One of my favorites things about my job is the ability to work from anywhere. As long as I have my laptop, cameras and a good wifi connection, I can work on the go. And after a few years of blogging, I feel like I’ve gotten a bit of a system down. There are things I use time and time again. I also know there are the apps I couldn’t do my job without. Whether you’re looking for an app to help keep you organized or just one to make social media easier, today’s post is for you. Let’s chat about the apps that make running my blog even easier.
PLANN*
There was a time when I first started blogging that I didn’t pay too much attention to my instagram feed. I had a general color scheme going on but I didn’t focus on the layout. And if I’m honest, these days I’m a bit more lax with it. But Plann* has been my go to for a while now in helping me plan ahead. I can pre-write captions, schedule reminders or move things around for a better flow. This means I can make sure my content is balanced between all of my interest. It’s also great at helping me double check anything I might have missed in editing. Maybe the color is slightly off in a photo or I don’t really love a photo as much as I thought. Plann is on the top of the apps list for helping me stay on brand and on schedule.
LIGHTROOM*
Most of the time, I edit photos on my laptop. But if I’m on the go, I reach for my Lightroom* app. I used to be primarily a Photoshop user but then I learned a bit more about Lightroom. One of my goals for the blog for 2018 was to have a consistent brand with everything I did. And this is one of the apps that helps me make sure pictures match both on my blog and social media feeds.
I’ve created my own custom presets for photos and I’ve saved them into Lightroom. So now I have access to the same editing options whether I’m behind a giant screen or editing last minute on the go. A lot of bloggers sell presets for pictures if you’re in the market for your own. But if you’re looking to gain consistency in your feed and with your blog, I’d highly recommend giving this one a go.
WUNDERLIST*
Of any of the apps I use, I think this one easily runs half my life. Wunderlist is easy my favorite for making lists and keeping me organized. And we all know I love a good list. I use it for everything from grocery lists to blog post ideas. But it helps me keep track of ideas, things I need to do or products I want to test & review. I’m sure there are fancier apps on the market. However, since I’m a team of 1 most days I haven’t needed much more than this. If you’re list obsessed or just like to be able to tick boxes off, I can’t recommend Wunderlist enough.
QUICKBOOKS SELF-EMPLOYED
I have been doing my taxes as a self-employed person for the last several years. And it can be very confusing. But I’m a massive fan of Quickbooks Self-Employed. Because the same company that owns Mint.com works with Quickbooks, it’s easy to keep track of expenses, income and everything else for my business. I can easily keep up with write offs, how much I owe and other little details. Plus, you can give your accountant access to make life even easier.
If you use cash, you can upload receipts. Or if you need to track mileage, you can also use the app to do that. It makes keeping up with the annoying financial side of things simplier when you’re on the go.
VSCO*
When I first started out, I relied more heavily on VSCO for editing pictures. It was one of the steps for editing for my feed. But now I tend to rely on it more for instagram stories and my personal instagram feed. There are so much options with VSCO. So if you’re still figuring out your look, it’s an amazing tools for trying out loads of looks. And you can tweak within each preset which is even better.
UNFOLD*
There are so many options these days for making your instagram stories even more fun. With filters, longer stories and all the other features, it’s a great way to share your day to day. However, there are some days where I don’t want to share a million stories at one time. I like to consolidate them a bit more to get my info across. And I still want them to look fun! This is where Unfold comes into play. You can add all kinds of outlines, use multiple pictures and create stories that add that extra bit. It’s free, super easy to use and something I reach for almost daily when I’m on the go.
Forest*
I go through phases with Forest. Mostly, it depends on how distracted I’m feeling that day. But it’s the perfect way to motivate yourself if you need a little time away from your phone. Forest is an app that lets you set a timer and rewards you for not checking your phone. And while you work a way, the app builds a little tree. Over time, you can have a mini forest on your phone. It’s perfect for when you need to get work done but don’t want to be tempted because picking up your phone means killing your tree. It’s a small way to play a game with yourself to help you get the job done. But whatever works, right?
Slice*
Living in a small town means I’m heavily reliant on the internet for sourcing products to review for the blog. And more often than not, I’m expecting a package or four. Slice makes my online shopping life so much easier. It’s a way to keep track of everything you’ve order and when it will arrive. You get notifications when things have been delivered. Plus, they even request refunds if the price drops on a product you purchased. Now, instead of digging through my emails to find out when something will arrive, I just open Slice. It’s the best!
Spark Post*
One of the perks of having an adobe subscription* is being able to use Spark. Spark helps me design everything from my pins on Pinterest to my templates on Instagram Stories. And I can do it all maintaining the branding for the blog. It’s super easy to use and works on both my laptop and phone. So if I find I’ve prepped things ahead I want to post on stories, I can easily download it on the go to share. This means less time editing for me and more time finding fun places to shoot for the blog.
iCal*
Everyone is a bit different when it comes to organizing their blog content. And after a few years of doing this, I’ve learned to use both my iCal and my bullet journal. I love to organize my blog posts and youtube videos by color. It makes them easier to see what I have coming up, what I need to buy and if I’m going to do too much of one type of content in a week. It also means I have access when I’m on the go if I need to check anything.
