Apps for Busy Moms: How Did We Live Without?

It’s true. There really is an app for that, for this, and for everything. You can now download apps that help you remember everything from the name of a mom you just met, to finding the latest sale prices, to accessing quick recipes, managing your baby’s sleeping schedules, locating kid-friendly parks and playgrounds, hunting down the cleanest bathrooms on the road, and managing your household expenses. It’s crazy, but it’s also wonderful. How our own mothers ever survived is beyond me!

I recently polled our Facebook fans to find out what the hottest “mommy app” was, and the Cozi app won the most recommendations hands-down. I also discovered a bunch of other great apps we all need to try. More information on Cozi and other mom-friendly (actually they are all dad-friendly too!) is found below. Most of the apps listed below are free, however some do come with a small fee. Happy app shopping!

Cozi
This app was named the #1 iPhone app for moms. It lets you manage your family calendar and set reminders. You can add appointments and share them with others on your Cozi acccount. It lets you story grocery lists and To Do lists. You can jot down ideas or reminders in a personal journal. And it lets you upload photos. A must-have!

Springpad
Loyal reader Kristen D swears by Springpad. She used to use Cozi, but switched. Springpad is another app that helps you remember things, share things, categorize things – all for the purpose to stay organized.

AboutOne
Kristen D also recommends this app. It’s another super organizer app to help you stay on top of everything in your life – from home to the office to the playground.

Chow and Chatter
We featured this recipe app and food blog on TMoM last year. A Triad mom created Chow and Chatter for busy moms who want access to great recipes. The app features over 80 recipes from around the world!

RedLaser
Chrissy with Consignment Mommies uses this app religiously. RedLaser lets you compare prices of products online and in store by scanning bar codes with your phone’s camera. It can also help you find retailers nearby that have your item in stock for a lower price. You can use RedLaser to scan and check food products for allergen information and nutritional facts. If you can’t find a book at your favorite bookstore or library, it will help you locate a copy nearby. You can scan products on the spot to get reviews. And if you find something you like while you’re out shopping but don’t want to purchase it right away, RedLaser will email you the items for you to check out later. Incredible!

Zeek
Based in Greensboro, this app replaces paper coupon books that fund raisers sell with online and mobile coupon books. To access the coupons, you just need to purchase a $25 membership. Zeek contains over 200 offers from 100 restaurants and retailers in the Triad! It’s also a fantastic fund raiser for boosters, sports teams, youth groups, and schools!

I found out about these great apps on WorkingMother.com…

AllRecipes.com
Suggests recipes by meal type and ingredients, and also gives you nutritional information and prep times.

Baby Connect
Lets you manage your child’s schedule and other important information, such as the last time your baby was fed and what he ate.

CardStar
Organize, store and easily retrieve loyalty, reward and club-membership and library cards.

Evernote
Is your life cluttered with sticky notes? Evernote lets you keep all your notes, as well as texts, voicemails, photos and web links in one handy place.

Giiv
You won’t ever have to miss another birthday, anniversary or other major event. Giiv lets you send a gift through text message. The recipient receives a gift code to redeem in-store or online. Works with stores like Macy’s or Sephora.

Goby
Whenever you’re on the road or just bored at home, you can always find fun things to do with Goby. It has over 350 categories for you to plan your next “staycation” or fun family trip!

Holdr
Don’t be put on hold anymore. Holdr will have your phone ring you when the rep comes back on the line!

Mom Maps
No matter where you are, you can use this app to find kid-friendly playgrounds, parks, restaurants and indoor play areas. It also shows parents’ favorites.

NameCatcher
If you are anything like me, you need this app! It instantly records the name and contact information of someone you just met! And it evens gives you a hint to help you remember that person’s name.

Sale Saver
Don’t ever buy at retail price again! Sale Saver will give you the final price of an item after the sale price, clearance discount, coupons, additional markdowns and sales tax. It does all the math for you!

Shoeboxed
Snap a picture of any receipt and Shoeboxed will take the data and store it into an online searchable archive within 24 hours. You can track all your expenses on-the-go with this app and not worry about saving paper receipts.

Tango Card
Doesn’t it drive you nuts when you have a gift card but cannot remember how much is on it? This app saves all gift card information and updates balances. It also sends reminders to use gift cards you’ve forgotten!

WHERE
Helps you search for and find anything you need nearby, like restaurants and movies and gas stations, and includes recommendations.

Found this fun app on SheKnows.com…

Bank of Mom
This app offers a great way to track your kids’ allowances. Just set up an account for each child and track the money they earn for chores. It also helps you track your child’s time on the computer, TV, Wii, or other activities!

And these last two came from AppAdvice.com…

SitOrSquat: Bathroom Finder
This is probably the most useful app yet! We all know the nightmares of taking our kids to public bathrooms. Well this app offers potty locations, hours, photos, and user reviews! It’s only as good as the information submitted by users, but it might prove to be a lifesaver in lots of situations!

FastMall – Shopping Malls, Community & Interactive Maps
Leave the GPS behind because this app will give you turn-by-turn directions to any store, restaurant or bathroom. It also contains a parking assistant, store coupons, sales information, and user reviews.

Have you been using any of these apps? Let us know what you think. And if you can, please share your recommendations for other must-have  “mommy apps”!