I thought this might be fun. Welcome to my review of my top ten favorite apps! Yes, ten. I know you can only see nine in that image but...keep reading!
These are in order that they appear in the folder, not necessarily in order according to use. Also, this folder does not really exist on my iPhone. I created it so I could get a quick picture (screen capture).
Project Life
I will probably end up doing an entire blog post dedicated to my affection for this scrapbooking app. It's a real time saver and, while it won't replace my enjoyment of traditional scrapbooking, I will be printing more and more 12x12 pages in the months and years to come.
I have a handful of apps I use in concert with the Project Life App and I'll go over those in another post, I promise. While I'm here, though, I want to mention that in addition to using my iPhone photos, I also download photos from my Flickr and Google Photos accounts directly to my camera roll for easy access.
Scrapbooking in the palm of your hand. It's what every memory-hoarding mommy needs because it makes journaling oh-so-easy!
SnapChat
I resisted this app for a long time. I hated - HATED- that my kids had it on their phones and would make them delete it whenever I did a spot check of their apps. The entire premise made me nervous. I saw no good use for an app that allowed users to send photos or brief videos to each other that disappeared after a few seconds. I saw only the potential for misuse. I figured it was good for sexting and little else. Paranoid mama here.
Well, I use it quite often now and, while I realize that it can easily be abused, it doesn't mean everyone is going to send or receive pics of naughty bits. Instead, the abuse mostly comes in the form of too many silly filters being applied whenever boredom or drunkenness strike.
I love those silly pictures and ridiculous videos, though, and intend to keep harassing my friends and family right up until they block me. Please don't block me.
Ah, Facebook. I have a love/hate relationship with this site. I love that I can share in my friends' and family members' lives. I get to see pictures and videos. I get to read the funny stories, the slice of life details that I'd otherwise miss. It's also helped me reconnect to people I would otherwise see or speak to only rarely.
Then there's the politics. Election seasons are the worst! I can't say that I'm above it all, either, because I will be the first to admit that I share things that are of interest and concern, especially as they relate to education, the climate, and social equality. I also have a tendency to take on blatant lies that I know result in ridiculous conspiracy theories. Oh, the Google searches I've undertaken when a headline, article, or video clip spouts nonsense.
Luckily, election seasons don't last forever and eventually the photos and everyday stories reappear. Thank goodness.
PS Express
Photoshop Express is relatively new to my iPhone, and I already love it! It's already saved more than one poorly shot iPhone photo. It's by far my favorite photo editor even though I also have a bunch of Creative Cloud apps on my phone, too. (Lightroom is also great, for the record.)
Goodreads
I love books. Next to shopping the Kindle store, there's really nothing I enjoy more than scrolling through the book reviews my fellow Goodreads users' posts. I like seeing what my sister-in-law, Jaime, is currently reading. Or my cousin, Vanna. Or my friend, Danielle. Heck, I even got my mom using it!
The real draw for me, though, is not just being able to satisfy my curiosity about what others are reading. I love being able to track my books. I like knowing what's already on my shelves and what books I need to buy. I like challenging myself to read some arbitrary number of books each year and then recording my progress as I strive to meet that goal.
I love looking at other people's pictures. I love sharing my pictures. Given these two things, this app and I were meant for each other. Granted, I don't think I'm nearly as artistic as the majority of the users on this site.
I'm not on this site all the time, but I definitely use it whenever I need to be inspired. I have a number of boards, some quite common, I'd think. I have a board for desserts and a board for main/side dishes. I have a board for cocktails and one for low-calorie snacks. Then there are the numerous boards dedicated to various crafts, including pallet art, scrapbooking, and photography. I also have a board dedicated to my dream home library. Then there's the one with links to various vacation destinations I'd love to cross off my bucket list. Less useful boards include those with quotes or science fiction and fantasy trivia.
Of all these boards, the most commonly used are those with recipes. Need a side dish for the office Christmas party? Pinterest. Need a main dish for a birthday dinner? Pinterest. Want to impress your guests with a new mixed drink? Yep, you guessed it, Pinterest.
Timehop
This app walks you down memory lane. Once you grant it access to Facebook, Instagram, and whatever other social networking platform it is able to connect with, the app searches for all the pictures and posts you've written on this day in history. I've had days when it has collected over seven years worth of photos, posts, and tweets.
Seven years ago my boys were thirteen- and ten-years-old. I love seeing how much they've grown over the years. Those are, by far, my favorite Timehop treats.
Google Photos
I debated on swapping this out with Flickr because I love Flickr, too. However, there is one feature that I think makes Google Photos a tad bit more user friendly. It's so easy to share albums with people! I simply have to have their email address and whatever I've uploaded from my iPhone or my DSLR can be shared right to the recipient's phone or computer. It makes photo sharing super easy.
Summoners War
I can't have a list of my favorite apps and not include this one. It gets the most use of any app on my phone or tablet. I'm addicted to this game and I feel no shame about it. It's taken me two years to build my team and they're still not as good as they could or should be. On the bright side, our guild is continually improving.
Most importantly, though, I love that my entire little family of four plays this game together. Heck, even some of my hubby's coworkers are in our guild. :-)
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