A looooooot.
This list could go on for days.
Since we are all iPhone/iPad users, we are going to talk about apps offered in iTunes. The are obvious apps like Pinterest, Facebook, MyFitnessPal and Angry Birds, but you already know about them. So let's talk about our secret (or not-so-secret) loves. Honestly, we are just scratching the surface.
Sarah's Favorites
Paprika Recipe Manager
Why I love it: In addition to sorting your recipes by category and creating shopping lists like any good recipe manager should, Paprika goes above and beyond by consolidating and sorting your grocery list for you. Have a recipe that calls for 7 cups of broccoli and another that calls for 3 cups? Bam. Paprika puts 10 cups of broccoli under the Produce section of your grocery list without you even blinking. (And hey, you're eating lots of broccoli. Good for you.) AND Paprika is supported by TONS of food sites, so you can browse recipes in the app itself, then save them directly to your recipe box. Finally, you can meal plan with it, too. Worth the $5 price tag? I believe so, dears. I believe so.
Cost: $4.99
PBS
Yes. Okay. Having a PBS app on your phone or tablet may make you a little self-conscious. It can look a little pretentious, I suppose. But I'll tell you what — PBS programming is always so refreshing. There's none of the over-edited, uber-scripted, lowest-common-denominator nonsense here. Most anything you pick, the content itself is typically high quality. Not only can you watch Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife to your heart's content, but you have access to just about everything PBS broadcasts anywhere. My picks? I love watching America in Primetime and Market Warriors.
Cost: Whatever your annual pledge happens to be.
Lose It!
I like keeping track of what I eat and how much I exercise. I feel that when I do, I make better choices over all. Lose It! has made that process so easy that I hardly have to think about it. They have a very large selection of foods to choose from, including national brands and restaurants - same goes for the types of exercise you can log. You can set goals and budget calories, as well as keep track of macronutrients that you are getting.
Cost: Free!
GasBuddy
If you are one to roadtrip, then this app will be a favorite for you, too. It locates all gas stations nearest to you and finds the cheapest ones. It seems like a small thing until you're in the middle of Missouri - and you still have a looooooong way to go - and you discover that this exit has gas about 15 cents cheaper than the next one. You'll thank me.
Cost: Free!
Pocket Planes
I don't have too many games on my phone or iPad, just a few to pass the time while I wait in line or some such. Pocket Planes is one of those games that's perfect for such times. You basically manage your own airline, and while that is perhaps the least fun-sounding game, I promise you it's more enjoyable than you might think. It can be as simple or as involved as you choose, and since the planes fly in real time, it's easy to set down while the planes are in flight and come back to it later. Bonus: It's a great way to vent frustrations when you yourself are traveling; their flights may be delayed, but yours are running completely on time.
Cost: Free!
Tracey's Favorites
Duck Duck Moose
Everything by Duck Duck Moose Games. I am not exaggerating when I say we have nearly every one of their apps. The kids love them. Itsy Bitsy Spider and Park Math are used a lot at our house. My 4.5 year old has started to outgrow them but my 1 year old loves them. She can find them on the iPad all by herself and get them started. Her big brother will often join her to "help" when he hears the music. Aunt Erika may have also spent a lot of time playing Puzzle Pop the last time she was here.
Cost: I believe most of them are $1.99
Endless ABC
Kids drag letters to spell words. My favorite word is "Pester"—once the word has been spelled, the "R" starts nudging the grumpy cartoon at the end of the word. Very cute.
Cost: $0.99
ProCamera
I use this app almost every time I take a picture with my phone. I feel like it does a better job focusing and metering than the built-in camera. It also has features like anti-shake, rapid fire and a full-screen trigger. It's isn't free but I think it does a better job of maximizing what your camera can do.
Cost: $4.99
PicTapGo
All of my fellow photog buddies already know that Totally Rad Actions are the greatest thing ever. I use them all the time. Well, guess what? Now, they have an iPhone picture editing app. There are great filters that are fully adjustable and layer-able. Also, you can save recipes, crop and export directly to Facebook or Instagram. Yup. I love them. Let me share a few of the shots I've taken using Pictapgo and ProCamera.
Cost: $1.99 (You are basically robbing them by only paying $1.99)
Micheals, JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby
I'm not sure I'm allowed to lump all of them together but I'm going to. Each app will automatically download coupons to your phone. This means that almost every time you walk into Hobby Lobby you can use their "40% off one single item" coupon even if you forget to print it out at home. For realz. It's the best.
Cost: FREE!!!
Finally Domino's Pizza and Jimmy John's.
Because sometimes I'm lazy and I really just want to order food on my phone without talking to anyone. The Domino's app has a pizza tracker so you can tell when your pizza is being prepared or when it is in the oven. You can even send encouraging messages to the pizza chefs. Then it tells you when your pizza is done. Plus, if you haven't checked them out recently, Domino's pizza has come a long way. Pretty good and with this app, extremely convenient.
Cost: Free. However, they will make you pay for your pizza/sandwich. Bummer. I know.
Erika's Favorites
A Beautiful Mess
I'm a cheapskate, and I like my apps like I like most everything else in life: free! So you know that if I've paid for any app, then it's gotta be worth it. And, guys, this one is worth it. C'mon, $0.99 ain't gonna break the bank (I hope). This one's a newbie still, but I'm sure many of you have already heard of it. It's just about the cutest, little picture-editing app out there. You can add filters and borders, as well as text and doodles. And if you want to help the bloggers-who-developed-it's cause, you can buy upgrades and get even more (and arguably cuter) filters/borders/doodles.
Cost: $0.99
Urbanspoon
If you haven't heard of this app, I would bet you've been living under a rock. But, juuuust in case you have (been living under a rock) and haven't (heard of this app), I'm sharing it with ya. Mostly because this app comes in super handy when you just cannot, for the life of you, decide where to eat. Which happens a loooot over in this here household. My husband and me, bless our hearts, we're both really bad at making decisions. All I gotta do when we can't decide on something is grab my phone, give it a little shake, and this app tells us where to go. It doesn't get much more convenient than that, I tell ya!
Cost: Free!
Waze
This app comes to you from my husband — let the record show that it was he who discovered this app for us. But thank the heavens he did! If there's one thing that I hate more than paying for apps, it's a traffic jam. And this app has everything I need to avoid those. It's like Googlemaps on steriods! It's a user-based app, where anyone can report accidents, traffic jams, speed traps, construction sites, current drive times, and police officers on the prowl. This app also finds the cheapest, closest gas stations to you, navigates for you, and let's you connect to facebook. My favorite part, though, is that you get to create your own "Waze"—think "Mii" on a Wii system. Just, stop what you're doing, and get this app right now.
Cost: Free!
Word Seek
If you, like me, love word games, this app is the one to have! You just swipe scrambled letters on the screen to see how many words you can come up with. My family loves to gather around the iPad and play together—it's a mess of everybody's fingers trying to swipe their words first. It's simple and fun... two must-have qualities for any game app. (You could buy the ad-free version for $1.99, but why bother when there's a free version that's just as fun?)
Cost: Free!
Map My Tracks
My husband and I love this app! If you do anything even remotely exercise-ish, this app is for you. We use it most often when we ride our bikes or when we are snowboarding. It tracks elevation changes, speed (average, slowest, and fastest), routes, and distance. Plus, if you have a speed or a pace you're particularly proud of, you can
Cost: $1.99
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