Weather, and it also gets me texts, reminds me of appointments, and tells me who is calling me without having to pull out my phone. Fitbit knows more about me then anyone other then my dad, who uses my Fitbit to make sure I exercise. I recommend it to the entire hive, and my Fitbit Versa, which I love! YAY!!!
i I know there are many calendar Apps, but I just don’t understand why Apple hasn’t enhanced the “stock” calendar that comes with the phone. MANY years ago I had a Palm Pilot that even then gave me more calendar options that my IPhone 7 calendar. Things like being able to assign categories/colors to calendar events. So when you are in the month view, you could easily distinguish, based on color or categories, between birthdays, doctor appointments, etc. As sophisticated as the iPhone is, you would think this should be basic in 2019.