Always being “on” can seem like a curse for busy moms. Fortunately, smartphone applications these days can be your saving grace. At a christening I attended recently for my good friend’s baby girl, an iPhone saved the day after her older daughter ran screaming down the church aisle. I don’t know how we would have gotten through the event without having access to all those games, silly videos, and pictures that so delighted her.
After polling many moms across the country, I’ve come up with the following list of the top smartphone apps to help you better organize your life, juggle work and family demands, entertain your cherubs in a pinch, and even get dinner on the table.
2Do Lite: Stunning ToDo List
This “to-do list” application is free and very simple to use. According to Nathalie Vergnoble, mom of two in Manhattan Beach, California, “It’s easy to organize between home and work errands. Although the number of entries you can have at the same time is limited, it is very helpful.” Another perk is that this app is in its second generation, so it’s ironed out a few bugs. Categorizing your to-dos according to the app’s various tabs—including family, work, today (urgent), shopping, and home—is a snap. It also features a smart calendar that allows you to share emails and import birthdays, and it’s available in many languages.
Toddler Teasers
If you have a toddler, you know how difficult it is to go out to eat or sit through a church service with these wiggly little guys. Toddler Teasers is a set of apps that provides age-appropriate games that can teach kids letters, colors, shapes, and so on. So if you’re sitting in the dentist’s office, your little guy can actually be distracted and learn something at the same time, says Caroline Wilbert, a mom of three in Atlanta, Georgia. My favorite is Toddler Teasers Shapes, which happens to be free; Toddler Teasers Letters and Toddler Teasers Colors are just 99 cents each, and Toddler Teasers Quizzing is $1.99. All moms who have used these apps in desperate situations in which their kids had to be quiet and stay still say they are worth the price.
Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List
Krista Joseph, working mom of one in El Segundo, California, says this app is great for foodies (she should know—she’s a former caterer), and especially for moms on the go. Big bonus: it’s free! I like that it allows you to search for quick weeknight dinners and healthy lunches and then provides a shopping list of ingredients you need, which you can cross off as you shop.
