Let me preface this list by saying I was a HUGE fan of the blackberry. Dead set against getting an iphone. However, in adding a phone for my daughter to our line the sales rep explained how it would save us money for me to switch and use my husband’s phone after he went with the newer model, and while I may be stubborn I am even more frugal. And so, I sadly made the horrific transition to touch screens and Mac-brained operations and spell check autocomplete that seems to think it knows better than I do what it is I am trying to say, often mangling my sentances beyond recognition. I do NOT love this phone.
But.
I LOVE the apps. For all the inconveniences in other elements of the phone (Why does it not have a task list not sync to outlook?! makes no sense!) I get soo much more done (and have way more fun!) just with the touch of a finger. I love having this mobile amusement park (and often babysitter) in my purse or pocket, ready to inform, problem solve, and, let’s be honest, mostly amuse.
And so, I present, in no particular order, my favorite apps.
1. Kids Checkup Created by the amazing folks at Cook Childrens, this app is incredibly useful. Look up symptoms (is it a sore throat or strep? flu or a cold?) and basic first aid rules, and find your answers to a million parenting/health/emotional questions. It also has a super useful interactive map of the different Cooks locations (so you can find the nearest one in a pinch!) and contact numbers for every department and specialty. Oh, and my favorite section? The tour, where you can see a great assortment of pictures in and around the hospital, showcasing some of the people and facilities that make it such an amazing place. (and yes, I may be partial to that section having taken a good chunk of the photos, but the rest of my review of the app was completely unbiased.. it really is useful!) 
2. Words with Friends OMG this game. Basically a glorified scrabble, however in our house it is more like literary crack. We can NOT put this down. Even my daughters, ages 8 and 12, play this obsessively. The fun of the game is that you can play different people (who also have the app) so after you make a move, it sends them a message and they can play on the same board. Yes, we are very competitive. No, I am not very good. My husband, on the other hand, regularly plays 100+ point words. (If you play you understand this is BIG) Terrible or not, I love it! (By the way, my user name is annbeck if you already play!)
3. Solitaire Yes, old school solitaire, just like the game that comes standard on every PC. Boring, predictable solitaire. I think it’s the ying in my life to the yang of words. My only competition is myself, and I can actually win. But hey, it’s fun! And if I have to give up and start over, no one knows but me!
4. Wfaa.com Again, partially biased having worked at WFAA for a number of years, so I will admit I’ve never tried another local news ap, but I’m also happy enough with this one to not need to! Quick access to the top stories, sports scores, etc, but the section I use most is weather, where you can choose from a detailed forecast, multi-day view, or live radars, which are super helpful in bad weather.
5. Twitteriffic I love twitter! So fun to read what everyone is up to, and I’ve found the most random people I would never expect have become really interesting to read! I don’t update as much as I would like, but I’m working on it.. and always reading it! (BTW I’m @annbeckphoto if you want to follow me there!)
6. Facebook The facebook app saved me from cutting facebook out of my day completely. I found it was wayy to easy to get sucked in when on the computer, but with the app I can check statuses, reply to messages, confirm friends, etc, without getting lost in a farm game or taking a quiz to find out which 80’s move I am (Sixteen Candles! Who knew?). And of course, you can still visit FAN PAGES if you want!
7. Mobile Photobooth Ridiculously simple and fun, this app works just like a photobooth.. beeps a countdown four times and snaps a picture every three seconds, then saves them into a black & white strip, even allowing instant sharing via twitter, facebook or email.. so fun! A great stuck in a line waiting nothing else to do activity.. the kids cannot put this one down.
8. Emoji Icons Was forced into this app by my 12 year old, but I’ve found I actually don’t HATE this as much as I thought… and there are times when sending a cartoon happy face with a tongue hanging out and bug eyes gets the message across better than ever could. Plus there are way more pictures than I could ever use (although I will say, she has tried to use them all.. in one single text!) so you can find lots of random pictures to fit random moments.
9. Catch Words If you’ve played the addictingly fun game Catchphrase at a party, you know how this game works. Same setup, same rules, but on your phone! The screen flashes a word and the player looking at it tries to describe it to their partner as quickly as possible, once they guess correctly it passes on. There’s a ticking timer that makes tensions run high and it almost always ends in (happy) hollering and debate. We love this game at get-togethers so having it on the phone is SO nice.. easy to break out a quick game at a hotel or last minute gathering, or just with the kids around the dinner table!
10. Puppy Park I could do a whole other list of our favorite apps for the kids, since the ipods/iphones have become our traveling/carpooling/dentist office waiting room/good behavior reward livesavers. We have found sooo many great apps that are fun and educational and wholesome but still fun! (Mad libs, Highlights Hidden Pictures, Scoops Ice Cream Catch, Monkey Preschool, just to name a few!) but Puppy Park is one that definitely crosses the kid/adult boundaries. Simple concept.. you move the colored cards (with puppies on them) around on the board so that they touch like-colored cards. Red next to red, blue touching blue, etc. Except you get more cards at an increasingly fast rate and have to keep making matches and clearing them before it fills up and oh the timer! The barking dogs! I love this game.. but can’t get past level six on EASY mode.
That list happened really quickly.. I’m sure I could do another ten! As many as I have, I’m always on the lookout for more! What are your favorites? What apps would you love to see? Let me know!
