Surviving the holiday season requires a little super power, a little creativity, and a lot of organization. While it wouldn’t hurt to have Martha Stewart’s number in your phone contacts, most of us are not that lucky. Instead, we have come up with 15 must-have apps that will make your holiday more organized, more helpful, and more fun.
Elfster.
If you are doing a Secret Santa gift exchange between friends, coworkers or family, this app is for you. Simply add your groups’ emails and it randomly chooses your exchange. It also includes wish lists so you know everyone’s preferences. This free app is available on iOS and Android.
The Advent App.
Available on iPhones, this app allows you to create personalized Advent calendars for family and friends for 99 cents, and they can receive them for free. Every day they will receive a personalized photo, text, or a gift selected by you.
Elf Yourself.
Make silly dance videos of up to five people with images from your phone or Facebook. The app is free, but to download and share the videos will cost 99 cents to $6.99.
Amazon Shopping.
Wouldn’t it be great to do all your shopping from your phone? This app is great for price comparisons while shopping locally. With a subscription to Amazon Prime, you can also get free shipping and free access to Prime Video and Music.
justWink.
If holiday cards have become a chore, download the justWink app on iOS or Android. This app, developed by American Greetings, offer cards sent directly from the app as email, text, social media greetings, and even snail mail. Bonus features include voice recordings and gift card attachments.
Allergy Eats.
This is a great guide for checking how allergy-friendly restaurants are in your area. Simply type in the allergen and your location in the search. The results are ratings based on actual experiences by other families. You have the option leave comments, too.
Pinterest.
Looking for a last-minute recipe while you are shopping? Pinterest offers millions of ideas for recipes, crafts, and games. Pins will take you directly to the recipe or directions so you will have everything you need while at the store.
Arrive.
With all the online purchases going on, it is hard to keep track of all the packages. Download Arrive; which syncs your email with Amazon, eBay, Walmart and many other online stores; to track all your package deliveries in one place.
SignUpGenius.
It takes a village to get through holiday planning and SignUpGenius is a great way to divide up the tasks. Use it for bringing food to a potluck, driving the carpools, or shifting schedules at work.
Christmas Ringtones.
Get into the spirit of the holidays by assigning Christmas ringtones to your frequent callers, texts, and other alerts. There are several versions available for free on iOS and Android.
Capture the Magic.
This is a great app for kids who are questioning Santa. Take a picture of a room in your house and add Santa, elves or reindeer to the picture to “prove” they exist. Free app available on iOS or Android.
One Today.
This generosity app showcases a nonprofit cause daily with a video and story. You can also browse for those causes that are closer to your heart. Make a donation of at least $1 with all proceeds going to the cause. Inspire others to match your donation, or pay it forward by matching their donation.
Heads Up.
This fun app will be the hit of your next party or even just a time killer while you wait in line. Hold the phone up on your forehead facing the other players. They will give you hints as to what word or phrase is on the screen and you have to guess.
Shutterfly.
What do you do with all those photos you took during the holidays? Get them off your phone and store them on Shutterfly for free. In addition, get free 4 x 4 or 4 x 6 pictures through the app.
Mint.
Keep track of your spending with a budget app. By having all your financial information in one place, you can track spending, investments and create a budget. Mint is made by Intuit who created Turbotax and Quickbooks. ■
