A few weeks ago we broke down and bought our first ever smart phones! After a lot of online shopping comparison and trips to our local US Cellular to hum and haw over the options, we both decided to get the HTC Desire and we’ve been REALLY happy with it!

Suddenly I have gone from a cell phone luddite to a texting, app downloading cell phone savvy momma. Since then I’ve tried and deleted a gazillion apps, bookmarked a few faves and I was thinking to myself, “Self, you should write about the apps that you love.” So….

Top 13 Apps I Love

(Why thirteen? Because it’s Thursday & even reeeally old habits die hard)

1. Our Groceries was one of the first apps I downloaded. It came highly recommended by my dad and I have to agree. This is a gem of an app! You can sync it with any family and friends who have an Android so you can have one synchronized grocery list (or any kind of list you want to make). It has a voice recognition feature so that you can verbally add items to your list, and the database basically knows no limits. And since it’s synced you can say, “Honey will you pick up the items on our list on your way home?” and he can just open his phone and see the list. If you delete it from your phone, it will delete on his phone, etc. etc.
2. My Fitness Pal is a calorie / exercise counting program similar to the Calorie Count website I’ve used in the past. It uses a bar code scanning system so you can scan the package of food you are getting ready to eat and it will usually have all the nutrition info right there for you.
3. Weather Bug is currently my favorite weather app. I feel like it gives the most useful information in a clear, easy to read format. I also really like their Time and Temp widget.
4. Zyrtec Allergy Cast can tell you which types of allergens are really high on a particular day in your area so that you can plan your medicating, etc. accordingly and maybe start to figure out what trees, etc. you are most allergic to and when they seem to be a problem.
5. Amazon Kindle’s app for Android works really nicely. I’m not sure how often I’ll use it since I own an actual Kindle, but I could see myself pulling it out at a dentist appointment when waiting for my turn (sometimes the magazine selection is really lackluster).
6. Angry Birds is probably one of the most famous games / apps on the market and I have to admit, I’ve given in to the hype. This is a really addictive game that makes you feel really smart or really stupid depending on the level. There are also a lot of fun little seasonal or movie-based variations that look fun.
7. Fruit Slice is another popular game that sucked me in. The graphics are really nice, the game play is easy to pick up and the whole experience is very intuitive and addictive.
8. If you are a member of meetup.com you will want to check out the meetup app. It makes it easy to look up events happening soon, pull up a map to the event location and get directions while you drive – and check how many people are coming to your event. You can also change your RSVP from your phone which is nice if something comes up while you are away from home.
9. The Shop Savvy Barcode scanner is a great way to check out reviews for a product while you are shopping IRL. Scan the barcode and it will search the net for reviews and online retailers.
10. There are a lot of map and navigation apps on the market, but they all pale in comparison to Google Maps in my humble opinion. Google’s really cornered the market here with a slick, intuitive app that just works and works well.
11. Retro Camera is probably my favorite of the “photo editing funky camera apps”. It works well and yields good results of that sort of old timey retro picture.
12. Toddler Lock is a really simple kid-friendly app that your toddler will like. Even my five year old was pretty smitten with this one and the locking feature works well enough that it usually takes me a few tries to unlock it! I’d advise you use this app with caution though – it might make your kiddos think your phone is now fair game.
13. I can’t seem to find the exact flashlight app that I have on my phone, but this one looks similar and has good reviews. I’m pretty sure mine came pre-installed, but it’s simple and well designed and does exactly what it’s supposed to with no gimmicks. Great to find something in the dark without waking anybody.

All the apps that I am recommending here are free in the Android Market. As far as I can tell none of them are spam or evil, most come highly recommended by people other than me, also.

Got an android? What’s your favorite app?