Time Management’s Dance Partner
7 techie solutions to the elusive work-life balance
Like so many others, for me, work-life balance is a delicate dance. Having a family, especially one including small kids, makes each day a time-management tango. I haven’t fully mastered the steps, but my teammates at MayeCreate each seem to have a piece of the puzzle to make the dance smoother.
1. Google Docs and Google Calendar take grocery lists and menus to the cloud.
Stacy uses Google Apps to keep her family’s menu and grocery lists organized. She created a Google Calendar, which she shares with her hubby, and added events with rotating menu items. She cleverly placed the recipes in the event descriptions so when she goes to cook, she just grabs her phone for reference. Stacy keeps her grocery list in a Google Doc so regardless of who goes to the store, they don’t miss any important items.
2. Daniel Boone Regional Library Overdrive brings books to you.
Because I am an obsessive reader, I experienced withdrawals from my imaginary friends when I had my first daughter — until I discovered audiobooks. I went back and forth to the library for CDs. Then I found a diamond in the rough: the library’s Overdrive Media app. Using the free app, I rent ebooks and audiobooks, even kids’ ebooks, from the library and download them to my phone. The books do expire and are returned to the library through the app, so I don’t have to take a trip to the library unless I want to.
3. Disney Magic Timer reduces the whine at bedtime.
I’m sure my house isn’t the only one in Columbia where every detail of bedtime becomes a negotiation. Brushing your teeth is actually a form of torture. My husband’s discovery of the Disney Magic Timer app has taken some of the pain out of tooth brushing. The free app has a toothbrush than cleans the screen to reveal a Disney character gradually as the timer counts down to celebrate a task well done.
4. Mint.com makes dollars make sense.
Ashley uses Mint.com, a free online financial planning software, to budget and track her financial goals. As a college student, she’s on a tight budget; the website itemizes her spending and displays a visual representation of where her money goes. She sorts her expenses into categories to stay organized throughout the school year and stretch her financial aid and internship dollars to the max.
5. Baby Tracker takes the strain out of mom brain.
Mom brain is a real thing. I swear I wander from room to room while clutching an armful of random items only to stop mid-stride and have no idea why I entered the room to begin with. I started tracking my newborn’s activities in a notebook coupled with the timer on my phone, and then I turned to technology for a better solution. My Baby Tracker app times out feedings, sleep and more. I can even chart, export and sync data about my little one’s routine.
6. Sam’s Club Click ‘n’ Pull makes every member a VIP.
I’ve always wondered who was special enough to have their stocked cart waiting for them at the door at Sam’s Club. Turns out all club members are special enough! Using the store’s Click ‘n’ Pull service, you can do your Sam’s shopping online. If you place your order before 5 p.m., it will be waiting for you to pick up and pay for in the store the next day. They’ll even email you when it’s ready.
7. Webcams monitor babies and boats.
Travis and Leon are the masters of the webcam. Travis uses a night vision webcam paired with an iPhone app as a baby monitor for his son. After a recent storm left Leon’s boat adrift, he needed a monitoring solution as well. He installed a webcam and can now keep an eye on his baby snuggled in the dock at Lake Ozark from the comfort of his home in Columbia.
Sometimes we find tailored solutions to add grace to our time-management dance, and sometimes we just get creative with what we have. Regardless of the method, technology is a perfect dance partner for managing our busy lives.
MONICA PITTS
Monica is founder of MayeCreate Design. She and her husband, Mike, two daughters, Ellis and Aveleen, and two dogs, Maybe and Roxie. Monica considers herself an artist, yogi and Web dork with the ability to speak geek and English.