Five Apps That Make Me Love the iPhone Even More

Remember the old days, when your mom would look at the road sign and say: “Twenty more miles till the next rest stop! If you’ve gotta go, you’d better go now!”

These days, a mom will whip out her iPhone and check a rest stop application, or maybe find an app that shows her where the cleanest potty in a two-mile radius is. The preponderance of information available about our surroundings at any moment can definitely ease the pain of being out of a home routine.

Other winners, whether you’re close to home or far afield:

AAA Roadside Assistance: if you’re an AAA Member, this app lets you order assistance, and track when help is on the way. The service can also use your location-based services to pinpoint where you are, even if YOU’RE not sure. Sweet!

UrbanSpoon: This app lets you search for food by location and cuisine type. So the next time you’re halfway to Grandma’s and your little cherub starts screaming “But I want PIZZA! Not Chinese - PIZZA!" you actually have some recourse beyond asserting that chinese food is, indeed, a form of pizza. And one day? You might even get out WITHOUT the kids, and go find some Indian Food.

Taxi Magic: Next time you hit New York or Washington, those days of standing on the curb waving your arms around are done. With Taxi Magic, the most readily available cabs find you via location, and you let them know when you want to be picked up. Sure beats yelling: “TAXI!”

IdeaOrganizer: When you have that million-dollar idea, only to be rudely interrupted by the news that your toddler is swimming in the fishbowl, it’s easy to forget exactly what prompted that creative spark. With Idea Organizer, jot the idea down via text, photo, or voice note. Then, when you have your little rascal safely dried off, you can get back to taking over the world.

Paper Toss: Whether you’re in line at the grocery store or waiting for supper at a restaurant, you know kids can get squirmy. Be prepared with Paper Toss - simple enough for even the youngest child to master, but interesting enough that they’ll keep trying to land that paper shot into the wastebasket again and again.

So remember, Mom 2.0 - there’s no shame in your game if plugging in occasionally also means more time to tune in to your family.