Today’s post is written by Heidi Potter, StyleBlueprint’s editor in Louisville.
Don’t be fooled by the title. Today’s post has nothing to do with appetizers. Well, maybe one portion does.
Today we discuss favorite apps – as in apps for your smartphone or tablet. Apps that can make a HUGE difference in your everyday life. Trust me.
We all have the same apps these days: Pinterest, Words with Friends, Weather Channel. Some of you are more adventuresome. Others are like me, just the bare bones.
I attended a recent meeting of Let them Tweet Cake, which is a gathering of women in the community who are much better at technology than I am. One of the topics was favorite apps, and these are three of the favorite picks from that night.
Spotify
Recognize this name from your Facebook Feed? Yes, the one where you can see what songs your friends are listening to at any moment. My first reaction was, “I don’t care what my friends are listening to right now!” Then my next reaction was, “Love that song, got to remember to listen to that.”
Spotify is similar to Pandora, an online music file sharing system that streams music to your smartphone, tablet or computer. Now they are offering radio, just like Pandora. The difference is Spotify has 16 million more songs in its “jukebox” than Pandora. My research shows it’s also a much better mix of music.
It’s a free service…to a point. Paying incrementally more ($4.99) allows you to listen with no ads at all. You can also pick specific songs which you cannot do with Pandora.
I’m convinced. Spotify is where the music really is at.
It’s no to low-cost, easy to use, loaded – literally – with great tunes. What’s not to love! I’m a fan. Try it – bet you will be, too.
Evernote
This is a catch-all organizational app. All your notes, lists, thoughts, pictures can all be consolidated and put into one app. Consider it a filing folder, junk drawer and bulletin board all in one. You can sync your smartphone, computer and tablet all together so that all notes end up in the same place.
Here’s a better visual of everything it does:
Evernote
Some great ways to use Evernote:
- Like a bottle of wine you had? Take a picture of it, maybe even say where you had it. Next time you are at the liquor store, pull up the picture on your phone and buy it.
- Can’t remember what your printer cartridge model number is and you are at the office supply store? Keep it on your phone here or even a picture of it so you can find it quickly.
- Having a meeting and want to start building your agenda in advance? Start compiling one on your phone when you have a couple minutes of downtime. You can be constantly adding to it while not at your computer.
- Going on a trip with a ton of email confirmation numbers and itineraries? This is the perfect place to keep all these documents.
I really have to take down all the post-it notes from my computer monitor and start using this app more.
Pepperplate
So you see a great recipe online. Now what? Write down the ingredients or just mentally run through them. Get to store, try to remember ingredients. Forget that one thing you need. Get home, try to find recipe again on web to no avail.
If this sounds familiar, try this instead…
Download the recipe to Pepperplate, where all of your downloaded recipes can be kept together. Then, leap for joy as the app automatically adds the ingredients to a shopping list that you can bring to the store on your phone.
Did you like the recipe? Well by all means, share it with a friend automatically here. This app has a recipe viewer, menu planner, meal schedule and shopping list all in one.
You can also add and edit your own recipes on here, alleviating the need for a recipe file. You can schedule dinner or dinner parties on the Pepper Plate calendar that will help you with your planning. The grocery store list even can be arranged to the direction you shop in the store. Wow, that is specific.
Now if it could only go to the store and then come home and have this app cook it for you, then we’d really be in business!
And be on the lookout for….
Riffle Books
This last app is something that nobody in the group had tried as they had just heard about it. It’s called Riffle Books and it is like Pinterest for books. I requested an invite and took a survey. Here’s to hoping I make the cut, so that I can review this app further.
Hopefully these little apps will make your life a whole lot easier.
Tell me what apps have been game changers in your life? Comment below or email me at [email protected].
