Favorite apps for busy moms

As busy moms, we are always on the lookout for things to help make our lives easier, more organized or more fun! A great place to find wonderful solutions for almost any challenge is the APP store on your mobile device! Whether your platform is Android or iPhone/iPad, there is something out there for nearly every need. Here are a few of my favorites - the majority of which are FREE! - to help you streamline your world.

Shop Savvy

Bargain shoppers can use ShopSavvy to compare the price of one item at several different stores in their area. With over 22 million products in its system, you can be sure you are getting the best price. Scan the bar code with your phone to find out if other stores in your area have the item for less.

FREE – Android, iPhone, iPad

iWrite Words

Teach your child to write letters and words in this fun app for iPad and iPhone! It’s a fun way to let them practice writing skills, recognize letters and learn to read simple words. The “lite” version is free – try it before you buy the full version for $2.99 (well worth the investment!).

FREE “Lite” Version –iPad, iPhone, $2.99 for full version

PBS Kids

Watch videos from your favorite PBS KIDS television series any time and anywhere you like! PBS KIDS Video for iPad features more than 1,000 videos from over a dozen top PBS KIDS series, including Arthur, Dinosaur Train, Super WHY!, Sesame Street and Sid the Science Kid. Videos are refreshed each week.

FREE - iPad

Out of Milk

Do you ever get to the store and realize that you left the shopping list at home? Out of Milk is on a mission to keep your fully updated list in hand. It lets you build multiple grocery lists for different stores and share them via e-mail or text. When you run out of an item, just scan the barcode to add it to your list. The app also has a voice function, a handy auto-complete feature, and the ability to add items from your own shopping list history. You can even use this app to keep track of all the spices in your pantry and how full your containers are.

FREE – Android

Lightning Bug

Make your mood! Find sleep and relaxation easier with Lightning Bug, an amazing ambience and white noise mixer. Sounds range from the natural peace of rain storms and ocean waves, to pure white noise, city trains, meditation bells, acoustic and electronic instruments, and down-tempo break beats. Lightning Bug uses a customizable engine to play harmonized sound samples in random patterns so you never hear the same thing twice! It includes a customizable digital alarm. This app works great for soothing babies and toddlers or for adults who need some great R&R.

FREE - Android

Where

In the car and looking for information on a place to eat, movie times, traffic, weather or more? Look no further than Where, a free app that provides all of this information in seconds. Sync to your current location and begin searching for pizza places in a 15 mile radius or movies playing nearby complete with times and reviews.

FREE - Android, iPhone

SoundHound

Name that tune goes mobile! SoundHound is a free app that recognizes songs in seconds – it can also name that tune based on humming, singing or speaking. Can get instant access to lyric and artist information.

FREE - Android, iPad, iPhone

Bubble Level

Hanging pictures has gone high tech! Turn your phone into a handy level – you can calibrate your device if needed then start decorating and adjusting with confidence!  Husbands will love this handy feature as well.

FREE – Android (Also available on iPad, iPhone as “iHandy Level” - free)

Words With Friends

If you haven’t tried this social word game, beware – it’s addictive! Play a Scabble-like game with your friends across platforms. Trade moves as you each make words and try to score the most points.

FREE – Android, iPad, iPhone

Brightest Flashlight

Ever find yourself in need of a flashlight? This free app provides the brightest of LED lights in case of emergency, power outage, finding your keys in the dark or just for fun!

FREE - Android

FOR iPHONE: iHandy Flashlight Pro - $.99 – Over 60 effects!

Disney World by Undercover Tourist

Headed for a Disney vacation? This free app will help you navigate the parks and keep track of the wait times at each attraction! It will also give you the distance from your current location to a particular ride. Don’t miss the Parade Times feature!

FREE - Android, iPhone

Google Sky Map

This app will help you figure out what you’re looking at above. Point your phone at the sky, and Google Sky Map will show the stars, planets, constellations, and more to help you identify the celestial objects in view. You can also browse the skies in manual mode. This is a great teaching tool for the kids!

FREE – Android, iPhone, iPad

Amazon Kindle

You don’t need a Kindle e-reader to use Kindle services! Download the free app onto your phone or iPad. All of your devices sync together, so you can read a few pages while waiting in the car pool line, then pick up the iPad later on the couch at home and continue right where you left off. Amazon has free books to download, too!

FREE - Android, iPad, iPhone

Coupon Sherpa Mobile

For those who lack the patience for printing coupons, Coupon Sherpa Mobile is a must-have. It delivers right to your phone both Internet and exclusive coupons from more than 5,000 retailers, like Old Navy and Walmart, that you can present at checkout for a discount.

(Free, iPhone and iPad)