Smartphone Apps of the Month—May

Everyone can use a little extra help getting organized. I know I can! I’m always looking for the best way to get things done and make my busy life a little easier.

This month, I want to share two new apps I’ve found that can be real time savers for projects around the house. Whether you need advice on greener ways to clean your home, tasty recipes for spring salads, or an easy way to clear out a cluttered file cabinet, these apps will help you find some good answers.

BrightNest Home Tips and Ideas—for iPhone & Android

With the BrightNest Home Tips and Ideas app, I’ve got a handy and easy-to-use resource at my fingertips for just about any home cleaning or repair project I can think of.

You can search for specific topics, or select tips and projects categorized as Savvy, Clean, Green, Healthy, Handy or Creative. It’s intuitive and easy to navigate. The articles are well written, practical and easy-to-follow, offering up step-by-step instructions, lists of any materials you may need, and even the amount of time a project should take.

And it’s not just another how-to list. Once you’ve read the very practical advice the articles provide, there’s a great calendar feature that lets you schedule a task (“Plan It”) and it will even provide a reminder when it’s time to do it. Don’t remember when you last changed the smoke detector battery? Use this app to schedule it and you’ll have a history of when it was last done, and when it needs to be done again.

The app is completely free and customizable. You can save a personal library of chores, tasks, or “How To’s” on everything from bathroom cleaning tricks to money saving tips. It even opened my eyes to some great new ideas I might not have found otherwise—the app’s “Savvy” topics offer unique solutions to common household dilemmas, like how to create your own cleaning products. Who knew lemons could be so versatile?

Why not take the guesswork out of getting things done around the house? Start spring-cleaning season by getting and staying organized. This app will put you on track, and keep you there. In fact, I’m so inspired by one tip I found here that I might have finally found a place to hide my spare key that I’ll actually remember!

Genius Scan—for iPhone & Android

I don’t know about you, but I hardly ever keep paper files anymore. I pay my bills online, and whenever possible, I send and save important documents electronically—with those files properly backed up, of course! The convenience of keeping electronic copies has been the key to helping me get rid of that months-old stack of letters and receipts I always seem to have piled on my kitchen table.

For all day-to-day documents now, I prefer to scan and save a digital copy. With the Genius Scan app, I can do this anywhere I am. It’s basically a scanner in your pocket—you simply use your phone’s camera to snap a picture of a document, and then save it in either a JPEG or PDF format. You can store the files right on your phone, or even text or email them to yourself for more permanent safekeeping on your PC or laptop.

It’s especially handy if you’re on the go. When I’m traveling or out shopping, I can scan electronic copies of all my receipts and not worry about stuffing my wallet with slips of paper, then trying to sort them out later. With just a few clicks, it’s already filed away securely before I even get back home, and my purse stays nice and clean.

Genius Scan offers plenty of easy-of-to-use practicality.  If you know how to take and send pictures with your phone, you know almost everything you need to use this app effectively, and get out from under all that paper!

I hope that trying this month’s apps will help inspire you to tackle a few of those overdue items on your “To Do” list.  Whether it’s finding a unique way to keep dust out of your bedroom, or catching up on that backlog of un-filed utility bills, there’s something here to help everyone take that first step toward getting your house in order!