7 GREAT CLEANING AND ORGANIZING APPS

Cleaning the house and keeping things organized are the never ending routines of life. Unless you’re really into that sort of thing (lucky you!), then you probably need a little help keeping up with it all! Introducing a bit of technology into the monotony of your chores can actually make them even a little bit enjoyable and checking things off of your digital lists adds that extra sense of accomplishment. There are a nice handful of iPhone apps (some may also be available for Android) that are available to help you keep up with your daily chores and organize your life. Don’t just take our word for it! Download the ones that suit you best and go get some things accomplished!

HOME ROUTINES

Home Routines divides your house into “zones” that you focus on cleaning each week. Spending 15 minutes in your focus zone every day helps you to tackle the little cleaning jobs that you would most likely avoid, thinking you don’t have time (dusting baseboards, anyone?). The app is very well designed and fun to use! After using Home Routines for a month, you will have cleaned your house from top to bottom!

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MOTIVATED MOMS

Motivated Moms is a cleaning checklist app that updates every day with a premade list of chores and tasks to accomplish. Everything from washing sinks to cutting baby’s nails to quiet time. The biggest challenge is checking off everything on the list in one day! You are a really motivated mom if you can do it!

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GREEN SHINE

Green Shine is a little healthy cleaning solutions helper in your pocket. It contains over 100 tips for cleaning your home the chemical free way! This is a perfect app to help you green up your cleaning routine so your home is safe and clean for your family.

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COZI FAMILY ORGANIZER

The Cozi Family Organizer app is the best app for Mom’s with a busy family! Keeping track of after school activities, play groups, and appointments can get crazy and Cozi streamlines your schedule into one manageable place.

 

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SIMPLY US

Simply Us is a charming shared scheduling and list-making app that was designed for couples to use together. The app will sync between users so that events can be added to both calendars, grocery lists are easily edited and shared, and you can even text and share photos with each other within the app! Sounds like the key to great communication!

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BILL ORGANIZER

Bill Organizer does exactly what you imagine it to do. It is a place to keep all of your bills listed and on a calendar. You can see which bills are coming up, how much is due, and can check them off as you go. Once you’ve input all of your bills into the app, you won’t have to worry about any slipping by unnoticed!

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MY THINGS

My Things is the app that everyone has probably thought “there should be an app for this!”. Categories such as “storage” or “bedroom closet” can be detailed with photos of the contents of these areas. So instead of digging through your attic to see if the baby clothes boxes are up there, check your My Things app! Once you’ve gone through the initial setup, the app becomes a saving

 

The Origin of the Baby New Year

Every year it's the same thing. Some diapered little baby is paraded around wearing a sash with the new year written on it. Who hasn't been to a New Year's Party that ended that way, huh? Okay, me neither. But the Baby New Year is still an iconic image that even popped up in a really bad sequel to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Baby. Usually in concert with the Baby New Year there is also a wizened old man with a ZZ Top beard. But this article isn't about that. It's about that naked baby.

 

 

The use of an infant as a symbol of the start of the new cycle that begins with the passage of the year dates back to ancient Greece. The festival of Dionysus, who was the god of wine, song and merriment let us not forget, was a big thing for the Greeks. No doubt the festival of Dionysus often ended long after the womenfolk had been sent to bed and each male reveler had left his male Greek friends behind to unsteadily walk home to the little woman.

Before these parties got down to the good stuff, however, it was the custom of the time to parade a newborn baby around in a basket. The baby was a symbol and a herald for fertility of the crops. (Probably just the crops since Greek style doesn't produce much in the way of offspring.

None so's you want to keep, anyway.) Across that big lake, the Egyptians were also fond of holding a ceremony of rebirth that involved the use of a young baby. In fact, there was a specific ceremonial ritual involving a young man and an older bearded man carrying a baby inside a basket that was discovered on the lid of a sarcophagus that is now on display in a museum.

The symbol of a Baby New Year was ubiquitous throughout the pagan religions so it should come as no surprise that the Catholic Church disallowed it for centuries. Finally, thanks to a fact that Bush seems incapable of grasping---that it is next to impossible to kill an idea that people cleave to with all their might---the Catholic Church gave in and allowed infants to be used in New Year celebrations. Okay, they made one adjustment. The Baby New Year was transformed from a pagan symbol into a symbol of the Baby Christ.

The contemporary image of the Baby New Year comes to us, like the Christmas tree, courtesy of those fun-loving, always-with-the-joke Germans. It was the Germans, you see, who first slapped a diaper on the Baby New Year. The newly diapered Baby New Year first cropped up in German woodcarving illustrations in the 1300s. When the German immigrants poured into Pennsylvania they brought with them the Christmas tree, Groundhog Day and our current image of the Baby New Year.

 

Celebrity Baby Boy Names

Are you looking for some inspiration for a baby boy name? If so, you may want to think about the names of some of your favorite celebrities. There are a number of celebrities with first names that could make a perfect name for your baby boy. Here are some of the celebrity names that you may want to take into consideration!

 

Simple Celebrity Names For Boys

There are a number of celebrities who have very simple baby names. If you are looking for something that is easy and perhaps traditional, one of these celebrity baby names may be a great choice for you. Some celebrities with simple baby names that you may want to consider include Adam Sandler,Matt Damon, Paul Walker, Patrick Dempsey, and Will Smith are some examples of celebrities with very short names. A trend among celebrity names is to use a shortened version of a name, such as Tom Cruise instead of Thomas Cruise.

Trendy Celebrity Names For Boys

Are you thinking about choosing a somewhat more trendy baby name for your baby boy? There are some celebrities who have names which are somewhat more trendy, and may be a suitable choice for your baby boy. Ashton Kutcher,Brad Pitt, Shane West, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zac Efron, and Taylor Lautner all have baby names which are very trendy.

Unisex Celebrity Names For Boys

If you don't know the sex of your baby, don't worry! There are a number of celebrities who have names which can be used for both boys and girls. Taylor Lautner, Jaden Smith, and Peyton Manning all are male celebrities who have unisex names. Hayden Panettiere, Jordin Sparks, Dakota Fanning, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Mackenzie Phillips all are female celebrities who have unisex names. The good thing about unisex baby names is that they are very trendy!

Female Celeb Last Names For Boys

There are a few celebrity last names which have become somewhat popular among baby boy name trends. The name Hudson, for example, which comes from Kate Hudson is an option that you may want to consider. Parker, which comes from Sarah Jessica Parker, is also a very trendy name among boys. Be sure to consider last names of female celebrities that you would like your baby to have.

Unique Celebrity Names For Boys

If you are looking for a more unique baby name for boys, there are a few celebrities who have names which may be suiting to your needs. Keanu Reeves, Forrest Whitaker, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, and Jules Asner are some of the celebrities who have more unique names. Since baby boy names are less likely to change over the years due to familial naming traditions, it is not surprising that there are only a few celebrities with unique names.

As you can see, there are a number of male celebrities who have names which could be ideal for your baby boy. Whether you want a more unique baby name, a unisex baby name, a simple baby name or a trendy baby name, one of your favorite celebs may have a name which is suitable for your son!