Tools of the Trade: 5 Must-Have Apps for a Creatiopath

Hello lovely!

Today's Tools of the Trade post has a distinct focus on technology. Because, let's face it, technology runs ours lives. Even a crafter's. 




Tech doesn't stop at "devices", but it's a good place to start. I find that my initial decision to upgrade to a smarty-pants-phone started a snowball effect of tech-dependency. And why? Because the phrase, "there's an app for everything!" is ridiculously true.

Here is a roundup up 5 apps that make my life as a creatiopath easier. I've chosen to forego the obvious social media/bookmarking apps and really dig deep into the heart of my tech rhythm. Enjoy!

5 Must-Have Apps for a Creatiopath



Tools of the Trade: Apps



Ok. So this one might seem out of place, right off the bat. This app is marketed and often used as a family organizer "for busy moms"... and I'm not a mom. However. I have no problem benefiting from tools designed to help busy moms. Call me a profiteer or a bad person, if you will. 

If you're all over the place like I am with projects and to-do lists, this app is fantastic. It syncs instantly across devices, with your calendar, and allows multiple users and shared lists. Which, frankly, is quite handy when it comes to the Mister enabling helping me with projects. All of my works-in-progress are generally stored in one place, which is great. And as far as mealplanning goes... the browser-based interface menu-planner rocks my world.

How I use it: When setting up to-do lists and shopping lists for a project, I add a link to the original tutorial or website where you found the project. This makes it easy to reference the original shopping list when you're in the middle of Michaels or Home Depot. For me this is handy because lengths and cuts of wood are often lost in translation when I write them down. The other option, which I've used before, is to copy and paste an entire blog post into the Journal feature. Really it's just all around useful.

Note: I recently discovered Springpad, and am considering switching. I'll update you if that happens!



2. Bubble Level (AndroidiOS)




Being creative and crafty and full of DIY spirit doesn't mean I'm not occasionally lazy. If something needs to be level, I usually eyeball it. Unless it requires a lot of holes and cleanup if I make an oops. In which case, I'm still not going to bother looking for a level.

That's where this app comes in. I don't do anything fancy with it... just use it to make things level. And it sure beats stopping when I'm on a roll to go look for "the real thing".



3. Smart Tools: Smart Ruler (Android)



Just to add to that lazy comment from above... if you need a ruler in a pinch (which I often do), Smart Ruler is awesome. If you're feeling like having more tools on hand, the app developer makes a whole range of tools for cheap. This is one of the only apps I've ever considered paying actual money for. Jus' sayin'.



4. Converter (Android)




My bad. Most of these are Android. I suppose it's fairly obvious what my devices run on, huh?

Well. As an avid baker, crafter, and general DIY-er, I often find myself Googling conversions. How many metres is X number of yards? What fraction of a cup is X number of tablespoons? And so on and so forth. The problem with that is a) always having to have a network connection, and b) it gets really annoying to rephrase the question so Google search picks up on the fact that you want it to do the math for you... if you've ever done it, you know what I mean.

With the converter app, everything is all in one place. It's way too convenient not to download for free.




5. Shopping Bag (Android)

In all honesty, if the features of this app were ever integrated into Cozi, I would ditch it in a second. But, alas, Shopping Bag does one thing that Cozi doesn't: Math.

How I use it: Seeing as I love diving into new creative adventures all the time, I can often be a touch unrealistic about how much a project will really cost or how many bits and pieces are really needed. The Shopping Bag app is both a list maker and a calculator, and often talks me out of doing silly things. Like starting a bathroom reno thinking we can do it for a couple hundred dollars and still have new tile and bead board..... yea. Everyone needs this little reality check.

Another great perk is that everytime you enter an item, it is saved in a "quick picks" menu. So if you are constantly adding the same product to your budget list, it's right at your fingertips.



So, there you have it. My techy secrets to getting away with being creatively scatterbrained. What are your tricks?







Disclaimer:
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.  This post is not an official endorsement of any kind. I'm just telling the world my tricks! Please contact the app developer if your experience is sub-par, or try a different app. CL

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xo♥clem