DISCOVER // My Top 5 Favorite Apps

DISCOVER // My Top 5 Favorite Apps

• Friday, April 3, 2015

Have you ever wondered what apps other people might be using? As someone who's constantly on the lookout for new things, apps have been added to my list of "discover" items. From books, to music, to trends, to apps, I've always had a desire to be the person who finds cool things to share with others (I guess blogging is a good niche for me, huh?). The thing with apps is that there are so many, it's overwhelming! So I always appreciate when someone does the work for me and lists off what's been working for them.

For today's post, I decided to try something new and share 5 of my favorite apps! And I'm not talking about the basic ones (everyone knows about Instagram already, right?). I'm sharing the fun ones that you might not have heard about!

1. Afterlight (for the photographer)

If you ever want to know how I edit my photos on Instagram or Facebook, you can be sure it went through Afterlight. I often combine this with A Beautiful Mess, but this is my tried and true photo editing app. It's easy to use, offers every option you could desire (crop, tilt, grain, contrast, you name it!), and has some awesome filters that aren't overbearing!

2. Vurb (for the local explorer)

This is a recent find for me, but I'm already forming multiple "decks" of activities/cafes/places to do or check out. Vurb is an app that helps you find things to do in your area and keeps it all neatly stored. For example, I've found multiple cafes, bars, hiking trails, and places of interest around the city that I've been able to save and organize into "decks." You build up your decks with Vurb cards containing information about whatever you're looking into, and these include information gathered from other sources (such as Yelp reviews, Google Map directions, Rotten Tomato ratings, and so on). It's super handy and I'm excited to continue using it for whenever I pass through a new location!

Oh, and bonus, it keeps you up to date with trending video clips, tv shows, and popular songs - such a cool feature.

3. My Fitness Pal (for the dieter)

Now when I say "diet", I mean it in it's most basic definition. Whatever you're putting into your body is your diet. I've never been one of those girls who monitored her calories so strictly and did a water-and-air diet. No, I'm a sturdy girl who relied on high school sports to keep me in shape. However, high school is long over, and I'm not longer running 2 hour long basketball practices five days a week... I've managed to stay fairly active while in college, yet my diet has faltered since moving out of my parents house. No longer do I have a Filipino mother to fill my belly with mouth watering delicious and healthy foods (insert tears here). 

However, since downloading My Fitness Pal, I've been able to keep better track of what I'm ingesting, and it's so easy to use! You can even add in your exercise for the day and it will calculate how many calories you've burned. It's basically the app version of a food journal, which is a helpful method in staying aware of what you're eating.

4. Handpick (for the broke college cook)

If you're a college student who's lucky enough to have access to a kitchen, then you should really learn to stay in and cook your own meals! But how many of you have played that game where you go into the kitchen, open the fridge door, and stare into the sparse interior and think "I have one apple, a half eaten container of yogurt, and a molding head of lettuce...what the hell am I going to make with that?"

I'm not a natural cook and always have to look up recipes for ideas. Handpick is an app where you can search for whatever food item you have in your fridge and it will pull up recipes with those ingredients. It searches through thousands of threads that involves everything from Instagram, to food blogs, to recipe sites! So you're sure to find something you like, because Handpick not only shows you the latest food trends, it will start to personalize what recipes are highlighted for you based on your preferences! 

5. Weather Whiskers (for...everyone)

If you're an animal lover, just shut up and go download this app. Because who doesn't love a cat in a bow and tutu? No one. Absolutely no one. Oh, and the pictures and cats change based on the weather.

You're welcome.

What did you think of this post? Any apps that have been super handy for you?Let me know in the comments below!