Go On, Get Appy! 10 Awesome Apps for Atlanta Parents

Navigating Atlanta as a parent can be tricky. Toting tots via a parking lot we call Peachtree to playground playdates is no easy task. Read on for ten apps that make bring up baby in this urban jungle a bit easier.

KidsLink
KidsLink allows parents to network with close friends and family and securely share pictures and messages that they wouldn’t necessarily want to post on Facebook. It is also designed to be a drop box for everything parents always need, but never have on hand when you need it the most (immunization records, copies of drivers licenses, insurance information, or report cards, for example). With each account accessible on both spouses’ iDevices, KidsLink helps families share everything from silly smiles to super important stuff.

Insider Info: KidsLink (powered by some local moms) is accessible by invitation only right now, and RedTricycle scored one for its readers. Click here to get the inside track (and use this invitation code: REDTRIATL).

InstaCart
It’s 3:30 in the afternoon. Your husband is out of town. You have two cranky kids, one sleeping toddler, and you just ran out of wipes. And you ordered pizza last night. Fear not. Simply place an order to be delivered within two hours by InstaCart (stores currently serviced include Whole Foods, Kroger, and Costco), turn on PBS Kids, and forget about the torture chamber (aka the car) for a little while longer.

Insider Info: You don’t have to be a Costco member to place your order there via InstaCart. Kirkland’s Wipes, here we come!

Sit or Squat
Using the GPS on your mobile device, this app lets you find nearby bathrooms to hit when the moment strikes (in the middle of your errand run, probably with melting ice cream in your grocery bags in the back of your car). Look for the green “SIT” designation (all markers have been added and rated by App users) and you won’t need your haz-mat suit to tackle the emergency potty break!

Insider Info: You can filter your search to only include restrooms with baby changing facilities!

CityPASS
Whether you’re planning a weekend of fun for your entire extended family, or just thinking about a staycation with the kiddos and spouse, there’s no better mobile site to visit than CityPASS. Not only handy for saving big money on bundled admissions to Atlanta’s best attractions (around $50 per person to places like the Aquarium, Zoo, and Fernbank), but the site also includes information about exhibits, special upgrades for CityPASS Holders, advice for visitors, and entrance instructions for skipping long lines.

Ringya
The start of every school year or soccer season means that moms are drowning in rosters and contact lists. Before your toddler runs off with the class list, download Ringya and let this app transfer all the pertinent info into your contact list on your iPhone. It groups families so you know whose mom belongs to which of your kiddo’s buddies, and it stores rosters in “rings” so you can access your lists quickly (like, when the mom whose name you can’t remember is waving at you as she heads your way).

Insider Info: The process of uploading the roster involves snapping a picture with your phone, then allowing the app to work its magic, which takes about 30 minutes per image. Once it’s converted the data into contact form, however, you’re all finished with the waiting.

Postino
Even though you take a billion pictures a week and run a million errands a minute, why is it so impossible to order prints, pick them up, and stick them in a card to mail to Grandma? Postino solves this dilemma by turning photos from your phone into postcards, printing them, and mailing them for you. You select the photo, write a note, and provide an address. Postino takes care of the rest.

Insider Info: Crafty moms send Postino cards to themselves, but write notes to their kiddos in the card. Throw them in an old school photo scrapbook and voila! The years add up to one awesome anthology of growing up.

Can Do Baby!
Another answer to the question of “what do I do with all these pictures on my phone?!,” cdb! gives users the ability to identify and store milestone photos, format them, and order a Baby Book (or Big Kid Book) with just a swipe of the finger. Done.

wsbtv.com Traffic App
Finally! Someone smarter than we are has finally created a real-time traffic app for Atlanta drivers. And for moms hauling precious (impatient, running 20 minutes late already because you couldn’t find both shoes and then the baby had a blow-out) cargo, nothing saves the day more than knowing when to take an alternate route to baseball practice.

Check this out: The WSB traffic app comes with the ability to create a list of your commonly travelled routes and sign up for text or email alerts when there’s a significant shift in traffic patterns.

Mom Maps
In a perfect world, this app filters your GPS through a Mommy Lens. More than streets and the occasional green space, Mom Maps orients your location to local parks, playgrounds, restaurants, museums, and indoor play spaces. Brilliant, right? But the downside is that what it rocks in concept it lacks in content.

Insider Info: Get the app, and start marking your favorite kid spots around town. It takes a village, no?

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Whether you’re making the trip to the emergency room for a busted chin or something more serious, you’ll be better prepared when you arrive if you’ve checked out the CHOA mobile site. Full of helpful information, including real-time waits at each of the urgent care and emergency locations, the mobile site is also your gateway to using MYchart, a tool that allows you to view your kid’s medical records, receive test results, and request prescription renewals.

What is your favorite app you use as an Atlanta parent? Tell us in the comments section below.

—Shelley Massey

Photos courtesy of the author and jenny downing on Creative Commons via Flickr