5 iPhone/iPad Apps to Support Your Spirit

Do you feel like your days are sometimes out of control?  A to-do list that won’t quit, an overflowing inbox, and you can’t remember the last time you made it to the gym, let alone took time to meditate or write in your journal?

Instead of using your smart phone to check your email one more time, use it to take a meditation break, make a gratitude list, or check in with your inner self.  Here are five iPhone and iPad apps that will refresh your spirit and rejuvenate your outlook.

Meditator $.99

Meditator is a simple but effective meditation timer designed for iPhone or iPad. Use it for timing meditation sessions, or power nap. The app will count down and them chime at the beginning and end of a session.  You can also set intervals that are useful for doing a series of yoga poses. It has three memory settings to retain your preferences for different kinds of sessions. The best part is the chime tones – beautiful, authentic meditation sounds, including a wood flute, multiple tones of Tibetan Bowls, and a monk’s voice. It comes with several nice ones and you can purchase additional sets within the app.

iChing HD  $2.99

The iChing is an ancient Chinese book that contains a divination system accessed by reading the results of a coin toss. This version is based on the popular web-based iChing readings on iFate.com. You will be walked through a complete reading that will offer deep insight into current and future events. The app features beautiful HD graphics and animation and is designed to be simple enough for a complete beginner yet offer enough depth and complexity to keep advanced users engaged. Separate versions are available for iPhone and iPad.

Day One  $1.99

Day One is a beautiful journaling app available for iPhone, iPad and Mac Desktop. Each version has a customized layout appropriate for the device’s screen size. The app is designed for quick daily journal entries. This would be a great way to keep a gratitude journal or to capture regular everyday moments before they are lost to the busyness of life. The app can be locked with a password and syncs to iCloud or Dropbox so all of your entries are available across your devices. Entries are shown in a list or calendar view, and you can flag them or export them out of the application. Planned features in development include support of tags, photo attachments and encryption.

Awareness $3.99

With the simple question, “What are you feeling right now?” Awareness allows you to check in with your emotional landscape and empowers you to build or change your attitudes and behavior. The app will send random notifications (but won’t interrupt your iCal meetings!), asking you to log your mood and current activity. Based on your response you will be offered an inspirational quote or brief meditation. The app also creates reports so you can analyze your moods and how they correlate to various activities over time. Reviewers of the application note that it is a great help to reduce anxiety and stress. It is currently available on iPhone and iPad and an Android version is in development.

Way of Dreams $1.99

More than just a dream dictionary, Way of Dreams invites you to type in dream description and then offers an interpretation based on keywords and associations between symbols you described. Symbol definitions also contain hyperlinks so you can delve into deeper meanings. The app is based on the work of author and talk radio dream analyst Kari Hohne. The app is available for iPhone, iPad and now also on Kindle.

Visit Life Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!

Thank you Doña for those awesome app suggestions. These will fit perfectly with my Project Balance. I will be downloading these and giving them a try.

Doña Bumgarner tries to use her iPhone for good – at least when her toddler isn’t using it to play Peekaboo Barn.  She blogs at Aubergine and lives and writes in Santa Cruz, CA.

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2. Toyota Apps For The iPad and iPhone
3. Daily Geek Find – Synchronize App

Ultimate Blog Swap; 5 Apps To Support Your Spirit originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

One of the features Comcast offers it’s customers is the XFINITY Mobile Apps for Android, iPhone, iPad and Blackberry. I am so excited about these mobile apps. I spend so much time waiting for kids, waiting for doctors, waiting in lines and now I can use some of that time to watch a few shows.

I love to watch shows that have been on for a few years that I haven’t seen yet. I can watch 4 or 5 seasons right in a row and I don’t have to wait for the next season when there is a cliffhanger.

A few weeks ago, my family and I were out for dinner and we were talking about a new TV show that we was coming on. None of us could remember when it started, so we went online to the XFINITY  TV app to check to be sure that our DVR was set up to record it. It turned out that show was in that night and we had forgotten to set our DVR to record it, so I set it up while we were sitting in the restaurant. How cool is that?

What would you like to know about Comcast? Any features you would like to hear more about? Let me know what you want to hear!

Disclosure: I receive XFINITY services in exchange for my participation in the Comcast Ambassador program. All opinions are 100% my own.

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1. Royal Wedding Apps and Watch It Online
2. Toyota Apps For The iPad and iPhone
3. Cydle Debuted Cool Mobile Consumer Electronics at CES

Comcast XFINITY & Mobile Apps; Comcast Ambassador originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

When the Luminess Airbrush Makeup system arrived, my 13-year-old daughter was all over it. Finally, she said…a gadget for makeup! She wanted to try it out because she has had a hard time with foundation blending on her skin. So I let her try it out first. She spent several hours watching the videos online, mixing colors to get the perfect match and practicing with the airbrush wand.

This is the picture I took of Sami before she started.

We received the Professional Luminess Airbrush Makeup Edition which includes the 3-speed Professional Airbrush system, several bottles of foundation, blush, moisturizer, bronzer, glow enhancer, eyeshadow duo and the learning DVD. Our DVD was in spanish, so we went to the internet and watched the following videos.

Airbrush Makeup Prepping

The first video is a basic introduction.

The second video shows you how to match the foundation to your skin color. Sami and I both needed a mix of 1 and 2 to match our skin tone perfectly.

The last video shows you how to apply the makeup. We found it easiest to watch the video a few times first. Then prepare your kit and watch the video while you are applying the makeup for the first time. Be sure the area is well-lit. This was the first mistake I made when I applied the makeup. I didn’t have a well-lit bathroom and the makeup didn’t look right. But when I moved to a bathroom with better lighting, the difference was huge. It looked much better.

After Luminess Airbrush Makeup

Here is Sami’s after photo.

She was so happy with the results. She didn’t look like she had foundation on and she had no problems with blending at the hairline and her jawline.

Luminess Airbrush Tips

Here are a few notes that Sami said I had to include in the review:

• A bit of the foundation goes a long way. You do not need much.
• Practice, practice, practice. She said it did take a few tries to get it right, but once she did, it is so easy.
• Watch the videos!!! We need to admit that we did try to do this at first without really watching the videos very closely. Don’t try that!! You need the videos. They help a ton!
• How you hold the wand makes a big difference when you are putting it on. Be sure to follow the directions and hold like a pencil.
• The airbrush is really easy to clean and be sure you do it after you use it every time.

Now Sami is ready to try the airbrush tanning system because she loved the Luminess Airbrush Makeup so much.  Here is one last side by side of the before and after of Sami.

Disclosure: We received the Luminess Professional Airbrush kit in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% my own and Sami’s.

Let’s Talk About Luminess Airbrush Makeup!

Have you tried airbrush makeup? Let me know what your experience is.

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Luminess Airbrush Makeup Professional Edition; A Makeup Gadget originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

If you have read any of the Dummies series books, you know the format. This book is a very easy read and gives wonderful step by step instructions for everything you will need including opening an account, creating boards, pinning, commenting and sharing pins.Kelby includes a lot of photos to help you through each step.

While the book is geared more towards Pinterest newbies, as a long-time Pinterest addict, I learned a many things too. The chapters that I learned the most from are the Self-Promoting on Pinterest and Pinterest Etiquette chapters.

Be sure to follow Kelby Carr on Pinterest and me, ScrappinMichele on Pinterest. I love to pin anything from technology, color palettes, quotes, pretty pictures and anything orange.

Pinterest For Dummies Giveaway

I have been provided one (1) copy of Pinterest for Dummies to give away to one (1) lucky reader.

To Enter: Answer one of the following 3 questions in a comment below and leave me a link to your Pinterest boards.

• What would you like to learn from Pinterest For Dummies?
• What do you use (or want to use) Pinterest for?
• What one thing about Pinterest confuses you the most?

Extra Entry:

Tweet the following and leave a comment below with a link to your tweet. May tweet once each day.

I just entered to win awesome new book, Pinterest for Dummies from @scrappinmichele. http://bit.ly/JTdGUK

Details:

1. Giveaways are limited to US and Canada only.
2. Approx. Retail Value of prize is $16.99.
3. The giveaway will end at 5:00 pm EST on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.
4. One winner will be randomly chosen using the And The Winner Is plugin.
5. Valid winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Let’s Talk About Pinterest For Dummies!

Don’t forget to leave me a link to your Pinterest boards. I love following new pinners.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the Pinterest for Dummies book to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own. Affiliate links within post.

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Pinterest For Dummies Book Review #Giveaway originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

So, this summer, my 13 & 16-year-old and I are heading to Philly to the Digital Family Summit and speaking on a panel. I am so excited about speaking with my kids about vlogging as a family.

My kids are very involved in my blogging and vlogging. They are either in front of the camera or behind it. My 16-year-old wants to be a film producer and he has worked on several films already. He has created youtube videos since he was 9.

My 13-year-old loves to use video to impress her teachers when creating school projects. With her iPhone always in hand, we get to see her life through the video she creates.

Since this is the first Digital Family Summit, you may have a few questions.

What is the Digital Family Summit?

The Digital Family Summit is an interactive, hands-on conference for teen and tween digital media creators and their families.

Who is attending?

If you or your kid is interested in blogging, entrepreneurship, creating videos, games or animations this conference will help build skills and make connections that will take him or her to the next level.

Who is speaking?

Speakers are from the Food Network, Columbia University, Entertainment Weekly, Parsons School of Design and a host of tween and teen bloggers and entrepreneurs (and many others including me and my 13 & 16-year-old.)

And now the fun….

Digital Family Summit Giveaway

As a media sponsor of the Digital Family Summit, I have one (1) family pack ticket (up to five people) to giveaway. This is the registration to the summit ONLY. All other expenses and fees are NOT included. Approximate value is $879.

To Enter:

I want to know why your family wants to attend the Digital Family Summit. Make this a thorough response. For example, responding with “to learn more,” is not a very thorough answer. You response should include what you want to get out of the summit, why your children want to go, what do you hope to get out of the summit and include some ways that your family is already a digital family.

MUST choose one of the following:

1. Write a blog post on your blog answering the questions outlined above. and leave a comment below with a link to your post.

2. Create a video with your family answering the questions outlined above. Upload wherever you typically upload a video and leave a comment below with the link to your video.

3. You may do both 1 & 2 and it will count as 2 entries.

Extra Entries (optional):

Once you have done 1 of the above, you may tweet one of the following tweets, once each day for an extra chance to win. Your tweets only count as extra entries if you have written a blog post or video first. You MUST leave a link to your tweet in the comments below for it to count.

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Digital Family Summit; I’m Speaking With My Teen & Tween (+Giveaway) originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Seriously? You didn’t wash the chocolate off your face and you are still wearing the same shirt you’ve had on since Sunday?

That is something I would never say *wink* as we were rushing from soccer practice to dance and eating fast food for the 3rd time in a week.

How many times, before you were a parent, did you swear that you would NEVER let your kids leave the house with hair all knotted & frizzy, a dirty face and filthy clothes? Now that you have kids, you are happy if they are wearing clothes when you leave the house. My kids may be unkempt, but the one thing I NEVER leave my house without is my smartphone.

LG Viper 4G LTE Smartphone

For the last few days I have been testing the LG Viper 4G LTE smart phone. Having this smart phone with me all the time gives me access to:

• My email where I’ll find all the information about soccer and dance practice.
• My calendar where I’ll find the schedule of all 6 family members.
• My address book where I’ll find the address of my kid’s friends, the soccer field and everyone/thing else we know/go to.
• My cloud storage which holds all the important documents I may need while at soccer, grocery store, doctor or my kid’s school.
• My Google Wallet so that when I forget my purse (I told you…I don’t leave home without my phone…quite often I forget the purse) I can still pay.
• My Life’s Good Fairytales app which occupies my children for hours when we are sitting in the doctor’s office waiting room
• ….and a ton of other apps…

From the moment I wake up when I look at my LG Viper to see what the weather will be like today, through out my day and when I go to bed to set my alarm for the next morning, my LG Viper has been the assistant every parent needs.

Google Wallet

Google Wallet is the coolest paying app I have ever seen and it comes preloaded on the LG Viper. I used to tell my kids that we couldn’t buy that new Lego set because I forgot my wallet. Um…not anymore. Because, as I said, my LG Viper smart phone is always with me, so, Google Wallet is also always with me.

How does Google Wallet work? Google Wallet app comes preloaded on your LG Viper. The best part?  You don’t even have to open the app to pay using your phone. Just tap your phone on the reader and your phone sends payment to the store using your default form of payment (unless you direct otherwise.) You can check where Google Wallet works before you hit the mall. Be sure to look for these symbols so you know that store accepts Google Wallet.

Use Google Wallet online by looking for these symbols:

Then, log into your account and you are done. It could not be any simpler to make a purchase either online or offline. And many merchants offer extra discounts when you use Google Wallet. You can find those right in the Google Wallet app.

Life’s Good Fairytales App

Do you remember skipping words or even pages in books when you read to your kids at bedtime when they were little? When they learned to read I couldn’t do that anymore.

I have a really fun solution for fun and short bedtime stories, Life’s Good Fairytales. The full Android app is available for free on Google Play through May 25, 2012. Full details at the LG Viper page.

This is a bedtime story where you and your kids become characters in the story. Add your face to 1 of 6 stories and as you read the story, you will be a character in the story. You are also asked several questions and your answers become part of the stories. These are so much fun because it is never-ending stories.

Each time you add a different face and different answers, you change the story a bit. Great for bedtime stories and always works great when you are stuck somewhere and the kids get bored. Have them ask the questions to another person and treat it like Mad Libs and take pictures of each other with silly faces to add to the stories. So much fun!!

LG Viper Final Word

Overall, the LG Viper is the first Android phone that I have used that I really like. It is small and easy to slip in your pocket, but big enough to be able to see your email and photos. It has an awesome camera to take pictures of my kids. I love documenting the everyday moments of our lives and having a good camera on my phone is really important.

I definitely recommend the LG Viper 4G and be sure to download Life’s Good Fairytales and Google Wallet.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post through Social Moms. All opinions are 100% my own. Affiliate links within post.

Let’s Talk About the LG Vipor, Parenting, Google Wallet or Life’s Good Fairytales!

How does having a smartphone, like the LG Viper help you be a “parent on the go?” Have you used Google Wallet?

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LG Viper & Google Wallet Fit My “Parent On The Go” Lifestyle Perfectly originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Horses 3DSwill let you live out your dream of owning a horse. I remember wanting a horse when I was a little girl. I even took horse-back riding lessons, but it was winter in Wisconsin, so the lessons were inside. That was when we discovered I was allergic to hay. Had to nix the lessons.

The summer after I graduated from college, I went on a family vacation and we all rode horses. My horse was spooked by something, bucked up and threw me off. I landed on my tailbone and right hand. Broke my tailbone and my wrist. So, horses and I haven’t had a great relationship.

Playing Horses 3DS

When I got the Ubisoft Horses 3DS game, I started playing the game thinking that I would play it for a bit and then work. Well 3 hours later, I was still playing Horses. The game is soooo much fun.

You are the Stable Manager so you need to be sure the horses have everything they need and train them to race in 4 different types of horse races. Honestly, I am not very good at the racing part.

I love going after the hoof marks down the paths and collecting stars. Sometimes you ride alone and sometimes a friend will go along. The rides will usually have a mission like, collect all the stars and ride faster than your friend.

Horses 3DS & My Girls

My 13-year-old was a bit hesitant to play it because she thought it would be a game for little girls. I asked her to please play it so I could get her opinion of the game for my review. She loved it. She makes sure no one plays her game because she loves it so much.

The 2 screens you see while playing Horses 3DS

My 8-year-old heard us discussing Horses and of course she wanted to play too. She is currently hiding somewhere with the 3DS because she doesn’t want anyone to take it from her.

So, the game is fun for an 8-year-old, 13-year-old and even a 44-year-old girl. My boys didn’t want to play it, so it is definitely for girls.

Let’s Talk About Ubisoft’s Horses 3DS!

Did you want a horse when you were a kid? Do you have a 3DS?

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #UbiChamps Affiliate links within post.

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Ubisoft’s Horses 3DS Lets You Live Out Childhood Dreams originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Intel “What About Me?” Twitter Party

Date: Thursday May 17 5-7pm pst (7-9pm cst and 8-10pm est)

Co-hosts: @IntelEdge @LittleTechGirl @TechMama

Panelists: @TechSavvyMama @Tech4Moms @scrappinmichele @c2cmom

Hashtag: #IntelSocialButterfly

Create a snapshot of your social media life and create your own infographic. Then share your results and how you use social media during the Twitter Party.

Prizes are: Five (5) $50 Best Buy gift cards and (1) $250 Best Buy gift cards will be randomly awarded.

To qualify for the prizes please follow 3 steps:

(1) MUST RSVP Here ,

(2) tweet out your “What About Me?” image with the hashtag #Intelsocialbutterfly and

(3) participate in the Twitter Party.

For details and contest rules visit Little Tech Girl and TechMamas.

My “What About Me?” Infographic

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Intel.

Let’s Talk About The “What About Me?” Infographic!

Were you surprised by anything on yours? What topics do you share the most?

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“What About Me?” Twitter Party #IntelSocialButterfly originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Why Tag Photos With Links?

Here are a few examples of why you would want to tag photos with links:

Group Photo – You take a group photo at a blogging conference and you want to tag the person with their blog.

Family Reunion – You take the big group photo of all 200 of your relatives and you would like to tag each person with their Facebook Page.

Review Photos – You review a lot of products and take a lot of photos of those products. You would like to tag the photos with the link to Amazon or maybe to a video review of the product.

ThingLink Example

Here is a photo that I tagged with a Facebook Page and YouTube Page link. I tagged this one in ThingLink and embedded it in my post which is one way of creating ThingLink tagged photos.

A second way to tag your photos with links is to install ThingLink on your blog which will enable you to tag all your photos right on your blog. Just be sure you log into your ThingLink account when you are tagging your photos.

ThingLink offers both free and premium accounts.

Let’s Talk About Why You Tag Photos With Links!

What other uses do you have to tag photos with links?

Disclosure: Not paid. Just writing because I thought it was a cool tool!

Photos are screen prints or from press kit.

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Tag Photos With Links Using ThingLink originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Here were my presents this morning. It’s hard to see the margarita glass, but it has flip flops and bling on it. I got the new 1080 HD Apple TV and orange flip flops. They hit all my favorites. Beach, margaritas, technology & orange.

So how did you spend your Mother’s Day?

Related posts:

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Happy Mother’s Day! originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.