We will not lie to this device that never leaves us until we go to the toilet (do not lie I know it’s this little quiet corner that you look at my stories;)) can be our best ally! When we think about the future we imagined when we were little, we arrived much faster than we could have imagined. And our life has been simplified. But let’s be honest with the thousands of applications available we can easily get lost and end up downloading 18 applications to keep only one. For a moment I wanted to share the one I use regularly or even daily for some.
Sleep Cycle:
Since January I watch my sleep (I do not really know how to turn this sentence so that it seems as normal as possible haha). I have no particular sleep problem but being an early riser I was curious to observe the quality of my sleep, if I slept all the same well and enough but also to see how it evolved according to the days of the week and what I could do with my day.
Info you’ll find with Sleep Cycle:
- Your hours of sleep
- The time you went to bed and up
- The quality of your sleepIf you snored (with the paid version you can even listen to your snoring, we do not stop progress!)
- The ability to program a wake up smoothly asking to be woken up in a certain time slot.
In the evening before going to sleep I now get in the habit of triggering the application, ensuring that my phone is in charge, before putting my phone in airplane mode on my nightstand (with a drink yes, does my bedtime ritual make you dream, because I think that I can bet without taking too much risk that you do not want to live with me, but I’m over 20, you heard about beauty sleep, hydration all that?). It will take a small week to apply to calibrate, then it will capture your movements during the night and give you a percentage of quality of sleep. I find it rather fair and I use it since January 2019.
Sleep Cycle website – Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
Preview:
Then an application that I have been using for several months now that allows me to plan my Instagram posts. I am among those who want to stay spontaneous and do not prepare his posts 3 weeks in advance but I like to add the photos that I will like to post in the application as a waiting list: I know what I have in my pipeline to post. I have a very busy full time job as you know so I need some tools to help me juggle my multiple caps!
Things you can do with Preview:
- Edit your photos
- Schedule your Instagram posts (you receive a notification but you will still need to post manually, to keep things as instant as possible it is not possible to program with Instagram)
- Find and create groups of hashtags
- With the paid version you can also have access to the complete statistics (the free version is limited)
At the origin of this app 2 people based in Australia, the big plus for me is their blog which is full of advice social media, I am also subscribed to their newsletter that I find highly relevant!
Preview website – Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
Clue:
I already mentioned it in my article about stopping the pill a few weeks ago, the Clue app is your best friend to follow your rules and your ovulation (if it’s not the slogan of the century, did you say that I was working in marketing or not? ^^). The application is hyper intuitive, easy to use and customizable according to your needs. Every night you get the info of the day to keep track of the past and plan for the future.
With Clue you can track:
- The state of your current cycle, the average of your cycles etc.
- Your predictions: when will come your next rules and when you will ovulate based on the information that you come back daily.
- The intensity of your flow, the pain, your mood, your energy, your desires (sweet, salty, etc.), the state of your digestion, if you have exercised, your protection, your sleep, your weight, the state of your skin, if you have had reports and more options! It is very complete and you can choose to add or remove items that are useful or not.
I have used it a lot during the months that followed the stopping of the pill, today I took my cruising pace I am a little less rigorous in everyday life but I always correctly note my days of menses.
Clue website – Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
Beta Series:
If you are like me addict to TV series this app is for you! There are surely others but when I started using it in 2012 it was the only one. The application allows me to keep up with the series that I watch, I check the boxes when the episode is seen and I am warned when the new episode is available: super easy!
With Beta Series app you can:
- Add all the series that you are
- You have access to a calendar that allows you to see what will happen and organize your social life according to your addiction
- You can rate each series and each episode, read and leave comments after each episode
- Bonus: you can synchronize your application to Netflix (I have not tested).
- You have access to your statistics (which is super scary I’m not gonna lie): how many episodes you saw, how many hours you spent in front of series ..
I use it all the time really, when I come home and I want to sit on the couch I check what I have available in stock;)
Beta Series website – Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
Turo:
I spoke to you several times lately in my Instagram stories and since you have been several to test and give positive feedback: the Airbnb of the car, Turo car rental between individuals! The application is available worldwide (see here for the exact list of countries) and therefore with all driving licenses (you can use your French in Canada for example). It’s really one of my favorite apps this year.
What I like with Turo:
- Can rent a car next to my house (when you live in a city with Starbucks every 200m and Uber every 2 minutes you become demanding;))
- The possibility to rent at the last minute (a few hours before the people)
- The possibility to choose the model of the car. It is the usual rental agencies but I like pretty cars and with them it is often the case or at exorbitant prices)
- Simplicity: once your profile is complete you can book on the application quickly after some exchanges with the owner.
- Insurance! In Canada we have 2 options: included or $ 29 additional, the difference the first to a deductible to $ 2,000 max, the second to $ 500 max.
- The rate: ultra competitive! I rented a Mini for $ 65 a day and an X5 for a hundred dollars.
- The possibility of adding a second driver at no extra charge! The possibility of having your car delivered for a small fee.
Bonus: a referral link to save you $ 34 Canadian (about 25 euros I think) on your first booking. If you have already registered using the link you can delete your account and start again using this link or register with another email address.
Turo website – Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
Starbucks:
The Starbucks break in Canada is the coffee break in France: a must in the social life of the office. It’s a good excuse to go out and chat with colleagues. So yes I do not drink coffee but the famous chain also offers other options (tea, hot chocolate etc). On the application you reload the moment that you wish (even $ 10, it’s often what I do since I do not go all the time, I do not want to give them my money before the have spent haha) then through the application you accumulate stars at each checkout, you reach then levels that allow you to have a free drink (when you have the free drink think to take the size above for example) if you are in the habit of taking a big one, it’s a gift!) or personalize your drink with usually paying options.
With the Starbucks app you can:
- Cumulate points to use in different ways
- Participate in challenges (which drives you to consumption, do not be afraid of words)
- Order in advance, practical if someone picks up for you or not to wait when you are already late for the office.
Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
Mapstr:
Another of my favorite apps this year: Mapstr, plus Cocorico it’s a French box! I returned all the addresses that I tested here, in Valencia or during my travels. Thanks to the filters you can find the restaurants that I liked in Toronto but also my favorite shops. You also have access to other maps by local influencers in some cities. I also use it to note the spots that I like to come back or restaurants that I want to test! It avoids the eternal: we could eat where tonight? Do you have ideas? I saw a cool restaurant the other time but I did not notice …;) This is not the application you use every day but it is absolutely an application that will make your life easier .
With Mapstr you can:
- Create a map that groups all your favorite addresses.
- Use filters to sort
- Share the map with your friends
- Follow other people’s maps
Mapstr website – Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
Game Time:
Working in the sport you ask me regularly if I have good plans to buy tickets. Collective answer: no. By cons I discovered this application that allows you to buy last minute tickets for several events: sports, concerts, musicals etc!
With Game Time you can:
- Buy last-minute tickets at discounted prices for several sports or music events.
- Have an exact idea of the view you will have with the tickets you buy, I love this option.
- Available in several cities (I didn’t find the exact list) so convenient on a trip!
Be careful though to always make a comparison with StubHub which often has hyper competitive prices too. Attention in both cases prices are given in US dollars not CA!
Promo code take $5 off when using ASTRID38.
Game time website – Download for iPhone – Download for Android.
