My Top 5 iPad Apps.

Last week I shared my top five favorite iPhone apps. Today I’d like to share with you my top five favorite iPad apps. With so many great apps to choose from it’s hard to narrow it down but these are the apps that help me be productive and on top of multipule aspects of my life.

FiOS Mobile

I like this one because it helps me manage my DVR even when I’m not at home. No more forgetting to record my favorite shows. I can also delete recorded shows right from this app incase I need to free up some space on the DVR.

If I don’t want to disturb Bill or the kids by pulling the TV listing up on the TV I can always use the app to see what’s coming on later on my favorite channels. From the TV listings I can get more information about any show, set it to record or even change the channel. I like to sometime change the channel on Bill when I’m not even in the same room.

Another awesome feature of this app is the remote. It actually pulls the remote control up on the screen and offers full function. I live in a house with a husband and two little boys, the remote goes missing frequently and it’s nice to not have to go on a hunt for it.

1Password

I’ve recently started using this app and so far I really like it. Everything we do online needs a password and it’s getting increasingly more difficult (and it’s not very secure) to use the same password for everything. I like this app because I only need to remember one password and it remembers all the rest for me.

Not to worry, if your iPad is lost or stolen no one can access all those important passwords without having the password you set for the app.

Chore Pad HD

I have sung the praised of this app on more than one occasion and I’m still in love. While I’m pretty sure this app was meant primarily for setting up chores for kids, I use it to make sure that my household chores never become overwhelming and that everything gets done in a timely manner.

By doing a little each day, Chore Pad helps me keep my house in order.

 BlogPress

This app has given me the ability to write my blog posts in more places. Since switching from a laptop to a desktop I had become a little less mobile with my blog writing, until this app. Now I can sit on the deck and enjoy a beautiful day while getting posts written. I’ve written while waiting for the kids to get out of activities. I’ve written while out of town.

BlogPress syncs with my WordPress site and allows me to save drafts locally (just on the iPad) or online. I can start a blog post while waiting for Cameron to get out of his swimming lesson and finish it sitting at my desk after bedtime. It’s really helped me get a little more consistent with my writing.

iBooks

I have just about every e-reader on my iPad, but iBooks is by far my favorite. The interface is beautiful and more enjoyable than the competition. Sure, they all have the same features but I feel more at home with iBooks.

I haven’t read a regular book since I got my first iPad. I enjoy reading at night before bed and with a “real” book I needed to keep the lights on and I’d keep Bill awake. Now I can read all night long if I want to, in complete darkness, and not worry about keeping Bill up.

These apps are my favorite because they make my life easier and more efficient. I’m a busy mom and each of these apps helps me save time and probably even more importantly use my time more effectively.

Do you have a favorite iPad app?

My Top 5 iPhone Apps

I’ll admit, when the iPhone first came out I thought it was the stupidest thing in the world. I laughed at my husband for wanting one and said I’d never get one. I was happy with my little iPod Touch and flip phone.

Fast forward to today where I’ve owned every iPhone to come out since the 3G (that’s four different phones in about as many years). It was hard for me to narrow things down to five when I have over one hundred and thirty actually on my phone.

Here in no particular order…

Pandora

Pandora has become a favorite of mine especially in the car. I had XM radio for a while but got sick of hearing the same songs over and over. Solution? Ditch the XM, save myself a few bucks a month and listen to what I like.

Whether I’m in a Dave Matthews mood or a Florence and the Machine mood I can play a station that makes me happy and I rarely hear the same song twice.

Grocery IQ

This is the perfect app for me! It took a little while to get it set up with my favorite store but now it’s absolutely priceless. I’ve always been a grocery list maker, I blame it on my mother who is also a grocery list maker. I don’t want to forget anything I need and it helps me keep my impulse buys down since I try to only buy what’s on my list. Grocery IQ lets me make my list quickly and then it organizes it in the order I shop my store. As I do my shopping I simply check off each item and nothing is forgotten.

The other thing I LOVE about Grocery IQ is that you can print coupons from it or (if your store participates) you can add coupons right to your saving club card.

Who Is Hot

Knowing if a storm is headed our way is important and I use Who Is Hot to keep track of the weather. You can also see what the weather is like where any of your friends are, but I just use it for me.

It uses the location service to show you exactly what’s coming your way on the (animated) radar. Who Is Hot also gives you current weather conditions, forecasts and warnings. Where ever I travel, this app keeps me up to date with the weather so I never get caught off guard when a storm hits.

Fitbit

I’ve been wearing a Fitbit for over a year now and I love it just as much today as the day I bought it.

Using the Fitbit has helped me keep tabs of how active I am, what I eat, drink, and motivates me to step it up when I need to. It’s a great tool for anyone trying to lose weight and anyone trying to lead a more healthy lifestyle.

The Fitbit app helps me monitor my day when I’m not around my computer. I can enter my meals and water on the fly. Should I actually get out to the gym for some exercise I can enter my workout right on the app so I don’t forget. The Fitbit and it’s app have helped me take my quest for a healthier lifestyle to the next level.

Bank of America

I realize that not everyone is going to bank at Bank of America and if you don’t you should still check to see if your bank has a similar app.

I chose this app as one of my top five favorites because of all of the convenient features. When I travel I can easily find banking centers and/or ATM’s so I can save on fees while I’m away. Also to help me avoid fees the apps will send a notification to my home screen if an account balance gets a little low, or when our direct deposits are deposited.

With the Bank of America app I can also find deals in my area that will help save me some money and all I have to do is shop at the stores listed and I’ll be credited for the deals.

But my favorite feature in this app is the deposit feature. I can simply take a photo of my check right in the app, enter some other info and the check is automatically deposited into my account. Even that saves me money when I don’t have to drive the twenty minutes to my bank.

These are all amazing apps that help me be more productive and the best part…they’re all FREE.

So there are some of my favorite apps, what are yours?