Technology gets a bad rap, and I don’t think that’s always fair. Some days it does feel like I am in a battle with my phone to leave it on my desk and not get continually distracted by it. There are tons of apps out there that are mainly invented to give us mindless activity (yes, Candy Crush, I am STILL looking at you) and it can be tough to stay off your phone when you are looking for a distraction or you just not in zone. I’ve been there too many times to count. But, I am here to tell y’all about three useful apps that are helping me big time lately.
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Mint.com
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Pros/Summary: Free! Free! Free! :) I do not have the discipline (working on it!) to keep up to speed and write down my budget and the rest of my finances in a journal or paper, so this app does it for me! You link it up with your bank accounts and it keeps track of every time a transaction is made. You can set budgets to how much you should be spending on different categories (eating out, shopping, eating out, shopping, other important adult related costs like rent and the electric bill) and it notifies you when you exceed or come close to exceeding the threshold. It can be set up with credit cards too. It gives you a really good glimpse of where your money is going and where you may have to cut some spending or where you might have some wiggle room! It’s the most useful app in all of the land!
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Cons: It takes a little time to get it all set up and get used to checking it on a regular basis. It’s hard to build the habit of paying attention to it, and it took me about 2 months to get into the flow of it. Some people don’t like to enter their bank information into an app, understandably, and therefore that might be a turnoff for some!
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Yoga Studio
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Pros/Summary: I am not a workout person. I wish I was so bad, but I have not found a way to work it into my life routine. I wake up feeling tight and sore some mornings, and I wish I had the time, money, and motivation to make it to a yoga / stretch class more times a week. So this app was my answer. I love yoga because it is a REALLY good stretch, not necessarily because I like the practice of mediation, mostly because I am not good at letting go mentally but that’s a work in progress! Anyways, this app has really great 15, 30, and 60 minute classes. Classes cover flexibility, back pain, relaxation, and combination! For the past few months I do a 15 or 30 minute relaxation class before bed and I feel really good. It’s easy poses and the “teacher” on the screen moves slow enough for me to keep up. Plus, you can pause or stop if you need to all-together. It plays great music and I feel excited (say what?!) to start a class some nights!
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Cons: It costs $4.99 which is A LOT for an app, I know. But a yoga class is usually $10 a pop so that may make it doable?
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SleepCycle
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Pros/Summary: So this is basically an alarm clock app but with a extra kick. It’s monitors your sleep, and wakes you up when you are in your lightest cycle of sleep. Sounds kinda weird, I know! I was surprised when I started waking up feeling surprisingly more refreshed. You put it under your pillow or on your bed, enter the half-hour time frame you want to wake up within, and then it sets off your alarm when your most awake. I think that some of the new Fitbit or wearable bracelet technology might do the same thing, I just haven’t hopped on that train yet. Sleep Cycle also monitors and tracks your sleeping habits and if you use it for a few weeks, you can probably figure out why your sleeping better some nights as opposed to others.
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Cons: It costs $.99! I always think twice before buying an app that isn’t free and this one has helped my mornings be a little bit better (I would pay a pretty penny for anything that helps me have better mornings). To get the app to track your sleep, you have to leave it on your bed or under your pillow, and because I sleep on a twin bed still, it can sometimes fall off my bed! I still hear the alarm but it doesn’t track my sleep accurately that night.
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I hope those give you some ideas on ways you can tackle issues with sleep, money, and exercise! If you have any others ways or any other apps that you find helpful, I would loooove to know about them! Xoxo.
Oh, and we just updated our 10 must haves for a grown-up closet to include a wardrobe planner!! Check it out!
