When I was a kid many
moons ago, Christmastime
was my absolute favorite
time of year—even more
so than my birthday. As an
adult, I love to reignite that
childlike spirit at the end
of each year. I get so ex-
cited when I think of Santa
hats, holiday tunes, festive
lights, mouthwatering feasts
... I could go on. This year
though, I’ve discovered a
few apps that can help make
this holiday season more
magical than ever before.
Keep the Family Entertained
Let’s talk about games. We all have a memory of a game
that made us, a game that shamed us, a game that trans-
formed us, or even inspired us. Holiday games with family
and friends offer the perfect opportunity to create joyous
memories we’ll cherish for years to come. One iPhone game
that gives the gifts of laughter and fun is Holiday Charades
(free). It is a fun, easy-to-use game with a classic style that’s
sure to have you hooked. There are multiple categories, such
as Christmas music and holiday foods that will test your
knowledge and tickle your spirit. Here’s what you do. Choose
a category, then the player starting the game will place the
device on its head facing out at the group. The others offer
hints and clues to help the player guess the correct word or
phrase before the time runs out. You then tally the scores, and
the next player is up. The categories are broad and allow for
many rounds of play, entertaining the youth and adults alike.
There are ads, and it’s only $0.99 to get rid of them.
With the bigger crowd entertained, you may begin to wonder
what could appease the little ones who are too frantic to play
word games but not quite independent enough to be left alone.
Instead of chasing around the little rascals as they run from
room to room giggling, present them with Mindful Powers, a
free meditation app for kids. It’s colorful, calming, and interac-
tive—I gave it a test run and found myself feeling more Zen as
well! Set your youngster up with headphones, and they’ll love
having the phone to themselves. There is some light reading
required, so be sure your little one can follow along, or perhaps
be around to walk them through the early stages of the game.
Mindful Powers has two modes: Mindful Play and Focus Time,
and uses the help of Flibbertigibbets to encourage compassion,
creativity, and concentration. Mindful Play is ideal for settling
down, and Focus Time helps with self-monitoring during tasks
like homework or creative projects.Holiday Meals Made Easy
Whew! Now that the children are calm and the in-laws are
laughing, you may be wondering how you’re going to tackle
this monster of a meal that everyone is expecting to enjoy.
Ten years ago, a frantic race to the grocery store and wres-
tling over last turkeys and cans of cranberries was bound to
cause utter chaos at your typical Walmart. Now, however,
there’s an app for that. With Instacart (free), you can have all
of your groceries and even some household products deliv-
ered right to your door, often within an hour or two. You can
order everything from frozen foods to fresh produce, meat
and seafood to dairy, packaged foods to alcohol, and have
them sent directly to your door with only a few taps on your
iPhone. Instacart features great deals, offers replacements for
items low in stock, and offers suggestions based on what’s
in your cart. Got the mac but forgot the cheese? No worries;
Instacart will suggest popular products purchased together
to make sure your entire list is covered. With free delivery
options, you’ve basically done twice the work in half the time
and probably saved some money.
You can add to those savings with the free Ibotta app’s cash
back offers. If you’ve been shopping without Ibotta, you’ve
basically left trails of money behind on your way home. Ibotta