Category Archives: Apps

A Writing Tool You Cannot Live Without

A writer (or should I say thinker), typically has a mind filled with ideas (unless of course, they are suffering from the dreaded writers-block (yes, it is a “real” thing)). The incredibly ingenious idea-filled head of theirs is not just prone to writers-block, but what I like to call Internet ADD.

Internet ADD can get in the way of many a great writer from performing to their fullest potential. This can happen for a few reasons:
- The internet has many enticing pictures that you just cannot help but click on.
- The lovely pictures help any writer lose their train of thought, thus lost focus.
- The lovely pictures lead you to even more fascinating/indulgent articles, which then…
lead you to more… and more… and then, little do you know, the day is lost and it is time to pick up your children.

Ok, so maybe I am referring to myself, but I am sure many writers face similar challenges.

That said, the best tool I have found for the writer is a little App called WriteRoom

This app is takes you to a place with nothing but white space (not white light)… The white space offers a clean atmosphere to gather your thoughts, type them, and not have to worry about things like spell check, playing with various fonts or any pop-up ads. Instead, you just write. Really, I mean it! You JUST WRITE and worry about the other stuff later! It’s GENIUS, and my favorite App!

The Best $4.99 I’ve Ever Spent!

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Largest Collection Of Educational Apps

iTooch Elementary School, Math, Language Arts and Science worksheets for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades is not only and App you can try for FREE , it is the LARGEST COLLECTION OF EDUCATIONAL APPS AVAILABLE based on the US National Common Core Standards on the App Store!  iTooch is not only user friendly, it is a lot of fun for parents and children.

The app offers over 18,000 exercises in Language Arts, Science and Math.  iTooch integrates with Game Center, with more than 35 achievements to unlock.
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The virtual blackboard feature allows players to draw various things like graphs and problems.  The blackboard even lets you save a snapshot of the screen to your pictures!  The math exercises even have a built-in calculator for players.

Downloads for the app are broken down by subject, grade and ages.  The app offers a help section which gives players answers to questions like…

How do I use iTooch with my children?
How do I use iTooch in the classroom?
How does the app work?

The questions in each chapter allow players the ability to give user feedback which is rarely offered by app developers.  The app even publishes a newsletter, so users always know when updates are made and what they are.  There is a lesson summary offered at the end of each chapter, and is an excellent summation of the content covered and is broken down in layman’s terms.  iTooch can track each players progress and has a grading system built-in for players.
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iTooch is genuinely one of the best educational apps I have ever used.  The content alone makes the app a must-have for any parent or student.  To sum it up, iTooch is a no-frills get down to business app that is actually fun and easy to use.  I never thought I would use those terms together in one sentence!

Find out more about iTooch here, or go ahead and download it for free here!

*This post was sponsored by iTooch.  All thoughts and views expressed are my own.
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Fantastic Photo App

My Self Portrait Phase Has Yet To Dissipate.
There are some positive outcomes though (regardless of what I may look like)…

The positives:

1.  Learning more about my camera,
2.  Learning about myself…

For example:
(a) I do NOT look great in many types of lighting,
(b) I have more wrinkles than I thought I did,
(c) My hair looks better when I have not washed it as long as I don’t zone in on the roots.

3.  Finally, finding new and fantastic apps to hide all the things that I have learned about myself!
Vintique, happens to be ranked very high on my long list of “must have” apps!
The picture below: Unwashed Hair, Barely Any Makeup, Exhausted With A Touch Of … drum roll please… Vintique!
photo vintique_zpse9cd810e.jpg// Starbucks� Double Wall Ceramic Traveler, 12 fl oz // Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens

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Giggle With The Peppa Pig Happy Mrs. Chicken App

If you love Peppa Pig, then the Peppa Pig Happy Mrs. Chicken App is a must have! Muddle Puddles, the chicken coup, and maze, are just 3 of the 5 interactive games featured in the app. The games, sticker book, fantastic graphics and sounds will have you and your children laughing in no time.

Like most children’s apps I download, I try to test them myself before letting my girls play them. The Chicken Coop was the first game I tried. Immediately, I was laughing at the cute chicken popping out eggs, watching them hatch and then guiding the little chickens to their respective homes. The sound effects were adorable! Moments later, my girls were by my side, begging to play. I’m not embarrassed to say, that I did not relinquish my iPad immediately.

As soon as my daughters began playing Peppa Pig Happy Mrs. Chicken, the room was filled with laughter, counting, and the two of them root for one another as they played the game. This interactive app is not only educational, it helps build hand eye coordination, teaches problem solving, is highly intuitive, and most of all fun!

*“This post was written as part of a sponsored campaign for Childs Play PR. All opinions are my own.”

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The Perfect Gift And An App – GiftGiv

The perfect gift for any occasion can be found, purchased, and delivered in seconds with GiftGiv. Regardless of how organized you are, an app like GiftGiv is a necessity. GiftGiv helps you remember birthdays and anniversaries for family members, friends and more. By syncing with Facebook and LinkedIn, the app actually searches for a wide array of additional events for everyone in your social network and even alerts you.

Although technology has made socializing more impersonal, it doesn’t mean the personalization needs to go away. By having the ability to acknowledge a special event or moment as it is happening or moments after it happens, the app gives you the ability to show you care on a personal level. GiftGiv offers a wide array of gifts to choose from which can be delivered to someone’s door, office or electronically.

As a businesswoman, GiftGiv is integral in maintaining a good relationship with clients and co-workers. On many occasions, I have found myself on the phone with a client and they mention a special event that recently occurred in their lives. These events range from a child graduating or even the arrival of a new pet. My immediate reaction is to “remember” to send a card or gift. Weeks later, I usually “remember” I “forgot” to send that card or gift. With GiftGiv on my iPhone, I no longer need to “remember,” to send a card or gift, rather, the moment I get off the phone, I simply click a few buttons and a gift is on the way. As a parent and social butterfly, the various reasons to send a gift or acknowledge special occasions are endless. It’s wonderful to finally have an app that helps maintain and build new relationships by getting personal and giving.

GiftGiv is not only a free app, it’s lovely to browse through, and the interface is simple and user friendly. Overall, I think this app is genius and simply perfect!

 “This post was written as part of a sponsored campaign for GiftGiv. All opinions are my own.”

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A Cool Geek – That’s What He Said

I always knew I was a bit on the geeky side but never put much thought into it. Recently, my husband made a comment that got me thinking though. He mentioned that I was what he considered a “Cool Geek.” “Huh? What’s a “Cool Geek” I asked?”

Ok, so maybe I had spent an hour browsing the Science Fiction section at Barnes and Noble that day, but the answer he gave me lacked substance. Initially, I disregarded the comment, but then got to thinking… which turned to listing… and, eventually leading to this post.

Things That “Might” Make Me What Is Considered A “Cool Geek” Without A Substantial Description:

  1. I still have the floppy disk I saved my first graphic designs on (which are not good at all).
  2. I am an Asterix Comic book junkie.
  3. I idolize Charles Babbage.
  4. If a Numbers marathon was on TV, I would never leave my couch.
  5. I own a circuit board necklace.
  6. I am a closet Dungeons and Dragons fan.
  7. I think The Last Airbender Rocks and CANNOT WAIT For The Non-Animated series to begin!
  8. The Shins and The Strokes are among my favorite of many bands in that genre.
  9. I recreated an electric conductor science project I did in the 7th grade just because I liked it.
  10. I love playing with Lego’s although the Lego people creep me out.
  11. I cried during the movie Short Circuit (don’t tell me you didn’t).
  12. I wish I could have been a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine during the late 60’s and early 70’s.
  13. I love buying pens, and more pens, and might actually have a pocket protector in my handbag but that is a necessity if you value your handbag.

My list goes on, and maybe I am a bit of a geek (Geekette is the term I prefer), but I am perfectly content with it.

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Best Tablets For Kids

If you are shopping for a child this holiday season, choosing the right tablet for him/her might be on your to do checklist.  Children love technology and manufacturers love to make their products the most appealing.  Since my daughters were born, they have been introduced to various technological products through the years.  Being a technology lover myself, I never really shied away from buying them the latest products on the shelves.  Unfortunately, my excitement has been known to get the best of me, and my choices have not always been suitable for their age.

Now, I am not saying that I buy inappropriate things for my children… I have bought them products that were a bit too advanced for their little hands though.  Once again, the gift giving season is here and both girls want their own tablets. I decided to investigate and share the results with my readers.

Fuhu NABI & NABI2 Tablet

The NABI and NABI2 are popping up everywhere. Although the NABI has been around for more than a year, it was not until a month ago that I heard about it. I decided to find out what the excitement over this 7 inch tablet was all about. Manufactured by Fuhu, the NABI is an Android Tablet specifically designed for kids. I love their motto “Learn. Play. Grow. For Life.” Based on customer comments, the NABI is also suitable for toddlers. Similar to the iPad, NABI has a cloud for syncing and storing information. Other key features include an e-reader, a treasure box, chore list, parental controls, top billboard songs available for download, and even live streaming for those Saturday morning shows while mom and dad have to run errands. Overall, it is one of the most robust tablets specific to children yet, also enjoyable for mom or dad.

LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer


Although my girls already have the LeapPad, I had to include it on my list.  Last Christmas, the LeapPad was one of the hottest sellers.  Finding one to buy was nearly impossible.  Fortunately, I stumbled upon 2… IN PINK!  Christmas morning came and my girls had no interest in their LeapPads.  It was disappointing to say the least.  Little did I know then, but they just weren’t ready for them.  This year, the LeapPads have become their traveling companions.  The games are great but can be pricey.  If you have an early reader, the LeapFrog website has great books available for download.  What I love most about the books is the various ways your child can read them.  The words can be highlighted as the LeapPad reads to your child.  If your child is trying to read a book by him/herself and get’s stuck on a word.  Simply pressing on the word will make the tablet read it out loud.  Overall, a great purchase for children 5 and up.
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Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System

Starting with the 6-in-1, the Fisher-Price iXL features a Digital Reader, Game Player, Note Pad, Art Studio, MP3 Player and Photo Viewer. This rugged system comes in 3 colors (silver, blue and pink), and is great for kids new to technology.  Kids can add their own music and photos, personalizing with fun drawing tools and digital stickers. And they’ll love all the different ways to play, learning important fundamentals from preloaded games and animated story books. iXL™ comes with a Media Manager on CD-ROM, making it easy to load and manage photos, music and other content.  With so many options, the iXL will keep children busy for hours.

VTech InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet and VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet

The VTech InnoTab 2 and 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablets are durable, built for kids, offer a built-in digital camera, a plethora of games and much more. Vtech recommends children ages 4-9 years can use these tablets although my friend’s 3-year-old refuses to put hers down. The tablets include apps, and you can download more on-line. The camera is actually a rotating camera for photos and videos. They even have an interactive e-reader for new and seasoned readers. These tablets are multi-media products, with educational games as well as an amazing creative outlets for children. After testing these tablets out, I couldn’t help but include them on my list!

Kurio Kids Andriod Tablet

The Kurio Kids Tablet is an Android Tablet specially designed for kids with a drop-safe bumper! This tablet can also be enjoyed by adults with its a capacitive multi-touch touchscreen, front and rear facing cameras, HDMI & USB connections, integrated Mic, Wi-Fi, and Flash 11 support. Kids, teens, and parents alike can watch videos, write emails, surf the web, take photos & record video, read e-books, play music, and more. Adults can also exit the Kurio Interface and switch to the sleek Android System through the Parental Area. Packed with Preloaded Kids’ Content, it even offers premium versions of some of the most popular apps.

That’s it for my top tablets for kids… until next year… Happy Holiday Shopping!

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Elfster – Holiday Shopping Made Easy

Apple iTunes

I’m Making A List… Checking It Twice… Too bad nobody else is…

Shopping during the holiday season is hard enough.  Making sure you buy just the right gifts and don’t give a gift that someone already has makes it even tougher.  With technological advancements being on the rise, it only seems logical that developers would finally come up with a great app to solve everyone’s holiday shopping dilemmas.  Hence, the arrival of Elfster!

Elfster is one of the cutest and most useful apps this holiday season!  The best part… it’s FREE!  So, you ask, what is so great about this app?  Elfster simplifies gift giving, and makes your gift shopping and wishing more fun and social. While on the go, you can easily see your friends’ wish lists, ask them secret questions, check out the hottest trending gifts, or check in on your “secret santa” style gift exchange with friends, family and colleagues scattered far and wide. Anytime. Anyplace. And bar code scanning lets you add wishes to your own list anytime you run across something cool while out and about. Join millions of happy gift givers and party lovers using Elfster, the leading free, online gift exchange organizer and wish list site.Simplify birthdays and holidays and every gifting occasion with the official Elfster app for iPhone.Features: Add anything from anywhere to your wish list. Find and follow friends wishlists (and they can follow yours). Participate in a “secret santa” style gift exchange. See who your “secret santa draw is. Check out trending gifts and get inspired. Like gifts on Facebook. Tweet cool gifts. Send secret questions to your friends.  Enough said.  Just get the app and enjoy!

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