Smart Phone Apps for Parents

I have finally traded in my regular old cell phone for a smart phone. With Verizon’s recent addition of the iPhone, I couldn’t help myself.

I’ve had a blast playing with it, taking pictures and constantly checking my email. But I’ve also found my phone can actually help me better manage my day-to-day routine.

Of more than 300,000 available apps, I've found plenty of parent-friendly programs to simplify my life. These are a few of my personal smart phone must-haves:

1. Home Routines ($4.99 in the Apple App Store): This app is so fun. I can set up a schedule for different days of the week, create check lists to manage my housework and develop to-do lists. It’s available only for the iPhone or iPad (Sorry, Android and BlackBerry users). It feels good to look back at the lists and see what I've accomplished. Yes, I'm a Type A personality...
2. Instant Playdates (free in the App Store and downloadable for most other devices): After just a few minutes of using this, I realized this was going to be even more useful once the weather warms up. It utilizes my phone's GPS and links to my Facebook friends to let them know when I'm at a park or other location, and how long I plan to be there. Friends can then join me and my children and bam—Instant Playdate. I contacted app creator Colleen Padilla over Facebook and she said, “We wanted to give parents an easy, stress-free, spontaneous way to meet up for play dates. Instant Playdates lets you have all the fun, without all the planning.”
3. Parenting Ages & Stages (free in the App Store): I simply enter very basic information on my kids, and it customizes articles related to their different growth stages. You can also search for specific topics. I searched to find information on baby-proofing and was pleasantly pleased with the information provided.
4. Urbanspoon (free in the App Store and downloadable for other devices):  This app allows you to search for local restaurants, read reviews, get phone numbers and even look at menus. It’s a great way to find someplace different or when travelling and looking for a place to eat. Just shake your iPhone and restaurant recommendations are right there. We used this the other day to find something close to where we were on the highway—really cool.
5. Crock Pot Recipes (free in the App Store): I am a huge fan of Crock Pot dinners. It’s so nice to come home to a house that smells like I’ve been cooking all day. I’m always looking for new recipes. With this app, I was able to pull up a grocery list while I was in the store. We're trying something new this week.

One other noteworthy app for moms with newborns is the Similac Baby Journal. It's free in the App Store, and whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you can record feedings, diaper changes and sleep schedules and then trend the data to see your baby's progress.

Clearly, I’ve spent a lot of time playing with my new phone and trying to figure out how I ever survived without it. Surely, there are apps that I haven’t found yet. What do you recommend?