5 Great iPad Apps for Parents

Lately, perhaps more than ever, I have been really appreciating my iPad. In the past I’ve had a lot of fun playing with cooking apps and using it for email, but these days it has become a lifeline. I am on it day and night, not only for email, but to keep up with the outside world, order baby products, and pretty much organize my whole life.  Here are of the few the apps I’ve been relying on the this year. I am curious, do have any apps or websites you rely on?

Artkive: Because pre-school is a never-ending art project. I love all my daughter’s artwork. But if we saved every piece we would have to lease a storage unit! This cool app allows us to photograph and store everything digitally. Later on we can have it made into a printed book. There is also a feature that gives me the option to share the artwork with anyone I want via email. Genius!

Diapers.com: We are huge fans of all the baby and house products on Vine.com (more on that later) and this app makes it SO easy to reorder our basics in just a few clicks. This is seriously convenient when you realize you are running low on diapers, baby shampoo, and just about everything else. Their packages are at our door within 24 hours every time and the prices are better than our local grocery store.

Foodily.com: When it comes to cooking I love browsing around before setting on exactly what I want to make. As a Foodily tastemaker I am very involved with the website and I love that it is so easy to search and save recipes and glean new meal ideas. I promise, of all the cooking apps for parents this one is a must!

Goop.com: I am a huge fan of goop. Sure, Gwyneth is the bona fide movie star, but her app and website are the real deal. They are great for parents like me who like to stay current with everything from travel and food, to kids products and parenting books. Her app currently features three city guides – for New York, Los Angeles, and London – as well as her retail site and journal articles.  She has a seasoned eye and gives great recommendations for restaurants, most of which I have yet to try. I especially love her recipes and journal entries for parents and expecting parents, and her recommendations for kids toys and books, and baby products. I also am a fan of the goop collection – the cool nail polish and these great personalized journals were some of my favorite gifts to give for Christmas last year.

Lonny Mag: This app is purely for pleasure. A lot of my favorite magazines also have apps but I still prefer the printed versions. However, Lonny Mag has always been exclusively digital and I find it so much easier to read when it is formatted for the iPad. (This format also, conveniently, makes it perfect for reading during night feedings!) There are tons of hyperlinks to products in the articles, so I can easily bookmark or Pin something that catches my eye. I also love that many of the articles have cool embedded videos from editors and designers. At $2.99 per issue it is a bargain. It would be a great gift for anyone who loves great design!