Buying gifts, entertaining the kids, traveling, planning parties … it often feels like there is so much to do during the holiday season and yet so little time. Luckily, there are several apps that can help you get through these tasks and more with just a touch of a button. With apps to help you create your shopping list, find a parking spot, entertain your kids, and squeeze in a bit of relaxation, you are sure to survive the holiday craziness.
1.) Santa’s Bag Christmas Gift List: This shopping list manager will keep track of your holiday shopping and even help you stick to your budget along the way. You can create profiles for everyone on your list, add wish list items, and keep track of the total amount you spend on gifts.
2.) Park Whiz: With ParkWhiz you can find and book a parking spot before you even get in your vehicle. Just enter in your destination and the date you will be traveling (yes, you can book days in advance!) and ParkWhiz will bring up a list of garages, prices, and even tell you how long it will take to walk to your destination from the garage. This app is great for city drivers and will help during the holiday shopping frenzy and year round as well.
3.) Slice: Slice will track your packages and even provide sales alerts on products you have already purchased. The Slice app automatically pulls in tracking numbers from your email each time you make a purchase, allowing you to keep track of all your holiday gifts to ensure they get to the right people at the right time.
4.) Super Dance Elf: What’s not to love when you see your face dancing in an elf’s body? This app is a great way to keep the kids occupied as you get through your holiday to-do’s. Simply upload pictures and create dancing elves of your friends and family. You may download it for the kids, but we know you’ll find yourself having a bit of fun as well.
5.) Buddhify: Buddhify provides more than 50 guided meditations for daily activities such as being online, traveling, taking a work break, and sleeping. It also provides a tracking function so you can track how you are developing concentration and mindfulness over time. With this app you can actually force yourself to squeeze in a few minutes of relaxation into the crazy holiday season – no excuses!
6.) Drizly: Alcohol delivered straight to your door from the touch of a button on your phone. With Drizly, you select your alcohol, beer, or wine of choice and a driver will deliver it to your door in less than an hour. The alcohol is the same price that you would find in stores, the only additional charge is the tip for the driver. This app is available in select cities, including Washington D.C., and could be a lifesaver if your holiday party guests consume a bit more than you anticipated!
7.) Gas Buddy: If you are road tripping this holiday season, you should check out the Gas Buddy app. Gas Buddy will track your location and provide you with lowest gas prices in your area. Even if you are not traveling, this can help you find the cheapest gas close to home. Who doesn’t want to save a little extra money this holiday season?
Happy Holidays!
Anjali Varma is the mother of two boys and owner of Kidville Bethesda, a children’s enrichment facility that offers classes, haircuts and birthday parties. She is also the founder of The Modern Mompreneur. You can follow Anjali on Twitter and Instagram @anjvarma and on Facebook @TheModernMompreneur.
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