SOCIAL MEDIA

Monday, March 8, 2021

Not Just a Mom-- Favorite Phone Apps

 Hi friends! Oh my gosh it feels so good to be back. It was nice to take a breather there and get caught up on life, but I definitely missed this little space on the internet. Today Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne, and Sarah are back with our monthly Not Just a Mom and the theme is favorite phone apps. I LOVE a good phone app, especially one that may make my life easier. I am looking forward to reading about the apps you all use regularly-- especially if they are the kind that make life easier!

 

I broke down my favorite apps into categories because I know we all have different interests. Some of you may be more interested in health/fitness apps, while others may be more interested in organization/daily life, etc. 

Reading Apps:

My reading app folder is definitely one of my most used folders. I keep a list of books on my phone and then as I am getting close to finishing one, I'll add a few more to my wait list at the library. Since the pandemic started books seem to be taking a lot longer than they used to, so I check out 3-4 at a time and hope that one is available when I'm ready for my next book. 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library- How I check out books through our library

Hoopla- Many ebooks and audiobooks are available through our library on Hoopla

Libby-- Same as Hoopla, if you link your library card there are a lot of free ebooks and audiobooks to download.

Audible-- I finally signed up for an Audible membership a few months back since not everything is available on audiobook through our library and I LOVE it. A great investment for someone who loves to read, but doesn't always have the time to look at a book. I love to listen while I run, drive, clean the house, fold laundry, etc. 

Health and Fitness:


Fitbit: I love this app and have loved it for years. I love how you can look at your steps for the week and see which days you were more active vs days you were less active. I have days where I get 18,000 steps and then days where I get 5,000 steps all within the same week... and that's okay! Not every single day can be a super active one. Some days you just have to get other stuff done, and that may include a lot more sitting 😊

Sweat: This is the app I use for the BBG workouts and I swear by it. I have been doing BBG off and on for years and I truly feel it is a realistic approach to exercise and healthy living. You can schedule your workouts for the week in the app, complete the workouts through the app, and even get some delicious healthy recipes. If you love health and fitness apps, I cannot recommend this enough. It is definitely worth signing up for the free trial.


Social Media:


Pinterest: My favorite form of social media, hands down! This is where I turn for inspiration in just about any category. It's a rainy day and I need craft ideas for the kids? I'm turning to Pinterest. Stuck in an outfit rut? Pinterest to the rescue. Have a general idea for home decor but can't figure out how to put it all together? Pinterest yet again. I love, love, love this app!


Instagram: I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram. I love to check it and see what my friends are up to but I can so easily slide down the rabbit hole where 30 minutes passes by and I'm looking at random profiles I don't really even care about. How does that happen?! Every time. I set a timer on it so I can only look for 15 minutes a day. That seems to be all I really need to keep up with pics of my friends and their lives.


Other Randoms:
 

Weather App

Okay, not sure if this one counts because it's so basic but I love to look at the weather not just here in Charlotte, but in places around the world we have visited. For example as I write this it is 46 and cloudy in Charlotte, but its 68 and rainy in Bali (it's nighttime), 64 and cloudy in Hong Kong, and a beautiful 73 and sunny in Kauai. So while it may be kinda gross here, at least I can daydream about the places that are having nicer weather. 😊

Zillow

Oh my love for Zillow runs deep. I love to look at other people's homes and at real estate prices around the country. I am always so curious how much house you can get for your money in different cities and states. Like what a million dollar house looks like in Long Island vs Las Vegas. I also get really good home decor inspiration from Zillow, because the homes can look nicely decorated but still clearly lived in. Sometimes on Pinterest things look too staged or like the decor just wouldn't work in everyday life. Zillow is a more real life version.


Lightroom

I was initially hesitant to download Lightroom because I thought "what do I know about editing pictures?". I first tried editing on my own and got very overwhelmed. Lightroom is a lot to take in for a beginner! I downloaded some pre-made presets from Etsy and then started adding them to my photos, and then over time started tweaking my photos myself to make them look how I want. Now I am a Lightroom addict! I take pictures of the most random things just to see how the picture would look once edited. 


Amazon

I mean this one is just a given, right?  I feel like this is one everybody has and loves.


Thanks for reading along today! If you also blogged your favorite phone apps, please add your link below. 


Next month we are blogging our favorite family memories. That brings a smile to my face just to think about 😁.

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14 comments :

  1. I check Pinterest all the time too but never on my phone. I always need to go to my laptop for that one. I should try browsing Pinterest on my phone and get used to it that way.

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  2. Have you ever tried using GoodReads? It’s an app where you can keep track of your reading and books that you want to read. So glad that you’re back!!

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  3. I wish my library had Hoopla! We just have Axis 360, which is pretty bad, but I use Libby through another local library that allows me membership. Lightroom is great, I use presets too.

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  4. I love and use almost all these apps (or something similar)! I also keep a list of books that I want to read and request a new one every time I finish a book. I typically keep two to three books checked out to avoid lulls!

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  5. I'm definitely going to check some of these out. Thanks! Visiting from the hello monday link up.

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  6. I don't have the Amazon app!!

    Also a fan of Pinterest, that is the one I could scroll forever!

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  7. I've missed you! LOL Checked your page multiple times to see if you were back :) Glad you had a good little break! Big IG fan over here, but I also easily get sucked into stuff I don't really care about!

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  8. I use to check Zillow all the time until I found out how inaccurate it is. Now I just do my boyfriends website which is up to date by the minute. but obviously he is just local to me.

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  9. Amazon and Pinterest are for sure two of the apps I use a LOT. I'm going to have to see if our library has an app!

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  10. My favorite app of all time is Instagram. I had that thing since it first rolled out in like 2005 I believe. Another is Ipsy... canva, colorstory, pinterest and snapchat. tiktok is slowly growing on me LOL

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  11. I also love looking at real estate listings and seeing what is new in our area. That is such a great idea to put a time limit on Instagram. Thanks for linking up with Hello Monday! Tanya - The Other Side of the Road

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  12. I love the reading apps too! I too will check what "real" houses look like on Zillow for real life inspiration for home decor or finishes to see what things could look like in a house similar-ish to mine. There's a lot of the same thing going on in Pinterest sometimes (or at least that's what the algorithm would tell me.) Someone mentioned the GoodReads app and I want to +1 that too. I also use the Twitter app a lot. And it's not an app but I bookmarked a shortcut to the Google shopping list my husband and I both use on my phone screen so it's easier to access.

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