REAL TALK | My Favorite iPhone apps
Anyone who knows me personally well knows a few key details: I really, really love coffee. I love nap time. I spend a lot of time at Target. Oh, and I am all but permanently connected to my phone... my iPhone, actually. (PS - thanks Snapchat for the goofy picture for my background!)
Truth be told, I don't have a lot that I do on my phone. I don't really sit and play games (other than on very rare occasions). I do, however, sit and scroll for hours through social media, practically re-reading the same information over and over. But I don't think I'm alone in that... right? ;)
I've had a few people lately ask me what kinds of apps (business and personal) I have on my phone, and while I'm sure it's not a topic EVERYONE wants to know about... it seemed like the perfect blog post! If you're still reading this, keep in mind that some of these apps are things not just everyone would use. Some are strictly for business so I can operate certain things on the go, or if I'm waiting in the car for something I can keep caught up on things. So, here we go!
1) Facebook. I'm pretty sure 98% of the people reading this probably got to this post through Facebook. It's something that has been a part of my life for like 13 or 14 years now. Yep, I'm old! But, it started in college when it was just exclusive to colleges who were signed up to have access and has only grown from there. Now it seems that Facebook has not only become a way for friends to stay connected, but it's also a pretty common way to keep up with the news... and the many, many, MANY different ways it is being interpreted. I also enjoy making sure I am up on with which type of Starbucks Frapp I am most compatible.
2) Instagram. Yep, another social media platform. Truthfully, the only reason I have Instagram is for business. I do have my own personal handles, but the only one I use and am logged into is my business Instagram account. I feel like it's a creative's bread and butter when it comes to social media, which gives me a huge platform to share my work and even build my client base. Not to mention I even have managed to learn about new things on the app!
3) Pinterest. I have so many boards, of which are full of fantastical meals, projects, home renovation ideas, photography related items, and baby advice. I almost never go back to read the pins (except foodie ones - we have made a lot of recipes from Pinterest in our household and had great success!)
4) Podcasts. I seriously love me some Podcasts. I only have a select few I am subscribed to, but they are really easy listening when I am on a drive and not feeling like listening to music. Some of my top subscriptions are Ryan & Tanya, The Goal Digger Podcast, The Basement Yard, and Mosaic - Erwin McManus.
5) Lose It! So, I've had this app for a short while, but I just recently jumped back on the wagon of watching and tracking what I'm eating. I wouldn't call it a full on lifestyle change, but I'm definitely heading in that direction. It's very humbling when you are constantly tracking the food you are intaking, knowing that your allowed calories left for the day is dwindling... and YOU are completely in control of that number. You don't have anyone really to answer to except yourself. Crazy, right? When you lie, you're only lying to yourself. Eep! I am lucky to have a good friend of mine church being my accountability partner, and we follow up with each other a few times a week, sharing successes and keep each other motivated!
6) Calm. This is a new addition to my apps, and it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. It's basically a meditation app. It helps me to relax when I need it most. I have been using it before bed the last few days and it's been absolutely wonderful. It's a free app, but it can be paid for if you want to have access to more of the app's benefits. For now, the free version does perfectly fine for me!
7) HoneyBook. This is totally a business app. HoneyBook is where I manage almost all of my business items, from contracts to scheduling to billing and so much more. Having access at my fingertips if I need to reference something from a client's file, or simply send out a questionnaire for a newly booked wedding, it really keeps me at ease having my business documents so accessible!
8) MileIQ. Okay, if you do business of any kind that you need to track your mileage, do yourself a favor and download MileIQ. It has a free version and a paid version. For me, I have the paid version and it's worth every penny. It is set up to track literally every drive I take, and I can simply log in to the app and swipe left or right (no, no, this isn't Tinder) to mark it business or personal. Since I started my business, I have not been good about tracking my mileage and I know it drives my accountant crazy! But, I digress. Get it now!
I have so many more apps, like Banking apps, Store apps (Target, Starbucks, etc), and mail apps. But the above are probably the ones I spend the most time on, aside from the Music app, which I'm sure everyone has and knows what it is. :)
What are some of YOUR favorite apps? I would love to know! Maybe there's something I'M missing!!