Amy’s iPod Touch & Apps Review

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So, I’ve had myiPod Touch for a few weeks and I’m LOVING it!  My Sister, my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law have one too and as soon as we get our taxes, I’m buying one for Eric for our anniversary in May. (remember, mine was an early anniversary present?)

I feel I should say that I never felt the need for an iPod before.  I’ve had a few MP3 players for a few year and loved them.  And, I had a Palm PDA for MANY years.  Eventually I turned in my Palm PDA and had a Palm Centro smartphone.  I loved it.  It did everything I wanted it to do – phone, calendar, contacts, ereader and much more!

But then there was the monthly cost.  I’ve been a Verizon Wireless customer for many years and very happy with them.  But with a smartphone they were going to require I pay an extra $30/month.  That is $360 per year and I just was not willing to pay that.  Instead I downsized my phone and spent less than $200 to buy the iPod Touch.  It’s not my Palm Centro (I miss the camera and video camera) but I’m very happy with it and love the apps!

Some of my favorite apps are – in no particular order:

FREE:

  • Amazon Kindle – Free.  The app is free and there are some free titles (re-reading Pride & Prejudice right now). I love this app!  I can read in bed (in the dark even!) again!  I’ve bought a book or two and both were less than $8.  I made sure I bought titles I want to re-read.
  • Lose it! – Free – A weight management tool.  Great to track your exercise, food and weight loss.
  • Just Light – Free – Do you use your phone to navigate late at night?  This is a great app for you!
  • Pandora – Free – I can listen to my channel while I work! If  you haven’t discovered Pandora yet, check it out!
  • Facebook – Free – Makes it easier to stay connected with my friends and family on Facebook.
  • Bible – Free – There were many options, but this was the one I chose because it had reading plans.  Unfortunately the first Sunday I found out that I had to have wifi to read it. (Wish my church had wifi, but that’s a topic for another day).  But once I was home again, I just downloaded a verion and now I can read the Bible anywhere!  Very happy with this app!

PAID – but well worth cost in my opinion:

  • Audiobooks (Download edition – $.99) There is a free version, but I quickly upgraded when I realized I was only able to listen when I had wifi.  The books are from Librivox – one of my favorite places online!  Great for the knitter who wants to read while they knit!
  • CalenGoo – $6.99 – By far the most I’ve spent on an app, but SO worth it!  The main thing I needed from my iPod was the ability to see my calendar wherever I am.  Since I use Google calendar that meant I had to have wifi to view it.  Until I found this program!  It automatically syncs and updates my Ipod calendar whenever I have wifi.  Then when I’m out of wifi range, it simply works as a calendar.  If I make changes when I’m away, it simply updates it when I get back home.  And, by continuing to use Google calendar, I keep my Hubs in the loop on my schedule and can invite him to attend appointments – anything from a Dr appt to date nights!  You can see screenshots and learn more about this app on their website.
  • Home Routines – I’m going to make a whole post about this one…edited to add the link to that review.
  • Words with Friends – $2.99 – scrabble with friends!  I love it! The only game I’m recommending today – it’s THAT good!
  • Knit Buddy – $2.99 – this might be the only app I’ve paid for which I’ve regretted.  I was looking and looking for an app for Ravelry. When I couldn’t find one, I bought this app.  I could not understand why Ravelry didn’t have one yet.  But then I realized with the included browser, I didn’t need an app, I can just log into Ravelry‘s site and use it with no problem.  Well, expect that I can’t use it offline. :(    But then today I was knitting away on Sissy’s new Sunday Shrug (more on that later) and was listening to podcasts (I need to update my podcast recommendations too – later, later!) .  I realized I needed a counter to help track the 22 rows of seed stitch ruffle (ugh) and remembered this.  Now I just tap the screen after each row and it keeps track of it for me.  So I’ll try to learn more about this app and maybe I will have more to recommend it later.
  • Water Your Body – $.99 – keep track of your water intake and get a grade.  I’ve YET to get over a C for the day! Working on this!  Maybe my headaches will get better if I get the water I need daily!

Later I’ll share more games and apps I’ve gotten specifically for my kids to use.

I did it again….

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I need to get myself back under control.

It started small.  It always does.

I’ve started comparing myself to others and, surprise, I come up short.

It’s been something I’ve been plagued with since our Seminary days.  I find a group of like-minded individuals and I love to spend time with them.  But then it starts.  I start to compare my abilities/gifts/priorities with my friends.  And, then I start to get down on myself.  No matter that I can’t play the piano, don’t have a size 2 body or the resources to spend every weekend in ministry to the homeless.  Bye-bye goes my contentment with who I am and what I do.

And, I’ve done this over and over again.

But nothing compares to the way I get down on myself about homeschooling.  Maybe because it’s such a big part of our life.  Or maybe it’s because what I do each day affects the boys and their futures!   I don’t really know.  But I’ve worked and worked on keeping a good attitude about what I do and how I do it.

I’ve found that for me to maintain a good attitude, I need consider the limits of my children, myself and our resources.

But still I find myself looking at others and wishing my life was different.  My children were different.  And even more, that I was different.

I hope to write more about this – and I pray I’m not the only one who struggles with this!!

I hate…

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Yes, I’m normally a very positive person. I’d rather say nothing, than say something negative. But I.Am.Mad! And, I need an outlet!

So, today,

  • I hate the time between when my teenager wakes up and his medication kicks in.
  • I hate the hateful things he says
  • and the hateful things I think.
  • I hate that I can’t fix him
  • or love him into healing.
  • I hate that I never get a true break from it
  • I hate worrying if the other children are exhibiting the same attitudes/symptoms
  • I hate the tension it creates in our house
  • I hate FASD
  • I hate ADHD
  • I hate ODD
  • I hate that I have to be 100% on top of my attitude or we could have a huge blowup
  • I hate that I feel like a failure – I certainly didn’t do this to him!  But I still carry guilt over it
  • I hate worrying about his future.
  • I hate how much his issues bring out the worse in me.
  • I hate how tired I am just from living here.
  • I hate it when people say “find a support group”.  They don’t realize I have VERY little time for myself.
  • I hate seeing the other children react to his rages and resent him.
  • I hate that he doesn’t even seem to try.
  • I hate that he is 15 going on 3.
  • I hate that this disorder is causing me to write over 200 words of hate. 🙁

Love this!

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Love this! Read this on my mom’s facebook page this morning!

dialog this morning with my 4 yr old granddaughter who’s in the play room making a lot of noise
Me: what shape is that play room in?????
Grandaughter, proudly: it’s SQUARE!!!!