App-ly Yourself

Okay, I know I'm a little too obsessed with reading career-building books and articles, but this stuff is actually very helpful. Case and point, 5 Free Apps for Working Women (courtesy of Levo League). I'm especially excited to try Mint, CardMunch (let it be known that I think this is a terrible name for an app), and DinnerSpinner.

Nike Training Club: 
With Nike Training Club, you can pick the level of fitness (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and then select a workout from the different types of 30- and 45-minute workouts. Once a workout is selected, the app “trainer” tells you exactly what you need to do, for how long, with what weight, and all the other details. If you don’t know how to do the exercise, they have instructional videos or step-by-step pictures of each and every exercise used in every workout. It’s amazing, and the workouts will definitely make you sweat! Another big plus is that your music plays through the workout so you can listen to your jams but still be able to hear the trainer.

CardMunch: 
Keeping track of business cards in an almost paperless world is getting a bit tougher. CardMunch allows you to snap a picture of a business card and store it virtually on your phone. It’s also connected to LinkedIn, so once the business card is saved it can search for the profile on LinkedIn, allowing you to be even more connected with the person. This is a great app for networking, business development, client management, or just even keeping your collection of business cards organized.

EverNote: 
I love lists. Whether it’s making a work to-do list, planning a workout, or tracking future topics to write about, lists definitely keep my life much more organized. Plus, it always feels good to scratch things off on a list and see how much you’ve accomplished! With Evernote, you can keep track of your life through recordings, notes, pictures, and categorize and organize it all. Another great thing about Evernote is that it is available on every mobile device you use, so it’s there all the time.

Mint: 
Hello to all you ballers on a budget! Mint is an awesome financial planning and management app that allows you to track your spending, set budgets, and find out when bills are due. Especially today, with credit and debit cards, keeping track of spending can get out of hand if you’re not careful. Mint will let you know if that new pair of heels you have been eyeing will either break the bank or be totally worth the money!

DinnerSpinner: 
For those of you in a time crunch or not so well-versed in the kitchen (me!), DinnerSpinner is a great app. Got only 20 minutes to whip something together before your friends come over… and you have no idea what to make? Want to spend 45 minutes or less on dinner? Plug in your ingredients (or a main protein), the dish type, and how long you want to spend on it, and presto! Recipes at your fingertips!

Know of any others?