Rae La Soul

Part of what I do on a daily basis is to streamline/manage business processes and/or create processes if none exist. It’s one of my most important roles at my place of employment and it’s one of the most challenging, but exciting. I’d like to think that I’m so good at it because it’s what I’ve had to do one a daily basis since I became a parent.

I am a tech geek. Always have been and always will be. And while tech doesn’t absolutely rule my life, there is no doubt that it makes my life run much smoother. So besides the social media apps that drain my battery when I have some down time, here are a few apps that are my go-to as hard-working mommy of two.

The Google Trifecta: Google Now, Gmail, and Google Calendar

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Google pretty much owns me. I don’t think there is one app by Google that I haven’t used or that hasn’t enriched my quality of life. Seriously. I absolutely love Google Now and tend to refer to it on a daily basis. From alerting me of upcoming appointments, letting me know when to leave and the time it’ll take to make it to the places that I travel to on the daily depending on the traffic, or reminding me of my appointments based on messages from my Gmail account, I am married to its ingenuity.

Along with Google Now, Gmail and Google Calendar definitely come in handy when I’m being Supermom and also managing my personal life and projects outside of work.

Extra Perk: My calendars are color-coded which is quite beneficial when I need to organize things as they pertain to the members of my family.

Mint

This is my One-Stop Shop for all things financial. Since the flood, I’ve had an increase in the amount of bills that I have to manage due to restoring our home. And while I write things down in my planner daily, I tend to forget to go online and make a payment, or I’ve failed to set up recurring reminders. And the best one? I’ve forgotten my login information, it’s already past 5 PM, and I’ve incurred a late fee. So to make sure I don’t rack up on the late fees and that my credit stays in tact, every. single. bill. that I have to pay is entered in mint for tracking purposes.

Extra Perk: There is also the option to sync with your Google Calendar. This app also frees up space on my phone since can refer to Mint as a central hub and not have to download a different app for each expense. Companies such as Sprint, at&t, Capital One, etc. are available for syncing. If the company isn’t listed, you also have the option to enter the expense manually. One more extra is that your credit score is available within the Mint interface as well.

Headspace

Ever have a rough day and you’re in a place where you can’t scream or cry it out? I’ve been working on trying to manage my emotions — particularly my anxiety — and this app definitely comes in handy when I’m on the go.

Evernote

I use Evernote for almost everything. If I can’t get to my notebook quick enough to jot down an idea that has popped into my head, or if I need to make a grocery list, I use Evernote. I also use this app when I need to transcribe notes from meetings, classes, and/or events or conferences that I attend. And when I don’t have my computer with me, I use the Evernote app on my phone since it has a syncing capability.

Extra Perk: I love the work chat feature when I need to collaborate on the projects that I’m working on for my side gig.

Nike+ Running

Now, I’m not the spokesperson for fitness, but I do know I need to get my life together. I’ve used the Nike Running app before and one of the things I love the most is the social aspect. This app allows you to connect with other runners, participate in other challenges, etc.

Extra: There’s power up music for all of you who keep music on your phone. For me, it isn’t particularly useful due to the fact that I use Spotify. I’m hoping for an API that’ll connect the two pretty soon.

Spotify

I HAVE to have my playlist, especially when I need to tune everything out to zone in on tasks that need to be brought to completion. In all other instances, I have it playing in the background when I’m doing chores, blogging, etc. In the car, my podcasts are playing. And for anyone who wants to be a true friend, send me some playlists.

Extra Perk: The Your Daily Mix features uses an algorithm to create a playlist based on your favorite songs. You can read more about this feature and how the algorithm works by clicking here.

AllRecipes

Whenever I’m out of ideas of what to prepare for dinner because we can only do so many Taco Tuesdays, I refer to AllRecipes. I count on the spinner to spice up things in the kitchen.

Extra Perk: It also organizes the grocery list for whatever meal you select. I tend to have an issue with sticking to my list because I either forget the list or I fall under the Target spell. But for the days that I abide it, this feature makes preparing dinner quite easy.

Waitr

This app really saves my life when I’m too lazy to cook anything. Or, when I forget to take whatever out the freezer to add the crockpot because I’m working late. Restaurants are often added which beats having to leave the house. Typically when I’m working late, I’ll put in an order on the waitr app and end up meeting the waitr in the driveway.