Top 4 Apps Every Mom Needs!

I am a self proclaimed Hot Mess. I own it. I live it. I embrace it. I am also Type A. I NEED perfection to function. Perfectionist Hot Mess would be an accurate description for me! Below are a few apps I highly recommend to be a perfectionist Functional Hot Mess Momma!

1. Google Calendar (Free)– If you haven’t heard of Google Calendar then I am assuming you live under a rock. It seems like I am constantly hearing about people using Google Calendar to get their life in order. I too use GC to keep my life on the same page. I have setup a calendar for each person in our house. JHub can update his from his computer/phone and it syncs to my calendar. I have a family calendar setup. This one both J and I can update and it sync to the other person. I have a HMMC calendar to keep up with my to-dos, interviews, etc. I have my work Outlook calendar synced to my Google Calendar so I can always see what meetings I have even if I am not at work. I have an Important Dates calendar which is where I put in birthdays/anniversaries. GC also allows for tasks to show up on the calendar as well. Each calendar setup has its own color. So when I look at the calendar, I can see at a quick glance what everyone is doing. I also like that I can use this on the web or the app. Seriously Google Calendar is a must have for busy mommas with multiple schedules she keeps up with! The image below is from the web version but you get the idea….

2. Tody (Might have paid a few bucks for this one, can’t remember but it is worth it…) It should come as no surprise that I am NOT good at keeping house. I swear my chore list is a mile long. Sometimes the chores that need to be done around the houses are so plentiful and overwhelming that I shut down out of frustration. Insert Tody. Tody requires some setup. You literally go room by room and setup the tasks you want to do in that room (I.E. Master Bathroom, Clean Shower. Kitchen, Wash Dishes, etc.) As you setup the tasks, you also setup the frequency in which you want to do that task. You tell Tody where you are at with that current task (needs to be done, halfway, or just did it) and based on that it starts scheduling your tasks. I have my app set to remind me everyday at 5pm to check my list. The app tells me, based on my frequency schedule, what tasks I need to do that day. I love this because I am not overwhelmed. Some days its wash clothes & vacuum my room. Other days it may be mop the kitchen. Some days the app has nothing for me and other days it has 3 or 4. Anything you don’t mark done that day carries over to the next day. I love this way of doing chores. I don’t feel overwhelmed when I walk into the bathroom to clean. I don’t shut down out of frustration and not knowing what mess to tackle first. I do the ONE thing on my Tody list and that’s it so I am never cleaning an entire room at one time.

3. OurPact (Free-Start from their website, not the app store) I stumbled upon OurPact accidentally but its a HUGE help in our house. OurPact allows me to remotely turn on/off Q’s ipad. I can use a set schedule. I can grant for a certain amount of time. I can block for a certain amount of time. I never have to physically take the device from him. I don’t allow Q any screen time before he is ready to go to school. This app has allowed me to turn the app off until it is time for us to leave the house without doing anything. The ipad is automatically shut off Sunday-Thursday at his bedtime. If I need to discipline Q and take ipad time away, I can do it all from my phone. The free features are great and all I use. However, you can upgrade to pro to control more devices, individual apps, etc. This app is more for my sanity. I don’t have to wrestle the ipad out of Q’s hands, I just use my phone, shut it down, while he holds a locked down ipad.

4. RoosterMoney (Free) – This is an allowance app that I have on my phone and QMonster has on his ipad. I give him assigned chores and he checks them off. He gets paid a set amount on Friday based on the # of completed chores he has. I’ve also setup extra tasks for him to do if he wants to earn extra money. The app also allows you to setup savings goals, giving pots, etc. Currently, Q only uses the spend “pot” but if he really wanted to buy something big, I could upload an image of the item and help him set a goal to save money towards this item. I like this app because Q always knows how much allowance he has when we go to the “prize store”. I never have to be the “bad guy” for saying no to an expensive toy. We also use a little bit of 123 Magic practice in that if I do one of Q’s chores because he refuses, he pays me, so I can easily deduct that amount from his spend “pot”. I like this app because it holds Q accountable for me…aka no more nagging momma!

So there you have it! My top 4 apps to be a perfectionist functional hot mess momma! Let me know in the comments what apps you use to be a functional hot mess! Also, if you want more tips on being a functional Hot Mess, listen to my Functional Hot Mess podcast episode!